evil tycoon

"The commander will be personally appointed by the county magistrate."

"Among the seven deputy commanders, three are stationed in the central command or ready to provide support at any time, while the other four are in charge of the four regions of the county, namely the southeast, northwest and southwest. Each deputy commander guarding the four directions has four captains under his command, and the yamen runners will also have to obey the orders of the city defense battalion."

"Of the seven deputy commanders, four have already been selected."

"The four major clans," Han Ping'an blurted out.

"good."

"The deputy commander position, which is open to outsiders to compete for, has not yet been decided, but there are only a few qualified candidates."

"That's quite a generous gesture."

Han Ping'an was deeply moved.

He hadn't expected there to be seven deputy commanders alone.

The strength and status of the four deputy leaders of the four clans are self-evident; they are at least among the top elders of the four clans.

Jiang Long squinted and chuckled softly, "The remaining captain positions are all held by people with connections to the four major clans, with no outsiders among them."

"I suppose I don't need to say anything more about the rest."

Han Ping'an nodded slightly.

Needless to say.

With the combined power of these four clans, who can rival them?

Who is the enemy and who is the friend will be clear at a glance once the city defense battalion is fully established.

Han Ping'an said no more and stayed with Jiang Long, standing to one side.

Martial artists from various factions in the courtyard occasionally cast subtle glances at the two.

Jiang Long's identity was too conspicuous.

Snake Hand Gang, Lu Family.

Although he was a stranger, the fact that he was standing with Jiang Long would undoubtedly lead some people to believe that he was a member of the Snake Hand Gang or the Lu family.

If you don't take sides, you probably won't even get in.

Even if some individuals who do not belong to the four major clan systems were to enter, they would not be able to gain a foothold.

Instead, he listened to the whispers and murmurs of the crowd.

This gave Han Ping'an a general understanding of the current situation in Jing County.

Many people have already fled with their belongings.

Most of them are wealthy families with some assets.

The elite at the top are reluctant to give up such a large family fortune, and even make contingency plans; while for the lower class, it's all the same no matter where they go, and only the middle class has the confidence to move forward.

  

He even heard news about the martial arts school where his aunt worked.

The head of the Jiang Family Martial Arts School actually ran away with several of his personal disciples.

"My aunt is still here. This Master Jiang left with his people on his own. My aunt must have used some kind of trick."

Han Ping'an was only slightly surprised by this, but didn't take it to heart.

As time goes by.

People entered the compound one after another.

An invisible aura surged forth, suffocating the senses.

a moment.

A middle-aged man dressed as a county magistrate walked into the courtyard, followed by a group of distinguished-looking people.

Lu Tingxue was among them.

Upon entering the courtyard, Lu Tingxue subtly scanned her surroundings.

Upon seeing Han Ping'an, she smiled faintly, showing no surprise.

But when she noticed Jiang Long beside her, a look of surprise flashed in Lu Tingxue's eyes.

He actually knows people from the Snake Hand Gang?

This surprised her quite a bit.

However, he didn't think much of it and quickly looked away.

The commotion in the courtyard vanished instantly, leaving only silence.

Without Jiang Long reminding him, Han Ping'an already understood the identities of this group of people.

Four clans.

"Greetings, County Commandant."

As County Lieutenant Wu Ying took his seat at the head of the table, everyone quickly bowed in respect.

"No need for such formalities."

Wu Ying's expression was solemn as he said in a deep voice, "I'm sure everyone is aware of the situation outside. The situation is dire, and Jing County is in danger of a fatal crisis at any moment. Therefore, today I have summoned the four major clans of Jing County, as well as all the well-known martial artists, to form a city defense battalion to safeguard the safety of Jing County."

"I will serve as the commander-in-chief, and there will be seven deputy commanders. The Fan, Lu, Chen, and Li families will each send one elder, and the remaining three deputy commanders will be contested by you all."

