The others exchanged bewildered looks. None of them had ever experienced a Deputy Thousand-household beating a Thousand-household so badly that he was seriously injured.
Wasn't Thousand-Household Zhao supposed to have the best lightness skill in the Jinyiwei? If he fell so far short of Deputy Thousand-household Lin, just how powerful was Lin?
Wang Wu reacted fastest and shouted, "What are you standing around for? Didn't you hear Lord Lin's orders?"
Several men immediately carried Thousand-Household Zhao away. Lin Lang turned to the others. "Everyone, report to the Thousand-household Office's drill ground for roll call. Anyone who isn't there within a quarter of an hour gets thirty strokes!"
A quarter of an hour later, everyone except the few dozen men away on assignments had gathered at the Thousand-household Office's drill ground.
They had all heard that Lin Lang had seriously injured Thousand-Household Zhao in a single exchange, likely leaving him bedridden for months. Who would dare disobey Lin Lang's orders?
Lin Lang stood on the raised platform overlooking the drill ground. "I'm sure you've all heard. Thousand-Household Zhao and I were sparring just now, and I accidentally injured him."
"For the next three to five months, Thousand-Household Zhao will have to remain in bed."
If Thousand-Household Zhao knew what was good for him, he would stay quietly in bed and make absolutely sure he didn't recover too quickly.
He wouldn't have to report for duty at the Thousand-household Office, drill his subordinates, or handle any business. He could collect his salary just by lying there. Countless people could only envy such a life.
If he didn't know what was good for him and insisted on returning early to throw his weight around, Lin Lang would have no choice but to help him enjoy a few more months of earning money while lying down.
Standing in the crowd, Liu Zhengfeng thought, You call that an accident? You clearly struck hard on purpose.
Judging by the strength Lin Lang had just displayed, he could probably rival some early-stage Grandmasters.
If Lin Lang had wanted to hold back, he absolutely could have.
In truth, when he arrived at the Hundred-household Office in Bailing County, Liu Zhengfeng had already felt that he had been tricked. There were no real experts there at all.
After coming to the Thousand-household Office, he discovered that there were only two Martial Arts Masters, neither of them particularly outstanding. The Jinyiwei were nowhere near as powerful as he had imagined.
He was a peak Martial Arts Master with superb swordsmanship, yet he hadn't even been made a Hundred-household.
But after seeing Lin Lang fight just now, he felt that Lin Lang's arrangements were quite good. He certainly didn't want Lin Lang dragging him into a sparring match.
Lin Lang continued, "Thousand-Household Zhao is injured, but the work of this Thousand-household Office still needs doing, so someone must take charge. As the Deputy Thousand-household responsible for this mistake, I will make amends by temporarily overseeing the Pingyang Prefecture Thousand-household Office."
"Starting today, the men of this Thousand-household Office are to spread out, including those from the Hundred-household Offices under us. Gather intelligence on the martial world and investigate evidence of crimes committed by its members."
"Especially sects such as the Five Mountains Sword Alliance, Northern Shaolin, and the Sun Moon Demon Cult."
"We must restore the Jinyiwei's reputation and let those people know that we are government officials. If we want to crush them to death, we have no shortage of ways."
"That's all I have to say. Who's in favor, and who's against?"
Cao Zhengchun was going to give him the Thousand-household position sooner or later anyway. He might as well familiarize himself with it first.
"We're in favor!" Wang Wu shouted. "Lord Lin is a powerful martial artist and holds the highest rank in the Thousand-household Office. He's exactly the right person to take temporary charge."
Jia Liu shouted as well, "That's right! We're all in favor! Under Lord Lin's leadership, everyone in the Thousand-household Office will have opportunities to earn merit and get promoted. Three months ago, I was only a ninth-rank officer. It was by following Lord Lin that I became a Chief Banner Officer."
The others remained silent, looking toward Sun Xing, the other Deputy Thousand-household standing beside Lin Lang.
Sun Xing swore he had never met anyone like Lin Lang. No sooner had he seriously injured Thousand-Household Zhao than he stripped him of his authority as well. How did Lin Lang dare act with such utter impunity?
Sun Xing hadn't even agreed yet, and Lin Lang had already assigned everyone their tasks.
Besides, did he dare object? What if Lin Lang wanted to spar with him? He had no desire to collect his salary while bedridden.
