Patrol Captain

Time flies, and four days later.

Yunding Mountain is bustling with activity.

Recruiting soldiers was still in full swing, creating an increasingly grand spectacle. Young men from all the prefectures of Jiannan Circuit flocked to the army, resulting in an increase in the number of recruits over time, with a large number of warriors joining the mountain-climbing army.

The land of Shu had been in turmoil for years, and the demonic scourges and border troubles had long made the people suffer unspeakably. When that famous martial saint general called out to take the initiative to fight, the balance of power shifted dramatically, drawing a huge response from the crowd.

On this day, the first batch of armor was distributed to the new recruits.

On the Ninth Mountain drill ground, yellow dust swirled, and the autumn wind rustled through the round-necked, half-hipped robes of the newly recruited soldiers.

Thousands of warriors stood in several square formations, their eyes filled with tension and a hint of longing as they looked at the temporary platforms erected in front of each formation, where piles of black iron lamellar armor, neck guards, and skirt armor were stacked like small mountains. These armors gleamed coldly in the autumn sun, and they seemed as heavy as mountains. The patterns and designs on them represented the iron-blooded spirit of the Ninth Mountain.

"Tenth Battalion, Huang Qiu!"

In front of a square formation, the roll call official, his voice carrying the penetrating power of metal and stone, sat behind a long table, counting off the rolls from the register, a pen in his hand.

A burly man at the front of the line immediately responded, "Here!"

The voice trembled slightly with excitement. The body tensed, and the person suddenly stepped out of the formation, head held high and chest out.

The armor was distributed by a one-eyed veteran from the Ninth Mountain. He weighed a set of lamellar armor made of hundred-fold steel in his hand, glanced at the newcomer, and said in a gruff voice, "Raise both arms straight!"

The recruit quickly did as instructed, and the veteran, with tremendous strength, slammed the heavy lamellar armor directly onto his shoulder. The armor plates struck the bone, sending a shiver down the recruit's spine. Then, with lightning speed, the veteran disassembled the entire suit of armor and carefully placed it on the recruit, the clanging of the armor plates creating a sound that stirred the recruit's emotions.

After distributing the armor, the veteran raised his hand and grabbed a long sword, holding it horizontally in front of his chest. Then, with his other hand gripping the hilt, he suddenly pulled it out, and a cold light flashed. The blade was narrow and slightly curved, with the tip pointing upwards like a goose feather, its cold light shimmering.

The veteran reinserted the sword, slammed it horizontally against the recruit's breastplate, and then set it down.

"Weigh your knife!"

"Don't let its reputation be buried; kill more demons on the battlefield in the future."

The recruit's body went numb from the impact. He hurriedly took the sword, but as soon as he put on this weapon, he felt a tingling sensation rush from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. He was now a fierce soldier of the Ninth Mountain. He straightened up and couldn't help but shout loudly.

"Yes, we will not fail in our mission!"

This scene caused a stir in the ranks behind them.

"Next up, Zhao Kun!"

"Wang Qi!"

"Zhu Ba"

"."

The calls to roll and the responses to roll echoed across the drill ground, creating a lively atmosphere.

As the sun gradually moved westward and thousands of sets of armor were distributed, the drill ground was no longer filled with a group of coarse cloth robes, but instead stood a dark, imposing array of armored soldiers, like an iron-cast city wall. The wind rustled through the armor plates, creating a soft, wave-like sound, and the newly enlisted soldiers gripped their sword hilts, their excitement palpable.

This wasn't just the case on the Ninth Mountain; the other mountains were in much the same boat.

While the armor was being distributed, the sixth, seventh, and eighth generals, who were acquainted with each other, sat together in a pavilion in the backyard of the Zhonglang Hall on the sixth mountain to discuss matters.

After all, these few were among the last remaining "veterans" of the mountain-climbing army, and they often gathered together.

"Lord Pei didn't come?" the Sixth Mountain General asked. "Commander Pei has now become the Eleventh Mountain General, and he seems to have changed completely. He's not as preoccupied as before; he's now thinking about how to quickly raise troops. When I sent someone to invite him, the people at his residence said that Lord Pei personally went to Chengdu to find someone to raise military supplies." The Seventh General said with a sigh and surprise.

"This is good news. I hope Lord Pei can get out of here soon. By the way, I heard from Mr. Gongsun of the Ninth Mountain that a large portion of the armor and military equipment issued to the new recruits today was provided by General Chen, a total of 30,000 sets." Eighth General chimed in at the right moment.

"I've heard about it, but compared to the current situation of new recruits, I think the shortage of military equipment is still huge. We can forget about the imperial court. Mr. Gongsun is now in charge of military supplies and logistics. From what I understand, the military equipment shortages in each mountain will require our respective mountain commanders to find ways to raise some funds themselves."

"Speaking of this, it's a headache. Our respective arsenals and accounts were depleted in the last few battles, and I imagine the governor's office is in a similar situation. Even a skilled cook can't make a meal without rice. Let's each think of a solution first and put less pressure on General Chen's side. If things get really difficult, we'll see what happens."

"Yes, that makes sense." Several lieutenant generals nodded.

"By the way, I heard that this time, except for the Ninth Mountain, all the mountains were treated equally. The Daofu Division distributed two thousand sets of weapons to each mountain, including Yun Tiansheng and Lu Ming, who are newly appointed officials. The three of them are General Chen's close attendants." The Fourth General suddenly asked with a puzzled look.

"That's right, this information is public, so what?"

"It doesn't mean anything. I just heard when I first arrived that the Fifth Mountain next door distributed three thousand sets." Si Zhonglang said, somewhat puzzled.

Upon hearing this, Jishan Zhonglang became interested. "Is that so?"

"Speaking of this, of the twelve mountain-climbing armies, only the Fifth Mountain hasn't appointed a Lieutenant General yet. General Chen said before that the remaining two spots would be chosen by General Qi. General Qi only appointed one person, who has already come to the mountain to serve as the Lieutenant General of the Tenth Mountain. The remaining spot has been undecided, and we haven't heard any news."

"Hey, the Fifth Mountain got three thousand sets of weapons. Think about it, doesn't that mean the Fifth Mountain's commander has already been chosen, and that General Chen favors and values ​​him?" The Sixth Commander lowered his voice and rolled his eyes.

"That does seem to make sense. Speaking of which, it's really intriguing!"

"No rush. He should be showing up soon. After all, the troops on this mountain need a leader, and General Chen won't delay."

"Let's talk about raising military funds. What are your thoughts?"

"."

Jishan Zhonglang will continue to discuss the preparation of military equipment.

Around this time, outside the east gate of Chengdu, several fast horses galloped along the official road, kicking up dust.

Leading the way was a large chestnut horse, with a figure in red robes carrying a sword, exuding a dashing and heroic air, followed by several people dressed as demon hunters.

"drive"

"drive"

"drive"

"."

The group, lightly armed and riding swiftly, came into the sight of the garrison captain atop the city gate tower.

As was customary, the city gate guards were to conduct an identification and inspection, but soon someone recognized the woman leading the way.

"It's that red-tasseled female general who led the troops of the two underworlds back then!"

"Let them through!"

The garrison commander was recognized as one of the two underworld soldiers who had participated in the major battle supporting Zhennan Prefecture two years ago and had a deep impression of the red-clad female general. (End of Chapter)