Rise of The Demon General

After Lao Zen and Li Shi left, Amon resumed his task of studying his faction members’ information. After studying everyone’s information, he took empty papers and made several notes.

He worked until midnight before it was completed. He then went down to his basement and cultivated.

The next morning, Xin Wuming came to visit as instructed.

Amon asked him to sit down at the table before he showed him the information he had cataloged as well as the notes he made.

Amon had grouped up the faction members into many groups. Each group normally had three to five students. Xin Wuming saw himself in one of these groups. Amon told Xin Wuming that from now on, their members should take on missions following these groupings. So, they had to find a mission that was suitable for the number of their groups.

Amon had checked the mission center. There were plenty of missions for groups. Doing group missions solo didn’t mean that it would be more beneficial. The mission points granted when one did it solo or with a group were the same. For example, if a student picked up a mission that allowed three students to complete with a reward of 100 academic points. Doing it solo didn’t mean the student would get 300 academic points. The student would still only get 100 academic points. This was to motivate the students to work in a group instead of doing everything solo.

However, every mission still had a limit to how many students may apply for it. Some missions even allowed up to twenty or thirty students to participate. These were usually four or five-star missions.

Amon told Xin Wuming that the groups he had selected may be combined, but not split. Two or three groups were allowed to do the same mission. But members in one group may not be split to be distributed to other groups.

Amon had set it so that each of the members within a group complemented each other. Members of the same group were also the most likely to be able to work together. Most importantly, at least one member in each group had a decent movement art.

Amon had told his members to wait for his permission before taking missions. It was because missions were carried out outside the academy ground. Inside the academy, they were protected by the rules. Outside, it was not so. Amon was confident his faction would have no problem dealing with any of the five factions, as long as they were all freshman students. But if they encountered the junior and senior members, it was a different story.

Junior and senior students generally had higher cultivation levels. It would be a problem if his faction members clashed with them. Inside the academy, the junior and senior members were not allowed to come into the freshman section. In the main section, they might cause trouble, but not too much since they were still bound by the academy’s rules.

But if they met outside the academy, then they would be in trouble. The same rules still applied outside the academy when a student killed or heavily wounded another student, but if there was no eyewitness, then no one could say anything.

That’s why Amon placed at least one member with good movement skills in each of the groups he selected. So, at least one could flee. Amon gave Xin Wuming the instruction to tell that member that he or she should not hesitate to flee whenever they encountered junior or senior students that meant them harm during their venturing out there. Once those students saw one member flee, they would no longer dare to deal too heavily with the remaining freshmen that were left behind. If anything happened to those freshmen, they would become the prime suspects.

Additionally, Amon told Xin Wuming to inform their members to only take one-star or two-star missions. Such a mission usually could be completed inside Qishurg City or in the vicinity of Qishurg City. They didn’t have to venture too far away. Hence, reducing the risks.

Qishurg City’s citizens knew that the academy students were under the academy’s protection. As long as the students carried the academy badge, no one would dare to harm them unless they were willing to face the academy’s retribution.

Xin Wuming saw that some members were not grouped. When he asked about those members, Amon told him these were members that he thought were not ready to take on missions yet. He instead gave them other tasks, selling the Thousand Dream Powders within Qishurg City.

Amon instructed them to price the drugs higher in the city, but the members selling would also receive a higher commission. They could use the aer stones from this to buy cultivation resources in the city, to assist their cultivation. Once Amon thought they were ready, Amon would assign groups to them for taking on missions.

Aside from that, Amon also gave Xin Wuming a series of practice drills for the members to undertake. It was military drills from his past world. It won’t help the members in cultivation but it should help them in improving their coordination, precision, and discipline.

After leaving his instruction, Amon dismissed Xin Wuming to deliver his instructions to the members. He then went back to focus on cultivation and art practices.

*

Amon went to his daily routine. Cultivating, training his arts, and experimenting on poison. Xin Wuming came in three times a week bearing reports. Nothing significant happened. After the last altercation with the Nobles, the factions now understood the Vicious was a group that bit back. All five factions hoped that one of them would go into a clash with the Vicious again, but none of them wanted it to be themselves. So, they just watched each other without any serious move.

Some small engagements still happened, but those were common occurrences inside the academy. No one was seriously wounded.

Vicious members followed Amon’s instructions. Some started taking missions to start working on their yearly quota. They formed into groups following Amon’s arrangement and took only missions that were in Qishurg City or nearby.

A few members went into the city and started distributing Amon’s Thousand Dream Powders. The recreational drug turned into a sensation soon. Many were looking for it. Aside from selling his drugs, Amon also tasked the members who were distributing them to recruit local people. These locals then became runners who distribute the drugs for them. The members no longer had to sell directly and could focus themselves on cultivation and training.

With a stable income, Amon used it to buy low-grade cultivation pills and shared them with his members, helping them grow as well as earning their loyalties even more. It would have been easier for him to give them spirit herbs or fruits from his secret plantation, but these raw materials were not common products. If he gave them continuously, someone might start asking questions. End products like cultivation pills available at shops were more common.

With this assistance, the growth of Vicious’ members did not lose to the five factions that had better territories.

Ah Bin could walk again one week after Amon gave him the regrowth pill. Amon asked him to focus on cultivation and practice within the academy before starting to take missions. He ended up trying the specialization class. After a few days, he discovered that he had a knack for alchemy. He spent a lot of time there. In addition to the tutor’s guidance, Amon also gave him a few books from the pyramid legacy about alchemy, helping his understanding of the subject grow further.

Two weeks after the brawl, Tuang Yin came to his house. She called for Amon to allow her entrance. Amon ignored her at first, but the girl was relentless. She seemed to be able to continue shouting non-stop. Amon decided to just see what she was up to.

After letting her in, she handed a regrowth pill to Amon, telling him that this was the pill her clan had brought over. This was to return the one Amon had given her. Amon said it was unnecessary. She was wounded because of saving him, so it was the right thing for him to help her heal. But she insisted. Amon didn’t want to waste his time arguing so he just accepted the regrowth pill.

Tuang Yin asked Amon if he mind her hanging around. Amon replied he does.

”Do you hate me?” Tuang Yin asked.

”I don’t,” Amon replied.

”So, why are you so cold to me?”

”I’m cold to everyone.”

”Well, that is true.” Tuang Yin scratched her head.

”Why are you so interested in me, anyway? You don’t know me. What is your purpose?” Amon asked.

”People call me a slut,” Tuang Yin said.

Amon gave her a look that said what did that have to do with him?

”Even my family does, behind my back mostly,” Tuang Yin continued. ”Just because of how I have no reservations talking or hanging out with boys, or even getting physical with them. I guess that’s why my family chose to send me here instead of grooming me to be the elders of the clan. They have given up trying to make me a princess. However, what they don’t realize is that I don’t just date any boys. Yes, I talk and play with all of them, but I only choose to date the strongest.”

”That’s interesting,” Amon remarked. ”So, if someone stronger beat your current boyfriend, you will date that stronger someone?”

”Yes,” Tuang Yin replied.

’No wonder they call you a slut,’ Amon thought within.

”But I know you are the strongest of them all. No one is going to beat you,” Tuang Yin said. ”So, I know there is no need for me to look at another man anymore after seeing you.”

”There are plenty of people stronger than me.”

”Because they are older. You will beat them once you reach their age.”

”You seem certain.”

”I am,” Tuang Yin said, then she added, ”Do you want to have sex?”