Return

Lu Yuan and his party returned. As they approached the city gate, Li the Bearded clearly caught the scent of blood radiating from them.

They were all veterans of the battlefield, and they knew exactly what that smell meant.

When they spotted the Silver-Armed Iron Sparrowhawks bound and tossed across the horses' backs, the eyes of Li the Bearded and his men widened in shock.

Having spent so many years on the Northern Frontier, this was the first time he had ever seen a living Silver-Armed Iron Sparrowhawk.

If one were to ask how he recognized them, it was because the armor worn by the Silver-Armed Iron Sparrowhawks was distinct from that of ordinary Northern Barbarian scouts.

Although he had never seen one in the flesh, Li the Bearded had seen pieces of their captured armor before.

At this moment, the sky had not yet turned completely dark.

There were still a few people scattered along the streets, hurrying back home.

When they saw Lu Yuan's group, they couldn't help but crowd around. Someone even shouted, "Lord Lu, have you captured the Silver-Armed Iron Sparrowhawks?"

After all, many of them had never even seen the armor of a Silver-Armed Iron Sparrowhawk, let alone a living one.

Lu Yuan nodded, acknowledging their questions.

In an instant, many people began to cheer; they had been severely harassed by the Silver-Armed Iron Sparrowhawks for quite some time.

Everyone had been too afraid to leave the city, but seeing Lu Yuan and his men return, it was clear that they had caught the culprits.

However, although the crowd was curious, no one dared to act recklessly.

They simply watched from the sidelines.

As for Lu Yuan and his party, they rode straight to the Captain's Mansion.

Because it was already dark, the Merit Pavilion had long since closed its doors.

With so many captives in tow, they naturally had to be handed over to Zhou Hongling for disposal.

The guards at the gate saw the formation and immediately stepped forward. "Lord Lu, you've finally returned. The Captain has sent out quite a few people to look for you."

Lu Yuan smiled and said, "I appreciate the Captain's concern. But I've brought good news today. Go and report to her immediately—tell her I've returned, the Silver-Armed Iron Sparrowhawks have been wiped out, and I've brought back some prisoners."

Upon receiving the order, the guard's eyes lit up, and he hurried inside.

They were well aware that a very important person had arrived at the mansion today, and this person had a terrible temper. He had spent half the day touring the barracks with several generals, not only berating General Zhou Ren until he was speechless but also giving the Captain a fair share of reprimands.

Although a banquet had been set up in the backyard, it was highly likely that no one was enjoying the meal.

The guard had guessed correctly. In the central courtyard of the Captain's Mansion, a table of food and wine was laid out.

More than a dozen people sat around the table, including Zhou Ren, Helian Tielin, Helian Shang, Zhou Hongling, and Zhou Ming. As for the remaining generals, they were the chief commanders of other border cities. Sun Gan was also present; ever since his two sons had died, he had been bedridden, but with such a high-ranking official visiting, he naturally had to attend.

They all watched the man at the head of the table, Hong Cheng, with caution.

"Bang!"

Hong Cheng slammed his palm onto the tabletop, causing the wine cups to jump and spill their contents everywhere.

Sun Gan even shuddered.

He was not a military man, after all, and facing such a scene made him quite nervous.

The man before them was a Marquis. Although he was only a third-rank Border Marquis, that was still a status far beyond his reach.

The nobility of Great Yong was divided into three ranks. The lowest were the Border Marquises, who were usually responsible for guarding the frontiers. They often climbed the ranks through military merit and were jokingly referred to as "commoner marquises." While they were imposing in the field, they were considered inferior to the hereditary nobles at court.

The second rank consisted of City Marquises, who were generally responsible for guarding cities within the interior. They were usually marquises whose status had been accumulated over several generations or who were backed by powerful clans; their status was more prestigious than that of a Border Marquis.

The first rank was the Merit Marquis, whose ancestors had contributed to the founding of Great Yong alongside the first Emperor.

Hong Cheng was a Border Marquis, a military official of the Principal Third Rank.

Seeing the wine splashed across the floor, he roared in a gravelly voice, "The imperial court treats you so well, and yet you've raised nothing but a bunch of trash? A single unit of Silver-Armed Iron Sparrowhawks was enough to make you admit defeat.

This is a disgrace to my border cities.

How many years has it been since we last fought the Northern Barbarians, and yet our military readiness has slackened to this extent?

Starting tomorrow, you will drill your troops with intensity. This is the first time, so I will cover for you.

If there is ever another incident where you are blocked at your own gates, get out of my sight! The Northern Frontier does not feed cowards!"

Zhou Hongling and the other generals stood up, heads bowed, enduring the scolding.

They knew that the ones who had arrived were the Silver-Armed Iron Sparrowhawks, and Hong Cheng didn't necessarily blame them personally; after all, their forces were limited, and it was normal to be outmatched.

But when a problem couldn't be solved, someone had to be the target of the scolding so that Hong Cheng could vent his temper.

If they couldn't even handle this, they might as well go home early.

Military generals were rarely known for their patience; they were happy when you won a battle, but if you lost, they would curse your ancestors.

"Why is everyone silent? You're usually so impressive, acting as masters of your own territories—where is your shame?" Hong Cheng continued to berate them.

Perhaps his throat was dry, for he picked up a cup from the table, took a sip of wine, and prepared to continue his tirade.

In truth, these generals had long been prepared to be lectured today.

"Clack, clack!"

Just then, a series of footsteps sounded from outside.

A moment later, a booming voice rang out: "Report!"

"Speak, what are you standing there dazed for!"

Hong Cheng pointed at the guard, who was frozen in place, terrified by the scene in the hall.

The guard glanced at Zhou Hongling and, seeing her head bowed in silence, immediately stated: "Reporting to the lords, Centurion Lu Yuan has just returned to the city, and he has wiped out the Iron Sparrowhawks!"

As his words echoed, the hall fell instantly silent.

Hong Cheng opened his mouth, and once he processed the news, he turned his head and asked: "Whose subordinate is Lu Yuan?"

"Reporting to the Marquis, he is a centurion under my command," Zhou Hongling said, stepping forward immediately.

At the same time, a flicker of excitement appeared in her eyes; first, the fact that Lu Yuan had returned was a joyous occasion, and second, the fact that he had actually killed the Iron Sparrowhawks was incredible.

If anyone else had said it, Zhou Hongling might not have believed it, but coming from Lu Yuan, it should be accurate.

Hong Cheng swept a glance at Zhou Hongling, his face showing no signs of joy. Instead, he said coldly: "Do you know what the penalty is for falsely reporting military achievements? If your subordinate dares to do such a thing, your career as a Colonel is over."

"I am asking you solemnly now."

"Can your subordinate's words be trusted?"

Zhou Hongling realized at once that Hong Cheng must have misunderstood the situation. She hurriedly stepped forward and said: "My Lord, Lu Yuan has been out of the city for over ten days. I do not know exactly what he has done, but if he says he killed the Iron Sparrowhawks, there will be no mistake."

"This subordinate is willing to vouch for him."

After she finished speaking, Zhou Ren's face showed worry; after all, he did not believe that Zhou Hongling had such a capable person under her command, as even his own men could not produce such a talent.

"Heh, you certainly have faith in your subordinate. Let us go and see. If it is true, I will reward him heavily. If he is deceiving me, your Zhou Family will not be able to protect you." Having said that, he strode toward the exit.

The others followed closely behind.

Helian Tielin glanced at his son.

If Zhou Hongling's subordinate was falsely reporting military merit, it would be fine, but if it were true, his son would likely have an even harder time.

Thinking of this, he felt a sense of unease settle in his heart.