Sage spent a few more weeks pondering about his next step while also stabilizing his cultivation and familiarizing himself with the use of the Heavenly Materials. Nearly two years had passed with Black Saber in charge of the Jade Horde and Sage was pleased to hear the progress reports. It wasn’t because they were rapidly expanding or gathering any special resources. They were in fact doing quite the opposite. Just as Sage had hoped for, the Jade Horde was keeping its head down. They took low level missions with a high completion rate, and low casualty rate. Their team size was more than double that of most other mercenary squads, so each mission was not nearly as profitable as it was to other groups. On the other hand, they completed the missions quite easily and didn’t expend many resources.

Their steady nature slowly built up a reputation and those who preferred safety over fast profits would choose to join the Jade Horde. As more human cultivators were recruited, they were able to add more Hoplites into the Jade Horde. The bugmen reproduced and gestated very quickly, but the Jade Horde stuck to its rules. The Hoplites were too simple minded so they needed humans to act as officers to look out for treachery, betrayal, and to implement creative tactics. The humans that were better at protecting their Hoplites would get promoted to higher ranks. The Seven Stars were still based upon the strongest fighters, but their deputies were the most capable otherwise.

The spy network was also progressing rapidly, and even though its share of the Jade Horde’s profits had fallen, the ever expanding scope of the Jade Horde still gave the information network ample funding to expand. The Falconer he’d send to the capital had already started training a few falcons. The same was true of the other Falconer’s he’d trained. They’d lost a few falcons and the few dozen Little Birds that worked for them, but overall their network had expanded quite a bit. There was already a Falcon in the ‘capital’ cities of every province in Dou Kingdom. The Falconers continued to travel to the cities in order of their importance, their goal to get a Falcon in every human settlement they could find. Once they’d spread to the whole of Dou Kingdom, Sage would promote a few of them and have them lead the training of a new batch of Falconers.

Sage corresponded with Peak Master Zhen once every few months to ask for advice and inform her of the progress. She had been worried when Sage’s secluded cultivation had taken nearly a year to complete, but she was pleased to hear he’d advanced to Core Formation. He was finally a player in the world. Having a rank 6 made factions into powerhouses, but the quantity of rank 5’s were the main gauge of power. Organizations without a rank 6 could only be second tier at best, but that didn’t bother Sage. He didn’t need to be one of the main forces, it was much better in his opinion to not be the focus of other people’s thoughts. He would in fact prefer for nobody to know his name. He just needed to establish a powerful force to use their reputation as a shield.

That’s because he still had a promise to fulfill. His own aspirations were aimed towards the capital, but before that he had to make good on the agreement with his Ancestor. The Ancestor had been his greatest benefactor, even more than the Timeless Master. While he gained much knowledge from the Timeless Master’s library, he would have never lived to that point if not for the Ancestor’s help. The giant Storage Ring and the True Insect Immortal Index were the foundation of Sage’s journey to this point. On top of that, the Lang Clan was his starting point in this world. If the original Lang Sheng had not died, then Sage would not be here. Even without making a promise, he would want to repay the Ancestor’s help.

With that in mind, he sent a message to Black Saber.

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A few weeks later, he met a full century of the Jade Horde in 10,000 Wave Province. They traveled to Jade Spirit County and stopped outside the gates of Lionheart Town. Sage took a few moments to sort through his memories. This could be considered his hometown in this world. He had spent quite a few years here, and it was where he first learned about the intricacies of this world. It was also where he lost Uncle Zhang. That thought stoked a fire inside him. The revenge he’d never been able to pursue.

Don’t think I’ve forgotten about you Jiang Hua. One day I’ll pay you back. Even if you were justified in seeking vengeance, I can still seek you out for the same thing. I’ll be the one to get rid of that ‘Skyfire’ nickname of yours.

Sage led the Jade Horde into Lionheart Town and they rode directly towards the City Lord’s Manor. Their force was large enough to not be harassed, but not enough to threaten the city. Large caravans could have hundreds of guards when they set out from a town. The hundred members of the Jade Horde were nothing much in comparison. Especially since they were all traveling on foot. The most powerful groups all rode around on expensive mounts. Even so, the Hoplites moved with precision and discipline. Their neat, orderly rows and large shields were quite eye catching.

Sage asked the guards for an audience with the City Lord. He was wearing his Jade Horde outfit, the slightly gaudier version of the armor that the Hoplites wore. It was the same black armor with certain pieces being of an emerald green, like the vambraces and the sides of the helmet. Where it differed was that there was gold leaf inlays as a trim. The shiny scrollwork made him stand out from the others. Pointing out his higher rank it made him a target in battle, but it was also of use in situations like this. It made it obvious he was the one in charge. After making his request, he stood stock still. The Hoplites behind him stayed in their neat rows and columns, not making a sound. They all stood just as still as Sage did. Even though twenty percent of them were human, they had trained hard to match the discipline of the Hoplites.

Many Veteran Mercenaries joined the Jade Horde because they wanted to stay with the safest team. Even if their profits were less, most of them were mercenaries because it was the best way for them to earn money. Even if they earned less, they had gained more caution as they aged and clung to their lives. To join the Jade Horde they had to undergo rigorous training and testing. Many of them took it as a challenge, and with their lives not at risk they gave it their all. Most of the humans that remained in the Jade Horde found they enjoyed the strict discipline. It gave their lives more structure and they truly felt like a part of something greater. Others admired the Hoplites, treating them like brothers and stayed to keep the bugmen out of trouble. Sage was quite happy with either result, and was glad to know that his plan to require 20% of the troops as humans had worked out pretty well.

Sage did not receive an immediate audience. As if it didn’t matter to him, Sage and the Jade Horde behind him didn’t budge an inch. They stayed standing there for a full hour. At that time some of the guards were impressed and they reported the news to the City Lord’s Manor. The City Lord probably thought such a small group was beneath his notice, especially since he hadn’t really heard their name before. The Jade Horde’s reputation was only widely known in Bronze Tiger province, in the other parts of Dou Kingdom they were only a small group.

After the second hour of standing still, Sage finally received good news and was granted an audience. The Centurion, the man who normally commanded this group, barked an order and the Hoplites finally took a break. Many of them leaning against walls or spreading out into the nearby streets to get snacks from food stalls or to shop for trinkets. That said, even in their relaxed state, the guards of the City Lord’s manor noticed there were still many Hoplites standing on guard and the rest kept their weapons ready. They also didn’t move too far from their original position, maintaining their alertness.

Sage was taken through many hallways with a pair of Hoplites as his bodyguards. Eventually, he met the City Lord in a small sitting room where tea had already been prepared. The City Lord smiled and bowed, “Please forgive the delay, I was handling a delicate matter and could not get away till it was completed. I am Wu Chang, Lord of Lionheart Town. How can I help you?”

Sage made his own introductions, “I am Ling Sheng, a commander of the Jade Horde. I’m here to purchase some property.”