Chapter 281: Chapter 281

Therefore, he ventured, "Lord, do you want them?"

His tone was suggestive, hinting, These are your own people, I wouldn’t try to trick you. You should reconsider carefully.

A Ming and Siniang, disguised as a man, stood behind Zheng Fan. They wouldn’t voice their opinion.

After all, even if their lord decided to bring Lv Bu back to the fortress, it wouldn’t be their problem. They weren’t responsible for training troops. In fact, they would rather enjoy seeing Blind Bei and Liang Cheng struggle with the headache.

Excluding Mo Wan, that lazy freeloader who always relied on his connections, the relationships among the other six Demon Kings often resembled the scheming of a palace harem.

Actually, Zheng Fan felt the same way. After all, he wasn’t the one who would be training the troops. Besides, he had complete confidence in Blind Bei and Liang Cheng.

This was the advantage of being a leader: you only needed to know what to do next, not necessarily how to do it.

"Thank you, Brother Zheng! Thank you, Lord Zheng!" Google seaʀᴄh 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡⁂𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢⁂𝘯𝘦𝘵

At that moment, the Zuo Family members behind Zuo Jiqian could hardly believe they had actually been bought. They excitedly rushed to the fence, bowing deeply to Zheng Fan in gratitude from behind the bars.

Honestly, Zheng Fan felt somewhat awkward accepting their gratitude so readily. Just a month ago, they had been his colleagues, defending the same fortress in the Yan State together. Now, their situations were so drastically different.

Of course, it was difficult to feel much pity; such emotions are finite, and his had been largely depleted on the journey from Yanjing back to Nanwang City.

It’s safe to say that beneath the waves of every great era, countless unfortunate souls are inevitably buried.

"Alright, since you want them, my lord, I’ll have someone draw up the transfer order for you."

"Thank you," Zheng Fan replied.

Siniang, still disguised and standing behind Zheng Fan, proactively stepped forward to accompany the captain to fetch the scribe for the paperwork. As she did, Siniang discreetly slipped the captain a pouch heavy with gold.

The captain looked surprised but accepted it with fawning gratitude.

This was a matter of detail, and also of life experience. Zheng Fan might still hesitate over whether to bribe Eunuch Wei in the Imperial Palace. Siniang, however, knew exactly whom to give money to and how much. After all, she was a madam who had run countless such establishments.

At this moment, Zheng Fan approached the fence where the Huo Family was located.

Sometimes, you can’t help but admire how far-sighted Blind Bei was, despite how odd the term "far-sighted" may sound when used to describe a blind man.

But it was precisely because Blind Bei had participated in the entire process and modified the construction plans when the Sixth Prince’s men came to help build Green Willow Fortress that its design was rather peculiar.

The fortress itself was adequate, but strangely, a large flat area had been cleared outside it where barracks were constructed.

Thus, Green Willow Fortress could house more people. If the main fortress was full, they could stay in the outer barracks. After all, Zheng Fan and the others never seriously considered a scenario where they’d have to make a last stand, renaming Green Willow Fortress to something like ’Fort Zheng’s Last Retreat’ if overrun by enemies.

So, although barracks had been built and the population capacity increased, Blind Bei hadn’t rushed to mass-produce peasant soldiers. He had long anticipated that elite, pre-leveled troops would be delivered to their doorstep free of charge.

Therefore, even after taking in Zuo Jiqian’s two or three hundred men, Zheng Fan could also absorb the Huo Family’s seven hundred.

The problem of integrating them was not his concern.

Oh, right, didn’t some fool from the Huo Family previously provoke him with arrogant defiance?

When Zheng Fan walked back, he found that same fool pinned to the ground by an elderly man with salt-and-pepper hair. The fool’s face was swollen, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth; he had clearly been slapped hard a couple of times.

Seeing Zheng Fan return, the old man kept one hand firmly on the young man beneath him, placed his other hand over his chest, and said with utmost sincerity, "Please, my lord, accept us."

The old man’s prestige must have been high, for the seven hundred-odd Huo Family members behind him immediately mimicked his actions and saluted Zheng Fan.

The young lout pinned beneath the old man was still craning his neck, glaring defiantly at Zheng Fan.

Zheng Fan believed that if Liang Cheng had been standing here instead, Liang Cheng would have coldly walked over, drawn his saber, and cut down this insolent Huo youth in front of all the Huo Family members.

If Blind Bei had been here, he would have said with a cheerful smile, "Kill him yourselves. Otherwise, I’ll randomly pick twenty of you to be killed."

Then, he would add, "Oh, and if he kills himself, I’ll randomly pick thirty of you to be killed."

But Zheng Fan had no taste for such perverse cruelty. In any case, both the Zuo and Huo family members would eventually be handed over to Blind Bei and Liang Cheng for ’re-education.’ Why should he get his hands dirty?

"My lord, my name is Huo Kuang," the old man replied.

Zheng Fan was momentarily speechless.

"It is Huo Kuang, my lord. However, if my lord prefers, this humble one would be honored to accept a new name from you. I could be called Huo Guang from now on."

"No, no, that won’t be necessary," Zheng Fan said. "It’s the name your parents gave you; why should I change it? Alright then. Prepare yourselves; you’ll be leaving with me shortly."

"We are grateful for your acceptance, Lord."

Huo Kuang breathed a long sigh of relief. For people like them, there was usually no shortage of buyers. Many military commanders had wanted to take them, but the scribes had informed them it was not permitted.

Listening to their exchanges, Huo Kuang gathered that this was apparently at the behest of the City Commander himself.

Evidently, the Commander of Nanwang City was reserving them for his own trusted subordinates.

This was good news for the Huo Family. Serving under the Commander’s trusted subordinates meant it would be easier to earn military merits, and they would also have a lower chance of being used as cannon fodder.