Chapter 119: Treating Titles of Nobility as Dirt

Lai Hu'er had intended to use his techniques to ensnare Qin Qiong, preventing him from leaving the stage. Unexpectedly, Qin Qiong neither fought back nor dodged; he stood firm, took the blow squarely on his back, and collapsed onto the platform.

Lai Hu'er was deeply embarrassed, his expression turning grim. Given his status, a sneak attack from behind was a disgrace; even if he won, it was not an honorable victory and would only invite gossip and criticism.

Lai Hu'er rushed forward several steps and lifted Qin Qiong. Seeing his face ashen, his eyes tightly shut, his teeth clenched, and his face covered in beads of sweat, it was clear he was in extreme pain.

The situation turned too quickly. Li Dong was terrified and, ignoring everything, leaped onto the stage, not caring if his true identity were revealed to Lai Hu'er. After all, he and Qin Qiong were brothers who had shared life-and-death bonds.

Li Dong hurriedly massaged Qin Qiong’s chest and patted his back, trying to circulate his blood and soothe his vital energy.

"Ugh!" Qin Qiong groaned as he regained consciousness. Seeing himself in Lai Hu'er’s arms with Li Dong nearby, he struggled to sit up and said with difficulty, "Thank you, General, for your grace in saving me."

Dou Jiande was overjoyed to see Qin Qiong hit by General Lai, secretly thinking, "That is what he deserves!" He still harbored resentment for being robbed of the primary credit by Qin Qiong and had no inkling that, months later, it would be Qin Qiong who would pull him back from the brink of death.

"General Lai!" Li Dong said anxiously. "I need to take him back to the tent for the military physician to examine him. I ask for your permission!"

"Very well, go ahead! I shall visit him personally later!" Lai Hu'er remained deeply apologetic, wondering to himself what had happened. Why hadn't Qin Qiong fought back? With his skills, he could have easily dodged the blow and avoided such a severe injury!

After Li Dong carried Qin Qiong off the stage, a crowd of blacksmiths from the armory rushed forward. With grave expressions, they helped carry Qin Qiong, bypassing the stage and sprinting toward the main tent.

Lai Hu'er stood tall, facing the tens of thousands of garrison troops below, and said in a deep voice, "Qin Qiong has defeated Dou Jiande and shall be appointed as a Commandant of Valor! Dou Jiande is appointed as a Captain overseeing two hundred men, and Zhang Jincheng is also appointed as a Captain of two hundred."

"The competition continues! Who else wishes to come up?" Lai Hu'er asked, his powerful, resonant voice echoing around the arena.

A roar of excitement erupted from the crowd.

Winning the competition truly led to a military appointment. A Commandant of Valor was ranked in three grades; Qin Qiong was now at least a sixth-rank military official! That slap was worth it! He had ascended to the heavens in a single step!

"I, Feng, am here!" No sooner had the words fallen than a skinny, sickly-looking young man leaped onto the stage. He cupped his fists toward General Lai and announced, "Feng Shaoyu is here!"

Lai Hu'er nodded, thinking that if no one had stepped up, he would have lost face completely. Injuring Qin Qiong might have chilled the hearts of the garrison troops. It was good that Feng Shaoyu had saved him. With this thought, he stepped down from the stage to make room.

"I am Feng Shaoyu from Qidian, a man whose loneliness has bloomed into an ocean. Whoever is dissatisfied, come up and fight me! Fight me! I’d be happy if you beat me into a Commandant too!" Feng Shaoyu, completely unaware of why General Lai had granted Qin Qiong such a high post, shouted provocatively on the stage, challenging others to fight him.

The garrison troops below couldn't help but roar with laughter.

***

Li Dong and the blacksmiths returned to the forge and laid Qin Qiong on the bed. Someone brought a bowl of warm water, which Li Dong took and fed to Qin Qiong himself.

"It’s nothing; I’m sturdy and thick-skinned, so don't trouble yourselves," Qin Qiong said with difficulty as he sat up.

"Your face is yellow, and you say it's nothing?" Li Dong scolded, feeling a deep sense of regret. If it were anyone else, he would have surely fought back against Lai Hu'er. The rules were set by him, so how could he not fight? Qin Qiong was truly a man of great integrity.

