Chapter 196: Battle Merit Rewards, The Heavenly Soul Resides in the Temple!
The assessment of battle merits in the military realm is determined through several methods.
First, there are personal record-keeping tools, such as Mirage Pearls, which record who killed which enemies. Soldiers submit these to their officers, officers pass them to their superiors, and so on, up the chain of command.
Second, there are the statues of Yin Gods that the army carries. The Yisuan Star Lord, housed in the military temple during battle, along with roaming spirits, monitors the battlefield and records everyone's achievements.
Third, the military realm itself monitors, such as back in Yuncheng when the military realm could directly track movements and kill counts, making it easy to calculate merits.
These are the three primary methods of merit calculation.
The results are usually available on the same day. However, some situations are harder to assess and can't be immediately seen.
For instance, when Zhao Xing led his team over the Flame Mountain and blew up Round Moon Fortress, how many died? It wasn't immediately clear, and no direct records were available.
This required more time and multiple verifications.
First, spies placed within Fire Dragon Pass report the death count from the Fire Demon Tribe's side, as the enemy spies are well aware of the casualties.
Second, the Yanxing Star Lord inspects the remnants at Round Moon Fortress, checking the number of lingering souls. During this period, messages are also sent to the Yin Realm to verify if there is an increase in foreign souls.
These methods only account for merits earned by cutting down enemies.
Other actions, such as blowing up a fortress, breaking through a pass, or forcing surrender, are harder to quantify and require human judgment.
The Hundred Weapons Tower in the military realm uses the Creation Disk to simulate and calculate the impact of an individual or unit's actions, evaluating their influence. Senior officials then cross-check these assessments, reaching a consensus before adjusting the merits of each army and individual.
Thus, in the military realm, aside from headcount, which offers the most straightforward judgment, the rest must wait for higher authorities' decisions.
After capturing the fortress, Zhao Xing killed six seventh-rank enemies and stopped.
Killing a seventh-rank enemy yields between 1,000 and 4,000 merit points.
For an eighth-rank enemy, it's only between 100 and 400 points.
Master Zhao was used to large numbers and didn't care to compete for these smaller sums. After taking down six seventh-rank enemies, he didn't continue pursuing more.
There were too many of their own forces, with hundreds of thousands of troops surging through the pass to claim heads, while the defending Fire Demon Tribe had only 40,000 or 50,000 men at best. There simply weren't enough to go around.
Zhao Xing also didn't bother with eighth and ninth-rank enemies. In this situation, high-ranking officials competing for low-rank kills is considered stealing merits from soldiers. The military realm heavily penalizes this behavior, and some strict evaluators might even deny any merits altogether.
Additionally, such actions would stir resentment among the troops.
It's the kind of thing that would please no one.
"My major merits come from retrieving the Earth Fire Lotus, cultivating the lotus, and blowing up Round Moon Fortress. These three alone are quite substantial."
Zhao Xing washed his face, ordered two Divine Travel Straw Puppets to carry him leisurely back to camp.
By this time, Liao Rulong, Wen Shaoyang, Xia Jing, and Jiang Ming had already ordered their forces to regroup, with only a few teams continuing the pursuit. The goal wasn't solely to chase the enemy but also to scout the plains beyond the pass in preparation for the Green Gang Battlefront.
The high-ranking generals were now gathering, each being questioned in turn, as part of a process to register any merits that hadn't been directly recorded.
Inside the military hall, there was a joyful atmosphere. When enough people had gathered, Liao Rulong began to tally the "merit points" with questioning:
"For this battle, my forces were the first to breach the southern city wall, and thus, we claim the first merit for breaking the fortress!"
"Do any allied brothers have objections?"
Xia Jing and Jiang Ming shook their heads, indicating no objections.
It was true that Liao Rulong had been the first to charge the southern city wall, and despite being targeted by Yue Haisheng, he withstood the pressure, reducing the burden on the gates and the northern walls.
No one disputed his claim to the first merit for breaking through.
Liao Rulong nodded in satisfaction and bowed toward a particular direction within the hall. In the incense-filled chamber stood a faint image of the Yisuan Star Lord.
