Chapter 20: Dual Martial Vein
Chen Ning saw the faint smirk in Jian Qing’s eyes, and his heart grew even more uneasy. He hurriedly tried to explain—that what happened was nothing but a prank, a stupid drinking game he’d lost to Bai Yuhao and the others.
But before he could even open his mouth, a man’s loud, firm voice called out from behind—
“Jian Qing!”
The sound echoed across the tavern.
Chen Ning turned around instinctively, along with everyone else in the hall, their gazes drawn to the stairway leading down from the second floor.
There, a tall man in a black, high-collared instructor’s uniform was descending quickly with two subordinates behind him.
The crowd immediately began whispering.
“That’s the new instructor—Shi Yu. I heard the Shi family holds quite a bit of power in the military. No idea why someone like him would be sent to this godforsaken place.”
Another voice lowered to a conspiratorial murmur.
“Rumor has it Shi Yu and Major Jian were in the same officer class. He’s been in love with her for years. You really think it’s a coincidence he got transferred here? He’s clearly here to chase after her.”
Hearing that, Chen Ning’s face turned pale.
Great. Just great.
So Jian Qing had a suitor here—and not just any suitor, but a high-ranking instructor.
And he, Chen Ning, had just “confessed” to her right in front of this man.
Surely, he was doomed now.
His only hope was that Shi Yu hadn’t heard his so-called confession. After all, it had been nothing but a drunken joke.
When Jian Qing had first been speaking to Chen Ning, there was amusement and teasing in her tone.
But when Shi Yu approached, her expression shifted—calm, detached, almost distant.
She said evenly, “Major Shi, it’s been a long time.”
“Jian Qing,” Shi Yu replied with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, “you can just call me Shi Yu. Using ranks between us feels so… cold.”
As he spoke, his gaze flicked toward Chen Ning. A man’s instincts are sharp, especially when it comes to another man standing too close to the woman he admires.
Shi Yu’s eyes narrowed slightly as he asked, seemingly offhand, “And this soldier is…?”
Chen Ning looked pleadingly at Jian Qing, silently begging her for mercy.
But Jian Qing’s eyes glinted mischievously. She smiled faintly and said, “He’s one of my trainees—Chen Ning.”
Then she turned her gaze back to him, her tone deceptively casual. “Chen Ning, what was it you just said? Something about liking me?”
The words hit him like a lightning bolt.
He felt two murderous glares pierce into his skull—Shi Yu’s.
Before Chen Ning could stammer an explanation, Jian Qing continued lightly, “Heh, I know you’re grateful because I tended to your injuries after the grizzly incident. Developing feelings out of gratitude is understandable. But you should focus on your training for now. Matters of the heart can wait until after the second-phase assessment, okay?”
The tavern went dead silent.
Every single person was staring wide-eyed.
They’d all thought Chen Ning would get shredded for daring to confess to Major Jian.
But instead of rejecting him, Jian Qing had… encouraged him?
She’d even told him to train hard and talk about love later?
That sounded suspiciously like a maybe.
Jealous murmurs rippled through the crowd.
The most venomous glare, of course, came from Shi Yu.
If looks could kill, Chen Ning would’ve been vaporized a hundred times over.
But only Chen Ning himself understood—Jian Qing wasn’t being affectionate.
He could sense it clearly: she was using him.
Whether to make Shi Yu jealous or to send him a message, he didn’t know.
After that, Jian Qing simply ignored him and followed the fuming Shi Yu upstairs to a private room.
Inside the private room, Jian Qing and Shi Yu took their seats. A few spots were still empty.
Shi Yu explained, “I also invited Lieutenant Colonel Butcher and Hawk. They should be on their way. We can catch up first. By the way… about Chen Ning?”
Jian Qing’s lips curved into a knowing smile. “He’s brave and resilient. I’m quite impressed with him.”
Shi Yu tensed immediately. “Jian Qing, I—”
She cut him off with a soft laugh. “Come on, our families have known each other since we were children. The Jian and Shi are like family. We’re practically siblings.”
Shi Yu’s face stiffened.
Sibling.
How many times had she used that word to stab his heart?
He wanted to tell her how he truly felt—but before he could, the door opened.
In came the massive Lieutenant Colonel Butcher, cold-eyed Hawk, and several other instructors.
Shi Yu had no choice but to swallow his words, stand, salute, and exchange greetings with his superior.
Jian Qing watched silently, exhaling in relief. She’d transferred to this remote base precisely to get away from Shi Yu.
And yet, here he was. Still chasing her.
Meanwhile, downstairs, Chen Ning sat back at the table under the weight of a hundred curious stares.
Bai Yuhao sighed apologetically. “Chen Ning, we didn’t mean for it to turn out like that. We had no idea Major Jian would walk in. It’s our fault.”
Big Luo and Little Luo stayed quiet.
Su Luo, however, spoke softly, “Major Jian isn’t stupid. She knows what kind of place this tavern is. She probably realized it was just a prank. I doubt she’ll make things hard for you.”
She blinked mischievously. “But hey, she didn’t reject you outright either. Maybe you do have a chance. If you end up together, don’t forget to thank us.”
Chen Ning let out a bitter laugh. “Come on. She’s clearly using me as a shield against that Shi Yu guy.”
Bai Yuhao’s expression turned serious. “If that’s the case, then you’d better be very careful.”
He leaned in, lowering his voice. “Shi Yu’s from Vermilion Phoenix City too. Arrogant, vindictive—the kind who never forgets a grudge. And one more thing… His sister is Liu Xi’s mother.”
