Chapter 30: The Military Law Knows No Mercy

Previously, the middle-aged man had been scolded by Old Master Xue, so he naturally did not dare to act on his own. Whether to sell or not, he naturally had to consult.

"Hehe, this boy has a good relationship with Young Master Shiyun. Now that he is in the General's Mansion, there is no danger. In business, we speak of business. Since we have obtained the lead, we will sell. Those people who come to us may not be able to do anything to him. Young people need more training. Let him be tempered!" Old Master Xue said with deep meaning, then turned and left.

"Yes." The middle-aged man smiled.

Xu Daoyan walked out of the Shilong Chamber of Commerce and headed straight for the General's Mansion. Eighteen million taels of gold meant that his future cultivation would be secured. He never expected that the set of top-grade human-grade artifacts refined by Master Wu Xiaobai would have such a high value, and just renting it could bring in such a huge sum.

The General's Mansion was built with large, dark gray stones.

Warriors in armor guarded the entrance to the General's Mansion, a total of eighteen people, each having reached the third rank.

Xu Daoyan arrived at the entrance to the General's Mansion and was immediately stopped.

"General's Mansion, no unauthorized personnel allowed to approach!" the guard shouted.

"Am I unauthorized personnel?" Xu Daoyan took out the token given to him by Shiyun.

"He is a distinguished guest of Young Master, please welcome him quickly!" One of the guards did not dare to be negligent and quickly led the way for Xu Daoyan.

Young Master Shiyun enjoys recruiting talented people. At a young age, he has already made many friends.

However, to receive a personal token from Young Master Shiyun, he was the first. Who would dare to be negligent?

The General's Mansion was very large, larger than the entire Lishi Village.

After entering the front gate and turning through several large courtyards, they finally arrived at a garden.

Xu Daoyan saw Shiyun move with fluid grace, his fan emitting sharp blades of air. With a flick of his wrist, a strong wind swept the ground, leaving a trail of slashes wherever it passed.

Knowing someone had arrived, Shiyun stopped his practice and saw Xu Daoyan, his expression filled with surprise: "Ha, Brother Xu, you finally came!"

"It's been a few months, and Young Master Shiyun's strength has greatly improved." Xu Daoyan did not probe Shiyun's realm, but he was definitely much stronger than himself.

Seeing Xu Daoyan's attire, Shiyun's eyes flashed with surprise, thinking to himself: "Is he a disciple of the Mo family? He must know the Mo family's method of refining artifacts."

"Ha, you flatter me. A scholar should be judged anew after three days. Brother Xu, you have broadened my horizons. Come, come, let's set up a banquet to welcome you, Lord Xu Daoyan." Shiyun patted Xu Daoyan's shoulder, clearly pleased with his judgment.

"Wait, I am here to join the army. No need for a welcome banquet." Xu Daoyan explained his purpose, his eyes filled with urgency: "I want to see what the military camp is like!"

"I see, that's fine. In our Shilong City, there are four elite military camps: the Wind Cavalry Camp, the Tiger Guard Camp, the Water Dragon Camp, and the Thunder Camp. Which one do you want to join?" Shiyun asked.

"The Wind Cavalry Camp." Fenghua has been good to me, and having a familiar person around can teach me a lot.

"Good, someone, prepare the horses!" Shiyun led Xu Daoyan out of the General's Mansion.

The Wind Cavalry Camp was set up on a large open area in the southern part of Shilong City, covering over a hundred miles, surrounded by wooden fences.

Shiyun led Xu Daoyan straight into the Wind Cavalry Camp, and no one stopped them. Young Master of the Shi family was very familiar with the four military camps.

At a young age, he had astonishing combat power, and many people admired him from the bottom of their hearts. He was also very wise and considerate of the soldiers.

The tents were arranged neatly, and there were dedicated areas for raising and training horses, as well as battlefields for training riding skills.

Numerous warriors held long spears, practicing their spear techniques.

Xu Daoyan's heart was filled with excitement as he watched. Suddenly, he saw about a hundred elite soldiers from the Wind Cavalry Camp kneeling, with Fenghua at the front.

A middle-aged man with a scar on his face shouted angrily: "You were ordered to return to Shilong City within ten days, but you are one day late. What punishment do you deserve!"

Xu Daoyan's heart sank: "Not good, if I hadn't insisted on staying in Shiyun Town for one more day, they wouldn't have been punished."

Shiyun held the reins, saw Fenghua, and then looked at Xu Daoyan. Being as smart as he was, he immediately understood the situation and led Xu Daoyan toward the camp.

"Let's go see what's happening." Shiyun said calmly.

Xu Daoyan nodded and explained: "This matter is due to me..."

"Brother Xu, don't blame yourself. Let's find out what's going on first." Xu Daoyan explained the entire situation to Shiyun, who understood and waved his hand, handling the matter maturely. Xu Daoyan did not say more.

Shiyun rode his horse to the front of the camp.

Fenghua knelt at the front, and the soldiers saw Shiyun and Xu Daoyan arrive, their expressions filled with surprise.

"Li Chaofeng, what happened?" Shiyun dismounted and approached the scar-faced man, asking.