This was part of a mutual verification process among the military leaders. They discussed first to ensure there were no disagreements. If any arose after the military realm's official judgment, it would lead to unnecessary complications and calls for reevaluation, creating an awkward situation.
"The defensive arrays of Fire Dragon Pass constitute another merit point."
"The Zhenhai Army and four infiltration teams all contributed significantly to dismantling the city walls and underground mechanisms."
"As per our previous agreement, we started at the same time, so we won't count minor timing differences, only the extent of the damage caused."
"This matter will be left to the Star Lord and the military realm for judgment. Do you all agree?" Liao Rulong asked.
"Agreed."
"Agreed."
Wen Shaoyang and Jiang Ming spoke first.
Xia Jing hesitated for a moment but then nodded. "Agreed."
He had only recently learned that Zhao Xing had blown up Round Moon Fortress, severely damaging the southern segment of the defensive arrays.
Moreover, Liao Rulong had cunningly sent Zhao Xing's team ahead to Fire Dragon Pass under the pretext of scouting.
This gave Zhao Xing and Chen Shijie's team two and a half days of preparation time compared to the other three squads.
Without that extra time, how could they have planted so many firecrackers and blown up Round Moon Fortress?
To make matters worse, Xia Jing's spy, who had originally been bought off, had been intercepted by Zhao Xing.
That guide was supposed to be his man!
If Pang Guangyao hadn't led the way for Zhao Xing, the journey over the mountains and the search for the fortress would have taken much longer.
With Pang Guangyao, they had been able to avoid patrols and knew which routes were safer for their march.
However, Xia Jing only hesitated briefly and didn't oppose the decision.
It wasn't that he had a broad heart or didn't care; it was because Zhao Xing had helped him on multiple occasions, and they had a good relationship.
If it had just been Chen Shijie in the team without Zhao Xing, Xia Jing might have raised a fuss.
As Zhao Xing had said, siding with him was no different than siding with Xia Jing. Even if Zhao Xing had temporarily taken the spotlight, the spy's contributions still belonged in part to Xia Jing.
The subsequent discussions were more trivial, mostly about disputes over individual merits following the fortress breach.
For example, two commanders had both claimed to have killed the same seventh-rank enemy underground.
There was no Mirage Pearl record, nor was there a priest carrying a Yin God statue nearby to record the event.
One commander from the Xuanjia Army claimed the kill, while another from the Zhenhai Army argued that he had delivered the fatal blow.
Though a mid-level Earth Fiend ranked enemy was only worth about 2,000 merit points, which wasn't much to the generals, it was a significant amount for those under their command.
It could very well be the highest merit they had earned during the campaign.
Thus, it had to be resolved.
But none of this concerned Zhao Xing.
He wasn't leading a unit. After Fire Dragon Pass was breached, he moved freely.
His merits were clear-cut.
By that afternoon, Zhao Xing's merit score had been updated.
Before retrieving the Earth Fire Lotus, his merit was just over 486,000, placing him outside the top 500 on the seventh-rank merit leaderboard.
Now, after receiving an alert from his mirror, he checked his score.
[Shenwei Army, Zhao Xing: Seventh Rank, Lower]
[Merit: 1,068,421]
[Southern Barbarian Battle Merit Leaderboard Rank: 5,421]
[Seventh-Rank Merit Leaderboard Rank: 69]
"Amazing!"
"I've broken a million merit points in less than half a year!"
Zhao Xing laughed joyfully.
In his previous life, earning merits had never been this smooth.
"I've finally fulfilled my wish." Master Zhao was moved almost to tears.
In his past life, he had terrible luck. Whether fighting in the Flame Light Kingdom or serving as a fortune officer under Liu Tianning, he had always ended up on the losing side.
But now, in just a few months, he had earned over a million merit points.
Zhao Xing reviewed the military realm's evaluation of his merits.
"Stealth mission at Fire Dragon Pass, retrieval of Earth Fire Lotus seeds, 30,000 merit points."
