Heavenly Dao Engine
Chapter 290 - 290 0236 I have also noted this account

Chapter 290: Chapter 0236: I have also noted this account Chapter 290: Chapter 0236: I have also noted this account Chapter 0236: I, too, will remember this account

The moment the assembly bell rang in the Border Defense Army’s main camp, the cultivators gathered in the small city were alarmed. Now, Huang Zhiwei has sounded the bell to assemble the cultivators again. These cultivators naturally couldn’t sit still, they all rushed to the main camp.

Huang Zhiwei specially arranged for people to escort the cultivators to the central military tent whenever they arrived. Very soon, the central military tent began to get crowded, subsequently, couldn’t hold any more people.

Huang Zhiwei had a solution. He asked all Qi Cultivation Period cultivators to temporarily withdraw outside the central military tent, while the Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators could stay inside. Thus, the tent became spacious again. Despite the influx of five to six hundred cultivators to the small city, there were only a few at the Foundation Establishment Stage. Even including Qi Tian and his party of five, there were just over thirty, less than forty.

Every year, the Chi Di people head south, including cultivators from within. However, those who participated are mainly at the Qi Cultivation Period, with few at the Foundation Establishment Stage. After all, the main plunder during the southward march are the resources of the Mortal World and some minor cultivation factions. These resources can be utilized by Qi Cultivation Period cultivators, but there are very few resources that could be useful to those at the Foundation Establishment Stage. There are still some Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators participating mainly because they target cultivators of the same stage. If they killed the enemy, they could seize their cultivation level.

However, using this method doesn’t necessarily yield much resources. If all participants are poor, they won’t gain much even after killing ten, let alone one. The reason why a few dozen Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators participated is that they held onto the slim hope of killing a rich Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator and getting rich themselves. In the past, such occurrences were not uncommon, and because of these successful cases, so many cultivators participate in what was originally a military siege between the ordinary army.

Huang Zhiwei wasn’t sure exactly how many Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators came this year. Not every Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator would give him face like Qi Tian. Some wouldn’t interact with him after arriving at the small city, preferring to act independently and refuse employment from secular government offices.

Seeing over thirty Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators, Huang Zhiwei judged from his experience that they were likely the ones willing to cooperate with the court’s army in the small city. He stood up, cleared his throat, and said, “I apologize for disturbing your rest this late at night. I was forced to do so. I have received confirmed news that the Chi Di people are about to march south. By then, whether I can lead my brothers to hold Tongmen West Pass depends a lot on you, Immortal Masters.”

Some of the numerous Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators responded a bit to Huang Zhiwei’s courteous words. However, many more just ignored him. Despite Huang Zhiwei being a commander who controlled tens of thousands of soldiers and oversaw a region, in the eyes of these Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators, he was merely a mortal person who could be killed with one slap, not worthy of their respect.

Huang Zhiwei was psychologically prepared for this situation, as he had encountered it before and wasn’t angry. He continued, “I still need to guard Tongmen West Pass and can’t listen to the teachings of each Immortal Master. However, without a leader, our efforts will be fragmented and not achieve the desired effect. I have a suggestion. I’d like to recommend Qi Tian, the Acting Immortal Master of the Imperial Master Mansion, as the leader of all Immortal Masters this year. He would coordinate everyone’s actions. What do you Immortal Masters think?”

Every year, Huang Zhiwei would have to do this once. Normally, once he proposed, the matter would be more or less settled. After all, he represented the court and the Border Defense Army. This year, Qi Tian had the backup of the Imperial Master Mansion. It would be difficult for Qi Tian not to be the leader.

However, to everyone’s surprise, before Huang Zhiwei finished speaking, someone said, “This is a chaotic command! I will not agree with it.”

What surprised Qi Tian and them even more was that there was more than one person objecting, a group of people continued, “I don’t agree either. I think I’m more suitable to be the leader.”

“What nonsense are you talking about? The leader is right here.”

…

Huang Zhiwei suddenly felt a huge headache. What he feared most was this situation, where there would be bickering and quarreling among themselves, delaying things for days, which was quite normal.

At this time, Zhang Lei stood up and said, “I am Zhang Lei from the Peacock Hall of the Imperial Master Mansion, at the third level of Foundation Establishment and a junior pill refining master. I represent all my fellow disciples who came together this time to declare that we support Qi Tian as the leader. If any of you are not convinced, say your names!”

Zhang Lei originally planned to suppress everyone’s dissatisfaction towards Qi Tian with this method. However, her approach, not only did not calm the situation, but instead made the crowd even noisier.