Chapter 17: So many treasure chests, open them all!

"Good heavens."

"Battalion Commander."

Liu Lei was shocked to the point of being tongue-tied.

When they had wiped out the mountain bandits previously, Zhu Ying was still a raw recruit who had been in the army for less than three months, having been promoted to Squad Leader for his merits in beheading bandits. Yet now, he had actually been appointed as a Battalion Commander, becoming an officer in the army who held command over a thousand men.

Others might not understand the magnitude of this leap, but Liu Lei understood it perfectly.

"Big Brother Liu."

"General Chen just told me that a Battalion Commander has the authority to form a personal guard of fifty men."

"I hope to reorganize the ten men I originally commanded into my personal guard," Zhu Ying said with a smile.

Although those ten men were still recruits, the advantage was that Zhu Ying was already very familiar with them. Personal guards had to be people he could truly trust; they were his own flesh and blood, so to speak.

"Zhu Ying, what do you think of me?"

Liu Lei suddenly looked at Zhu Ying with a serious expression.

"Big Brother Liu, what do you mean?" Zhu Ying asked, surprised.

"With my rank of Company Commander, I should be able to serve as the Platoon Leader of your personal guard, right?" Liu Lei said with a chuckle.

"Big Brother Liu."

"Are you being serious or joking?" Zhu Ying's expression was strange.

"Naturally, I am serious."

Liu Lei smiled, his expression becoming solemn and very grave. Suddenly, he knelt directly before Zhu Ying: "Company Commander Liu Lei is willing to follow Battalion Commander Zhu and serve as his personal guard. I ask that the Battalion Commander accept me."

The surrounding soldiers looked on in astonishment, and anticipation welled up in the eyes of many.

Seeing this.

Zhu Ying realized that Liu Lei was indeed serious.

"If Big Brother Liu is willing, I accept."

Zhu Ying said with a solemn expression.

"Liu Lei is willing to serve the Battalion Commander until death."

Liu Lei bowed his head and kowtowed.

Personal guards, personal troops.

These were the true close attendants of an officer above the rank of Battalion Commander, the most loyal of all, who in critical moments were sworn to block blades for the Battalion Commander and even those of higher rank.

Once one became Zhu Ying's personal guard.

One served Zhu Ying directly.

Furthermore, they would prosper together and suffer together.

The higher Zhu Ying's status, the higher the status of his personal guards. If Zhu Ying encountered any trouble, the personal guards would be unable to escape being implicated.

The term "personal guard" was not just a superficial title.

"Get up."

Zhu Ying stepped forward and helped Liu Lei up.

"Thank you, Battalion Commander."

Liu Lei did not dare to overstep his bounds and bowed immediately.

"Since that is the case."

"From now on, Big Brother Liu will be the Platoon Leader of my personal guard. Aside from the ten soldiers from my original squad, I leave it to you to select the other forty men," Zhu Ying said, immediately delegating the task to Liu Lei.

"Subordinate acknowledges the order," Liu Lei said, bowing happily.

"I am going to rest for a while."

"I leave it to you, Big Brother Liu."

Zhu Ying laughed and walked toward his own tent.

Having been promoted five ranks at once, Zhu Ying was full of anticipation. It was not just about the authority, but also the treasure chests, which would certainly lead to a great improvement in his strength.

Watching Zhu Ying's retreating back, excitement welled up in Liu Lei's eyes.

He knew very well that Zhu Ying had a limitless future. For him, a Company Commander, to become a Platoon Leader of the personal guard might seem like a demotion, but in reality, he had gained a better future.

Judging by the current promotion, he did not possess the same martial prowess as Zhu Ying, nor could he kill a hundred enemies; it would be very difficult for him to be promoted to Battalion Commander, and even if he could, it might take several years or even longer.

But by staying by Zhu Ying's side and becoming his personal guard Platoon Leader, his own status would rise as Zhu Ying's official rank increased.

"Brothers."

"From this day forward, I, Liu Lei, will be the Platoon Leader of Battalion Commander Zhu's personal guard."

