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"General... you... isn’t this a bit inappropriate?"

A few soldiers mustered up their courage and stepped forward to ask, and in that instant, the atmosphere of the entire army turned strange. Tian Heng took it all in, his heart growing increasingly conflicted.

The monopoly of the noble families showed its flaws. Even now, when the situation is so dire, the direct lineage heads of these families still only care about their own interests.

The direct lineages of several noble families also found themselves gritting their teeth and bracing themselves.

They had no choice. If this action were upheld, it would likely draw in a massive number of non-lineage recruits.

Their ability to group together and exclude outsiders, monopolizing the Western Sea Army, relied on their numbers and solidarity.

But once their numbers dwindled, the resources from the top would no longer tilt solely in their favor!

Others silently looked toward their commander.

To be honest, Tian Heng had always been a solid leader.

Over the years, under Marshal Tian, the direct lineage families feasted on the lion’s share, but even the non-lineage troops managed to benefit from the scraps, although those scraps did leave some lingering resentment in their hearts.

Previously, they endured it—after all, their bloodlines were impure, and their talents naturally paled compared to the direct lineages. Every noble family operated this way, so everyone begrudgingly accepted it. But now things were different in Jiangnan.

On the other side, the Warrior Army allocated the Power of Faith entirely based on merit and achievements.

Many soldiers without noble bloodlines rose to mid-level positions, and currently, over half of the thousand-household officers in the Warrior Army were men without bloodlines.

Even now, commoner recruits had substantial opportunities inside the Warrior Army.

The experience of a fair system is completely different from one riddled with favoritism. Every time these Western Sea Army soldiers went home to visit their families, they’d chat with their comrades in the Warrior Army. When comparing their treatment, none could hide their jealousy.

They were all soldiers from Jiangnan, yet following General Tian was far less rewarding than being under Xuu Hu.

The root cause still boiled down to the direct lineage families and the Tian Family Army hogging the bulk of the spoils!

Now, finally presented with an opportunity to break away, there wasn’t a single soul unwilling to fight for it. Even the allure of Shadow Soldier treatment was highly tempting—changing one’s identity to live again was hardly a high price.

Yet, the direct lineage troops were leading the opposition, leaving the non-lineage soldiers afraid to push back. If the boss failed to make a resolute decision, they’d all face subtle retaliation down the line.

All they could do now was hope their commander would stand firm.

"What exactly is inappropriate?" Tian Heng’s gaze grew icy as he stared at those fidgety men. "At a time like this, if Jiangnan falls, do you think... your current lives can continue to exist?"

"But..." The middle-aged man at the forefront, a branch member of the Tian Family, braced himself and spoke: "But... isn’t this approach of sending our brothers to their deaths... worth reconsidering?"

"War doesn’t come without casualties!" Tian Heng replied coldly. "At least in Jiangnan, there is the underworld system created by the Great Official. Even if you die in battle, you’ll enter the underworld—it’s equivalent to living another life.

In the past, soldiers charging into the frontlines died without getting anything in return, leaving only their families with meager compensations, their wives remarrying.

Back then, you wouldn’t even know about it, let alone benefit! "

The crowd: "..."

"I’ve discussed this thoroughly with several Great Officials of the Hell Ruler.

There are numerous positions in Nanming Prefecture and Nanyang City reserved for Shadow Soldiers.

As long as you die in battle, your military rank will rise by one level, and the compensation will double.

Opportunities like this don’t come often.

Shadow Soldier lifespans start at three hundred years, and once the quota is filled, they won’t recruit outsiders anymore.

After that, even if you want in, you won’t have a chance.

As your commander, the afterlife I’ve arranged for you isn’t too shabby, right? "

Below, the soldiers’ breaths grew heavier.

Nanming Prefecture and Nanyang City were both prime locations in Jiangnan.

While not as prestigious as Lyuzhou, they were still major city hubs.

To serve as Shadow Soldiers in such places was akin to a pleasant retirement—on top of the rank promotion, the future prospects far exceeded scraping by under the direct lineage troops.

They were naturally more than willing.

As the saying goes, under heavy rewards come brave warriors. Before the direct lineages could continue opposing, someone spontaneously stepped forward!

"General, I’m willing to give it a try!"

"Tian Liang, you..." The Tian Family branch member who had spoken earlier was instantly furious.

Tian Liang was one of his trusted subordinates; however, due to his poor birth—as the child of a concubine—he had always been suppressed in the branch.

Since arriving in Jiangnan, he had participated in multiple wars, including the Southeast reconquest campaign.

Tian Liang’s performance in that campaign alone, including slaying over a hundred and assisting with clearing undead, earned him remarkable battle achievements.

Yet even so, the bulk of the Power of Faith rewards went to his superior, and Tian Liang—the one risking life and limb—received less than a tenth of it.

With Tian Liang’s exceptional skills and fearless courage, he was a key tool for accumulating military merits. Who would’ve thought today he’d plan to defect!

"Good!" Tian Heng nodded approvingly. He’d long known of Tian Liang’s talent. If it weren’t for the higher-ups suppressing him on behalf of the main family, Tian Liang should have already risen to the rank of thousand households. It would be a waste for him to stagnate any longer here.

Seeing Tian Heng backing him and Tian Liang taking the lead, the remaining soldiers immediately gathered their courage.

"I’m willing to try too!"

"Willing to die for the Western Sea Army!"

"Since the General has made this promise, my family naturally has no objections to leading the charge!"

Soon, like wildfire spreading, thousands upon thousands of soldiers stepped forward and volunteered...

The expressions of the high-ranking officers from the noble families turned exceedingly grim.

"General!" someone couldn’t help but shout. "You must think carefully—if half our men perish, without General Tian’s support, do you think you can remain as valued as you are now?"

Tian Heng took a deep breath and replied sternly, "Brothers have followed me for so long, and it has been no easy feat to reach where we are today. With the world in chaos, Jiangnan is the only remaining haven. Most brothers have already settled their families here and surely don’t wish for Jiangnan’s downfall.

I, Tian Heng, cannot sacrifice everyone’s future for personal gain.

Today, I’m leaving my words here: whoever is willing to accept the elixir will always be my brother.

Should anything arise, you can always come to me and the Western Sea Army—even if we part ways, our bond remains! "

"General!"

A large number of soldiers, hearing this, couldn’t help but feel their eyes redden. Bowing halfway, they all performed military salutes.

"From now on, whatever orders the General issues, we will never refuse!"

"Good, you are all true brothers!" Tian Heng nodded. "Tian Liang, handle the registration. Record all brothers willing to take the elixirs properly. For this mission to eradicate the Buddhists, failure is not an option!"

"Yes!!!" Tian Liang responded enthusiastically.

At last... he finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel...

Contrasting the overwhelming enthusiasm of the masses, the direct lineage troops and the noble families’ branch members remained grim-faced.

Seeing the inevitable turn of events, they refrained from further objections. Instead, they exchanged meaningful glances, appearing to be plotting something.

Tian Heng stood tall, overlooking the assembly, his heart cold as ice.

Insatiable greed—this moment truly exposed it in full. These Tian Family branch members and affiliated noble families’ direct lineages had benefited immensely over the years, yet, when it came time to bleed for the cause, each harbored hidden agendas, some likely plotting sabotage.

It was truly disheartening...

The noble families... as Wang Ye had said—an absolute cancer!

However, this gamble of his was all-in. With a significant portion of the Western Sea Army taking the elixir and losing the loyalty of the branch members and affiliated noble families’ direct lineages, if this endeavor failed, then he... would completely lose his footing!