In this chaotic world of vying for power, I can become stronger by marrying a wife.

Xiao Qingtian's laughter, like thunder rolling across the camp, made everyone's eardrums buzz.

The laughter contained no trace of undisguised admiration, ecstasy, or even a hint of... the exhilaration of meeting a worthy opponent.

Murong Yan froze on the spot. She looked at the pile of blood-dripping heads at her feet, at Xiao Qingtian laughing wildly, and then at Su Ming, who stood beside the pile of heads with not a ripple on his face.

An absurd thought rose uncontrollably in her mind.

These two people... are the same kind.

They're all crazy.

And I, the one trying to reason with a madman, am the real fool.

The laughter abruptly stopped.

Xiao Qingtian suppressed all his expressions, leaving only a steely hardness on his weathered face.

He turned his head, his gaze sharp as a knife, and landed on Murong Yan.

"Centurion Murong," his voice was low and devoid of warmth, "did you have something to report?"

Murong Yan's lips moved a few times, her face turning from red to white, and then from white to green.

"Captain Xiao..." she began with difficulty, her voice hoarse, "Squad Leader Su... he disregarded military law and acted without authorization..."

"Unauthorized action?" Xiao Qingtian interrupted her, took a step forward, and his military boots slammed onto the head of a barbarian soldier, producing a dull thud that made one's teeth ache.

He pointed at the pile of heads, his voice suddenly rising like a roaring tiger.

"His actions cost the heads of 315 elite barbarian soldiers! Saved the lives of over a hundred people in Wangjia Village! And brought peace to our Langya Pass defense line!"

"And you? Centurion Murong!" His gaze was fixed on Murong Yan. "You led your scouts, strictly adhering to military law, and then your entire army was nearly wiped out by twenty ragtag soldiers!"

"Tell me now, whose 'law' is the only way for me to survive in northern Xinjiang!"

Each word struck my heart like a heavy hammer.

Murong Yan was so overwhelmed by this aura that she took two steps back, her face ashen, and she couldn't utter a single word.

Reality delivered a resounding slap in the face to her.

Xiao Qingtian stopped looking at her, as if even glancing at her was a waste of time.

He turned to face the growing number of soldiers around him, his voice echoing throughout the camp.

"Everyone saw it clearly!" He pointed at Su Ming, "This is the model for my Jing'an Army!"

"He taught us with the blood of barbarians that when dealing with wolves, there's no need for etiquette, only a knife!"

He took a heavy black iron token from his waist, on which was engraved a ferocious character "百" (hundred), and threw it directly to Su Ming.

"From this day forward, Su Ming is promoted to centurion!"

Wow!

The entire audience erupted in uproar!

From a new recruit to a platoon leader, and then to a centurion, it only took him one day!

This is an unprecedented breakthrough since the founding of the Jing'an Army!

Wei Lang and the others were stunned for a moment, then burst into a roar of wild joy. They knelt on one knee and shouted, "Congratulations, Squad Leader! No! Congratulations, Centurion!"

Xiao Qingtian's voice drowned out all the noise.

"I hereby grant you permission to establish the 'Divine Machine Battalion,' with a strength of one hundred men. You may choose all the soldiers, armor, and provisions! You shall make all decisions regarding the affairs of the battalion!"

He looked at Su Ming with undisguised expectation in his eyes.

"I'll grant you another privilege—" He paused, his voice turning sinister, "On the battlefield, anyone who disobeys orders or hesitates to fight, regardless of rank, you may execute them first and report later!"

Execute first, then report later!

These four words are more chilling than the promotion to centurion.

Su Ming took the token, which still carried Xiao Qingtian's warmth, weighed it in his hand, and a satisfied smile appeared on his lips.

He likes this simple and direct way of communicating.

"Thank you, Captain." He clasped his hands in a fist salute, his tone indifferent, as if he had just received an ordinary item.

[Ding! Status promotion! Luck value +100!]

