In Sun Lang's hometown, there was a saying on the Internet: "Live a long life and you will see things."
It meant that one could see all kinds of strange things after living for a long time.
The saying was also applicable to the people of Ming Province.
Ming Province was adjacent to Lihuo, and since ancient times, the two countries had been trading with each other, which was the most profitable business. Moreover, the more the Imperial Court prohibited it, the more rampant the secretive smuggling activities became. Therefore, the people of Ming Province had seen many new things from Lihuo and even the Western countries.
Two years ago, after the reform … bah, after the Imperial Court opened up the borders, the economic and cultural exchanges among the people flourished, and it was no longer rare to see a foreign red-headed ghost.
Some people even occasionally saw foreigners with dog ears, dog tails, or cat ears and cat tails. Those were not demons, but citizens of the Green Wood Country called the Dragon Sparrow Dynasty, which was thousands of miles away from the Empire.
People with beast ears and tails were not the strangest. It was said that further west, there was another country called the Country of Metal. Its citizens despised flesh and blood, and regarded metal bodies as beauty. They often cut off their limbs and put on metal prosthetics, or liked to put strange metal parts on their bodies.
However, these things inevitably sounded mysterious. After all, a farmer or a citizen of Ming Province could not imagine the appearance and cuteness of a canine-eared girl and a machine girl, let alone understand that beast-eared girl and a machine girl might have a more unique and novel experience when they did it. For them, things that they could see with their own eyes were more intuitive. In the Lihuo Country to the north, a group of old Russians lived there.
Apart from their ferocious appearance and strange hair color, these Russians were not much different from the people of the Empire. It was said that they could not practice martial arts or Qi, and could only borrow foreign objects to the extreme. It was probably because they were too stupid that they could not even learn the Long Fist of Taizu. This saying was very popular. After all, for the people of the Empire who worshipped martial arts, it was a good topic to talk about, and it could easily evoke a sense of superiority and national honor.
Therefore, at least the people of Ming Province were not unfamiliar with the Russians of Lihuo. At least they knew that the Russians lived in the north, worshipped fire, had different hair color and appearance from the people of Houtu, were stupid, and could not practice martial arts.
For the people of this era, this was a lot of information.
But today, on this very day, some people of the same hometown could finally proudly say that they had lived long enough to see it.
On this day, the path of the Ming Province army was covered in dust.
The rumbling of horse hooves came from afar, and a small cloud of dust came from afar. The experienced pedestrians walked to the side of the road, and the farmers who were fiddling with their crops in the fields straightened their backs. They knew that there was a group of horses galloping towards them. Looking at the momentum, they were not the cavalry of the army.
It was human nature to watch a show. They craned their necks, preparing to accumulate a topic for their evening conversation, but soon, they all opened their mouths wide.
Dust flew up from the main road as horses galloped. A group of white riders rushed over.
The sunlight shone on their round and shiny heads, reflecting a strange light. Their white coats fluttered in the wind, making them look extremely domineering. Under the gazes of the passers-by and farmers, twenty to thirty bald men wearing western-style clothes and riding on big horses, with two big words written on their backs, whistled past in an aggressive manner.
In the field, an eighteen or nineteen-year-old youth revealed an envious light in his eyes, but then his expression became puzzled. He asked the old farmer next to him in a daze, "Grandpa, why are these Rakshasas shaved …"
The old farmer was also shocked. After a while, he said, "It's a group of Caucasian monks from Li Huo … I don't know which virtuous senior monk enlightened them."
The virtuous senior monk who enlightened these Li Huo bald men was among Wu Kequn.
Because he was also wearing a white windbreaker, and the effect of twenty to thirty bald men gathered together was too shocking, the passers-by didn't notice him at all.
At this moment, he was in high spirits and said loudly, "You are all people who have been betrayed and abandoned by your own country. Houtu will become your new home!
Therefore, you have to start learning Chinese!
After a while, I will give you a Chinese level exam!
First, you have to pass Chinese level 4!
Those who fail will be cut to death!
Then, you have to take the Chinese level 6 exam. Those who fail will also be cut to death!
Finally, you have to take the Chinese level 8 exam!
Those who fail will also be cut to death! "
He seemed to have thought of something infuriating. He waved his arms and shouted, "In the future, all foreigners will have to take Chinese as a compulsory subject!
