Patrol Captain

West of Chengdu, in Anyang Ward, lies the Yun Mansion.

The vermilion gate was wide open, and the bluestone path in front of it, filled and smoothed by the ruts left by carriages and horses, was now bustling with noise.

"Load it, load it."

"Be quick, these are all being delivered to the soldiers of the Fusi Army, there can't be any mistakes."

"Hey, there are so many people gathered at the entrance, ask them to move aside and not block the way."

"Oh my, look what the Yun family is up to. Why are they moving so many big boxes out of the mansion? Are they moving house? My goodness, that's enough to fill so many carts!"

"I don't know. The Yun family has been backed by powerful figures and has risen to prominence in recent years. Why would they suddenly move? It doesn't make sense."

"Look, the words written on that box, it seems to be sent to support the mountain-crushing army."

"."

The neighing of horses, the shouts of the stewards, and the chatter of the onlookers created a cacophony in front of the Yun residence.

The main street in front of the Yun Mansion was already packed with all sorts of carriages and horses, forming a long line. At the gate of the Yun Mansion, servants or guards dressed in blue robes carried large black lacquered and studded boxes out of the mansion and loaded them onto the spacious carriages. Each box was carried by four people on a shoulder pole, and some even required eight people. They were all grimacing and their veins were bulging as they carried the boxes, looking very strained.

Each wooden crate had a different written annotation on its seal.

"The Yun family of Jinguan donated 3,000 arrows to the army that was cutting down the mountain."

"The Yun family of Jinguan donated 30,000 catties of pig iron, which was then sent to the First Mountain."

"The Huo family of Jinguan donated 100 jin of elixirs and rushed to the Ninth Mountain."

"The Liu family of Jinguan donated 3,000 catties of meat and grain, which were then transported to the Ninth Mountain."

"."

As one heavy box after another was loaded onto the vehicle, the commotion attracted the attention of the crowd, who gathered in layers of people. They noticed the markings on the boxes and began to discuss them amongst themselves.

An elderly man with white hair and beard, leaning on his cane, stomped his cane and exclaimed, "Good, good! If all the officials in Chengdu could take the lead in donating supplies like the Yun family, our soldiers in Shu would have one less worry when they go to war in the future. Well done!"

Many people huddled together, elbow to elbow, trying to get closer, their eyes fixed on the long line of carriages. They marveled at how much supplies this must contain; had the Yun family given up all their wealth?

"I heard that the Martial Saint General who lives on Cloud Peak is going to mobilize the entire Shu region to fight the demons to the death. The Yun family is going all out to help."

"That's right! I've heard that all the young people in the Yun family who have reached adulthood have joined the army. The whole family is loyal and righteous. Everyone in Chengdu who hears this has to give them a thumbs up!"

“I think there are also the Liu family, the Huo family, and other families, not just one.”

"."

Carriages and horses continued to converge on the gates of the Yun family mansion, the dust kicked up by the horses' hooves rising and falling repeatedly. The chatter of the onlookers never ceased, punctuated by occasional exclamations of admiration. Meanwhile, inside the Yun family's council hall, the atmosphere was equally lively.

Most of the younger generation of the Yun family had arrived and gathered together. They were all dressed in military armor, some in blue and some in black, and there were seven or eight of them.

The younger generation of the Yun family initially joined the Ninth Mountain army and were scattered in the camps. One or two of them had died in battle earlier. Those who are still alive have made a name for themselves. Some are captains, and some are captains. After all, the Yun family was founded with the Ninth Mountain, and these Yun family members can be considered veterans.

Even though they were on the same mountain, they didn't see each other often, as they each had their own missions. For example, two members of the Yun family had gone with Liu Qing to the southern front to serve as scouts and didn't attend today's gathering. Another member, the eighth brother of the Yun family, couldn't be contacted; he was rumored to be on military duty. Moreover, his entire battalion wasn't on the mountain. Considering the news that just came back today, he was probably involved in the operation against Beiliang. In addition, with the reconstruction of several mountains, some members had been transferred to other mountains, so they rarely got together.

"Ninth Brother, it's been a while. You've gotten even darker and stronger. I heard you recently broke through to the Body Profound Realm. Not bad. What, you haven't changed your armor yet?" A member of the Yun family patted the breastplate of his younger brother, laughing and teasing him.

"Hehe, there are too many new recruits in the camp now, and armor is in short supply. We haven't applied yet; we'll wait until the next batch of armor arrives. Sixth Brother, I heard you went to the Fourth Mountain and were directly promoted to deputy general by the new Lieutenant General. Congratulations, Sixth Brother! I heard the new Lieutenant General of the Fourth Mountain is a female general, very dashing and heroic; many people are asking about her." The Ninth Brother of the Yun family asked curiously.

"Don't ask too much about General Lian's affairs. Even Third Brother treats him with great respect. You shouldn't try to teach others. I was just lucky. When Fourth Mountain was being rebuilt, Third Brother transferred me there to train new recruits, and the newly arrived General Lian left me there," the one called Sixth Brother said with a laugh and a scolding.

"Oh, by the way, why haven't I seen Third Brother?" Ninth Brother took over the conversation, looked around, and asked this question, his voice lowering and his expression showing a hint of awe.

Third Brother enjoys extremely high prestige among the Yun family's sons. Now, he has been promoted to Lieutenant General and holds great power. Few people in the entire Daofu Division have his prestige.

"Ask the seventh brother, Third Brother has been promoted to Lieutenant General and has taken several trusted men with him." The sixth brother of the Yun family said, turning his head to look at the seventh brother of the Yun family.

The seventh son of the Yun family is named Yun Zhuosheng. He once discovered the nascent Qi-generating spiritual root, the Dragon Qi Mother Tree, during a great battle with the six Fei Yi clans outside Guang'an Prefecture. He presented it to Chen Yuan and received a reward. Now, he holds the rank of Thousand-Household Captain, wears blue armor, and has grown a light stubble on his chin, making him appear much more mature and composed.

Hearing the question, he smiled faintly, "As you all know, Third Brother just took office as Lieutenant General and has many affairs to attend to. He didn't have time to come back, so he approved my leave."

The other brothers nodded in agreement.
"I understand, I understand. Third Brother has just taken office and is currently recruiting troops, so he must have a lot to do."

"You should have sensed it too; the military camp is very tense right now. This time we're going to fight a major battle, unlike before. You need to be prepared."

"Indeed."

"."

The younger generation of the Yun family gathered here and chatted for a while. Being in the army, they could understand firsthand that the atmosphere in the barracks was becoming increasingly tense, and everyone was actively preparing for war. They dared not slack off in the slightest.

After a while, a commotion broke out at the entrance of the council chamber.

Soon, laughter could be heard.

Then, Yun Chuxiong, the current head of the Yun family, and his elder brother Yun Fangting, led several middle-aged men dressed in fine clothes and with extraordinary bearing into the council hall.

"Greetings, esteemed patriarchs!"

Yun Chuxiong led the way, bringing his men in.

The people following behind were patriarchs of families on good terms with the Yun family, as well as some younger members of the family. (End of Chapter)