"Fire Mountain operation, leading the Shennong Battalion to cultivate fifth-rank Earth Fire Lotus, 450,000 merit points."
"Destruction of Round Moon Fortress, plus merit from Shenwei Army's role in breaching the pass, a total of over 100,000 merit points."
"I thought I'd get 300,000 or 400,000 merit points at most, but they gave me nearly 600,000!"
Returning with the seeds alone had earned Yu Ziqi, Chen Shijie, Long Xiao, and others between 20,000 and 30,000 merit points each.
The military realm didn't care how dangerous the mission had been; it only considered the results.
Bringing back third or fourth-rank Earth Fire Lotus seeds could earn each person 20,000 to 30,000 merit points, which was already a lot.
Because the seeds, after all, were just seeds, only of the third or fourth rank.
But cultivating and growing them earned Zhao Xing 450,000 merit points!
Though Dong He and over a thousand Shennong officers had participated in planting and cultivating the fifth-rank Earth Fire Lotus, Zhao Xing had undoubtedly contributed the most!
He had also timed it perfectly with the military realm's announcement of a mission for fire-resisting materials.
Combined with the fire-resistant battle robes, which had been crucial to breaking through Fire Dragon Pass, Zhao Xing's personal merit had received a substantial boost.
As for the destruction of Round Moon Fortress, this had been another major contribution, and the Shenwei Army had been the primary force in breaching the pass.
All in all, these combined efforts had earned Zhao Xing nearly 600,000 merit points!
Keep in mind, during this period, there hadn't been many opportunities to earn significant merit. Only the Shenlei Army on the western front had achieved a major victory, breaking through Yang Qilin's first line of defense.
On the northern front, the Xuanjia Army, Hujiao Army, and Lieyang Army were still locked in a stalemate.
In the Fire Demon Tribe's territory, most soldiers were experiencing a lull, while Zhao Xing had accumulated nearly 600,000 merit points.
This sudden surge had also catapulted his rankings.
He was now ranked 69th on the seventh-rank leaderboard and over 5,000th on the overall leaderboard!
Currently, in the Southern Barbarian Warzone, there were over 60,000 sixth-rank officers and over a million seventh-rank officers.
Ranking 69th was quite the accomplishment!
"As long as the military realm announces a temporary truce, I'll be able to claim my battle merit rewards," Zhao Xing thought.
What could a million merit points earn him?
First, there was the matter of titles. Zhao Xing had no noble title before, but with a million merit points, he could jump ten ranks, from a third-tier baron to a third-tier viscount, and then to a third-tier earl.
If the war ended now, Zhao Xing would have reached the threshold for being granted a marquis title.
Of course, it would be the lowest-ranking marquis, with only land rights but no territory.
So how much land would a million merit points be worth?
According to the military realm's rules: 10 merit points equaled 1 acre of lower-grade land.
A ninth-rank soldier who killed a ninth-rank enemy would be awarded 1 acre of land. (An acre in Zhou's measurement system was about 200 square meters.)
Zhao Xing, with a million merit points, should theoretically receive 100,000 acres of lower-grade land.
But in practice, the court rarely gave lower-grade land, as it was seen as an insult due to its low yield.
Thus, land was typically converted.
The conversion rate between lower, middle, and upper-grade land was a tenfold scale, meaning Zhao Xing would receive 1,000 acres of high-quality farmland, though in reality, it would likely be a mix of all three grades.
This, however, was only part of the land reward. Upon reaching the rank of marquis, he would also receive an additional allotment of fief land.
As a marquis, Zhao Xing would be entitled to a thousand households' worth of fief land. That is, a region would be assigned to him, and the taxes from those thousand households would belong to him.
As long as he didn't commit any serious offenses, the fiefdom would be hereditary, passed down through generations.
A thousand-household marquis was the lowest tier of Great Zhou's marquis rank.
And now, Zhao Xing had reached this threshold.
In addition to the land, Zhao Xing would also be awarded honorary ranks and official ranks, which varied widely. For example, the title of Public Councilor, the eleventh level of honorary rank, would grant him the right to submit opinions to the provincial government.
