Starting as pearl divers, they have endless jobs.

Chapter 55 Lifting the Tripod, Personal Guards

The central command tent was set up in an abandoned ancient temple.

Inside the dilapidated temple, the incense has long since died out, and only a few clay statues of gods remain, their surfaces mottled and peeling, giving the place a rather desolate appearance.

Armored soldiers with swords at their sides walked steadily, patrolling back and forth, adding to the solemn atmosphere of war and killing intent in the area.

Chen Ye followed the messenger into the main hall.

Inside the hall, a dozen or so officers clad in armor stood on either side. In the central seat, a burly middle-aged general was buried in documents, dealing with a mountain of military affairs.

This is Meng Yi, the commander-in-chief of this army.

The messenger withdrew, leaving Chen Ye alone standing in the hall.

Chen Ye was not in a hurry. He stood there quietly, his eyes fixed straight ahead, his breathing steady.

After a long while, Meng Yi finished his official duties. He looked up and his gaze fell on Chen Ye.

"You're Chen Ye?"

"Yes." Chen Ye nodded, neither humble nor arrogant.

Seeing this, Meng Yi nodded inwardly.

He knew Chen Ye had just come in, but he deliberately ignored him. As a result, he found that although this man was burly, he was not reckless at all. Even when faced with his question, he remained calm and composed. This composure alone was enough to make people look at him with respect.

"Did you kill Xiang Qing?" Meng Yi asked again.

"Reporting to the general, I didn't know who Xiang Qing was at the time; I only knew that a young officer had been killed," Chen Ye said frankly.

Meng Yi smiled slightly, "You young general are quite something. He was a descendant carefully cultivated by the Xiang family. He was supposed to come to the battlefield to gain experience, but now he's dead. Look at that."

Meng Yi raised his hand and pointed to a stack of official documents on the table. "These are all from the Great Liang. They're telling me to hand over the murderer. What a joke! Xiang Qing was young and impetuous. He didn't even bring his own family's personal guards. He only brought a small team of men and dared to cause trouble in my Great Yong territory. Now that he's dead, he's coming to ask me for him. Does the Xiang family just want to fly to the heavens?"

When he said this, Meng Yi's tone was full of schadenfreude. After all, the Meng family of Dayong, from which he came, was a family of military experts for a hundred years. Even without mentioning the grudges between the two countries, the two families had a feud that spanned several generations.

Therefore, he was naturally happy to see them suffer heavy losses, and he found Chen Ye increasingly pleasing to the eye.

"Tell me what happened that day from the beginning, without omitting anything or exaggerating anything."

"Yes."

Chen Ye responded and then recounted his encounter in the valley that day in detail.

His narration was calm, without embellishment or exaggeration of his own achievements; he simply stated the facts.

But when he recounted how, in a moment of desperation, he hurled a boulder the size of a millstone, killing the enemy commander Xiang Qing, the air in the entire tent seemed to freeze.

All eyes turned to Chen Ye, filled with astonishment and suspicion.

Throwing a boulder the size of a millstone? And it accurately killed an enemy general?
This...how is this possible?

Let alone a laborer who has only practiced a few months of rudimentary body-strengthening techniques, even a second-rate master in the martial arts world who specializes in body-strengthening might not have such terrifying strength.

Meng Yi's gaze sharpened as he stared at Chen Ye and asked, word by word, "Is everything you said true?"

"I dare not utter a single falsehood," Chen Ye said calmly.

Meng Yi remained silent for a moment, and the atmosphere inside the tent became extremely oppressive.

Suddenly, he smiled.

"Very well, since you are so confident, words are not enough. Today, I, the general, will see for myself."

He stood up, strode out of the main hall, and pointed to the weathered stone incense burner in the courtyard.

That incense burner has stood here for countless years, covered in moss, its body thick and heavy, clearly indicating that it is no light creature.

"Lift it up and let this general have a look."

Upon hearing this, all the officers who had followed him out gasped in shock.

This stone cauldron weighs at least several thousand kilograms. Let alone lifting it, even a dozen strong men working together might not be able to move it an inch.

Is the general deliberately making things difficult for this kid? Or... does he really believe this kid has such divine power?
All eyes were on Chen Ye, who walked directly to the stone cauldron without hesitation.

He walked around the stone cauldron once, seemingly searching for a point of leverage, then took a deep breath, and the muscles in his arms bulged instantly, the bulging veins coiling like earth dragons under his bronze skin.

The next moment, he lowered his waist and stood up, gripping the two legs of the stone cauldron tightly with both hands.

"rise!"

A loud shout, as clear as thunder!

To everyone's astonishment, he actually managed to pull the incredibly heavy stone cauldron off the ground.

But it's not over yet!
Chen Ye, holding the stone cauldron weighing several thousand kilograms, remained calm and composed, even taking steady steps and circling the courtyard once.

With a loud crash, the stone cauldron was slammed back into place, and several spiderweb-like cracks appeared on the ground.

The entire courtyard fell silent.

Many people were secretly amazed, and Meng Yi's eyes shone with wonder as he stared intently at Chen Ye, as if he were looking at a priceless treasure.

"Good! Good! Good!"

He said "good" three times in a row, his expression of approval undisguised.

"Tell me, what reward do you want?"

Upon hearing this, many people looked at Chen Ye with extreme envy.

To receive a personal promise from the general is like a meteoric rise for this kid.

Whether it's money, official position, or beautiful women, as long as he dares to ask, the general will likely not be stingy.

However, Chen Ye's answer surprised everyone.

"General, I do not want gold or silver, nor do I seek official positions. I only ask... to learn more advanced martial arts techniques!"

At this point, Chen Ye gave a wry smile, "My current Stone Technique is too rudimentary and has reached a bottleneck. I humbly request the general's assistance!"

Upon hearing this, Meng Yi clapped his hands and laughed heartily, his laughter filled with joy.

"Hahaha, I knew you'd want this!"

"To have developed such a physique with only a rudimentary stone-making technique shows your exceptional talent. So rest assured, even if you don't ask, I will bestow this technique upon you. However..."

Meng Yi changed the subject, "I have a condition!"

"Please speak, General," Chen Ye said, bowing.

"I want you to join my personal guard. Are you willing?"

Many people were now green with envy.

It should be noted that the personal guard is the general's most trusted and loyal troops. Those selected are all elites chosen from among hundreds. Not only do they receive far better treatment than ordinary soldiers, but they are also the general's closest confidants, so their future prospects are limitless.

However, faced with this incredible opportunity, Chen Ye unexpectedly remained silent.

He frowned slightly, as if weighing the pros and cons.

The people around him were getting really anxious for him.

Is this kid crazy? Why would he hesitate about something so good?

But Meng Yi didn't take it to heart; he just looked at him with great interest, his eyes filled with even more admiration.

After a moment, Chen Ye raised his head and nodded solemnly.

"I am willing."

"it is good!"

Meng Yi laughed again, "From this day forward, you will be my personal guard. Go down, someone will make the arrangements for you. As for the cultivation technique, it will be delivered to you tonight."

(End of this chapter)