Chapter Eighty-Six: The New Thirty-Sixth Squad

A flustered young soldier looked at her in puzzlement. "Are you the commander of the Thirty-Sixth Unit?"

"Yes!" she said, frowning. Was this boy deaf or something? How could he still not understand after she had said it once?

"The commander is supposed to take up her post with the Thirty-Sixth Unit today and report to the War Marshal. Didn't you know that?"

How should I know? she cursed inwardly. Neither Jade nor the Heavenly Emperor had said a word about it. How was she supposed to know there was such a tedious formality?

"The War Marshal has been waiting impatiently, so he sent me to fetch you. You really didn't know?" The little soldier was talkative too, repeating everything twice.

"All right, all right, now I know. Better late than never!" She waved a hand with grand ease. "Lead the way."

It was still the same new recruits' training camp. Kaiming felt she had an unusual bond with the place, coming and going here again and again. The quiet quarters reserved for the honored were just as before, only the War Marshal no longer wore his hair loose, nor did he drape himself in a single robe to appear frail. Dressed in full formal attire, he sat steadily in a pearwood chair, watching her cross the threshold.

"Do you have no sense of time at all?" His tone was exactly like a supervisor chastising an employee for being late to work: stern and exacting.

Kaiming lowered her head and said nothing, privately protesting with indignation. No one told me I had to report to your venerable self.

Jade looked at her fixedly and said in a low voice, "Since you don't know the customs here, I'll let it pass this time. Do not let it happen again."

His tone softened. It came as a surprise to Kaiming. She lifted her eyes cautiously, and immediately met his gaze. For some reason, all sorts of images connected to him flashed through her mind. Uneasy, she did not dare move.

"There is no Thirty-Sixth Unit in the army," Jade said, his tone easing as he spoke.

Kaiming was startled. She no longer cared to be courteous and looked straight at him. "The Emperor gave me command of a nonexistent unit. What for?"

Jade smiled. "He has his own reasons."

"Am I supposed to lead air into battle?" she snorted heavily, giving him a sidelong look.

His smile deepened. "That sounds more like the original Commander Kaiming. Don't be too restrained around me."

As though reminded by his words, Kaiming straightened at once and folded her hands respectfully. "In front of you, sir, how could I be presumptuous?"

Jade shook his head, at a loss for her irreverence. "I had you report to me because I am assigning you a unit."

"Assigning me a unit?" Her eyes widened. Her mouth opened and closed as though she wanted to say something but could not. Her expression was almost comical.

Jade could not help laughing. "His Majesty means for you to personally train this unit and see what you're capable of..." He lowered his voice and gave a quiet laugh. "Will it be more famous than Long Dawn's death squad?"

Kaiming narrowed her eyes. Damn, so that was the real deal. It sounded like a promotion, but it was really a test. Since you all want to see what I can do, I'll show you—and let you see the old woman's methods.

Having made up her mind, she said calmly, "Then where is my unit, War Marshal?"

Jade raised a hand and clapped once. The personal guard at the door seemed to already know what he meant. Without asking a word, he bowed and quickly left.

Kaiming craned her neck to watch him run off, then turned back to glance at Jade, utterly perplexed.

Jade said lightly, "Since it's a newly formed unit, naturally it consists of new recruits. I've selected a few strong women for you. I'm sure you'll like them."

"Why were they chosen by you?" Kaiming was deliberately picking a fight. "Aren't I their leader?"

Jade lifted a brow. "For the first round, naturally I choose the candidates. As for what comes next, that's your affair."

She shook her head. "Power at one rank higher can crush people to death."

"Stop complaining. Having me select the men for you is already an immense honor." Jade glanced at the teapot on the table, then at her. "Can Commander Kaiming help me pour a cup of tea?"

Her eyes widened. She measured the distance between them and the teapot, then gave him a cold look, as if to say: I'm farther from that thing than from the ends of the earth, and you still have the nerve to ask me to pour tea?

Yet Jade only smiled. "As a subordinate, the most important thing is obeying your superior's orders."

There it was again, pressing people down with rank. Why did he never get tired of using that move? She had no choice but to walk over sullenly, rattling the porcelain cup with a clatter as she poured water into it, gripping the round fat teapot so tightly it creaked, as if it were the murderer of her father. Taking up the saucer, she slammed the cup down in front of him.

Jade regarded her calmly and said, "What do you plan to do from now on?"

"What do you mean, what do I plan to do?" she asked blankly, not catching on.

Jade lifted his eyes to her. "Aren't you the wife who was abandoned by her husband?"

She nearly stumbled. This man was far too blunt. Was there any need to hit someone like that? She was still a woman deserted by her husband.

"The water's spilled." There was actually amusement in his face. How vile—gloating was simply his nature.

"Then pour me another cup!" she said through gritted teeth, moving the cup as if to leave.

"No need." He reached out swiftly, naturally laying his hand over the fingers that held the cup. "This is fine."

Kaiming recoiled as though shocked by lightning and slipped from his grasp, dropping the teacup. Jade looked at her, but she did not dare meet his eyes. Her palms were so tense they had gone damp.