"In addition, below the deputy commander are captains, and each captain leads a ten-man squad. There are a total of sixteen squads, and the members are drawn from the government's police station, various ethnic groups, escort agencies, and martial arts schools. The approximate list has already been compiled."

"Today is the day for the competition to select three deputy commanders and twelve captains."

There are only twelve captains left.

It is obvious that the other four have already been decided by the government.

The county constable was very straightforward from the start, without the slightest bit of rambling.

Their stance is undeniably firm.

However, the general situation had already been agreed upon, and today was simply a contest for the remaining positions, apart from those of the four clans.

Everyone who comes here knows this perfectly well.

"First, compete for the twelve captain positions; the minimum cultivation requirement is to reach the Enlightenment stage."

"Those who are vying for this position, step forward."

Wu Ying swept her gaze across the crowd and gave a shout, and immediately a series of figures stepped forward.

There were a total of twenty-seven people.

"Draw lots to form groups."

"Stop when you've made your point, and finish this quickly."

At Wu Ying's command, yamen runners carrying boxes came out to draw lots.

Jiang Long was among these twenty-seven people.

At that moment, he turned around and looked back, completely bewildered.

Han Ping'an stood still, meeting Jiang Long's astonished gaze. He simply smiled and offered no explanation.

In addition, there was another person who was equally taken aback.

Lu Tingxue.

At this moment, only Jiang Long and Lu Tingxue recognized Han Ping'an in the courtyard.

Lu Tingxue was even more confused than Jiang Long.

You've come all this way, are you just here to watch the show?

Or is it that he simply doesn't want to be noticed and only intends to be a lowly soldier under the captain?

Lu Tingxue frowned slightly; she had considered the position of deputy commander, which was above the captain.

But how could that be?

A deputy commander must at least have reached the Qi Gate level, and be one of the best among them.

Look at those few who are vying for the position of vice president.

A big boss of a security escort agency and the owner of a martial arts school.

Not only have they cultivated a strong foundation over many years of honing their skills, but they also each possess their own signature techniques, making them incredibly powerful.

At the same level, even warriors from the four major clans wouldn't dare say they could definitely suppress him.

Seeing that the drawing of lots had already begun, Lu Tingxue shook her head slightly, slowly withdrew her gaze, and stopped thinking about it.

Let him go.

It was just a casual move, a small game played on a whim.

Whether it will bring any benefits to the Lu family is another matter.

Not to mention the size of the Lu family, even compared to the Snake Hand Gang, Han Ping'an and even Old Gu of the grocery store cannot compare.

Do whatever you want.

However, deep down, Lu Tingxue had lost all interest in Han Ping'an.

Standing still is not a wise move.

The Lu family has quite a few enemies here. Their presence here today will definitely attract attention. Even if they leave without getting involved afterward, they will still be watched.

The battle within the courtyard has begun.

The competition was fierce.

The battle between nearly thirty martial artists at the entry level, who belonged to different camps, was supposed to be a friendly fight, but when they actually started fighting, they were incredibly ruthless.

The loser, more or less, bears a wound.

Han Ping'an watched with great interest; these guys were all quite formidable.

His combat experience and martial arts skills are among the best in Jing County at the same level.

More than half an hour later.

The twelve captains have been decided.

Jiang Long was prominently listed.

"The three deputy commanders."

"Cultivation requires reaching the Qi Gate level."

"Contenders, step forward."

Wu Ying didn't utter a single superfluous word.

Swish swish! !

This time, the number of people was several times less.

But as each person walked out, the others all felt an invisible pressure.

Those who pass the third pass are already among the top in Jing County.

The second challenge consists of individuals with names and reputations.

Han Ping'an remained expressionless and strode out.

His appearance almost instantly drew everyone's attention.

Jiang Long was dumbfounded. He had considered that Han Ping'an might want to compete for the position of deputy commander, but how could he dare to do so?

Lu Tingxue had already lost interest in Han Ping'an, but upon seeing this scene, she was stunned, and a hurricane instantly surged through her calm heart.

Are you serious, buddy?