Seeing the fire extinguished, the servant immediately collapsed on the ground.
Commander Zhang's clapping resonated from the study, "Good."
He looked at Lin Xing appreciatively, "How did you know he was a problem?"
Lin Xing candidly replied, "I've seen him several times, skulking around and reaching into his pocket. I sensed something was off about him long ago."
"As meticulous as you are, bold and skilled, I wasn't wrong about you."
Commander Zhang glanced around at the soldiers who had just scattered in fright, then thought of Lin Xing who had shielded him from the explosives; he began to view this young man more favorably.
Taking the long tube, Commander Zhang scoffed, "Heavenly Will Sect's Five Fire Divine Dragon? With this trifle, they thought to assassinate me?"
He coldly glanced at the collapsed servant and indifferently ordered, "Take him away."
Then he walked into the study with Lin Xing. With a gesture, he said, "Lin Xing, you did very well this time. I'm never stingy with my own brothers. Just say what you want, and I will reward you handsomely."
Before Lin Xing could respond, he patted Lin Xing's shoulder and continued, "You've been by my side these past few days, almost inseparable and always ready at my call. I've taken note."
"Here's what we'll do, you go with Shi Yingwei and his men to eliminate some bandits a few times. After you have made a name for yourself, I'll promote you to my Deputy General. With someone like you in the army, I can rest easy."
Lin Xing was stunned and thought to himself, "How can I assassinate you daily if I'm out chasing bandits?"
He quickly said, "It's not easy to find someone like you, Commander. I'd hate to leave your side even for a moment; I don't want to go."
Commander Zhang was even more pleased, thinking Lin Xing truly loyal, and waved dismissively, "What future is there in just following me around every day?"
Lin Xing replied, "But isn't a trusted aide supposed to be by your side, Commander?"
Commander Zhang proudly said, "That's for other people's aides. Do you think I need protection? Remember, my trusted aides are not my shields but my swords. They are here to kill for me, not to protect me."
"Enough with the dawdling, go find Shi Yingwei tomorrow..."
...
Seeing that Commander Zhang had made up his mind and it seemed unlikely to change, Lin Xing could only sigh. Then he abruptly threw a punch at his face.
Commander Zhang deflected Lin Xing's fist with a palm, incredulously asking, "Have you gone mad?"
Lin Xing twisted his neck and said, "Since I have to leave, I might as well hone my skills against you a few more times."
Taiqing Long Fist (Third Layer 5.1%) → Taiqing Long Fist (Third Layer 31.4%)
...
"Enough with the dawdling..."
Commander Zhang looked at Lin Xing, suddenly appearing dispirited, and thought to himself, "I send him out to lead troops, and he seems this heartbroken?"
"Could it be that my charisma has completely overwhelmed him?"
Watching Lin Xing leave with a look of utter exhaustion and a vacant gaze, Commander Zhang increasingly felt this young man was reliable.
The next morning, after a night's rest, an invigorated Lin Xing followed Shi Yingwei's troops to engage the bandits.
Shi Yingwei's force consisted of about two hundred men, as he believed eliminating bandits was a minor task. Bringing too many would mean excessive costs for provisions and ammunition, which he was unwilling to undertake.
Shi Yingwei, mounted on his horse, pointed towards the vast mountains ahead and said, "The mountains within the territory of Dongya Prefecture are continuous, especially here in Wolong Mountain, which has long been a hideout for bandits."
"Now I've heard that the Heavenly Will Sect is linking up with those bandits, aiming to harm our forces; that's why the Commander has dispatched us to sweep the area and warn these bandits."
Glancing at Lin Xing, who was walking alongside, Shi Yingwei said, "Mr. Lin, you really can't ride a horse? For us soldiers, that's an essential skill. Not just that, but should there be an emergency that requires a quick escape, not having a horse won't do."
Lin Xing nodded repeatedly; he also felt that learning to ride a horse was indeed an essential skill in Great Zhou World, otherwise traveling in the future would be greatly inconvenient.
The group continued on the mountain path for about more than two hours, the journey uneventful. Lin Xing, full of restless energy, couldn't help but scrutinize Shi Yingwei and his soldiers walking beside him.
A thought struck him, "Should I test their mettle by engaging them?"
As the thought arose, he immediately shook his head, continually warning himself, "No, they haven't killed me. If I attack them first, wouldn't that make me a murderer?"
"And moreover, we are comrades-in-arms. What if I attack and instead of retaliating, they capture and imprison me? That would be troublesome."
Lin Xing felt his thoughts were indeed too rash, continuously cautioning himself not to abuse his powers on a whim.
Half an hour later, just as Lin Xing thought the day might pass without incident, the sound of gunfire erupted, and he saw figures moving atop the surrounding mountains. Unbeknownst to them, Shi Yingwei and his troops had fallen into an ambush.
A dark-skinned youth stood on the mountain, looking down at the troops below and called out, "You are Vice General Shi from Commander Zhang's forces, aren't you?"
"Just have your troops throw down their guns and all other belongings to the ground, and I'll let you retreat freely, ensuring no harm to any of your men."
Shi Yingwei, looking in the direction of the voice and observing the figures, tried to assess the number of enemies while coldly shouting, "Which band of bandits are you? Daring to ambush the Commander's troops, aren't you afraid that one day the Commander himself will lead forces to exterminate you?"
The dark-skinned youth laughed, "If Commander Zhang comes personally, of course I wouldn't dare intercept him. But as soon as his army arrives, I can just hide deeper into these Wolong Mountains, and he won't be able to find me."
"Alright Vice General Shi, you've been outmaneuvered this time. If you refuse to pay, then you might as well forget about leaving with your lives."
With the fall of the dark-skinned youth's words, the surrounding bandits also started to shout and whistle, causing the soldiers below to become increasingly uneasy.
Just as Shi Yingwei was hesitating, unsure whether to advance or retreat, he saw a figure charge out swiftly.
It was Lin Xing, who had come along to suppress the bandits.
Watching Lin Xing dash out, Shi Yingwei wanted to stop him, but it was already too late.
The dark-skinned youth on the mountain, seeing Lin Xing charging alone, sneered, "Watch me kill this greenhorn."
He raised his rifle, taking aim at Lin Xing's position, ready to pull the trigger.
But Lin Xing, as if having anticipated it, suddenly lunged forward.
Bang!
Realizing his shot had missed, the dark-skinned youth frowned, quickly pulling the bolt and aimed again at Lin Xing.
Bang!
This time, Lin Xing preemptively dodged to the left, avoiding the bullet just before the trigger was pulled.
Watching Lin Xing closing in, the dark-skinned youth's face flashed with annoyance, "Shoot him down with a barrage."
—