Stuck in a Chinese novel

"Ugh. I stink." One of the women from Wei Jun's platoon said as they were heading back after clearing the dungeon.

"Just say you fell into the swamp. It fits the setting anyway." Wei Jun said before he turned to them and asked, "How do you all feel?"

"Amazing." Everyone swiftly replied. Wei Jun nodded and said, "That's good. Now that I've seen your determination, come find me after your military service."

Everyone was ecstatic over receiving the offer. However, what truly made up their mind was the scene from fifteen minutes ago. The scene where Wei Jun ripped the head of the dungeon boss with his bare hands.

The worst part was that the boss jackal could only accept its fate and not even fight back. That was a power that none of them had ever seen before. It was beyond power. Something more. Something deep that fell into the category of authority. Something about Wei Jun's presence demanded subservience.

Maybe that was why none of them could ever even think about defying Wei Jun's orders even when they didn't really have to. However, now, there was none of that anymore. Now, they would gladly follow Wei Jun if Wei Jun could give them the power they had just witnessed.

"Boss," The other woman called Wei Jun. Wei Jun turned the corner of his eye to allow her to ask the question, "Can I become as strong as you?"

"I don't see why not." Wei Jun simply replied, "If I can, then anyone can."

Wei Jun had grown stronger under a lot of unfavorable conditions. Still, he managed to push through. The excuse that he had the system was an unfair one. Wei Jun could say with guarantee that he went through enough pain to claim the power he had as his own.

The female soldier didn't know how to interpret that answer but she still nodded, taking the answer in a positive sense. Wei Jun looked at her and then turned his attention to the dungeon exit.

Before he came out, he handed them all some D rank Miasma crystals and said, "Cultivate. I want all of you in top condition for the next dungeon."

Once he said his part, without even waiting for a reply, he turned and exited the dungeon. As he did, he saw another soldier standing next to the dungeon administrator, and from the way the latter was acting, it was clear the soldier outside the dungeon was a high-ranking one.

"Corporal Wei Jun Ruan." The man said.

Wei Jun stood at attention and said, "Corporal Wei Jun Ruan reporting, sir."

"You have been summoned to the office of Brigadier General Tang's office." The man relayed the message he was there to relay.

Wei Jun saluted and said, "Corporal Wei Jun Ruan acknowledged, sir."

"Good." The man nodded and left, his expression as stoic as it was in the beginning. However, the faces of those behind Wei Jun were a little tense. Huan Tang was known to be a patriot and a fanatic for the army. His strength as a Qi master in the middle realm was also a real deal.

Wei Jun, whose strength was also somewhere the same, wasn't worried about dealing with him. However, he currently had a headache over how to deal with the current situation.

He wasn't an idiot that he wouldn't be able to tell what the Brigadier General wanted. Wei Jun was a talent not many had and strength also didn't belong to those at the likes of a corporal.

After all, most of the people at his rank weren't even in the realm of Qi gathering yet. Yet his squad, a bunch of private first classes, the second lowest rank in the army, were at the third realm of the Qi cultivation.

Not to mention, Wei Jun was at the level of a Brigadier General and even that was a special case. Most of the people at the same rank were barely in the fourth realm of cultivation, let alone at the second rank of it where Wei Jun currently was.

[An offer]

Wei Jun was about to receive an offer to become a commissioned officer rather than a non-commissioned one as it was stated in his enlistment. Wei Jun was, after all, a disciple of the Thunder Cloud Tempest Sect. He could only be enlisted in the army until his mandatory service was completed.

However, the military had enough power to make it so that Wei Jun could remain in the military if he wanted to. And even if he didn't want to…

Well, that was actually what worried Wei Jun.

So while he hoped for the otherwise, he didn't hold much hope for any favorable conditions as well.

As Wei Jun arrived in front of the Brigadier General's office, a man in a robe was standing outside who waved his hand and said a few words. As he did, Wei Jun felt something happen around him and he would have acted unfavorably if the system hadn't calmed him down.

[Relax]

[It's a simple cleansing spell]

And the system was correct. Wei Jun was suddenly cleaned of all the filth that he accumulated from the swamp. Not even a speck of filth was left on him.

He didn't smell fragrant so he considered the spell didn't provide that effect.

'That's a useful thing.' Wei Jun remarked.

[You can purchase the skill from the shop]

[It can be modified for Qi at a small price]

'Can all mage skills be modified like that?' Wei Jun asked he entered the office only to find it empty.

[Yes]

[The price, however, would vary]

'How so?' Wei Jun asked.

[If you want to modify the highest rank spell for a fire mage which is meteor]

[Then…]

[Cost: 10,000,000,000]

If Wei Jun wasn't trained in the art of stoicism, he would have definitely thrown up at the amount he was seeing on the system.

[Don't be too surprised]

[That's actually a discount]

'That's a discount?!'

Wei Jun had to use his all to keep his voice in his head. He didn't want to yell in the Brigadier's office which was definitely being monitored.

[That spell alone can level this entire base and no one can do anything about it]

[Besides, only a tenth-circle mage can cast that spell alone]

[Any lower]

[Then they need to be in groups]

[The effectiveness of the skill lessens by quite a margin as well]

[So when I say that that skill is there for a cheap price]

[You should believe me]

The system wasn't one to joke and even Wei Jun knew that well. Still, a trillion yuan was a dream still too far away. While he did make up his mind to purchase some mage skills because they were undeniably useful, he decided to keep that goal secondary because his primary goal yet was a body cultivation technique.

On that note, while Wei Jun was waiting, he kept his head straight and didn't move his gaze by an inch.

[How long do they intend to make you wait?]

'It's to display their authority.'

Wei Jun had been waiting for almost thirty minutes when finally, the door opened and a man with the build of a bodybuilder entered the room, an apologetic smile on his face as he took his seat and said, "My apologies. I was busy dealing with some urgent matters."

Wei Jun made sure to point out with his gaze the smudge of sauce on the shirt of the Brigadier General. The Brigadier General, however, remained silent.

It was a silent question, 'Even if you know, what are you going to do about it?'

It was an obvious display of Wei Jun's powerlessness. He had no power there even when he and the Brigadier General were of the same level in strength.

Wei Jun simply replied, without any nod or change in his facial expression, "Corporal Wei Jun Ruan. I understand, sir."

Huan Tang frowned a little. He hadn't expected Wei Jun to show no reaction at all. Anyone, even those who were trained to keep their calm, would show some level of dissatisfaction when treated with such blatant disrespect. Especially when they were as strong as Wei Jun.

Wei Jun, however, showed no reaction at all. It was an answer.

'You already lost the first round.' The answer was clear. The reason for this entire debacle was to unsettle Wei Jun yet the entire point of this scenario was lost when Wei Jun did nothing about it.

They had done all that for nothing.

"I thank you for your understanding." The Brigadier replied before he said, "Allow me to get straight to the point." He paused for a little while before he continued, "I want you to join the military. Your talent is too much for it to be wasted at the lower ranks. You can help the empire much better if you join the higher rankings of the military."

Wei Jun remained silent for a while. The reason for that was…

'What sort of bullsh*t is this?'