It is difficult to explain how the intelligent turtle soldiers and generals and the secret water realm hidden at the bottom of the river were discovered.
Moreover, Zhou Yuan’s accumulated merits were already great enough, so bringing out another secret realm would be too conspicuous.
Therefore, he did not reveal the information about the frogmen's nest and the secret realm of the Turtle Mansion to Captain Jing'an.
But even so, the atmosphere within the entire Jing'an Army began to change.
Ordinary soldiers admired Zhou Yuan's bravery and luck, and encouraged themselves to learn from Zhou Yuan and achieve great things.
Those military officers who came from aristocratic families had complicated emotions.
They once had an advantage over Zhou Yuan due to their family background, but now Zhou Yuan has actually obtained the place in the spiritual test that they have always dreamed of. How can they maintain their normal life?
But the court document had been issued and everything was settled. They could only suppress their resentment and force themselves to comfort themselves.
"Zhou Qudu is one of our comrades after all. Even if he becomes a warrior, he is also our network. He is definitely much stronger than an outsider."
But having said that, they still felt uncomfortable in their hearts.
It is an awkward situation where one wants to please but cannot lower oneself; one wants to stay away but is unwilling to do so.
After Zhou Yuan discovered the abnormality of his colleagues, he began to stay in the captain's mansion to concentrate on practicing martial arts and reduce external contact.
After the new official seals were distributed, he took the opportunity to host a banquet for all his colleagues to say goodbye to them and express his gratitude to their comrades.
For this banquet, Jing'an Captain Jiang Ren rushed back from Chongyu County specially.
"Sir Captain, I heard that your wife and children are in the capital. Do you have any letters or gifts to send?
It just so happens that I can bring it with me, so I have a reason to visit your house."
"You're so thoughtful. I'll sort it out and give it to you tomorrow morning."
"Zhou Yuan, after this farewell, I wonder if you will return to your hometown or take up a post as a local governor.
I am confident in your abilities. Those local troublemakers cannot suppress you.
The only thing you need to be careful about is the capital, where there are countless powerful people. Don't offend someone and ruin your career."
"Thank you for your warning, Captain. I will keep it in mind."
The identity of a warrior is very important to Zhou Yuan. Without that identity, even if he has the strength of a warrior, he cannot access the secret realm specially designed for warriors to attack.
Of course, the power that comes with being a warrior is also very important. Only when you are promoted to a certain position can you effectively utilize the resources of the Wei Dynasty.
A farewell banquet lasted until very late, during which many young men from noble families could not control their sobs and tears while drinking.
The young man sitting in the chief seat on the left seemed to want to help them fulfill their wishes and prove that this road could be traversed, but also seemed to want to take their wishes away.
This sentiment spread to the entire general officer strategist class, leaving many people feeling empty inside.
They had not recovered until the next morning when they left, but they still went out together to see Zhou Yuan off.
"Sima Zhou, don't look back. Now that you've left, don't look back. Otherwise, if you come back, you'll be ridiculed and thought to have wasted your chance to reach the sky."
"It is just as the general said. Leaving now is a sign of anticipation and longing. Coming back would be a disastrous retreat."
The person who came to pick up Zhou Yuan was General Liu from the Huaizhou camp. Zhou Yuan had cooperated with him when he attacked the Yin Gui Secret Realm before.
Although the two sides are not familiar with each other, they are not strangers and can chat with each other.
Under the leadership of General Liu, Zhou Yuan rode his horse out of the Jing'an Military Fort and headed towards the larger and more prosperous provincial capital.
Since both of them were strong and could endure the fatigue of riding horses, they arrived at the Huaizhou camp after only four days.
This camp is not like a military fort with a single function, but more like a companion city of a city.
There are various shops that cater to soldiers and auxiliary troops, as well as orderly residential areas, most of which are inhabited by the families of soldiers.
Apart from the large number of patrolling soldiers and overly strict order, it is similar to a normal county town.
Zhou Yuan's look around caught the attention of General Liu. Thinking that the man in front of him might become a warrior general, he took the initiative to explain his doubts.
"Sima Zhou, do you have any doubts about the Huaizhou camp?"
“I have a question as to why the wall was cut off in the middle and then rebuilt.
But the North City is more important than the South City, so we need to add a second layer of defense."
The military fortress of Huaizhou Camp was in the shape of a "sun", with a city wall built in the middle, but three city gates were left for soldiers to pass through.
"The military town is not that complicated. Both the North City and the South City are important. If you lose one, the other cannot be saved.
The reason it was built like this is because there are two secret realms in the camp, and expanding the city's width will allow for both to be accommodated."
“So that’s how it is. I forgot that the most important thing when choosing a site for a military fort is the location of a secret place.
However, since there are two secret realms in the camp, it might be possible for me to contribute to the Huaizhou camp and gain some combat experience."
Zhou Yuan's words made General Liu, who was leading the way, think that there was something wrong with his ears.
Is there anyone in the world who is so ruthless and brave? He is clearly out on official business, but he is not afraid of hardship or injury, and is ready to join the team to attack the secret realm.
No wonder this Sima Zhou was promoted continuously at such a young age and even got a place in the imperial examination.
It turns out that he is not a normal person, but a martial arts fanatic and a natural killer.
“In principle, it’s possible, but generally, general officers running for election won’t do that.
Sima Zhou, you have to consider the possibility of injury. If the injury affects the results of the spiritual test, you will regret it for the rest of your life."
"It's okay, I'm a long-range archer, I won't be hurt as long as the formation is stable.
I just want to experience the different secret realms and the warriors' attack methods so that I won't be too flustered during the spiritual test."
Before Zhou Yuan came to the Huaizhou camp, Captain Jing'an had already told him the rules of the spiritual test.
Under normal circumstances, the winner is determined by three tests. In the first test, the same amount of spiritual objects are taken to see who can extract more spiritual energy. This is called spiritual perception.
The second test is to learn a martial art within a limited time to see who can perform better, which is called spirit control.
In the third test, several people are randomly selected to form a team to attack the secret realm, to see the strengths and weaknesses of their actual combat capabilities and the differences in their coordination in emergencies. This is called Xing Ling.
Therefore, he asked to see different secret realms.
"This... What Sima Zhou said makes some sense. I will report this to the governor and ask him to personally consider it."
As a candidate for the spiritual test who held official documents from the imperial court and a nominal subordinate of the Huaizhou camp, Zhou Yuan's proposal was taken seriously by the Huaizhou governor.
After thinking about it for a while, he felt that if he could caress a little, he could increase his chances of being selected in the spiritual test, so he agreed to Zhou Yuan's suggestion.
For this reason, after resting in the barracks for a night, Zhou Yuan met the personal guards of the Huaizhou governor.
The Huaizhou candidate who lived in the same area got up early to communicate and saw this strange scene.
"Sima Zhou, where are you going? The governor has summoned you."
“There is no decree from the governor yet, probably because all the candidates have not yet arrived.
I applied to the governor for permission to attack a secret realm, intending to gain some experience in improvisation and coordination."
Zhou Yuan was quite frank. The two candidates were eager to join the competition after hearing what he said, but when they thought of the instructions from their clan, they gave up their impulse.
"Sima Zhou, although we are competitors, we are both from Huaizhou.
I hope you'll be careful and not get hurt, otherwise it will be an easy opportunity for those people from other states."