Chapter 1318: Reprimand

Chapter 1304: Admonishment

The Land of Chaos has a way of amplifying the evil in human nature.

As He Lingchuan reviewed the documents, Wan Qifeng smiled and said, "After that outing, the younger ones are still incredibly excited. They're all eager for action and have already asked three times: 'When can we deploy again?'"

These soldiers were originally hand-picked by He Lingchuan and Wan Qifeng, having previously been water bandits from Yangshan and elites of the Bailong tribe. While two years of high-intensity training had made them outstanding in combat, their discipline and obedience were still severely lacking.

Wearing masks and black armor, they had followed He Lingchuan to Shizhou Head and Liuping to capture Liu Shuheng and execute Zhao Guangzhi. They had found the experience incredibly exhilarating. The training in Yangshan was arduous and monotonous, so they hadn't expected killing in Shanjin Plain to be so thrilling! Not only was the killing exhilarating, but the reverence and worship they received from the local populace, who treated them as gods, was even more gratifying!

Even with their wounds from the two recent battles still healing, they were already anticipating their next dramatic appearance.

"Excited?" He Lingchuan looked up at the mention, "Who has been discussing this?"

Wan Qifeng was startled, his smile immediately freezing. Yet, as the island master had asked, he had no choice but to answer. Finally, he whispered, "It was my cousin, Wan Qiliang, and two of his subordinates."

"I issued a ban long ago, requiring everyone to keep silent both in public and private," He Lingchuan said, staring at him. "Too many mouths can lead to loose talk. What do you suggest we do?" When he led the Black Armored Army on operations, it was absolutely crucial not to leave any weaknesses that could expose them!

"Yes," Wan Qifeng said, lowering his head. "Twenty strokes of the cane, and send them back to Yangshan. I, too, request twenty strokes for my lax command."

"Your twenty strokes will be noted and administered when we return to Yangshan," He Lingchuan said, continuing to review the documents. "Wan Qiliang is a promising talent. He needs to be tempered here in Shanjin to shed his impulsiveness. Why would you send him back?" While hot-blooded impulsiveness and drive often lead to trouble, making such individuals troublesome in peacetime, these are precisely the valuable traits needed in a vanguard warrior at present.

Wan Qifeng was overjoyed, recognizing his lord's intention to cultivate the talent. "Yes! We won't send him back, but he will be given a stern lesson. From now on, all names and places will be referred to by code names to prevent outsiders from overhearing."

He Lingchuan tapped the papers in front of him. "Were there any suspicions when these materials were collected?"

"None!" Wan Qifeng affirmed confidently. "We followed your instructions strictly. Moreover, most of the names here were provided by Master Fu." Although Fu Liushan had previously made a living by expelling ghosts and catching demons, he had encountered more wicked humans than ghosts or demons. This time, he simply contributed some widely known information.

"Our criteria for selecting targets are 'unpardonable villains who plague the local area'," He Lingchuan said, casually pulling two sheets and placing them aside. "These two aren't universally reviled; discard them."

"These two, despite their misdeeds, don't warrant death; discard them too," He Lingchuan said, pulling two more sheets and speaking sternly. "When the Black Armored Army strikes, there will be killing. Only those whose crimes are fully deserving of death can be on the list. There must be thorough investigations beforehand; no one shall be wrongfully killed!"

Wan Qifeng immediately responded, "Yes, sir."

He then picked out three more sheets. Wan Qifeng looked down and asked, "Should these three be discarded as well? They're all notorious for their evil deeds." The standard of "plaguing the local area" had certainly been met.

"I will lead you on a few more operations, but later on, I may not personally participate. In these initial operations, we need to gain experience. Targets should be few, not many; singular, not multiple. In the operation against Liu Shuheng and Zhao Guangzhi, we sustained injuries and almost lost men. We must be more cautious in the future."

He had also reviewed this operation afterward. His Black Armored Army was just beginning operations and lacked experience. Although Zhao Guangzhi deserved death, he commanded a full army and possessed considerable combat prowess himself, making him an unsuitable target for their first major operation. The multiple injuries among the Black Armored Cavalry were proof of this. The fact that there were no fatalities or reductions in personnel could only be attributed to He Lingchuan's extreme good fortune. If they acted rashly again in the future, there was no telling if their luck would hold. Therefore, they needed to start with easier targets and gradually build experience.

He Lingchuan also pointed to the list and explained, "These three targets all have forces under them, especially this band of mountain bandits, who are very likely collaborating with the local authorities." He came from Blackwater City, and the Red Cliff trade route was a prime example of official-bandit collusion. He Lingchuan understood all the intricacies mentioned in the documents at a glance. "Let them live for another month or so. When you are proficient at handling various contingencies, then go deal with them."

He then selected three other targets: "These three will do. Starting tomorrow night, we'll act on them sequentially."

Afterwards, he had Wan Qifeng gather all the Black Armored soldiers and personally addressed them. This scene was common in the Yangshan Archipelago, and everyone was accustomed to it. He Lingchuan first praised everyone for their excellent performance in their debut, specifically commending Wang Fubao for killing the most enemies and Wan Qifeng for rescuing his comrades the most times.

Upon hearing this, Wan Qiliang craned his neck. He had clearly killed two more than Wang Fubao, though his superiors didn't acknowledge it. "Lord..."

Wan Qifeng, who was standing beside him, delivered an elbow strike to his arm the moment he opened his mouth. Although Wan Qifeng said nothing, Wan Qiliang understood his look: Shut up!

After a round of praise and encouragement, everyone's morale was lifted, and only then did He Lingchuan begin his actual admonishment:

"Listen closely, all of you: The reason we were able to act calmly and win that night was because we caught Liu and Zhao by surprise. They had never seen us before, nor our fighting methods, which caused them to fall into disarray. The Black Armored Army's actions won't be limited to just one or two times. As long as we continue to deploy, surrounding powers, including Yaoguo and Luodian, will undoubtedly pay close attention. They will analyze our operational patterns, assess our combat strength and numbers, try to uncover our origins, and then attempt to capture us."

"In short, this game will truly become difficult from the moment we officially intervene in Shanjin's injustices, from the moment they notice us," He Lingchuan said, looking around at everyone. "Future operations must be ten times faster than now—you must move like the wind, appearing and disappearing without a trace. Secrecy must be absolute; discussing operations privately is forbidden. You must not leak a single whisper that could endanger the army or your comrades!"

His gaze was like lightning, making Wan Qiliang's back feel cold and his palms sweat. He instinctively lowered his head. He Lingchuan then continued, "Your special training has only just begun. From this moment on, you must be fully prepared before acting; your target's level of threat should match your level of preparedness. Only when you understand discipline and are no longer lax, only when you learn to consider the team and your comrades, will you be worthy of challenging more formidable villains and hope to engage in high-intensity combat like true warriors!"

Everyone loudly affirmed, "Yes, sir!"

"Dismissed."

Wan Qiliang was held back by Wan Qifeng alone. The latter, with a stern face, said, "Do you understand now why your contributions weren't counted?"

Wan Qiliang uttered an "oh," still feeling indignant about Wang Fubao, but he didn't argue further.