Chapter 426: Military Expenses
Evidently, the three generals were working through the accounts. One sighed, another wore a troubled expression.
Hearing movement, all three looked up to see Ning Zhuo returning—and joy lit their faces.
“Military Advisor, Military Advisor is here!” Liu Er immediately ran over, arms wide in welcome.
Zhang Hei burst into loud laughter, pushing the account books to the center of the table. “Let the Military Advisor handle this. My eyes are already blurred!”
Guan Hong was even more straightforward. He stood up and said, “I’ll go train the troops.”
Liu Er enthusiastically pulled Ning Zhuo over and pressed him down into the main general’s seat.
Ning Zhuo hastily declined with modesty, “How could a young one like me dare to sit in the main general’s seat?”
But Liu Er replied, “These ledgers are all depending on the Military Advisor. If you can handle this, it’ll be a great merit. Even if you were to become the main general, why not?”
Though Liu Er’s words were polite pleasantries, they did reveal some of his sincere respect.
Ning Zhuo sat in the chair, offering a restrained salute, and promised to do his utmost.
Liu and Zhang then left Ning Zhuo in the main tent and followed after Guan Hong.
Ning Zhuo had a knack for accounting. In the past ten-odd years at Huoshi Immortal City, he had been out of favor and had to scrimp for every cultivation resource.
Even when playing the role of Chuitaoke and earning large profits from selling the Reversible Lasso, he spent heavily on acquiring mechanical constructs. It could be said he earned a lot and spent just as much.
From a young age, he had managed his own household. Only those who manage a home understand the cost of oil, salt, firewood, and rice.
Ning Zhuo had great confidence in his abilities. However, once he buried himself in the accounts of the Three Generals Camp, he felt a headache coming on.
He instantly understood the pain the three generals had felt earlier.
On one hand, the records were extremely complex. On the other, the expenses were outrageously high—so high that even Ning Zhuo felt a chill down his spine.
The largest chunk of military spending came from salaries.
Currently, there were over three hundred cultivators gathered in the camp. Of these, around fifty to sixty were Foundation Establishment cultivators, while the remaining two hundred plus were in the Qi Refining Stage.
For Qi Refining cultivators, depending on their level and combat ability, monthly salaries ranged from three thousand to eight thousand lower-grade spirit stones.
For Foundation Establishment cultivators, monthly salaries ranged from thirty thousand to eighty thousand lower-grade spirit stones.
This meant that just the monthly salaries for the Qi Refining cultivators required at least 1.3 million spirit stones.
Though there were fewer Foundation Establishment cultivators, their salaries totaled over 3 million spirit stones.
Altogether, monthly salary expenses alone reached over 4.3 million spirit stones.
Even this standard of pay was considered low. The Three Generals Camp maximized the share of spoils to attract these cultivators.
Among all the military units in Canglin Immortal City, the Three Generals Camp ranked second-to-last in salary—only the Red Flower Camp offered less.
Next came the standardized procurement of magical instruments.
Both Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment cultivators generally required magical instruments.
Based on market prices, offensive instruments cost anywhere from a thousand to a hundred thousand spirit stones per piece. Defensive instruments ranged from two hundred to four thousand per piece.
Ning Zhuo carefully surveyed the market in Canglin Immortal City. Based on the two types of instruments selected by the three generals (offensive and defensive), the total procurement cost would be around six million spirit stones.
Following that were daily supplies of talismans and pills (like Fasting Pills).
Common talismans included Swift Talisman, Protection Talisman, Razor Talisman, and so on. These could be purchased via military channels from Liangzhu Kingdom, at about 1.5 to 3 spirit stones per talisman.
According to the minimum plan, each cultivator would use roughly twenty talismans per month, and the average cost of various pills per person per month would be between one hundred and two hundred lower-grade spirit stones.
This added up to another 57,000 spirit stones.
“Distributing pills might as well be replaced by acquiring medicinal pools.”
