"Retreat, retreat quickly!"

With the arrival of reinforcements from the Great Yan Dynasty, the barbarians fled in disarray, and Li Xuancang narrowly escaped death.

After the barbarians retreated, Li Xuancang thought he would receive medical treatment, but more than an hour passed, and no one even glanced at him.

The wound on his shoulder was so deep that the bone was visible, and it had become numb from the pain. The only solace was a 1% increase in his body's resilience, which had stopped the bleeding; otherwise, he would have died from excessive blood loss.

Even so, his condition was far from optimistic. Without prompt medical attention, any infection would be fatal.

"I can't give up. I have to stand up."

Li Xuancang mustered all his strength, his indomitable will driving his body to move.

Every movement brought excruciating pain, causing him to grimace and contort his face, but he could only grit his teeth and persevere.

"There's someone still alive over there, bring him back to the camp."

Seeing that Li Xuancang was still alive, the soldiers of the Great Yan Dynasty were somewhat surprised but approached him nonetheless.

Li Xuancang had reached his limit, cold sweat streaming down his face, his body staggering, and his vision blurring.

He vaguely saw the soldiers of the Great Yan Dynasty approaching, a glimmer of hope igniting in his heart, before his vision went dark and he collapsed completely.

When Li Xuancang opened his eyes again, he had left the battlefield and was in a dilapidated room.

The room was bare, and the roof was so damaged that he could see the gloomy sky, with the fierce wind blowing in, causing Li Xuancang to instinctively curl up.

"Ah!"

A slight movement brought a wave of sharp pain.

"Kid, you're awake. You really have a tough life, waking up from such severe injuries. If you'd been out for another day, they would have thrown you out to become a feast for the wild beasts."

A man in his thirties beside him was quite surprised to see Li Xuancang awake.

Hearing the man's words, Li Xuancang's heart sank, becoming more aware of the harshness of this world.

This was a chaotic era where demons and monsters devoured people, and ordinary people were like ants, only strength could ensure survival.

They, the common folk forcibly conscripted, were mere cannon fodder, receiving only basic treatment for their injuries.

If they couldn't be treated, the camp would abandon them, not even bothering to deal with the bodies, just tossing them into the wilderness to be consumed by beasts.

"Brother, how long was I unconscious?"

Even speaking caused pain to his wounds, sending waves of agony through him.

He asked the man who had spoken, wanting to know how long he had been unconscious.

"You've been asleep for a day and a night."

The man answered truthfully without any hesitation.

"Thank you, brother."

Li Xuancang thanked the man, realizing that his survival wasn't due to the army's treatment but because his body had gained another increase in resilience.

"As long as I survive, anything is possible."

Li Xuancang's heart was firm; as long as he survived, he could change his current predicament.

In this chaotic world, to survive, one needed strength and military merit.

5-Man Leader, Hundred-Man Commander, Camp Commander, General...

The higher the military rank, the better the treatment, the more supreme the privileges.

Once he reached a high position, he could exempt his family from taxes, allocate troops to guard the village, allowing his parents and sisters to live free from hunger and fear.

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The thought took root, and his determination grew stronger.

In the following days, Li Xuancang's injuries healed at a visible rate.

"No, no, I can still be saved, please don't throw me away..."

A voice of pleading echoed in the room as an injured soldier was forcibly carried away.

His injuries were lighter than Li Xuancang's, but after several days, there was no improvement, only worsening.

The camp decided to abandon him, throwing him into the wilderness.

Seemingly aware of his fate, the injured soldier, disregarding his wounds, used his last ounce of strength to desperately plead for his life.

The camp personnel showed no mercy, their expressions unchanged as they carried him away.

"Sigh!"

Witnessing this scene, the other injured soldiers in the room were filled with sorrow, feeling a sense of shared fate.

Li Xuancang clenched his fists tightly, the scene leaving a profound impact on him, a stark reminder of how people were treated as less than human.

The Great Yan Dynasty imposed endless taxes and levies, harsher than tigers, with conscription and labor service being just one part of it.

The people were forcibly conscripted to serve in the military, yet the court only provided crude weapons and basic food, with no salary at all.

Initially, over a thousand people were conscripted, but after two years, only about three hundred remained, a testament to the battlefield's brutality.

