“Fentituangge, that joke is not to be taken lightly!” A Centurion snapped back to reality and shouted, “You come from the Fentitu family lineage…”

“And so what?” Fentituangge gazed up at Qian Jin. Only those who had truly fought him could accurately gauge how terrifyingly strong this contemporary was! To achieve such power at his age meant he possessed training methods unattainable by others! Only through special means could he ever make his second brother take him seriously! Qian Jin scratched his head. “You sought me out just for this?” “Yes!” Fentituangge nodded. “I know you’re strong. Stronger than I imagined. Even General Feng here in the main camp couldn’t defeat you…”

“Are you serious?” “Is he for real?” “Has Fentituangge lost his mind?!” “His brain must be broken! How could our General Feng possibly lose to some kid who hasn’t even entered the advanced academy? Even if he’s a Bloodline Warrior, he’d stand no chance…”

The Centurion, followed by the newly arrived soldiers, erupted as if a camp had been set ablaze, their voices rising in continuous, absolute denial. Fentituangge listened silently to the clamor, his eyes fixed solely on Qian Jin, awaiting his reply.

“You are already quite strong,” Qian Jin admitted. It wasn't that he was unwilling to mentor; rather, he felt it unnecessary to provoke other young members of the Fentitu lineage. What if Fentituangge had several older brothers, perhaps including an aggressive one who claimed his guidance was an insult to the Fentitu family, leading to inevitable, troublesome duels?

“I need to become stronger!” Fentituangge’s words were almost a shout. He remained bent over, yet bellowed, the veins on his forehead throbbing. “I need to become stronger! What I have now is far from enough! Many call me the strongest in Jinxi Prefecture, but how many people know? Not a single Bloodline Warrior from Jinxi Prefecture participated in the examinations this time? They were all fast-tracked! My first place… Fentituangge’s eyes were filled with self-mockery: “It’s an undeserved title…”

“Anything else?” Qian Jin suddenly waved a hand. “Forget it. Everyone has secrets. I don’t want to pry into yours, but that relentless look in your eyes just now was truly touching. Guiding you, however, is impossible. I am still in my own cultivation phase, but we could spar often to exchange insights.”

Fentituangge straightened the back he had kept bent, a hint of gratitude entering his eyes. Some things didn’t need to be stated too clearly, and some favors couldn't be repaid with a simple thank you. He didn't feel the need to offer any further excessive words of gratitude.

“My mind is not broken,” Fentituangge said, listening to the ongoing murmurs around them. “I know precisely what I am saying. General Feng is formidable; defeating Qian Jin is indeed a toss-up.”

“Kid, do you know what you’re saying? Don’t assume our General Feng is stationed at the earthen fortress because he lacks strength! He was exiled here because he offended someone! Do you know who our General is…”

“Hukuangge, you think I can’t beat Qian Jin?” General Feng appeared in the center of the clearing as if conjured, observing Fentituangge and Qian Jin with clear interest. He had expected Fentituangge to be unable to swallow his defeat gracefully, but instead, he was actively seeking instruction after yielding. “General, he’s joking.” Qian Jin waved his hands repeatedly. He had come this time to witness the Demon Race, not to stir up trouble at the fortress.

Fentituangge straightened his back, a look of unyielding resolve on his face. “Yes! I have a premonition!”

Qian Jin seriously considered kicking Fentituangge’s rear. If he made a few random premonitions, he might inadvertently provoke a fight with someone important! This man was a General! His strength was indeed considerable! In any other setting, Qian Jin would certainly welcome a clash with the General to test his mettle. But this was the front line; the General was responsible for this defense line. Regardless of victory or defeat after a fight, a significant amount of energy would be expended. If the defense line faltered afterward, what fate would befall the common folk behind it?

“Is that so?” The General’s two thick eyebrows twitched repeatedly, his large eyes constantly assessing Qian Jin. “Perhaps you truly have the ability to loosen my joints for a change?” “General.” Qian Jin was about to speak again but saw the General wave a large hand.

“You don’t need to say anything. It’s been a long time since I’ve stretched my old bones. I am indeed eager to test the feeling. But not right now…” The General beckoned Qian Jin and Fentituangge over. “Since you two aren't fighting, follow me. You came here for personal tempering, and you need to see what the Demon Race looks like in preparation for the examinations. It works out perfectly.”

The General’s tent was significantly more spacious than the others. Three Chiliarchs, already clad in armor, stood waiting, radiating palpable killing intent.

Upon seeing the General enter, the three Chiliarchs immediately stood taller, eyeing Qian Jin and the other youth with suspicion. They couldn't fathom why the General would bring two such young men into what was supposed to be a covert military mission, despite acknowledging their respectable individual combat prowess.

