Chapter 41: The Rebirth of the Dark Flame

As the first rays of dawn illuminated Nanqing City, the fires gradually subsided. The leaders of various mercenary corps, large and small, were gathered at Ice Wolf’s base, many with swollen faces and bruised eyes, some even carried in on stretchers.

Despite the number of people present, an eerie silence hung in the air, not even a breath could be heard. Fear was etched in everyone’s eyes, not daring to meet the gaze of the witch.

Jitianqing was directing several mercenary leaders to build a stage, among them was Icewolf. He, who was once a prominent figure in Nanqing City, now had to carry logs and do hard labor, looking haggard and covered in dust.

With numerous war generals working, a simple stage was set up in no time. Jitianqing then directed someone to place a large chair on the platform, before gesturing to Qian Ye, “Up here!”

Qianyang blankly climbed the stage, pushed into the chair by Jitianqing, facing the assembled mercenary leaders below.

Jitianqing took a step back, standing behind Qian Ye, and loudly announced, “From today, what should we… our mercenary corps be called?”

“Tianqing.” Song Zining replied without expression.

“No, it has to be Seven Young Master!”

“Phew! Such a crummy mercenary corps, I don’t want any part of it!”

“You don’t have a choice!”

“It’s Qian Ye’s mercenary corps, why should I take it?”

Jitianqing smacked her forehead, “Right! Let’s call it Qian Ye Mercenary Corps!”

“No.” Qian Ye finally spoke up, unable to tolerate it any longer.

After a round of arguing, they finally decided to resurrect Dark Flame Mercenary Corps in the neutral grounds, and this mercenary corps would be named “Dark Flame.”

Jitianqing immediately declared, “From now on, you are all members of Dark Flame Mercenary Corps. You have half a day to sort out your affairs, and report back in the evening. Anyone who dares not come, will bear the consequences. As for the rest, you’ve seen the example!”

The mercenary leaders all nodded in agreement, none dared to say no.

Satisfied, Jitianqing slapped the back of the chair, “This Qian Ye, will be the new leader of the mercenary corps.”

She then pointed to herself, “And I will be the second-in-command. Remember that well?”

The leaders all bowed in unison, loudly echoing, “Second-in-Command!”

The lineup and the display made it seem as if Qian Ye was Jitianqing’s second-in-command. Unable to sit still, Seven Young Master stepped forward, “I, Song Zining, will be the chief strategist of the mercenary corps!”

The leaders exchanged glances, none having heard of Song Zining, wondering where he came from.

Smug, Jitianqing bellowed, “Now, disperse and get to work! Assemble here at six o’clock sharp tonight!”

“Yes, Second-in-Command!” The leaders all echoed in unison.

In a blink, the courtyard emptied, leaving only Icewolf and a few senior executors from the original Ice Wolf Mercenary Corps. Qian Ye sat motionless on the high platform, silent like a statue, staring blankly at the empty courtyard.

Throughout the entire ordeal, there was nothing for him to do besides holding the title of the leader. The leaders hardly spared him a glance, as if he was non-existent.

In truth, quite a few mercenaries knew of Qian Ye and his achievements. However, the status of these mercenaries in Nanqing City was rather low, and only a handful of Ice Wolf mercenaries had participated in the battle of the Black Forest. They had only heard of Qian Ye’s strength, never seen it. In contrast, Jitianqing had just beaten each one of them up, swatting away seven or eight with a single hand. Naturally, they feared her more.

Next, they began to renovate the courtyard. With Icewolf leading the strong, the construction progressed swiftly. Qian Ye stayed to oversee, while Song Zining went to book a nearby inn as a temporary residence. Jitianqing bustled about, checking to see if any of the leaders were being insubordinate, slacking off, or disobeying orders.

As the day wore on and evening approached, most of the leaders returned to Ice Wolf’s base, only two were absent.

Each leader brought the registry, assets, weapons list, and land deeds of their mercenary corps. This was equivalent to bankruptcy, but losing their fortune was better than losing their lives, a lesson Jitianqing had taught them the night before.

