Chapter 178: Company Commander

Chapter 178: Chief Banner Officer

The faint morning light fell upon that metal waist badge.

Li Jun lowered his gaze to scan the characters upon it, and immediately exclaimed in astonishment: "You're just handing over the identity of a Chief Banner Officer like this? Are the Embroidered Uniform Guards of Chongqing Prefecture all this generous?"

"Doing things for a friend naturally requires absolute sincerity—that's my Wang Xie's principle of conduct."

Wang Xie spoke with a straight face: "Moreover, Brother Li, the Chief Banner Officer in your hand isn't some figurehead commander, but one who holds real, tangible power."

Upon hearing this, Li Jun's brow arched. He turned the waist badge over in his palm, only to see two seal characters engraved in relief on its reverse: First Division.

"Action Division?"

Wang Xie nodded. "Brother Li, the Boss has shown full sincerity this time."

Li Jun's face appeared expressionless, yet waves surged in the depths of his heart.

As a former "registered" Captain of the Chengdu Prefecture Embroidered Uniform Guards, Li Jun naturally understood the weight of a Chief Banner Officer with real authority.

The organizational structure of the Embroidered Uniform Guard garrison offices dispatched by the court to prefecture-level administrative regions wasn't particularly complex.

The Centurion was naturally the master of a garrison, commanding all Embroidered Uniform Guards of a prefecture.

Beneath the Centurion were the Chief Banner Officers of various divisions, and below them the Junior Banner Officers and Captains responsible for specific operations.

As for the informants Li Jun had once been, they belonged to extra-establishment personnel, not counted among formal members.

Typically, a prefecture-level Embroidered Uniform Guard garrison would have multiple Chief Banner Officers, but regardless of quantity, only two held real power: the Chief Banner Officers of the First and Second Divisions.

The First Division handled arrest and pursuit; the Second Division handled intelligence gathering.

Apart from these, other Chief Banner Officers were merely titles, bestowed to commend Embroidered Uniform Guards with outstanding contributions.

The Chengdu Prefecture Embroidered Uniform Guard garrison had the same structure, except it had long since been infiltrated and controlled by the Qingcheng Group, reduced to a hollow shell in name only.

At least during Li Jun's time in Chengdu Prefecture, he had never seen a so-called First Division Chief Banner Officer, nor even any other Embroidered Uniform Guard members.

From beginning to end, it was Yu Kou, this Second Division Chief Banner Officer, who stirred up wind and rain alone.

It seemed he alone could represent the entire Chengdu Prefecture Embroidered Uniform Guard.

But Yu Kou indeed had this capital, because the Chengdu Prefecture Centurion was his father, the Daoist Seven Golden Elixir Guest, Yu Canghai.

Watching Li Jun fall into contemplation, Wang Xie secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

At least this lord hadn't directly thrown the waist badge in his face—this already counted as good progress.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but mentally curse the Yu father and son.

If these bastards hadn't ruined the Embroidered Uniform Guard's reputation, would he need to go to such trouble?

"Although the Boss ordered me to summon you back as soon as possible, this time I'll boldly disobey my superior's command once. Brother Li, take your time to consider. When you've thought it through, contact me using the internal communication frequency on this waist badge."

Wang Xie appeared exceptionally understanding at this moment, chuckling: "But best not take too long, otherwise I fear by the time you come to your senses and contact me, my garrison position will have been revoked by the Boss."

Li Jun cupped his fists in salute, speaking with genuine sincerity: "Many thanks."

"No need for courtesy, we're all brothers."

Wang Xie resumed that roguish demeanor of his, grinning: "Speaking honestly, Old Wei may often ruin my reputation outside, but his judgment of character is quite good."

"If we were like those fools in Chengdu Prefecture, hollowed out into empty shells, he wouldn't have advised you to flee here. I, Wang Xie, may lack the ability to give you a roof over your head, but that doesn't mean the entire Chongqing Prefecture Embroidered Uniform Guard garrison lacks this capability."

Wang Xie's tone carried a pride from the depths of his heart.

"If Brother Li has time, you can ask that kid at the Peace Hotel what the Embroidered Uniform Guard Restoration Faction is. Those Yin-Yang School sequence people, nicknamed Yellow Beam Giant Rats, know basically all secrets that aren't too deeply hidden."

"Then you'll understand that in this empire, we actually share many common enemies."