There must be the most difficult exam questions!
The most severe exam!
Those who fail will all be cut to death!
Cut to death!
Cut to death! "
The bald men were all shocked and their hearts trembled. They didn't know what this temperamental imperial person was up to. But in the next moment, strange and stiff Chinese sounded, "Your Excellency, I can speak the imperial language."
Sun Lang waved his hand. "Let him come over."
The Russians around Sun Lang quickly urged their horses to move aside so that the person who spoke could move forward. Regardless of what they thought in their hearts or how they felt about Sun Lang, they had finally learned to obey. After all, humans were creatures that sought benefits and avoided harm.
Sun Lang turned his head and looked at the Russian who was rushing over. The other party's eyebrows were tightly furrowed. Although he looked a little malnourished, his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's. His riding skills were very good, and one could tell at a glance that he had dealt with a lot of horses. Sun Lang was a little surprised and smiled. "A soldier?"
The man said calmly, "I'm a former soldier of the Theocracy, guilty of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and …"
Sun Lang cut him short. "Ordinary soldiers don't have the right to be convicted of these two crimes, and you look like a general … What's your name?"
The other party began to mumble that smelly, long, and awkward name. Sun Lang couldn't remember it for a while, so he waved his hand. "Forget it. From today onwards, you're called Sheffield!"
The man was stunned for a moment before accepting it calmly. "Yes."
Sun Lang glanced at him and suddenly laughed. "How strange. The Order of Flames is actually willing to throw a former high-ranking officer to me. Aren't they afraid that you'll reveal something?"
Sheffield said slowly, "I'm also very curious. A person like me can actually see the light of day again, and actually come to the Houtu Empire. What a strange experience."
Sun Lang smiled. "I hope you can live to experience more strange experiences."
Sheffield lowered his head and saluted silently. Then, he didn't say anything.
Sun Lang glanced at him as if nothing had happened.
He had developed the habit of being extremely suspicious. He only believed thirty percent of what The Devil Ancestor said to him that day. Sun Lang had never believed that the Will of Fire would cooperate with him sincerely. Therefore, there must be a lot of spies among the felons from the Gulag Purgatory.
So … one of the first thirty people to speak had remained calm in the prison square and had not acted rashly. Just now, he had taken the initiative to promote himself. Sheffield, what are you thinking? Taking the initiative to show yourself, is it because you are taking the risk of going against the norm, or is it because you are ambitious and unwilling to be left out?
— — I hope you can live on and experience more strange experiences.
Sun Lang burst into laughter and shouted, "Let's move forward!"
At this time, the army of Ming Province had entered a state of alert. Qi Guanyan finally came and took back the commander's seal in Hu Shouxin's hand and began to give orders.
Now, more than ten elite brigades had been assembled and set up camps along the main roads of the main army. Sun Lang, with the General's token, directly took backup horses from the army along the way. So, the Marshall people did not stop and swept southward like a gust of wind. Soon, they arrived at the southern border of Ming Province.
At an outpost on the southern border, all kinds of materials and equipment had been prepared. When Sun Lang arrived, Courrier had been waiting for a long time.
The soldiers at the outpost were also shocked when they saw the twenty or so majestic bald men.
But it had to be said that these Russians looked ferocious, and their bodies were as strong as bulls. They all wore Western-style white war suits, and the visual effect and impact were excellent. In particular, the white coats and the word "Justice" on the back could simply hit the hidden heart of every man.
Engraving and painting on armor had become a trend during the Tianyuan War. According to rumors, when a certain unnamed general personally went into battle, his equipment could be said to be dazzling.
On the left shoulder was written, "All under the Heavens is the King's Land." On the right shoulder was written, "All under the Heavens are the King's Subjects." On the shield was engraved, "Swordsmanship in the Martial Arts Book." On the breastplate was the engraving of a general on a snowy night. On the back of the armor was the fluttering cape of a king from the Three Hundred Poems. All kinds of ancient beasts had been painted all over the armor by skilled craftsmen. It could be said to be a walking style, a trendsetter, and a far-reaching influence.
But the simple and almost shameless word "Justice" on the white coats was thought-provoking. The more one looked at it, the more one felt!
