Chapter 996: Tianfeng Battalion

"General Ling!"

When Ling Feng stepped out, Xu Zhongda immediately dropped to his knees and bowed low, his expression firm as he said, "General, this time I truly admit my defeat!"

"We do too!"

The other four commanders all knelt as well. In fact, Ling Feng had been unconscious for a day and a night, and they had stayed kneeling there the whole time.

They had made a wager and lost. Since Ling Feng had taken the title of King of a Hundred Battles, every word he spoke from now on would be an order set in iron. They would follow him without hesitation.

"Get up, all of you."

Ling Feng stepped forward himself and helped Xu Zhongda to his feet. He did not expect these old hands to bow down so readily. If he still held grudges for the past, he would look petty instead.

"Thank you, General Ling!"

Xu Zhongda bowed deeply to Ling Feng. "Before this, I was blind and foolish. You have the heart to forgive and forget. From today on, I will follow you without question. If you tell me to go east, I will never head west!"

Ling Feng laughed. "No need to bring up the past. When it comes to leading troops, I will still have to learn from you all."

He gave Xu Zhongda a firm pat on the shoulder. This was his first time commanding so many soldiers. He needed loyal men by his side. Xu Zhongda might be blunt, but at least he dared to take responsibility. He was worth keeping close.

Xu Zhongda nodded repeatedly. He had not expected Ling Feng to be so open-minded. A general like this was worth following with one's life.

"Where are Vice-General Jiang and Vice-General Li?" Ling Feng asked with a smile.

When one man rose to power, his friends would rise with him. Now that he held real authority, Jiang Xiaofan and Li Bufan had naturally become his trusted right-hand man.

There were also Li Yunting and Mu Liufeng, old comrades from Tianwei Academy. They now stood under Ling Feng's command too. It all felt like fate.

"Vice-General Li and the others are drilling the troops right now," Xu Zhongda answered at once.

"Mm, then I should take a look." Ling Feng touched his nose and gave a faint laugh.

...

Not far from the main tent, on a wide training ground, Ling Feng's soldiers were going through their drills. Each man stood tall and moved with strength and spirit.

At first, they had not been happy to be reassigned under Ling Feng's banner. But now he was the new King of a Hundred Battles. Serving under him was an honor few would turn down.

At that moment, countless soldiers wished they could join Ling Feng's battalion.

He spotted Li Bufan and Jiang Xiaofan standing at the front, leading the drills. A smile tugged at Ling Feng's lips. He had not thought these two would step into their roles so quickly.

He also saw Mu Qianxue and Tuoba Yan. Dressed in armor, they looked every bit as capable as the men.

Further away, Mo Feng Jingwang stood high on a platform, watching over the army. The whole camp finally looked like a proper fighting force.

"Big Brother!"

"General Ling!"

When Ling Feng appeared, Jiang Xiaofan signaled the soldiers to halt their training, then came over with a grin. "Big Brother, you finally slept enough,

huh?

"

"

Haha!

"

Ling Feng chuckled and shook his head. Li Bufan and Jiang Xiaofan wore the armor of the forward guard, looking every bit the part.

"Xiaofan, I never thought you'd be leading troops one day too!"

Ling Feng gave Jiang Xiaofan a hard pat on the shoulder. "You've improved!"

"Heh, I just learned from Bufan. He's the real deal." Jiang Xiaofan scratched his head, a little embarrassed.

"

Mhmm

."

Ling Feng nodded. Li Bufan came from a grand commandant's family, a household built on the art of war. It made sense he would know these things.

Mu Qianxue and Lin Xian'er hovered around Ling Feng, fussing over his health. Not far off, Tuoba Yan watched too, her eyes soft with concern though she tried to hide it behind a cold mask.

Mo Feng stepped down from the viewing platform and came to stand before Ling Feng. "Brother Feng, you're finally awake."

Ling Feng touched his nose and gave Mo Feng a respectful bow. "Greetings, Your Highness Jingwang."

In private, they could speak as brothers, but in front of the troops, Mo Feng's authority had to stand firm.

Mo Feng caught on at once and nodded with a smile. "General Ling, the men have all been worried about you."

Ling Feng raised his brows slightly. He followed Mo Feng up onto the platform and looked out over the thousands of soldiers below. His voice rang out clear, "Thank you for your concern. I am fine now. From today on, we stand together to defend our home and drive the Demon Race from our lands!"

His words lit a fire in every heart.

"Drive out the Demon Race, reclaim our home!"

The roar from the soldiers shook the skies.

Ling Feng lifted his hand again. "From this day on, our force will bear a new name. We will be the Tianfeng Battalion."

"Tianfeng Battalion! Tianfeng Battalion!"

Their shout echoed across the training ground. Those who had once stood beside Ling Feng in the Tianfeng Sword Team knew exactly what this name meant. It carried their shared dream forward.

The chants continued for a long while. Each word from Ling Feng on that platform struck deep into every soldier's heart. Serving under a general like him was worth any sacrifice.

Just then, Sun Boce walked into the camp with a few guards by his side. He looked around and laughed, "So this is the Tianfeng Battalion. Congratulations, General Ling. The morale is high. With this strength, your next campaign will be unstoppable!"

"A campaign?"

Ling Feng's eyelid twitched.

Yuan Tiangang... What a crafty old fox!

Ling Feng let out a loud laugh and stepped forward with Li Bufan and the others. He called out, "Adviser Sun, what do you mean by this?"

"General Weiyuan Ling Feng, hear the order!"

Sun Boce drew a command token and fixed his eyes on Ling Feng as he spoke each word clearly. "By order of the Commander-in-Chief, within three days, General Weiyuan Ling Feng will lead his troops to reinforce Blackwater Plains. The Tianfeng Battalion will triple its numbers and must reclaim all lost ground in the Blackwater Plains region within one month. This order must not fail!"

As he spoke, Sun Boce pulled out a military contract. "General Ling, here is the order scroll. Sign it so your troops can be expanded!"

"A military order,

huh

."

Ling Feng's eyes narrowed. Yuan Tiangang really was a cunning old fox. On the surface, he was giving Ling Feng power, but the truth was plain to see.

You want to command?

Fine, take it. But bet your life on it!

Even if he won, his men would bleed for it at Blackwater Plains. If they took heavy losses, all his new strength would be wasted

.

What a sly move!

Ling Feng cursed silently but had no choice except to accept. The Tianfeng Battalion's spirit was soaring. If he refused now, his reputation would crumble overnight.

"Fine. I will sign this order. But..."

Ling Feng fixed his eyes on Sun Boce and said each word clearly, "One condition. The Black-Armored Cavalry must come with me!"

This was no request. It was the line Ling Feng would not cross!