"Stay calm! Don't scatter!"
"Withstand--"
"Push harder!!"
Almost everyone was shouting.
On the left side of the second company of the fifth battalion, the shields of several militiamen in the front row fell from their hands, and they were forced to retreat repeatedly by being stabbed by spears.
The opponent seized the opportunity and continued to apply pressure to this side, knocking several unsuspecting militiamen to the ground.
Once the defensive line is breached, the formation begins to crumble.
Even though the captains shouted desperately to try to regroup, it was to no avail. In the end, the formation of the Second Company of the Fifth Battalion was completely broken!
The gong rang again, signaling the end of the competition.
"Second Battalion, First Company, victorious!"
Bai Jinhuan announced loudly.
The victorious militiamen cheered loudly, while the defeated ones left looking dejected.
On the stands, Wu Shuangren nodded slightly.
The second battalion has more veterans and does appear to be more elite.
On the training field, a new team took the stage, and the competition continued.
Bo County, prison.
While Wu Shuangren was watching his militiamen compete, Wu Dongrong pushed open the door of the torture chamber and came out, his body reeking of blood.
He expressionlessly took the damp cloth handed to him by the jailer, wiped the blood off his hands, and threw the cloth back into the basin, where the water quickly turned dark red.
A mangled corpse hung in the torture chamber behind them, a gruesome sight!
"Take care of it."
Wu Dongrong gave the instructions.
"Yes."
The jailer nodded with a look of awe.
Wu Dongrong continued walking out, while Liao Yu leaned against the wall of the corridor, arms crossed, waiting for Wu Dongrong to come out.
"How about it?"
Liao Yu asked.
Wu Dongrong said expressionlessly, "Half a month ago, he was bribed while patrolling the village. The man had a non-local accent, so he must be from Mist Hidden Temple. He was told to find an opportunity to steal a few documents that you had written. He stole them twice: once was a roll call record that you had written before, and the other time was a note that you had approved."
"Zhao Xian, this kid is a veteran of the police station."
Liao Yu shook his head and sighed, "You can know a person's face, but not their heart."
After returning from West River Market, Xu Nanzhi told Wu Dongrong about Wu Shuangren's encounter with the fake letter and the ambush.
After listening, Wu Dongrong immediately deduced that there was a mole in Bo County, and it was very likely someone from the police station!
Next, he and Liao Yu joined forces to investigate and quickly identified their target— Zhao Xian, a constable in the police station.
Having been in the police station for almost nine years, it wouldn't be difficult for the other party to steal the documents written by Liao Yu.
Liao Yu apprehended him and sent him directly to prison.
Wu Dongrong interrogated Zhao Xian for only a short while, and Zhao Xian confessed to everything.
Even though he confessed everything, Wu Dongrong didn't spare his life.
Liao Yu looked at Wu Dongrong: "What should we do with Zhao Xian's family?"
Wu Dongrong's eyes were as cold as well water in the depths of winter. He raised his hand and made a gesture.
Liao Yu felt a pang of pity and opened his mouth as if to say something.
Wu Dongrong coldly stated, "The more Shuangren's influence grows, the more difficult it will be for the enemy to deal with. When Zhao Xian did this, I don't believe he didn't consider the potential consequences, but he still did it... Some prestige, if not established now, will be too late later!"
He paused, looked into Liao Yu's eyes, and said, "I'll do this."
After saying that, he turned and walked out of the prison, his boots clicking on the bluestone slabs, the sound echoing in the narrow corridor.
Liao Yu watched Wu Dongrong's retreating figure, pursed his lips, and remained silent for a long time.
He knew Wu Dongrong was right; in this world, sometimes being kind to others is being cruel to yourself!
He was shocked and furious to learn from Wu Dongrong that Wu Shuangren had been ambushed and killed by hundreds of riders, but Wu Dongrong seemed calmer than him.
But now it seems that my old brother has been hiding his anger deep inside!
"The son is a killing god, the father is a demon god."
Liao Yu muttered to himself, taking a step forward to follow, "You really are a family!"
That evening, a house on the east side of the county town suddenly caught fire.
The fire was small and only burned down this one house; the neighbors on both sides were unharmed.
When the neighbors rushed over with water, the fire had already burned through the roof... When the constables dug through the rubble, they found several charred skeletons.
The police came to check and said it was an accidental flood; no one from the county government pursued the matter further...
The fire occurred on the night Zhao Xian's house was located in the official residence behind the county government office.
He Zhixu, the magistrate of Bo County, was awakened from his sleep by his advisor.
What is it?
He Zhixu was somewhat dissatisfied.
Under the lamplight, the clerk's face showed obvious fear. "Sir, Zhao Xian's house is on fire!"
Who is Zhao Xian?
He Zhixu looked puzzled.
The advisor reminded him, "It's that constable Bai who was sent to prison by Constable Liao today. They say he colluded with foreign traitors and betrayed the Wu Clan!"
He Zhixu remembered that the clerk had indeed reported this matter to him today.
