Chapter 46: Liu Li

  Liu Lao still had a cold expression, and upon seeing Chu Hao walk out, he said in a low voice: "Young Master Wang, the person you wanted has been brought to you."

  "Xin ku liu lao le." Chu Hao smiled slightly.

  "The young master's decision, I naturally obey." Lao Liu said with a bow, and then continued: "Young Master Wang, if you have time later, it's better for you to go and tell the king about it. It's not convenient for me."

  Chu Hao naturally knew what he meant and nodded, saying: "I know, I'll go find Father King on a auspicious day to explain everything clearly."

  Liu Lao sighed and turned around to glance at the nine people, shaking his head and saying: "That old slave has retreated."

  "Xiao Si, see Old Liu off."

  After Lao Liu left, Chen Honghong's voice finally echoed in Chu Hao's mind: "Weird, extremely weird."

  "What's strange?" Chu Hao asked Chen Honghong to observe Liu Lao when he saw him, and now hearing this, he hurriedly asked.

  "This old willow's cultivation method is a bit unorthodox." Chen Honghong said lightly, "However, I'm not certain either. Let you repair a part of the Hunyuan Cauldron first, and then I'll recover some strength to take another look."

  Chu Hao nodded slightly and didn't respond. After sending Xiao Si to another courtyard, he turned his gaze towards the nine soldiers.

  The nine people all had some dissatisfaction on their faces, looking very unhappy, seemingly having some resentment towards their own situation, being expelled from the military and coming to the Wang Ye's residence.

  Chu Hao shook his head. If these nine people knew that their lives were in his hands during the day, he wondered if they would still dare to show him such an attitude.

  These people exuded a cold and condensed aura, standing quietly there, yet an icy killing intent was palpable. Everyone's face was expressionless, their eyes seemingly frozen in place. Chu Hao hadn't noticed it the past few days, but now he felt a difference about these people, and his heart slightly wondered.

  "We meet again." Little Fourth sent Liu Lao back to the yard, Chu Hao moved another chair over and sat down in the center of the yard, smiling all over his face as he waved at them.

  "Your Highness, the Crown Prince." The nine men all said in unison, and that was the end of it.

  Chu Hao didn't mind either, propping up his second leg and saying: "Do you know why you came to the Wang Fu?"

  "I don't know!" This time the voice was louder.

  Chu Hao furrowed his brow, then pointed at the tallest and strongest-looking man among them and said, "You come out." The big man seemed to be doing it on purpose, taking a few steps forward, causing the ground to tremble slightly, and some mud splashed out.

  Chu Hao's eyebrows furrowed even more tightly as he said, "Are you trying to prove that you have backbone by acting like this?"

  "How dare you!" The big man said calmly: "The king has ordered us to follow Your Highness, we have no choice but to obey!"

  "Oh?" Chu Hao's fingers tapped on the armrest of the chair, producing a rhythmic slapping sound: "You mean to say that you were forced to come and it wasn't your intention?"

  "How dare you!" The big man puffed out his chest, expressionless, face without emotion, like a carved statue.

  "Alright, let's not talk about this for now." Chu Hao only felt the stubbornness of these so-called soldiers at this time, and it was a bit headache-inducing. He waved his hand, stood up from his chair, looked at the dark sky, and scanned his gaze over the faces of the nine people: "You are all generals of the Longxiang Army! But do you know why you were demoted from the army to the capital? Why you were picked back just when you were about to make achievements? Why you practice every day in the schoolyard but can't get the opportunity to go to battle?"

  Chu Hao's face was cold and stern, pointing at the big man in front of him, saying: "You speak first!"

  The big man composed himself and said, "I was a commoner who didn't obey the superior's arbitrary orders, so I offended the official in charge during a meeting and was stripped of my military position and demoted to the Imperial Academy in the capital!"

  Chu Hao nodded and asked: "What was your previous position?"

  "Yuan Longxiang, infantry deputy captain, full-time centurion!" The big Han shouted loudly, one word at a time!

  Chu Hao nodded and pointed at another big man, saying: "You continue speaking!"

  "The little man was demoted to the Imperial Academy in the capital because he beat up an officer in the army and violated his military status!" The big man who was pointed out by Chu Hao shouted loudly!

  Chu Hao slightly furrowed his brow, he didn't like this kind of troublemaker, and said: "Why did you resort to violence?"

  "Because that official stripped Liu Lidage of his military post!" The big man said with a straight face: "So I don't obey!"

  Upon hearing this, Chu Hao's expression changed slightly, and he looked at the big man from before and said: "You're Liu Li?"

  "Yes!"

  Chu Hao said with understanding, "He was fighting for you?"

  "Yes, I owe it to these brothers!" Liu Li stood up straight, his body emitting a cold and stern aura. "I, Liu Li, have no parents, being stripped of my military position is nothing, but I cannot betray these brothers who followed me out, so I will continue to stay in the school grounds, waiting for the day to return to battle!"

