pappabearbooks Chapter 35 Competitors
Chapter 35 Competitors
The three thousand Imperial Guards, organized into units of one hundred households, carried out their operations in an orderly manner under command.
Some centurions boarded the waiting trains, tasked with raiding targets 200 kilometers away.
Some of the centurions rode on iron steeds, and they were responsible for targets about 100 kilometers away.
Meanwhile, the centurions responsible for raiding within a 100-kilometer radius set off on foot, forming ranks directly.
The train whistled and moved forward, the steeds roared, and the troop's steps thundered like drums.
The Ming Dynasty's Imperial Guards, with their imposing presence, charged forward without hesitation!
Chang Yuan's elite cavalry squad mounted their iron steeds.
Just as he drove out of the gate of the Thousand Household Office, he suddenly felt a gaze filled with strong hostility.
And there was more than one.
Chang Yuan sensed hostility, which meant he knew for certain that there were enemies.
The "Precision" ability was activated instantly, locking onto four targets.
Chang Yuan checked each of the identified locations one by one.
He recognized them; they were the captains of the other four centurion squads, all of them around thirty years old, and all extraordinary individuals brimming with superhuman power.
Some of them were standing on the train, some were walking in the queue, and two were in the army of iron-clad steeds.
When Chang Yuan looked back at them, the four flag officers not only did not restrain themselves, but instead showed even clearer hostility, trying to put pressure on Chang Yuan.
Being stared at with hostility by four extraordinary individuals would be incredibly stressful for an ordinary extraordinary person.
But for Chang Yuan, the superhumans who were at least 30 meters away and whose targets were "precisely" locked by the entry were all lambs to the slaughter.
He could make red and white flowers bloom on the back of the heads of the four flag officers whenever he wanted.
He felt no pressure at all.
Do butchers feel pressured when they see pigs that have been tied up?
On the contrary, it was the four veteran flag officers who felt the pressure.
No, they said they felt not pressure, but a murderous intent piercing their brows.
It's like having a steel cone soaked in alcohol pierce your brain; first you feel the icy, bone-chilling cold, followed by a searing, soul-crushing pain.
The four men frowned and almost simultaneously let out a cold snort.
The marching flag bearer raised his hand to protect his brow.
The flag on the train moved diagonally backward, using the steel carriages of the train for cover.
The two flag bearers, riding iron steeds, sped up or slowed down, using the crowd to obscure their figures.
However, all the efforts were in vain.
No matter how they tried to cover it up, the feeling of being pierced between their eyebrows remained, and even became stronger.
It felt like I could be killed at any moment!
Only when Chang Yuan felt the deterrent effect was sufficient, withdrew his gaze, and voluntarily unlocked the entry, did the four flag officers finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"Damn, this kid is terrifying!"
"No wonder they came from behind and became more competitive than us..."
"Damn it, if I miss this opportunity, will I ever be able to be promoted to centurion at forty?"
"I can't give up now, I still have a chance!"
"That's right, there's still a chance. We are imperial guards, not lone wanderers in the martial world."
"When we compete for the position of centurion, it's not about individual strength, but about the ability to manage centurions!"
"I refuse to believe that a thirty-year-old veteran of the Imperial Guard can be outmatched by a mere twenty-year-old brat!"
"Does he think he has powerful connections?"
The four captains had different ideas, but they all made sense in general.
The Hundred-Household Commander was an official position and also the most basic organizational unit in the army.
The 100-household management unit not only includes two generals, ten junior officers, and one hundred soldiers, but also one hundred families behind these officially established units, numbering in the hundreds or thousands, young and old.
In other words, the Baihu (a type of official) also held civil administration responsibilities.
The duties of a centurion in the Embroidered Uniform Guard were more numerous than those of a regular army officer, and each centurion had unregistered spies under his command.
Depending on the nature of the mission and the funding, the number of guards under the jurisdiction of a centurion can range from dozens to hundreds. These people also have families and relatives, and the centurion has to worry about them.
A centurion is not someone who fights and kills, but someone who understands human relationships and can ask his superiors for money and provisions. He is also able to mediate conflicts and ensure harmony among his subordinates' families.
As the mindset of the four extraordinary flag officers changed, the hostility in their eyes transformed into a more peaceful sense of competition.
Chang Yuan noticed the change in the four people's mentality, laughed triumphantly, and rode away at high speed on his iron horse.
He was unaware that there was a vacancy for the position of centurion, nor did he know that others were determined to compete with him. He simply assumed that the seniors disliked the juniors and wanted to give him a hard time, but ended up failing because of him.
After leaving the Thousand Household Office, the Imperial Guards dispersed and headed towards different destinations along different side roads.
After traveling about forty kilometers, Chang Yuan's unit split into two squads, each heading to a different destination.
Following orders, Chang Yuan, together with Commander Liu, led a force of over 170 people straight to Chuwang Town in Neihuang County.
This small town is bordered by Handan Prefecture of Hebei Province to the east, the Wei River to the south, Shipantun Township and Tianshi Town to the west, and Songcun Township to the north. The government's control over it was weak, and it often became a den of thieves and smugglers.
An undercover investigation by agents of the Embroidered Uniform Guard revealed that Chuwang Town is now controlled by the Blood Spirit Cult, which is the cult's central stronghold controlling both Henan and Hebei provinces.
The town of Chuwang has more than a thousand cult members, no fewer than five extraordinary individuals, and as many as five black iron-skinned evil spirits.
Based on the number of Blood Spirit Cult members, Li Baihu deduced that there were no more civilians in Chuwang Town, and that there must be even more powerful monsters hiding there.
Therefore, he mobilized his entire squadron, along with Chang Yuan's elite cavalry, to deal with this strongest stronghold.
In order to deal with the evil spirit of the dark iron skin, a special artillery team was also deployed, and a Portuguese general cannon was brought in by a large iron horse.
Chang Yuan took a closer look and saw that it was a breech-loading smoothbore cannon with a caliber of about 70 millimeters.
The breech-loading cannons of today are different from those of three hundred years ago. They are extremely well-sealed and powerful enough to penetrate a two-foot-thick brick wall, far beyond what a mere black iron demon could withstand.
The best part is that with the Frankish Divine Might General Cannon, the Embroidered Uniform Guard no longer needed to attack fortified positions.
Once we advance to within artillery range, we can raze the enemy's stronghold to the ground.
Whether they are cultists, superhumans, or monsters, they can only emerge from the ruins.
Whether they fought the Imperial Guards to the death or fled for their lives, they could not escape death.
Equipped with new rifles and revolvers, the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) possessed a firepower density far exceeding that of the past, which would undoubtedly leave a deep impression on the cultists.
Ten kilometers from Chuwang Town, the Imperial Guards stopped, gathered their iron steeds, and walked to surround the town.
Chang Yuan led his elite cavalry squad and followed the artillery team.
When the artillery begins bombarding the enemy's lair, those self-proclaimed extraordinary individuals will not choose to flee immediately, but will instead launch a counterattack against the Imperial Guards, destroying or even seizing the artillery.
When these extraordinary beings and monstrous evil spirits appear, it will be time for the Imperial Guard to hunt them down.