Bam, bam, bam, bam …
The sounds of sticks hitting flesh mixed with screams of pain, angry roars, and howls startled everyone inside and outside the barracks. Anyone who was familiar with the rules of the army would know that this was a beating on the buttocks with a military stick.
The soldiers of the Green Battalion today were all trembling in fear. When they stood with their weapons in their hands, their calves and stomachs were cramping. No one had expected the new young commander to be so awe-inspiring.
Five military officers, who were usually majestic, walked with their bellies out, and played with stone weights weighing eighty kilograms, were rushed into the barracks by the young commander's attendants and carried to the training square of the Green Battalion like eagles catching chicks. They were pressed down, their clothes and pants were pulled off, and they were beaten with a thick wooden stick until they howled like pigs being slaughtered.
"Got it. Last night, each of the five military officers received five hundred taels of silver. They said they wanted them to take the new commander's prestige down a notch. "
Hong Yi sat behind the desk in the middle of the barracks, listening to Chi Zhuiyang come in and tell him about the interrogation.
"Is that so? Sure enough, as soon as I arrived in the army, there was someone messing around. Five hundred taels of silver for five people, that's two thousand five hundred taels. Giving out two thousand five hundred taels of silver is to take away my prestige and prevent me from commanding the army as I wish. How generous. "Hong Yi bit his lip and thought for a while." Did they find out who gave it to them? "
"No, but they said they are merchants who deliver meat and vegetables to the army." Chi Zhuiyang held a rebar knife with his slender fingers. His silver-gray "Silver Shark Armor" made him look valiant. He was like a dissolute swordsman who came and went without a trace. Recently, his martial arts had improved greatly, and his temperament had changed accordingly. The wild aura of Yun Meng on the grasslands had been restrained and sharpened, and he now had the scholarly air of the Da Qian. "Some merchants in the Pacification Navy provide fresh meat and vegetables every day. Most of them are merchants from Taichang. The merchants from Taichang are backed by the Daluo and several aristocratic families in the Seven Southern Provinces. "
"Daluo's hand has reached into the army? Looks like I'll have to be extra careful in the future. "Hong Yi stood up." Come, let's go out and talk. There are five hundred people in this battalion, and I have to integrate them into a solid block of iron in a short period of time. Otherwise, they would definitely be at a disadvantage in a war. He got the news from Hua Nongying and Hua Nongyue. Within a month, the Pacification Navy will likely mobilize its army to wipe out the dozens of pirates entrenched in Lost Bend. "
The Maze Bend was the most mysterious body of water in the South Sea. With a radius of several thousand miles, it was even bigger than a province in the Da Qian. There were countless islands scattered all over it. The ocean currents were turbulent, and the terrain was complicated. Sometimes, there would be heavy fog and strong winds.
Because of this, the Lost Bend had always been a good hiding place for fierce pirates.
What was even more terrifying was that there were countless islands in the depths of the Bewitching Bend. In the whirlpools, there were fierce sea beasts and even monsters. However, there were also some secret places that were rumored to have immortal medicine and the cave abodes of ancient immortals.
In short, this place was filled with legends of immortals, monsters, pirates, monsters, immortal medicine, and so on. It was a mysterious place.
More importantly, the Lost Bend was not far from the coast of the South Sea. It would take two to three days to reach the destination by sea. With pirates hiding in the Lost Bend, it was easier for them to rob on land.
After the robbery, they could hide in the Lost Bend. Even an army of ten million would not be able to do anything to them.
Last night, Hong Yi had a rough look at the secret sea maps of the silver merchants. Among them was the map of the Lost Bend. The terrain inside was complicated. Not to mention the entire Pacification Navy, even a million soldiers would not be able to do much.
On the training field of the Green Battalion, the entire battalion of hundreds of people had arrived and stood in line. However, when Hong Yi looked at them, he frowned.
It turned out that this group of soldiers were standing crookedly like earthworms. Their faces were emaciated and they were not full of energy. At best, they were slightly better than ordinary strong men.
Hong Yi was used to seeing elite soldiers. Now that he looked at this group of soldiers, he could only think of four words: "a motley crew".
"How many people are there? Is everyone here? "Hong Yi pressed down on the" Shark Cutter "sword. He walked to the front of the soldiers and swept his eyes over them. He could not help but feel a wave of comfort in his heart.
"These are my soldiers? My subordinates? A year ago, I was in Marquis Wu Wen's mansion. I was penniless and did not even have a servant by my side. Now, I am skilled, have a hundred thousand on my waist, have Xiantian masters, Martial Masters, and Martial Warriors by my side. I am also a commander, leading hundreds of people. However, compared to the Zhao Family and the Marquis's Mansion, these things are not worth mentioning … I still have to work hard to expand my influence and increase my own strength! One day, I'll stand in front of Hong Xuanji and the Zhao Clan with a majestic aura and seek justice for my mother! "Hong Yi took two steps forward before he calmed himself down.
"Reporting. There are a total of three hundred and thirty-six people. The Green Battalion soldiers are all here! " Just as Hong Yi walked over and asked the question, the leader of the squad looked at the five Dutou Chiefs who were lying on the benches and on the verge of death. Then, he looked at the three fierce-looking Black Harrier Brothers and the five White Cloud Elders, who were neatly armored. His expression did not change at all as he stepped forward and said.
