Chapter 87

"Centurion? Is it really a centurion?"

Zhou Lu felt a bit unwilling and slowly furrowed his brows. Sopero continued, "Also, because there are no specific vacancies in the various battalions, your position as centurion can only be nominal for now, with no soldiers under your command and no provisions."

After saying this, Sopero felt embarrassed and quickly added, "If this campaign against Blackbeard Mountain urgently needs more soldiers, and the clan raises an army, it's not impossible that your unit will be reinforced. When that day comes, you can truly command an army. So, Zhou Lu, don't be too anxious for now..."

The more Zhou Lu listened, the more he felt stifled, almost to the point of exploding with anger. He endured it again and again, barely suppressing his rage. He glared with red eyes and turned to look at the others, who all instinctively lowered their heads.

Just because of a lack of experience, Zhou Lu was completely stripped by those elders. Despite risking his life and achieving such great merit, he only received a nominal position as a centurion, with no soldiers and no provisions. Wasn't this like giving a monkey a bladder to make it happy in vain?

The others in the tent were also secretly indignant.

This fat man might be a bit young and have been a soldier for a short time, but he had real skills. How many of the old soldiers in the clan had achieved such great merit? Even Tie Mitao, with over a dozen high-ranking hunters, only brought back a piece of scrap paper from the wilderness.

The elders' assessment of the fat man's rewards was incredibly harsh.

Lei Meng sat there, indignant, clenching and unclenching his fists, his teeth grinding with a creak. However, he didn't know how to comfort Zhou Lu.

Lei Meng knew why this was happening. Everyone in the room was shrewd and had already seen through the situation.

The fat man returned from the wilderness with great merit, overshadowing the young master Tie Mitao. From the beginning, this meant that the fat man could only be a tragic figure.

Under the control of the Grand Elder, would the Council of Elders let the fat man wear red and gold and make their grandson look like a fool? How could Tie Mitao continue to hold power in the future?

Zhou Lu suddenly felt a deep, angry sorrow. It was laughable that he had been so excited and rushed here.

"Is that all? I understand."

Zhou Lu stood up with a sullen face, unable to suppress his grief and anger. At this moment, did it matter where he was? Without even looking at the Hunter Supervisor at the head of the table, he angrily turned and walked out.

"Stop!"

Sopero angrily slammed the table and roared.

Sopero was also furious.

The military council discussed military secrets. How could such a meeting allow someone to leave without regard for the Hunter Supervisor? Besides, his orders were not yet complete. Was the Hunter Supervisor to be completely ignored?

Sopero stood there, his eyes blazing.

Zhou Lu slowly turned, his eyes cold, his facial muscles twitching.

Sopero finally forced himself to calm down, knowing the fat man was wronged. However, his central command tent was a place to issue military orders, and military orders were as heavy as mountains, not to be swayed by personal emotions. Sopero's eyes, like an eagle, tightly focused on the fat man, a hint of killing intent in his gaze. His voice carried the authority of a superior:

"The Council of Elders orders: Appoint the Iron Blood Falcon Hunter Captain Lan He Gu as the highest-ranking hunter for this anti-bandit campaign, commanding four thousand-man battalions to enter the Western Frontier. At the same time, appoint Tie Mitao as the full authority Hunter Supervisor for this campaign, to cooperate with Hunter Captain Lan He Gu and act as needed."

"Zhou Lu, because you are more familiar with the personnel and terrain of Blackbeard Mountain than anyone else, you are indispensable for this anti-bandit campaign. The Council of Elders has decided that your unit will join the army in a few days, ready to follow orders."

Sopero held a military order in his hand, staring at the defiant little brat, and sternly demanded, "Aren't you going to accept the order?"

Sopero held the military order from the Council of Elders.

"Accept the order? Dream on!"

Zhou Lu was furious, kicking a low table to pieces, splinters flying, and nearby people scrambling to avoid them. With his forehead veins bulging, he turned and walked out.

"Damn it."

Zhou Lu could no longer suppress his anger.

He had caused chaos in Blackbeard Mountain but received nothing in return. The clan sent Tie Mitao to claim the military merit, and now they wanted him to guide the way, like marrying a wife and letting others enjoy her while he had to stand by and give instructions.

Could it get any worse?

I'm done with this.

Zhou Lu's eyes were red with anger.

"How dare you! Do you have any respect for this central command tent?"

Sopero was fuming, his face red and neck swollen, shouting, "Seize him!"

Disrupting the central command tent was a serious offense. Hearing the commotion, two fierce guards rushed in, their eyes full of anger, ready to pounce on Zhou Lu. With a clang, one guard drew his waist knife, but before he could, Zhou Lu's fat figure darted in front of him, two fingers tapping his wrist and pushing inward, forcing the knife back into its sheath.

Zhou Lu grabbed the guard's wrist, lowered his head, and his forehead collided with the guard's nose. The guard let out a惨cry, fell backward, and rolled on the ground in pain.

Zhou Lu cleanly and swiftly dealt with one guard, shocking the other. Biting his teeth in anger, the other guard swung a massive fist at Zhou Lu's chest. Such a punch, if it landed, would shatter bones.

Seeing Zhou Lu unable to dodge, everyone behind him was startled.

"Bang," the punch landed solidly, the sound of flesh hitting flesh audible. The guard was about to sneer, but Zhou Lu, expressionless, grabbed his fist, pulled it inward, and lowered his head, his forehead colliding with the guard's nose again. The guard let out a惨cry, fell backward, and rolled on the ground in pain.

Zhou Lu repeated the same move.

Blood covered Zhou Lu's forehead, his facial muscles twitching, and he laughed maniacally, tearing the tent curtain and rushing out. He grabbed a hunting horse and mounted it, galloping away in his anger.

"Brother!"

Xiao Luan, worried, shouted and chased after him, but Zhou Lu's figure was already far away in a cloud of dust.

The central command tent was deathly silent, whether from shock at Zhou Lu's madness or his ruthless and efficient strength. Beating the Hunter Supervisor's guards like children, were the guards too weak? How could the guards under a Hunter Supervisor be weak?

Sopero's face was ashen, his hand raised in the air. Finally, looking at Xiao Luan's back as she rode away, he sighed and let his hand fall, shaking his head in helpless laughter.

Sopero really didn't know what was wrong with these "ancestors." Each one was bold and tyrannical. His authority as a Hunter Supervisor meant nothing to them. In just a few days, his central command tent had been torn apart twice.