Jiao Yu: You Want to Steal My Subordinates?

At those words, every villager in Chen Family Village rose to their feet.

They craned their necks toward the horizon.

Sure enough, a crimson banner was drawing closer and closer!

"The Demon Suppression Directorate—it's people from the Demon Suppression Directorate!"

"We're saved! We're saved!"

"Wuwuwu, you've finally come..."

Seven Killings and Embroidery exchanged a glance, each seeing the delight in the other's eyes.

Their people...

Had finally arrived!

Jiao Yu, clad in a Flying Fish uniform and wielding a blade one-handed, descended like a heavenly warrior, cutting down one Xuanlan Wolf Demon with every slash!

In an instant, every wolf demon surrounding the people of Chen Family Village had been slain!

"Xuanfeng!"

"Yes!" Wei Xuanfeng drove the military banner into the ground, then swept his gaze around. "Wen Shihan, lead Squads One and Two to establish a defensive line! Fox Murong, lead Squads Three and Four on sentry duty! Squads Seven and Eight, bandage the wounded..."

Under Wei Xuanfeng's command, the hundreds of people moved in perfect order, without the slightest chaos.

He even assigned some people to soothe the villagers of Chen Family Village.

As for himself, he went to find the village chief of Chen Family Village to learn what had happened...

Jiao Yu then walked toward Seven Killings and Embroidery.

"You little brat, I knew you weren't dead!"

The moment she reached them, Jiao Yu fiercely pulled Embroidery into her arms.

"Easy... easy... my ribs are going to break..." Though Embroidery's face was deathly pale, she was smiling.

"Good, I hope it hurts you to death, you bastard!" Though she said that, Jiao Yu still loosened her hold and pulled a porcelain bottle from her robes. "Here, take the medicine."

"Beauty Jiao, I really didn't expect you to be the one who came to save us!" Seven Killings bumped fists with Jiao Yu as well, grinning and revealing teeth streaked with blood. "I thought it'd be Boss Wu's personal guard."

"Personal guard? You two really think highly of yourselves." Jiao Yu rolled her eyes at him. Her gaze traveled from Seven Killings' severed arm to the claw marks on Embroidery's lower back, and her smile faded somewhat. "Quit joking around. Swallow the medicine first."

"Already swallowed it." Seven Killings smacked his lips. "What kind of medicine is this? It's pretty bitter."

"Poison. The kind that seals your throat the moment it sees blood." Jiao Yu said irritably. "It'd serve you two right if the bitterness killed you. Do you know I've been run ragged these past three months? And you two? You've been living it up here for three whole months!"

Embroidery leaned against Seven Killings' shoulder, covering the wound on her lower back. Her breathing was still weak, and a hint of guilt appeared in her eyes.

She looked Jiao Yu over several times, then suddenly pointed at Wei Xuanfeng, who was speaking with the village chief not far away.

"That boy holding the banner—is he one of yours?"

Jiao Yu followed the direction of her finger. Though she knew Embroidery was changing the subject, she could not suppress the corners of her mouth, and lifted her chin slightly.

"Yep. I trained him myself. He's very capable!"

"Tsk, who would've thought the great Beauty Jiao liked this sort..." Embroidery teased.

"That boy can satisfy you... Ah... Embroidery, why did you hit me?!"

"If you can't talk properly, don't talk!"

Embroidery narrowed her eyes, watching the crisp efficiency with which Wei Xuanfeng directed the troops...

Splitting forces, setting defenses, calming the common folk, gathering intelligence—he was doing the work of an entire Hundred-Household Commander alone, yet nothing fell into disorder.

"Boss Wu mentioned it in his letter. He said you'd picked up a fine seedling, but I didn't believe him." Embroidery turned to Jiao Yu.

"Not one. Three!" Jiao Yu added.

"Give me one!" Embroidery spoke with the itchiness of an old veteran who had spotted good material.

"Pah! I trained them for three months, and you want to come pick my peaches?" Jiao Yu raised a brow. "Besides, see that? I'm a Hundred-Household Commander now too. We're equals in rank—what are you going to use to pressure me?"

"I'll use... hiss..." Just as Embroidery was about to argue, she pulled at the wound on her lower back and bared her teeth, sucking in a sharp breath. "I'll use seniority! I've led more soldiers than you've eaten grains of rice!"

"Then why don't you show me someone decent you've trained?"

"Does Seven Killings not count?"

"You weren't picking subordinates—you were picking a husband. I can't even be bothered to expose you!"

Seven Killings rubbed his nose from the side. "No, you two can argue over seedlings all you want, but don't use me as a stepping stone."

