Chapter 118: Rewards and Missions

The visitor was none other than Zhu Yao, the secretary to the Snake King!

He was also a teacher at the academy and had even been responsible for its daily operations. Because of this, the school guards did not intercept him, allowing him to arrive here without incident.

After exchanging greetings with everyone, Zhu Yao looked at Fang Qingyun with a complex expression. Who could have imagined that this young man, who had been receiving his guidance not long ago, would have already reached such heights? He had just dug up a Monster supply point, and then immediately repelled the monsters' retaliation, inflicting heavy losses on them. God knows how many jaws dropped when they received the news. While the Beacon Fortress was still hesitating over how many troops to send, or whether to send anyone at all, the army of monsters had already been resolved here.

It was absolutely absurd! This was equivalent to not only solving their own problems but also giving the Beacon Fortress a helping hand. The reason the Snake King had rushed to send him over was precisely out of fear that someone would poach Fang Qingyun! That was right! The Snake King was worried that others would snatch Fang Qingyun away.

Now, those in the know were aware that there was a sniper at the Northwest Military Academy—a truly excellent sniper. He was also skilled in hand-crafting psionic bullets and even psionic bombs, with a terrifyingly high success rate. Furthermore, he possessed a summoned beast and was a General-ranked martial artist in terms of physical strength. God knows how green with envy Xiang Tian’s eyes turned when he heard the news. Therefore, the Snake King had sent his secretary in advance to make a series of arrangements for Fang Qingyun. Damn it, he had already paid a heavy price for this kid; now that the fruit was ripe and the lad was about to stand on his own, the Snake King would vomit blood if someone were to cut in and snatch him.

"Ahem!" Zhu Yao gave a dry cough and said, "You all did well this time. A fortress on the front lines was temporarily breached, allowing an reinforced division to slip in. We were preparing to come to your aid, but who knew you would resolve it yourselves."

"Serving the human race!"

"Ahem!" Zhu Yao glared at Fang Qingyun. However, Fang Qingyun’s current power was not to be underestimated, and he no longer dared to scold him as he had in the past. He produced an appointment letter and said, "Everyone, the Snake King has rewards for each of you regarding this victory."

"Haha!" Wang Meng chuckled, gesturing toward Fang Qingyun and Zhao Junhong. "Forget about us. These two are the main characters, right? Just announce their appointments directly. Let us open our eyes and see how the higher-ups intend to arrange them."

Fang Qingyun went without saying, and even Zhao Junhong was a young powerhouse worthy of a Divine General personally intervening. It was estimated that even if the Snake King wanted to recruit these two, he would have to pay a significant price. Wang Meng and the others suddenly felt a bit of schadenfreude.

"Very well!" Zhu Yao took out the appointment orders. "Fang Qingyun, you are appointed as a Major General-ranked staff officer of the Beacon Fortress Army Group."

"Whoa!" Wang Meng couldn't help but exclaim. "They’re really going all out—straight to the General rank, and a staff officer for the Army Group at that."

This position was not surprising. Fang Qingyun had first wiped out the Monster supply point, decapitated a large number of monsters, and sabotaged their logistics. Later, under the siege of an army of fifty thousand, he maintained the advantage, beat them back, and slaughtered numerous General-ranked enemies. In particular, the death of the Blood-Severing Count had doomed that reinforced division. It was completely and utterly finished. With the commander dead and a large number of officers killed, the remaining common soldiers could only be absorbed into other legions.

Of course, the most critical point of this appointment was the "Army Group Staff Officer." This meant he was directly under the Snake King! It was no longer a secret that the Snake King was about to take over the entire Beacon Fortress. He would become the Commander of the Beacon Fortress Army Group, a Marshal! How many people could be under his direct jurisdiction? Having the Snake King as a direct backer was the most valuable part of this appointment.

Perhaps many would say that if it weren't for the Northwest Military Academy being a place the Snake King had personally set up, and if they hadn't luckily encountered a sniper like Fang Qingyun who also had a summoned beast, the Northwest Military Academy would have certainly been wiped out. But there are no such "ifs" in war! A victory is a victory, and a failure is a failure! Fang Qingyun had forcefully taken command and won the battle; that was his merit. External factors could not affect actual combat exploits, especially when the kill count was laid out right there.

"Zhao Junhong!" Zhu Yao turned his gaze to Zhao Junhong. "You are also joining the Army Group, appointed as a Major-ranked staff officer."

"Oh!" Zhao Junhong laughed. "Not bad, a Major."

