The town of Zhongying was not large, but it was a crucial pivot in the border defense line. Therefore, its defensive facilities were exceptionally well-established. Originally, there was an expeditionary force of a thousand soldiers stationed for long-term defense. The 131 Reinforced Company and several other units from different legions also used this as their base, where they trained, resupplied, and organized themselves, ready to be deployed at any time.
Ji Yuange accompanied Qianye to the military camp. After completing the handover procedures, he departed by airship.
A mobile unit like the 131 Company had its own independent camp. At that moment, all the soldiers were gathered on the parade ground, with the previous company commander, Captain Bao Zhengcheng, accompanying Qianye to inspect the troops.
In the 17th Legion, reinforced companies were akin to special forces within the legion, boasting superior combat power and equipment over regular units, often making them unruly and hard to control.
Qianye now faced such a unit. Over a hundred and fifty soldiers stood in a haphazard manner, none of them standing straight. Several capable sergeants looked at Qianye with hostility, openly sizing him up from head to toe.
If not for Ji Yuange’s presence, who had escorted Qianye and explicitly warned them before leaving, they might have issued a challenge. Ji Yuange himself had started as a sergeant in the 17th Legion and had earned his stripes as an officer. His reputation among these soldiers might even surpass that of Miss Qiqi.
Beside them, Bao Zhengcheng wore a foolish grin, seemingly oblivious to the scene. He was broad-shouldered and towered over Qianye, resembling a fierce bristled bear standing upright. A Level 3 warrior was usually sufficient to lead a reinforced company, but Bao Zhengcheng, a Level 4 warrior, had been demoted to lead the company due to past misdeeds.
Facing this familiar display of intimidation, Qianye felt a sense of nostalgia. Back then, he was just a novice, merely observing the antics of the veteran Black Scorpion soldiers.
Qianye smiled, his obsidian eyes gleaming, “Captain Bao, your soldiers are quite a sight!”
Bao Zhengcheng grinned widely, rubbing his hands together, and chuckled, “A bunch of scoundrels, good for nothing but fighting!”
“Merely being good at fighting isn’t enough. I recall the first rule of the Imperial Military Regulations is to obey orders.”
“They will definitely obey the orders of the company commander,” Bao Zhengcheng assured, thumping his chest.
With a wave of his hand, Qianye said, “That’s good. Dismissed.”
No one moved. Some soldiers even stood up straighter, surprised. When they heard the mention of the Imperial Military Regulations, they had already started flexing, eager to show off their understanding to the new officer. They hadn’t expected it to end so abruptly. Could this lanky boy really be so soft?
Qianye glanced at Bao Zhengcheng’s bear-like physique and asked, “Before the inspection, were you doing strength training?”
“Yes.”
“How about we set an example for the brothers?”
Bao Zhengcheng was taken aback but then smiled, “Sure! It’s rare for a superior to offer guidance.”
The basic form of strength training was wrestling. Naturally, officers didn’t wrestle like common soldiers, grabbing each other’s waists and necks. The traditional method was arm-wrestling.
As the soldiers brought a stone table, Bao Zhengcheng’s orderly sidled up and whispered, “Boss, are you really going to…?” He gestured towards Qianye, “No one’s taking bets this time.”
Indeed, the soldiers stood in small groups, whispering, without the usual commotion of shouting and betting.
Bao Zhengcheng rebuked, “New commander’s watching, behave yourselves!” Then, he glanced at Qianye, who was curiously examining the training equipment a few steps away, and his face darkened.
Qianye’s uniform was custom-made by Qiqi, accentuating his physique. Though Qianye was not short, his lean and muscular build, with a narrow waist, made him appear slender. Seeing Qianye’s lithe frame, Bao Zhengcheng felt a bit uneasy. He was grateful that Qianye wasn’t challenging him to a wrestle; otherwise, a mishap could be embarrassing.
The table was soon set up, and Qianye and Bao Zhengcheng took their positions, locking hands. As some soldiers began to laugh, several sergeants winked and nudged Bao Zhengcheng.
Compared to Bao Zhengcheng’s massive arm, Qianye’s arm was barely half the size, almost delicate. With such a clear disparity, the soldiers, already unconcerned about the outcome, began to speculate whether Qianye’s arm would break or if they were bullying him too much.
A copper coin was tossed into the air. When it clinked to the ground, both Qianye and Bao Zhengcheng began to exert force.
