Chapter Thirty-Five: Corporal Jiang, does this severed head look familiar?

“Captain... this was an encounter with a thousand barbarians! The fact that none of us died is nothing short of a miracle!”

“To be honest, even if we all had fallen, this would have gone down in the annals of history!”

Guan Qing scratched his head anxiously. The others wore the same expressions.

Before this, no one had ever imagined surviving a battle against the barbarians unscathed.

In their hearts, there was only one thought: every enemy killed was a gain in bloodshed!

Now...

This was nothing less than a joyous surprise!

A truly monumental one!

Sumu glanced at them and shook his head.

“Listen carefully, all of you!”

“I brought you here to kill the enemy, not to throw away your lives!”

“No matter how many enemies there are, you are not allowed to die!”

“I want every one of you alive! Until the day we wipe out every last barbarian! Understood?”

A tremor ran through their hearts.

Never before had they encountered a commander like Sumu.

One who valued the lives of his soldiers so deeply!

“From this day forward, we vow to follow our leader to the death!”

“To the death!”

Sumu looked at their earnest faces and waved his hand.

“All right! Enough of this nonsense.”

“Start cleaning up the battlefield now. Gather every valuable item! Don’t leave anything on the bodies of those barbarians!”

“In battle, to let even the smallest valuable thing slip away is a sin! Understood?”

They nodded in unison.

“Understood!”

At that moment, their eyes glistened with a fierce light.

Because of Sumu’s words today,

for a long time afterward, this army would earn another name in the eyes of their enemies:

Locusts!

Wherever they conquered, nothing would grow thereafter.

Inside the camp,

Sumu gazed silently at the lifeless women of Daliang scattered around.

This was already the seventh tent he had entered.

Each one contained women from Daliang.

From their appearance, none seemed older than twenty.

The prime of their lives, yet each had been tortured to death.

Their delicate skin marred with countless bloodstains.

A sight too horrific to bear.

Jiang Hongluan followed close behind Sumu, clenching her fists in furious rage.

“These beasts! To just kill them outright is too merciful!”

“They deserve a thousand cuts!”

Sumu was silent for a moment, then took a deep breath and looked back at Jiang Hongluan and Xu Qing.

“That’s why I want both of you to protect yourselves on the battlefield.”

“I don’t want to see you fall in this manner one day.”

Jiang Hongluan felt a jolt in her heart.

Xu Qing bit her lip and cautiously glanced at Sumu.

“Captain, if we die in battle... will you remember us?”

Sumu rapped Xu Qing lightly on the head, irritated.

“What are you always thinking about?”

“Listen carefully: you will be my soldiers for life! As long as I live, I won’t let anything happen to you!”

Xu Qing stuck out her tongue, a playful glint in her eyes, muttering softly, “I don’t want to just be your soldier forever...”

Sumu ignored her muttering, walking over to the desk. His eyes fell on an envelope that caused him to freeze.

Because the envelope bore the writing of Daliang!

He opened it and read the contents, his expression darkening.

His fists clenched tightly.

“Jiang Changhong!”

Hearing Sumu’s voice, Jiang Hongluan and the others gathered around.

“Captain, what happened?”

Sumu exhaled sharply, his face grim.

“So that’s why these barbarians knew so much about Qinghe Town’s defenses and the patrol plans!”

“They always managed to avoid the soldiers’ patrols when attacking the village! It was him! Secretly trading with the barbarians all along!”

Jiang Hongluan and Xu Qing exchanged a grave glance.

“Captain, Jiang Changhong’s identity isn’t ordinary.”

“As the sole surviving son of the Jiang family, though only a squad leader, even General Lei dares not harm him in the Xilin Army.”

“That’s right! If we go back to expose him, no one would believe us; worse, they might throw dirt on us!”

Jiang Hongluan said in a low voice.

Sumu glanced at the letter once more, then tucked it into his breast.

“I will handle this matter myself. Meanwhile, you must hasten to gather everything of value. We have no more than the time of a single incense stick to prepare. Take all the warhorses and leave swiftly!”

They all nodded and quickly relayed the order.

Sumu stood silently inside the tent.

He was well aware of what Jiang Hongluan and the others had just said.

Whether Lei Yan or the Inspector—

As long as they wished to remain in Daliang and continue rising through the ranks, they had to accept some unsavory truths.

Jiang Changhong was the perfect example.

But!

Their style of conduct would not be tolerated here.

Treasonous dealings with the enemy that caused endless slaughter!

Jiang Changhong deserved to die!

...

Inside Qinghe Town,

Jiang Changhong swaggered into the Tianxiang Pavilion.

Looking disdainfully at those around him, a sneer crossed his eyes.

“What caliber are you? You dare be in the same place as me?”

“Today, I, Jiang Changhong, have booked the entire Tianxiang Pavilion!”

“All unrelated persons, get out now!”

At these words, the men still reveling around shifted uneasily.

Jiang Changhong was a notorious cancer within Qinghe Town!

None dared provoke him!

A single misstep could cost them their heads!

As the others left, Jiang Changhong looked at a nearby woman with a mocking grin.

“What are you standing there for? Go call Song Hui for me!”

“Today, I want to see just how skilled the famed courtesan of Tianxiang Pavilion truly is!”

The woman hesitated.

Jiang Changhong’s displeasure flared, and he slapped her sharply.

“What kind of nonsense is this? You dare to disobey me?”

“Go!”

He cursed as he barked orders.

The others nearby lowered their heads silently.

At that moment, through the crowd appeared Song Hui, dressed in a red gown, her hair exquisitely styled, lips like ripe cherries, moving gracefully.

At that instant, she seemed a breathtaking beauty stepped right out of a painting.

Jiang Changhong’s eyes instantly widened, filled with lust.

“She really is a beauty!”

“Come quickly into your brother’s arms!”

He urged hastily.

Song Hui furrowed her brow, noticing Jiang Changhong’s clenched fists.

Just as she was about to step forward, a bloodstained cloth descended from above.

Within it was the severed head of a barbarian.

“Squad Leader Jiang! Don’t you want to take a look and see if you recognize this person?”