Orders from All Heavens: Earn rewards by playing a guest role

Chapter 148 The water is too deep; you can't handle it.

Guobei County.

Dede...dede~~

The sound of horse hooves came from far away.

Soon, a man on horseback arrived and stopped in front of a stone tablet.

The stone tablet is engraved with the three large characters "Guobei County".

"This is Guobei County."

Zuo Qianhu glanced around, then looked up; the dark sky looked like it was about to rain.

"Giddy up!"

He rode his horse forward.

All I saw along the way was desolate scenery.

Only then did he truly understand what it meant for the people to be living in misery.

Skeletons can be seen from time to time by the roadside, and there are even corpses that have starved to death by the roadside.

There were also groups of ragged, lifeless refugees.

"Kill them!"

At this moment, a group of people were fighting ahead.

It was a group of bandits attacking a man in black.

The man in black, wielding a sword, displayed exceptional martial arts skills, and single-handedly routed the bandits with his sword.

"what..."

"Run~~"

The bandits were terrified of being killed, and they all turned tail and ran.

"Don't run."

The man in black shouted and chased after them, beheading them one by one with each strike.

The carnage was so brutal, with flesh and blood flying everywhere and heads rolling, that it was impossible not to cheer.

Zuo Qianhu rode there on horseback, watching the black-clad swordsman finish killing the bandits, and then went forward to plunder their silver.

"Damn it, you dare to steal my money!"

"Damn it!"

The black-clad swordsman took the money bag back, spat, and kicked the bandit leader's corpse a few times while cursing.

"Your swordsmanship is quite good. What's your name?"

Zuo Qianhu rode his horse forward slowly.

The black-clad swordsman watched him warily, but his expression changed immediately when he saw that the other man was wearing official robes, and even more so, the robes of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

"My lord, I only killed some wicked bandits."

The swordsman in black cupped his hands in reply.

Zuo Qianhu nodded slightly: "I know, I asked you what your name is."

The man in black hurriedly replied, "My name is Xiahou, a wandering swordsman."

"Xiahou?"

Commander Zuo nodded slightly and smiled, "I see that your martial arts are not bad, and your swordsmanship is quite good. In this turbulent world, would you like to follow me and serve the country?"

"My lord, this—" Xiahou hesitated.

The person in front of me was wearing the official uniform of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and he was clearly not a minor official; he might even be a high-ranking one.

But he didn't want to deal with government officials, and he instinctively felt some resistance.

"What, you don't want to?"

Zuo Qianhu narrowed his eyes, the long sword in his hand vibrated with a buzzing sound, and a trace of sword intent permeated the air.

Xiahou felt a chill run through his body, his spine went cold, and cold sweat poured down his back in an instant.

Master!

This is a peerless master who has comprehended the essence of the sword.

"Don't dare!"

Xiahou forced a smile and bowed, saying, "This subordinate is of low strength and is afraid of bringing shame upon you, sir."

"It doesn't matter!"

The Left Commander waved his hand and laughed, "I think you are a promising talent and I would like to take you as my subordinate. I wonder if you are willing to follow me?"

"Your subordinate...is willing!"

Xiahou smiled bitterly to himself, having no choice but to admit defeat.

He had no choice but to admit defeat; if an ordinary person dared to say that, he would have already slashed them with his sword.

But the other party was not only a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, he dared not touch them, and the key point was that their strength was far greater than his.

"Very good. I am Zuo Qianhu, a Qianhu of the Jinyiwei. You will first serve as a junior officer. After you have made meritorious contributions, you will be promoted."

That's how Commander Zuo subdued Swordsman Xiahou.

With such martial arts skills, it would be a waste not to follow him and become a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

"This humble servant greets Commander Qianhu."

Xiahou was startled, not expecting him to be a commander of a thousand.

How could a thousand households be here in this godforsaken place?

"Your martial arts skills are still a bit lacking. You can handle ordinary people in the martial arts world, but if you really encounter demons, you'll be out of luck."

Left Commander dismounted and patted Xiahou on the shoulder.

Xiahou bowed slightly: "What you say is true, sir. My strength is meager, and I apologize for making you laugh."

"Low strength is not a problem. I can teach you higher martial arts techniques. As long as you follow me and do my job well, you will be rewarded handsomely in the future."

