Qian Ye’s face darkened slightly as he reached out and grabbed the arm of a nearby warrior from an aristocratic clan, his voice cold, “I said stop, didn’t you hear me?”
The man reacted without hesitation. He lowered his elbow and delivered a side smash, aiming for Qian Ye’s chest, while his other hand swung at Qian Ye’s face. His mouth was full of curses, “What kind of person dares to speak here? Do you know who our master is?”
Qian Ye frowned, and with a swift punch, he struck the man’s face, sending him flying backward through the crowd until he collided with the city wall, leaving a trail of blood and teeth in the air.
The members of the aristocratic clan team were shocked, and their anger quickly turned into roars, “Peasant! How dare you harm a noble!”
“Those expeditionary soldiers over there, are you blind? Didn’t you see this kid hit a noble? Arrest him!”
“Kill him outright, it’s just a matter of compensation,” one burly man shouted, pulling out a pistol and aiming it at Qian Ye, apparently ready to pull the trigger.
Qian Ye’s brows furrowed even more tightly, never expecting such audacity from these people. He was wearing the uniform of a high-ranking officer of the expeditionary force, and even the elite corps of the empire would have to think twice before harming him. Qian Ye unslung the heavy sword on his back and stepped up to the burly man, tapping him lightly on the shoulder with the sheathed blade.
The burly man’s expression instantly went blank, his knees buckled, and he fell to the ground, spewing a mouthful of blood before collapsing, his fate unknown.
Everyone present was stunned, including the onlookers who all fell silent, retreating to create a clear space.
After a moment, someone from the aristocratic clan team regained their composure and yelled, “He killed someone! A peasant killed a noble! Grab this guy, the empire will reward you heavily!”
Qian Ye let out a breath, no longer able to tolerate the hooligan behavior of these men. With a powerful swing, he struck another man across the face, sending him spinning to the ground, unconscious.
Finally realizing they had encountered a formidable opponent, the remaining members of the team froze, not daring to utter another word. Some of them even reached for their elemental guns but hesitated to draw them.
Qian Ye glanced around and called out to an expeditionary officer nearby, “Come here.”
The officer, wearing the insignia of a captain, was likely the on-duty commander of the city gate guard. He had just been called out of the watchtower by a worried subordinate, and upon seeing Qian Ye’s colonel rank, he felt something was amiss. Recognizing Qian Ye’s face, he immediately hurried over.
The captain smiled apologetically, “Colonel Qian Ye, sir, what can I do for you? Just say the word, and I’ll get it done right away!”
Darkflame, from its time as a mercenary company to its entry into the expeditionary force, had tangled with most of the regiments in the Three Rivers Prefecture. As a result, the independent Darkflame Regiment was well-known among the higher-ranking officers of the expeditionary force, and even if they hadn’t seen Qian Ye, they had heard of him.
The captain, in his early forties and a few years into his rank, knew very well that the true power behind Darkflame was the man before him, a figure of great importance. Thus, his smile was particularly warm.
Qian Ye said coolly, “These men are disrupting public order, arrest them and await further instructions.”
The captain hesitated, whispering, “Sir, arresting them is not a problem, but it won’t achieve much. They’ll be released soon. Our regimental commander specifically instructed us to let the upper-land lords be, as long as they don’t commit major offenses.”
Qian Ye pondered, “So, incidents like this happen often?”
The captain smiled, “Not especially often, but the lords from above are difficult to deal with. However, those who attack expeditionary officers are rare, so our general doesn’t usually intervene. Besides, the real noble clans’ teams rarely stay; they head out to fight as soon as they arrive.”
Qian Ye understood the implication. The arrogant smaller noble clans’ teams weren’t limited to this one; they typically bullied mercenaries, hunters, and adventurers who lacked strong backing. Thus, the prefecture’s general did not bother with such disputes.
However, this only made them more and more brazen, to the point where they dared to attack Qian Ye, even in his expeditionary officer uniform.