“Calculate the cost: if the army needs to be sustained for more than three months, buying medicinal pools is more cost-effective.”
“Likewise, a mana pool would also be necessary.”
These two vital military implements, even in their smallest configurations, would cost four million spirit stones each—totaling eight million.
Then came repairs for magical instruments, unexpected losses, camp construction, and miscellaneous contingencies. A budget had to be set aside for these.
Following the standard of ten percent of the total expenses, that was nearly five hundred thousand spirit stones.
“But that’s still not enough.”
“Battle banners must be purchased—and preferably mounts as well.”
Battle banners were extremely important.
They were often the focal point of condensed military morale and the formation core of a battle formation. Their inclusion could drastically enhance combat effectiveness.
These must be procured, though not urgently—Ning Zhuo needed to wait and see what sort of formations Liu Er, Guan Hong, and Zhang Hei could develop through training.
Once the formation was established, only then would it be appropriate to select corresponding battle banners.
Mounts might seem unnecessary—but that was far from the truth.
Qi Refining cultivators could not fly by sword. Foundation Establishment cultivators could, but only for short bursts, not for long-range or sustained flight.
In battlefield conditions, an army had to be assessed as a whole.
This meant that without mounts, mobility was severely lacking. Such armies could easily be kited by the enemy, putting them at a serious and helpless disadvantage.
Many past battle cases warned future generations: an army’s mobility was critically important.
Sometimes, whichever army reached the battlefield first, secured advantageous terrain, and set up its battle formation ahead of time—was the one with a decisive upper hand.
For this reason, military strategy always placed emphasis on the principle: “Speed is the essence of war.”
This was agreed upon by all renowned military theorists.
“Monthly salaries are over 4.3 million.”
“Equipping the army with offensive and defensive instruments costs about six million.”
“Talismans and pill usage comes to fifty-seven thousand—though that’s the bare minimum. In actual training, that figure often skyrockets.”
“Buying medicinal pools and mana pools will require eight million.”
“Magical item maintenance, emergency needs, and so on require a reserve of five hundred thousand.”
Adding it all up, the total military expenditure would reach 18.9 million lower-grade spirit stones.
“And that’s not even including future purchases of battle banners and mounts.”
At this point, Ning Zhuo’s mouth was dry and his heart unsettled.
Seeing the full total, the expenses were far beyond what he’d anticipated. And this was all calculated based on the bare minimum, using the principle of saving wherever possible.
“If only it were the ancient days of war…”
Ning Zhuo couldn’t help but long for the days of history.
Back then, the arts of cultivation were underdeveloped, far from flourishing. Cultivation wars were conducted on a mercenary basis.
Every cultivator was self-sufficient, accepting missions from the military and earning rewards upon completion—either in resources or military merit.
Such battles emphasized the personal cultivation and strength of each individual.
But as formations became more sophisticated, magical instruments became standardized, spiritual energy denser, and the rise of military strategy and bureaucratic arts refined the manipulation of national fortune and power…
The old mercenary model became increasingly outdated and was swept into the dustbin of history.
Even by the late stages of the Blood Slaughter Dynasty, formalized cultivator armies had already emerged onto the historical stage.
Through the following two dynasties, several empires, and countless kingdoms, wars between cultivators had grown extremely professional, with meticulous attention to every aspect.
Unified offensive and defensive gear was essential to leverage the advantage of numbers!
Military strategy was crucial to coordinate strength and enable battles across cultivation realms!
For true elite troops, every soldier in the army had to cultivate the same technique! Take the Golden Halberd Army as an example. The Liangzhu Kingdom recruited them from among good families across the nation, nurturing them from the start of their cultivation journey. Their weapons, armor, and mounts were all standardized and top-tier.
Such a force, once it entered battle, would erupt with terrifying power. A fledgling unit like the Three Generals Camp wouldn’t survive even one round—collapse would be instantaneous!
“Burning money… forming a military force is nothing but constant money-burning!”
By the time Ning Zhuo had finished calculating, a thin sheen of sweat had already appeared on his back.