After the twenty or so baldies dismounted, they stood solemnly in place. The imperial soldiers next to them were pointing and whispering. Although most of the Russians couldn't understand their language, some emotional resonance didn't require language. They could clearly see the envy on each other's faces and eyes.
Yes … this set of clothes does look … very impressive and beautiful.
Now, this set of clothes was on their bodies.
Quietly, a faint sense of pride emerged from the depths of their hearts. This was an animal's instinct. Males wanted to show off their charming side to attract females. This would evolve into a sense of aesthetics and care about their appearance.
Although it was just a small sense of pride, many people's backs unconsciously straightened a little.
Sometimes, a set of clothes could bring about an inexplicable sense of superiority and … a sense of community.
Sun Lang entered the house of the outpost. From the window, he saw the behavior of the Russians outside and smiled.
"So that's how it is. No wonder whether it's the Order or the army, they all require uniform attire and strict class distinctions. This will gradually give birth to a sense of belonging and community in the soldiers."
Courrier saw this and sneered. "The founders and administrators of the Order must have understood this principle, but they would never say it out loud. They would only stipulate that it must be done this way and would never let others understand this principle."
"It's normal to imprison thoughts, monopolize knowledge, maintain power, and make it convenient to rule."
Sun Lang said indifferently, "Breaking the monopoly of knowledge and information helps to promote the progress of mankind. It's been like this since ancient times … Now, let's talk about proper business."
Courrier took a map from the side. "That Empress Tensei seems to be very cautious. He brought a lot of troops and is advancing very slowly. I don't know if it's to publicize this matter first or if he's setting up Mingzhou.
Two hours ago, the vanguard troops have already begun to set up camp. I've drawn the camp map. "
She said this and then complained, "The Death Messenger's position is not a scout. It's more convenient for a lone traveler to do this. Why didn't you call him over?"
"No."
Sun Lang looked at the map and said indifferently, "When two armies are facing each other, our side has the advantage of time and place. Therefore, we have to be careful and secure at every step. We have to prevent the other side from openly building one path and secretly attacking another.
Therefore, I called back Qi Guanyan and ordered Chao Po-tao to stay behind at Marquis Jingan's fu. Lu Shouyan will be in charge of mobilizing the troops and Long Wande will be in charge of security. Only after everything has been arranged properly did I come out to handle this matter. This is to prevent that woman from taking risks and trying to sneak into her home. "
Courrier said, "You really are cautious."
"If the opponent is that woman, there's no harm in being twice as cautious. I won't make the same mistake twice."
Sun Lang picked up a charcoal pencil from the side and drew a few circles. "The layout of the camp is a bit interesting. Unfortunately, the initiative will always be the initiative. The one who attacks first has the advantage. Passive defense will never be flawless, because …"
He threw the charcoal pencil in his hand to the side and said with a cold smile, "Tactics have always been ever-changing."
Courrier had already guessed what Sun Lang wanted to do and sweated when she heard this.
That's right … Even in her dreams, she would never think that you would want to do that kind of thing …
Sun Lang looked at the map again and compared the distance. After memorizing everything by heart, he coldly said, "It's time to display our strength …"
He turned and left the room, walking towards the Russians who were standing in place. Seeing Sun Lang walk out, the brawny men involuntarily straightened their backs. This was a good start.
Sun Lang indifferently said, "Twenty-five experienced felons who have committed countless crimes, sufficient weapons, reasonable tactics, first-mover intelligence, Blazing Angels providing aerial support, and Sword Saint-level martial artists accompanying you for protection. This is your first nanny-like mission, just like an outing."
He looked into everyone's eyes and smiled. "Of course, you will also encounter danger on an outing, but the danger you will face will mainly come from your hesitation and cowardice.
You are facing a few regular armies of the Imperium, the Tianyuan Troop, who has made great contributions to the Imperium. Their commander is the most beloved daughter of the Imperium and her sharpest claws. You will infuriate them and then face their counterattack. But I can let you live. "
"You only need to obey me and treat my orders as an iron law that must be completed. Do not doubt, do not need to think, only absolute obedience. Only complete obedience can protect your safety, and you will use your lives to prove this point — perhaps yours, perhaps your companions'.
"Then, collect your equipment, listen to my orders, and set out."