"Originally, it's Young Master. Fenghua violated military orders and returned to Shilong City one day late. The military law is as strict as a mountain and cannot be lenient." Li Chaofeng looked at Shiyun, a bit more polite, as he was the youngest son of the General of Shilong City.

"This matter is due to me. If you must punish someone, punish me." Xu Daoyan briefly explained the situation.

"I see. Shiyun Town, Li Chaofeng, do you know why I am named Shiyun?" Shiyun looked at Fenghua and the other soldiers.

"It's because the year I was born, the Xiongnu people invaded Shiyun Town, plundering the people. Countless soldiers died in battle, and their bodies could not even be found. My father named me Shiyun to remind me of the shame of Shiyun Town."

"Even so, the military law is as strict as a mountain. They must be severely punished. If this were on the battlefield, the delay of one day could mean the death of many soldiers. The military law knows no mercy!" Li Chaofeng did not give Shiyun any face, clearly having his own authority in the military.

"We owe the people of Shiyun Town and the soldiers who died there a debt. Completing the wish of a dead soldier and delaying one day, do you have to calculate the cost to your own brothers?" Shiyun's temper flared, his eyebrows raised. He did not expect Li Chaofeng to make a big deal out of such a trivial matter.

"Who will show mercy on the battlefield? The military law knows no mercy!" Li Chaofeng sneered.

"Hmph, Li Chaofeng, this matter is reasonable. You are making a big deal out of a small issue. Don't think I won't do anything to you!" Shiyun was furious. In his view, completing the wish of a dead soldier, without any major military matters, was not a big deal. But Li Chaofeng was clearly using this to settle a personal score.

"Prince Shiyun, you have a big temper. Li Chaofeng is at least the commander of the tenth camp of the Wind Cavalry. He has fought many battles over the years, and even if he has no great achievements, he has certainly worked hard. Are you not afraid of disappointing the soldiers?" Suddenly, a person walked out of the tent.

She had bright eyes, a delicate face, and a fair complexion, extremely handsome.

A woman dressed as a man, wearing a black brocade robe, a purple gold crown, and a round jade pendant with a field character, her hands crossed in front of her, exuding the air of a great person.

"Who are you? The affairs of Shilong City are not for outsiders to meddle in!" Shiyun's voice was cold as he faced the woman dressed as a man.

"My father is the Duke of Youzhou, Mengchang Jun Tian Wen. I am his son, Tian Yu. I am here to inspect the border on behalf of my father. I heard that the Xiongnu people have plundered border villages, causing many casualties. I came to offer condolences, but I did not expect to see this farce!" The woman took out a token, and Shiyun's face turned pale. The son of the Duke of Youzhou, indeed, this was the order of the Youzhou army.

Even his father would treat him with respect. He never expected the son of the Duke of Youzhou to come for an inspection without any prior notice.

"So what? Does Prince Tian think that completing the wish of a dead soldier and delaying one day to punish the hundred soldiers guarding Lishi Village will not disappoint the soldiers?" Shiyun took a deep breath. Even the son of Mengchang Jun Tian Wen had no right to interfere with his military affairs.

"Oh? From Prince Shiyun's words, it seems you are defying the military law of our Nine States Divine Dynasty. If everyone delays military orders due to personal reasons, how will our Nine States Divine Dynasty govern its troops? If personal reasons can delay military affairs, wouldn't the entire army of the Nine States Divine Dynasty be in chaos?" The man dressed as a woman shouted.

"May I ask, what punishment will these brothers receive?" Xu Daoyan knew that if this continued, it would be detrimental to Shiyun.

"Oh? That depends on how Commander Li Chaofeng handles it." The man dressed as a woman glanced at Li Chaofeng.

"Considering it is their first offense, each will receive twenty military lashes and a three-month salary deduction as a warning." Li Chaofeng sneered.

"May I ask, how much is each brother's monthly salary?" Xu Daoyan asked again.

"Five hundred taels of gold." Li Chaofeng looked at Xu Daoyan, his brows furrowed.

"Alright, the total salary for three months for a hundred brothers is 150,000 taels of gold. I will cover it. Two thousand military lashes, I will take the punishment. This matter is due to me, and I will take responsibility. I am here to join the army, so I am also a part of the military. Is that okay?" Xu Daoyan said firmly.

"Absolutely not, two thousand military lashes will kill you." Fenghua was shocked.

"No problem!" Xu Daoyan was very determined.

"Hmph, if that's the case, then bring 150,000 taels of gold tomorrow at dawn to receive the punishment. I will personally administer the lashes!" Li Chaofeng knew that Xu Daoyan must be a close confidant of Shiyun. Shiyun wanted to dismiss him, so he was using Xu Daoyan to save face.

"You all step back, this will not happen again!" Li Chaofeng waved his hand at Fenghua and the others, feeling very pleased.

"We are willing to accept the punishment!" Fenghua shouted.

"We are willing to accept the punishment!" The hundred soldiers were all grown men, while Xu Daoyan was just a thirteen-year-old child. How could they let a child take the punishment for them?

The man dressed as a woman watched this scene, surprised. Xu Daoyan was just a child, yet he could win such support from the soldiers?

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