“Come, come, the three of you and the two of you, gather around.” The General drew out a piece of white silk from his inner garment and spread it flat upon the table, revealing a map! “This is…” Fentituangge frowned slightly, his eyes widening rapidly, his pupils constricting violently. He lowered his voice but couldn't suppress his astonished cry: “A Demon Race map!”

Simultaneously, the exact same words burst from Qian Jin’s lips!

General Feng and the three Chiliarchs froze, their expressions even more shocked than the two youths.

Demon Race maps existed within the Quan Ce Dynasty, but very few people paid them serious attention, especially students at lower-tier warrior academies. During their years of martial study, they were tasked with simultaneously enhancing individual combat ability and absorbing various military doctrines. The official maps of the Zhen Ce Dynasty alone were enough for students to pore over; how many students at the lower academies had the time to study Demon Race charts?

Yet, fate would have it this way! Fentituangge’s lineage was the Fentitu family. General Feng wasn't overly surprised; it was unsurprising that a child from a military family would be exposed to military maps early on. But for a warrior cadet from Aokelan to identify it as a Demon Race map? Had the teaching standards at Aokelan Magic and Warrior Academy rapidly improved over these past few years?

“This map is wrong,” Qian Jin said, ignoring the astonishment of those around him, pointing to the edge of the map. “There should be a Demon Race outpost here, housing about fifty soldiers. And here… there should be a small river, and…”

The only sound in the tent was Qian Jin’s voice correcting the map. Fentituangge stared blankly at Qian Jin. Before coming to the Earthen Fortress, he had studied various maps of the surrounding Demon territory at home, cross-referencing them to determine the actual locations. He hadn't expected Qian Jin to know this as well! Furthermore, judging by his memory, Qian Jin seemed even more familiar with the terrain than he was.

General Feng stared mutely at the map. If he hadn't garrisoned the earthen fortress for so many years, occasionally purchasing maps from various merchant caravans, and occasionally sneaking into Demon territory himself to scout the terrain, he might have believed Qian Jin was simply spouting nonsense. Wait! He was right again! General Feng unconsciously nodded repeatedly as he listened to Qian Jin’s corrections. These geographical locations were exactly as Qian Jin described.

After stating his assessment of the map, Qian Jin noticed the tent was quieter than Luo Lin’s funeral hall. Only the strong wind slapping against the tent flaps provided any sound.

General Feng took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping over Qian Jin, shifting through surprise, shock, incomprehension, and appreciation. He had initially assumed this young man was merely a warrior cadet focused solely on individual combat strength, but he demonstrated such profound mastery of cartography, quickly discerning even proportional errors on the map. In an era where most warriors relentlessly pursued personal combat power, here was a youth who placed such high value on maps! General Feng smiled faintly. When he was Qian Jin’s age, he was completely absorbed in enhancing his personal combat abilities, aiming to one day defeat Bloodline Warriors, completely overlooking the importance of maps. In this single aspect, he felt he had already been surpassed by this young man.

The three Chiliarchs felt cold sweat run up their spines. What the kid said seemed to be true! At least some of the errors he pointed out matched exactly what they knew. “Kid…” General Feng coughed, breaking the heavy silence. “Tell me. How do you know all this?”

Qian Jin couldn't very well explain that in his youth at the Qian residence, he was assigned to organize the library. In his spare time, he would pore over numerous maps, playing the part of a grand, imaginary General, and among those materials were many Demon Race maps. By comparing discrepancies across different maps of the same area, he derived these conclusions.

“At school, there happened to be a map of this area,” Qian Jin mumbled an easy excuse. General Feng had no desire to pursue the matter further; at least, this young man was definitively from the Zhen Ce Dynasty and absolutely not a Demon operative in disguise. “Fine. Everything you said is correct.”

General Feng slammed his large hand hard onto the map, causing the general’s tokens on the table to jump! Then, the heavy impact on the desk sounded like a complaint from the General. “This map was meant to trap me.” General Feng sank heavily back into his command chair. “However, I suspect this mission is genuine.”

A mission? Qian Jin and Fentituangge’s eyes lit up simultaneously. The tent flaps parted, and sunlight streamed into the tent as Duanfeng Bu’er stood smiling outside, leaning on a long spear. “I heard the General was looking for me?”

“Get in here.” General Feng beckoned Duanfeng Bu’er into the tent with a wave. “I see you have some capability. I had initially planned to report that this mission was impossible to complete, but now that I see the three of you are all quite capable, I’m feeling motivated to attempt this assignment.”

A: This is the eighth update. It’s the eighth update. Do I still need to say superfluous sentimental words to ask for monthly votes? Doesn’t the data from the eighth update deserve everyone’s monthly votes? F