Talking about military expansion before welcoming the bride

"Master, it's time to meet the bride," Thirteen said with a smile on his face, dressed in formal attire.

At this moment, Ye Tian was still observing Xiao Bai's movements, contemplating how to deal with the Sea God.

Thirteen's voice interrupted his thoughts, and he slowly regained his focus, nodding lightly.

Thirteen looked at Ye Tian and said,

"Young master, moving on so quickly even after discovering their identities may give others the wrong impression that you are the son-in-law of the Spirit Palace.

If word spreads, it could harm your reputation."

Deep down, Thirteen hoped that Master Ye Tian would remain independent from the major forces and not join the Spirit Hall.

He believed that with Ye Tian's current abilities, once fully revealed, even the Spirit Palace would have to treat him with respect.

"Don't speak nonsense," Ye Tian waved his hand dismissively.

He knew that Thirteen wouldn't joke about such matters, given his thoughtfulness.

Ye Tian understood that Zhou Long and Thirteen's subordinates had conspired and entrusted Thirteen to convey their concerns discreetly.

They didn't want him to become entangled with the Spirit Hall because of Hu Liena, jeopardizing his autonomy.

Ye Tian recognized that this was for his own good.

Locking eyes with Thirteen, Ye Tian raised his hand and reassured him,

"I understand what you mean.

Don't worry, I won't let this affect my judgment."

"As expected, nothing escapes your notice, young master,"

Thirteen scratched his head in embarrassment.

Being seen through on the spot, he could only remind Ye Tian in this discreet manner.

With the matter settled, Thirteen leaned closer to Ye Tian and whispered,

"Young Master, the Spirit Palace is not a force to be trusted.

Just like the two great empires, they engage in numerous clandestine activities behind the scenes."

"The Spirit Palace has become corrupt, abandoning its original purpose of serving Spirit Masters," Thirteen continued, his voice hushed.

"Now, it only represents the interests of a few influential Spirit Master families."

These observations were not mere conjecture.

As the head of Ye Tian's intelligence organization, Thirteen had access to information beyond East Sea City.

Through extensive research, he uncovered clues within the vast and intricate data.

"Indeed," Ye Tian acknowledged, unable to deny Thirteen's words.

The state of the Spirit Hall had indeed changed, and it was an undeniable fact.

This realization emphasized the need for the Spirit Hall to undergo a transformation, shedding its flaws and embracing new perspectives.

Although forming a new force using these energies might be easier than attempting to change the Spirit Hall, it would attract significant public scrutiny and opposition.

Ye Tian, not yet fully matured, knew that openly raising a flag in a world filled with powerful figures would be unwise.

Considering the potential threats, it was still necessary to make use of Spirit Hall's resources.

The Sea God Island incident had taught Ye Tian the futility of relying solely on others.

The only viable solution was to become stronger himself.

"It's time to expand the Tiance Army," Ye Tian sighed softly, his words carrying a deeper meaning.

Thirteen's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and his tone grew more respectful.

"Master, are you finally contemplating dominating the mainland?"

You see, with your current financial resources, supporting not only the existing five thousand soldiers in the Tiance Army but even fifty thousand wouldn't be a problem.

Yet, the thought of seizing control of the continent had never crossed your mind before.

As a subordinate, Thirteen had subtly hinted at this idea twice before, only to be rejected by Ye Tian

Suggestions are already exceeding the power of the hairpin.

Master Ye Tian didn't blame him, it was the best result.

He must not push his feet.

"Where do you want to go?"

Ye Tian chuckled and patted Thirteen on the shoulder.

"Let others conquer the stars and the sea.

I don't have that much time to spare. I simply feel that we have too few cards in our hands to protect ourselves, so I want to add more."

Raising his hand, Ye Tian pondered for a moment before saying,

"After my wedding, Mr. Chen will lay off my workshop.

From the workers, select two thousand individuals from clean families to form two logistics teams.

Secretly recruit three thousand soldiers from various cities, ensuring they have a clean family background."

"I've already made a note of it,"

Thirteen replied solemnly.

"Finding officials with clean backgrounds isn't difficult these days, but civilians with clean family backgrounds are harder to come by."

Thirteen raised a concern, asking,

"Young master, once the recruitment is completed, are you planning to send these people to the Haihun Mountain base for training?"

Ye Tian responded with a reassuring tone,

"Don't worry about that. Didn't I have Zi Zhenzhu (Purple Peal) build a manor on the Pearl Islands earlier?

The island's sealing and secrecy are excellent, and the residential buildings are already prepared.

The recruits can train there in secrecy."

Thirteen's eyes lit up at the idea. Having the army reside and train on an island would provide even higher levels of concealment than Haihun Mountain.

...

As Ye Tian didn't have any uncles or brothers, the wedding team was relatively small.

Thirteen had initially suggested that the handsome young men from the Tiance Army could form a wedding reception team of one hundred people, creating a more magnificent appearance.

However, Ye Tian thought it over and decided against it.

He preferred to keep a low profile, and a large wedding party would detract from that.

Thus, the welcoming team, including the sedan chair carriers, consisted of fewer than twenty people.

Most of them were mid-level officers from the Tiance Army, and being present at Ye Tian's wedding was considered a great honor.

The location of Hu Liena's wedding was set in the farm staff dormitory, which felt somewhat underwhelming given her future role as the saint of the Spirit Temple and the successor to the Pope.

Originally, Ye Tian had planned to use a villa as the wedding venue, but Qian Renxue, Ning Fengzhi, and others were residing there, making it impossible to move the location.

Additionally, Bibi Dong and Hu Liena were adamant about not delaying the wedding date, so simplicity was the only option.

"Here comes the groom," announced Su Xiaoxin.

Since there was no one else on Hu Liena's side, she had temporarily taken on the role of a bridesmaid.

"Brother Ye Tian, you look so handsome today!"

Su Xiaoxin exclaimed as she trotted over.

Ye Tian smiled and affectionately touched Su Xiaoxin's head before moving his hands towards Thirteen who quickly understood the gesture and quickly took out a red envelope from his pocket, handing it to Su Xiaoxin.

"This is the bridesmaid's red envelope."

"Thank you, Brother Ye Tian!" Su Xiaoxin expressed her gratitude.