The Speedrun Begins with Choosing Hunter

"Captain Bai."

"Captain Bai."

...

The three men before Bai Yuan spoke in unison, their voices a mixture of placidity, reverence, and envy.

These three were his subordinates in the Wei Camp.

"Ten-Household Captain" was merely an official title. It could mean commanding just one or two men, or it could mean dozens.

Take Zhao Han, for example. Although he was only a Ten-Household Captain in the Slaughter Camp, he commanded a full fifty men—more than some Commanders.

Zhao Han had merely brought him to the Wei Camp’s barracks, spoken a few simple words, and then left.

In his eyes, Bai Yuan wouldn’t be staying in the Wei Camp for long, so there was no need to waste much time on him.

If not for meeting and being valued by Commander Yu back when he was a nobody, Zhao Han’s personality would have never allowed him to become the Commander of the Wei Camp.

"Captain Bai, would you like to go on a patrol?"

An older veteran soldier stepped forward and asked.

He was the most senior of the three, already fifty years old and at an age where his Qi and Blood were beginning to decline.

He had been a fearsome soldier in the Brave Camp but was forced to retire from the front lines due to his age. He had the Brave Camp’s Commander pull some strings with Zhao Han to secure this cushy post.

It was a position he hadn’t hesitated to brag about to his old comrades.

Bai Yuan nodded.

Zhao Han had made introductions earlier, so he remembered the old soldier’s name: Kong Wen.

A name that didn’t sound like it belonged to a Martial Artist at all.

’The old soldier’s parents must have wanted to raise him as a Scholar. It’s just by some twist of fate that he ended up becoming a Martial Artist instead.’

Unlike the disciples of the Divine Mansion Sect, most soldiers in the Divine Mansion Army came from poor backgrounds.

They relied on trading their lives for military merit on the battlefield to practice martial arts, becoming stronger step by step. But precisely because of their excessive focus on killing power, their breakthrough speed was often slow, similar to the situation with Ghostwriters.

Besides the old soldier, Bai Yuan also had two young men under his command.

One was named Wang Ming, the other Zhu Qiang.

These two youths came from better backgrounds than the old soldier. Although they could have afforded the three hundred taels of silver to enter the Divine Mansion Sect as servant disciples, joining the Wei Camp was more cost-effective.

Clearly, their parents had paid Zhao Han a hefty sum of silver to get them into the Wei Camp.

Earning military merit by fighting on the front lines was the fastest way for a Divine Mansion Army soldier to advance in their training, but you had to be alive to enjoy the benefits.

Compared to such a precarious existence, it was far more reliable to stay in the Wei Camp and skim profits from the city.

As a result, the two youths’ breakthrough speed wasn’t slow. They had already become Bone Forgers by the age of twenty, which would make them elites even among the servant disciples.

The old soldier led Bai Yuan out of the Divine Mansion Sect’s gates.

Before long, the four of them arrived at a street in the South of Huanglong Prefecture City.

Bai Yuan had a vague impression of the place. It seemed to be called Xiaohe Town.

It was named after the small river that flowed through it.

Compared to the eastern and northern parts of the city, the south was practically a slum. It was even a world apart from the west.

The west at least had many merchants living there, while the south was mostly home to the poor.

Even so, there were still plenty of profits to be skimmed. Otherwise, Wang Ming and Zhu Qiang wouldn’t have become Bone Forger Martial Masters so quickly.

The south side was divided into three towns and four streets, all jointly administered by the Wei Camp and the Prefecture Magistrate’s Office.

Including Bai Yuan, the Wei Camp had exactly seven Ten-Household Captains, with each one responsible for a specific area.

To the people living here, a Ten-Household Captain from the Divine Mansion Sect or an Official from the Prefecture Magistrate’s Office was the law of the land. A single word from them could decide matters of life and death.

The prestige of a Ten-Household Captain was far greater than that of the Flying Eagle Castle Lord or the Iron Saber Gang Leader back in Qinghe County.

