"Oh, thank goodness I was agile! You almost chopped me off!"
Zichuan Xiu, still in shock, said, "Deputy Bannerman Bai, you're so reckless—does this Bannerman really look like the kind of lecher who'd tease innocent girls? Ah, Gu Lei, what are those expressions on your faces?"
Baichuan protested unconvincedly, "Sir, think about it. In the dead of night, in a deserted tent, you're hugging a strange girl—how can I, your subordinate, imagine you?"
Zichuan Xiu: "You should think this way: This girl must be the third princess of the demon clan, Cardan. She's a valuable prisoner to our army. Now she must have fainted from the shock of being captured, and your superior, the upright and noble Bannerman Xiuchuan, is selflessly preparing to perform artificial respiration on her—that's the normal way to think!"
Baichuan: "Damn... How could I possibly imagine anything like that?!"
Zichuan Xiu: "That proves you haven't watched enough Hong Kong TV series. They're full of this kind of plot."
Baichuan: "Sir, what did you say?"
Zichuan Xiu: "Oh, it's nothing. I got time and space mixed up. Just pretend you didn't hear anything."
Baichuan: "Even if the demon princess fainted—anyone could give her CPR, why did you, sir, come?"
Zichuan Xiu: "Since anyone can give her CPR—why can't I come?"
…
Zichuan Xiu: "Please report the situation, Deputy Bannermaster Bai."
Baichuan: "As you command, sir. After five hours of fighting, my troops likely suffered between 20,000 and 30,000 demon casualties. We've captured their main camp and their supply train. Of the 53 white cloaks (white cloaks refer to demon team leaders, who wear white cloaks) sent out by the demons, my troops have killed 21. Changchuan's troops killed 19, captured 3, and the whereabouts of 10 are currently unknown.
Zichuan Xiu nodded. "Deputy Commander Roger just sent in the battle report. He's secured seven white cloaks, and the estimated number of enemy kills is around ten thousand. This confirms that the main force of the demon clan is essentially gone, and all that remains is a battlefield mopping-up operation."
Baichuan bowed. "This is a great victory, sir. Congratulations! You've worked so hard!" He cursed inwardly, "Yes, sleeping, eating, drinking, and having sex...it's so tiring!"
"Ah, it's rare that you're so understanding, Deputy Commander Bai... Honestly, I'm still exhausted. I've been working hard all day, and it's time for me to rest. Deputy Commander Bai, thank you for your help. I'll leave the security of the headquarters to you!"
Baichuan secretly raised his middle finger and asked respectfully, "Sir, I have something I'd like to ask you."
Zichuan Xiu: "Oh? "
Bai Chuan: "According to the captives, the demon army's defeat was caused by the assassination of the commander and deputy commander by a mysterious assassin. None of us frontline commanders knew about this. I wonder how Your Excellency learned of this and gave us the order to attack?"
Zi Chuan Xiu looked surprised: "I gave you the order to attack? Is that true? No, it was you, Deputy Hatamoto Bai, who gave the order, right?"
Bai Chuan: "Your Excellency, didn't you say..."
Zi Chuan Xiu: "Oh, when you came to me for permission, you said Roger wanted to attack, and I said whoever wanted to go could go... Is that right? This whole thing was decided by you and Roger? When did I ever give you the order to go to Kuang Biu?" "
Bai Chuan thought back, and it was indeed true. But Zi Chuanxiu's tone at the time... Fortunately, we won. If we lost, I would have shouldered all the responsibility myself... He broke out in a cold sweat.
"Don't be afraid, you won anyway. Will the prosecutor's office still charge you with misrepresenting military orders?" Zi Chuanxiu, as if guessing Bai Chuan's thoughts, said slowly, "Tomorrow we'll withdraw to Shajia City. Let Goxi Bannermoto's troops complete the cleanup."
Bai Chuan anxiously said, "But sir, we've finally achieved this. We should press on!"