At present, the Three Generals Camp’s funds could sustain them for at most three more months.
Ning Zhuo wished he could mobilize the army to the front lines immediately. With over three hundred men, the daily cost of upkeep was suffocating.
But he also knew very well—they must train diligently. Only once their training met a sufficient standard could they step onto the battlefield.
Otherwise, they’d be nothing but cannon fodder!
And to train diligently, daily expenses would only increase.
“If it really comes to it… I’ll have to fill in the gaps myself.”
Ning Zhuo exited the command tent and observed from afar as Liu Er, Guan Hong, and Zhang Hei conducted troop drills.
Though Ning Zhuo had limited battlefield experience—this was his first year traveling from the mountains—his foundation was solid, and his knowledge comprehensive.
After watching for a while, he identified it.
It was the Triangular Arrowhead Formation.
From a bird’s-eye view, the formation was a perfect equilateral triangle.
The three Golden Core–level generals were stationed at each of the triangle’s corners. At the front tip was Liu Er, on the left side was Guan Hong, and on the right was Zhang Hei.
This Triangular Arrowhead Formation was the most classic assault formation. The strongest cultivators of the entire army were placed at the three corners, the center densely filled with Qi Refining cultivators, and Foundation Establishment cultivators were arranged along the two flanking lines.
Formations were divided into static and dynamic.
Static formations had a far longer history than dynamic ones. The most classic static formation was the Spirit-Gathering Formation, which allowed cultivators to condense ambient spiritual energy, aiding their cultivation and improving spiritual energy absorption efficiency.
The history of dynamic formations was likely not even half that of static formations. But once developed, they flourished rapidly—especially on the battlefield—and improved at a stunning pace.
The Triangular Arrowhead Formation was a quintessential dynamic formation.
Ning Zhuo watched for a while, secretly troubled: “Dynamic formation training is difficult. How long will it take to meet the minimum formation standard? Every day burns spirit stones!”
Each drill of a dynamic formation demanded enormous investments of time, resources, and manpower.
Ning Zhuo increasingly felt that building an army was like gambling on a grand scale.
The three generals—Liu, Guan, and Zhang—had already staked their entire fortunes!
And Ning Zhuo, who sought to seize his mother's relics from the Six Caves Sect, such as the Mechanical Carriage Compartment, found that leveraging the power of the Liangzhu Kingdom and the influence of the three generals was undoubtedly the most efficient path.
“If funding falls short, I may have to step in to support it.”
Ning Zhuo had to move fast—and he had to follow closely.
Once war broke out, his mother’s Mechanical Carriage Compartment and other items might be reduced to ashes amidst the chaos. He needed to be personally involved—on the scene—to adapt to changing circumstances and seize the items.
If he missed this war, tracking them down later would be exponentially harder.
Ning Zhuo returned to the Puppet Dragon, beginning an inventory of his assets.
He had quite a lot of spirit stones.
Last time, at Mist-Hidden Mountain, the Mountain God had gifted him ten thousand middle-grade spirit stones—equivalent to one million lower-grade ones.
He also possessed many valuable materials.
For instance: Mist Orchid, Heavy Thunder Beetle, Sky Dew, Drifting Cloud, Walnut Mountain Essence, Haze Stone, and Ghost Bamboo, among others.
If he sold these, they would fetch a sizable amount of spirit stones.
Among these materials, the most valuable without question were the Nascent Soul–grade materials produced by the Stone Dwelling Old Monster.
However, each of these came with hidden risks.
Ning Zhuo had previously sold several pieces. But now, if he wished to use the Dao of Reason to cultivate, these materials could no longer be casually sold.
It was worth noting that every time the Wanli Dragon traversed through space, the base cost was five hundred thousand lower-grade spirit stones.
These assets were more than sufficient for the cultivation needs of Sun Lingtong and Ning Zhuo.
But on the battlefield, for maintaining an army, they suddenly seemed meager.