"Aside from the ten men from Battalion Commander Zhu's original squad, I still need to recruit forty more personal guards. Those who are interested can come to me to sign up, and I will select them for the personal guard."

Under the cover of night.

Liu Lei shouted to the soldiers of his Company Commander camp.

Upon hearing this!

The many soldiers were excited.

"I, I am willing."

"I am willing too."

"Company Commander, pick me."

"I am willing to become a personal guard under Battalion Commander Zhu..."

One soldier after another shouted excitedly, and even soldiers from other Company Commander camps crowded around.

Anyone with eyes could see that Zhu Ying had a limitless future. If one could become a personal guard under Zhu Ying, it would be a heaven-sent opportunity.

Inside the tent!

Zhu Ying took off his battle armor and sword.

"As expected of a Battalion Commander, this armor is much heavier than that of ordinary soldiers, and its defensive power is stronger."

"And the sword is an extremely sharp iron blade."

Zhu Ying took a look, drew the sword, and couldn't help but sigh.

The effect of power could be seen just from this armor and weapon.

"One hundred taels of gold."

"Not bad either."

As for this chest of gold, Zhu Ying naturally stored it directly into his storage space.

"Promoted to Battalion Commander."

"Treasure chests."

Zhu Ying was filled with intense anticipation.

"Host's official rank has been promoted."

"Promoted to 【Platoon Leader】, rewarded with one 【Ordinary Treasure Chest】."

"Promoted to 【Assistant Company Commander】, rewarded with one 【Ordinary Treasure Chest】."

"Promoted to 【Company Commander】, rewarded with one 【Ordinary Treasure Chest】."

"Promoted to 【Vice Battalion Commander】, rewarded with one 【Ordinary Treasure Chest】."

"Promoted to 【Battalion Commander】, rewarded with one 【Ordinary Treasure Chest】."

The panel displayed the notifications.

"A total of ten treasure chests."

"This time, as long as my luck isn't too bad, I should be able to get some good things." Zhu Ying's eyes glowed, filled with anticipation.

Immediately.

"Open all treasure chests," Zhu Ying said immediately.

"Host's command accepted, opening all treasure chests."

"Obtained archery skill 【Piercing the Willow at a Hundred Paces】."

"Obtained Huang Jie, Mid-grade 【Treasure Carved Bow】."

"Obtained 【Refined Steel Long Saber】."

"Obtained Huang Jie, Low-grade 【Wild Dance Saber Technique】."

"Obtained Huang Jie, Low-grade 【Small Returning Pill】."

"Obtained Huang Jie, Low-grade martial skill 【Divine Arrow Chain Shot】."

"Obtained Huang Jie, Low-grade 【Mountain Crushing Fist】."

"Obtained 【500 taels of gold】."

"Obtained 【Refined Steel Extraction Method】."

"Obtained 【High-Quality Gunpowder Extraction Method】."

The panel notifications continued; all ten treasure chests had been opened.

Zhu Ying scanned them, a joyful smile hanging on his face.

"Not bad."

"Skills, ranked martial arts, and ranked weapons."

"This luck is truly not bad."

"This refined steel extraction method, this is far beyond the craftsmanship of this era, right? And this high-quality gunpowder, it should also exceed the gunpowder of this era."

"Very well, I'll keep them."

"The world is vast. In the future, once I have enough strength, I can even expand my territory outside the Great Ming and become an emperor," Zhu Ying said with a smile.

He naturally accepted everything that came out of these treasure chests; they all belonged to him.

"I'll extract the archery skill first. This should be like the riding skill, a skill that is directly mastered," Zhu Ying thought.

He directly extracted the 【Piercing the Willow at a Hundred Paces】 archery skill.

As a halo of light descended, Zhu Ying went from his initial junior-intermediate grasp of archery to having a sudden enlightenment, his archery now surpassing that of ordinary people.

"Piercing the willow at a hundred paces: first is strength, second is eyesight, third is intuition."

"So that's how it is."

Zhu Ying thought with a sense of enlightenment.

PS: Please follow the book, please follow the book, please follow the book, thank you.

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(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 18 =====