“Heh! Heh! Heh!!” Bao Zhengcheng bellowed three times, exerting force thrice.
To everyone’s surprise, Qianye’s arm remained as immovable as steel. Bao Zhengcheng’s face turned beet red. He took a deep breath, roared like a beast, and his muscles bulged, veins popped, and his arm swelled another inch. He was giving it his all!
This force could bend a solid steel column!
But Qianye’s arm still didn’t budge!
Realizing something was amiss, Bao Zhengcheng suddenly felt an unstoppable force overwhelming his defenses, slamming his hand onto the stone table.
It didn’t stop there. With a loud crash, the remaining force shattered the one-meter-thick stone block into pebbles. Bao Zhengcheng, losing his balance, flipped backward and landed on his back.
Smiling, Qianye helped Bao Zhengcheng up, saying, “Sorry about that.”
Bao Zhengcheng examined Qianye like a strange creature and finally said, “Impressive!”
Both were Level 4 warriors, but Qianye had won in a pure strength contest, proving that he wasn’t just a pretty face sent by the Yin family to collect military honors. His personal combat skills were worthy of his rank.
In the Imperial Army, especially on the frontlines, the strong were revered!
Bao Zhengcheng turned to the stunned soldiers and shouted, “All of you, fall in, attention! Reintroduce yourselves to the commander!”
Seeing the soldiers standing straight, Qianye knew he had been accepted by these stubborn men. As for the status of a commander, that would be earned through hard-fought victories.
Two days later, Qianye led the entire company into the border region for field operations. In less than two weeks, his unit encountered and annihilated three Dark Race patrols.
Each battle, the strongest warrior in the patrol was personally taken out by Qianye.
The soldiers realized their new commander was a long-range sniper. The attitude of the troublemaker sergeants improved significantly. Regardless of their thoughts about the newly assigned officer, snipers held a high status in any legion.
During the march, Qianye allowed the company to rest after three battles. Still energetic, he ventured out to scout and discovered a team of Blood Clan investigating the disappearance of the patrols.
Previously, Bao Zhengcheng and his deputy had led the battles, while Qianye was familiarizing himself with the unit. This time, he conducted the full tactical command, setting an ambush on the Blood Clan investigation team. He sniped a Blood Knight at the outset and, with the assistance of his subordinates, killed another. They then annihilated the investigation team, which was three times stronger than a regular patrol.
Sensing it was time to withdraw, Qianye ordered the company to return to the base while he stayed behind, seeking an opportunity.
After a day and night, Qianye encountered the Dark Race reinforcements.
This was an exceptionally powerful team, consisting of fifty soldiers, the weakest being Level 2 warriors. Leading the team was a Level 8 Blood Count, supported by six Blood Knights.
Their combined strength far exceeded that of the 131 Company. If Qianye hadn’t withdrawn earlier, they might have been overtaken. The speed and endurance of regular soldiers couldn’t match that of Level 2 warriors.
The entire team, clad in black cloaks with red edges, moved silently and swiftly. Though their movements were not large, their speed was equivalent to a human’s full sprint.
Passing a dead tree, the leading Blood Count suddenly stopped and raised a hand. The entire team halted immediately.
The Blood Count removed his hood, revealing a head of silver hair and a stern, aged face. He walked to the tree, sniffed, and then looked up at a branch. There, a small patch of blood, though dried, still retained a vivid, eerie red.
It was the essence blood of a high-ranking Blood Clan!
The Count’s cheek twitched, and his eyes blazed with rage. He suddenly turned and shouted to his soldiers, “Speed up! We’ll catch those audacious humans and kill them!”
As his roar echoed, the Count sensed a sudden, intense heartache. Out of instinct, he dove forward.
An origin bullet whizzed by, missing his vital area but hitting his thigh. The impact sent him tumbling through the air before crashing to the ground.
Without waiting for instructions, three Blood Knights rushed to guard him. The other three pursued the fleeing figure. That damned human sniper— the most hated unit on the battlefield by the Dark Race!
Struggling to stand, the Count roared, “Catch him! Alive!”
Suddenly, he felt dizzy and nearly fainted. Alarmed, he checked his wound and saw it rotting and stinking at an alarming rate, with an eerie force seeping into his body.
Terrified, the Count desperately summoned his blood power to suppress the force, but in a blink, the wound had reached the bone.
“Take me to the Blood Pool, quickly!” the Count barked, fear and anger mingling in his voice.
In the distance, Qianye felt only regret as he fled.
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