Worldwide Awakening: My Soul Kinds Are Lost-Chapter 492: Gilding, Qualification, Start of a Great Cause_1
"First, pay respects to heaven and earth, second, pay respects..."
Yuan Lin got up from the bed with a slight headache. His memory was somewhat fragmentary. Yesterday, he had gotten married and had drunk quite a lot of wine during the ceremony. By the time he woke up, it was already late morning.
He rose somewhat shakily, downed several cups of water in succession, and then finally felt more awake.
This really is... He couldn’t help but give a bitter smile. He had suddenly transformed from an unknown nobody into the son-in-law of the King of Northern Jiang—a meteoric rise.
He wasn’t one of those low-status live-in Son-in-laws; he had married a wife, meaning his future descendants would carry his surname, Yuan, not Zhang.
He had honestly been worried at first that Zhang Xuan might force him to become a live-in Son-in-law. After all, compared to marrying off a daughter, taking in a Son-in-law offered more control and posed less of a threat.
A Son-in-law, whether in terms of social or family status, typically ranked quite low, making them very easy to control.
"My lord, you’re awake. I’ll arrange..." Zhang Qing’er also woke up. Seeing Yuan Lin sitting up, she immediately prepared to rise.
"No rush, I can manage myself. You should rest well." Yuan Lin harbored no resentment or dissatisfaction. Although they had only just met, they treated each other with mutual respect.
After reassuring Zhang Qing’er, he washed up and changed into his everyday clothes.
"My lady, rest well at home. I need to go to my post," Yuan Lin said.
"But we just got married, this is a bit..." Zhang Qing’er remarked, a hint of resentment in her voice.
"For the sake of my father-in-law’s great undertaking, there can be no delays. If I’m absent for a day, the Northern Jiang Army will be set back a day," Yuan Lin said helplessly. "The Northern Jiang Army still hasn’t recovered its strength from the previous defeat. If we don’t recover quickly, the surrounding factions, like opportunistic tigers, will be watching."
Hearing this, Zhang Qing’er didn’t try to stop him further. Since her husband was working so hard for her father’s and brother’s cause, she couldn’t very well argue.
She was aware of the Northern Jiang Army’s situation and knew it was far from optimistic.
She was just an ordinary woman. If she were a Spirit Master, she might have been able to help. Unfortunately, she possessed no Spirit Bone or Spirit Vein, let alone any prospect of passing the imperial examination, which was currently unavailable anyway.
Yuan Lin left in a hurry. Upon returning to his camp, he began to handle various official duties.
"Brother-in-law, why are you here today? Didn’t I tell you to rest for a few more days?" Zhang Cheng, receiving the news immediately, thought there might have been a disagreement between his brother-in-law and sister.
"I can rest, but the Northern Jiang Army cannot, nor can the factions watching us," Yuan Lin said earnestly. "For the sake of my elder brother’s and father-in-law’s enterprise, this small matter is nothing. Since we’re all family now, our fortunes are intertwined; naturally, I must redouble my efforts."
Hearing this, Zhang Cheng was moved. Blood truly is thicker than water.
"You’ve worked hard, Brother-in-law," Zhang Cheng said, sitting down. Then he whispered, "Father said last night that he’s planning to mobilize the troops."
This made Yuan Lin furrow his brow. "Isn’t now unsuitable?"
"Indeed, it’s unsuitable, but it’s also a good opportunity. Brother-in-law, are you confident you can handle it?" Zhang Cheng said mysteriously.
So, Big Brother intends for me to take this on? Yuan Lin understood at once. This was an opportunity for him to build his reputation; otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to command respect.
Although Zhang Xuan and Zhang Cheng planned for Yuan Lin to manage logistics and guide the Northern Jiang Army’s overall strategy, he still needed the necessary prestige and experience. Otherwise, how could he issue orders in the future?
Once the Northern Jiang Army recovered its strength, Zhang Xuan and Zhang Cheng would undoubtedly lead troops on campaigns. If Yuan Lin were left behind and no one obeyed his commands, how could any work proceed?
Their subordinates were all proud and fiercely independent generals. While Zhang Xuan and his son were present to keep them in line, Yuan Lin could still manage them. But if his backers were gone, the generals wouldn’t so easily follow Yuan Lin’s orders.
As for him accompanying the army on a campaign, after losing Wu Yong, the father and son didn’t dare risk such a mistake again.
If they lost Yuan Lin too, the Northern Jiang Army might very well collapse completely.
"That’s right. The mission isn’t very difficult, and the opportunity is excellent. The only downside is some danger, but I’ll arrange for escorts. Brother-in-law, you just need to make an appearance," Zhang Cheng said, reassuringly, assuming Yuan Lin was afraid. Polishing one’s resume and accumulating experience certainly isn’t a difficult task.
