Patrol Captain

"I never expected to see the general's old friend again on the Ninth Mountain. Time really flies!"

Gongsun Yang's gaze fell on Gongsun Wuji, and he couldn't help but sigh.

He had met Gongsun Wuji in Qingshan County when he was a storyteller. Later, he followed the general and became the Ninth Mountain General. They had a brief encounter on the way to Tianxiong Pass to quell the rebellion.

I vaguely remember that this person was a descendant of the Sword Tomb and had a past relationship with the general.

Thinking back on it now, I can't help but sigh at the passage of time and recall the days when I was a sheep in Qingshan County.

His words surprised the other members of the Seven Heroes of Sichuan, who were all puzzled by the meaning behind this important figure's words.

what?
Some of them were old acquaintances of the general.
The general that Mr. Gongsun referred to was probably the true leader of the Ninth Mountain, the current ruler of Shu.

For a moment, everyone looked at each other, trying to find the answer.

Just as everyone was filled with doubt and uncertainty, Gongsun Wuji, who was bowing and clasping his hands among the seven, slowly raised his head and looked at Gongsun Yang's smiling eyes opposite him, and for a moment he looked dazed.

He had no impression of Gongsun Yang, but he never expected to be remembered by this person, which made him feel complicated and indescribable.

He could sense the aura emanating from the man before him, Mr. Gongsun, which was as imposing and majestic as a mountain. He shook his hand slightly, his voice carrying a hint of dazedness.
"I am foolish and ignorant; I do not recall your face from those years. I was fortunate to have met General Chen in the past, who saved me from danger several times. I dare not call him an old friend."

His voice was very soft, and his expression was somewhat complicated as he spoke.

Upon seeing his reaction, his friends' expressions immediately became quite interesting, showing shock and confusion.
What was shocking was that the Gongsun brothers actually knew that Martial Saint General. Judging from the implication, it wasn't just a simple acquaintance; they had a past relationship. The Gongsun brothers even referred to the general as an old friend.

What's puzzling is that, despite knowing Gongsun Wuji for so long, they've never heard him mention these things.
In the hall, Gongsun Yang, unperturbed, put away the scroll in his hand, stroked his beard with one hand, and smiled, saying:

"It's normal that Brother Gongsun doesn't remember me. Back then, I was just a frustrated storyteller under the general's command. Later, I was valued by the general and entrusted with important responsibilities, which is why I can stand here today and speak with you all."

"Thinking back on it now, it doesn't seem so dazed."

"It's been many years since we last met. Young brother, you've developed quite a fine character. I just sent someone to inquire and learned that you and your fellow young friends were among the first to rush to the front lines in Sichuan to support the front lines and fight against demons. Today, you've joined my Ninth Mountain, which can be considered a fortuitous encounter."

"I remember you are a descendant of the Dragon Mountain Sword Tomb in Shu. Why do you want to join the army?"

"Go to the battlefield and kill the demons!" Gongsun Wuji's answer was simple, without any grand pronouncements or displays of righteous indignation.

Gongsun Yang nodded with an appreciative look on his face. "Since you have gone through so much trouble, why didn't you come directly to the Ninth Mountain in the first place? If you had come, the general would have been very happy and willing to entrust you with important responsibilities."

Gongsun Wuji shook his head slightly, facing his own heart. "I met General Chen when we were both still unknown. After we parted, I often heard news of him. My pride made me want to catch up with him and meet him again. But later I realized how ridiculous I was, so I gave up and never showed anyone that I knew General Chen. Now I have made a few like-minded friends, and I only want to use my martial arts skills to kill more demons."

"In order to gain some merit and fame, the Ninth Mountain is the best place for my friends and me to come!"

He was not arrogant; his words carried the aspirations and ambitions of his friends.

Upon hearing this, Gongsun Yang laughed heartily.
"it is good!"

"That's what a real man should do."

"I am here to understand your aspirations."

As he spoke, he glanced at the other six people, his face showing appreciation. "You seven have already passed three trials and have also supported the front lines in Sichuan Pass. You have experience fighting alongside the army against demons on a large scale, which will save you some time in getting used to each other. You can lead troops."

"After this conversation concludes, I will issue an order to the military camp. You may select some of the newly recruited soldiers to form a new unit. I will then send someone to instruct them on training methods."

Upon hearing this, the Seven Heroes of Sichuan were startled, and then their eyes shone with an incredibly bright light, their faces revealing excitement.

This is an honor and a sign of great trust, allowing them to skip the transition period and directly lead troops, and even granting them the authority to select their own soldiers from newly recruited people.

