The Ming Dynasty's henchmen, working from nine to five

Chapter 3 Serious Resistance

"Listen up, all of you! Whoever disarms him will be exempt from the test!"

"Shen Lang, if you can hold out for even a quarter of an hour under siege, the result will be the same."

"Swords have no eyes, life and death are determined by fate. Do you accept this?"

Shen Lang glanced at Qin Erniu, who was tense and standing guard beside him, ready to strike at any moment, and replied:

"I will obey your orders, sir."

"Then let's begin."

The moment Zhang Xian uttered these words, the training ground fell silent.

Everyone turned to look at Shen Lang with eager eyes, and even their breathing became heavier.

It should be noted that the Embroidered Uniform Guard was the emperor's personal army, and their official positions were hereditary. Even the lowest-ranking officer could ensure that his family would live a life of comfort for generations!

Those present were all peasants who had come from impoverished rural areas seeking wealth and status; how could they resist such temptation?

"Kid, watch out!"

Suddenly, the man behind Shen Lang attacked, drawing his knife and slashing at Shen Lang's waist with cunning and ruthless force, leaving no room for mercy!

"You shameless scoundrel, you actually attacked me from behind!"

Qin Erniu was prepared and roared angrily as he drew his sword to attack. However, the next second, Shen Lang slapped him aside with the scabbard.

"My lord is testing my martial arts skills. You should not interfere, but simply watch from the sidelines."

Clang!

A flash of cold light appeared suddenly, and the long sword was drawn from its sheath.

With a crisp clang, before the attacker could even see clearly, his weapon was broken in two!

"Damn, he's actually got some skills!"

"With so many of us shoulder to shoulder, we could drown him with a single spit!"

"Kid, you'd better hand over the knife obediently, or you're in for a world of trouble!"

The crowd swarmed forward, surrounding Shen Lang in layers.

At that moment, a voice that only Shen Lang could hear rang out.

[A heartless boss, worse than an animal, forces you to work overtime. Protect your legal rights, resist seriously, and give it a try!]

Shen Lang laughed and said, "It's very expensive to have me teach you martial arts, so you'd better bring enough silver with you."

"Kid, let's see how long you can keep up your arrogance!"

"Knock him down first, then we can discuss who gets the knife!"

"Everyone, go first! I'll cover you from the side!"

In an instant, shouts of battle erupted across the training ground, and chaos ensued.

Zhang Xian said from afar, "If you can't hold on, then surrender. Don't try to fight back, or you'll lose your life for nothing."

"Yes, sir. I will be mindful of my behavior."

Shen Lang suddenly sheathed his blade, picked up the scabbard, and stepped forward to meet the attack.

"This kid." Zhang Xian chuckled.

The bald, burly man frowned and said in a deep voice, "This man is lawless and extremely arrogant. If he is not severely punished, what will become of the prestige of the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

Chu Hongye rested her chin on her hand and said with a smile, "A martial artist must be fearless and unrestrained in his heart to make great progress."

"I actually find him quite to my liking. The Embroidered Uniform Guard isn't the Hanlin Academy, so why all those pedantic rules?"

Zhang Xiandao: "Lord Lu ordered me to expand a thousand-household garrison within three months to be specifically responsible for the defense of the capital."

"The selected individuals must have clean backgrounds and be free from powerful connections. This is why we are summoning constables from various regions to the capital."

"Shen Lang is the best among this group."

"Lord Lu has important matters to attend to, and time is of the essence. He can't possibly handle everything perfectly. If he truly has the ability, why not give him a chance?"

The bald, thuggish man asked, "These are just a bunch of scoundrels and ruffians; how can they possibly shoulder such a great responsibility?"

Zhang Xian rubbed his temples, revealing a hint of fatigue: "The capital city is a place of still waters but deep undercurrents."

"Now that a change is imminent, if we don't want the Yen faction to take the opportunity to seize power, we have no choice but to take a risky approach."

As they spoke, cries of agony rose from the audience below.

Shen Lang only used his scabbard to fight, but no one could last three moves against him. They were all beaten until they were staggering and crying for their parents.

"Ouch, help me up! I think my leg is broken!"

"Be careful, everyone! This kid is extremely vicious; he's specifically targeting our kidneys. He's trying to kill us!"

