Starting as a centurion, he fought his way through the chaos of the world.

Chapter 22 Return
Lu Ming didn't know why Baili Fei was so enthusiastic towards him, but he knew there must be a reason.

He didn't pay much attention to it, and after accompanying his wife around the city and settling into an inn, he went out with a suitcase in his arms.

As for what to do, naturally it was to find Qian Yong.

The other party is the garrison commander of Fucheng Town, a sixth-rank military officer, who has some dealings with my father, and this relationship must be maintained.

As the garrison general of the prefectural city, he was definitely a big shot.

Qian Yong's residence was in the northern part of the city, and they had come all the way here.

A vermilion gate appeared before them, with two guards in leather armor standing at the entrance.

After Lu Ming arrived, he didn't waste any time. He stuffed two taels of silver into each person's hand and said with a smile, "Brother, please go and report that Lu Ming, the commander of Fenglei Town, requests an audience."

"My lord, please wait a moment!"

The guard, having received the silver, ran into the mansion with a broad smile on his face.

A moment later, a burly middle-aged man with a full beard, dressed in a blue outfit, strode out, shouting, "Where is my nephew?"

Lu Ming turned around and found that there was no one else around.

Just as he was about to step forward to pay his respects, Qian Yong grabbed his hand and said, "I was drinking when I heard you were here. Come in with me quickly."

"My lord, I."

“What are you calling me, sir? Your father and I are brothers, like blood brothers. You are his only son, my nephew. I’ve told you this so many times, but you just won’t change.”

Qian Yong feigned anger.

"Uncle!" Lu Ming called out tentatively, and Qian Yong finally smiled.

"That's more like it. That's how you'll call it from now on."

As the two were talking, they entered the courtyard. After Lu Ming handed the silver box to the steward, Qian Yong's smile deepened when he saw that it was quite heavy.

"You child, you're already here, why be so polite? I'll accept it this time, but don't do this next time."

After speaking, he patted Lu Ming on the shoulder.

Upon entering the lobby, Lu Ming discovered that Qian Yong indeed had guests.

After being introduced one by one, I realized that they were all officials from the prefectural city.

However, after learning that Lu Ming was Qian Yong's nephew, he became quite polite.

They all stood up to offer a toast.

Lu Ming left the Qian residence when he was quite drunk after the meal.

Walking down the street, he began to review the day's events.

Something's not right, something's really not right. Why are Baili Fei and Qian Yong being so enthusiastic towards me?

You should know that both of them are important figures in Hongdu Prefecture.

Why would someone as lowly as a centurion take him seriously?

Moreover, even a captain is nothing more than a subordinate in front of a garrison commander.

In the past, Qian Yong did indeed ask him to call him uncle, but he only took it as a polite gesture.

But this time, it was much more formal.

Baili Fei's attitude, in particular, made him even more puzzled.

However, I don't understand it anymore, and I don't want to think about it anymore.

He shook his head, got into the carriage, and returned to the inn.

Seeing that Li Xiyue was already resting, he also went to sleep.

The next morning, the two ate something and washed up.

Lu Ming then drove the carriage towards Fenglei Town.

They didn't return until three days later.

However, they did not go to the Hundred Household Office, but went to Li Yan's house instead. During their trip to the prefectural city, they accompanied Li Xiyue to buy a lot of things.

Of course, this included buying gifts for the elderly couple.

After all, for Lu Ming, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Li Yan and his wife saved his life.

As soon as I stepped outside the courtyard, I saw Li Yan lounging in a deck chair, lazily basking in the sun.

His wife sat beside him, swatting away the flies that kept flying by.

Upon seeing Lu Ming and Li Xirou, the woman immediately stood up. "Oh, you're back! And you've brought so much stuff. Xirou, have you seen your family?"

As she accepted the gift, Li Yan's wife asked a question.

Clearly, Li Xirou was telling the couple about her past experiences in the prefectural city.

Nowadays, Li Xirou comes to visit whenever she has nothing else to do.

Lu Ming would even come over for a free meal whenever he had nothing else to do.

The two families have a very harmonious relationship.

Hearing the woman's words, Li Xirou shook her head with red eyes.

"Sigh, you father are really stubborn. Lu Ming is such a good child, what else could you be dissatisfied with?"

The woman sighed and pulled Li Xirou to cook.

Li Yan opened his eyes, looked at Lu Ming with a half-smile, and asked, "How is the prefectural city?"

"It's great, very bustling, and there are lots of people."

The latter picked up a bag of snacks he had bought, opened it, and placed it next to Li Yan.

It's just like facing an elder in the family.

Li Yan didn't stand on ceremony. He picked up a piece, ate it, and said, "Then work hard. If you have the chance in the future, go to the prefectural city to take up a post and become a general. Then Xi Rou will be able to hold her head high."

“I’m not going. I’ll stay in Fenglei Town,” Lu Ming said without hesitation.

"Oh, why is that?" His words surprised the lazy Li Yan. After all, people strive for better things, and who wouldn't want to develop in a bigger place?

"Fenglei Town has a population and mineral resources, and should have become a county town long ago. Isn't it because there are too many bandits in the nearby mountains, coupled with the oppression of local powerful families, that the people are living in misery and unable to survive? Now that the Zhang family is gone, as long as I leave, other families will appear in a few years."

So we're staying here to completely change this situation. This is my hometown, and if I don't put my heart into changing it, who else will care?

"Great!" Li Yan suddenly became excited.

"Good, well said! I knew I hadn't misjudged you. This is our hometown. If we put our hearts into changing it, who else would care? So stay in Fenglei Town and govern it well. I'm waiting to see the changes in Fenglei Town!"

Li Yan became somewhat excited when he got to this point.

A moment later, he stood up and paced back and forth.

"So what are your thoughts on the development of Fenglei Town?"

"Only by training a strong army can we suppress bandits and ensure the safety of the people. There are a lot of iron mines and mountain fields in Black Mountain, which are full of medicinal herbs. It is because of the bandits that these resources cannot be mined."

Once the bandits are dealt with, the people can mine, gather herbs, and hunt.

There are plenty of ways to make a living; why would anyone starve to death?

Lu Ming shared his thoughts.

“Yes, you’re right. Let’s train the troops and build a powerful army!” Li Yan seemed to strongly support Lu Ming’s idea.

The two found themselves getting along very well as they talked.

They were still discussing the development of Fenglei Town even after the food had been served.

Li Yan's fondness for promoting people from his hometown shows that he is a very sentimental person.

He is also someone who has a special affection for his hometown.

Therefore, Lu Ming's words struck a chord with him.

Moreover, she did not believe that Lu Ming was deliberately trying to please her.

Because the other party had no idea who he was.

Therefore, this sincerity is all the more precious.

After the meal, it was already dark.

Lu Ming led Li Xiyue toward the Thousand Households Office. He had been away for nearly ten days and wanted to see what changes had occurred in the people of the Thousand Households Office after they had practiced the cultivation technique.

After all, the border troops that were recruited back then were elites. Although they had not reached the Body Tempering Realm, most of them were at the peak of the Body Tempering Realm.

Now that he has the cultivation method, his accumulated knowledge and skills will surely bring about changes, and Lu Ming is looking forward to it.

To become a true Mo Dao soldier, one needs not only weapons and armor, but also extremely high physical fitness.

They still have a long way to go before they completely transform into top-tier elites.

This will become the foundation of Lu Ming's rise to power, and he looks forward to the formal establishment of this Mo Dao army.

(End of this chapter)