Chapter 55: The Deeply Humiliated Zhang Zhe
"Excellent, a breakthrough is wonderful. In that case, I’ll appoint you as a Thousand Men Commander of the Personal Guard Camp. It still needs to be reported, so the official appointment letter won’t arrive for a few days. Take this time to familiarize yourself with the position."
"As you command!"
Lu Yuan replied at once.
A smile spread across his face.
Zhou Hongling smiled. "It’s just the two of us; there’s no need to be so formal. You’ve earned this, so of course I can’t just ignore it."
TAP TAP TAP!
Just then, the crisp sound of footsteps echoed from outside.
Then, a guard appeared outside.
"Ma’am, the General has sent someone. He says there is urgent military intelligence and that you are to proceed to Yanzhou City at once."
Zhou Hongling’s brow twitched.
’We’ve been in a standoff with the Northern Barbarians for so many years, and there’s never been any ’urgent military intelligence.’ This level of haste must mean the Imperial Court is making a move.’
At this thought, she didn’t dare delay. Standing up, she glanced at Lu Yuan. "I’m heading to Yanzhou City. Take this Token and go get your equipment."
"Thank you, Ma’am."
Lu Yuan acknowledged her and accepted a Thousand Men Commander’s Token.
After watching Zhou Hongling depart, he also headed outside.
’A Thousand Men Commander’s armor is different from a Centurion’s. I should get my new equipment first.’
He rounded a corner and made his way to the Military Preparation Warehouse.
Meanwhile, after a full day of rough travel, Zhang Zhe finally arrived in Youzhou City.
He had just stated his purpose outside General Helian’s Mansion when a man who appeared to be a steward hurried over. With a meaningful expression, the man led him toward the estate’s rear courtyard.
They passed through a long corridor.
They arrived at a luxurious courtyard. As soon as he stepped inside, he saw many young men dressed in white, bustling about.
The sight made the corner of Zhang Zhe’s mouth twitch, but there was nothing he could do.
He could only brace himself and walk farther in.
A moment later, he was led into a massive bedroom. On an enormous, custom-made bed sat the woman from before. She wore nothing on her upper body but a huge silken bib.
Four men were gathered around her. Some massaged her legs and kneaded her shoulders, while another carefully fed her morsels of food. Grease dribbled down from the corners of her mouth.
An attendant gently wiped it clean.
To Zhang Zhe, she was nothing but a colossal, greasy mountain of flesh. The sight made his skin crawl.
The woman’s eyes lit up at his arrival. Zhang Zhe had dressed up for the occasion; he looked much more pleasant than he had at their last meeting.
He had the dashing air of a young general.
"Weren’t you in a hurry to leave last time?" the woman asked coldly after eating a piece of meat. "What brings you here today?"
Her aura changed in an instant. To Zhang Zhe, she was now an imposing figure, looking down on him from on high.
The indignation that had been burning in his heart instantly vanished, replaced by a sense of dread.
"Please, my lady, save me."
"And how do you want me to save you?" the woman’s cold, hard voice replied.
Not daring to hesitate, Zhang Zhe poured out the whole story of what Helian Shang had done to him, confessing that he feared he would be tormented to death if things continued as they were.
When he finished, the woman stared at him, her expression as cold as ever. She knew that the man before her could no longer escape her grasp.
If she had held him in some small regard during their last meeting, now he was nothing more than her plaything.
He was, however, a more novel plaything than the others, and that was all.
Zhang Zhe kept his head bowed, beads of sweat forming on his brow. He had no idea if this woman could actually help him.
"Is that all? And you ran all this way for it? I’ll take care of it for you. I guarantee you’ll be satisfied."
After she spoke, she turned to one of the men and said, "Tell the steward to inform Helian Tielin that I’m borrowing Zhang Zhe for a few days. After he goes back, have Helian Shang arrange a position of Thousand Men Commander for him."
"Yes, My Lady." A handsome man replied before cautiously taking his leave.
Zhang Zhe was thunderstruck. He knew the strict requirements for becoming a Thousand Men Commander. He had neither the military achievements nor the required level of cultivation.
’Can she really make it happen with just a single sentence?’ But considering where he was, he couldn’t help but believe it was possible.
’After all, there are always people who can exist above the rules.’
Just as he was breathing a sigh of relief,
the woman’s gaze fell upon him, her eyes glinting with a fervent heat.
She looked at Zhang Zhe and ordered, "Remove your armor!"
Her voice was stern, leaving no room for argument.
Zhang Zhe froze, his face flushing crimson.
The woman’s voice grew even colder. "I told you to remove your armor. Take it off! Take it all off for me!"
At that moment, Zhang Zhe’s eyes were bloodshot, but he had no other choice. Since he had come this far, he had already prepared himself.
He just hadn’t expected her to be so blunt.
Piece by piece, the plates of his armor came off.
The woman’s expression, however, remained grim.
What happened next need not be described.
...
Meanwhile, Lu Yuan had arrived at the Military Preparation Warehouse and was selecting his new suit of armor.
The armor for a Thousand Men Commander was a significant improvement over that of a Centurion.
Forged entirely from Profound Iron, its jet-black Armor Leaves were inlaid like scales.
In addition to a breastplate, it also featured a Leopard Head Shoulder Guard on the right shoulder, which was a dark, burnished gold.
Wearing it made Lu Yuan look even more formidable.
His standard-issue weapon was swapped for a sleek long saber forged from Profound Iron.
The blade was three feet long and the hilt one foot. It hung perfectly at Lu Yuan’s waist.
After collecting his new gear, Lu Yuan headed home.
’Zhou Hongling’s hurried departure for Yanzhou City means something big must have happened. A combat mission might be coming up next.’
’So, the most crucial thing for me is to improve my strength as much as possible.’
He swallowed the Heart Refining Pill he had purchased and began to practice the Tiger Subduing Posture.
Back at the Military Preparation Warehouse, Lu Yuan had spent five hundred silver to purchase a bottle of Heart Refining Pills.
’It wasn’t that I didn’t want to buy more; I simply had no silver left.’
That was why he wasn’t at all opposed to war breaking out.
In fact, he was rather looking forward to it. If war truly did break out,
his own strength could advance by leaps and bounds.
’But before that, I’ll leave the city tomorrow to earn some military merits and spoils. I can’t afford to be without silver for Elixirs. If a war truly begins, I’ll need an even larger supply.’
At that very moment, in the neighboring courtyard, the woman of the Xiao Clan was looking at a secret letter in her hand, her face showing a long-absent joy, even a hint of excitement.
However, after she put the letter down, her expression became solemn. She looked at Xiao Hua and said, "Your maternal grandfather has succeeded. We’ll be able to go back very soon."
Xiao Hua’s face first showed excitement at the news, but then she grew anxious. "But... if we leave, what will happen to Yuan?"
The Xiao Clan matriarch glanced at her daughter, but instead of showing displeasure, she spoke in a gentle voice. "Dayong knows the Northern Barbarians have just stabilized their leadership, and they want to send troops while we are perceived as weak."
"We’ll return first. Later, we can find a chance to persuade Yuan. He’s a Centurion in the Icefield Fortress now; trying to convince him directly might not be effective.
"Pack your things. In three days, someone will come to meet us outside the city."
Xiao Hua glanced toward Lu Yuan’s courtyard, her eyes filled with reluctance, but she nodded nonetheless.
Then, she began to pack her belongings.