Chapter 89: Taking Over the Captain’s Mansion
The rest of the journey was uneventful. On the second day, Lu Yuan and Zhou Hongling returned to Icefield Fortress.
As soon as they entered the city gates, Zhou Hongling turned and said, "Now that you’re a Captain, you should move directly into the Captain’s Mansion. I’ve already had it cleared out for you. It’s not far from my General’s Mansion, so you can report to me directly if anything comes up.
Additionally, the Captain’s Mansion has a garrison of one hundred Personal Guards. Who do you plan to appoint as their commander?"
"Let’s go with Zhou Xiong. Wasn’t he the Personal Guard Centurion at the Captain’s Mansion before?" Lu Yuan answered without hesitation.
A smile touched Zhou Hongling’s lips. "Alright, him it is. I’ll have him help you move in a little while."
"That won’t be necessary. I don’t have much. I can just go back and get everything myself," Lu Yuan said, preparing to take his leave.
But Zhou Hongling interjected, "That won’t do."
She glanced at the sun to gauge the time before continuing, "You just got back today, so you might as well take the day off. I’ll put my other duties aside and help you move."
Lu Yuan was about to refuse.
But Zhou Hongling cut him off. "Don’t dither. Just lead the way."
Since she put it that way, Lu Yuan stopped arguing and steered his warhorse toward his home.
There was no one in sight when they entered Ice Valley Lane.
It was the middle of the summer harvest, so everyone in the fortress, adults and children alike, spent their days in the fields.
As a result, no one saw Lu Yuan return.
He opened the courtyard gate and walked in.
Weeds had grown waist-high.
Zhou Hongling glanced around and couldn’t help but shake her head. ’Leave it to a man living alone. He’s content as long as he has a place to stay.’
When he opened the door to the house, a layer of dust coated everything inside.
Lu Yuan packed a bundle, stuffing it with the silver notes and broken silver he kept at home, along with a few sets of clothes Xiao Hua had made for him.
His armor and weapons were carried by the few Personal Guards accompanying them.
And with that, all his worldly possessions were packed.
By the time they returned to the Captain’s Mansion, it was already noon.
Zhou He was surprisingly already there. His eyes lit up when he saw Lu Yuan and he ran over, but upon noticing Zhou Hongling, he immediately became respectful. "Greetings, General. Greetings, Lord Captain."
"Mm," Zhou Hongling said indifferently. "Go and inform all officers of Centurion rank and above to report to the Captain’s Mansion. I have an announcement to make."
Her attitude was much warmer toward Lu Yuan than anyone else.
In front of her other officers and soldiers, she was typically very cold.
After all, as a female general, she couldn’t command the respect of the warriors under her if she were too amiable.
The frontiers have always bred elite troops. While the Icefield Fortress’s City Guard Army was far weaker than the Imperial Guard, in terms of sheer ferocity, they were by no means inferior—and might even have a slight edge.
Having received his orders, Zhou He didn’t dare hesitate. He immediately withdrew to notify the others.
A glint appeared in Lu Yuan’s eyes. ’He’s probably been waiting here for the past couple of days.’ He realized Zhou He must have been loitering here because he needed to talk to him.
He didn’t let it show on his face, however, deciding to wait until after the meeting to speak with him.
Zhou Hongling turned to Lu Yuan. "It’s a good thing you’re back today. Your official appointment has come through, so we’ll have them come meet their new commander. It’ll make it easier for you to deploy them later."
He nodded in agreement.
After all, he would need men under his command for the upcoming investigation into the Charm Demon Sect.
A short while later, all the on-duty Centurions in the city began filing into the Captain’s Mansion.
Their eyes showed clear respect, whether they were looking at Zhou Hongling or Lu Yuan.
The former was their direct superior, and the latter had repeatedly distinguished himself on the battlefield and earned the favor of the Marquis. Naturally, none of them dared to show him any disrespect.
Once everyone was assembled, Zhou Hongling swept her gaze over them, then pointed to Lu Yuan. "From this day forward, Lu Yuan is your Captain. All of you will obey his orders. Any who disobey will be subject to military law!"
