Chapter 17: All the Treasure Chests, Opened!

"Good heavens."

"A Chiliarch?"

Liu Lei was left stunned, his mouth agape in disbelief. When they had previously wiped out the mountain bandits, Zhu Ying was nothing but a raw recruit who had been in the army for less than three months. He had risen to the rank of Corporal by virtue of his merit in battle, but now, he had actually been promoted to the rank of Chiliarch, a military officer commanding a thousand men.

The magnitude of this leap might be lost on others, but Liu Lei understood it all too well.

"Brother Liu," Zhu Ying said with a smile, "General Chen just informed me that a Chiliarch is entitled to a personal guard of fifty men. I intend to incorporate the ten men I previously commanded into this unit."

Although those ten were still new soldiers, they were men Zhu Ying knew well. A personal guard had to be composed of people he could truly trust.

"Zhu Ying, what do you think of me?" Liu Lei suddenly asked, his expression turning serious.

"Brother Liu, what do you mean?" Zhu Ying asked, taken aback.

"With my rank as a Centurion, I should be qualified to serve as your personal Guard Captain, shouldn't I?" Liu Lei chuckled.

Zhu Ying’s expression grew peculiar. "Brother Liu, are you serious, or are you joking?"

"I am entirely serious." Liu Lei smiled, then his face hardened into a look of absolute solemnity. He suddenly knelt before Zhu Ying. "Centurion Liu Lei wishes to follow Chiliarch Zhu and serve as his personal guard. I ask that you accept me."

The surrounding soldiers watched in astonishment, and a look of longing began to surface in the eyes of many. Seeing this, Zhu Ying realized that Liu Lei was not merely posturing.

"If you are willing, Brother Liu, I accept," Zhu Ying replied, his own tone equally grave.

"Liu Lei pledges to serve the Chiliarch to the death." Liu Lei bowed his head to the ground.

Personal guards were the true inner circle of officers above the rank of Chiliarch. They were the most loyal, sworn to block blades for their commander at the cost of their own lives in times of crisis. Once one became Zhu Ying's personal guard, they served him directly. Their fates became intertwined—if Zhu Ying rose, they rose; if he fell, they suffered the consequences. The title was far more than just a name.

"Rise," Zhu Ying said, stepping forward to help Liu Lei up.

"Thank you, Chiliarch." Liu Lei did not dare to overstep his bounds and bowed once more.

"In that case," Zhu Ying said, immediately delegating the task, "from now on, Brother Liu is the Captain of my personal guard. In addition to the ten soldiers from my original squad, I leave it to you to select the other forty."

"Your subordinate obeys," Liu Lei replied with a pleased bow.

"I need to rest for a while. I leave it to you, Brother Liu." Zhu Ying smiled and headed toward his tent.

Having been promoted five ranks in one go, Zhu Ying was filled with anticipation. It was not just the power that excited him, but the treasure chests—they would surely bring a significant boost to his strength.

Watching Zhu Ying's retreating back, Liu Lei felt a surge of excitement. He knew full well that Zhu Ying’s future was limitless. While stepping down from a Centurion to a Guard Captain might seem like a demotion, it was actually a path to a much brighter future. He knew he lacked Zhu Ying’s martial prowess and could never dream of slaughtering a hundred enemies; climbing to the rank of Chiliarch on his own would be nearly impossible, taking years, if not longer. But by staying at Zhu Ying’s side, his own status would rise alongside his commander’s.

"Brothers!" Liu Lei shouted to the men of his Centurion camp under the cover of night. "From this day forward, I, Liu Lei, shall serve as the Guard Captain to Chiliarch Zhu. Beyond the ten men from his original squad, we must recruit forty more for his guard. Anyone interested may register with me, and I will make the selections."

At his words, the soldiers were stirred into a frenzy.

"I! I am willing!"
"Me too!"
"Centurion, take me!"
"I want to be a guard for Chiliarch Zhu..."

The soldiers clamored with excitement, and even men from other camps began to crowd around. Anyone with eyes could see that Zhu Ying’s prospects were boundless; to become his guard was the opportunity of a lifetime.

Inside the tent, Zhu Ying set down his armor and weapons.

"As expected of a Chiliarch’s gear. This armor is much thicker than that of a common soldier, offering far greater protection. And these blades are made of exceptionally sharp iron." Zhu Ying drew his sword and sighed in admiration. The benefits of power were evident in these very items.

"One hundred taels of gold. Not bad at all." Zhu Ying deposited the chest of gold directly into his storage space.

"Promoted to Chiliarch. Now, the treasure chests." Zhu Ying’s heart raced with anticipation.

"Host's rank promoted."
"Promoted to [Squad Leader], rewarded with one [Common Treasure Chest]."
"Promoted to [Assistant Centurion], rewarded with one [Common Treasure Chest]."
"Promoted to [Centurion], rewarded with one [Common Treasure Chest]."
"Promoted to [Deputy Chiliarch], rewarded with one [Common Treasure Chest]."
"Promoted to [Chiliarch], rewarded with one [Common Treasure Chest]."

A notification appeared on his interface.

"Ten chests in total. Unless my luck is abysmal, I’m bound to get something good," Zhu Ying thought, his eyes gleaming with expectation.

"Open all chests," he commanded.

"Command accepted. Opening all chests."

"Obtained Archery Skill: [Piercing the Willow at a Hundred Paces]."
"Obtained Yellow-grade Mid-tier: [Carved Treasure Bow]."
"Obtained: [Refined Steel Longsword]."
"Obtained Yellow-grade Low-tier: [Frenzy Blade Technique]."
"Obtained Yellow-grade Low-tier: [Lesser Restoration Pill]."
"Obtained Yellow-grade Low-tier Martial Skill: [Divine Arrow Chain-shot]."
"Obtained Yellow-grade Low-tier: [Mountain-Crushing Fist]."
"Obtained: [500 Taels of Gold]."
"Obtained: [Refined Steel Smelting Method]."
"Obtained: [Premium Gunpowder Refining Method]."

The notifications scrolled by as all ten chests were emptied. Zhu Ying scanned the list, a joyful smile spreading across his face.

"Not bad at all. Skills, ranked martial arts, and ranked weapons. My luck is truly exceptional. This steel refining method—it’s far beyond the technology of this era. And this premium gunpowder should surely outclass anything currently in use."

"Excellent. I'll keep them. The world is vast. Once I have enough strength, there's no reason I couldn't expand beyond the Ming Dynasty and become an emperor myself." Zhu Ying grinned. He welcomed everything the chests provided; it all belonged to him now.

"I'll start by extracting the archery skill. Like my riding skill, it should be an immediate mastery," he mused.

He activated the [Piercing the Willow at a Hundred Paces] archery skill. A halo of light washed over him, and suddenly, his basic understanding of archery evolved. He felt a profound clarity; his skill now far surpassed that of an ordinary man.

"Piercing the willow at a hundred paces requires strength, keen eyesight, and a sense for the wind. So that's how it works." Zhu Ying nodded, a newfound understanding taking root.