bookandnovel Chapter 23: Hidden Talents in the Dormitory
Chapter 23: Hidden Talents in the Dormitory
Wearing glasses, Murong Can looked refined and gentle, with curly hair and a romantic air, but he was actually a chatterbox, rattling off a whole bunch of information to Lu Zhao.
Within the Qin army, class distinctions were not merely clear; they were downright rigid.
Before the new recruits had even begun to practice martial arts, they were divided according to their talents. Those with high talent, like Chen Qinhu, lived in single rooms. Those who were above average and had some talent lived in four-person rooms, and those who were even worse off lived in eight-person rooms. The worst were in large communal rooms.
There are even more intricacies among veterans. The difference in officer ranks goes without saying. In terms of unit designation, ordinary soldiers are the lowest level, while better units, such as vanguard soldiers and tiger soldiers, have slightly higher status.
Moving up to the next level, the "Guard" level units, such as the Xuanxiang Guard that Wang Zhao mentioned before, or some well-known special forces like the Cangyun Guard and the Gongshan Guard, have higher benefits and resources, but fewer personnel.
As for the "riding" at even higher levels, that's beyond their comprehension.
"It is said that during the rebellion in Liuyun Prefecture, General Meng Su personally led a hundred Red Cavalry and wiped out the rebel leader overnight. If you could join that kind of team, I reckon you could at least be appointed as a Left or Right Junior Master."
Lu Zhao didn't know much else, but he did know that the Kun-class transport ship they would be taking would have a captain who was only at the level of Right Vice Minister.
If Murong Can is right, as long as one joins the Crimson Cavalry, one can be appointed as a Left or Right Junior Officer. It goes without saying how elite that kind of unit is.
"The difference in treatment shouldn't be limited to just accommodation, right?"
Lu Zhao thought to himself that even if the Qin army was powerful, it was impossible for them to be treated like a bunch of bandits, with their treatment entirely dependent on eating, drinking and having fun.
"Definitely."
Murong Can walked to the metal cabinet opposite the bed, opened it to reveal standard bed sheets and blankets inside, indicating that they were usable. He then said, "The dosages of these things—pills, body-strengthening injections—are different. You should know what I'm talking about, right?"
Lu Zhao certainly knew.
In this world, the reason why it is difficult for ordinary people to practice martial arts is not only because they need someone to guide them in the training methods, but also because of "medicine".
The pills used for martial arts cultivation are different from those in cultivation novels. They do not have obvious side effects, nor do they limit potential when used to break through cultivation levels.
However, these medicines were researched by the empire's sorcerers and produced in military factories. They were strictly controlled military products, and ordinary people could not purchase them through legitimate channels.
However, the risks of unofficial channels are huge, so the prices are also extremely high, and ordinary families can basically not even consider them.
"Looking at it this way, the difference in treatment has quite a big impact..." Lu Zhao muttered to himself.
"It's okay, don't worry about it."
Murong Can said nonchalantly, "Right now, all the conditions are just token gestures. Didn't we say during the physical exam that the accuracy rate of talent testing is only 60%? More importantly, our progress in martial arts training will directly determine our future status, and other benefits will be adjusted accordingly, so..."
He took the quilt out of the metal cabinet, stuffed it into Lu Zhao's hands, and patted it twice.
"Practice martial arts diligently and change your destiny."
Murong Can climbed back onto his bed, then suddenly seemed to remember something, jumped down again, and lowered his voice as if to reveal a shocking secret, "If I'm not mistaken, the next opportunity for adjustment will be when the martial arts manual is taught."
Lu Zhao had a good impression of this curly-haired guy. He bent down to make the bed, carrying the sheets and blankets: "Could you be more specific?"
At this moment, Yang Guangming, who was taciturn and reserved, pretended to be making the bed, but moved a little closer to the head of the bed without making a sound. He seemed to be doing nothing, but he was actually eavesdropping.
Lu Zhao caught this subtle movement perfectly.
So, he was just a seemingly dull person who was actually quite cunning?
Murong Can glanced at the doorway with feigned nonchalance, then said, "You guys don't know, do you? The first realm after practicing martial arts is called the Warrior Realm. It means that anyone who enters this realm will possess strength surpassing that of ordinary people."
In fact, Lu Zhao knew that Zhou Changsheng had mentioned these things before.
The martial arts realms in the Great Qin Dynasty don't have the ethereal names of cultivation worlds; most of them are quite practical.
