Chapter Ten: Did He Really Pull It Off?

“What? This sword was also designed by him?”

Deputy Commander Chen and Lei Yan exchanged glances, momentarily at a loss for words.

Especially when they saw the detailed blueprints handed over by Fatty Li, Lei Yan was almost speechless.

This kid... truly is a talent!

“Li Ping’an, as long as you agree to let him join the Xilin Army, name your terms,” Lei Yan said solemnly, exhaling deeply.

Deputy Commander Chen couldn’t help but nudge Fatty Li and grit his teeth: “Fatty Li, don’t you like my collection of Daughter’s Red wine? If you agree to let him come to the Xilin Army, I’ll give you twenty jars of Daughter’s Red!”

Fatty Li shook his head, looking unusually serious at that moment.

“Other matters can be negotiated, but as for him, that’s impossible!”

Pointing at Deputy Commander Chen and Lei Yan, Fatty Li sneered coldly.

“Don’t forget! You both came out of the Tiger Might Battalion!”

Lei Yan clenched his fists tightly, speaking in a low voice: “I haven’t forgotten!”

“If it weren’t for Brother Jiang’s promotion back then, I wouldn’t be where I am today!”

“But... Brother Jiang is already dead!”

“The Tiger Might Battalion today is nothing but a scattered mess! Why insist on keeping him there?”

Fatty Li spread his hands and sneered.

“I want to prove to those in the capital that the Tiger Might Battalion will one day bare its fangs again!”

“They may have orchestrated Brother Jiang’s death, but they can never kill the spirit of the Tiger Might Battalion!”

Fatty Li stood up, picked up the sword, and started toward the door. Halfway there, he glanced back at Lei Yan.

“If you want him, you’ll have to step over my dead body first!”

At that moment, a teasing voice sounded.

“Fatty Li! Just in time!”

“I’m curious how you’ll explain this to the general this time!”

Not far away, Sergeant Jiang, surrounded by several supporters, approached with a sinister look.

Fatty Li stopped and glanced at Sergeant Jiang.

“Jiang Changhong, you’re everywhere!”

Sergeant Jiang sneered but ignored Fatty Li’s mockery, instead looking arrogantly at Lei Yan and Deputy Commander Chen.

“General! I have urgent news to report!”

Lei Yan glanced at Sergeant Jiang with distaste.

“Speak! What is it?”

Sergeant Jiang looked back at Fatty Li.

“Reporting to the general: while on patrol, I found a barbarian spy. As I was about to bring him back for questioning, Fatty Li intervened and protected this man!”

“In the end, he even recruited that man into the Tiger Might Battalion!”

“Fatty Li is clearly inviting disaster. I fear this will lead to great calamity! I ask the general to uphold justice for me!”

Lei Yan raised his brow.

A young man?

Could it be...

Fatty Li seemed to notice Lei Yan’s gaze, clapping his hands with a light laugh.

“Oh right, I forgot to tell you, General.”

“That kid did want to join the Xilin Army at first, but just happened to run into Sergeant Jiang!”

“Who’s Sergeant Jiang? He’s the second young master of the Jiang family in the capital! Relying on his father, the Minister of War, he struts around arrogantly in our Xilin Army!”

Fatty Li sighed deeply.

“People like us, with no power or influence, dare not offend Sergeant Jiang, so the kid couldn’t join the Xilin Army. I just took him in kindly at the Tiger Might Battalion.”

“So, General, don’t say I’m against it— even if I agreed, that kid might not want to come to the Xilin Army anyway.”

Lei Yan’s face suddenly darkened.

He looked at Sergeant Jiang with particular displeasure.

“Is what he said true?”

Sergeant Jiang twitched his mouth. The atmosphere wasn’t going as he expected.

Wasn’t he supposed to win Lei Yan’s support and have Fatty Li severely reprimanded?

But now... something was off.

Sergeant Jiang braced himself and looked at Lei Yan, clearing his throat.

“General, it’s true.”

“But that man nearly killed me! Such a fierce and savage person must not be kept here!”

Lei Yan strode up to Sergeant Jiang coldly and slapped him hard across the face.

Smack!

The sharp sound of the slap echoed prominently at that moment.

One of Sergeant Jiang’s teeth flew out onto the ground.

He collapsed, sitting on the floor, staring at Lei Yan in disbelief.

“Lei Yan! How dare you hit me?”

“Don’t forget! You were once a servant of the Jiang family!”

Lei Yan sneered, pointing at Sergeant Jiang on the ground.

“If it weren’t for your brother, do you think you’d still have the chance to speak to me here?”

“This is my final warning: if this happens again, I will kill you! Get out!”

Sergeant Jiang shuddered, quickly rising and staggering away.

Watching Sergeant Jiang flee in disgrace, Deputy Commander Chen shook his head.

“Brother Jiang was once a prodigy—gifted not only in martial arts but also in military strategy!”

“In just three months, he led the Tiger Might Battalion to slaughter enemies far and wide, leaving the barbarians in complete rout.”

“And now, look at this good-for-nothing younger brother!”

Fatty Li clenched his fists tightly, then slowly relaxed them and headed for the door.

“Remember what you promised!”

...

At dusk, Fatty Li sat atop the city wall, holding a jug of wine.

Looking at the streets and the city below, a deep sorrow was evident in his eyes.

Old Zhang beside him shook his head.

“Enough! You should drink less.”

Fatty Li pursed his lips.

“I just feel it’s unfair for Brother Jiang. He was innocent! Yet after being framed and sent back to the capital, he lost his life.”

Old Zhang patted Fatty Li’s shoulder and sighed softly.

“That’s all in the past now.”

“The only thing that matters is holding onto Qinghe Town!”

“If the barbarians break through Qinghe Town, their iron cavalry will storm straight to the capital!”

“Then, with Daliang fallen, the world will be drenched in blood!”

Fatty Li nodded, exhaling deeply.

“I wonder how that kid is doing?”

“Maybe it’s good he’s facing some setbacks now, so he won’t be so reckless.”

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