As he advanced further, to the rank of Imperial Councilor, Zhao Xing would even have the right to send letters directly to the emperor, offering suggestions on state matters.
What other benefits did these ranks offer? First, even if Zhao Xing held no official position, these honorary titles would still allow him to cultivate and advance.
Second, they would grant him the legitimate right to comment on state affairs.
The promotion of official ranks would also lead to significant increases in financial rewards.
These ranks would boost a soldier's salary while in service, and after retirement, they would ensure a generous pension.
For example, Lord Tian's grandfather reached the second rank of official title, but his honorary rank had risen to the staggering forty-fifth level.
This was just four levels short of the highest possible rank.
His annual pension, converted into the military realm's merit points, reached a shocking 12 million!
Even after retirement, he continued to receive an annual pension of 6.34 million.
Lord Tian's father held this honorary rank for around 200 years before passing away.
Though the rank disappeared after his death, it allowed the family to accumulate a vast fortune during his lifetime.
When Lu Bang had introduced Zhao Xing to Lord Tian, claiming that "Lord Tian is quite wealthy," he hadn't been exaggerating.
Lord Tian's wealth was legitimate, earned through proper channels.
Of course, even at this time, climbing the honorary rank ladder wasn't easy.
However, honorary ranks were plentiful. By the time an official reached the fourth rank, they would generally be entitled to write letters to the emperor.
It just didn't come with much real power.
But for now, with the war ongoing, these merit rewards wouldn't be handed out immediately.
If Great Zhou emerged victorious, the rewards would be even greater.
If they lost, expect deductions.
So, when would the titles be granted?
Zhao Xing remembered that in the 18th year of the Jingxin Era, there would be a round of merit-based awards.
That year was when Emperor Jing first began considering the end of mid-level training and the commencement of high-level warfare.
However, some rewards could be claimed immediately, once a specific merit threshold was reached.
One such reward was the qualification to become a Yin God.
"The life soul resides within the body, while the Heaven and Earth souls remain external."
"To become a Yin God, one must first place the Heaven Soul in the temple. Otherwise, when death comes, even summoning the soul becomes difficult," Zhao Xing pondered.
The Heaven Soul, also called the Soul of Rebirth, was now within his grasp since he had reached a million merit points. The court would soon dispatch a Yin God to ask if he wished to claim this reward.
When the time came, Zhao Xing could choose to forgo the honorary and official ranks granted by his million merit points in exchange for a posthumous name.
"It's a form of insurance. The Heaven Soul has no use in my cultivation. Even in the Great Dream Spring and Autumn, where the three souls intersect, the Heaven Soul plays no significant role—only the Causal Soul matters."
The Heaven Soul is essentially each person's imprint upon heaven and earth.
Unless one reached the first rank, the Heaven Soul was imperceptible.
Even cultivating the Earth Soul was a matter for those at the third-rank Primordial Soul stage.
In Great Dream Spring and Autumn, Zhao Xing was currently focused on cultivating the Life Soul, with occasional insights from the Causal Soul, which provided warnings. The Heaven Soul played no substantial role.
But placing it in a temple would make it safer.
"In the event of death, I could still summon the Life Soul and Earth Soul through the Heaven Soul, reviving as a Yin God."
"This is definitely a form of insurance worth taking."
The battle merit assessment in the military realm concluded on September 20th.
Though some minor points remained unresolved, they no longer concerned Zhao Xing.
The army was now resting and regrouping at Fire Dragon Pass.
Because Lu Yuanwei's Shenlei Army had yet to break through Yang Qilin's second line of defense, Zhao Xing's forces were in no rush to head west.
The combined forces of Liao Rulong, Wen Shaoyang, Xia Jing, and Jiang Ming amounted to about 150,000 men.
And that included the personnel stationed at the supply cities.
In contrast, the Golden Feather Court had deployed over 4 million soldiers, including Fire Demon Tribe forces and other tribes, to guard the Green Gang Crystal mining region!
Naturally, they would have to wait for Lu Yuanwei to lead the charge.
