Chapter 921: For My Use

Seeing Zhao Jin so amiable, everyone finally relaxed a little. They thanked him and sat down.

"The Prospering Dragon Society — just the twenty-seven of you now?" After sitting, Zhao Jin spoke in a low voice, but it nearly made the group jump out of their seats in fright.

When it came down to it, Zhuang Liu instead grew calm. Forcing himself to stay composed, he rose and answered, "Master Jin, there are two more. One is with Squad Leader Lu's side, the other is with Sixth Master over at Qingjiangpu."

"Sit, sit. No need for so much ceremony." Zhao Jin remained very amiable, and this attitude steadied the thoughts of the seated men considerably.

"I remember when the monk-soldiers from Cloud Mountain Temple came to attack the He Family Compound. Zhuang Liu, you and I were both up on that watchtower, and the very first arrow was shot by you, wasn't it?" Zhao Jin asked with a smile.

When Zhao Jin recruited household troops inside the city and then led them toward He Family Village, Zhuang Liu had entered the Zhao Battalion at that time. That was also the first battle he ever took part in, so of course he remembered it clearly. Zhuang Liu nodded forcefully.

"Peng Xiaoqi, when the refugees besieged Xuzhou and we had to go relieve them, just before we entered the city, you said in the ranks: how can our few hundred men possibly defeat their tens of thousands? Isn't this just throwing our lives away? And you even got scolded by Da Sheng for it. Yet during the bloody battle at the city wall, you didn't retreat a single step. When those cultist bandits counterattacked with scaling ladders and our unit was scattered, you shouted to rally the brothers and form up to hold the line. I remember it very clearly." Zhao Jin recounted this with a smile, speaking slowly and in detail.

"Th-that was all just my duty!" A stocky man stood up from among the seated group, his throat a little choked. Zhao Jin pressed his hand downward, gesturing for him to sit while speaking. Peng Xiaoqi nodded and sat, his hand constantly wiping at the corners of his eyes.

Zhao Jin then looked at a tall, lean young man beside him. Sitting next to Zhao Jin, this man was also extremely ill at ease. Zhao Jin smiled and patted his shoulder. "Ren Huanghe, the first time we came to this Barren Grass Flat, you came too. When we clashed with Li Dajin and his crew, you were grazed by one of their sabers. It was a good thing the bandaging was done in time, otherwise you'd have been crippled right here on this Barren Grass Flat, and you wouldn't be seeing this fine situation before us today. A good man. All the brothers in our Zhao Battalion are like you — daring to take the lead, unafraid to die."

Ren Huanghe's face flushed bright red. In a muffled, stifled voice he said, "With Master Jin leading, every brother presses forward. It's just that my own skills aren't good enough."

"Our brothers never know how to boast about themselves. They're all solid, honest men." Zhao Jin shook his head with a smile. A burst of laughter rose from the surrounding men; the atmosphere had relaxed.

Before Zhao Jin could continue, a simple, honest-looking man brought over a bowl of tea. Zhao Jin took the tea and said with a smile, "When we made that swift raid on Kong Family Village, one of the brothers twisted his ankle. If we'd abandoned him, he very likely would have died out there. You carried him for three whole days. That man now works at Cloud Mountain Trading. Without you, he probably wouldn't have his life today. On the battlefield, you've never left a single wounded subordinate behind. They all call you Wang the Bodhisattva, don't they?"

This time there was no laughter. Everyone looked at Wang Mutou with eyes full of admiration. Wang Mutou scratched his head a bit awkwardly and said with a simple grin, "Master Jin always says we're all one family. You can't abandon family."

The atmosphere grew more and more relaxed. Normally, everyone saw the awe-inspiring and stern Zhao Jin; it was rare to see this side of him. These squad leaders and company leaders of the Prospering Dragon Society were learning for the first time that Zhao Jin had such a side to him, and also learning for the first time that Zhao Jin knew their own merits and performances with perfect clarity.

Zhao Jin commented on the members of the Prospering Dragon Society one by one. Those who could join were all the most loyal, most die-hard household troops, and all had rendered meritorious service. When each man realized he was firmly remembered by Zhao Jin, he was beside himself with excitement.

After he had finished speaking about all of them, the atmosphere had become completely relaxed. At this juncture, Zhao Jin steered the topic back. He pressed his hand downward, and the scene fell silent.

"Zhuang Liu, in this matter of the Prospering Dragon Society, you have committed an offense. You organized everyone yet kept it hidden from me, hidden from others. You did it for fear of being blamed. But did you ever consider this: what if someone with ulterior motives infiltrated this Prospering Dragon Society, and under the banner of being good to me and loyal to me, did things harmful to the Zhao Battalion, even harmful to me? What then?"

"Master Jin, how could we ever—"

"Think carefully. If someone were to stir things up, saying that so-and-so meant me harm, that I was being deceived, and that you couldn't worry about anything else and had to strike first — what would you do?" Ignoring Zhuang Liu's panic, Zhao Jin simply laid out several possibilities.

Zhuang Liu was not very old, but compared to his peers, he was very level-headed. This was perhaps something forged during his years as a hunter, and he also tended to think more than others.

Upon hearing Zhao Jin's counter-question, his first reaction had been to explain in a panic. This offense was simply too great — how could he bear it? But after thinking it over, he was suddenly struck with terror. Zhao Jin's hypothetical scenario was entirely plausible; it would be all too easy for someone to exploit. Having organized this Prospering Dragon Society, he naturally had some understanding of his comrades' temperaments. That kind of die-hard, unwavering loyalty to Zhao Jin, those fiery tempers — they could be stirred up far too easily.