Zuo Qianhu smiled and comforted him.

"Yes, Your Excellency, I am willing to go through fire and water for you!"

Xiahou was also flexible and adaptable, and he directly joined.

Since they couldn't beat the other side and couldn't escape, they might as well obediently admit defeat and join them.

If I can't beat you, I'll join you.

"Very good, I will pass on a skill to you, so that you may study it carefully."

As he spoke, he directly taught Xiahou a martial arts technique.

This is a direct reward, a way to win people's hearts.

As expected, Xiahou was overjoyed after obtaining this technique.

"This humble servant thanks you for your kindness, sir."

This time, Xiahou was much more sincere.

"Come on, I'll take you to see some demons next."

"I am a commander," Zuo Qianhu said with a smile, and took the lead in walking forward.

Xiahou hurriedly followed, holding the hemp rope, already beginning to adapt to his current identity.

Next, he was no longer a chivalrous knight-errant, but a real Jinyiwei (Imperial Guard) officer, holding an official position.

Don't underestimate this small flag; you should know that joining the Embroidered Uniform Guard isn't something you can just do whenever you want.

Generally speaking, the position of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was hereditary.

But now the court is in chaos, both inside and outside, and no one cares about these things.

Boom~~

At that moment, thunder rumbled in the sky.

Soon, a torrential downpour began.

"Sir, there is a pavilion ahead."

Xiahou gave a reminder and led his horse to the pavilion.

By this time, there were already people in the pavilion.

He was a scholar who, upon seeing the two, was so frightened that he hurriedly grabbed his luggage and hid to the side.

Upon seeing the scholar, Commander Zuo knew who he was.

Ning Caichen!

That undead knight.

However, Nie Xiaoqian's situation was too complex, and Ning Caichen couldn't handle her.

Let our true form take the lead.

"Scholar, what is your name?"

Zuo Qianhu asked with a smile.

"Student Ning Caichen greets this sir."

Ning Caichen had just witnessed Xiahou committing murder.

He then sensed that the man in front of him, dressed in the uniform of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, had subdued Xiahou.

So he was somewhat afraid.

Why didn't you, as a member of the Imperial Guard, arrest the murderer?

If Commander Zuo knew what he was thinking, he would definitely go up and give him a big sinus.

A scholar is utterly useless!

They killed bandits; keeping them alive would surely lead to them oppressing the villagers and harming the people.

Not only is killing someone not a crime, but it can also bring merit and even rewards from the imperial court.

After all, most bandits have wanted posters and bounties.

"Ning Caichen, what a fine name. I can tell at a glance that you are destined for studying and passing the imperial examinations."

Zuo Qianhu praised him, which made Ning Caichen quite embarrassed.

"Not at all, not at all. I am of limited knowledge and ability."

Ning Caichen bowed respectfully.

"Here, let's eat."

Xiahou, who was standing nearby, threw him a white steamed bun.

The soft and fragrant white steamed buns were nothing compared to the steamed buns he had before that could smash rocks.

"Eat up~~" Xiahou said, gesturing to him somewhat reservedly.

Ning Caichen then hurriedly began to eat his steamed bun.

This scene amused Zuo Qianhu.

"Ning Caichen, where are you going?"

Zuo Qianhu asked casually.

"Sir, I'm here to collect debts."

He answered honestly.

Left Commander looked displeased and scolded, "A scholar like you, why aren't you studying hard to pass the imperial examinations and collect debts?"

"Xiahou, you go with this scholar to help him collect his debts, and then escort him away from Guobei County to prevent him from being robbed and killed by bandits and tyrants."

"Such a scholar should take the imperial examinations to seek the well-being of the people."

"I give the order," said Zuo Qianhu, his voice filled with righteous indignation.

"Yes, my lord."

Xiahou bowed and accepted the first task.

Protecting a scholar is a trivial matter.

Ning Caichen remained silent, wanting to refuse but not daring to, and could only miserably curl up there and gnaw on his steamed bun.

"The rain has stopped, let's go."

Soon, the rain stopped.

Zuo Qianhu got up and walked out.

"Scholar, let's go."

Xiahou stepped forward, picked up Ning Caichen like a chick, and pulled him along on the way.

Poor Ning Caichen could only obediently follow.

The group soon arrived in the county seat of Guobei County.