Under the gaze of the five vice deans, Xander Xuanyuan announced his decision.
"I do not agree to hand Leon Huang over to the military."
Four votes to three.
The final result: Leon Huang would remain at Sanctum Martial Academy.
Knowing their proposal hadn't passed, Adrian Zhuge and the other two actually felt relieved. They couldn't deny it—they'd been tempted by the Martial Souls and made a decision that went against their better judgment.
Fortunately, their decision was vetoed by Xander Xuanyuan and the other three.
Though a little disappointed, they were mostly grateful.
"If the military is willing to pay such a steep price just to bring Leon Huang into their camp, they can't possibly rely on tempting us with Martial Souls alone. That's not the military's style!" Adrian Zhuge suddenly said, a hint of worry on his face.
"Not good."
Xander Xuanyuan seemed to realize something; his expression changed sharply. "We need to get to Leon Huang—now."
For the past two days, Ian Song’s life had been pretty leisurely: aside from training, he spent his time playing chess and chatting with Harriet Gu.
Ever since they cleared up their misunderstanding that day, their relationship had quietly taken a step forward.
"Maybe tomorrow I can try holding her hand."
Ian Song thought mischievously.
Knock, knock.
Someone was knocking at the door.
"Who could it be this late at night?"
Ian Song got up, walked into the courtyard, and opened the gate.
Outside the gate stood three people: one man and two women.
The man looked to be just over forty, dressed in a dark robe. He was clean-shaven, with a handsome, dignified face—a good-looking middle-aged guy. But his cultivation was anything but simple: though he gave off no aura whatsoever, Ian Song could tell he was a late-stage Martial Saint.
But the two women standing behind him were truly eye-catching. Both looked to be just over twenty, wearing identical apricot-yellow dresses. Their figures were tall and voluptuous, and most importantly, they had the same face—two rare beauties who looked exactly alike.
They were twins.
In terms of looks, they were just a shade less stunning than Harriet Gu, but together, their combined charm easily surpassed Harriet alone.
"And you are...?"
Ian Song asked with a smile.
"Hello, Leon Huang. I'm Victor Wei from the Military Council. May we come in?" The middle-aged man smiled, his tone warm and courteous.
"Of course. Mr. Wei, ladies, please come in."
Soon after, Ian Song led the three inside and served them fragrant tea.
"So, Mr. Wei, what brings you here tonight?" Ian Song asked directly. He was clever, but preferred to speak plainly—unlike Fiona Li, who always liked to show off.
Of course, some people liked to speak in riddles and act mysterious, leaving others to guess their intentions.
"I'm here for you," Victor Wei said with a smile.
"Oh? Please, go on." Ian Song nodded.
Victor Wei's expression grew serious. "Your performance on the Blood River Battlefield was truly astonishing. It's a shame you're not one of ours—otherwise, with your military merits, you'd be qualified to command an entire front!"
Ian Song simply nodded, neither modest nor talkative. He knew this was just Victor Wei's opening pitch.
"I've come tonight to invite you to join the Military Council."
Just as I thought!
Actually, once Victor Wei revealed he was from the military, Ian Song had already guessed their intentions.
But for now, he had no plans to join the military, so he smiled and shook his head. "Sorry, Mr. Wei, I don't—"
Victor Wei raised a hand, cutting him off. "Don't be so quick to refuse. Hear what we can offer you first. If you join us, the Military Council will immediately award you a Special-Class Military Merit."
Since you've spent time on the battlefield, you should know what a Special-Class Military Merit means."
Ian Song nodded. Even Raymond Lei, the commander of the Blood River Battlefield, had never earned a Special-Class Military Merit. If Ian could obtain one, he'd be qualified to join the Military Council as a true senior officer—once his cultivation reached the required level.
Victor Wei continued, "Second, you're about to head to the Martial Soul Hall, but obtaining a Martial Soul isn't easy. If you agree to join us, we'll immediately gift you a King-Rank Martial Soul!"
"Martial Souls have ranks?" This was news to Ian Song.
"Of course. Martial Souls are divided into common, high-grade, King-rank, and Emperor-rank. King-Rank Martial Souls are extremely rare—out of a hundred, you might not find even one. Their abilities are also incredibly powerful. For example, the commander of the Martial Soul Army has a King-Rank Martial Soul with the ability 'Void Freeze.'"
"Void Freeze? Isn't that similar to my own Spatial Stasis?" Ian Song was both shocked and intrigued.
But outwardly, he remained calm. "What about Emperor-rank?" he asked.
"There's only one Emperor-Rank Martial Soul in the Martial Soul Hall, but no one has ever obtained it," Victor Wei said with a wry smile.
"I can tell you in advance—the King-Rank Martial Soul we're offering is extremely precious, even more so than the one the Martial Soul Army's commander possesses," Victor Wei said, his tone mysterious.
Before Ian Song could reply, Victor Wei went on: "In addition, if you join us, Lynn and Annie Meng will become your personal handmaidens." As he spoke, he glanced at the twin sisters beside him.
Personal handmaidens.
Ian Song instantly understood, and instinctively looked over at the twins. Noticing his gaze, both sisters blushed, their faces tinged with shyness.
Ahem!
Ian Song quickly looked away, feeling a bit disdainful. The military was certainly pulling out all the stops—first tempting him with rewards, then with beauties. Most people would have caved by now.
Seeing Ian Song still unmoved, Victor Wei grew anxious. After a moment of silence, he added, "There's more. The military will establish a true Assassin Camp, initially fifty Martial Saints strong—and you'll be its commander!"
Damn! Power, status, beauties—they're offering it all! Honestly, Ian Song was tempted, but he hadn't come to this world to chase power or women; he had a mission to complete.
Still, the temptation was huge. Should he accept?
Should he say yes?
Seeing Ian Song deep in thought, Victor Wei gained confidence. Honestly, even he would be tempted by such terms; if he were in Ian's shoes, he'd have agreed already.
After a long silence, Ian Song prepared to give his answer.
Just then, six figures flashed into the courtyard.
The leader called out, "Vice General Wei, this isn't proper conduct!"
Victor Wei's face changed at once. He'd been so close to succeeding, but now the six deans of Sanctum Martial Academy had arrived—his efforts were about to be wasted.
"Huang Liang, apologies!"
As he spoke, Victor Wei tapped Ian Song on the brow, knocking him out. Then he grabbed Ian, broke through the roof, and shot toward the academy gates like a streak of light.
"Bastard! How dare you snatch him—leave Ian here!"
The six deans, enraged by what they'd seen, transformed into six streaks of colored light and chased after Victor Wei.