One Month Later
Qin Feng stood atop the western wall of the fortress, hands clasped behind his back as he looked down upon the training grounds below. Infantry and cavalry moved in disciplined patterns, drilling formations again and again with practiced precision.
The past month had been relentlessly busy.
Budgeting. Strategizing. Fabricating believable explanations as he introduced items purchased from the system to the generals. Coordinating logistics. Managing manpower. There were days when he barely slept.
However, the month had not been all bad. His check-in rewards continued to pile up, each one bringing him a step closer to his ultimate goal—building an army of truly superhuman soldiers.
The rewards themselves followed a predictable pattern: one hundred Marrow Cleansing Pills and ten Shadow Stalkers at fixed intervals. Over the course of the month, this alone had accumulated into a total of 1,400 Marrow Cleansing Pills and 140 Shadow Stalkers.
And as if that weren't enough, Qin Feng had also made a crucial—almost exhilarating—discovery regarding the acquisition of Shop Points.
Two weeks earlier, he had nearly exhausted all of his SP purchasing armor and weapons for both infantry and cavalry. He'd been wracking his brain over how best to spend his remaining points on siege weapons—
When suddenly, system notifications began to flood in.
---
Flashback — Two Weeks Earlier
[DING! SP +10]
[DING! SP +10]
[DING! SP +10]
…
×50
[DING! SP +100]
Qin Feng shot to his feet, eyes wide—scanning his environment in utter confusion.
"What the hell?" he muttered. "Where are these SPs coming from?"
For a moment he remained like that—tense and confused.
Then, a thought struck him.
A dangerous—exhilarating—thought.
'Could it be...'
"Shadow," he called.
A figure materialized soundlessly before him, kneeling on one knee.
"Contact Raven and Ghost," Qin Feng ordered. "Request a status report."
"Yes, my lord."
Moments later, Shadow spoke again.
"My lord—Ghost reports that all remains calm. There has been no need for him to act directly. Raven reports he has just completed a mission on the madam's orders: the elimination of a bandit den."
Qin Feng froze.
Then he burst out laughing.
"Of course! Why didn't I think of that earlier?" His eyes gleamed. "My summoned forces can earn SP for me as well."
Perfect.
---
Flashback Ends
From that moment on, Qin Feng immediately deployed fifty Shadow Stalkers beyond the fortress walls, sending them toward the Northern Khaganate's camp.
Their mission was simple:
Reconnaissance—and assassination.
They were to monitor enemy movements and report any signs of an advance. At the same time, they were to eliminate scouts, stragglers, and any individuals or units that ventured beyond the main camp.
As more Shadow Stalkers arrived through daily check-ins, Qin Feng sent them out without pause.
Over the past two weeks, the Shadow Stalkers had not only generated a massive influx of SP—they had also begun to quietly erode the Northern Khaganate's morale.
The invaders attempted repeatedly to dispatch units to hunt down whoever was slaughtering their scouts.
None returned.
This, scouting quickly became synonymous with death. No one dared to leave the camp alone, and being assigned to reconnaissance felt like a death sentence.
Their misfortune—
Was Qin Feng's fortune.
Current Status:
[DIVINE CHECK-IN SYSTEM]
[Host]: Qin Feng
[Shop Points (SP)]: 24,240
[Special Physiques]:
— Innate Dragon Elephant Physique
— Innate True Sight
[Skills]: Archery (Divine), Swordsmanship (Elite), Spearmanship (Elite), Blademanship (Elite), Horsemanship (Master)
[Summoned Forces]:
— Shadow Reaper ×3
— Shadow Stalker ×180
[Inventory]: Restoration Pills (×8), Fasting Pills (×1,000), Marrow Cleansing Pills (×1,500)
He had earned far more SP than this—but he had also spent just as much.
Now—
• Wall-mounted giant crossbows were installed every twenty-five meters along the walls, with two mounted on each major tower and four guarding every gatehouse.
• Six defensive traction trebuchets stood ready for use against invading forces.
• Rotating tower ballistae had been installed in every watchtower.
All of them, perfect-grade items—purchased directly from the system.
Qin Feng had exhausted every last brain cell concocting believable explanations for their origins and how they got into the fortress undetected. In the end, he'd settled on the simplest excuse:
"I had my Shadow Guards deliver them. And my Shadow Guards… are that good."
Of course, his generals weren't convinced, but they accepted it nonetheless.
In addition, he purchased blueprints for a variety of siege traps, which General Bai Xian had eagerly begun implementing throughout the fortress.
Unbeknownst to Qin Feng, these actions had already cemented a belief among the generals:
That he had encountered an extraordinary opportunity during the aftermath of the night raid.
---
Night — Qin Feng's Study
The generals filed into the room, standing before Qin Feng who was seated behind his desk—where eight small boxes could be seen, neatly arranged.
"You've arrived," he said calmly. "No need for formalities."
"You've all worked tirelessly this past month—far beyond my expectations."
Pride flickered across their faces. Even Bai Xian, worn thin from overseeing siege construction, stood a little straighter.
"I called you here tonight for one reason," Qin Feng continued as he rose and stepped toward them. "Just as I, your commander, will not hesitate to punish transgressors—I will also never fail to reward those who deserve it."
He turned and gestured toward the boxes.
"Inside are elixirs that will grant you significantly stronger physiques."
His gaze swept across them.
"If you trust me—if you are willing to remain loyal and dedicate yourselves to defending this frontier—step forward. Take a pill. Swallow it. Here and now."
Silence.
A heavy, stunned silence filled the room.
Qin Feng wasn't surprised.
To the generals, this was an enormous test of loyalty. He had offered them no explanation. No assurances.
Physique-acquiring elixirs were notoriously dangerous—without the proper preparation, they could just as easily kill as empower.
To consume a Physique-acquiring elixir without first training to meet its requirements was tantamount to suicide. At that point, one was directly gambling with fate, with scarcely a ten-percent chance of survival.
And yet—
One by one, they stepped forward.
Generals and Deputies alike.
Each picked up a pill and swallowed it in a single motion.
Perhaps it was loyalty.
Perhaps it was trust.
Perhaps it was the unshakable belief that their Commander would never harm them—especially on the eve of war.
Eyes closed, bodies tense, they braced themselves for whatever would come next.
But the next moment—
---
AN: I wanted to clarify something for those who're also analyzing and strategizing along: The reason Qin Feng prioritized getting proper equipments for the infantry and calvary over siege weapons is because without the proper equipments, their training on those new formations would have been useless. Formations—especially advanced/elite ones—require specialized equipments.
Take for example, one of the formations in the "Cannon of Unbroken lines". It requires the outer line equipped with long rectangular shields and short spears. The second equipped with wide shields and long spears. Then the third line with extra long spears. If the soldiers are all equipped with spears of the same length, they can not properly implement this formation.
Hopefully, that clears that.
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I'd be posting the next chapter later. From the next chapter, the Northern invaders would have reached the Beiguan Fort and ready to attack. I need to do more research on that so that I can properly paint the picture without too many blemishes.
Thanks for reading my book so far. Please send power stones, add to collection and very importantly leave a comment, I'd really like to know your thoughts on the story so far.