On this Ink Battlefield, earning merit was not difficult, but earning great merit was another matter entirely. Many people went their entire lives without ever receiving such a commendation.
Yet Yang Kai had arrived at Biluo Pass less than a year ago and already had two great merits to his name — something unheard of in all of history.
With that, even if he committed some fault, his merits would more than offset it.
Lu An had said he would show favoritism toward Yang Kai, and show it he did. But his favoritism was perfectly reasonable, and no one present could very well object, because what he said was something everyone could agree with.
And he wasn't done. Lu An continued: "At merely the Sixth Order, he charged to the very forefront of the battlefield. Though it wasn't intentional, by a twist of fate he discovered the hiding place of the Ink Clan Monarch, disrupted the Monarch's recovery, and in doing so drew Ink Clan reinforcements from the Eastern, Southern, and Northern lines to come to their ruler's aid. This gave our human race a golden opportunity to pursue and strike, and laid the foundation for the Grand Ancestor to severely wound that Monarch. You could say that this great victory at Biluo Pass was entirely brought about by his actions alone. Without his numerous moves, the battle here would never have gone so smoothly. This too constitutes a great merit!"
That made three great merits in total.
Three great merits from a single battle — unheard of and unseen.
Zhong Liang chuckled upon hearing this. "By Brother Lu's reasoning, we'd better give this fellow Yang Kai a handsome reward. Brother Lu, even if you do count Yang Kai as belonging to Yin Yang Heaven, your favoritism is rather too obvious."
Lu An smiled faintly. "Of course, having spoken of his merits, we must also address his faults. Setting aside his defiance of military orders on the battlefield — acting willfully is a grave offense in its own right — the mere fact that the Eastern, Southern, and Northern lines were forced to dispatch reinforcements to the West because of him could have put countless human soldiers and officers in mortal danger."
Zhong Liang's earlier decision to borrow troops from the three lines had carried enormous risk. If the Western front had not been resolved in time, the Eastern, Southern, and Northern lines would have been unable to hold. Their defensive lines might have been breached, and at the very least, casualties would have been severe.
Though this hadn't actually happened, had the Monarch not been forced to reveal his position and had his recovery not been interrupted, it very well could have.
"Defying military orders counts as one fault. Endangering fellow soldiers and kinsmen counts as another. For this battle, let us say his merits and faults cancel each other out — neither reward nor punishment." Lu An concluded.
The crowd in the great hall fell silent. Where was the favoritism Lu An had spoken of? Three great merits and two great faults — even if merits and faults cancelled each other, there was still one remaining great merit to be rewarded. Yet Lu An was proposing neither reward nor punishment. This was hardly favoritism; if anything, it seemed like suppression.
But everyone understood. Lu An hailed from Yin Yang Heaven, and Yang Kai was considered part of Yin Yang Heaven as well. He was simply avoiding any appearance of impropriety. On this Ink Battlefield, though one's sect and lineage were acknowledged, they were not what mattered most. All soldiers within the Pass were like sworn brothers-in-arms, united in purpose.
Ding Yao waved his hand. "That won't do. Merits must be rewarded, and faults must be punished — that's the rule. If merits and faults could simply cancel each other out, wouldn't everything descend into chaos?"
Zhong Liang glanced at him. "What would Brother Ding suggest?"
Ding Yao was silent for a moment. "Nothing extraordinary, but this lad truly did contribute significantly to this battle. The punishment shouldn't be too severe. How about this — the battlefield needs to be cleared. Designate a section for him to be responsible for."
Zhong Liang laughed. "You call that a punishment?"
Ding Yao replied coolly, "We have to put on a show. This lad Yang Kai is quite popular within the Pass right now. If the punishment is too harsh, the soldiers won't stand for it."
Everyone nodded in agreement. The means to purify and dispel the Ink Force rested in Yang Kai's hands. Who in the Pass hadn't heard his name by now? Someday they might need to seek his help, so naturally people wanted to cultivate a good relationship with him.
Word had it that outside Yang Kai's current residence, almost at any hour of the day, someone could be found arriving with fine wine, hoping to pay a visit.
These were all soldiers who had been indebted to him during the battle. Many of them had sworn at the time that if they survived, they would share a drink with him. Now that the fighting was over, they had come to make good on their promises.
It was just that Yang Kai seemed to be in closed-door cultivation, and no one had managed to see him.
Shentu Mo nodded slightly. "That works. This lad is new to Biluo Pass, and he ought to learn the rules here. The punishment is settled, then what about the reward? He's rendered an extraordinary service this time — the reward can't be stingy, surely?"
Ding Yao smiled. "The punishment is a minor punishment, so let the reward be a minor reward as well. His battle merits can't be erased — just keep a record for now, and let him exchange them at the Armament Hall for whatever he wants later. As for his rank… that's a bit tricky."
Everyone understood what Ding Yao meant by "tricky." Given the staggering contributions Yang Kai had made, promoting him to Garrison Commander would have been more than warranted.
But the lad was only a Sixth Order Open Heaven — how could he possibly hold the position of a Garrison Commander? Every Garrison Commander at Biluo Pass was at the peak of the Seventh Order at minimum.
If his strength was too low, he wouldn't be able to command the respect of those under him.
"My recommendation is to promote him to Squad Leader!" Ding Yao addressed the crowd.
Someone immediately objected. "I hear he's only Sixth Order. Isn't his cultivation insufficient for a squad leader?"
A squad consisted of only a dozen or so people, but a squad leader was still responsible for every member. Sixth Order was indeed a bit low.
Ding Yao smiled. "He is Sixth Order, but who among you has ever seen a Sixth Order Open Heaven fighting on the battlefield like a Seventh? His performance in this battle outshone that of many Seventh Orders. Together with Feng Ying, he killed no fewer than fifteen Ink Clan Lords. And don't forget — this lad can transform into a Great Dragon. In that form, his strength is comparable to a Seventh Order. Strength is something that can grow. When he originally advanced to Open Heaven, he was Fifth Order. He consumed a mid-grade World Fruit and rose to Sixth Order. In the future, reaching the Eighth Order is well within his potential."
Hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement.
Liang Yulong spoke up. "Then let us follow Brother Ding's suggestion and promote him to Squad Leader. But one matter must be clarified — which army does this squad leader belong to?"
Zhong Liang claimed the right without hesitation. "Naturally, he belongs to my Western Army! He was brought back by Feng Ying."
Shentu Mo chuckled. "He's from Yin Yang Heaven, and Brother Lu An is in my Northern Army. Shouldn't he return to serve under Brother Lu An?"