"The fifteen armies outside the pass are riding the coattails of our Shenwei Army."
"And we're riding the coattails of Lu Yuanwei, the child of fortune."
Zhao Xing glanced at the fifteen ragtag armies outside the pass and chuckled.
"What's so funny? Take this!" Xia Jing shouted, launching a Essence Breaking Finger.
Zhao Xing turned, and Xia Jing's fingertip stopped just before his chest. The energy dissipated, and Xia Jing's finger curled into a fist as he lightly punched Zhao Xing's chest.
"You sly dog, Zhao Xing! You've already broken a million merit points, while we've been fighting tooth and nail and still haven't caught up to you."
Zhao Xing smiled, "Thanks to Brother Xia's care."
"And to think you've been using my name to recruit people! If you want to recruit, that's fine, but why swear oaths using my name?" Xia Jing whispered. "Now it's awkward for me to assign other positions to Pang Guangyao."
"Your reputation precedes you," Zhao Xing replied. "If I said, 'I'm Zhao Xing of the Shenwei Army,' who would care? They'd probably turn around and walk away, not knowing who I am."
"It's not my fame," Xia Jing sighed. "It's my father's name."
Xia Jing's merit stood at over 800,000.
Thanks to the spy he had recruited, they had received a strategic map of the enemy's defenses, allowing them to target the weaker points in the Fire Dragon Pass defenses.
Although they had won, Xia Jing still felt a bit unsettled.
Zhao Xing knew what Xia Jing was thinking and said, "You'll surpass your father's accomplishments one day."
Xia Jing waved it off. "Surpassing him might be tough. I'll be content if I don't bring shame to his name."
Clearly, he didn't want to dwell on the subject and quickly changed the topic. "But now things are different. Your reputation must have spread far and wide!"
"You've earned over a million merit points, reaching the threshold for a third-tier marquis. Have you decided what rewards you'll claim?"
"I plan to forgo the honorary and official ranks and ask for a posthumous name," Zhao Xing said.
Xia Jing nodded. This choice wasn't surprising.
Many eligible military officers made this decision.
After all, in this era, becoming a Yin God meant truly resting with the nation, being worshipped by future generations, and attaining eternal life in the Yin Realm.
"If I had a million merit points, I'd definitely go for the same," Xia Jing said. "Though I wonder how many more merit points we can earn on our way to the Green Gang Crystal mining region."
Zhao Xing thought for a moment and reassured him, "Don't worry. There will be plenty of heads to collect."
Just as they were about to continue chatting, Zhao Xing's token suddenly vibrated.
"Zhao Xing, the transport tower ship is almost here," came Liao Rulong's voice from the token. "Get down here quickly."
"I'll be right there."
Zhao Xing bid farewell to Xia Jing and flew down from the pass wall.
The transport division's tower ship, named Flying Dragon Tower Ship, was a sixth-rank warship. Normally, it was ten times larger than a fifth-rank Dragon Head Warship.
But the transport division's tower ship was a special edition. Its size was fifty times that of a top-tier fifth-rank warship.
A veritable "Fat Dragon Tower Ship."
It looked like a small city flying through the sky.
This behemoth didn't follow the usual routes but instead soared through the 10,000-meter-high Gang Wind Layer.
When it landed, it felt like a mountain crashing down within the pass.
The transport envoy for the Southern Barbarian Battlefront was a high-ranking official of the upper sixth rank.
But their unique status meant they were automatically treated as one rank higher, equivalent to the fifth rank.
Even Liao Rulong, upon seeing the transport envoy, Lu Tingzhi, had to offer a formal greeting.
"Subordinate Liao Rulong greets Lord Lu."
"Captain Liao, please rise quickly," Lu Tingzhi responded, stepping forward to help Liao Rulong up. "We are both of the sixth rank. Why the formality?"
Winning a battle has its perks. Even officials from the transport division, who usually held lucrative positions, were now treating them with courtesy.
"Congratulations to Captain Liao and the Shenwei Army on capturing Fire Dragon Pass. Your names are now known across the entire Southern Barbarian Warfront."
