Zhan Long

Chapter 759 - Draining the Swamp

Around twenty minutes later, just about everyone had arrived. There were five thousand Royal Army soldiers standing in line at the drill camp. Then, there was another thousand human, elf, and barbarian women standing around with tattered and mussed up clothes. Quite a few were crying out. The soldiers standing on the side roared at them, “Shut up. If you cry any more I will chop you up!” And so, the girls didn’t even have the courage to cry. They all knew that these Royal Army soldiers didn’t even see them as humans. It would be as easy as killing a bug.

……

I stood on the podium, my hand on the hilt of my sword. Generals Han Yuan, Shu Lie, and Luo Te were all standing behind me. They were all in charge of large divisions of at least a thousand men. The soldiers were lined up in five rows. Of them, Han Yuan’s and Shu Lie’s soldiers were at least relatively in line and organized, while the others couldn’t even be called rows. Some of the soldiers weren’t even dressed properly, with the attitude of a prince.

“General, why have you brought all of these slaves over?” The soft princeling general Luo Te asked with a stunned voice.

I coldly laughed, “Is there not a stipulation in the Tian Ling City military that forbids keeping women in the military camps?”

“Well, there is…”

Luo Te stuck his chest out and confidently smiled, “But, there’s also the unwritten rule. Whenever an army overtakes another city, they can bring all of the spoils of war back to the camp. This is a rule that has always existed in the Royal Army. Without women, we wouldn’t have the strength to battle. General, you are a man too. You should understand that, right?”

Rage boiled in my stomach. I did everything I could to remain calm, “Violating a law in any way is violating the law. Where did all of these unwritten rules pop up from? The law is ironclad. Do you not understand a rule as simple as that?”

On the side, Han Yuan added, “Keeping women in the camps is already a preposterous thing. What do you mean, you don’t have the strength to fight without women? From what I can see, you guys have actually turned into shell less crabs when these women came!”

Luo Te was now pissed. He pointed right at Han Yuan and roared, “Han Beard, just what right do you have to f*cking accuse me? Do not forget, you are just a plebeian. If you didn’t have the muscles, what makes you think you could climb to that general position? Oh, I know, you don’t have any gold in that patched up wallet of yours. You probably haven’t even touched a women before, or tasted the sweetness of a girl, isn’t that right? Alright then, I’m feeling a little generous today. I’ll send one or two women over so that you can experience it. Are you satisfied now?”

Han Yuan’s face grew red with anger, “Shut the f*ck up you stuck up *ss, I have never once touched those women. I, Han Yuan, joined the army so that I may bring honor to the empire. I came to achieve a successful career and become a hero. I’m not some useless b*st*rd like you who relies on his daddy to join the Royal Army and runs away at the sight of fighting!”

Luo Te pulled out his sword and shouted, “Han Yuan, you’re just asking for it now!”

Deputy General Song roared, “What are you two thinking of doing?”

I pulled out my Dragon Reservoir Sword. “Keng!” I knocked away Han Yuan and Luo Te’s swords and said, “You too are being a little too disrespectful to me, are you not?”

Han Yuan quickly knelt to the ground, “I am sorry, Commander, please forgive me!”

Luo Te hesitated for a moment and also knelt down.

I didn’t say anything to them. I raised my sword and looked over at the 6000 people on the ground. I then addressed then, “Today, I, Li Xiao Yao, as the Commander of the Royal Army, have orders for you. I am immediately abolishing the rule of keeping women in the camp. If anyone dares to keep women, they will be executed on the spot!”

Luo Te’s eyes widened, “General, you cannot do that! This is a rule that the Royal Army has always followed. You cannot abolish it so easily!”

I coldly laughed, “The rules of the Royal Army will be set by me from now on. Just when was it stipulated by you?”

As I said that, I looked over at Deputy General Song and said, “How much gold is in the military treasury?”

Deputy General Song replied, “Reporting to my lord, there’s over 10,000 Gold.”

I nodded, “Release these thousand women and give each of them ten gold. Let them out and find a good man to marry in the city or go back to their homes. No one is allowed to determine where they go. Whoever dares to do so will be executed on the spot!”

Deputy General Song smiled and shouted, “Yes sir! However, general, if you do this, the treasury will be emptied. What should we do?”

“No matter, Princess Pearl will help us find funds.”

“Yes, my general is wise!”

……

System Notification: Congratulations, you have successfully established new rules in the military. Achievements+150!

This… Even though I’m not sure what this Achievements is, it probably has something to do with a player’s standing in the NPC army? Either way, the more the better…

All of the women on the drill grounds were released. One after another, they charged towards the tents and didn’t even say a thanks to the person who released them all. It was probably because they have suffered too much here in the army and so they see all of us to be fearsome and terrifying.