Staff positions varied greatly; some held real power, while others were merely honorary. Both Fang Qingyun and Zhao Junhong were essentially honorary for now, as they were students who hadn't yet graduated. It was understandable to have the rank without the actual authority. However, with both the rank and the strength, it was only a matter of time before they held real power.

"Phew!" With the appointments successfully announced, Zhu Yao breathed a sigh of relief. "Now, the Snake King has one mission for you two!" Zhu Yao’s expression turned serious. "This is a mission that must be completed."

"Please, speak!"

"All the mission details are right here. Read them on the way. You must move out tomorrow morning, understand?!" Zhu Yao handed a letter to Fang Qingyun.

"Understood!" Fang Qingyun took the letter.

Zhu Yao breathed another sigh of relief and then proceeded to reward Wang Meng and the others. This time, everyone had fought with extreme bravery. Of course, this was related to the fact that the monsters had surrounded the entire Northwest Military Academy. Perhaps some did not want to fight, and some were still terrified, but with the entire school surrounded, there didn't seem to be a second choice. The monsters' appetite was too large; they wanted to devour the entire Northwest Military Academy. The power of an army of fifty thousand was indeed strong enough.

But who could have guessed that there would be a Fang Qingyun? Not only was he physically powerful, but his commands were also decisive. If it had been Wang Meng and the others, they might not have dared to commit all of the school's strategic resources. Furthermore, there was the Black Tooth Military Academy. More than a hundred of their best students and ten General-ranked officers undoubtedly made the Northwest Military Academy much stronger. Wang Meng had once tried to put himself in Fang Qingyun's shoes, and he knew that if he were in charge, he would never have dared to use the Black Tooth students. He would have even sent people to keep a close watch on them. After all, they had produced someone like Yin Ming. Bringing them into the fold meant splitting a large portion of the Northwest Military Academy's strength. Yet, Fang Qingyun dared to use them.

"It was a huge gamble, but he won," Wang Meng thought, looking at Fang Qingyun with concern. Could such good luck on the battlefield last forever? A gambling mentality was something best avoided in war. Yet, many commanders held such thoughts, believing that besides strength, luck played a huge part in the slaughter of the battlefield. Wang Meng sighed helplessly; this was the very reason he had left the Snake King's command.

While some were happy, others were furious. Hu Shisong was one of them! He had only just emerged from his seclusion to learn that the entire Northwest Military Academy had experienced a massive battle. Fifty thousand monsters had attacked the school, and both sides had fought to the death, staining the academy red. Yet, he had been in seclusion, and no one had notified him. Because of this, his face remained dark, and the psionic energy around him fluctuated uncertainly. Even Jiang Huai didn't dare to make a sound beside him.

In truth, they all understood what was going on. Jiang Huai was only a high-level General, barely reaching the eighth rank, and as the deputy leader of the Black Tooth Military Academy, if he had stirred up trouble, Fang Qingyun could have suppressed him instantly. But Hu Shisong was different! He was a peak General-rank, at the pinnacle of the ninth rank, and was somewhat famous throughout the human race. As the leader of the Black Tooth Military Academy, he had enough prestige. If he had caused a scene, the battle would have been lost, and the Northwest Military Academy would have certainly been defeated. Fang Qingyun had not been sure if Hu Shisong was compromised, so he had preferred to keep this peak General-ranked martial artist locked in a seclusion room rather than let him participate.

The result was that Hu Shisong emerged from seclusion, bewildered, only to hear Jiang Huai and the other Black Tooth students discussing their combat merits. How could he be happy? Who would be? Especially when he heard that Yin Ming had been captured and branded a traitor, he felt a wave of dizziness and nearly vomited blood from anger on the spot.

"Are you sure there’s no mistake?" Hu Shisong’s expression was ferocious. He was a peak General-rank, but his talent had reached its limit; the possibility of becoming a Divine General was almost non-existent. Then Yin Ming had appeared. Regardless of his status or anything else, he was brilliant enough. Hu Shisong had been grooming Yin Ming as his successor. He hoped Yin Ming would become a Divine General and then help him in return, or at least help him find enough resources. Now, not only was there no benefit, but he was also mired in trouble. God knows how happy he had been for days when he first accepted Yin Ming as his disciple. Hu Shisong’s body trembled with rage.

Jiang Huai nodded hurriedly. "He has already confessed. He was in contact with the monsters."

Hu Shisong’s face remained dark and uncertain. Suddenly, he stood up and strode outside.

"Leader!" Jiang Huai was startled. "What are you planning to do?"

Hu Shisong said coldly, "Yin Ming is the grandson of a Duke; the implications are significant. How could a decision be made so hastily? I believe there must be other reasons for this!" He marched away, heading straight for the place where Yin Ming was being held.