Casually, Jitianqing sorted and categorized the leaders, dividing them into groups. There were executives of different levels, each able to command a different number of troops.

Her groupings seemed random but were actually strategic. Those who were both powerful and obedient were given the highest status. Those who were not powerful but obedient came next, followed by those who were powerful but not very obedient, and finally, those who were neither, relegated to the bottom, just a notch above ordinary mercenaries.

The last group naturally protested, but after Jitianqing killed one of the dissenters with a slap, no one dared to speak up. They finally understood that perhaps she had been waiting for such a moment to punish them.

Amidst the commotion, the new Dark Flame Mercenary Corps took shape. The organizational structure, the formation of high-ranking executives, the dismantling and reorganization of various mercenary corps, and the allocation of bases were all completed. The final result was a formidable force with four thousand members and nearly ten war generals, far surpassing the original Dark Flame in strength.

If such a complex task were given to anyone else, it might take at least ten days to complete. But under Jitianqing, everything flowed smoothly. She wasn’t exaggerating; as a second-in-command, she likely had no equals in the empire.

On one hand, it was due to her talent, and on the other, her autocratic ways. All the leaders, having been thoroughly beaten, did not dare to oppose her decisions.

Throughout, Qian Ye quietly watched, without a word, sitting there the whole night.

Once the plan was set, Jitianqing dismissed everyone, instructing them to count supplies, hand over bases, and reorganize their troops. This process would take several days.

Taking advantage of the lull, many mercenary leaders, through various connections, sought out the city lord, Ji Rui, hoping he would mediate. These leaders, regardless of the size of their corps, were used to being kings in their own territories, and could not bear the sudden appearance of three new overlords.

However, Ji Rui remained in seclusion, refusing to meet anyone, and ignored the events happening right outside his doorstep.

Everyone then understood: Ji Rui could not afford to offend these three.

Instantly, the leaders felt the sky darken.

Without Ji Rui’s support, some, unwilling and arrogant, gathered their followers, packed their valuables, and slipped out of Nanqing City under the cover of night. Most, however, knowing they couldn’t survive outside, accepted their fate and submitted to Dark Flame.

Jitianqing did not obstruct those who wished to leave, letting them go. It was better to let them go than to keep disloyal members.

Over the next few days, Song Zining and Jitianqing negotiated with various merchants, reworking their collaborations. The main source of income for the mercenary corps in Nanqing City was providing protection for the merchants. Basic security within the city, escorting merchant caravans, and even undertaking combat missions, like ambushing rival caravans, were all tasks.

With Dark Flame now dominating Nanqing City, negotiations had to be redone.

Initially, the merchants were apprehensive. Similar situations had occurred before, and newly dominant mercenary corps often raised protection fees or turned into bandits themselves. This usually ended with the mercenaries’ downfall and the merchants’ losses.

Many precedents existed. Yet, even as the mercenary corps eventually collapsed, the initial period was the worst for the merchants. So, the merchants were anxious.

To their surprise, Dark Flame operated differently. Song Zining did not use his overwhelming power to raise prices or exploit the merchants. Instead, he lowered prices on many minor items and combined previously separate charges, reducing the overall cost for the merchants.

This unexpected move delighted the merchants, and many secretly planned to increase their investments in Nanqing City once the situation stabilized.

Next, Song Zining proposed a scheme. Any merchant who established a weapons workshop, dealt in rare materials, or operated high-end floating ships would receive mercenary services at half price. Additionally, after the workshops were built, he offered to invest, taking a 20% stake.

This offer intrigued the major merchants, who quickly inquired about the details. Smaller merchants, while lacking resources, had some connections with floating ship equipment, so they also showed interest in the “high-end floating ship equipment” standards. After all, in the neutral grounds, armaments were a form of currency.

Song Zining, well-prepared, distributed relevant documents.

Most of the merchants looked disappointed, but some pondered thoughtfully. Song Zining’s standards were indeed high, requiring all equipment to meet the level of the Empire’s second-class fleet.

Such equipment was rare in the neutral grounds, but with the right connections to the Eternal Night or the Empire, it was not impossible to obtain.