But how could Yuan Lin be afraid? The dangers he had faced were even greater than those Zhang Cheng had encountered.
Yuan Lin’s own past journey north had been under Wang Linchi’s control. Various dangers had been continuously added, intended to make the various Dai Temples intervene to save him, thus serving as a way to deepen their faith.
"Since Big Brother has said so, I will go. But what about the army’s many affairs...?" Yuan Lin didn’t refuse but raised another issue. If he left, who would handle these matters?
Hearing this, Zhang Cheng could only grit his teeth and say, "Father and I will handle them. You go without worry." At this point, it was the only way; they couldn’t just let things slide, could they?
"Actually, there’s no need for Father-in-law and you, Big Brother, to handle everything yourselves. These past few days, I’ve identified some capable individuals. Though not my equal, they can lighten your burden considerably." As he spoke, Yuan Lin began to write down a list of names.
Zhang Cheng looked at the names on the list. Most were familiar; the few less familiar ones were promotions from within the army, not individuals Yuan Lin had deliberately brought in. Thus, he accepted the list without apprehension.
"Hahaha, it really is thanks to you, Brother-in-law, for unearthing all these talented people!" Zhang Cheng’s face lit up with a smile.
"That may be so, but Big Brother, you should still review them carefully," Yuan Lin cautioned, implying that complete delegation wasn’t wise and that Zhang Cheng should personally verify things to prevent any issues.
"Don’t worry, Father and I will take turns handling things," Zhang Cheng replied. He wasn’t foolish; Yuan Lin was his brother-in-law, but the others were subordinates. Trust varied with relationships, so, naturally, he would scrutinize them.
"Then let’s start today. While I’m still here, you can all begin to adapt. Consider it a break for me," Yuan Lin said with a smile. This was a way to assess the true capabilities of the people on the list. Zhang Cheng certainly didn’t object and called for his personal guard to summon the listed individuals.
He even sent a messenger to inform his father, Zhang Xuan. Fortunately, because they were father and son, and Zhang Xuan had no other sons, many formalities could be bypassed.
If it had been Yuan Lin, he couldn’t have been so casual; he would have had to follow proper procedures. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂
There was undoubtedly a difference in status between a son-in-law and a son. Even if he received similar treatment, Yuan Lin would always be careful to avoid any perception of favoritism to prevent unnecessary trouble.
The military operated with efficiency. The individuals on the list were quickly assembled. Even Zhang Xuan hurried over to oversee the proceedings. After all, it was a large-scale personnel reshuffle, and he needed to witness it to be at ease.
Fortunately, the process went smoothly. Yuan Lin had carefully vetted everyone on the list, so the likelihood of problems was minimal. Thus, the restructuring of personnel in administration, logistics, and governmental affairs began to take further shape.
「...」
Wang Linchi also noticed the changes on Yuan Lin’s side. It seemed Yuan Lin was implementing further reforms within the Northern Jiang Army, systematically eliminating existing malpractices.
He believed Yuan Lin currently had no intention of rebelling or breaking away and would only serve them faithfully.
Wang Linchi merely skimmed the report on this minor matter, dedicating the rest of his time to analyzing the Absolute Heaven-Linking Array and the sacrificial rituals. Through the data from these two, Wang Linchi also obtained some information about the Calamity of the Last Law.
The data on the Calamity of the Last Law wasn’t obtained directly; rather, he reverse-engineered it from the Absolute Heaven-Linking Array. He didn’t dare directly interact with the Calamity of the Last Law yet, as it could easily lead to his demise.
Devouring Civilization... A bold idea quickly formed in Wang Linchi’s mind. If the Calamity of the Last Law could consume it, why couldn’t he?
"The first stage of the History of Time, Ghost Immortal, allows me to become the prototype of a world. Earth Immortal represents its infancy, and Sky Immortal its youthful stage."
"If I can supplement this by devouring enough civilizations, I could directly become a true world, reaching the second stage—Civilization."
That would save me a great deal of time.
Wang Linchi was confident he could complete the first stage, the History of Time, in this world, but he wasn’t sure about becoming a true world and reaching the second stage.
Now, things were different. The Absolute Heaven-Linking Array, combined with the Calamity of the Last Law, presented him with such an opportunity.
I can’t devour a world for now, but gradually consuming civilizations should not be much of a problem.
Besides, directly devouring a world is so wasteful. Consuming civilizations might not be as potent, but the benefit lies in the slow and steady accumulation. The more Wang Linchi thought about it, the more feasible his plan seemed.
As for the world being destroyed? That’s irrelevant. At worst, I can just find another one.
He did want to devour worlds, but the difficulty was too great, especially with a world-ending catastrophe looming. To attempt it, one needed sufficient strength.
Unfortunately, he lacked such overwhelming strength; a direct attempt would be like trying to bite off more than he could chew, shattering all his teeth in the process.
