Rise of The Demon General

Chapter 422: Chapter 422. The Soldiers Arrive

The promised regiment of two thousand soldiers arrived the next week.

”What the hell...,” Yong Baili uttered after inspecting the soldiers.

”I have expected this to happen,” Amon said.

”You expected this?” Yong Baili asked.

Most of the two thousand soldiers were comprised of young people. Their cultivation was mostly at the Transformation Stage. Some were even only at the Strength Stage. Only the regiment leader, a captain named Xia Yan, had the cultivation above the Human Realm. Her cultivation was at the Beginning Mystic Stage.

”Most civil and military officials supported Prince Huang Zi and Princess Huang Er,” Amon said. ”The soldiers selected for us must go through them. Do you think they will pick the best soldiers for us?”

”Shit... So, we are being given the worst bunch?” Yong Baili lamented.

”Not necessarily. It is a hassle to shift through the records of every soldier to intentionally choose the worst for us. Kingdom officials aren’t that hard-working. My guess is they simply gathered all the newly recruited soldiers and sent them our way.”

”In other words, we got a bunch of rookies.”

”This should be right up your alley,” Amon told Yong Baili. ”Use your academic expertise to whip these rookies into a competent force.”

”Sigh... You make it sound so easy. The facilities we have in this fort are heaven and earth if compared to the Royal Academy.”

”I know you will find a way. Come on, let’s greet these rookies. I already see some familiar faces in there,” Amon said.

”Huh? Familiar faces?” Yong Baili asked.

They floated down from the battlement to the courtyard where the soldiers gathered. Lao Zen, An Guan, and Xin Wuming were already there. They were talking with Captain Xia Yan and her second-in-command.

When Amon landed, Xia Yan’s second-in-command displayed a surprised expression. ”You...?” He uttered.

”Be respectful! He is the commander of this fort,” Lao Zen admonished. ”He also outranked you by a lot. He is a colonel.”

”A colonel? Tutor Lao Zen, you must be joking! He is our commander? And how is it possible that he is already a colonel?”

”Please, just Lao Zen. I am no longer a tutor,” Lao Zen said.

”Hehe, I see you are doing well, Wu Di. You are already a second lieutenant in such a short time,” Amon said.

”If you are already a colonel, what you said sounds more like a ridicule than a praise,” Wu Di responded.

”Soldier, behave yourself!” An Guan scolded.

”Ugh!” Wu Di shut his mouth and went into the attention pose.

Xia Yan rolled her eyes at Wu Di before she saluted Amon, ”Reporting for duty, Colonel Amon!”

”At ease, Captain,” Amon said. ”I see that aside from Wu Di, many former Royal Academy students are in this regiment. This is good. This means they already have the basics.”

Lao Zen nodded in agreement. ”Let’s take it as we are resuming their study. We will train them into proper combatants.”

”I am counting on that,” Amon said. In the past few days, he had discussed the regiment’s training program with these former tutors. Since they didn’t have facilities like the ones available at the Royal Academy, the training would mostly be practical training. Amon had also handed over several training programs for military formations he learned from the previous world. He explained them to Lao Zen and asked him to implement this formation training.

”Captain Xia Yan, you will be working closely with Captain Xin Wuming here,” Amon pointed at Xin Wuming. Xin Wuming had already completed the registry process of becoming part of the military.

”How the hell did you get to be a captain already?” Wu Di complained.

A stare from Lao Zen caused him to return to his attention pose.

”Your regiment will be split into two battalions of one thousand each,” Amon resumed. ”You will be in one, and Xin Wuming the other. You will be taking orders from Lao Zen here. As for the other battalion, An Guan will have command, aided by Xin Wuming.”

”Roger that, Colonel,” Xia Yan uttered. She didn’t mind having her command taken.

”Good. Now, dismiss. You will be shown to your quarters before being introduced to your daily training sessions.”

*

A few days later, the battalion of one thousand soldiers from Prince Huang Zhan arrived. Unlike the rookie regiment, the soldiers in this battalion appeared to be battle-hardened warriors. They all wore better armor. Their armor was filled with scars that showed they had been in a battle before.