As the saying goes, a fine horse is hard to find, but a discerning eye is even harder to find. To repay your kindness, we are willing to die for you. Several of us came to the Ninth Mountain with great ambitions, but we never expected to be entrusted with such a heavy responsibility. It would be a lie to say that we were not excited, and a heroic spirit of going through fire and water rose in our hearts.

"Thank you for your kind words, Mr. Gongsun!"

"We will certainly not let you down, sir."

Overwhelmed with emotion, the group bowed deeply in gratitude.

Gongsun Yang stroked his beard and straightened his expression. "There's no need for that. If you are willing to realize your ambitions, I am happy to give you the opportunity. As you all know, Shu is now surrounded by demons and monsters, and there are rebels outside. The situation is extremely precarious. The general has ordered the recruitment of people with ambition to protect Shu. It should be said that the Daofu Division needs you all."

At this point, armored soldiers came to the gate of the Zhonglang Hall to wait for the report.

Gongsun Yang didn't say anything more.
"That's all for now. I have other matters to attend to, so I won't keep you any longer. You should all head down the mountain to the camp, and arrangements will be made there."

Upon seeing this, the Seven Heroes of Sichuan, including Gongsun Wuji, solemnly bowed.
"Thank you sir."

"We will now take our leave."

Gongsun Yang lowered his hand that was stroking his beard and nodded.

However, his gaze lingered on Gongsun Wuji for a few more seconds, and his lips moved slightly.

Then, Gongsun Wuji and his six companions took their leave and departed from the Zhonglang Hall of the Ninth Mountain. As they left the mountaintop under the guidance of the armored soldiers, they could no longer contain themselves. Their eyes were all fixed on Gongsun Wuji, and they surrounded him to begin their "post-coital interrogation."
"Brother Wuji, you're really not being fair! You kept such a big thing from us, not revealing a single word. I was almost stunned just now." The friend surnamed Zhao punched Gongsun Wuji on the shoulder.

"With your connections, you could have already soared to great heights. Why do you have to wait here with us for your chance?"

“Yes, it’s true that you and General Chen knew each other from humble beginnings. If it were me, the whole world would know about it,” another friend chuckled.

"Stop joking. Wuji just explained the reason, and I have to admire him," the older friend surnamed Yue said with a smile.

As the person involved in the incident, Gongsun Wuji understood that his friends were joking. He didn't think much of it and didn't talk about the topic any further. "Gentlemen, please stop joking with me. Since Mr. Gongsun has already given important instructions, you brothers should cheer up."

Upon hearing this, the Seven Heroes of Sichuan all composed themselves and became serious.
"Of course! I never thought we would have the chance to lead troops. To be honest, I'm a little excited, but mostly nervous. Now that the day has come, I feel a weight on my shoulders."

"To be valued so highly, I should repay with my life! Let's do it!"

"However, we should say that we are grateful to Brother Gongsun for the respect we have received. Otherwise, even if we had passed the three trials, we would not have been given such an important position."

In truth, they all understood this in their hearts; otherwise, given their qualifications, they probably wouldn't have been able to get an audience with someone like Master Gongsun.

"So, everyone, cheer up! We're benefiting from Wuji's success. General Chen will definitely find out and take notice. If we don't show our full abilities and are unworthy of our positions, we'll lose face big time." "Let's go, let's go, let's go down the mountain quickly."

"."

As the Seven Heroes of Sichuan descended the mountain in high spirits, Gongsun Yang was listening to the report from the armored soldiers outside the Zhonglang Hall.

"The General Yun and the General Lu have returned from Qingshan County and passed Baidi City. They should arrive in Chengdu soon."

"Commander Liu and his troops have already marched southeast from Qingshan County toward the Shiwan Mountains to scout the enemy's situation. They request that you send a message to the scout outposts on the southern front and also write a letter to the general of the Protectorate Army guarding Chuanzhong Pass, asking him to cooperate!"

"As for the general, he remains in Qingshan County."

The armored soldiers who came to report this news.

Gongsun Yang stood in front of the hall, his gaze meaningful, and waved his hand, "I understand, you may leave!"

"Yes!" The armored soldier withdrew.

Gongsun Yang was left alone in the main hall. He dusted off the scroll in his hand, his eyes flashing with a golden light, and looked out the door. His gaze passed through the clouds in the mountains and flew down to the crowd of people signing up for the army.

Then his gaze returned, the golden light in his eyes receding, and he felt somewhat relieved.

This scene finally gave him some confidence to report to the general, despite the immense pressure he was under.

He thought for a moment, then pointed towards the door and gave the order:
"I have something to report. If anyone comes, please have them wait outside."

"Yes!" the armored guard outside the door responded.

