Chapter 4: The Unrestrained Lieutenant

General Zuo is indeed strict in his military discipline!" Behind the woman, an old man snorted coldly, "It is truly better to hear about someone than to meet them in person.

The young man's face turned as red as if it were about to bleed. With a flick of his hand, the sword flew from Qin Feng's grasp, returning to the young man's hand like a bird returning to its nest. Qin Feng was filled with rage; he had returned the sword to you honestly, yet you were so disrespectful. I must find an opportunity to deal with you. Is swordsmanship really that impressive?

Like a duck with its throat seized, the laughter abruptly ceased. The flash of the sword came too swiftly; Qin Feng had not anticipated it at all. In a moment of panic, he leaned back sharply, propping himself up with his left saber on the ground while raising his right saber above him. With a clang, the sword grazed the tip of Qin Feng's nose and flew past. Just as he straightened his back, a whoosh sounded from behind him, and the sword that had just flown away unexpectedly returned from behind.

As soon as the two words were spoken, both hands moved like lightning, sliding along the backs of the knives to the wrists of the two soldiers. With a gentle twist, the two soldiers cried out in pain, unable to hold onto their knives any longer, allowing Qin Feng to easily seize the knives from them, while the soldiers bent over in pain.

Qin Feng smiled, lifted the curtain, and strode inside

However, today Qin Feng unusually did not erupt in anger, as he discovered that these two individuals were unfamiliar faces. Although they were dressed in the military uniforms of the western border troops, they were definitely not part of the central guard of the garrison commander. Qin Feng was basically acquainted with those soldiers; even those he did not know were still somewhat familiar to him.

The sword is excellent, but the one wielding it may not necessarily be so. The meaning of this statement is clear to everyone. With a chuckle, someone laughed out loud, and it was none other than Zhang Xiaomao, who was known for being the most fond of laughter in the death squad.

With a slight release of his grip, he allowed the hilt of the sword to fall to the ground. Qin Feng turned sideways, reached out, and caught the short sword in his hand. A violent tremor surged through his hand as the sword struggled fiercely, seemingly attempting to break free. Qin Feng chuckled softly, and a flash of dark golden light flickered in his hand. The brilliance on the short sword suddenly vanished, and a series of intense coughing sounds echoed within the large tent

More than ten miles away, the central military camp appears far more imposing compared to the laxity of the death-defying battalion. The tall arrow towers overlook the surroundings, and in front of the fence constructed from stakes as thick as a bowl, there is a dense accumulation of obstacles such as chevaux de frise and deer antlers. A steady stream of fully armed soldiers patrols back and forth behind the fence. Outside the camp, one can occasionally see returning cavalry patrols intersecting with those that are just setting out.

"So you are Qin Feng from the Death Squad?" The woman beside the major case turned her head, her eyes sparkling, "Indeed, seeing is believing." As she spoke, her voice was crisp and pleasant, and even from wherever she sat, it was evident that her figure was exceptional; however, it remained unknown whether the face behind the veil was beautiful. As soon as the woman spoke, Qin Feng's eyes immediately shifted to her, rudely scanning her from head to toe.

Zuo Lixing chuckled a few times, turned to look at the old man, and said with a smile: "Old Guo, you may not know, but this is my subordinate, the lieutenant Qin Feng from the Western Frontier's Death Squad, a wild man who is unfamiliar with etiquette and has always been accustomed to being unruly"

"Halt! Those who trespass into the central army camp shall be executed." The reprimand, delivered in a hushed tone, echoed in Qin Feng's ears

However, Qin Feng felt little sense of awe in his heart. He had once overturned the commander's table in this central military tent, and at that time, he had only received twenty military lashes. Striding forward, he made his way inside. Outside the central military tent, rows of soldiers surrounded it tightly, silent and still, appearing somewhat different from usual. Had he arrived late again? But it didn't matter; after all, his own camp was far from here. Arriving late was normal.

"Step back, and those who trespass will be executed." The two soldiers in front did not respond to Qin Feng's question, and in a low voice, they threatened again.

Qin Feng grunted softly, raising his head to look at the two guards in front of him who were drawing their swords. His narrow eyes slowly narrowed, and those who were familiar with Qin Feng would know that this was a precursor to his impending outburst. He had come to the central military camp countless times, and even the general's adjutant would not dare to draw a sword against him.

When he was still a bowshot away from the camp, Qin Feng reined in his warhorse, leaped down, tossed the reins to the horse attendant behind him, and strode towards the gate.

Hmm! A grunt escaped from Zuo Lixing's nose, and the large tent immediately fell silent. Everyone forced themselves to maintain a serious expression, with only two or three lieutenants still emitting strange grunting sounds. Qin Feng glanced at these individuals, raising the corner of his eye. These few were all veterans from the Death Squad: Langya, Baozi, and Xiaomao, who are now the main commanders of the Western Frontier Army's primary battle camp.

He straightened up, tossing the short sword in his hand up and down, but his eyes were fixed on a young man behind the woman, whose face was flushed and hand was pressed against his chest. From the looks of it, the short sword belonged to him. Although this person was not very old, he was capable of wielding a sword to kill, demonstrating remarkable skill. At this moment, the fiery gaze of that man was locked onto Qin Feng, as if he were a ferocious beast ready to pounce.