Ning Zhuo entered the cultivation chamber and knocked on the Fetal-Breath Spirit Vessel.
Inside, Sun Lingtong, who had been cultivating, opened his eyes and stepped out. “Little Zhuo, what is it?”
If it weren’t important, Ning Zhuo wouldn’t interrupt his cultivation.
Ning Zhuo explained the situation: “I’m planning to increase revenue and cut costs.”
“On one hand, I’ll contact the Myriad Medicines Sect to procure a large volume of basic pills like Fasting Pills. Given my relationship with them, I can secure a low price.”
“On the other hand, I’ll have the Ning Family branch refine more Jade Tempered Mysterious Steel. Eldest Brother, do you remember that battle near Mist-Hidden Mountain?”
“At the time, the soldiers under Meng Zizhong were wearing Jade Steel Heavy Armor, and it proved quite effective against those demon cultivators and spirit beasts.”
“If I could sell such armor to the Three Generals Camp, it might open a new market for our family.”
“Sigh… the time is still too short.”
“I truly wish that the Toxic Flame Chrysanthemum could be harvested right now.”
“I wonder if the ancestor has returned to Mount Huoshi yet.”
Sun Lingtong thought for a moment. “Even if all that works out, distant water won’t quench immediate thirst—and it wouldn’t quench much anyway.”
Ning Zhuo nodded. “That’s why I’m thinking of the Stone Dwelling Old Monster again. If we can steal him back, it would be an overnight fortune. The current financial shortfall would be nothing!”
At this, Sun Lingtong’s eyes lit up instantly. “Yes, yes, yes, Little Zhuo, that’s a brilliant idea!”
“To be honest, I’ve been thinking about that these days now that things have calmed down!”
“Now that we can handle Dao Injuries, that stone sphere is a complete treasure trove!”
“This must be done quickly.”
“If others discover that the Stone Dwelling Old Monster is already dead, then it’s all over.”
Ning Zhuo mused, “To re-enter the Thousand Peaks Forest, we first have to repair the Wanli Dragon, clear the Blood Shadow on the dragon’s body, and stock more Fire Essence.”
Since they had already been there once, the Puppet Dragon now had an accurate Dao Marker, which allowed for a direct jump to the destination.
Very convenient.
Sun Lingtong frowned slightly, clearly troubled. “The Blood Shadow Cave Lord is at the Nascent Soul level. The methods he used are extremely difficult for us to remove.”
“If only we had Superior Water of Virtue, that could cleanse it.”
“With just the two of us, we likely can’t do it. We’ll need outside help.”
Ning Zhuo said, “What about Zhang Chongyi?”
Sun Lingtong thought for a while, then replied, “His medical skills are superb—he can even treat Dao Injuries. After all, he was once a Nascent Soul–level cultivator. He likely wouldn’t be troubled by Blood Shadow spells.”
“But, if we ask for his help, we’ll be revealing the existence of the Wanli Dragon.”
“Is that really a good idea?”
“In other words—can Zhang Chongyi be trusted?”
Ning Zhuo pondered. “Zhang Chongyi holds to the righteous path, just like me, with a heart aligned to justice.”
“Whether it was his past transgressions or his current enlistment to aid General Mu Lan, both show that he’s someone who repays kindness.”
“Our treatment also succeeded thanks to his help. Without him, it wouldn’t have worked.”
“I still trust him.”
“Sigh…” Ning Zhuo sighed deeply. “I originally didn’t want to treat a good man this way. But for our safety, I’ve decided—we’ll use Life-Hanging-by-a-Thread and the Buddha Heart Demon Seal on him!”
Sun Lingtong patted Ning Zhuo’s forearm. “Little Zhuo, I know you’re kindhearted, but don’t feel burdened.”
“It’s not like we’re going to harm him.”
“It’s just basic caution.”
“Let’s talk to him properly!”
Ning Zhuo gave a quiet “Mm.” At this time, he didn’t know that Zhang Chongyi was also looking to speak with him.