The aristocratic clan team now realized Qian Ye’s rank and exchanged uneasy glances. They were not overly concerned, even mocking him as they awaited arrest, knowing they would be released soon after.
Qian Ye frowned and said to the captain, “Arrest them and send them to Blackflow City.” He tossed a bag to the captain, “Afterward, treat your men to a drink.”
The captain visibly relaxed, knowing that once in Blackflow City, any problems would be Qian Ye’s responsibility. He squeezed the bag, feeling the shape of coins and a few gold pieces, and his smile became even more ingratiating.
“Stop standing around, arrest them!” the captain barked, suddenly bold.
The expeditionary soldiers, who had long been frustrated with these noble clans, rushed forward, along with some nearby mercenaries and adventurers, beating the team members to a pulp. It seemed everyone had been holding a grudge.
The captain ordered, “Bind them and send them to Blackflow City in two wagons!”
He moved quickly, eager to avoid trouble.
After dealing with the team, the captain remembered something and rushed to Qian Ye, whispering, “Sir, I must warn you, they claim their lord is a nephew of a Duke. Be careful!”
Qian Ye laughed. These men were clearly exaggerating; a true duke’s nephew would never fall to the status of a minor noble, especially in the eyes of the Evernight locals.
This incident had already wasted considerable time. As Qian Ye approached his off-road vehicle, he noticed a small, thin man trying to sneak into it. Qian Ye quickly pulled the man out, slamming him to the ground, rendering him unconscious.
The expeditionary soldiers, reverting to their ruthless nature, beat the thief and dragged him away.
Qian Ye’s off-road vehicle was clearly high-end, with the expeditionary flag displayed. It was unusual for anyone to dare tamper with a military vehicle, but this thin man was exceptionally bold.
Qian Ye shook his head, surprised by the chaos in the city.
Finally entering the city, Qian Ye headed to the Empire’s Military Merit Statistics Office, guided by the captain.
The office was located in a three-story building near the central square, convenient for people to submit their proof and register their military merits. Surprisingly, many people had gathered, making the square crowded.
Qian Ye found it hard to believe, asking the accompanying captain, “So many people have military merits? The war has just begun, hasn’t it?”
The captain smiled, “Many don’t believe the rewards are as generous, so they came to verify, hoping to cash in on their small gains.”
Qian Ye nodded, understanding the human nature. As they continued, their path was blocked by a group of warriors resembling private armies.
A muscular man banged on Qian Ye’s car door, shouting, “Get out!”
Qian Ye frowned, “What is it?”
“Are you here to register military merits? Show us what you have!”
Qian Ye coldly replied, “Who are you, and why should I show you anything?”
The man grew angry, drawing his gun, “Show it or else. Want to die?”
A middle-aged man intervened, pressing down the gun, “No need to be rash, we’re just doing business, not fighting.”
The man’s sharp gaze scanned Qian Ye and the captain, “Brother, if you want to pass, you must give us half of your goods. This is the toll and protection fee.”
Qian Ye understood, these men were exploiting the rich rewards, setting up a checkpoint just steps away from the registration office.
Qian Ye turned to the captain, who grimaced, “Sir, it’s the same elsewhere…”
The middle-aged man smirked, “No other way. Once you’re on this road, you must pay. Even if you turn back, it’s half.”
Qian Ye pointed to the expeditionary flag, “We are the expeditionary force.”
The man laughed, “For that flag and uniform, it’s only half. Others would pay two-thirds.”
Qian Ye smiled, “On what authority?”
The man pointed to the clan emblem on the burly man’s chest, “The Imperial County Lord, the Wang family, granted the title of Earl of Xiaoshan. That’s the authority.”
A county lord, neither too big nor too small, was a notable clan, but to come to the Three Rivers Prefecture and exploit military merits was unseemly.
Qian Ye, noticing the captain’s unease, asked, “This is a bit much, isn’t it?”
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