When the two Destroy Ghost God brothers were transferred to Jiang Xiaoyu's squad, there was no trouble.
On the contrary, when Lu Fang and the other four were assigned, "Brocade Mouse" Bai Yutang was unwilling. He refused to serve under a woman younger than him no matter what.
In the end, Li Sheng Nan had to step in and reason with him using her "sword." Only then did his resentment subside.
Aside from that, it had to be said that Yang Yuncong had put a great deal of thought into arranging the personnel for the Western Squad. Not only were most of them in the prime of their lives, between twenty-five and thirty-five years old, but their individual strength was also formidable.
Miao Changfeng was at the peak of the Innate Realm, just one step away from entering the Grandmaster level.
Leng Tieqiao and Xiao Zhiyuan were both in the late stage of the Innate Realm.
Meng Yuanchao, Song Tengxiao, Yang Mu, Yuchi Jiong, and Qi Jianye had all reached the middle stage of the Innate Realm.
Guan Kunwu, Mou Yihang, Dan Qiusheng, Zhu Shangfu, Yun Ziluo, and Yang Lian were all in the early stage of the Innate Realm.
Of the forty-four people in the Western Squad, a full fourteen were Innate Realm experts. Their strength far surpassed that of the men originally arranged for Qin Shuang.
Miao Changfeng, Leng Tieqiao, and Xiao Zhiyuan stood out in particular. With their strength, they could easily serve as Garrison Generals, yet they had been transferred to Qin Shuang's command to serve as Section Leaders. The higher-ups' intention to protect Qin Shuang was obvious.
The appointment for Qin Shuang's promotion to Garrison General soon came through, but he did not pay much attention to it. He did not even go to the government office to report and collect the standard uniform and saber. He left the matter of filling the vacancies in the squads to their respective Section Leaders and remained at home, fully immersed in cultivating and exploring his martial arts.
He needed to find a path—a Martial Way that belonged to him—and use it to advance into the Innate Realm.
However, on this day, Qin Shuang rarely managed to free up some time. He went with Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling to a medium-sized restaurant in Bailu Fang. He wanted to meet the people Kou Zhong had contacted.
Three people were already waiting in the private room. When they saw Qin Shuang and the others enter, they all rose and cupped their hands in greeting.
All three were in their early twenties. The man in the middle had a resolute, deep-set face, a firm and decisive gaze, and a handsome, refined appearance. Though he was young, his every gesture was seasoned and steady, bearing the air of a great general.
Through Kou Zhong's introduction, Qin Shuang learned that his name was Chen Haonan, the leader of a small local gang in Chaoge City.
The man on the left had a resolute yet vicious face. An eyepatch covered his left eye, while his remaining right eye gleamed with ruthless ferocity. Like the leader of a wolf pack, he was savage and cunning, without the slightest trace of mercy.
His name was Zhao Shanhe, and he was Chen Haonan's right-hand man.
The man on the right had deep, sharp eyes. His brows resembled two keen swords lying above them, and his facial lines were as if carved by a blade. Everything about him radiated sharpness and uncompromising resolve. A diagonal scar ran across his brow, and whenever he frowned, his fierce aura seemed capable of freezing the air around him.
His name was Liang Er, and he was also Chen Haonan's right-hand man.
As it happened, Liang Er's appearance was actually seventy to eighty percent similar to Qin Shuang's. This caused everyone to marvel, and Qin Shuang himself felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
After the six of them introduced themselves, they took their seats as host and guests, then immediately got to the point.
"Haonan, I assume Kou Zhong already told you why we invited you here before you came? Tell me your plans. If you have any concerns, you can bring those up as well," Qin Shuang said bluntly.
"First, I have one concern. I hope Captain Qin can clear it up for us!"
"Go ahead." Qin Shuang spread his hand, signaling Chen Haonan to continue.
"As long as Captain Qin is willing, there are plenty of people in all of Chaoge City who would work for you. I'm only an ordinary leader in the Hong Xing Gang, so I don't understand why Captain Qin sought me out."
"First, Kou Zhong recommended you. He said that you put benevolence first and valued loyalty and affection. That is something I care about greatly."
"Second, as you can see, I'm not very old myself, so I don't want to deal with those old foxes of the martial world. I would rather find someone young like me to work with."
"Finally, there is the matter of seniority. I have little seniority in the Dragon Guard, so I do not expect to deal directly with the leaders of the various gangs and factions. What I want is a strategic partner."
"And you meet all of these conditions, so I chose you!"
"From what you just said, Captain Qin, you mean cooperation?" Chen Haonan asked cautiously.
"That's right, cooperation. We are equals. Neither of us is the other's superior. We will help each other and improve together, achieving a win-win outcome!" Qin Shuang replied firmly.
"Thank you for thinking highly of me, Captain Qin. However, among the martial-world forces in Chaoge City, Six-and-a-Half Hall and Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower have been annexing the smaller gangs and associations, and they are already poised to swallow them whole. When the two gangs clash, the victor will surely dominate Chaoge City! I'm not trying to raise others' morale and diminish our own, but the Hong Xing Gang truly has no way to withstand this tide. In the end, even if we aren't destroyed, we can only become an appendage." Chen Haonan sighed, though unwillingness showed on his face.
"You can put that worry aside. How could the imperial court allow a single martial-world force to dominate? There will certainly be measures to keep them in check. For now, you only need to build up your strength and wait for the right opportunity," Qin Shuang said confidently.
Seeing that the time was right, Xu Ziling placed the sandalwood box in his hands on the table and pushed it toward Chen Haonan.
Qin Shuang pointed at the wooden box and continued, "These are martial arts manuals seized when we destroyed a martial clan earlier. You can select trusted subordinates to cultivate them with you and improve your strength."
Chen Haonan, Zhao Shanhe, and Liang Er were all overjoyed. They had struggled at the bottom of the martial world, relying on brute force and instinct whenever they fought. What they lacked most were methods for systematically cultivating martial arts.
Though the martial arts manuals were enormously tempting, Chen Haonan remained calm. "May I ask what exactly Captain Qin needs us to do?"
"Your strength is still lacking. For now, you only need to help me stay well-informed about the martial world. The priorities are improving your martial arts, raising your position in the Hong Xing Gang, and expanding the Hong Xing Gang's influence." Qin Shuang's thoughts were clear, and his words were concise.
Chen Haonan rose first. Leading Zhao Shanhe and Liang Er, he bowed and said, "Captain Qin, although you said that we would cooperate as equals, to us, this is an enormous favor born of your recognition. As long as you harbor no ill intent, from this day onward, we will be at your command without a shred of disloyalty!"
"Good. I hope we can help each other achieve greatness and advance together, with the imperial court and martial world joining hands!" Seeing Chen Haonan's calmness under pressure and his neither servile nor arrogant words, Qin Shuang liked him even more. "Kou Zhong and Ziling will coordinate the specific matters with you. If you need anything, you can contact either of them directly."
"Good!"
Qin Shuang and Chen Haonan clasped hands tightly, like two dragons coiling around each other.
Outside the restaurant, the sky gradually darkened. Its colors shifted from azure to blue-gray, then to deep gray, and finally became an oppressive mass of black.
The sky seemed to press down on the earth, making all living things hold their breath. In the distance, thunder rumbled like deep drumbeats, pounding constantly against people's nerves.
Dark clouds pressed down on the city, as if they intended to swallow all of Chaoge City. Or perhaps what was going to swallow Chaoge City was not this mass of dark clouds at all!
Before you continue