Gongsun Yang then raised his hand and waved it toward the gate, which slammed shut with a bang.

After the main gate closed, Gongsun Yang walked from the hall to the back and came to a quiet room there.

Next, he placed a protective barrier, sealed the quiet room, and then sat cross-legged to begin casting spells and making hand seals.

Suddenly, a golden light emanated from his body, and tiny golden characters, each the size of a tadpole, flew out and swirled around him.

A moment later, these tadpole-shaped golden characters transformed into a ribbon of light, rushing into his brow and causing his eyes to slowly close.

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself above a vast sea of ​​clouds.

Before me was a magnificent blue lotus blooming from the clouds!
On the blue lotus, he saw his general's spirit looking down at him.

"General!"

Gongsun Yang offered his greeting by supporting the arm.

"Why does Mr. Gongsun summon me at this time?" Chen Yuan stood up from the lotus, walked down from it, stepped into the sea of ​​clouds, and came to Gongsun Yang's side, his tone somewhat casual.

"General, recruitment has already begun!" Gongsun Yang said.

Chen Yuan perked up a bit, "I didn't expect you to act so quickly, sir."

As he spoke, he glanced sideways and asked, "How is it?"

Gongsun Yang smiled slightly, "At this moment, at the foot of the Ninth Mountain, ambitious people are vying to join the army, and the scene is lively, quite different from the two times in the past."

As he spoke, his pupils shone, projecting the scene from below the mountain: a jumble of figures, making the usually desolate and bleak Ninth Mountain exceptionally noisy.

"The general will not be disappointed!"

When Chen Yuan saw the image on the projection, he raised his eyelids slightly, quite surprised. Recalling his previous two conscriptions and army expansions, when the demons broke through the pass, more than half of the twelve armies of the mountain-attacking army were killed or wounded, and the Ninth Mountain army was almost depleted, urgently needing to replenish its manpower. At that time, he used all sorts of methods. If issuing notices didn't work, he would forcibly conscript soldiers from various households, using both threats and inducements. If Chengdu didn't work, he would send letters to other prefectures to conscript soldiers. Those were truly difficult times.

Seeing the scene now, I realize that the Ninth Mountain is truly different now!
"Not bad!" Chen Yuan gave his affirmation, and a smile appeared on his face.

Having people means having resources and confidence.

"I trust you to act in accordance with the rules, sir."

"General, please don't flatter me. I am unworthy of such praise. The reputation of my Ninth Mountain has attracted many ambitious young men to join us. Speaking of which, I met an old friend of yours from Qingshan County today, named Gongsun Wuji."

Gongsun Yang recounted to Chen Yuan how he had just happened to inspect the recruitment and assessment of soldiers at the foot of the mountain, met Gongsun Wuji, and summoned the group of seven to the palace for a talk.

After listening to the story, Chen Yuan slowly remembered this old friend.

Although it was only a few years ago, it feels like a long time has passed. Gongsun Wuji, Fang Qingzhu, and an old Zen master met on the night ship and went through the trials together. I vaguely remember that the other party was a cold and arrogant person.

Later, when he was appointed as the Ninth Mountain General, he met him again on the way to Tianxiong Pass and helped him out of a predicament. After listening to Gongsun Yang recount the man's experiences in recent years, he nodded to himself inwardly, thinking that he was indeed a proud man who had not changed his mind.

"Since these people share the same aspirations, it is right for you to entrust them with this important task. When I return to the mountain, I would like to visit this old friend as well."

Gongsun Yang then followed up, "When does the general plan to return to the mountain to take charge of the overall situation?"

"It will be soon. I plan to first make a trip to the Ten Thousand Mountains to assess the situation there." Chen Yuan turned to the side, his eyes slowly deepening.
"That place is the most complicated! The passage to the lower realm is guarded by a martial saint from the imperial court, the demons of the Ten Thousand Mountains are preparing to make a comeback, and there is also the White Bone City, which is guarded by seven immortal monarchs on the outskirts."

"The three forces are intertwined and each has its own grudges. I must go there to put the situation under control."

What he said was indeed correct. As he said, the three forces mentioned above were all enemies formed during the founding of the Great Qian Dynasty. They were originally in a delicate balance. Now, the demons in the Ten Thousand Mountains are restless and about to break this balance. Who knows what kind of trouble they will cause, especially with that passage to the lower realm.

We must intervene.

However, the situation is complex, and Chen Yuan has to proceed cautiously, taking it one step at a time.

That's the situation.

"I hope the general will be careful!" Gongsun Yang reminded him.

Chen Yuan's gaze was deep and thoughtful as he nodded. (End of Chapter)