  Chu Hao's heart moved slightly as he looked at the other soldiers and asked, "Were you all also demoted to this school for the same reason?"

  "Yes!" The group of men said in unison.

  Chu Hao only then carefully sized up this dark-faced, ordinary-looking man who appeared to be only in his thirties. Yet, despite being an ordinary soldier and centurion, he had a majestic aura about him that was both solemn and sacred.

  Because all these people left the Dragon Soaring Army, which countless soldiers in the empire yearned for, just for him.

  "Why are you being so presumptuous towards your superior officer?" Chu Hao looked at Liu Li, his heart had changed, but his face still maintained the cold composure from earlier.

  "That officer didn't care about the soldiers' lives, using the most inferior method, letting brothers go to their deaths!" Liu Liyuan said with a deep breath: "I couldn't watch my brothers go to their deaths, so I had a dispute with him and was accused of disobeying orders and stripped of my military rank."

  Chu Hao nodded and roughly understood the reason.

  "Tell me separately, what are your military ranks?" Chu Hao's previous words were meant to let them know that he was a person abandoned by the army, an unnecessary soldier, and then suppress them with momentum and take them back.

  But this unexpected result made him re-examine these Han people again.

  "The little man is the leader of ten households!"

  "Small men are ordinary soldiers..."

  "The little man was an ordinary soldier..."

  "The little man was originally a Wu Chang..."

  Eight people all opened their mouths one after another, and before they said these words, their military posts were all red-faced and loud-voiced.

  Finally, after the last big fellow finished reporting, Chu Hao looked at Liu Li and coldly snorted: "Since they are your sworn brothers through thick and thin, how can you still let him follow me to beat people? Are you willing to be my spoiled son's thug?"

  "It's because of the elixir you gave me, Your Highness!" Liu Li said fearlessly under Chu Hao's gaze, "It's because of those nine rare and precious elixirs that can enhance one's cultivation and strength!"

  Chu Hao sneered: "So you're saying, you're also a selfish and greedy soldier!"

  "No, it's all for my brothers!" Liu Li said: "My brothers can't just leave the battlefield like this! They are still in their prime age, they should go to make achievements, ride on the battlefield, and kill the enemy! They can re-enter the Longxiang Army, rather than staying in school with me, this useless big brother!"

  "Big brother!"

  "Brother Liu Li!"

  The remaining eight people were hastily called up, their faces turned extremely ugly. One of them stood out without Chu Hao's consent and said to Liu Li: "Big brother, we brothers don't like to hear you say this. We were willing to follow you and leave the army because you are a trustworthy person, worthy of our trust, and worthy of us risking our lives for you. We all respect you!"

  Liu Li did not turn around, but coldly said: "Huang Hongjin, shut up!"

  That man named Huang Hongjin said discontentedly: "Big brother, what I'm saying is the truth. In the past when we were in the army, if it wasn't for your care and protection, our group of brothers wouldn't have been able to join the Longxiang Army, and would have long since died in the vanguard of the chaotic war. How could we still be standing here talking? To big brother, we are deeply grateful, and we will never forget big brother's kindness!"

  Another Han man was also infected by the atmosphere, stood up and said: "Right, even if we spend our whole lives in school, we can't go to the battlefield, but we have no regrets!"

  "A man should defend his family and country, killing on the battlefield! What nonsense are you talking about!" Liu Li finally turned his head, shouting loudly, but his eyes had a hint of crystal-like luster. Liu Li turned his head back without leaving any trace, then looked at Chu Hao, bowing his head: "Your Highness, the king ordered us to follow you and obey your commands, we dare not disobey, but I hope Your Highness will not make things difficult for my brothers, please forgive their rashness!"

  Chu Hao didn't say a word, he looked at the nine people in front of him, and his heart had already risen with some appreciation. This Liu Li, the former hundred-man commander, and his group of brothers, might really be some very good talents!

  "So you're saying that you took my Solid Dan just to help your brothers increase their strength, so they can return to the battlefield?" Chu Hao sat back in his chair, his fingers starting to tap on the armrest again, his face looking very serious.

  "Yes!" Liu Li said frankly: "Only when the strength of our brothers is stronger, can we get the general to re-enlist in a broken rank. All the soldiers in our school are striving for this goal!

  Liu Li was a hundred-man commander before he was dismissed from his post. Chu Hao saw that his cultivation had reached the first layer of skin refinement, which was indeed very possible. As for the other eight people, they were all at the fifth or sixth layer of bone refinement, with the highest one having reached the ninth layer of bone refinement, and they were all in their early twenties.

  This group of people, to Liu Li's heavy emotions and righteousness, themselves are in urgent need of such a person, and after the Lantern Festival they will go to Du Rui City. If they can be properly utilized, they will definitely be a great help when dealing with that mysterious force.