"A battalion needs at least five hundred people. Why are there only three hundred and thirty-six? And you said that they are all here? "Hong Yi's eyes swept across the soldiers one by one. His fierce gaze sent chills down the soldiers' spines.
"Report, the rest of the slots are empty." The corporal mustered up his courage and said.
"Empty?" When Hong Yi heard this word, he thought for a moment and then understood.
Originally, a battalion had five hundred people. The Ministry of War had to pay the soldiers according to the five hundred people. However, in reality, some battalions did not have five hundred people. The extra soldiers' pay was called "empty". These "empty" positions were usually monopolized by the officers.
This situation was also a major drawback in the army of the past dynasties. There was no way to eradicate it.
Hong Yi read the notes. In the previous dynasty, there were generals who only had seventy to eighty thousand people under them, but they made a name list for the imperial court. There were even those who had one hundred thousand people, and one of them monopolized the "empty" positions of twenty thousand people.
"The Da Qian Dynasty has millions of soldiers. I wonder how many empty positions there are …" This was the first time that Hong Yi led an army. He finally understood something.
"What is your name?" Hong Yi looked at this soldier. He was dressed in loose yellow leather armor and had a wrought iron saber at his waist. His equipment was ordinary, but he was full of energy. The tight and strong muscles in the soldier's uniform propped up, and his expression was calm and unchanging. He was a talent.
"Reporting to Lord Commander, my name is Yang Yingming. I have been practicing martial arts since I was a child." This soldier, Yang Yingming, shouted loudly and reported his resume, "I practice the Thirteen Forms of Fighting Fist. I took the military's Martial Arts Hall examination, Martial Warrior level!"
"The Fighting Fist Sect was a martial arts sect in the south. It was later destroyed by the Daluo. "Chi Zhuiyang said to Hong Yi.
"Hmm? Since you took the military's Martial Arts Hall examination, you were at the Martial Warrior level. Then you should be at least a Dutou. Why is it still a Dutou? "Hong Yi raised his eyes.
"These five Dutou are all trusted aides of the former commander, Lord Wang. I can't get in. "Yang Yingming said in a neither servile nor overbearing manner.
"Oh." Hong Yi nodded. "I see that you are also a scheming person. You know that a new official is full of tricks and is trying to curry favor with me. Okay, I'll give you a chance. Tell me about the general situation of the Green Battalion. If you can explain it clearly in a few words, I'll promote you to Dutou. "
When a new official took office, there would always be people who would flatter him. Some would show off their talents in order to be recognized and promoted. There would also be people who would secretly make things difficult for the new official. There would be all kinds of people. Looking at this posture, Hong Yi knew that this Yang Yingming had some ability, but he had always been suppressed. Now, he was taking this opportunity to show off.
"Your Excellency is wise." Yang Yingming raised his head and looked at Hong Yi in surprise. He did not expect this young commander to see through it so thoroughly.
"Our Green Battalion is not the elite of the Pacification Navy. It can only be considered a second-rate force. We have 30 small boats. We have 20 people rowing one official boat. We train every three days and eat meat every seven days … "Yang Yingming said quickly. In a few words, he explained the situation of the Green Battalion clearly.
Hong Yi asked him about the situation of the Pacification Navy. This Yang Yingming was actually able to answer some of the questions. This allowed Hong Yi to know a lot of information about the Pacification Navy.
"Okay!" After asking, Hong Yi pointed at him and said, "From now on, you are the Hundred Dutou of the Green Battalion."
Then, Hong Yi waved his hand. "Bring it up."
Under the gazes of the soldiers, Shen Tiezhu directed a few soldiers to carry a huge copper nailed box in and suddenly placed it on the ground. As soon as it was opened, the shining silver immediately dazzled the eyes of more than three hundred soldiers present.
"Ah. There are so many silver coins. "
"These are all Jade Capital coins, full of fine silver. Two coins for three coins of our Southern coins."
"All of you listen up, I am from Jade Capital. I am here to fight for military merits in the Pacification Navy and be promoted to a noble. Under my command, you will train day and night and fight bravely against the enemy. Naturally, there will be benefits for you! I have a lot of money. Today, I will set a rule. Even if you die in battle, I will take care of the aftermath of your family's matters! "
Hong Yi grabbed a handful of silver coins and threw them into the box. The box of silver coins collided with each other and made a crisp sound that made people's hearts itch. It encouraged the soldiers present so much that their blood rushed to their faces.
"From today onwards. You will train three times a day and eat meat every meal. Eat until you are full and eat well! "
As soon as Hong Yi finished speaking, more than three hundred soldiers present cheered fiercely. One must know that the Pacification Navy was a first-class army. Only the core elites could eat meat every meal. As for soldiers like the Green Battalion, they would train once every three days and only eat meat once every seven days. If they didn't eat meat and trained hard, their bodies would have problems.
Hong Yi raised his hand and the soldiers immediately quietened down. Their eyes were all looking at his gesture.