Chen Ning froze.
Bai Yuhao continued quietly, “So his arrival here might not be just about chasing Jian Qing. He could be investigating Liu Xi’s death.”
That made Chen Ning’s heart sink.
When ordinary trainees died, no one bothered collecting their bodies.
But Liu Xi had been from a noble family—of course the Liu family would send someone.
And when they’d found the bodies—Liu Xi, Xu Qiang, Gao Feng, Qin Wenxuan. By any logic, it shouldn’t have been enough to kill so many of Liu Xi’s people. Moreover, Qin Wenxuan’s fatal wound wasn’t caused by a zombie.
The wounds, the scene… they’d know something wasn’t right.
Chen Ning felt a headache coming on.
But it was too late to undo anything now.
Besides, Liu Xi’s corpse had been drained of blood; no one would ever think a human was responsible.
The next day, Chen Ning, Bai Yuhao, Su Luo, Big Luo, and Little Luo—fifty members of the elite squad—reported to the classroom.
From that day forward, their schedule was fixed:
Morning lectures with Major Jian, afternoon training with the Butcher, night self-cultivation.
Jian Qing stood before them and began, “As I’ve told you before, Imperial soldiers follow two cultivation paths. Those without special talent rely on technology: postnatal training, serums like Angel’s Kiss, and genetic boosters. But their growth hits a ceiling. Most can’t surpass the rank of level 6 War Officer.”
She paused, letting the words sink in.
“The truly powerful—those who reach the rank of commander and beyond—walk the path of ancient military cultivation. The path of blood, bone, and will.”
She continued, “When you all applied to the Azurebird Camp, we secretly tested your spiritual aptitude. Only those with potential were accepted.”
Then, her gaze landed briefly on Chen Ning.
“Of course, there are exceptions,” she added lightly. “Some of you were recommended through special channels. Whether your aptitude is good or bad—we’ll see.”
Jian Qing distributed fifty vials of crimson liquid. “Drink these. They’ll awaken your Battle Meridian Nodes. Every person has twelve nodes—the Twelve Levels of Power. The line connecting them is your Martial Vein.”
She explained,
“Activating one node makes you a Level One Soldier. Two nodes, Level Two. Three nodes, Level Three, and so on.
Those who one day light all twelve will stand at the peak—a level twelve Great General. But that’s nearly impossible.
Even reaching seven nodes, the rank of Battle Commander, will make you unstoppable in most of the empire.”
One by one, the trainees drank and sat cross-legged, their bodies trembling as the serums took effect.
Everyone was thrilled—they could finally begin their cultivation training and truly step onto the threshold of becoming powerful warriors.
Someone eagerly asked Jian Qìng, “Instructor, how do we ignite these meridian points?”
In response, Jian Qìng distributed a manual to each person, titled: Mighty Tigers Art.
She explained, “The Mighty Tigers Art is the exclusive cultivation method of our Empire’s military. Unlike the secret arts of noble houses, it is unadorned and straightforward. It offers no shortcuts or rapid breakthroughs—but it is fair. Only the talented and diligently hardworking can advance steadily, step by step.”
Jian Qìng paused, then added, “This Art is practiced by all Imperial soldiers, majors, and even generals. Some have mastered it to the point of igniting all twelve meridian points, reaching the strength of a level twelve general. Now, try it yourselves. See how many points you can ignite.”
Everyone in the hall began practicing according to the Mighty Tigers Art, striving to awaken the meridian nodes within their bodies.
Bai Yuhao was the first to succeed, lighting up four nodes in a single burst. But when he attempted the fifth, an explosive pain surged through his body. A sharp groan escaped his lips and had no choice but to stop at once.
Jian Qing checked him and nodded. “Four nodes. You’ve reached the level of a War Officer. To progress further, you must cultivate the Mighty Tigers Art diligently. The meridian is the wire; the nodes are the lamps; and the Art is the generator. Trying to force your meridian nodes to ignite will lead to nothing but excruciating pain, and at its worst, your body could literally burst from the strain.””
One by one, the other trainees in turn succeeded in igniting their meridian nodes. The more capable ones could light up three or even four nodes, while the poorer-performing ones still achieved two.
Then there was Chen Ning, who was left utterly baffled. Instructor Jian Qing had said that everyone only had one Martial Vein, yet he had discovered two within his own body.
One dark, coiling with black energy.
One radiant, shimmering in silver light.
Chen Ning focused his internal energy as the Mighty Tigers Art instructed, pushing it to ignite his nodes. But his energy was split between two Martial Veins, and each vein managed to light only one node.
He was dumbfounded. Everyone else’s energy had to support just one Martial Vein, but he was stuck supporting two! It was the difference between feeding one kid versus two. So, to light up as many nodes as anyone else, did that mean he’d have to work twice as hard?
Jian Qing walked over, placing a hand on his forehead to inspect his internal flow.
The black meridian immediately concealed itself, leaving only the silver one visible.
She frowned. “Only one node? Your aptitude is quite poor—you’re a Level One War Soldier. If you want to improve, you’ll have to work several times harder than everyone else.”
From across the room, Bai Yuhao frowned. He knew Chen Ning’s strength wasn’t that weak.
Inside Chen Ning’s body, the hidden black meridian reappeared once more, intertwining with the silver one.
Each had one node lit—two streams of energy, two sources of power.
Chen Ning stared in disbelief.
So… what does that make me? he thought bitterly.
A double-ranked Level One War Soldier?
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