The first realm is called "Strongman," signifying a significant increase in strength upon reaching this level. The second realm is called "Iron Body," primarily involving strengthening of the skin and flesh. The third realm...
Lu Zhao was too lazy to review, since he figured he wouldn't run into them anytime soon anyway. Besides, that wasn't the main point Murong Can wanted to make.
"We certainly can't become warriors of the Strongman Realm just by reading the Twelve Martial Scriptures of Heaven and Man once, right? From the start of cultivation to entering the Strongman Realm, even with the guidance of instructors, it will still take some time. The length of this 'time' will likely determine our situation in the next stage."
"Oh~"
It turned out to be the case.
Lu Zhao thought he made sense.
After Shang Yang's reforms, this trend persisted within the Qin state: generally speaking, one's rank was determined by the level of military merit earned in battle.
Of course, this wasn't what the book said; it was what he learned before he traveled through time. There were no records of Shang Yang in the history books here, just like with the Xiang family. Either they were deliberately hidden, or the history was fundamentally different.
In short, this style has been inherited by the Qin Empire, especially in the military: those who are good at martial arts are considered awesome, and those who kill many enemies are considered awesome. There is no disguise, and people's ambitions are driven by pure self-interest.
Great, then we'll work harder and raise the salary.
Lu Zhao wasn't picky about accommodations; what he wanted were the medicines developed by the sorcerers.
That kind of thing not only makes cultivation faster, but also improves its quality, a point that Zhou Changsheng had also emphasized.
Murong Can climbed back onto the bed: "What were your talent scores on the test?"
Lu Zhao looked at Yang Guangming, who honestly replied, "75."
Murong Can nodded: "Awesome! I'm 73. Lu, what about you?"
"I'm not even 80 yet."
"How much difference?"
"19".
The two: "......."
Murong Can paused for a moment, then laughed and said, "Hmph, little 61, don't be so presumptuous in front of us. From now on, you're the youngest."
"OK."
Lu Zhao readily agreed.
Just then, the sound of suitcase wheels hitting the floor came from outside the door, and then a figure appeared in the doorway.
This man was rather short, about 1.6 meters tall, with sharp eyes and a very strong body, like a stone.
"Another one!"
Murong Can, unable to stay still, jumped off the bed again. "Brother, introduce yourself."
After introductions, Lu Zhao learned that Brother Stone's surname was indeed Shi, and his given name was Shi Jian. In every respect, he was a very normal person, so normal that he was almost ordinary.
"Stone."
Murong Can, this lively character, has already earned a nickname. It has to be said that with him around, the team atmosphere is quite good.
"What?"
"Hey, what's your talent score? Mine's 73."
"Hehe, I'm also a little over 70."
"How much more?"
"13".
"....."
After a moment of silence, the three were filled with respect; 80 or above, that's a whole other level.
Murong Can, who had just climbed into bed, jumped off again like a monkey: "I'm so lucky to share a dorm with a genius who scored 83! But speaking of which, how did you end up in such a remote and impoverished place?"
Shi Jian didn't react much. He wasn't embarrassed or smug. He remained as calm and ordinary as when he first arrived.
Before he could answer, a knocking sound came from the door, and another person appeared at the wide-open dormitory door.
The group turned around and saw a tall, muscular man standing at the door.
"Tiger, let's get to know each other."
Upon seeing the newcomer, Lu Zhao immediately smiled and introduced him to everyone, saying, "This is my friend."
Yang Guangming's expression changed, and Murong Can was very cautious.
"Is this the big shot who lives in a single room? May I ask, what's your talent score?"
Chen Qinhu scratched his head: "90 points."
Murong Can almost knelt down: "Big shot!!"
The prevailing atmosphere of judging solely by strength added to Chen Qinhu's sense of oppression. Coupled with his already tall and robust physique, reaching the same height as the door frame, he stood there like a demon king.
However, just as Yang Guangming and Murong Can were about to prostrate themselves in despair, Shi Jian dragged his suitcase straight past.
"Could you move aside? I need to put something down," he said to Chen Qinhu.
Murong Can was stunned.
What?! You only scored 83 points, yet you're so calm and collected when talking to a 90-point genius and even making demands.
Could it be that he...?
Lu Zhao also realized that this Shi Jian was no ordinary person; he was not afraid of pressure!
Add to that a seemingly weak but actually powerful character, a cunning and sly one, and a talkative one brimming with information.
This dormitory is full of hidden talents.