Chapter 52: The Reason I’m Here Is Blood…
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“I’ve never seen an officer as perfect as him. He’s powerful, and he can bring out the potential of everyone in the unit. Chen Chou, as their commanding officer, you should know very well how lazy and incompetent those members of the roaming cavalry squad used to be.”
“Everyone acknowledges the role he played in those skirmishes. But perfect… drinking and fighting every day—how is that perfect? What about military discipline? I agree to record his merits, but correspondingly, shouldn’t he be punished for violating the prohibitions?”
“If he were my subordinate, and every patrol he brought back more than a dozen wolf-riders’ corpses, I wouldn’t care about drinking or fighting—as long as he wasn’t killing or burning things, I could accept anything. Punishment? I’d be happy to wash his feet every day!”
“Have you all forgotten the most important issue? He’s an attached officer sent by the Northern Expedition Military Command… I heard he offended some big shot over there and got exiled to this godforsaken place. If his name is put on the merit roll, won’t the command have something to say?”
“Even if the command has opinions, are we supposed to suppress his merits? That would break the soldiers’ hearts!”
“Who said to suppress his merits? We’re just trying to find the most suitable method.”
“Enough! Merits are merits, and punishments must be given… With the military achievements he’s made these days, he could even be granted a title. But with the prohibitions he’s violated, he could also be beheaded. I think we should offset them—give him a commendation order, but withhold the silver reward for now.”
The noisy military tent fell silent instantly. Everyone looked at the general sitting at the head, instinctively wanting to object, but upon reflection, this was indeed the best approach. They all turned their gazes to the deputy general named Chen Chou, their eyes full of sympathy or schadenfreude.
Chen Chou was furious. He picked up his helmet from the table and pushed through the tent flap to leave.
…
…
The reason his colleagues felt schadenfreude or sympathy, and why he was so angry, was that everyone knew that when that young officer heard the news, he would definitely explode. And no one—not even the general himself—was willing to face that guy’s wrath.
“What? Just a commendation and no silver reward?”
The barracks were sparsely furnished, the items heavy and crude. Fortunately, that was the case, or the wooden table bearing an oil lamp and more than a dozen wine jugs would have been overturned.
Upon learning the outcome of the tent meeting, Chen Chou naturally didn’t see a good expression on the other’s face, but he hadn’t expected such a violent reaction. He quickly grabbed hold of the other man, repeatedly comforting him, “The commendation order is the real prize! The general issued it to you despite the pressure from the command!”
The person he was holding tightly, preventing him from tearing everything in the tent to shreds in his rage, was an officer.
The officer’s armor was covered in dust, his face the same, and with a beard that hadn’t been trimmed in a long time, he looked quite filthy.
But his eyes were so bright and clear. Only by looking at his eyes would people realize he was just a young man in his early twenties.
The young officer broke free from Chen Chou’s grip, walked to the table, grabbed a jug of wine, and downed it. Angrily, he said, “I just don’t accept it.”
Chen Chou said helplessly, “My little ancestor, are you really that short on a few coins?”
The young officer slammed the wine jug heavily onto the table and said, “I just don’t accept it. Why? I’ve earned so many merits, and I can’t even get fifty taels of silver?”
Chen Chou glanced outside the barracks and said, “Last time… you were too ruthless with the prisoners.”
The young officer waved his hand dismissively and said, “Where did that rumor come from? How could I do something so bloody? Only you Zhou army folks like doing that kind of thing.”
“Watch your words. Even though you’re a Southerner, we’re all one army now.”
“Fine, since we’re all one family, why won’t they give me the money?”
“Why do you want the money so badly?”
“If not money, then what?”
“The general said that if you’d register on the rolls, with your speed of accumulating military merits, you’d soon surpass everyone in Seven Mile Creek, and even…”
Chen Chou looked at him, his emotions complex, and continued, “In five years, you could become a new Divine General.”
Hearing this, the young officer was momentarily stunned, then laughed and said, “I’m not interested in that.”
In the Great Zhou army, if someone heard such words, they’d think the person was crazy.
But Chen Chou wasn’t surprised, because this wasn’t the first time he’d heard something like this.
“Who exactly are you?” he asked the young officer.
The young officer said, “I’m just a young man who loves money and has a short temper.”
When he said this, his eyes were very calm.
In fact, even when he was about to flip the table and curse the general’s mother earlier, his eyes were equally calm, without any real anger.
Chen Chou sighed and said, “I don’t know what kind of quirks you people have, why do you have to pretend to be a roughneck?”
The young officer leaned in and asked seriously, “Don’t I look the part?”
Chen Chou looked him over and said, “Your clothes, appearance, and demeanor are somewhat similar, but it’s these eyes that don’t match.”
Back then, he had seen through that this young officer wasn’t an ordinary person precisely because of those eyes.
Whether facing over a hundred wolf-riders or encountering that powerful demon, the young officer’s eyes were always so calm—a calmness that represented absolute confidence, capable of instilling confidence in many, whether it was the young officer himself, the forty-plus roaming cavalry under his command, or Chen Chou, his nominal direct deputy.
After this period of interaction, Chen Chou was increasingly certain that this young officer was a truly important figure.
Only a truly important figure would have such eyes, and only a truly important figure would disdain becoming a Divine General.
If he weren’t sure that the assignment documents were flawless, Chen Chou would never dare keep this young officer in his unit. But even today, he still couldn’t figure out why such an important person would come to a desolate and dangerous place like Seven Mile Creek, and what he was doing here.
Tonight, he finally couldn’t help but ask directly.
The young officer looked out at the wind and snow beyond the tent, smiling, a little tired, but serene, without any hint of agitation.
He didn’t answer Chen Chou’s question. Calmly, he said, “Let’s drink.”
Although Chen Chou knew the other was an important figure, in the military camp, he was still his subordinate. Moreover, after all these days of sharing snow and frost, living and dying together, and fighting bloody battles against demon wolf-riders, they were already quite familiar. Now, he couldn’t help but get a little annoyed and said, “All you know is drink, drink, drink! I’m asking seriously!”
The young officer was slightly taken aback, then burst into loud laughter and said, “I’m answering seriously too.”
Then his smile gradually faded, and he looked calmly at the wind and snow. “The wine here is the strongest, the demons here are the most to kill, and it helps calm the mind.”
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(At eight in the evening, there will be a chapter.)