Han Yuan knelt before me and gave me a thousand thanks, “My lord will spearhead a new age in the Royal Army!”

Luo Te coldly smiled, “Kiss *ss!”

I also coldly smiled and looked at Luo Te and said, “Luo Te, if my memory serves me right, the person who set up the rule to keep women in the military camp was you, is that right?”

Luo Te was stunned and said, “Yes, what of it?’

I opened my hand and pointed at the gates of the camp and said, “Based on the law of the military, anyone who treats human lives like grass deserves death! But, that is the past. Plus, you are the son of a marquis, I have no right to execute you. But, there is no place for you in the Royal Army any longer. You are no longer one of our members. I suggest that you find another job. The Royal Army will not feed any more useless bags of sheet.”

Lu Te was stunned, “Li Xiao Yao! You… just what are you to say that? Don’t think that just because you have Princess Pearl supporting you that you can be so arrogant! Let me tell you, I Luo Te will not leave. No matter what, I will not leave!”

Han Yuan lowered his voice and said in my ear, “Princelings like him are in the army are here just for the name and then use it as a stepping stone for a better job. Right now, he’s just a small supervisor. If he leaves, there’s no way he can face his Marquis father. That’s why he doesn’t want to leave…”

I smiled, “Guards, bring Supervisor Luo Te’s horse and see him out!”

Luo Te leapt onto his horse and pulled out his sword, shouting, “Li Xiao Yao, you dare chase me out?”

I shouted my orders, “Archers, prepare!”

Han Yuan raised his hand, having his archers all target Luo Te. With a single command, I could turn that son of a marquis into a porcupine.

Furious, Luo Te clenched his teeth and said, “You…… you, you’re all ganging up on me! Just you wait, one day I will show you guys! Everyone who thinks of me as their friend in the Royal Army, follow me. It doesn’t matter, we just won’t stay in this Royal Army! Let’s go to the Xia Yu Army, to the Flame Dragon Army. Any army is better than the Royal Army! Either way we can find success there!”

At that moment, some of the soldiers in line began to murmur and leave their positions. Soon, around five hundred of them had left. They were probably all close friends to Luo Te.

Han Yuan and Shu Lie both pulled out their weapons and roared, “Whoever dares to desert will be executed!”

I raised my hand and said, “No, let them go. Right now, the Royal Army needs brave warriors, not cowards! Let them go. We can recruit new soldiers, recruit true warriors!”

Han Yuan put away his broadsword. Admiration was practically gushing from his eyes as he smiled, “Yes sir! From this point, the Royal Army has drained its swamp and been reborn!”

In the end, Luo Te took his group of soldiers and left while I received another 150 points in Achievements. Motherf*cker, I’m starting to think that if I keep this up, I might eventually get promoted?

……

I could see a light shine in Xiao Lie’s sole eye as he smiled, “My Lord, from my knowledge, Tian Ling City’s Warrior Academy is just about to send out a new wave of graduates. All of the great armies of the empire are going to fight for recruits. Our Royal Army happens to need new recruits now too. We should not pass up this rare opportunity. How about, you go and ask Princess Pearl about this, and ask for her permission to pick some new recruits from the graduating class?”

I nodded, “Alright. You and Han Yuan follow me to meet Princess Pearl!”

“Yes sir!”

……

“What? You want to recruit people from the Battle Academy? Princess Pearl was holding a cup of tea as she looked at me with shock.

I nodded, “Yes. I had just dismissed a thousand innocent women in the army, and then chased out 500 of the noblemen in the Royal Army. Right now, the Royal Army only has around four thousand people. We need to replenish people on all levels of rank. The new graduates of the Battle Academy are just the people that we need. I hope that your highness will allow this.”

Pearl seemed a little hesitant, “But… the new graduates from Battle Academy, those are also people that my brothers are seeking for. I…”

I smiled, “It’s no problem, your highness just needs to act a little spoiled to your brothers. I’m sure they will give you some leeway…”

“Pu…”

Pearl couldn’t help but laugh. She stood up and slipped her snow white battle cloak onto her shoulders and said, “Alright then, I’m going to go and act spoiled. You guys wait here for my news. I will do my best!”

“Yes, your highness!”

……

Around thirty minutes later, Princess Pearl finally returned with her body guards. She had a satisfied and proud look on her face, “I have succeeded! The Crown Prince and the Second Prince have both agreed. Tomorrow, the Royal Army can recruit people from the graduates. However, it cannot surpass five hundred. Is that ok?”

I nodded, “That is enough!”

“Ok. Then you guys work hard and supervise the matters of the Royal Army!” Pearl stared deeply at me and smiled, “I will rely on you to make sure that my army will be able to protect this capital!”

I replied, “I won’t let you down!”

……