[Unlock Centurion Privileges: Recruit and build your own private retinue!]

[Host's prestige has reached a new peak. The affinity of the bonded character Wei Lang (and the rest of the personal guard) has increased to 80 (loyal)!]

The system notification sounds are pleasant and soothing.

Xiao Qingtian was very satisfied with Su Ming's reaction; he was neither arrogant nor impatient, and was capable of great things.

He waved his hand, signaling everyone to disperse, but kept Su Ming behind.

The surrounding soldiers retreated with awe and envy, leaving Murong Yan standing there, dejected.

"Centurion Murong," Xiao Qingtian's voice returned to calm, "your men are badly injured. Go to the medical ward first. I don't want to hear any more talk about what happened today."

This is a warning.

Murong Yan's delicate body trembled, and she gave Su Ming a deep look.

Without a word, she led her remaining troops away in a disheveled state.

Only when no one was around did Xiao Qingtian's smile completely disappear, replaced by a solemn expression.

"Kid, don't get too excited," he whispered.

Su Ming raised an eyebrow: "Oh?"

"Building a mound of skulls might feel good, but it's also a huge problem." Xiao Qingtian looked north, his eyes deep. "The Northern Barbarians have lost three hundred elite troops and suffered such a great loss. They will never let this go. Even greater retaliation is coming soon."

"And then there's the imperial court," he sneered. "Those censors and officials love to make a fuss about this kind of thing. Within ten days, an 'inspector' will surely come down, ostensibly to inspect, but in reality to interrogate."

Su Ming picked at his ear, looking nonchalant: "Let them come, I'll meet them head-on. If they want to come, I'll take them on."

"You brat..." Xiao Qingtian was amused by his shameless attitude, then his expression turned serious. "I'll take care of the people in the court. But you'd better watch out for the people in the military."

He lowered his voice: "Liu Tao's uncle is Liu Zongming, the Vice Minister of War. You've been making a huge splash today, getting promoted two ranks, which is already disrespectful to the Liu family. They won't let you off easily."

Su-Ming narrowed his eyes.

finally come.

"I heard," Xiao Qingtian patted his shoulder meaningfully, "that the Ministry of War is currently setting up a 'Breaking Through the Enemy' Army,' specifically for carrying out the most dangerous assault missions. Liu Zongming has planted quite a few people in it. If you were transferred there..."

He didn't say anything more.

But the meaning is quite clear.

Once inside that kind of place, even Xiao Qingtian couldn't extend his reach that far. Whether he lived or died would be entirely up to fate.

"Thank you for the reminder, Captain." Su Ming's face still had that lazy expression, showing no sign of worry.

Perfect timing, Lao Tzu loves picking things up from piles of corpses.

Seeing his stubbornness, Xiao Qingtian admired him even more.

To remain calm even when Mount Tai collapses before you is the mark of a true general.

"Just focusing on defense isn't my style." He changed the subject, took out a black scroll sealed with sealing wax from his pocket, and handed it to Su Ming.

The scroll felt icy cold to the touch, and carried a faint smell of blood.

"What is this?" Su Ming asked.

"There are traitors in my Jing'an Army. Some people are secretly colluding with the northern barbarians to smuggle military rations and ironware."

His voice was as cold as ice.

"Inside the scroll is evidence, and another location—the Black Wind Pass granary."

"My request is very simple," Xiao Qingtian said, staring into Su Ming's eyes.

"At midnight tonight, bring your newly chosen men and burn that place to the ground."

"Leave no living creature alive."

"Make it look like it was plundered by barbarians."

He likes it.

He slowly unrolled the scroll, his gaze falling on the first name on the list.

[Grain and fodder officer, Zhao Hu.]

Su Ming smiled.

It's true what they say, life is full of unexpected encounters.

He rolled up the scroll and grinned at Xiao Qingtian, showing off his white teeth.

"Rest assured, Captain."

"I guarantee there won't be a single hair left."