Even within the same alliance, there was competition among them. The greater the gains of a particular regiment, the more its members would receive.
Chen Ning was an ambitious man, and ambitious men usually had strong aspirations.
The newly formed small clan alliance had allowed him to distinguish himself. He anticipated that after a period of development, the alliance would inevitably integrate to a considerable degree. At that point, perhaps racial boundaries would blur, and eventually they would become a true whole.
The merging of races was not uncommon. Among the current cosmic races, apart from a few super-large clans, none could claim pure bloodlines. Otherwise, what would happen to the lifeforms that arrived each year? Would they remain solitary for life?
Look at the promise Aslan had made to Ye Zhongming. Look at Yisewei's pursuit of White Robe. Look at the proposed marriage alliance between the Sheke Star People and the Huo'er Star People… All of these demonstrated that bloodline was not a major taboo, as long as the two races were not particularly "incompatible."
It was just that most races did not deliberately dilute their bloodlines and, when possible, preferred to mate within their own clan.
But if they remained united for a long time, entirely new changes might occur.
This might well be the path to survival for small clans—especially those on the brink of extinction.
Chen Ning believed he could secure a place—an important place—in such an alliance.
This battle would undoubtedly establish his standing.
The small clan alliance regarded the Star-Eye Clan as their leader. Why? Simply because the Star-Eye Clan was strong! Once they took full control of the alliance, they would become even stronger.
Yet Chen Ning clearly saw the Star-Eye Clan's weakness: their warriors were too few! To grow and develop in the future, they would inevitably rely on the help of other races. In other words, power would have to be shared. Chen Ning felt he would receive some of that power.
With such thoughts in mind, and believing that victory was certain, he was naturally displeased by certain "rumors."
At their core, his aspirations were no different from Ye Zhongming's. The only difference was that, aside from leveraging influence, he could not offer as many benefits as Ye Zhongming could.
"According to the previously published rules for military merit accounting…"
The military record keeper began by outlining the regulations that had been established earlier. Then he first presented the Second Regiment's battle report, which had been received earlier and was more precise and detailed.
"Over three days, the Second Regiment hunted a total of 105,736 prey. Among these, the most valuable were the Chi Niu Beast herd—over 15,000 head, with a total value exceeding 31 million Moonspan Gold. The remaining prey, approximately 90,000 head, were worth over 23 million. The total value of prey over the three days exceeded 55 million Moonspan Gold."
Upon hearing this report, even Cheng Liujin and Ye Zhongming were astonished. The Second Regiment had indeed earned a great deal, so many valuable prey in just three days. No wonder they were so displeased with the First Regiment's supposed victory. They had reaped a bountiful harvest themselves.
"What about the First Regiment!"
Leona was eager to know the result. She had more information than Chen Ning, but she could not be certain of the final outcome.
Even the two Lords felt the same.
The military record keeper produced the First Regiment's battle report. Though he had already reviewed it before arriving, he was still shaken.
"Over three days, the First Regiment hunted a total of… 151,320 prey."
This statement left everyone in the room—except for Cheng Liujin, Ye Zhongming, and the other First Regiment personnel, who already knew the outcome—utterly stunned.
"Is this number correct? Have you all verified it?" Under normal circumstances, such a question from Chen Ning would have been highly inappropriate. Even if he had doubts, he could have expressed them more tactfully.
If the report turned out to be true, the consequences could be significant—or negligible, depending on how it was handled.
"Not yet verified, but… it is unlikely to be wrong."
The record keeper stammered slightly under Chen Ning's glare, but his reasoning was sound.
Indeed, prey did not appear or disappear without a trace. If the numbers were off, they would be counted again. If the count proved incorrect, where would that leave Cheng Liujin and the Star-Eye Clan's reputation? They would never falsify such figures.
Chen Ning realized this as well. His face reddened slightly. He waved his hand and fell silent.
"Among the most valuable prey were… the Double-Tailed Gouwo and the Huandu Wolf pack. The former was worth approximately 10 million Moonspan Gold, and the latter over 20 million."
Hmm?
Everyone was momentarily taken aback. Not because the numbers were too high, but because they seemed a bit low. Together, they amounted to only 30 million Moonspan Gold, leaving 25 million unaccounted for. And the most valuable prey, the Huandu Wolf pack, had already been counted—there were 50,000 of them. How much could the rest be worth?
"The remaining prey, over 100,000 head, had a total value of… approximately 25.5 million Moonspan Gold."
Hmm?
Everyone was confused again.
Thirty million plus 25.5 million came to 55.5 million—almost identical to the First Regiment's total!
The atmosphere in the room lightened considerably. Even Chen Ning relaxed.
His earlier displeasure had stemmed from a deep-seated disbelief that the First Regiment could achieve such results. Now it seemed they genuinely had. Of course, the fact that their totals were nearly equal was also an important factor.
"The total value of prey over the three days exceeded 55 million Moonspan Gold." The young military record keeper was also shrewd; he omitted the exact remainder.
But after speaking, he looked around the room with an ambiguous expression, hesitating whether to continue.
"Go on. Does the battle report only include gains?" Lord Eye scolded him impatiently.
The record keeper cleared his throat and continued, "Casualties: the Second Regiment lost 2,352 killed in action, 507 severely wounded and unable to recover, with minor injuries not counted."
Hearing this, everyone's expressions changed, including Ye Zhongming's.
Each regiment had only about 30,000 men. The Second Regiment had lost nearly ten percent of its combat strength in a single outing. If this continued, after a few hunts, there would be no one left.
Chen Ning narrowed his eyes and said nothing, but inwardly he was dismissive.
Did hunting ever come without casualties? Fifty-five million Moonspan Gold was worth far more than 3,000 warriors! When distributed among the various clans, the numbers per clan were not that large.
This attitude made Ye Zhongming's eyes narrow as well. There were quite a few Star-Eye Clan members in the Second Regiment.
"First Regiment casualties: 301 killed in action, 48 severely wounded and unable to recover, with minor injuries not counted."
At this point, the competition between the two regiments was no longer in doubt. Even if their gains were identical, the disparity in casualties was like heaven and earth.
Then, Ye Zhongming, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke. "I propose that Chen Ning be relieved of his command of the Second Regiment."
