They looked at Oliver Sheng, their expressions a mix of joy and envy.
A nineteen-year-old Imperial General of the Conquest against the Barbarians, full of vigor and radiating brilliance. They had spent half their lives in the military, and even now, they were only Sixth Rank Assistant Generals.
Oliver Sheng was so dazzling that they seemed dim in comparison.
Entering the city, Oliver Sheng sighed as he looked at the once-familiar streets. In just half a year, he had returned with such glory and admiration from thousands.
“So young!” Many people who saw Oliver Sheng thought this general was too young.
“So handsome and dashing, I really like him.”
Seeing the heroic and extraordinary Oliver Sheng, dressed in fine clothes and riding a spirited horse, many respectable young women felt their hearts flutter.
Who wouldn’t admire a hero, especially one like Oliver Sheng, who could compose poetry and songs and wield a spear on horseback to slay enemies?
“He was my neighbor, used to live right next door. Who would’ve thought he’d become a great general now?” said a former neighbor of “Oliver Sheng,” feeling immensely proud.
“If I had known he’d be so successful, I would’ve married my second daughter to him,” an old man said regretfully.
The old man didn’t know the saying: to be a general’s wife, you must marry him when he’s still a soldier.
“Look at how these common people welcome you,” Calvin Yang said, observing the enthusiastic crowd.
“Just look at this handsome face of mine; of course, they welcome me,” Oliver Sheng said narcissistically.
“You brat, you’re already a commander of an army, yet you still act so frivolously,” Calvin Yang said with a hint of annoyance, looking at Oliver Sheng’s antics.
But one had to admit, Oliver Sheng was indeed very young. At nineteen, many aristocratic and noble children were still indulging in pleasures.
“Let’s go; there’s a celebration banquet today. We’ll treat you well; consider it a homecoming,” Calvin Yang said with a smile.
“With so many of us, General, aren’t you afraid we’ll eat you out of house and home?” Oliver Sheng teased.
“Haha, you brat, I may not be as wealthy as you, but a celebration banquet won’t bankrupt me,” Calvin Yang replied, not at all angry at Oliver Sheng’s teasing. Instead, he felt that Oliver Sheng hadn’t become distant from him.
Defeating the Huns, both the Peace Army and the River West Army felt proud and vindicated. Previously, when the Huns’ large army attacked, they had fought hard.
This time, Oliver Sheng led his mighty army, defeating the Huns so thoroughly that they fled in disarray. This battle would surely go down in history.
The historian would record: In the summer of the first year of the Empress, the Left Wise King of the Huns led an army of 150,000 to attack Peace Pass. The Peace Army and River West Army jointly defeated the Huns, killing 120,000 enemies…
Calvin Yang held a grand celebration banquet in the barracks, making the entire place lively.
Oliver Sheng led Felix Wu, Wesley Hu, Xiao Chuyi, Wang Zhan, and Chi Tiansheng to the banquet, while ordinary soldiers were naturally entertained by others.
“There’s plenty of meat and wine, but it’s not as good as your Western Wind Blaze. Don’t look down on it; your Western Wind Blaze is too expensive for me to buy,” Calvin Yang said, waving Oliver Sheng to sit beside him.
“Wine is wine; as long as you’re happy drinking it, it doesn’t matter what kind it is,” Oliver Sheng said as he sat down.
“Today, Peace Pass was able to repel the enemy thanks to all the soldiers and our colleagues from the River West Army. I, Calvin Yang, toast to everyone here,” Calvin Yang stood up and raised his cup to the crowd.
Without the soldiers’ bravery and fearlessness, without Oliver Sheng leading his army to aid, Peace Pass might have already been destroyed.
“General, you’re too kind. Killing the Foreign Tribe and protecting our homeland is our duty as soldiers,” Oliver Sheng said, raising his cup and standing up.
“To the General, to General Sheng and our colleagues from the River West Army,” Declan Li and others raised their cups and said.
“To the General, to General Sheng and our colleagues from the River West Army,” the Peace Army officers echoed loudly.
Seeing the Peace Army officers toasting him, Oliver Sheng could only accept.
“Alright, let’s all drink together.”
Everyone drank in one go, then started eating meat and drinking wine, chatting with those around them.
The veterans didn’t sit with Oliver Sheng and the others. Even when Calvin Yang personally invited them, they refused.
They preferred mingling with the rookies, carefree and unrestrained.
Unlike Oliver Sheng’s table, where toasts were exchanged, drinking wasn’t as enjoyable.
“Brother, don’t just eat meat, have some wine,” Harrison Zhou said to Chi Tiansheng, who was focused on eating.
“Forget it, he’s just a foodie with a huge appetite. Let’s drink ourselves,” Wang Zhan said.
“Come on, drink up.”
“Wang Zhan, do you get to drink Western Wind Blaze when you’re with General Sheng?” Colonel Lin asked.
“Yes, but only one jar every five days. I need to quickly improve my realm to Prenatal, then I can have one jar every two days,” Wang Zhan said.
Harrison Zhou, Colonel Lin, and others ate and drank with Wang Zhan, Chi Tiansheng, and Wesley Hu.
Calvin Yang looked at Oliver Sheng, “I’m out of Western Wind Blaze. You’ve spoiled my taste; you have to take responsibility.”
“Ah, you’ve finished it? Why didn’t you write to me? I could’ve sent some over,” Oliver Sheng replied. He had been busy training and strengthening the army, not thinking about such things.