"It’s just that my energy and blood are a bit congested; there really isn't a major problem." As Qin Qiong spoke, his face twisted again, clearly lying to comfort Li Dong.

The blacksmiths stood nearby, feeling saddened. Qin Qiong’s victory over Dou Jiande had brought great honor to them, but their pride had lasted less than a moment before their hearts sank again.

However, Lai Hu'er was a Great General with the power of life and death over everyone in the camp. They were of low status, and even if they had grievances, they were helpless and could only grieve for Qin Qiong.

Just then, Lai Hu'er arrived with his three sons to visit Qin Qiong. As soon as he entered the tent, all the blacksmiths bowed and greeted him.

Lai Hu'er waved his hand, signaling them to rise. He approached Qin Qiong’s bed, crouched down, and asked softly, "My strike was too heavy; I only intended to keep you on the stage. I truly had no intention of hurting you..."

Seeing it was the General, Qin Qiong tried to bow while sitting on the bed, but was pressed down by Lai Hu'er. "These are extraordinary times; there is no need for such trivial formalities."

As he spoke, he gestured behind him, and one of his sons brought out some medicine and handed it to Qin Qiong.

Lai Hu'er said apologetically, "This is a superior medicine I carry for treating blade wounds; it works both internally and externally. Take it, and it should be beneficial to your body."

"Thank you for your kindness, General!" Qin Qiong had to lie back and raised his hand as a gesture of thanks.

"I have already announced it; once you recover, you will no longer need to work as a blacksmith. You will serve under me at the tent as a Commandant of Valor. Once you earn military merit, I will petition the Emperor to grant you further honors!" Lai Hu'er smiled. "You will just have to endure some grievances for now!"

"General..." Qin Qiong grew anxious. He propped himself up with his arms and refused repeatedly: "General, this must not be! I am but a blacksmith; I am skilled at forging and repairing weapons, but I know nothing of military strategy. In battle, life and death are but a moment apart. One moment of carelessness could lead to total ruin. How can you let me lead troops?"

"Qin Qiong cannot accept this order; I ask the General to rescind it!" By the end, his tone was firm, and despite his injuries, his words rang with conviction.

***

Lai Hu'er was not angry; rather, he was pleased. Qin Qiong was truly remarkable—an ordinary person would have been kneeling in gratitude. Yet, he had refused directly. This was exactly what he liked about him.

"Didn't I also start as a common soldier? As long as you have the talent, your time to shine will come. For now, rest and recover; we shall discuss this again once you are well."

"There is no need to wait; I can tell you now that I truly lack the talent and virtue to shoulder such a great responsibility! Please, General, rescind the order!" Qin Qiong insisted.

Lai Hu'er laughed. "We shall talk later, alright?"

Seeing Li Dong, he asked with slight curiosity, "Who is this young man? Why do you look so unfamiliar?"

Li Dong had been quite dissatisfied with Lai Hu'er, but seeing him humble himself to visit the bedside, bring his own medicine, and appoint Qin Qiong to a military post, his anger had subsided. Lai Hu'er was not a bad man; to hold such a high position and still treat his subordinates this way meant he was not just a gluttonous fool, but a man of genuine ability. His impression of him changed significantly.

Hearing the question, he cupped his fists and bowed slightly. "I am Dang Yuqian, just a small blacksmith. I follow Qin Qiong to repair weapons."

"You all must take good care of Qin Qiong. If anything happens to him, I will hold you responsible! Do you hear me?" Lai Hu'er assumed his commanding presence and asked in a deep voice.

"Yes! We obey the Great General's order!" All the blacksmiths in the tent replied hastily.

Having received their affirmation, Lai Hu'er left the tent with his three sons.

"Lai Zheng, after we conquer Liaodong, take a cart of the looted gold, silver, and treasures for Qin Qiong!" Lai Hu'er still felt guilty and wanted to reward him handsomely.

Lai Zheng agreed and followed his father away from Qin Qiong's tent.

Inside, once they had left, Qin Qiong dismissed the blacksmiths and asked Li Dong, "What shall we do next?"

Li Dong replied, "Next, the army will set out for Liaodong. That will be the time for us to show what we are truly capable of!"