Her voice carried an unprecedented gravity as she spoke.
As soon as her words fell, the men bowed in unison. "As you command!"
Then they turned to Lu Yuan. "Greetings, Lord Captain."
At that moment, Lu Yuan had truly become a high-ranking officer in Icefield Fortress.
After the introductions, Zhou Hongling whispered to Lu Yuan, "There are two Thousand Men Commanders stationed outside the city. They will come to pay their respects once their duty rotation ends. A runner has already been dispatched with the order."
"Thank you, General," Lu Yuan replied at once.
Zhou Hongling didn’t reply. Once all formalities were complete, she waved a hand at the assembled officers. "You’re all dismissed. No need to linger."
At her command, the men bowed and departed.
After they had gone, Zhou Hongling said, "You’re familiar with the Captain’s Mansion, so I won’t stay to show you around. Get your own affairs in order first."
After saying this, she glanced at Zhou He, then left.
She had clearly noticed that Zhou He had something to discuss with Lu Yuan.
Sure enough, the moment Zhou Hongling was gone,
Zhou He sidled up to Lu Yuan. "I got a message from Wu Han a couple of days ago. He said he wants to see you."
Lu Yuan nodded. "Alright. I’ll go see him tomorrow. I’m quite curious to see how far Wu Han has come."
There was never a shortage of fierce and courageous men Beyond the Passes. After plundering all that armor and weaponry, Wu Han’s forces should have grown quickly.
After all this time,
Things should be different now.
Then, Lu Yuan continued, "Have someone discreetly ask around for me. See if any new brothels have opened up in Icefield Fortress—I’m looking for a large one."
Hearing this, Zhou He’s eyes lit up. "You’ve come to the right man! No need to ask anyone else, I know just the place. Baihua Courtyard. It’s a newly opened pleasure house, and every one of the young ladies inside is a real beauty."
"It’s just a bit pricey. I’ve only been once, but they’re absolutely enchanting. I came back the next day with an aching back. They’re really something else."
Hearing this, Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow. ’Baihua Courtyard.’
’Besides, Zhou He is young and in his prime, and his cultivation is decent. A man like that shouldn’t be left with an aching back after one night. He must have had his vital essence secretly drained.’
Thinking of this, he collected himself and said, "You’ll take me there in a little while. I want to see if it’s really as good as you claim."
After speaking, he walked towards the Merit Tower.
Now that he had entered the Kidney Refining stage, it was time to redeem some elixirs for it.
His Kidney Refining was now at the Great Success level. It wouldn’t be long before he could reach Perfection and then advance to the Divine Containment stage.
As soon as he arrived at the Merit Tower, the Quartermaster spotted him and immediately rushed out to greet him.
He said with a fawning smile, "Lord Captain, if you need any Elixirs, you only have to send word. I would’ve had them delivered personally. There was no need for you to come all this way."
Lu Yuan waved him off. "No need for formalities. Just tell me about the Elixirs for the Kidney Refining stage."
The Quartermaster didn’t dare to be slow, immediately leading Lu Yuan into an inner room. "Lord Captain, everything in here is a treasure."
Lu Yuan nodded, sighing to himself. ’Having power really changes things. I’ve never been allowed in a place like this before.’ His gaze then fell on a medicine vial labeled "Water Element Pill."
"How much are these?" Lu Yuan asked, pointing to the Water Element Pill.
"Lord Captain, one bottle costs two thousand taels. But they’re highly effective—considered the best Elixir for the Kidney Refining stage," the Quartermaster said hurriedly.
"I’ll take ten bottles," Lu Yuan said, taking out twenty thousand taels of silver.
After spending this, he would have almost no silver taels left.
’But he wasn’t worried. After all, the Charm Demon Sect was still waiting to be purged. If his suspicions were correct, he should see a payoff as early as today.’
With that thought, he took the Elixirs and headed for the rear courtyard.
Returning to the living quarters that had been arranged for him, he unhesitatingly took a Water Element Pill and swallowed it. ’Time to see just how much Skill Level a single one of these Elixirs gives me.’