Jiao Yu and Embroidery both glared at him at the same time. Seven Killings wisely shut his mouth.

After bickering for a few moments, Jiao Yu suddenly remembered something. She drew a command token from her robes and handed it over.

"Boss Wu told me to give this to you. He said..." Jiao Yu lowered her voice, imitating Wu Santong's tone. "'You'll understand the moment you see it.'"

The instant Embroidery took the token, her fingers froze.

It was a Ten-Thousand-Urgency Order, its bronze edges faintly green with verdigris.

"Take it..." Jiao Yu did not understand at first, but then she noticed Embroidery's expression change. "What's wrong?"

Perhaps it was only an illusion, but there seemed to be a trace of guilt on the other woman's face...

"Nothing..." Embroidery raised her head and forced a faint smile.

Jiao Yu stared into her eyes.

Embroidery was not someone who kept things hidden. The more she said "nothing," the bigger the matter was.

Jiao Yu turned to look at Wei Xuanfeng, who was directing the wounded to be bandaged; Wen Shihan, who was leading the team in keeping watch; and Fox Murong, who had already begun shaving wooden sticks into crutches for the villagers with her Embroidered Spring Blade...

The three children had everything in perfect order.

She turned back, her voice suddenly soft.

"Embroidery, you're my best sister. When you 'died,' I drank for three days straight. No one could talk me out of it. If you really are hiding something from me..."

"Jiao Yu." Embroidery cut her off, her voice going hoarse for a moment before she smiled again. "It's really nothing. I'm just getting old, and old people tend to let their thoughts run wild. Enough, enough. Don't look at me like that—I'm not dead yet. Go check on that kid holding the banner. He's been staring at us for ages. Looks like he wants to come over but doesn't dare."

Jiao Yu did not move.

She watched Embroidery for three breaths. Embroidery met her gaze with a smile, neither hurried nor evasive.

"Fine." Jiao Yu finally patted her shoulder. "You owe me an explanation. When your wounds heal, you can pay it back slowly."

She turned and walked toward Wei Xuanfeng.

After taking a few steps, she looked back again...

Embroidery had already tucked the order into her clothes and was leaning against Seven Killings' shoulder, whispering something to him.

The smile had vanished from Seven Killings' face as well...

Jiao Yu clenched the hilt of her blade, carving that scene into her mind, then strode toward Wei Xuanfeng.

"Xuanfeng, how is it?"

"The village chief says most of the villagers have made it up here. The dead..." Wei Xuanfeng paused. "Fewer than twenty dead. Most were old people and children. Their legs were too slow—they couldn't make it out."

Jiao Yu nodded. "Bury them. Record their names. Report back for compensation when we return."

"Yes."

Jiao Yu glanced once more in Embroidery's direction, then withdrew her gaze.

"Handle what's in front of us first," she said. "Everything else can wait until we're back."

"Mm. Boss, there are really only two paths we can take right now," Wei Xuanfeng said. "First: escort the villagers back to the village while sending scouts for reinforcements, and have the rest defend the village. Once reinforcements arrive, we strike from within and without and wrap these wolf demons up like dumplings!

"Second: leave behind a small force to hold off the wolf demons, while the main force escorts the villagers to Kang City for refuge."

Both plans carried risks.

With the first plan, if the scouts died on the road, or if they failed to hold the village...

Then the villagers and everyone else would end up dying beneath the wolves' jaws.

By comparison, the second plan was more reliable, but...

The small squad responsible for holding back the wolves...

Would undoubtedly die!

There were simply too many wolf demons.

After hearing him out, Jiao Yu looked at Wei Xuanfeng with even greater appreciation.

"Good lad. How about you become a Hundred Household later, and I'll be your Banner Officer?" Jiao Yu said, patting Wei Xuanfeng on the shoulder.

"Come on, Boss, at a time like this, you're still joking?" Wei Xuanfeng was speechless. "In war, speed is paramount. Make a choice already!"

"These blade soldiers may not be able to withstand many more waves of attacks..." Jiao Yu sighed. She vaguely sensed something as well, yet could not put it into words. "How about this? I'll stay behind with the team. You take the villagers back to Kang City, and send scouts for reinforcements..."

"No!"

Before Jiao Yu could finish, Embroidery, supported by Seven Killings, walked over.

"Embroidery..." Jiao Yu frowned. "Just rest properly. I'll take command..."

"No. From this moment on, everyone must obey my orders!"

As she spoke, Embroidery revealed the Ten-Thousand-Urgency Order in her hand...