Chapter 49: The Strategist

At the outskirts of Lishan Valley, when the soldiers saw that Cui Dongxing's name had disappeared from the leaderboard and Qin Jue's points had soared, the entire crowd fell into a deathly silence.

After a long moment, a wave of astonished cries erupted from the crowd.

"This... how is this possible?" A soldier who had bet on Cui Dongxing widened his eyes, dropping his weapon to the ground with a clatter, his mouth agape, disbelief written all over his face.

And he was far from alone.

In this camp-wide competition, the front-runners expected to claim the top spot were Cui Dongxing and Wu Xiao.

Among them, the former, skilled in martial arts, had earned the trust of many.

Yet unexpectedly, Qin Jue emerged from nowhere, becoming the dark horse.

"Wasn't he only at the fourth level of mastery? Could there be a mistake?" someone murmured nervously, unable to calm down.

But everyone knew this was impossible.

So more people remained silent and confused.

"The captain truly is number one! Haha, truly number one!" Amid the relative quiet of the outer valley, a voice rang out excitedly.

Chen Xi, unable to contain his joy, flushed with excitement as if ready to leap.

"Long live the captain!"

"Long live the captain!"

Around him, teammates wore expressions of delight, shouting loudly in unison.

From a higher vantage point, the remaining commanders observed the crowd’s cheers.

Usually composed, they too were filled with deep emotions.

"What a prodigy, this young man is no ordinary person! No wonder even the commander praised him!"

In the valley, Qin Jue and Wu Xiao slowly emerged, formally signaling the end of this camp-wide contest.

Seeing their captain, Chen Xi and the others abandoned all decorum, rushing forward toward Qin Jue.

Qin Jue looked at his subordinates, then raised his gaze to the sky, exhaling deeply.

It was truly over.

---

In Dongchuan City, at the Lord of the East Suburbs’ residence.

Wang Zhong, who had returned earlier, arrived hurriedly with a distraught Cui Dongxing before a quiet study.

Inside, Cui Ziyuan sat serenely behind a desk, dressed simply and emanating an air of refined elegance. His hair was neatly tied back, and he was deeply engrossed in a military manual laid open before him, occasionally jotting down notes.

"Strategist!" Wang Zhong called respectfully outside the door.

"Commander Wang, come in," Cui Ziyuan replied calmly, setting down his brush with measured ease.

He looked up with a lean, composed face; only his narrow, profound eyes sparkled faintly like cold stars before settling on the two men before him.

"Uncle!"

The moment Cui Dongxing saw Cui Ziyuan, he collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud, pressing his forehead tightly to the floor, trembling uncontrollably, too afraid even to glance up.

"Commander Wang, please sit. Steward Liu, prepare tea."

Cui Ziyuan ignored his worthless nephew and instead smiled gently at Wang Zhong.

Wang Zhong quickly cupped his hands, speaking earnestly, "Thank you, strategist!"

Once Wang Zhong was seated, Cui Ziyuan asked, "Commander Wang, what mistake has this wayward son committed now?"

It was well known in the army that Cui Ziyuan, having no wife or children, regarded this nephew as a surrogate son.

Wang Zhong then recounted all that had happened in Lishan.

Upon hearing that Cui Dongxing had taken pills and attacked someone by surprise, Cui Ziyuan’s kind smile vanished abruptly.

He glanced at Cui Dongxing, his brow furrowed, eyes cold.

"Scoundrel!"

His voice thundered with authority and fury like a sudden storm.

Cui Ziyuan was no longer the gentle scholar moments before.

Startled by the harsh reprimand, Cui Dongxing trembled violently, pounding his head on the floor while stammering, "Uncle, I was wrong, I was wrong! Please forgive me this once!"

Wang Zhong sat silently, saying nothing.

He knew the strategist would show no favoritism.

"Commander Wang, this wayward son has committed grave offenses. Deal with him according to military law. Spare only his life," Cui Ziyuan declared firmly.

Wang Zhong rose and bowed, "As you command."

Cui Ziyuan nodded, then looked again at Cui Dongxing: "If there is a next time, execution will be the only option."

Cui Dongxing kowtowed repeatedly.

Afterward, Wang Zhong escorted Cui Ziyuan away.

Cui Ziyuan then approached a cabinet and took out a book.

"Qin Jue," he murmured, flipping through the pages that contained detailed information about Qin Jue—his origins and the fact that he had been disowned after being crippled.

Reading the entry, Cui Ziyuan’s eyes narrowed as they rested on the words "illegitimate branch son."

For he himself was also an illegitimate branch member of the Cui family.

At that moment, a bold and arrogant idea suddenly surfaced in his mind.

What if such a person could replace the Qin family...

---

Back in Dongchuan City, after the camp competition concluded, the Vanguard Battalion returned to the city.

Wu Mi immediately gathered the entire unit.

The soldiers assembled in formation, and seeing their usually stern Captain now beaming with a smile, they were taken aback.

Many cast covert glances at the somewhat slight figure standing at the front, their eyes filled with reverence.

Chen Xi and the others, his subordinates, stood tall and proud.

Wu Mi then ceased smiling and with sincere approval addressed Qin Jue in a loud voice:

"In this camp-wide competition, Qin Jue's performance was unparalleled, single-handedly earning supreme honor for our unit. He is our pride, and everyone should look to him as an example!"

The soldiers shuddered at these words, their awe for Qin Jue deepening.

Having such a formidable warrior in their ranks was truly a blessing.

Wu Mi then spoke of the rewards, summoning his men to bring forth gold, silver, jewels, silks, medicinal herbs, and more.

Seeing such treasures, the soldiers’ eyes widened in envy.

Many regretted not finding ways to stay in Qin Jue’s battalion.

With a captain like him, who would not thrive?

Qin Jue himself was slightly surprised at the bounty, recalling it rivaled even the rewards from his previous military achievements.

After distributing the rewards, Wu Mi used the incident involving Feng Yong to remind the soldiers once more:

"In the army, the capable come first. You may envy or resent in private, but if anyone dares lay a hand on their comrades, this captain will not be merciful!"

All fell silent, solemn.

Wu Mi dismissed the unit and then pulled Qin Jue aside, granting him a day off to rest.

Regarding the most crucial secret skill, Wu Mi promised the commander would make arrangements.

Qin Jue inquired about becoming the commander's disciple but was told the commander had never mentioned it.

He felt a pang of regret.

Yet, to have gained the commander’s famed secret skill was already a tremendous fortune.

Afterward, Qin Jue did not return home immediately.

Instead, he had Zhang Qi bring the rewards to his tent.

He was uncertain when the commander would summon him...

And he was growing increasingly eager to receive that long-awaited secret skill.