The matter of the Murong family concluded, as did the martial arts tournament to choose a bride, with a public announcement from the Murong family declaring Murong Yuhan to have a fiancée. This news infuriated many.
However, the compensation provided by the Murong family also left countless people in awe of their generosity.
The expenses for over a thousand people were all covered by the Murong family. Even if each person spent ten thousand, that would amount to tens of millions, and with other expenditures, it easily amounted to hundreds of millions.
It was only after the Murong family's affairs were settled that news of the Military God Ranking surged to the top of the domestic charts, followed closely by the aftermath of Ye Xingchen's death, once again capturing the attention of countless individuals.
Were the battles updated on the Military God Ranking not more exciting than a martial arts tournament to choose a bride?
Moreover, updates to the Military God Ranking were usually held in a specific military district, where listed individuals would travel to participate in combat.
This was also the first time the military presented itself to the world, aiming to inform society that in the military, merit reigned supreme.
"The Martial Arts Association has been too overbearing these past years."
"After the Battle of Hetu, the top echelon of the military either died in battle or went into hiding, leading to the military having no positive public relations avenues beyond promotional videos in recent years. This revision of the Military God Ranking is also intended to let the public know that the military is always present!"
The Martial Arts Association's momentum had grown too rapidly over the years, to the point where most talented individuals were now being poached by the association. For those in charge, the Martial Arts Association, this menace, had to be eliminated.
However, the current Martial Arts Association had become corrupted, or rather, it was no longer a pure martial arts organization but a community of vested interests.
The Battle of Hetu had since subsided, and the Martial Arts Association had absorbed many talents during this period. Some even dared to claim that those who joined the military were the leftovers from the Martial Arts Association, enraging countless generals.
This time, the Military God Ranking was jointly organized by the Dragon Pavilion, the Town Martial Division, and the Hall of Honor, with Jinling as the venue. This was also because many martial artists had appeared in Jinling, and Ye Longlin wished to leverage this to expand the military's influence.
"The military is currently experiencing a talent gap, which is directly related to the Martial Arts Association. Their influence is significant; that cannot be denied. What you need to do is suppress the Martial Arts Association."
Outside the Fuxing Garden in Jinling, before parting ways, Ye Longlin uttered these words, got into the driver's seat of his Big G, and drove away.
Yuan Gang stood at the entrance, lost in thought, gazing at the blazing sun in the sky. Despite it being winter, he felt a warmth.
"Boss, you're just handing all these things over to me, and I can't carry them. Are you really planning to retire? Xuan Niao is still in the Capital Prison, and the Dark Hall is gathering troops above Hetu. Can you truly not come back?"
Suddenly, he regretted the plan he had made with Xuan Niao.
At that moment, he genuinely wished for his boss to leave and live out the rest of his life among the common folk, as long as it was peaceful.
The thought of the former Heavenly King arguing with a market vendor over a few cents was surely amusing.
Lighting a cigarette, the boss walked out from inside, grinning, "What's wrong?"
Yuan Gang spread his hands helplessly, a bitter expression on his face, "Nothing, it's just that the boss suddenly left and dumped a pile of mess on me. The boss went sightseeing with his wife, and we employees have to work like miserable laborers."
The boss grinned, revealing a row of yellow teeth, and patted Yuan Gang's shoulder, "It was the same for me back then. My father left very suddenly, gone without a word, and then left this place to me. I also started from knowing nothing; it gets better after a while."
Yes, it gets better after a while.
But while it was a matter of enduring for a period for them, for Yuan Gang, in his position, one wrong move could disrupt the entire plan.
Different positions led to different perspectives.
"Alright, I'm leaving. If I'm busy in the near future, I might not be able to come."
Yuan Gang handed him the remaining half-pack of Pandas in his hand. After Hei Long drove over and opened the rear door, he got in and sped away in the opposite direction of Ye Longlin.
"Actually, I didn't want you to retire."
Murong Hanqi turned to look at Ye Longlin, speaking with considerable conflict.
She did not wish for her to be the reason Ye Longlin's future was hindered. Having achieved his current status before the age of thirty, if he continued in his position, who could tell what his limits might be?
Murong Hanqi did not want him to abandon his future because of her.
The vehicle stopped at a red light.
Ye Longlin lit a cigarette and, with his hand on the gear stick, directly clasped Murong Hanqi's small hand, chuckling softly, "Even without you, I was already planning to retire.
I've been too tired these years; I want to rest well. Many soldiers who have lived in trenches for a long time find themselves out of touch upon returning home. The domestic landscape changes rapidly; returning after a year or two, and the overall environment has shifted, making it difficult for many to adapt, leaving them feeling inferior, only to accept it amidst the passage of time.
I've seen all this, but I couldn't change it. I'm tired of constantly being on the battlefield, having witnessed life and death, separations and farewells. Now, I just want to settle down and live a few years of peaceful life."
A life of wandering was not easy.
Fighting in foreign lands made that wandering life even more arduous.
"This is my decision; it has nothing to do with you."
Ye Longlin smiled, stepped on the accelerator, and continued driving forward. This was the road leading out of the city, towards the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple.
Murong Hanqi shook her head slightly, "No matter what you do, I support you. As long as it's your decision, I will support you unconditionally."
"Let's wait. Let me finish handling things in Jinling."
There were still many matters to attend to in Jinling.
The revision of the Military God Ranking and its subsequent impact, the Martial Arts Association's future actions, the Ye family, and the war criminals hidden in Jinling – these were all issues that needed to be dealt with.
At the very least, these were problems that had to be resolved before he left.
"I remember you saying before that your mission was to apprehend war criminals. Have you finished all of them now?"
Murong Hanqi tilted her head and asked, seemingly curious about the question. However, she quickly realized something and immediately closed her mouth.
This was not a question she should be asking; his missions were meant to be highly classified.
Meanwhile, upon arriving at the venue, Yuan Gang looked at the setup they had prepared and nodded in satisfaction.
"Yuan Gang, where is the Heavenly King? Did he not come with you? Isn't your Dragon Pavilion leading the revision of the Military God Ranking? Won't he come to watch?"
The delegation from the Town Martial Division greeted Yuan Gang with a smile.
Yuan Gang gave a helpless bitter laugh, "The boss is inseparable from the sister-in-law. For now, I'll handle the Military God Ranking matters, but the boss will definitely make an appearance then, as you know what's likely to happen."