“It seems I overthought it. I should’ve come to you earlier to get some,” Calvin Yang felt like he missed out on a fortune.
“Remember to send some back. I’ve been craving Western Wind Blaze,” Calvin Yang said regretfully.
“Haha, General Sheng, don’t forget about us,” Elliott Sun quickly chimed in.
If he didn’t speak up now, it would be too late.
“General Sun, just call me Oliver,” Oliver Sheng said.
“That won’t do. The military has its hierarchy. Now that you’re a general, we must respect you and follow the rules,” Elliott Sun shook his head.
“Exactly, if the lower-ranking officers see this, it wouldn’t be good. General Sheng, now that you’re of higher rank, we must honor you,” Edward Zhao said with a smile.
The military was a place with strict hierarchy. Those in higher positions must have the authority to lead their subordinates.
Seeing the other generals insisting, Oliver Sheng sighed. Different statuses naturally created distance.
His former generals now had to respectfully call him General. Oliver Sheng felt somewhat unaccustomed to it.
“Alright, you’ll get some too. I’ll have someone send the wine,” Oliver Sheng nodded.
“Haha, we’re lucky to have General Sheng. Thank you, General,” Declan Li and the others said happily.
They couldn’t afford Oliver Sheng’s Western Wind Blaze. The last time they got some, it was long gone.
“Oliver, how many heavy cavalry have you forged?” Calvin Yang asked with a smile.
Seeing Calvin Yang’s smile, Oliver Sheng felt uneasy. Compared to Calvin Yang, Oliver Sheng treated him more like an elder.
He had taught him the Overlord Spear Technique and continuously promoted him. Oliver Sheng remembered these favors well.
“Just the heavy armor alone cost over a million taels of silver,” Oliver Sheng said reluctantly.
“So expensive? Sigh, our Peace Army is poor. If only we had a heavy cavalry, we wouldn’t have suffered so much against the Huns. My heart aches for the fallen soldiers,” Calvin Yang said sadly.
Oliver Sheng felt a headache. This was clearly Calvin Yang crying poor. He should’ve taken his troops back right after defeating the Huns.
In this world, the ones who helped him the most were the veterans and Calvin Yang. These debts of gratitude couldn’t be repaid with just a few words.
Elliott Sun, Declan Li, and the others watched Calvin Yang’s performance, holding back their laughter.
They knew exactly what their general was up to—trying to get heavy cavalry from Oliver Sheng.
They had witnessed the terrifying power of the heavy cavalry, crushing the Huns’ cavalry effortlessly.
If the Peace Army had such a heavy cavalry, their strength would significantly increase.
“General, I can only provide a thousand sets of heavy armor. Don’t even think about my two thousand heavy cavalry,” Oliver Sheng quickly said.
He was afraid Calvin Yang would take his two thousand heavy cavalry.
“Really? You’re not lying?” Calvin Yang’s sadness instantly turned to joy.
He had no intention of taking Oliver Sheng’s two thousand heavy cavalry. As an elder, he wouldn’t do that.
Crying poor to Oliver Sheng was just to get heavy armor. He couldn’t forge it himself and didn’t have the financial means.
But Oliver Sheng did. He had heard that Oliver Sheng’s monthly income was in the millions, even tens of millions of taels of silver. Given the chance, he had to cry poor and play the emotional card to get something from Oliver Sheng.
“General, it’s settled. Only a thousand sets of heavy armor. You have your own horses,” Oliver Sheng quickly said.
“Alright, just the heavy armor. Thank you, nephew. Come, let me toast you on behalf of Peace Pass,” Calvin Yang said happily. The emotional card worked after all.
With a thousand sets of heavy armor, he could form a thousand heavy cavalry.
“Uncle, a thousand sets of heavy armor can’t be for free,” Oliver Sheng said, his eyes gleaming.
“I don’t have money. Our Peace Army is poor. You don’t know how hard it is for me,” Calvin Yang quickly cried poor.
“I don’t want money. I want people. Give me three Postnatal Realm at Great Perfection Colonels,” Oliver Sheng said.
Calvin Yang wanted his heavy armor, and Oliver Sheng wanted the Peace Army’s Colonels. He still lacked strong commanders.
“That’s not possible. Our Peace Army is already short on people. Our strength hasn’t recovered, and after this battle, we’re even weaker.”
Calvin Yang refused. Three Postnatal Realm at Great Perfection Colonels could be promoted to Assistant Generals after breaking through to the Prenatal Realm, then lead a force of 15,000.
The Peace Army was supposed to have 50,000 troops, but due to the lack of Prenatal Realm Assistant Generals, it wasn’t at full strength.
“Then add three fifth-tier Breakthrough Pills,” Oliver Sheng offered another deal, not believing Calvin Yang wouldn’t agree.
“What? Three fifth-tier Breakthrough Pills?!”
“Deal,” Calvin Yang immediately agreed, fearing Oliver Sheng would change his mind.
“You brat, you’re rich now, even having fifth-tier Breakthrough Pills.”
Calvin Yang sighed. The imperial court wouldn’t issue fifth-tier Breakthrough Pills, but Colonels could accumulate military merit to exchange for them.
Oliver Sheng could already offer fifth-tier Breakthrough Pills to exchange for his Colonels.
The two talked a lot, and Calvin Yang also asked Oliver Sheng to teach the Peace Army the Mandarin Duck Formation.
Calvin Yang planned to have the Peace Army train in the Mandarin Duck Formation, which was excellent for defense and killing enemies.
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