"Captain Bai, public order in Xiaohe Town is relatively good. Although there are some unsavory characters from time to time, they can’t stir up any real trouble."

The old soldier explained as he led Bai Yuan down the streets of Xiaohe Town.

He was intimately familiar with these areas, knowing every detail like the back of his hand.

’What a pity,’ Bai Yuan thought to himself.

He had actually been hoping for the place to be as chaotic as possible. That would have given him ample reason to take action.

Although he was a Ten-Household Captain in the Divine Mansion Army, he couldn’t just go around slaughtering innocents. He wasn’t a crazed killer.

In comparison, Wang Ming and Zhu Qiang were far too green.

This was a habit Kong Wen had developed over many years of fighting. Even after leaving the battlefield, he still made sure to familiarize himself with every corner of his environment. He knew full well that any tiny detail could ultimately decide his fate, so he couldn’t afford to be careless.

Huanglong Prefecture might be safe, but it wasn’t unheard of for soldiers of the Divine Mansion Army to die.

You only have one life, so of course, you had to cherish it.

Bai Yuan silently approved.

’This Kong Wen is a capable man. It’s just a shame he’s too old and his Qi and Blood are in decline. He no longer has any chance of breaking through the Strong Organ Pass.’

As the four of them walked, the residents on the street all showed looks of fear.

Not a single person dared to approach and speak to them.

The might of the Divine Mansion Army was plain to see.

Just as Kong Wen was making his introductions to Bai Yuan, two men in official uniforms walked toward them.

"Old Kong, and this is?"

The older of the two Officials looked at Bai Yuan and asked curiously.

He was the constable responsible for the Xiaohe Town area, named Sheng Bin. He worked for the Patrol Office and had frequent contact with Kong Wen’s group. Seeing a new face this time, he couldn’t help but ask.

"This is our new Ten-Household Captain, Captain Bai."

Kong Wen chuckled as he made the introduction.

Sheng Bin wasn’t too surprised. He could tell from the attitude of Kong Wen and the other two that this man held a high position.

He had already heard rumors that the previous Ten-Household Captain had been transferred. He had been wondering who the replacement would be and didn’t expect them to take up the post so quickly.

"So it’s Captain Bai. I’ve heard so much about you."

It was a common pleasantry in the official circles of Huanglong Prefecture.

Even though this was the first time Sheng Bin and Bai Yuan had ever met.

While Bai Yuan had had many dealings with the Huanglong Prefecture Magistrate’s Office, he mostly interacted with the Demon-slaying Bureau. He had almost no contact with the Patrol Office, so it was perfectly reasonable that the two didn’t know each other.

Sheng Bin discreetly sized up Bai Yuan.

He was curious about this new, unfamiliar Ten-Household Captain. After all, they would have many interactions in the future.

Huanglong Prefecture had always been jointly governed by the Divine Mansion Sect and the Prefecture Magistrate’s Office. In truth, however, the Divine Mansion Sect called the shots most of the time, with the Prefecture Magistrate’s Office playing a supporting role.

There was no helping it. In this world, whoever had the bigger fist made the rules.

Disobedient Prefects would be replaced. This was not without precedent in Huanglong Prefecture.

With such foresight, Officials like them would naturally not make trouble for people from the Divine Mansion Sect. This was especially true for a young man who had become a Ten-Household Captain at such a young age—his future was limitless.

Bai Yuan chuckled. "The pleasure is all mine."

Since he had been tasked by Old Dong to manage Xiaohe Town, it was necessary to get on good terms with these Officials. There was no telling when he might need their help in the future.

When you’re in the Jianghu, it’s always better to have one more friend than one more enemy.

Bai Yuan was no greenhorn venturing into the Jianghu for the first time. He certainly understood the wisdom of speaking kindly when away from home.

Even if he was much stronger than them, there was no need to be cold or dismissive and make enemies for no reason.