Looking at the mystical long sword, Chen Shouyi's hands were itching to try it. He glanced at the Shell Lady, who was sleeping soundly on the bed, and cautiously began to test the sword.

He couldn't tell if it was an illusion, but as his will brushed over it repeatedly, the long sword, initially awkward, became increasingly comfortable, gradually feeling like a part of his body, merging seamlessly together.

A few minutes later, he stopped:

"From now on, I'll use this sword!" he thought to himself.

As for the Black Sword, he decided that he would give it to his sister once her strength grew a bit more.

The Black Sword wasn't light either, weighing at least ten kilograms, which is still on the heavier side for a Martial Artist.

He walked to the bathroom, took a never-used towel, wiped off non-existent dust from the blade, and then inserted it into the sword scabbard with great care and importance.

...

At the crack of dawn, Tang Shaoquan, along with two other Martial Artists, got off the troop transport and, dragging their weary bodies, walked into the logistics base with the soldiers.

They had battled all night, mostly defending against Barbarian assaults with the occasional bow pull; close combat was rare. Yet, even so, after several consecutive days, this young prestigious warrior was feeling the strain, his figure noticeably thinner.

"Brother Quan, that shot earlier was amazing, you were incredible! How did you know the Barbarian was hiding behind the wall?" a fairly attractive female Martial Artist asked in admiration.

"Experience, observation, and intuition, it's hard to explain. You'll understand once you've fought enough!" Tang Shaoquan responded with a slight smile, calmly.

He enjoyed being a mentor, especially to female Martial Artists who admired him, which always filled him with joy.

At just twenty-six years old, he was the newly appointed prestigious warrior of Pingzhou City, following the relaxed examination standards over the past year.

This did not undermine his strength and talent.

Even at the age of twenty-six, he wasn't considered old amongst new Martial Artists, and among prestigious warriors, he was extremely young. He might even have a chance to become a Martial Artist in the future.

"Brother Quan speaks the truth, but he's too modest. Without talent, no amount of battle experience would matter. People like me, no matter how much we fight, stand no chance," another middle-aged Martial Artist flattered him.

Tang Shaoquan was pleased with the compliment, a slight smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

"General Tang!"

"Brother Quan!"

Along the way, Martial Artists who knew him occasionally greeted him, and Tang Shaoquan reciprocated with nods and gestures.

He was the sole prestigious warrior in Pingzhou, and over the past year, he had steadily built his reputation. Although he didn't know many Martial Artists personally, there were few who didn't recognize him.

The group was both exhausted and hungry, and without bothering to shower, they headed directly to the first underground floor's cafeteria. It was bustling and crowded, filled with noisy chatter, and the air was thick with the pungent smell of sweat.

"Brother Quan, why don't you save us a spot; we'll go get the food," the middle-aged Martial Artist suggested with a smile.

Tang Shaoquan nodded, fished out his Martial Artist Certificate, handed it over, and found an empty spot to sit down.

In times of war, even as a prestigious warrior, he couldn't enjoy any particular privileges. He had to dine with the officers and soldiers in the cafeteria, though with his Martial Artist Certificate, he could get slightly larger portions of food.

During that time, he nodded greetings to several more Martial Artists. Within ten minutes, the food was brought over.

Besides a large bowl of pork, everything else was vegetables, along with a big bucket of rice.

"The Martial Artist Certificate is really useful!" the female Martial Artist said with a smile, "The cooking soldier didn't even notice at first, mistaking it for three Martial Artist Certificates. I felt the portions were off and immediately pointed out there was a Martial Artist Certificate among them. As a result, they added two more scoops of braised pork and increased the portions of other dishes as well."

Now, with the entire city's paralysis, the suburban and rural areas were unsafe. Except for ample grain reserves, the supply of other meats and vegetables was quite tight.

"Of course. Brother Quan is the only prestigious warrior in Pingzhou, and how many are there across Jiangnan Province? I'd guess less than twenty in total, with none younger than Brother Quan," the middle-aged Martial Artist quickly added, laughing.

"Alright, enough," Tang Shaoquan playfully chided, "There are plenty better than me, I heard there's even a Martial Artist in Hedong!"

Although he didn't elaborate, he tacitly acknowledged the other's comments.

He knew his abilities couldn't match those veteran prestigious warriors, but he was definitely the youngest among them, at least in Jiangnan Province.

"Wow, he's so handsome!" the female Martial Artist whispered.

Tang Shaoquan had just lifted a piece of braised pork, thinking it was about him, and glanced at her with puzzled eyes, only to find she wasn't looking at him at all.

He felt a sense of deflation and immediately followed her gaze.

A dashing young man, with a bow case slung over his shoulder and a long sword at his waist, walked into the cafeteria with the stride of a dragon and a tiger. Next to him, a middle-aged man was chattering enthusiastically, and the young man occasionally responded with a faint smile, nodding slightly.

Tang Shaoquan couldn't help but furrow his brows slightly—who was this young man?

He recognized the middle-aged man; he was the logistics minister of the military district, one of the high-ranking officials.

Those uninformed might see it as a spectacle; the informed see the subtleties.

The man's steps were light and smooth, like a leisurely walking leopard, exuding a sharp aura yet bearing an air of detachment, as if none of the people here mattered to him.

"…We've prepared meals in the VIP room; the conditions are simple, I hope you don't mind, General Consultant."

"Minister Wang, you're too kind, anything will do."

...

The two passed nearby, and Tang Shaoquan's group overheard a snippet.

After the two walked away.

The middle-aged Martial Artist withdrew his gaze and asked curiously, "General Consultant? Could it be that this person is a prestigious warrior from another place here to support us? That treatment is incredible!"

"Well, after all, they're here to support us from afar; it's understandable to treat them well," rebutted the female Martial Artist.

Tang Shaoquan said nothing, feeling somewhat displeased.

Although he understood that someone coming all the way to Pingzhou to support them deserved better treatment, the disparity was too great.

He, too, was a prestigious warrior, yet he could only sit in a foul-smelling cafeteria, and already considered a bowl of braised pork a delicacy. Meanwhile, others could enjoy a private room, possibly with lavishly cooked gourmet meals.

After a few bites of food, the logistics minister returned.

Tang Shaoquan quickly waved him over: "Minister Wang, come chat with me."

Minister Wang, seeing Tang Shaoquan, walked over with a smile: "General Tang, I didn't notice you earlier. Are you satisfied with the food? If it's not enough, just let the cook know."

"Haha, that's what you said, so I'll be sure to mention your name," Tang Shaoquan joked before casually asking, "By the way, who was that person you were with earlier?"

"I knew you'd ask; that fellow is incredible! We finally managed to invite a Martial Artist from Hedong!" remarked Minister Wang, genuinely enthused about chatting: "You've heard of the God of Hunting, right? Just yesterday, he killed the God of Hunting's avatar, and I heard the entire street looked like it had been hit by artillery fire."

Everyone was astonished, left speechless with surprise.

Tang Shaoquan's smile also froze: "God... God of Hunting, he's a Martial Artist?"

"Of course, and he's said to be only eighteen years old. Probably the youngest Martial Artist not just in the country, but globally," Minister Wang replied with a look of awe. "The commander even issued special instructions yesterday for us to warmly welcome him."

There were immediately gasping sounds all around.

Afterwards, Tang Shaoquan completely lost track of when Minister Wang left or when he sat down.

ps; My little daughter has a fever, apologies, there's only this much today.

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