"I curse, Swordsmanship!" A fine layer of sweat broke out on Qin Feng's body as he shouted loudly. With two blades crossed in a ten, he spun around like the wind. The two blades intertwined, and this time a grating sound that made one’s teeth ache echoed. The lightning-like sword light was entangled by the dual blades. Only then did Qin Feng see clearly that it was a short sword of just over a foot in length, writhing like a venomous snake between his dual blades. Qin Feng was astonished to see that the surfaces of the two steel blades were instantly covered with fine cracks. With two crisp sounds, the front halves of the two blades shattered into fragments. The lightning-like sword light was entangled by the dual blades. Only then did Qin Feng see clearly that it was a short sword of just over a foot in length, writhing like a venomous snake between his dual blades. Qin Feng was astonished to see that the surfaces of the two steel blades were instantly covered with fine cracks. With two crisp sounds, the front halves of the two blades shattered into fragments.

As he walked up to the central military tent, Qin Feng looked up at it. Compared to the tent he resided in, this was the difference between a grand mansion and a thatched cottage. The central military tent, covering an area of over one hundred square meters, commanded respect as one stood before it, instilling a sense of solemnity in the heart.

A loud laugh erupted in the big tent, and everyone had grown accustomed to the audacity of Qin Feng from the Death Squad. Even the woman sitting next to Zuo Lixing couldn't help but let out a chuckle.

The Qin wind, which had become a common occurrence, did not evoke any particular feelings in him; he pressed the knife and walked inward as usual

A duty officer standing at the gate with his hand on his sword saw Qin Feng approaching. He smiled and bowed slightly in acknowledgment. Although they were both captains, this officer was not the same as that one; Qin Feng was a battalion commander with real power, while the officer on duty was merely a figurehead, their statuses incomparable. Moreover, Qin Feng was well-known as the leader of the Death Squad, a unique presence in the western border army camp. They were indeed a unit destined for death, yet their combat effectiveness was unparalleled in the western border forces. In the eyes of other units in the western border army, this squad was composed of a group of madmen, and no one wished to offend a pack of rabid dogs. After all, they could pounce and bite at any moment.

Regarding such a gaze, Qin Feng looked on disdainfully. On the battlefield, he had seen far fiercer gazes than this. What use is it to be fiercer? Can one really kill with a mere gaze?

Within the large tent, the commanders of twenty combat battalions of the western border army sat upright, each with their eyes focused, observing their own noses and hearts. The Grand Commander, standing to the left, sat in the center, his usually refined face now dark and fixed on the seemingly indifferent Qin Feng. At times, Qin Feng thought the Grand Commander resembled a scholar more than a leader wielding the power of life and death over tens of thousands, capable of ordering a bloodbath with a single word.

Princess? Comforting the army? Qin Feng was taken aback for a moment, as this was an unprecedented strange occurrence he had never heard of

It is quite unusual to see a woman in the army, and it is even more surprising to find a woman qualified to sit beside the commander. However, Qin Feng merely glanced at her before cupping his fists in salute to the commander, saying: "Commander Zuo, I saw that it was not your guards on duty outside the tent, and I thought something had happened. I was just about to come in to take a look when this sword flew out."

With a sharp sound, two knives appeared in front of Qin Feng, positioned before him.

Qin Feng laughed heartily, just as he was about to lift the tent and enter, when suddenly the curtain of the large tent flew up, and a beam of sword light shot out from within like lightning, directly aiming at Qin Feng's face.

"How dare you not kneel before the princess?" shouted the young man, whose face was still flushed with anger.

Qin Feng held the short sword with both hands and presented it to the young man, saying, "The sword is excellent"

"Who are you?" Qin Feng inquired, simultaneously tapping the two knives in front of him with his fingers. The crisp sound deepened his confusion; what fine blades they were, not standard issue for the western border troops. The quality of these knives was far superior to that of the western border army's knives.

You are becoming increasingly audacious; this is the central command tent, not your lawless death squad. Who dares to cause chaos in the central command tent? Are the other generals, apart from you, Qin Feng, merely idle bystanders?

"Qin Feng, do not hesitate to pay your respects to the princess and present her with the gifts. This is Princess Zhaohua, who has come from the capital on imperial orders to offer condolences to the western border troops," said Zuo Lixing in a solemn voice.

I have seen the princess! Stepping forward, he clasped his fists and bowed to the woman

"Qin Feng, stop it, you bastard! When will you ever behave yourself!" The furious voice of the commander echoed within the large tent.

Qin Feng straightened his back and glanced at him, "This is the central tent of General Zuo, where military orders are issued. Even if it is the general himself, we can only clasp our fists in salute."

What surprised Qin Feng somewhat was that today, beside the general's tiger table, there was unexpectedly a chair placed, and on it sat a woman, a woman whose face was veiled with a light gauze

With a flourish of dual blades, the sound of weapons clashing filled the air. As steel knives fell to the ground, Qin Feng effortlessly reached the entrance of the main tent. Behind him, a group of soldiers, gripping their wrists, looked on in shock and anger at the officer before them, dressed in the uniform of a lieutenant. The cry of "Capture the assassin!" instantly rang out in unison.

"Alright, alright, Captain Qin is right; there are indeed military regulations in the army. Captain Qin, could you please return the sword in your hand to this guard?" The woman spoke, her voice clear and melodious.

Qin Feng tilted his head to look at the other person, and suddenly chuckled, "Is that so?"

Qin Feng cleared his throat twice and clasped his fists in a gesture of respect towards those around him, saying, "Ladies and gentlemen, I apologize for my rudeness. Qin Feng is deeply concerned about the safety of General Zuo, and in a moment of distraction, I inadvertently forgot that we are all in the same boat."

Even if Qin Feng were bold enough, he would not dare to gallop before the central army's gate, for that could provoke a rain of arrows, and should he be killed, there would be no place to seek redress.

This time, it has stirred up a hornet's nest. The other guards in front of the big tent unsheathed their swords with a clatter and surged towards Qin Feng. At a glance, he realized that none of them were familiar faces, and Qin Feng laughed heartily: "General, I have come to rescue you"