His eyes widened in surprise. "You're saying Zhao Xian's house caught fire?!"
"Yes!"
The advisor nodded frantically.
He Zhixu gritted his teeth and roared, "How dare they! Do they even respect the law?!"
Zhao Xian died in his cell this afternoon, and it was publicly stated that he committed suicide out of fear of punishment.
His house caught fire tonight, even a fool knows what that means!
The Wu Clan is blatantly establishing their authority!
He Zhixu paced back and forth inside the room, cursing a few times.
It was already summer, but his hands and feet were getting colder and colder.
"My lord, the Wu Clan is becoming increasingly arrogant. If they are not restrained, they may be even more difficult to deal with than the Mo Family before."
The advisor spoke cautiously.
He Zhixu suddenly flew into a rage. "Do you think I don't know? Then tell me how to restrain him?!"
The advisor was startled and dared not speak.
If the Wu Clan only had a hundred or so militiamen in Bo County, He Zhixu not be too wary?
However, the news that the Wu Clan had been recruiting soldiers in Bo County could not be kept secret. They took seven or eight hundred men to the neighboring Xi Province, where they were said to have already made a name for themselves!
He Zhixu secretly sent someone to West River Market to inquire. When he heard that Wu Shuangren had taken over the entire West River Market and what achievements he had made, he was terrified!
Several times he couldn't resist the urge to write a letter and send it to the prefectural capital to inform the governor.
But every time he finished writing a memorial, he would immediately tear it up and dare not send it out.
Not to mention that there is a Mist Hidden Mountain Yi Prefecture City, and whether the city itself has the resources to manage matters here.
If things were to be exposed, He Zhixu would have to worry that his entire family would be killed first!
"Get out! Get out!"
He Zhixu was in a state of agitation and dismissed the advisor.
He sat in the study for a while, then went back to his room to continue sleeping.
Fifteen minutes later, the sound of He Zhixu be heard from inside the house:
"Why do I feel cold on such a hot day?"
Then the sound of a cabinet being opened came from inside the room, presumably the woman had found a quilt for the magistrate and put it on him.
Requesting monthly votes
117 regiments were formed into battalions, and each member was promoted.
The martial arts competition continued on the training ground until the afternoon.
The twelve winning teams have all been selected, and the training ground is filled with militiamen panting heavily and covered in sweat.
Wu Shuangren stood up from the stands and walked to the front of the stage.
"The candidates for the twelve battalion commanders have been chosen; one more is needed."
His gaze swept over the twelve defeated squadrons, "Zhou Zhu!"
Upon hearing his name called, the stocky man stepped forward from the queue.
His squadron clashed with the squadron of the First Battalion and held out for nearly the time it takes for an incense stick to burn before being defeated. It was the squadron that lasted the longest among the defeated side.
"You were unlucky and drew a very strong opponent, but you led your troops well."
Wu Shuangren looked at Zhou Zhu, "You'll be the last battalion commander."
Zhou Zhu was overjoyed and immediately stood at attention and saluted. "Thank you, Commander!"
The other defeated squadron leaders looked at him with envy. Some of them had bad luck in the draw and had drawn strong opponents, but their performance was indeed not as good as Zhou Zhu's squadron.
Wu Shuangren looked back at the twelve winning squadrons. "Next, we'll draw lots again. You guys decide who the champion is!"
When the word 'champion' was mentioned, a different light appeared in his eyes.
These words reignited the fighting spirit of the victorious squadron!
The twelve squadrons were redrawn and paired off in head-to-head matches.
This round was even more intense than the morning's; the squadrons that managed to win a match were all formidable, and each game was far from over.
The competition continued until evening, when the top three were finally decided.
As darkness fell, bonfires were lit around the drill ground.
The three squadrons that made it to the final round stood on the training field.
By now, all three teams had fought three rounds, and the militiamen were exhausted, their clothes under their leather armor completely soaked with sweat.
Although it was a martial arts demonstration, with the spearheads wrapped in cotton cloth, the impact still left people covered in bruises. All three teams suffered casualties to varying degrees. Those with minor injuries could still stand, but those who twisted their ankles, broke their fingers, or injured their arms had to retreat to the side.
The three teams have different numbers of players, but they all have the same schedule, so the competition is relatively fair.
Wu Shuangren stood up, channeling his Internal Skill, and his voice resounded throughout the arena. "In the final match, three teams will enter the arena simultaneously for a free-for-all. The team that remains standing at the end will be the champion!"
An uproar erupted around the drill ground. The captains of the three squadrons looked at each other in bewilderment, then each led their teams to disperse and occupy three corners of the drill ground, keeping watch on each other.
No one dared to make the first move, because the one that did so would inevitably be targeted by the other two teams simultaneously, leaving them vulnerable from both sides.
The stalemate lasted for more than ten breaths.
Suddenly, a company commander spoke up, shouting to the company on the left, "Old Han, how about we team up to get Liao Dayong out first, then decide the winner?"