"Who is it? You bastard, if you pinch my ass again, I'll fuck you to death!"

However, the one-sided situation did not last long. None of those qualified to enter the Imperial Guard training ground were fools, and everyone quickly came up with a countermeasure.

"Don't fight him head-on. Wear him down until he's exhausted before making your move!"

"Let's go wander around and mess with him!"

The group covered each other and made quick attacks and retreats. Although they still could not pose a real threat to Shen Lang, they seriously affected his efficiency.

"At this rate, we won't be able to leave work before dark. We need to think of a solution."

Shen Lang looked around and his gaze fell on the Imperial Guard banner in front of the command platform. He swept aside the crowd in front of him with a slash and broke through the encirclement.

"drink!"

Shen Lang gripped the flagpole with both hands, exerted force with his waist and legs, and the flag, which was more than three zhang tall, rose up in response!

"An inch longer, an inch stronger, our ancestors were right!" Shen Lang laughed loudly.

Using the flagpole as a weapon amplifies its lethality; people around it don't even have time to run before they fall to the ground in droves, creating a truly spectacular scene.

Chu Hongye's mouth gaped slightly in surprise. "This flagpole is made of pure copper. How could he use it as a gun?"

"He possesses the strength of a thousand jin; he's reached the rank of a high-level cultivator?"

The bald, thuggish man's pupils dilated for a moment, then returned to their expressionless state: "Hmph, his talent is barely passable."

Chu Hongye rolled her eyes dramatically: "Lord Yan Zheng, you have quite the nerve. May I ask, how old were you when you entered the ranks?"

Yan Zheng picked up his teacup, pretending not to hear.

Zhang Xian sighed, "I never expected that he would make progress again in less than half a month. This time, I miscalculated."

Chu Hongye asked, "You seem to know him quite well, sir?"

Zhang Xiandao said, "This boy's aptitude and temperament are both of the highest quality, and he is no less than the talents in the capital. However, his personality... still needs to be tempered."

Chu Hongye's long, voluptuous left thigh rested on her right, her red skirt draped down, revealing a large expanse of smooth, white skin, and her eyes, as they moved, exuded a hint of moisture.

She stared at Shen Lang for a while, then gently bit her red lips and chuckled:

"Then hand him over to me, and I will certainly train him well."

Zhang Xian put one hand to his forehead, remained silent for a moment, and said, "I have my own arrangements for his affairs, so don't make things worse."

At this moment, the situation on the training ground changed again.

The nearly ten-meter-long spear in Shen Lang's hands was like an angry dragon. He used it to point, stab, flick, and sweep, killing so many of his attackers that no one dared to approach him again.

"The overtime pay is almost enough."

Shen Lang weighed the money bag he had looted from the fallen man's arms, then planted the flagpole in the ground with a thud.

Then, he threw his sword into Qin Erniu's arms and shouted:

"My lord, I surrender!"

Qin Erniu was completely dumbfounded, his mind not quite processing what was happening, but the others were absolutely stunned!

"This is cheating!!"

"That's unfair! Let's keep fighting!"

"The two of them are in cahoots! Please investigate thoroughly, Your Honor!"

"Fighting is one thing, but what are you doing with my purse? Give it back right now!"

Shen Lang tapped the man who was asking for money on the head. It didn't seem like he used much force, but the man seemed to sink into the ground inch by inch, like a nail.

"Don't make a sound."

Shen Lang smiled gently: "I've said it before, there's a fee for getting me to teach you martial arts."

The grey-feathered parrot, head held high, arrogantly squawked, "Who else?!"

"Kneel down properly, all of you!"

"Do you submit or not? Speak up!!"

The scene was completely silent; no one dared to utter a sound.

Shen Lang clasped his hands in a fist salute to Zhang Xian: "My lord, does your promise still stand?"

Zhang Xiandao said, "Since you are so confident, I will wait and see."

Shen Lang kicked Qin Erniu: "What are you standing there for? Hurry up and thank the master!"

Qin Erniu, as if waking from a dream, excitedly said, "Your subordinate, Qin Erniu, thanks you, Commander!"

Zhang Xian grunted in acknowledgment and turned to his personal guards, instructing, "Add this person to the roster."

"Yes, sir!"

The guard pounded his chest with his right hand, responded, and led Qin Erniu into the tent.