After this incident, everyone in the room fell silent, no longer engaging in casual conversation.

Even Old Du, who usually talked the most, became reticent, and the atmosphere was extremely oppressive.

A few more days passed, and Li Xuancang had been in this world for ten days.

His injuries had mostly healed, his body had gained another increase, and his strength was now 1.1 times that of an ordinary person, not much different.

"I still need some time, hopefully, no battles will break out."

What Li Xuancang needed most now was time; if given another ten days or half a month, he would have the ability to protect himself on the battlefield.

Unfortunately, things didn't go as he wished. Three days later, the barbarians attacked again, and a great battle was imminent.

"Boom, boom, boom..."

The urgent and sharp sound of a copper gong suddenly rang out, echoing throughout the camp.

"All personnel assemble, all conscripts, camp laborers, and combat soldiers, gather at the training ground immediately. Those who disobey will be dealt with by military law and executed on the spot!"

The rough voice spread layer by layer, cold and merciless.

The conscripts, covered in scars, turned pale, not daring to hesitate, enduring the pain as they picked up their crude weapons and stumbled towards the central training ground.

Li Xuancang also quickly made his way to the training ground, his heart heavy.

On the training ground, a man clad in heavy iron armor, with a stern expression, stood with his hand on his sword.

Behind him, several fully armed elite soldiers stood in a line, their eyes cold, looking down on the crowd like ants.

In this chaotic world of demons and monsters, human life was the cheapest.

Li Xuancang and the other conscripts, forcibly conscripted, were never considered true soldiers of the Great Yan Army.

No salary, no benefits, if they died, no one would collect their bodies; alive, they were just expendable, used to fill the front lines and block enemy attacks.

Camp Commander Wang Tianshan's gaze swept across the crowd, his voice sharp and commanding.

"In the last battle, the barbarians suffered significant losses but were not defeated."

"They have gathered a large force, pressing against our borders, intending to flatten the lakeside post and slaughter us all."

As his words fell, the entire place fell silent.

Many soldiers trembled, their eyes filled with despair.

The barbarians were brutal and bloodthirsty, ruthless in their methods. If the camp was breached, everyone would be slaughtered, leaving no remains.

Wang Tianshan continued coldly, "You are conscripts, not regular soldiers, without pay, without compensation, without privileges."

Wang Tianshan's words echoed in everyone's ears, some clenching their fists, their hearts full of resentment.

Every battle, they were the ones charging into the most dangerous places, facing death.

Yet, it was them risking their lives, while the credit went to others. How could they not feel resentful?

Wang Tianshan noticed the dissatisfaction and unwillingness among the crowd and changed his tone.

He suddenly intensified his voice, offering a promise that made everyone's hearts race.

"This time, the rules have changed."

"Anyone who kills a barbarian in this battle will earn military merit, and be rewarded with food and medicine."

"Kill three barbarians, and you will be directly promoted to regular army status, becoming a formal combat soldier of the Great Yan."

As these words were spoken, the entire place erupted, countless numb eyes suddenly lighting up, staring intently at Wang Tianshan.

In this dark era where commoners were as worthless as grass, becoming a formal combat soldier was a dream many at the bottom longed for.

Wang Tianshan slowly laid out the future everyone desired most, each word filled with temptation.

"Once enlisted in the regular army, you will receive a monthly salary, and be equipped with fine armor and weapons."

"You will be freed from the status of a lowly commoner, no longer subject to arbitrary beatings and oppression by officials."

"You can live in the army barracks, receive food and meat, no longer suffering from hunger."

"In the future, there will be paths to promotion to 5-Man Leader, Ten-Man Commander, Hundred-Man Commander."

"Your family can also receive tax and labor exemptions, free from the bullying of local tyrants and rogue soldiers."

Hearing the bright future Wang Tianshan described, everyone's eyes turned red, shining with excitement, many already filled with fervor, eager to rush to the battlefield and kill the enemy.

The harsh promise laid bare the rules of the chaotic world.

Want stability? Want to be full? Want to protect your family? Want to escape the status of a lowly commoner, no longer at the mercy of others?

Then go kill, go fight, exchange your flesh and blood for a future.

Li Xuancang was no exception, his fists slowly clenching, a cold light flickering in his eyes.