"We owe it all to the majesty of the court, for without it, we could not have achieved this minor success," Liao Rulong humbly replied.
But he wasn't lying. Great Zhou's forces had a significant advantage in weapons and equipment throughout the campaign against the Southern Barbarians.
"I've heard that the Shenwei Army produced an exceptional Shennong Officer. Where is Zhao Xing?" Lu Tingzhi asked.
Liao Rulong immediately introduced him. "This is Zhao Xing, the Ninth Battalion Captain of the Shenwei Army."
"Subordinate Zhao Xing greets Lord Lu," Zhao Xing said respectfully, though internally he was slightly puzzled. Why did he run into this guy?
Lu Tingzhi lived well into the reign of Emperor Wu.
At his peak, he was the transport envoy for the states of Haizhou and Daoyuan, a second-rank official!
He was the backer's backer during Zhao Xing's previous life when Zhao Xing had gotten involved in corruption.
Lu Tingzhi had been the first second-rank official to be executed by Liu Tianning.
"Indeed, a young talent! No need for formalities!" Lu Tingzhi expressed his admiration.
"Thank you, Lord Lu," Zhao Xing replied, maintaining a composed demeanor without offering any flattery.
Back then, I had no choice. But now, I want to be a good man, Zhao Xing thought to himself. In this life, he planned to steer clear of any dealings with Lu Tingzhi.
In fact, if the opportunity arose, he wouldn't mind borrowing Lu Tingzhi's head to climb the ranks.
After the usual pleasantries, Zhao Xing followed the others into the tower ship.
The transport division's primary mission was to supply the three armies and exchange materials as needed.
Additionally, they were here because Zhao Xing had reached a million merit points.
According to tradition, the transport division came to ask if Zhao Xing wished to exchange his merit for the status of a Yin God.
If he wanted to make the exchange, he had to act quickly. If he died before doing so, it would be harder to find his Heaven Soul, making summoning it even more costly.
"I wish to forgo the honorary and official ranks that come with my million merit points and request the status of a Yin God," Zhao Xing stated clearly.
"Very well. You only need to pray at the Hall of the Yanxing Star Lord, and the priest will guide you through the process," Lu Tingzhi replied.
"Understood."
The tower ship was vast, and within it stood a grand palace—the Hall of the Yanxing Star Lord.
The temple's specifications far exceeded those of the supply city's smaller temples.
Since Zhao Xing was placing his Heaven Soul in the temple, at least a third-rank fragment of the Yanxing Star Lord had to be present.
Setting aside all distractions, Zhao Xing entered the hall.
A priest led him through the steps of burning incense, offering prayers, and performing the rites.
It wasn't much different from ordinary temple worship, except for one additional step: Zhao Xing had to offer a drop of his blood as a medium to anchor his Heaven Soul in the temple.
Psst...
The drop of blood was poured into a burning copper furnace.
"The ceremony is complete, Lord Zhao may rise," the priest said.
That's it?
Zhao Xing didn't feel anything.
"Thank you, Yanxing Star Lord."
After offering another bow, Zhao Xing stood up and left the Hall of the Yanxing Star Lord.
He then checked his status board.
As expected, a new entry had appeared:
[Jingxin Era, Year 17, September 20: The Heaven Soul has been placed in the temple, granting the status of Yin God. Upon death, you may transform into a Yin God.]
"My Heaven Soul is secured. Now I can fight without worry," Zhao Xing smiled.
Just as he was about to descend from the tower ship, he paused.
"Hmm?"
Zhao Xing turned his head, taking a few steps back.
His gaze landed on a young man sweeping the floor in the transport division's Divine Weapon Hall.
"That face looks familiar," Zhao Xing thought for a moment before walking into the hall.
Several officers were inside, exchanging goods. Seeing Zhao Xing enter, someone immediately came to greet him.
"Lord Zhao, are you here to exchange for a divine weapon?"
"I'm just browsing," Zhao Xing replied, pointing to the young man sweeping the floor. "The Divine Weapon Hall itself is a treasure. Why is someone sweeping the floor here?"