None of the soldiers in this battalion had cultivation below the Transformation Stage. A few were even Beginning Mystic Stage cultivators. The leader of the battalion was a lieutenant Colonel named Hao Yang. He was a Peak Mystic Stage cultivator. His second-in-command was his brother, Senior Captain Hao Meng, an Intermediate Mystic Stage cultivator.

The rookie regiment was training in the courtyard. When they saw these veterans entering the fort, they couldn’t help but feel intimidated. The veterans, on the other hand, scoffed at them with condescending expressions.

Amon came with Ha Gild and An Guan to greet them. After saluting each other, Amon explained their chains of command as he did with the regiment earlier. This new battalion was to act under Ha Gild, with Hao Yang as second-in-command.

”No can do!” Hao Yang exclaimed.

”Soldier, this is a direct order from your superior. How dare you disobey?” An Guan scolded.

”I already have a direct order from His Highness Huang Zhan. His Highness’ command is for us to aid your objective in eradicating the rebels, but this battalion will remain mine. They will take orders from me and me alone. If I deem your order does not align with the objective, I have no obligation to obey. If you disagree with this arrangement, we will leave.”

”You...!” An Guan was speechless by this provocation.

Amon waved for An Guan to calm down. He said, ”If that is Prince Huang Zhan’s wish, we will honor it. However, our plan to wipe out the rebels still requires a long preparation time. You will be bored if you spend all that time waiting. How about this? You help us train the other soldiers. You are all veterans. It will be a great boon for these younger soldiers to receive your guidance.”

”Hm...,” Hao Yang didn’t seem enthusiastic.

”Your aid in training the soldiers will make it easier when it is time for us to attack the rebels,” Amon said. ”So, it is still within the objective given to you. Also, we will pay you all with standard weekly wages.”

They received payment from Prince Huang Zhan despite being sent here. Hence, the wages Amon offered were extra income.

”Well, I guess I don’t mind teaching those greenhorns a trick or two,” Hao Yang said.

”Very good,” Amon uttered. ”Ha Gild, please show them to their quarters and explain our training arrangements.”

After the soldiers left, An Guan asked Amon, ”You seem to have expected this?”

”I suspect Huang Zhan’s kindness is a trap in disguise. He didn’t send these soldiers here to aid us. They are here to keep an eye on us and probably do something to jeopardize our mission when it is time to move.”

”Then why not just send them away?” An Guan asked. ”They are willing to leave if we enforce our authority. Won’t it be a problem to let them stay?”

Amon smiled. ”They might, but if utilized properly, they can still be useful. Plus, the leaders might be loyal to Prince Huang Zhan, but the same cannot be said for all one thousand soldiers.”

”Are you sure? Prince Huang Zhan is known to inspire loyalty in his troops,” An Guan said.

Amon chuckled. ”If so, he would have shoved the burden of paying these soldiers’ wages like Prince Huang Zi did. He doesn’t because he knows loyalty can be bought with money. So, we will still pay these soldiers and study how loyal each of them is during their time here. I believe, given time, we can sway some to our side. Anyway, we will deal with them before it is time to move on the rebels.”

”I see. Alright, I trust your judgment,” An Guan said. He paused before adding, ”It is strange. You are but a junior during our time at the Royal Academy, but I don’t find it demeaning taking your orders now. You are a natural leader.”

”It all comes down to confidence and a clarity of vision,” Amon said. ”People yearn to follow someone with those qualities, especially if that person possesses the same values and objectives.”

”Hm... Are they?”

”I am going to the capital to meet Prince Huang San. After that, we may be away for some time. I will leave this place to you and Lao Zen. Just keep with the routines we have agreed on. Take the soldiers out to hunt spirit beasts for some field experience if you must, but don’t overdo it. The time for us to act is still years away.”

”Okay. Do what you must. Leave this place to us. We will maintain the order here,” An Guan said.