Top-tier Unruly Master-Chapter 1746 - 1783: The Way of Officialdom

The ones who entered were the three military advisors responsible for selecting soldiers. They came at quite the right moment, just when Ruo Zhong was at a loss for how to respond to Ding Fan.

At this time, Ruo Zhong looked at the three military advisors who came in. Without waiting for them to report to him, he impatiently asked:

"Have the soldiers been arranged properly?"

The three military advisors heard Ruo Zhong’s urgent question and couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious. Clearly, they did not expect the General to be in such a hurry. Immediately, they answered in unison:

"Reporting to the General, it has already been arranged properly!"

"Good, good, good! Since it’s arranged properly, then we shall look forward to seeing what this young gentleman has to offer..."

As Ruo Zhong spoke, he couldn’t help but glance at Ding Fan. Apparently, his task was already completed, and next it was time to hear from the few others here. Of course, there was also a time limit on his side; if the time was exceeded, the soldiers would no longer follow the commands of these people but return directly to the military camp.

These matters had been explained by Ruo Zhong to those military advisors beforehand, and he was quite comfortable utilizing these military advisors, so there was no concern to be had. However, just as Ding Fan was about to speak, one of the military advisors stepped forward respectfully to Ruo Zhong’s deputy, saying:

"Reporting to the General, there is still one matter that requires the General’s action to truly complete everything."

After this military advisor finished speaking, another military advisor chimed in to add:

"Indeed, there is still one matter that can only be deemed settled once the General makes a decision."

The other military advisor felt a twinge of surprise, seeing the tacit understanding between the two military advisors. He felt somewhat isolated, but since they were all colleagues of the same rank and getting along well without any conflict, he didn’t say much. He was just curious about what these two so seamlessly agreed upon wanted to discuss?

Ruo Zhong was also surprised upon hearing the two’s words. For a moment, he couldn’t think of what they still needed him to do. Theoretically, the task of selecting soldiers had been delegated to the three military advisors, who should be able to fully represent him and handle everything comprehensively.

Wondering what required his involvement, Ruo Zhong couldn’t help but ask with a bit of confusion:

"What do the two military advisors speak of?"

Ding Fan, witnessing this scene, also swallowed back the words he was about to say, feeling a bit curious about whatever was unfinished. He hoped no unexpected changes would affect his plans. Therefore, he chose to observe quietly, wanting to see what the unfinished matter was.

The three elders beside Ding Fan saw that he wasn’t speaking, and naturally chose to remain silent as well. This undertaking was to be directed by Ding Fan; it was a rule, and old as they were, they understood the importance of rules in accomplishing matters.

Moreover, they admired Long Ren, the Lake Master’s older brother. Despite his youthful age similar to Lake Master’s, his excellence in various aspects did not fall short of Lake Master, even surpassed him in some instances. There were even areas where these elders were found lacking compared to Ding Fan.

It’s known that at a young age, Ding Fan not only had an extraordinarily high cultivation, although not up to par with the elders, yet they believed his abilities not merely defined by cultivation, something that nearly matched theirs. Most importantly, he was a Grade Nine Alchemist!

Such a Supreme Quality Alchemist was top-tier, and even those at the late stage such as the Transcendence Tribulation Stage cultivators dared not offend him, choosing instead a respectful and friendly engagement. Forming a friendly association with him was indeed the best outcome.

Even a Transcendence Tribulation Stage cultivator needs Supreme Quality Medicine Pills desperately. And Lake Master’s brother was not just any Grade Nine Alchemist; he was one with a remarkably high success rate in refining Supreme Quality Medicine Pills, an exceedingly rare existence even among Grade Nine Alchemists.

Not to mention the entirety of the Alchemist Guild, where such individuals are tremendously rare. Moreover, this youth, so gifted in both cultivation and alchemic talents, was also exceptionally skilled in arranging Advanced Array Formations, a real rarity.

Even those experienced elders from the Thirty-Six Caverns had to acknowledge the Lake Master’s brother, an individual rare as the phoenix’s feather or unicorn’s horn in the Cultivation World, or even a prodigy. It’s incredibly difficult to find someone more outstanding than young Ding Fan!

Thus, the elders of the Thirty-Six Caverns genuinely admired Ding Fan, not merely due to respecting Long Ren and were inclined to form a good relationship with Ding Fan due to his potential, understanding that interaction with such an illustrious youth was worthwhile.

At this moment, the three elders beside Ding Fan naturally showed no exception. They noticed Ding Fan said nothing, choosing not to speak either.