"A new official has to make three changes." Hong Yi took another two steps forward. "I have just taken office as the commander, so I naturally have to make a fire. These five Dutou Commanders accepted money from others and made things difficult for me. I will teach them a lesson! From now on, no one will make things difficult for me. If they don't listen to my orders, I will take their lives! "
These murderous words came out of Hong Yi's mouth. The hearts of the 336 soldiers suddenly jumped.
"Give out this money! As their reward! Two silver coins per person! Put down your money bags! "Hong Yi waved his hand and pointed at Yang Yingming.
"Yes!" Yang Yingming pressed down on the iron blade and roared.
Seeing that the money was real, it was about to be given out. These soldiers were also arrogant, and their imposing manner increased to the extreme.
Hong Yi took advantage of this momentum and shouted again, "These are just small things! When you train well with me, make contributions, kill the enemy, treasured swords, armor, and gold and silver rewards will not be a problem! I don't care about money, but don't you care about your lives! "
"To serve the lord, I don't care about my life!" Yang Yingming took the lead and roared again. Following that, the soldiers of the battalion roared as well, all of them straightened their backs.
"Tie Zhu, you will be their Dutou Commander in the future. And Old Zhang, the five of you will be in charge of accounts and logistics. Send people to buy meat and vegetables every day. "
Hong Yi sat back in the commander's seat of the barracks and appointed a new Dutou Commander, suppressing the original five Dutou Commanders. Then, he wrote a summary and reported it to the army.
When all of this was done, it was already night time.
After resting for a while, Hong Yi came to the back mountain of the barracks. From afar, he saw a bright moon rising from the sea, illuminating the entire surface of the sea. It was indescribably beautiful.
"Brother Hong, I didn't expect you to be able to motivate and train the soldiers!" Seeing Hong Yi admiring the moonlight by the sea. Chi Zhuiyang was behind him, holding the 'Penetrating Rainbow' bow and shooting at the bright moon rising from the sea. As he exhaled, it sounded like a fish or dragon swallowing its breath.
"I've been copying some of the training strategies in the notes since I was young. I carefully studied them, thinking that such a day would come." Hong Yi looked at the moonlight. He smiled leisurely and sat cross-legged under a rock in the mountain. He looked at the undulating waves of the cliff at the foot of the mountain, lost in thought.
The location of the Green Battalion was at the edge of the Pacification Naval Headquarters, guarding a coastline that was ten miles long.
"Brother Chi. Protect me! My Yin Spirit will come out of its shell and explore the water. "
Hong Yi looked at the moon above the sea and suddenly became interested. He closed his eyes and sat down. His Yin Spirit came out of its shell and flew straight towards the sea below the cliff.
"Dao techniques are truly remarkable. However, I'm currently practicing martial arts and have the tendency to merge my soul and body. It's not suitable for me to practice Dao techniques anymore. "Chi Zhuiyang saw Hong Yi sit down and a gust of cold wind blew over his head. Within the cold wind, moonlight condensed. A tiny figure of light floated to the surface of the sea and disappeared in an instant. He couldn't help but praise the wonders of Dao techniques.
"Puchi!"
"The resistance of the Yin Spirit entering the water is indeed great!" Hong Yi flew into the sea and felt his surroundings tighten. His entire body felt like it was stuck in a gelatinous substance, making it difficult for him to move.
However, it was worth rejoicing that the Yin Spirit in the water, other than the difficulty of moving, did not need to breathe like the physical body.
Although the water was pitch black, the Yin Spirit was not afraid of darkness. The darker it was, the clearer it could see.
The surrounding seawater was like a crystal. There were fishes, algae, lobsters, crabs, shells, conches, etc. All of them were swimming and floating at the bottom of the sea. The scenery was beautiful. It was ten times, no, a hundred times more beautiful than any scenery on land!
"It's really beautiful, the Crystal Palace …." Hong Yi channeled his spiritual energy and gradually moved deeper. Looking at the scenery at the bottom of the sea, his heart was filled with admiration.
After travelling for tens of miles, he was already far away from the shore. The scenery was getting more and more beautiful. Hong Yi could even see that in the depths of the sea, among the colorful corals, there were some sunken ships, skeletons, porcelain, and even rusted swords and sabers.
He knew that these were ships that had sunk in the past.
The further he went, the greater the resistance. The Yin Spirit was slowly being squeezed by the seawater and it was difficult to move forward.
However, Hong Yi did not mind it at all.
"Almighty Heavenly Dragon Bodhisattva!"
This Almighty Heavenly Dragon Bodhisattva was known for his strength. After cultivating it, his spiritual energy was boundless. However, it was different from the Amitabha Sutra. The Amitabha Sutra of the Past ensured that one's spiritual energy would not be destroyed. In terms of spiritual energy, it didn't have any outstanding advantages.
He channeled the Almighty Heavenly Dragon Bodhisattva Sutra. The powerful Bodhisattva existed in his mind. Hong Yi instantly felt his strength was boundless. He split the seawater and continued to move forward!
Hong Yi channeled this Dao technique. As he cultivated, he moved forward and wandered.
Suddenly, the sound of a flute came from nowhere and entered his mind.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
