touchnovel Chapter 187 The Fame of Earthly Martial Arts
Chapter 187 The Fame of Earthly Martial Arts
On the drill ground, the large banner bearing the character "Lin" was taut in the autumn wind, the worn threads on the banner making a soft, rustling sound in the air. The three thousand guards stood in neat formation, their armor plates and weapons gleaming in the sunlight, looking from the command platform like a field of iron-gray wheat divided into neat squares.
Lin Chen stood in the center of the command platform. His silver-edged commander's armor fit him perfectly, the edges of the plates polished smooth and without any superfluous decoration. His hands hung naturally at his sides, without deliberately activating his aura, yet the pressure of his Earth Martial Realm cultivation, like a thin mist clinging to the ground, covered the entire training ground. The soldiers in the front ranks could feel that oppressive force seeping up from their ankles, like standing in a very slow-flowing river—not uncomfortable, but they could feel a constant resistance.
Standing in the first row below the stage were a dozen or so elderly men in fine clothes. The one in the lead had half-white hair and beard, and his brocade robe swayed slightly in the wind, the black iron token at his waist striking the hem of his robe with a soft clinking sound. Li Chongshan was the patriarch of the Li family, a long-established family in the Northwest. He had been in charge of the Northwest military supplies and dispatch for many years, and several commanders of Tianlang Pass had given him face.
He stepped forward, his clasped hands forming a smooth and proper gesture, his tone as polite as if greeting a junior, yet his words carried a clear probing tone. "Vice Commander Lin is a young hero, having reached the Earth Martial Realm at such a young age and slaying the Void-Breaking Evil General. It is truly a blessing for our human race. However, the defense of Tianlang Pass is complex, and the allocation of military supplies, provisions, and weapons has been established for many years. Since you are new here, Vice Commander, you may not be familiar with the procedures. From now on, please feel free to instruct me on matters of military supplies, and I will certainly share your burden."
Several heads of prominent families chimed in, some nodding, some stroking their beards, and others saying, "Yes, yes, Lord Li has been in charge of military supplies for many years, and he's very reliable." Their implication was that they wanted to strip Lin Chen of the power to allocate military supplies, effectively stripping him of his authority over resource distribution and leaving him to focus solely on fighting, not on provisions.
Su Muyue stood beside Lin Chen, the battle flag in her hand not planted in the ground, its pole lightly touching the earth. After listening to Li Chongshan's words, she looked up, her voice neither loud nor soft, but each word falling with perfect rhythm. "Lord Li, you are mistaken. Military regulations clearly state that the garrison commander is in charge of military, political, financial, and logistical matters, and is responsible for them all. Tianlang Pass is currently at war, and the dispatch of military supplies must be carried out according to military orders. How can we entrust this to others? The Su family has guarded the Northwest for generations, and the rules established by our ancestors state that military supplies are the foundation of the army and cannot be hindered in the slightest. If you all truly want to support the army, then deliver the three batches of accumulated weapons and two thousand shi of grain to the pass on time. This is far more effective than empty words."
Li Chongshan's expression changed subtly; his lips tightened for a moment before returning to normal. "What do you mean by that, Miss Su? The Li family has been loyal and virtuous for generations; when have we ever delayed military supplies?"
Lin Chen didn't respond, but slightly tilted his head. Chu Fan came out from behind, holding the account book. When he opened the dark blue-covered book, the edges of the pages were already frayed. "On the third day of last month, the Alliance allocated 3,000 sets of Xuan Tie armor, but only 1,700 sets were put into storage. On the eighteenth of last month, the military rations were 5,000 shi, but only 3,200 shi were actually received. There are also three batches of Po Xie Arrows that have not yet arrived. Lord Li, every single one of these deficits has a receipt and a record of receipt; there's no way to fake it."
Li Chongshan's gaze lingered on the ledger for a moment before quickly shifting away. "The journey is long, and the evil tribes are harassing the supply lines, so losses are inevitable. Deputy Commander Lin can't use these losses as an excuse to discourage the noble families." His voice was lower than before, but he was still trying to sound tough.
Lin Chen didn't take the ledger, nor did he inquire further about the losses. He took a step forward, and the pressure of his Earth Martial Realm cultivation silently spread to both sides with that step. Several Li family disciples in the front row instinctively took a step back when the pressure reached them, and the sound of the armor plates colliding was particularly clear in the quiet training ground.
"Leng Feng".
Leng Feng stepped forward, carrying a wooden box. He walked to the center of the training ground, opened the box, and inside were several fragments of weapons bearing traces of evil energy, along with a stack of receipts stamped with the Li family's warehouse seal. The dates on the receipts and the style of the weapon fragments matched the evil weaponry captured from the battlefield. "This humble general led men to inspect the Li family's supply depot and found these fragments of standard evil weapons in a secret room in a side courtyard, along with three hundred catties of unregistered black iron. Lord Li, how did these 'damaged' weapons end up in the pile of raw materials for evil weapons?"