Those military advisors, especially the two who showed strong mutual understanding previously during soldier selection and had been caught accepting bribes by Gao Jian, now heard Ruo Zhong’s inquiry. The pair glanced at each other, following which one of them expressed concern toward Ruo Zhong:

"Reporting to the General, although soldiers have been chosen, no suitable leaders were picked, a decision not within our subordinate’s authority. Thus, it’s left to the General’s discretion. However... we have a recommended candidate, uncertain if it’s appropriate to mention?"

"General, I also recommend this candidate."

At this moment, another strategist quickly followed up after the first had spoken.

Hearing the words of these two strategists, Ruo Zhong felt somewhat relieved. He initially worried it might be something serious, but it turned out to be about selecting a leader for the soldiers tasked with suppressing bandits. This, for Ruo Zhong, was a minor issue he hadn’t even considered yet.

After all, the young man opposing him wanted to borrow half the troops, and it was only fitting to have someone lead them. Ultimately, the troops would have to listen to the opponent because lending out that many soldiers meant following the other’s orders; otherwise, earning those millions of Spirit Stones wouldn’t be that easy!

Upon hearing the strategists bring up this matter, Ruo Zhong felt that having a leader would indeed make things more stable for those troops. After all, without leadership, the soldiers wouldn’t have any cohesion.

Moreover, Ruo Zhong thought a leader could help the four manage the soldiers even better, truly helping them to the end.

At this time, Ding Fan wasn’t particularly bothered by what the two strategists said. Clearly, with or without a leader, his plans wouldn’t be affected. Having one extra leader just meant one more sword to wield, so Ding Fan simply sat in silence.

Then Ruo Zhong directly addressed the two strategists:

"Having a leader could be beneficial, making it easier for that young man to manage the troops better. Do you have any recommendations? Let’s hear them."

Ding Fan, hearing the strategist’s flattery toward Ruo Zhong, remained indifferent, simply smiling calmly when they looked at him obsequiously.

The two strategists, upon hearing the general’s words, spoke in unison:

"Captain Gao Jian."

"Captain Gao Jian."

Hearing their words, Ruo Zhong was momentarily stunned. He hadn’t expected both strategists to nominate Gao Jian to lead, especially since Gao Jian, though not imprisoned, still had the status of a criminal. Their nomination was unexpected.

Seeing the vice general’s strange expression, the two strategists became even more worried. They knew nominating Gao Jian might anger the general. However, since Gao Jian held leverage over their bribery, they had no choice but to proceed.

Seeing Ruo Zhong’s displeased expression, the two strategists were increasingly anxious. Realizing they could not retreat, they decided to continue, burning their boats, to take it to the end. They promptly presented the reasons they had prepared:

"General, Captain Gao Jian is the only squad leader, most familiar with the soldiers. He would be the most suitable to lead them. Not to mention, he has decent cultivation and ample experience in leading troops, far more rational than us strategists."

"Indeed, General, although Captain Gao has violated military regulations, he has been diligent every day, contributing significantly to both you and the army. Perhaps giving him a chance to redeem himself and make amends for his past mistakes would be worthwhile."

Another strategist quickly agreed with Ruo Zhong.

An unrelated strategist hearing these two, was puzzled. He had some knowledge about them and didn’t have any personal issues with Gao Jian, yet at this moment, he wouldn’t casually speak up for Gao Jian, understanding Gao Jian’s reputation in the army.

The strategy felt peculiar seeing these two strategists speaking up and even recommending Gao Jian for leadership, surmising there must be something unknown at play. However, he kept out of it as it didn’t concern him directly, although personally, he hoped for Gao Jian’s punishment under military law.

But given the sudden advocacy from these two strategists, he refrained from opposing them, not wanting to alienate them.

In officialdom, while one should uphold righteousness, maintaining good relationships is equally important; otherwise, one ends up like Gao Jian, who’s universally shunned, fortunate if not stricken by opportunism - that’s the survival norm.

Hearing the strategists, Ruo Zhong’s previously hardened and perplexed expression slightly softened. He didn’t harbor extreme hatred towards Gao Jian; in fact, he appreciated Gao Jian’s talents, albeit not manifesting on the battlefield as much as in official and financial circles. Gao Jian’s assistance in these areas had benefitted him greatly.

Were it not for Gao Jian’s failure in which two squads were annihilated, Ruo Zhong wouldn’t have considered punitive actions against him, opting instead for lax oversight.