"Oh no, this is bad!" Jiang Huai was nearly going crazy. Didn't Hu Shisong realize what level of power Fang Qingyun had reached? If he dared to confront Fang Qingyun at the Northwest Military Academy, it would be sheer suicide. Although he had long anticipated that Hu Shisong wouldn't just watch Yin Ming be dealt with, he never expected him to be so impulsive.

"Quick, quick, quick!" Jiang Huai grabbed a teacher nearby. "Contact the school's top brass immediately and have them stop the leader, do you understand?"

"Yes!" The teacher hurriedly pulled out his communicator to contact the school. Jiang Huai, meanwhile, hurried after Hu Shisong.

...

"Stop right there!" The Northwest Military Academy had a detention facility, though it was rarely used. Students don't usually commit such grave errors, and even if they did, since they were already at the front lines, they would be sent directly to a military court—there was no need to waste energy guarding them. However, this time, the prison had not only been activated but was being guarded by two teachers and ten military police. This was all because of Yin Ming's status!

When the duty teacher saw Hu Shisong, he immediately shouted, "Hu Shisong, this is not a place for you! Back away at once!" His hand was already on the alarm.

Hu Shisong looked at the teacher with cold eyes, then shifted his gaze to the small building behind him. Yin Ming was inside!

"Call someone who can make decisions!" Hu Shisong’s voice was calm. "I have matters to discuss with the leadership of the Northwest Military Academy."

"Wait a moment!" The teacher immediately contacted the student union and Zhu Yao via intercom. The battle had only ended a day ago, and the student union and Wang Meng's team had too much to do. When they received the news, they were all stunned.

"What does he want to do?" Wang Meng frowned, a deep sense of disgust rising in his heart. As a peak General-rank, Hu Shisong was highly intimidating. At the very least, the Northwest Military Academy had no warriors of that level—Fang Qingyun's summoned beast didn't count, as they still didn't know the full situation regarding it, but Fang Qingyun himself clearly hadn't reached that rank. However, this was the Northwest Military Academy. Who dared to act so brazenly here? If the Snake King were truly provoked, he could make it back from the front lines in under half an hour. Furthermore, they had Fang Qingyun!

"Let's go take a look!" A flicker of malice flashed in Fang Qingyun's eyes. His mood was already foul after so many students had died; if Hu Shisong wanted to cause trouble, he would make him understand why the flowers are so red!

When Fang Qingyun, Wang Meng, and the others arrived at the prison, Hu Shisong was standing calmly, looking up at the sky. The teachers and military police were on high alert. Seeing Fang Qingyun and the others, they let out long sighs of relief. They had finally arrived! The pressure Hu Shisong had been exerting on them was simply too great.

"Leader of the Black Tooth Military Academy, what are you trying to do?" Fang Qingyun asked calmly.

Hu Shisong looked at Fang Qingyun coldly, a flash of disdain in his eyes. "A student should just do what a student is supposed to do."

"What did you say!"

"You bastard!"

"Insolent Black Tooth Military Academy!"

The military police were not the only ones; even the teachers of the Northwest Military Academy were furious. Regardless of everything else, Fang Qingyun had led them in the recent battle, and his contributions were the greatest. Soldiers naturally admired such people! If it weren't for Fang Qingyun, whether they could have survived was a question in itself. Now, they were even going to be rewarded, as the higher-ups had explicitly stated. The teachers' gazes toward Fang Qingyun became much warmer. Besides, Fang Qingyun was one of their own; since when did someone from the Black Tooth Military Academy get to point fingers?

Hu Shisong looked at the agitated teachers and students with a cold, mocking sneer. This attitude only served to further enrage the people of the Northwest Military Academy.

Fang Qingyun, however, spoke in a calm voice. "You called us here just to say these things?"

Hu Shisong huffed. "As the leader of the Black Tooth Military Academy, I demand to speak to someone in charge of the Northwest Military Academy."

"I can do that!"

"You?" Hu Shisong looked at Fang Qingyun with amusement. "What makes you think you’re in charge? Do you really think that just because you're the so-called president of the student union, you can run the Northwest Military Academy? Child, you are still too young; you don't understand how things work here."

"I don't think so!"

"Is that so?" Hu Shisong laughed even more wantonly. "Then what gave you the illusion that you’re in charge?"

Fang Qingyun replied calmly, "Just one thing!"

Hu Shisong looked at Fang Qingyun, waiting for him to continue.

*Swoosh!*

Xiao Hei appeared, staring coldly at Hu Shisong.

"Just the fact that I can kill you!"

Fang Qingyun's voice was finally filled with an endless, biting chill.