Chapter Twenty-Five: Promotion, Assassination, and Demotion

“You have been promoted: Yellow Turban General.”

“Yellow Turban General (Title): Upon use, all attributes +3; after activating this title, you have a greater chance of attracting Yellow Turban soldiers to your command; when on the battlefield, nearby Yellow Turban units will have enhanced combat effectiveness.”

“After use, you cannot activate other titles within 12 hours.”

“Hint: Your abilities have finally been recognized. Some soldiers and colleagues no longer obey you openly, but plot behind your back.”

“Hint: You have acquired a temporary skill: Leadership.”

“Hint: You have received temporary authorization from the Yellow Turban Commander: Lin Qi. You may command all Yellow Turban forces in this region for a period (current number: 11,382).”

There was no mention of a quest, no reward points, and no follow-up requirements in the notification. It all seemed rather out of place.

Negotiations proceeded smoothly enough. In the morning, after Su Si delivered the news, Wang Luo took his time reorganizing the troops, only arriving at the main camp by midday.

Lin Qi led his team to greet them. Wang Luo confirmed that Yang Wentian and Zhou Yingxiong, with a small contingent, were fully armed and stationed in the camp, unharmed and unassailed. Then, with his armored officers, he entered Lin Qi's command tent.

To Wang Luo, Lin Qi resembled a Taoist priest more than a soldier. Despite the discordant negotiations, the commander remained all smiles—so much so that, even recognizing his hostility and his ambitions for Wang Luo’s command, Wang Luo found his resentment toward him somewhat diminished.

Behind Lin Qi, the officers varied: some glared in anger, others appeared indifferent, and some wore faces of utmost respect.

On the surface, they were hardly united. But as for the truth, Wang Luo felt no urge to investigate further. After the agreement was reached, he rose slowly, and with his armored, sword-bearing officers, left the tent.

Indeed, though relations remained tense, both sides exercised restraint, never offering the other an opportunity to draw swords.

Thanks to Su Si's mediation and the external threat of the Han army, the meeting—cordial and friendly, with ample exchange of opinions—finally resulted in a certain degree of consensus.

Lin Qi promised to hand over command of most troops to Wang Luo; Wang Luo, in turn, knelt before Lin Qi, demonstrating his respect for the teachings of the Great Virtuous Master (notably by shouting the slogan, "The Heavenly Mandate has ended, the Yellow Heaven will rise"), and acknowledging Lin Qi as the supreme authority in the region.

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After the agreement, Wang Luo ordered his men back to camp for rest. The soldiers had marched dozens of miles, fought two battles against the Han army, and nearly stormed their own camp. While Wang Luo preferred a peaceful resolution—he considered stirring internal conflict in the face of a common enemy utter folly—he nonetheless kept preparations ready.

Su Si’s stance was crucial. Persuading him would unite the armies; killing him could allow Wang Luo to absorb the Yellow Turban force. But then came questions of provisions, combat strength after absorption, and legitimacy thereafter...

It seemed a satisfactory solution.

Returning to his tent, Wang Luo stretched out on his bed. Despite his exhaustion, sleep eluded him.

Some doubts had been settled, but others only deepened.

Su Si and his group had never regarded Wang Luo as a leader—this Wang Luo knew well, and had never expected otherwise.

He had been the one to approach Guo Da, and then assumed temporary command; there was some justification for that—but the main reason was the dangerous circumstances: if the Han army attacked, none wished to bear the burden of leadership.

To avoid responsibility and to push someone else into the blame, they unanimously accepted him. Later, with the Han army not launching a large-scale assault immediately, and the soldiers trained, more armor and weapons forged, and overall strength improved, their chance to oppose him had slipped away.

Because he had recruited and elevated their original subordinates. Zhang Xiong, Bai Erjin, and Iron Pillar were hardly less capable than the others.

Zhang Stone was mostly a warrior, Su Si could see the bigger picture, Liu San lacked ability but was discreet, and only White Dog was inept, coarse, impulsive, and selfish.

Were it not so, Bai Erjin would not hate him so fiercely. Fortunately, the commanders they contacted were not entirely fools—Wang Luo’s greatest fear was encountering a religious fanatic.

Thankfully, Lin Qi recognized that the Han army before them was the true enemy—if defeat was inevitable, seizing power meant nothing.

In other words, there was no need to waste effort on these tangled affairs. Now that he held command, he could focus on training troops, forging good equipment, and winning battles—everything would be resolved.

Just as he was drifting toward sleep, he felt a sudden chill in his chest.

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Looking down, he saw a dagger plunged into his chest.

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“I’m willing to surrender,” Garryville said, glancing back at Mei Xiaosheng, his spirits low.

After more than twenty hours of captivity, the leader of this small team seemed drained, though not completely hopeless.

In battlefield scenarios, when a contractor is killed, revival requires expensive special items. However, if captured, one may choose stubborn resistance or surrender.

Resisting carries a chance of being killed. If not killed, one remains imprisoned. If, before the scenario ends, the enemy camp is routed by one’s own camp, there’s a chance for rescue. If not rescued, the mission is deemed a failure, and many reward points are deducted.

Surrendering means changing sides. However, within the scenario, one is branded as a “turncoat.” All attributes are reduced by 50%, damage and defense drop by 50%, and most dreadfully, all quest rewards are likewise halved.

Still, there was no other choice. The Yellow Turbans, battered and fleeing from the Han army, hardly had facilities for keeping prisoners. If they took action, everything would be over.

As the notification of successful faction change sounded, Garryville asked urgently, “Did you defeat that Han army as well? Did you capture a tall, bald prisoner? How is he?”

“I don't know,” replied the Yellow Turban soldier, shaking his head. “The Han troops didn’t surrender directly; many were wounded or killed.”

“Where are they?” Garryville seized the soldier’s arm. “Please, tell me!”

“They’re over there,” said the soldier, pointing west. “The general ordered the wounded Han soldiers treated. If your friend survived…”

He didn’t hear the rest, nor did he care about Mei Xiaosheng, but rushed out of the prisoner camp. Behind him, the Yellow Turban soldier shook his head and continued searching for the next willing recruit.