Zi Chuan Xiu: "If we take all the credit, the other armies will say we don't know when to advance or retreat—and then our lives will be difficult."
He lazily walked towards the tent. "It's late, Deputy Bannermaster Bai, rest up. We have a long journey tomorrow."
Bai Chuan suddenly realized: Zi Chuan Xiu's contribution to defeating 80,000 demons with only 30,000 men was undeniable. Since that was the case, why not do him a favor and help them avoid being too jealous? How thoughtful! As he watched his figure disappear, it felt increasingly difficult to see him...
...
At dusk the next day, the triumphant Zi Chuan Xiu's troops entered the city of Shaka, where they were greeted by an almost frenzied welcome from the citizens. Shaka City lay close to the Hengchuan front, and whenever the demons attacked, it was always the first to be ravaged by the fighting. Unfortunately, the Zichuan family's Far Eastern Army wasn't very impressive, consistently losing more than winning, leaving the citizens exhausted and miserable as they fled. This time, upon hearing that the demon army was approaching, the family only sent an eighteen-year-old flag bearer to fight—and it wasn't just because his surname was Zichuan, otherwise he wouldn't have been promoted so quickly, becoming a flag bearer at eighteen. Everyone had already given up hope and began packing up their belongings, preparing to flee. But then, for some unforeseen stroke of luck, the demon army collapsed without a fight... Upon hearing the news, the entire city erupted in jubilation!
As Zichuan Xiu's troops filed into the city for rest and recuperation, the welcoming crowd nearly overwhelmed them.
The citizens lavished the soldiers with cheap gifts: half-boiled eggs, sweat-stained handkerchiefs, silver-inlaid jewelry, explosive balloons... They all drank expired, unsold wine! Thirty-seven bar owners in the city avoided bankruptcy as a result, while eleven went bankrupt after their establishments were vandalized by drunken soldiers...
Monks and priests prayed for them: "Thank you, our invincible protectors! May the protection of the god of war always be with you!" Normally, no one believed in their god, but today was a rare opportunity to promote their faith without being stoned...
Beautiful girls waved flowers and hugged and kissed unfamiliar soldiers... According to statistics, within the first hour of the Zichuanxiu troops' entry into the city, over seven thousand soldiers lost their first kiss, which they had intended to save for their lovers. This loss was enormous! Many touching love stories, passed down through the ages, began from this point on. Later, someone calculated that within less than a week of the Zichuanxiu troops' presence in Shajia City, ten months later, the city's birth rate was 169% higher than usual! And most of the names were "Huai Jun," "Nian Bing," and "Ai Jun"...
※※※
At night, Roger, Baichuan, and Changchuan patrolled the streets, checking for signs of lax military discipline and unruly soldiers.
Changchuan: "Shirakawa, I think something's off about you today—it's been twelve hours, and you haven't scolded Hidekimoto yet—are you feeling unwell?"
Roger pretended to touch Shirakawa's forehead: "Hmm, it's hot. Do you have a cold? Ugh, it's hot!"
Shirakawa retracted his fist: "Nothing. I've just changed my opinion of him..." Just then, everyone heard Zichuanxiu's voice from a nearby bar: "How much is a bottle of Greenland Beer?"
The waitress's voice: "Three silver coins, officer."
Zichuanxiu: "Oh, it's a little more expensive than in the capital... I'll take two bottles!"
The waitress: "Excuse me, officer, are you from Lord Hideki's unit?"
Zichuanxiu: "Yes!"
The waitress: "Oh, our boss has ordered that officers from Hideki's unit don't charge tonight."
Zichuanxiu: "Why?"
The waitress: "Because you're heroes!"
Zichuanxiu: "Heroes... Then I'll take four bottles!"
The waitress: "..."
Roger asked Shirakawa, "You just said what you thought of him..."
Changchuan deadpanned, "Now my opinion has changed again... Let's go! We don't know him!"