Looting the life force of demons to forge a golden body Martial God-Chapter 384 - 372: The Three Battle Zones, Fame and Profit, Natural Enemies! Strength and Treachery

Chapter 384: Chapter 372: The Three Battle Zones, Fame and Profit, Natural Enemies! Strength and Treachery

Li Jian laughed and said, "Our Far East Defense Line is part of the Eastern War Zone. Commander Lin also hails from the Eastern War Zone and has good relationships with the leaders there.

"You can consider it your home once you’re there. No one will give you trouble."

Chu Feng smiled and replied, "With Brother Li’s words, I feel reassured."

At these words, Li Jian seemed to hesitate, as if there was something he wanted to say but stopped short.

Seeing his expression, Chu Feng asked curiously, "Is there something you want to say, Brother Li?"

Li Jian, while driving, deliberated his words and said, "It might not be my place to say this, but I think it’s better to let you know in advance, so you won’t be at a disadvantage.

"Once you leave the Eastern War Zone, the situation might be quite complex. You should be mentally prepared."

Chu Feng’s expression became slightly grave as he inquired, "Are there issues with the Central and Western War Zones?"

Li Jian let out a sigh and nodded, "I’ve heard this from others, not sure how accurate it is, though.

"The Central War Zone is very close to the military headquarters, and the officers are directly assigned there. The situation there is very complex, with many factions vying for power.

"At the same time, the Central War Zone is a place with hidden dragons and crouching tigers. There are many extremely strong masters, and the competition is fierce.

"From what I know, whenever there are internal military awards for advanced individuals or groups or evaluations of outstanding officers and martial competitions, the competition is quite fierce..."

He spoke vaguely, but Chu Feng understood his meaning.

The Central Military Zone had divided opinions among senior officers, and with many talented individuals, the competition was intense!

With this in mind, he would have to be cautious once he got there.

Li Jian saw Chu Feng deep in thought and couldn’t help but laugh, "You don’t need to worry too much though. While there’s competition at the top, the soldiers down below are quite united.

"Besides, the Central War Zone is closest to Yan Capital and has the strongest defense forces. Military affairs are relatively stable there; there haven’t been any major battles for almost ten years, so it’s somewhat safer."

Chu Feng nodded, pondering that perhaps the lack of fierce front-line battles and lower pressure might also be a factor contributing to the intense competition among the higher-ups of the Central War Zone.

After all, when facing extreme pressure, the majority of humanity can suppress conflicts and band together for mutual support against formidable enemies.

But once the pressure is gone, some underlying conflicts and struggles will emerge, leading to power struggles and fights for benefit.

The infighting among the Noble Clans within Longhua, which had enjoyed over a decade of peace, was not unrelated to this situation.

...

"What about the Western War Zone then?" Chu Feng digested the information and asked.

Li Jian shook his head upon hearing this, "Compared to the Central War Zone, the Western War Zone is the one you should really watch out for."

Chu Feng asked with confusion, "Why is that? Does the Western War Zone not have a good relationship with us, the Eastern War Zone?"

"Yes, the relationship is quite poor!" Li Jian said candidly, "It’s due to various reasons.

"On one hand, the Western War Zone is far from us and does not border our territory, so there’s little exchange.

"Especially since the Western War Zone is mountainous and has the most complex terrain among the three war zones, completely opposite to the East; thus, there’s little common ground regarding tactical exchange.

"On the other hand, it also has to do with internal military honors, competitive evaluations, and war zone tournaments.

"When everyone wants the same thing, there will be competition, and naturally, the relations between our war zone and the Western War Zone aren’t that great."

Chu Feng asked with bewilderment, "How can military honors and evaluations affect the relationship between two military zones?"

Li Jian laughed and said, "We martial artists enlist in the military not only to combat demons but also to pursue certain things. And what are those pursuits? Simply fame and benefits.

"As for benefits, that’s easy to talk about: better cultivation techniques and martial techniques, more high-quality Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures and elixirs, and so on. These are the things that can help us survive on the battlefield.

"And fame, for a soldier, other than the recognition and support from our fellow countrymen, what else is there but the honor from various evaluations?

"Moreover, if one can secure higher rankings in evaluations or competitions, the headquarters will allocate more funding to the war zone, which means both fame and benefits!"

"Who wouldn’t want that?"

Chu Feng nodded, bringing the conversation back to topic, and asked, "Are we really that intense in competing with the Western War Zone?"

Li Jian laughed and said, "It’s more than intense. When it comes to honor and face, who doesn’t want to come out on top? Every competition is fierce enough to make your head spin!"

"There’s another reason, too. Each year, the various awards and honors are first taken by the Central War Zone—they snatch up half of them. The rest is left for us to fight over with the Western War Zone."

Chu Feng asked in surprise, "Is the military really that unfair? Are backdoor dealings that blatant?"

"..."

Li Jian gave him a strange look and said, "What backdoor dealings? This is all fought out fair and square!

"There’s none of that shady, predetermined nonsense you’re thinking of."

However, after thinking for a moment, he still sighed and said, "If we talk about unfairness, well, there’s some of that.

"But you can’t blame anyone else. When it comes down to it, the Central has the capability. Whatever they want to snatch, they can get their hands on.

"The Central War Zone has closer ties with headquarters, more confidence, better treatment, and they receive more funding.

"Each year, the best new recruits, both soldiers and officers, are mostly taken by them.

"Many of the excellent officers from other military regions who go to headquarters for further training end up staying in the Central War Zone after their training is complete.

"Even from among my fellow drivers, those with the most experience, the bravest, the best, the majority stay there as well."

"This results in a concentration of talent in the Central War Zone, which gives them a huge advantage in competitions for honors and in martial contests. They usually take more than half the awards.

"The East and West War Zones combined can’t outmatch the Central!

"There’s nothing left for us and the West to snag, so we end up locking horns, fighting tooth and nail over the scraps."

"..."

Chu Feng nodded in silence, his mind concluding, well, it turns out the Western War Zone is the enduring rival of the Eastern War Zone.

With that said, once he arrived in the Western War Zone, things might not be very comfortable for him.

After all, his roots were laid out here, both of his parents were warriors from the Far East Defense Line in the Eastern War Zone, and his current unit was located in the Eastern War Zone as well.

He was a bona fide scion of the Eastern War Zone, "Zheng Dong Banner"!

With this connection in mind, it would be odd if the Western War Zone let him off lightly.

But soon after, he dismissed these annoying thoughts from his mind, unwilling to dwell on them.

He wasn’t some lone ghost without backing. He had people supporting him from behind, and official military orders to back him up.

Anyone who dared to slight him, he’d be ready to slap right back!

...

Li Jian pondered a moment, then added, "It’s not just in the big competitions, either.

"Behind the curtains, our relations with the Western War Zone are really bad.

"Rumor has it that our Eastern War Zone Commander really dislikes the Western War Zone Commander, privately calls him ’a sneaky one.’

"It’s not just the Commander, though. People from our zone don’t like the West, feeling that those folks are sneaky and ruthless, not to be trusted.

"And to the soldiers from the West, our young guys seem like brainless brutes, always subjected to mockery and jeers during contests," said Li Jian.

Chu Feng was speechless, the conflict seeming to grow sharper the more he heard.

"What’s so sneaky and ruthless about the Western War Zone? Why do they call them ’sneaky ones’?"