Border fortress.

When I walked out of the lieutenant's house, a faint white color appeared on the horizon. The night was gradually dispersing and a new day was about to come.

Li Yinchen looked at the hazy white sky, felt the slight chill of the early morning, and walked towards the yard where the wounded were being treated.

"Captain, how's it going? Did the old man tell us about the rewards later?" A young man with a bandage on his arm approached. He was wearing a white robe similar to Li Yinchen's, and judging by his pale complexion, he was also half-human, half-evil.

"Don't call him old man, that's Uncle Lin, he takes good care of us. Even if you need to call him that, you should call him Lord Lin." He shook his head helplessly, then asked with concern.

"Are you feeling better?"

"It's okay, I'll be fine after a few days of rest. You haven't answered me yet, is there a reward?" The young man was in his early 20s and was a little impatient.

"Yes, I've made a note of it for you, and there's also some silver to be distributed." As he spoke, Li Yinchen took out a dozen silver rings from his bosom and placed them in his hand.

"First, use it to buy some delicious food and take care of yourself. Don't leave the border for a few days."

"Well, thank you Brother Li." He counted the silver rings excitedly, then stepped back.

Afterwards, Li Yinchen comforted several other injured companions, gave them some money for their health and treatment, and then left the city.

The fortress was a garrison, so naturally there were no ordinary people's residences. He usually lived in a small town on the border, which was the town called "Youcen" that Loran Hill had passed by before.

After returning to the town, he met many familiar neighbors on the road and he also stretched out his hand to greet them.

"Is Yin Chen back?" An auntie who was sitting at the door picking vegetables on the roadside saw it and asked.

"Yes, Aunt Liu." Li Yinchen stopped and responded.

"I haven't seen you for a long time. How have you been recently? It must be dangerous to patrol outside the border. Let me see if you are hurt." As she said that, she walked over.

"It's really okay." Li Yinchen shook his head. This aunt took care of him a lot when he was a child, so it was not surprising that she cared about him like this.

"I'm glad you're okay." After approaching, Aunt Liu looked at Li Yinchen carefully again.

"Yinchen, you are almost thirty this year."

"Yes." A sense of unease passed through Li Yinchen's mind.

"It's time to get married and start a family. If you wait any longer, no girl will like you."

"Look at you, you were so fair when you were little, and many girls in the neighborhood liked you. Later, when you grew up, even though everyone knew you were of a different bloodline, there were still a few who were willing to marry you. But you ignored them all, and then they all got married, and now you're the only one left..."

The aunt started nagging again. After all, in the eyes of the older generation, having a family and descendants is the most important thing. Although Li Yinchen is very powerful in the patrol team, it is a dangerous job after all. It would be better for him to retire and find another job.

"As for you, when you save some money, it would be a good choice to settle down in the mainland. Uncle Wang and his family moved to the city two years ago. When I went to their new home, it was so beautiful..." The aunt did not finish her words.

"Ahem...Aunt Liu, I know. I'm saving money now." Li Yinchen had to interrupt and explain.

In fact, he had planned to visit the mainland of the dynasty in his early years, but due to his bloodline, he encountered a lot of strange looks and was relatively excluded, so he simply came back.

While those with half-human, half-evil bloodlines are rare in the interior, they are quite common on the border. Because of their bloodline, they are less susceptible to the Nine Netherworld Qi within the Sunset Mountains, allowing them to walk there year-round without harming their bodies. Therefore, these individuals have been recruited by the local state government to form a special night patrol team to deal with border monsters and ghosts.

After joining the Night Watch, the military will issue them exclusive "Winter Equipment", which is the slender Cold Moon Sword and a moon-white robe.

The long sword was a silver-grade artifact crafted by the Seven Souls Workshop, a subsidiary of the Winter Official. It had a special effect on killing spirits and also had a slight purifying effect. The Moon White Robe was also made by the Seven Souls Workshop, but this garment offered little protection and was more used to attract ghosts.

The wilderness is vast, and even patrolling can be difficult, so one needs something to attract spirits and monsters. This clothing serves that purpose, imbued with a unique aura. Furthermore, being white makes it more conspicuous even in the dark, making it easier for those on the patrol to identify and call for help, and also easier for monsters to see.

Li Yinchen actually had a rather complicated attitude towards recruiting these half-human, half-evil border troops. On the one hand, he was grateful that such an organization could put his military power to good use, earn him a relatively generous salary, and gain some respect in the small border towns.

But on the other hand, he actually saw very clearly that the border troops did not take them seriously. They were just convenient tools and consumables that could be discarded at any time.

These people with special identities were not naturalized in the army, and even if they were injured or killed, it would not be reported. At most, they would be given some money to comfort their families, and that was all. However, it was different for other naturalized soldiers, such as the "Black Leopard Riders".

These elite soldiers came from the military mansions in the interior. Many of them were military households for generations, usually working as farmers. When needed, they would be recruited into the army under the imperial conscription. Such military households were specially recorded in the local area. If they died in battle, not only would the imperial court support their families, but they would also be exempted from corvée and taxes.

If a male member of a family died and his wife and daughter were bullied in the village, other military households from the same village and county would help, and local officials would also take care of these honored descendants. This was considered a basic national policy of the dynasty. It was also because of this that the army's glory and combat effectiveness were maintained year after year.

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