"Master Jin, Master, I have committed a grave error, a grave error. Please, Master, punish me. I will not utter a single word of protest!" At this thought, Zhuang Liu flipped over and knelt, ready to beg for punishment.

The atmosphere, which had just relaxed, grew tense again. Some wanted to plead on Zhuang Liu's behalf, while others were lost in thought. They had all heard Zhao Jin's words. Not far away, Shi Manqiang and Ji Xiang watched curiously, very much wanting to come over and see what was going on.

"Get up, get up. Sit down and talk," Zhao Jin said gently.

The frightened and self-reproachful Zhuang Liu only stood up when he saw how mild Zhao Jin's attitude was, but he dared not sit. Zhao Jin frowned and gestured before he sat back down.

"But in this matter of the Prospering Dragon Society, your merits outweigh your faults." Zhao Jin's next words made Zhuang Liu freeze for a moment. His body unconsciously leaned forward, thinking he had misheard.

"Our Zhao Battalion has always emphasized rules. The rules are strict, and everyone acts according to the rules. But in terms of morale and drive, we've been somewhat lacking. The militia trainees still know that this good life of theirs didn't come easily, that being a militia trainee is a matter of face, and that they still have a chance to become household troops and build up a family estate. So each of them has drive and spirit. But what about the household troops? They increasingly feel they're just drawing pay and eating rations. That drive to push forward and rise up is gone. Why? Because they can't figure out what they're doing, or what they're doing it all for." Zhao Jin spoke in a deep voice. His voice wasn't too loud, but every single person seated leaned forward, afraid of missing a single word.

Hearing Zhao Jin lay all this out, Zhuang Liu was so stirred that he forgot his own fear. In a rough voice he cut in, "Master Jin is right. The reason I organized this Prospering Dragon Society was precisely to let everyone know this. Without Master Jin leading us all, how could we have the good life and dignity we have today? If we don't carry out the tasks Master Jin assigns well, how can we hold on to the life we have now? Only by being loyal to Master Jin, by working wholeheartedly for Master Jin, can we all do even better. We're all just in our early twenties; we've still got decades to live. How can we just slack off like this? Acting this way lets Master Jin down, and lets ourselves down too."

With every sentence he spoke, murmurs of agreement rose from below. Peng Xiaoqi said in a muffled voice, "Master Jin has done so much for us. We can't stand to see others slack off and just go through the motions. We want to support and protect Master Jin."

"This life belongs to Master Jin. We must be ready to die for Master Jin!"

One spoke after another. These squad leaders and company leaders of the Prospering Dragon Society were all clumsy with words. Many things they couldn't express, and some of what they did say even touched on taboos, but their loyalty could be felt clearly.

Zhao Jin listened with a smile, nodding as he did so. However, the words of the squad leaders and company leaders were limited. After a short while, they had nothing left to say. Each man simply gazed at Zhao Jin with fervent emotion.

At this moment, Zhuang Liu seemed struck by a sudden flash of inspiration. He knelt down right where he was, shuffled forward on his knees toward Zhao Jin, and said, "Master Jin, this Prospering Dragon Society is just something we put together out of loyalty. If Master Jin thinks it's good, then we'll keep it going. Please, Master Jin, tell us how to run it. If Master Jin thinks it's not good, then we'll disband it. Our loyalty will never change!"

Zhao Jin nodded, then said with a smile, "Of course this Prospering Dragon Society should continue. It was founded by the people I, Zhao Jin, trust the most, and it's dedicated to working loyally for me and for the Zhao Battalion. How could there be anything bad about it?"

At these words from Zhao Jin, the scene fell silent for a moment, and then every face lit up with joy. Zhao Jin had acknowledged the Prospering Dragon Society.

"There are a few things you must pay attention to. This Prospering Dragon Society must select the most loyal, those who understand the great future of our Zhao Battalion and strive and work hard for it. Only with that mindset can everyone pull in the same direction. Also, joining this Prospering Dragon Society does not mean you are a cut above others. As a member of the Prospering Dragon Society, you must perform even better than others. Do you understand?"

The household troops of the Zhao Battalion all possessed a sense of pride that set them apart from others, along with a faint, almost imperceptible sense of superiority. And this organization, the Prospering Dragon Society, clearly met their needs. Zhao Jin's words were less a demand and more a founding principle laid down for the Prospering Dragon Society.

Zhuang Liu and his companions exchanged glances. On every face they could see delighted surprise. They had never imagined that Master Jin would actually acknowledge this organization, and even set forth requirements for it.

But Zhao Jin had not finished speaking. He asked with a smile, "I want to join this Prospering Dragon Society too. What do you all think?"

The gathering went silent. Then, in an instant, the delighted surprise on every face turned to wild ecstasy. To be in a small group together with Master Jin — what was there to think? This was a tremendous stroke of good fortune fallen from the heavens.

"Of course you can! With Master Jin in the Prospering Dragon Society, you'll be the Society Head — no, the Society Chief!" Zhuang Liu was practically tripping over his own words. Zhao Jin burst into hearty laughter. It was obvious at a glance that this was a title thought up on the spot, but that didn't matter. With him entering the Prospering Dragon Society, the society would naturally take him as its head.

Zhao Jin slowed his tone, gesturing for everyone not to get too worked up, and then said, "The affairs of the Prospering Dragon Society will still rely on all of you to manage. You must absolutely remember: your official duties are what matter most. If you neglect those, nothing else will do you any good. Do you understand?"

"Rest assured, Master Jin. If we can't do our official duties well, if we can't lead the household troops well, we won't have the face to remain in this Prospering Dragon Society!" someone answered solemnly.

Thanks to old friends "Yuan Heng Li Zhen" and "Wu Liulang" for the tips. Thank you all for your subscriptions and monthly tickets. Thank you, everyone.