New Mission Released

Chapter 25: New Mission Issued

Upon arriving at the Company Commander's office, an Imperial Guard Enforcer approached and bowed, reporting:

"Greetings, Lord Bai. The Battalion Commander requests your presence."

"Oh? Another new mission?"

Bai Yan swallowed the half-baked flatbread in a few bites, brushed the crumbs off his hands, and followed the Enforcer to the Battalion Commander's office.

"Your subordinate, Bai Yan, greets the Battalion Commander."

Entering the office, Bai Yan bowed respectfully.

"Bai Yan, you have quite the audacity!"

As soon as they met, Zheng Haihan uttered these words to Bai Yan.

"What does the Battalion Commander mean by that? Your subordinate doesn't quite understand."

Zheng Haihan chuckled twice, his tone laced with sarcasm:

"Lord Bai doesn't understand?"

"You were just promoted to Company Commander yesterday, and you injured Zhao Gaozhong. Wouldn't you say your audacity is quite considerable?"

"The Imperial Guard has strict rules: no fighting among colleagues, no killing each other. Surely you, Lord Bai, are aware of this?"

Bai Yan could detect the teasing in Zheng Haihan's tone, sensing no genuine anger, and calmly replied:

"Zhao Gaozhong was the one who provoked me and threw the first punch. Your subordinate was merely acting in self-defense."

"As for injuring him, it was unavoidable, and your subordinate held back."

"Held back?"

Zheng Haihan's lips twitched slightly. He was almost amused to the point of exasperation by Bai Yan's words:

"You broke one of his arms, three ribs, and even caused varying degrees of internal injuries to his vital organs. You call that holding back?"

"By your logic, if you hadn't held back, would you have intended to kill him with a single palm strike?"

Bai Yan nodded inwardly, thinking that if it were a different situation, he wouldn't only kill Zhao Gaozhong with a palm strike but would also scatter his ashes.

"Your subordinate would not dare."

"Your subordinate always keeps the laws of the Imperial Guard in mind and would never break the law knowingly."

Bai Yan stated righteously.

"You better be!"

Zheng Haihan snorted, no longer dwelling on the matter. He changed the subject:

"We'll set aside Zhao Gaozhong's incident for now. Let's discuss the main business."

"In seven days, an envoy from Bozeguo will arrive in Yongtang. This time, Bozeguo is sending a princess to marry into our Great Yu."

"According to regulations, the envoy will be escorted by the Imperial Army. They will only be allowed to enter the city after their identities are verified outside Yongtang City."

"Afterward, the Ministry of Rites will select an auspicious date to send the princess into the palace to serve His Majesty the Emperor."

"Your mission is to rendezvous with the envoy outside the city, escort the Bozeguo envoy safely into Yongtang, and deliver them to the Guest House."

Bai Yan frowned:

"With the Imperial Army escorting them, there shouldn't be a need for us Imperial Guards to get involved, right?"

Although the Imperial Army doesn't have as many experts as the Imperial Guard, they have numbers.

When ants are numerous enough, they can overwhelm an elephant.

Once the Imperial Army forms a battle formation and charges, even a Master can be slain. Completing such a minor task should be more than sufficient.

Bozeguo is merely a small country; its territory isn't even as large as one of Great Yu's provinces.

Just escorting an envoy, having both the Imperial Guard and the Imperial Army work together seems like overkill.

Zheng Haihan said indifferently:

"This mission for the Imperial Guard is just a formality, a way to gain some merit."

"This was originally a task Zhao Gaozhong sought, but you severely injured him. He'll be bedridden for at least a month, so this mission naturally falls to you."

Bai Yan suddenly understood. So, he had become the one to reap the rewards.

Zheng Haihan's expression turned serious, and he said in a deep voice:

"Don't get cocky yet, young man. While this mission brings merit, it also carries risks. You must remember who is behind Zhao Gaozhong."

Hearing this, Bai Yan paused slightly, then realized.

This mission, originally assigned to Zhao Gaozhong, might have been an easy task to gain merit. But if someone else took it, especially with Wang Zheng pulling strings behind the scenes, who knew what complications might arise.

"Secondly, this mission might prove troublesome. The people of Bozeguo have always been bullies who pick on the weak. His Majesty once described them as narrow-minded and ignorant, possessing minor virtues but lacking great righteousness. It's inevitable that they might cause difficulties."

"If you don't want to go, this mission can be assigned to someone else."

Zheng Haihan looked up at Bai Yan and added nonchalantly.

Although this goading tactic was a bit crude, Bai Yan actually fell for it. He wanted to climb the ranks, so naturally, he had to show some authority.

It's just a bunch of brainless people, no big deal. If they dare to mess with him, Bai Yan will teach them a lesson on the spot.

"No need! Sir, please leave it to your subordinate!"

At this very moment, the system's prompt sounded in his mind.

[Ding! Host has triggered a mission: Escort the Bozeguo delegation]

[A vast and mighty nation, all nations come to pay homage]

[Please escort the Bozeguo delegation safely into the Hui Tong Guan in Yongtang City]

[Mission Reward: Max Level Spiritual Rhinoceros Finger]

Without wings of colorful phoenixes flying in pairs, the heart has spiritual rhinoceroses connecting instantly.

This was Lu Xiaofeng's unique skill, rumored to be able to catch any weapon with just two fingers, incredibly overpowered.

Not only was its power immense, but the most crucial part was that it was cool.

What a treasure!

Bai Yan's eyes lit up. He cupped his hands in a salute to Zheng Haihan and turned to leave.

Just as Bai Yan expected, Zhao Gaozhong almost fainted upon learning that the mission had been snatched away.

Wang Zheng naturally wouldn't say much to a lackey, leading Zhao Gaozhong to believe he had been betrayed. He was practically seething with rage.

Inside the Pacification Bureau's pharmacy, a sharp, mournful roar suddenly erupted.

"Bai Yan, you're going too far!"

"If I don't get revenge for this, I, Zhao Gaozhong, swear I'm not human!"

Pfft—!

Zhao Gaozhong, lying on his sickbed, spat out a mouthful of blood, his face instantly turning deathly pale.

The little bit of vitality he had managed to recover was now completely gone. His internal injuries hadn't healed; instead, they had worsened.

He never imagined that the golden opportunity he had painstakingly sought would be stolen by Bai Yan.

"Sir, please calm your anger and take care of yourself."

His lackeys, seeing him so enraged that he was spitting blood, quickly stepped forward to comfort him.

"Yes, sir. If you want to get revenge on Bai Yan, there will be plenty of opportunities after you recover. There's no need to rush."

Another lackey chimed in.

They both looked at the panting Zhao Gaozhong, afraid he might not be able to catch his breath and simply die of anger.

Zhao Gaozhong lay on the sickbed, gasping for air, his eyes fixed on the ceiling, filled with boundless hatred.

"Bai Yan, just you wait. I'll let you be smug for a few days!"

"Once I'm healed, I'll make you pay!"

Bai Yan not only injured him but also stole his chance for merit. It was practically akin to the hatred of a father's murder and a wife's abduction. This enmity was irreconcilable, and even all the waters of the five lakes and four seas couldn't wash it away.

Zhen Residence, late at night.

Upon learning that Bai Yan would no longer pursue the matter of Zhen Xiaoren, Father Zhen finally felt relieved.

However, he didn't know that Bai Yan wasn't the only one who wanted Zhen Xiaoren dead.

Zhen Xiaoren had committed countless evil deeds over the years. The people who wanted him dead could probably form a line from the Zhen Residence all the way outside Yongtang City