Actually, there was no need to ask Zou Sijiu at all—just from the three words "Restoration Faction," Li Jun could already chew out quite a bit of information.

The decline of the Embroidered Uniform Guard began ten years ago with that "Great Court Debate" that shook the entire empire.

If the Embroidered Uniform Guard wanted to restore its former power and status, it would inevitably have to topple the New Donglin Party, which currently held the vast majority of imperial power.

Who were the New Donglin Party?

They were the elite core of all Confucian clan factions; every clan under heaven took pride in joining the New Donglin Party.

Even clans with the scale and strength of the Gu and Wu families were merely third-rate clans, only candidate members of the New Donglin Party.

A glimpse through a tube reveals the leopard—one could see just how immense the New Donglin Party's strength truly was.

Moreover, imperial authority was currently weak throughout the empire, with the Three Teachings joining hands to monopolize the vast majority of resources, leaving only extremely limited space for the Nine Streams to survive.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard Restoration Faction's aim to overthrow Confucianism would inevitably touch the interests of Buddhism and Daoism; at that time, both schools would absolutely not stand by idly.

So that was why Wang Xie said they and Li Jun had many common enemies.

But though he understood some of the joints, doubts still lingered in Li Jun's heart.

That was: even Zou Sijiu, a Yin-Yang Eighth Sequence Attainer, knew of the Restoration Faction's existence within the Embroidered Uniform Guard—could the New Donglin Party possibly not know?

Would those gentlemen who prided themselves on "not standing beneath a dangerous wall" simply watch and allow hostile forces to develop?

This didn't match the Confucian style.

The only possibility was that behind the Restoration Faction stood people whom even the New Donglin Party feared, supporting them.

Li Jun appeared thoughtful, but did not voice the speculations in his heart.

Some things were enough to understand oneself; speaking them would yield no answers anyway.

Beside him, Wang Xie braced his knees and stood up, patting the dust from his robe's hem.

"Finally, a personal parting gift from me, also as compensation for what I owe Old Wei."

Wang Xie raised his hand and snapped his fingers; the Xiting Lang perched on his shoulder immediately fluttered its wings incessantly.

This Embroidered Uniform Guard Second Division Chief Banner Officer's expression turned solemn, his words resonant: "Be careful of Gong Qinghong."

Li Jun's brow furrowed, his heart momentarily puzzled.

In his view, Gong Qinghong was merely a minor "Four of Tubes" in the Sichuan-Chongqing Gambling Convention—did Wang Xie need to be so solemn, specially warning him to guard against him?

In his astonishment, Li Jun inexplicably recalled Wei Julan once mentioning Wang Xie's sequence.

He and Gong Qinghong both belonged to the Vertical and Horizontal School sequence as Attainers!

Could it be?

Sure enough, only to hear Wang Xie speak in a deep voice: "This person isn't as simple as you see on the surface. I've received some intelligence—Gong Qinghong has already made contact with people from 'Honghu.'"

Li Jun asked doubtfully: "Honghu? What organization is that?"

"A group of reckless madmen who treat human life as grass, selfish and self-serving, seeking only to leave their names in history, utterly disregarding the lives of common people."

Wang Xie gritted his teeth: "In their eyes, the entire empire is already terminally ill, no longer worth saving—not even so-called 'Enlightened Ones' have any value. So they seek to destroy everything and build a new empire."

Wang Xie seemed to loathe this "Honghu" organization deeply, unable to restrain an angry curse: "They're all motherfucking bastards spouting high-sounding principles—who doesn't know they do this merely to satisfy the Vertical and Horizontal School's ritual, ultimately to usurp imperial power and transform into the Kingly Way?"

"Forget it, not talking anymore—just thinking of these beasts makes me furious. Brother just needs to remember one thing: if you hear anyone spouting 'kings, marquises, generals, ministers' and such as the highest ideals,' they're definitely Honghu people. Kill directly—guaranteed no mistake."

Wang Xie waved his hand like a cleaver, his face brimming with murderous intent.

After speaking these words, he waved to Li Jun, signaling him to stay, controlled the Xiting Lang to stop its wingbeats, and turned to walk out the door.

Just at this moment, He Zangjia pushed the door open and entered!

The two stood on the steps, eyes meeting for a heartbeat.

Gazes touched and parted; the Wangxie and Hezang clans seemed not to see the figures before them, simply brushing past in silence.