"I have no objections either, as long as our superiors approve," Sun Xing said at once when Lin Lang looked his way.
Lin Lang said confidently, "They'll approve."
His superior was Pacification Commissioner Liu Xiong, whose interests were tied to his own and who knew he was working for the Eastern Depot. He certainly wouldn't hold Lin Lang back at a time like this.
"Since no one objects, it's settled."
"What are you still standing around for? Get to work. Anyone who uncovers useful information will be handsomely rewarded. If anyone tries to coast through the days, I'll personally test your martial arts."
"Deputy Thousand-household Sun, I'll leave notifying the other Hundred-household Offices to you. I only want results."
Sun Xing desperately wanted to say, We're the same rank. Ordering the others around is one thing, but you're actually ordering me around too?
But he didn't dare argue. He would just wait and see whether Lin Lang was punished once word of this got out.
As the crowd dispersed, Liu Zhengfeng approached Lin Lang. "Lord Lin, are you really sure this won't cause trouble?"
Even in their martial sects, doing something like this would break the rules, let alone in the Jinyiwei.
Lin Lang patted Liu Zhengfeng's shoulder. "If anything happens, the people above us will shoulder it. You don't need to worry."
"Now do you understand how you should work under me?"
"I don't need you to gather intelligence on the martial sects, but I'm leaving some of the people on the wanted notices to you. Capture them and bring them to me. Don't disappoint me."
The more mistakes he made in front of Cao Zhengchun, the more at ease Cao Zhengchun would feel about him. Someone too perfect was precisely the sort of person Cao Zhengchun would never employ.
Liu Zhengfeng felt as though he had boarded a pirate ship, but now he couldn't get off.
Everyone in the martial world knew he had joined the Jinyiwei. If he left now, the Mount Song Sect would certainly slaughter his entire family.
In any case, many of those on the wanted notices were scum of the martial world. He would consider it carrying out Heaven's justice.
At least Lin Lang was more fiercely protective of his own people than his senior brother Mo Da. He no longer had to worry about his family's safety.
Lin Lang went home humming a little tune.
If he wanted to support the Sun Moon Holy Cult in secret, he needed men under his command.
The manpower of a single Hundred-household Office clearly wasn't enough. Now that he controlled the Thousand-household Office as a Deputy Thousand-household, things would be much easier.
No one but him knew what his plan was. Everyone merely thought Lin Lang wanted to gather more intelligence on the martial world so he could claim credit with his superiors.
Once home, Lin Lang looked at Xiao He. "I've got quite a fire burning right now."
Xiao He understood instantly. She gave Lin Lang a seductive smile and sank to her knees.
As the former finest singer at the Jade Green Pavilion, she had an excellent throat. Lin Lang closed his eyes and savored her performance.
The Eastern Depot.
Cao Zhengchun was drinking tea when Chief Head Iron Claw Flying Eagle entered. "Director, that Lin Lang is far too arrogant."
"Oh? What did that boy do to make you so angry?" Cao Zhengchun wore a smile. Lin Lang's ideas were rather unconventional, but he was certainly talented.
Iron Claw Flying Eagle reported, "He used sparring as an excuse to seriously injure Thousand-Household Zhao of Pingyang Prefecture. Then he announced outright that he was taking temporary charge of the Pingyang Prefecture Thousand-household Office and sent most of its men out on assignments."
"He's a mere Deputy Thousand-household, yet he beat a Thousand-household and seized his authority. He must be punished severely!"
Thousand-Household Zhao was a pawn the Divine Marquis had planted in the Jinyiwei. Who would have thought Lin Lang would cripple him before he could serve any purpose?
"Hahahaha!" Cao Zhengchun laughed heartily. "I knew I hadn't misjudged him. He really does have some nerve."
"Enough. If he could injure that Thousand-household, it only proves the man was useless. I'd like to see what else he can accomplish."
Cao Zhengchun never minded ambition in his subordinates. Ambitious men would put even more heart and effort into their work.
No matter how great their ambitions were, they were still under his control.
Iron Claw Flying Eagle was dumbfounded. What potion had Lin Lang fed Cao Zhengchun last time to make him spare no effort in supporting him?
It seemed he would have to inform the Divine Marquis that Lin Lang needed to be taken one level more seriously.
Before you continue