"Don't stay in the general's residence anymore." His voice was like a dream murmured in the dark, so low that it carried a rough, heavy-metal rasp when it reached the ear. "If you're willing... if you are willing..."

"War Marshal!"

"Kaiming!"

Two voices rang out at the same time, inopportunely interrupting the astonishing words Jade was about to speak. Kaiming let out a breath of relief, somewhat grateful, yet an unexpected trace of regret rose too. Why did some part of her, at the bottom of her heart, feel a mischievous thrill at hearing what this masked man was trying to say? She really was not a good woman.

With mixed feelings of relief and regret, she turned her head. The first thing she saw was a tower of iron, then, as expected, a second and a third.

The plump and sturdy Spring Blossom was in the lead. The instant she saw Kaiming, her eyes lit up. In just a few quick steps she rushed forward and clutched her hard in an embrace, pounding and rubbing at her with tears in her eyes. "What a true sister you are! So you really didn't forget us!"

Kaiming struggled, almost unable to breathe. This ball of meat had barely seen her before launching into a tale of life and death parting. My waist—it's going to break!

"Let go! Let go of me now!"

Ignoring her face turning purple, Summer Grass and Autumn Chrysanthemum escalated the spectacle and came in from both sides to hug her as well. The three of them practically became three mountains pinning her down. She opened her mouth like a dying fish, blowing bubbles. Oh, blessed Buddha, at last I understand the sorrow of Monkey King being crushed beneath the Five-Element Mountain.

"Help! Help!" She had no recourse and waved her fingers toward the War Marshal, who sat watching the show.

A smile hung at the corner of Jade's lips as he sipped his tea calmly. He had no intention of bothering with her, but when he saw her face turn ugly beyond words, he understood at once that the weight of those three mountains was not something an ordinary person could bear. He could not help but laugh inwardly. So even you, Kaiming, have come to this day!

"Enough of this touching reunion. From here on, your new commander will give the orders." With that single sentence from Jade, a miracle occurred: the three mountains actually separated of their own accord, straightened their appearance, and stood properly to one side.

Only then did Kaiming recover her life, clutching her neck and gasping.

"Commander Kaiming, please address your Thirty-Sixth Unit and choose the soldiers you want." Was it her imagination, or did Jade's smile carry a touch of gloating?

She steadied herself and surveyed the unit assigned to her: a group of female soldiers of varying shapes and sizes, their faces browned dark by the sun, their features impossible to make out. She could only tell them apart by height, build, and stoutness.

This is my unit? Half of her heart turned cold. He had said he picked strong women for her, but how had several bean sprouts been mixed in?

"You, and you, go back." She waved at those bean sprouts, first sending off a few that could be discarded.

"War Marshal." Kaiming turned to look at Jade, who was leisurely enjoying his tea. "May I choose from the other new recruits under the War Marshal as well?"

"No." Jade rejected it outright. "That has never been done before."

She frowned. He glanced at her and added, "However, you may ask me to assist you."

Kaiming widened her eyes. What was that supposed to mean? A disguised addendum? "Let's talk about that later."

Jade smiled faintly. "Is it really that hard for you to ask for my help?"

She felt a little awkward. Saying such suggestive words in front of so many women was rather hard to bear. Even Spring Blossom and the others, usually slow to catch on, had opened their eyes wide and let their gazes dart between the two of them.

Kaiming hurriedly clenched her fist and coughed into it to cover up her embarrassment, then put on a stern face and counted the people in her unit. "Ten people. We'll make do with these for now. Spring Blossom, you will be the captain of the Thirty-Sixth Unit. Summer Grass and Autumn Chrysanthemum will serve as vice-captains. Understood?"

The women answered with heads held high and chests out.

Turning to her calmly seated superior, she asked, "War Marshal, may I ask where our training grounds are?"

"Your grounds are not in the new recruits' camp." Jade gestured to the personal guard. "Take Commander Kaiming to their barracks."

The guard answered and stepped out. Jade looked at her and said evenly, "There is something you should be pleased to hear: you and Long Dawn are in the same barracks."

"Long Dawn?!" She was both astonished and delighted. "Really? We're at that stationed camp too?"

"Of course it's true." The corner of Jade's mouth moved faintly, and he said no more.

Kaiming bowed to him. "Then I take my leave."

He looked at her calmly. "I will come by from time to time to oversee your training. Commander Kaiming, please be prepared."

"All right." She nodded, giving no other reaction. Trying to spring a surprise on me? As long as you don't play dirty, I'll keep you company anytime.

She gave her own unit a vigorous wave. "Move out!"

Jade had not lied to her after all. The personal guard led a horse for her to ride, while the remaining women marched in a line alongside her. Swaying gently in the saddle, she thought to herself that indeed, once a person was promoted, everything changed. She could now sit on horseback and watch the lower-ranking soldiers toil and suffer.

Those early days in the new recruits' camp felt as though they had been yesterday, yet today everything was already different. Who knew what sort of feelings she would have looking back on this time years from now?