Yumen Pass, Commander's Office.
Commander Zhou was staring at a yellowed map, his brow furrowed in worry.
"Report—"
Outside the door, a personal guard strode in quickly and knelt on one knee.
"Speak."
"My lord, the brothers at the city gate reported that just now… a team from the Demon Suppression Division… left the pass."
Commander Zhou's movement paused, and he slowly raised his head, his brows furrowed.
People from the Demon Suppression Division?
Why would they leave the pass at this time?
"Was Captain Jiang leading the team?"
"No… it wasn't…"
"Then who was it?"
"It was… it was Li Gui, Squad Leader Li."
Li Gui.
A hint of understanding flashed in Commander Zhou's eyes.
His father and Li Gui's father were both in the Region army, so naturally, they had some acquaintance.
But with Jiang Yuechu not leading the team, and leaving the city at this time… could it be… Commander Zhou paced back and forth in the room, his heart filled with vexation.
Logically, this was the Demon Suppression Division's internal affair, and as an outsider, he shouldn't interfere.
But now, a major battle was imminent.
If that group of people left the pass without authorization, alarming the Core Formation Great Demon and alerting the enemy, ruining the Demon Suppression Division's entire plan, who would bear this responsibility?
He, Zhou, could not bear it.
"Let's go!"
Commander Zhou suddenly stopped, a look of determination flashing in his eyes, "To the Demon Suppression Division camp!"
...Demon Suppression Division camp.
Chen Tong, holding a rag whose original color was indistinguishable, was grumbling as he wiped the table, his face full of impatience.
"Damn it, I'm here to kill Demons, not to serve people!"
Monk No Abstinence put down the broom in his hand and said with a smile, "My lady is a woman; how can her boudoir be like our rough men's dog dens? If we clean it up for her, she'll live comfortably, and we'll also gain face, won't we?"
Liu Ke snorted coldly, "Flatterer."
Chen Tong's wiping motion paused, and the veins on his neck instantly bulged.
Monk No Abstinence, however, had a strange expression, "Amitabha, Young Master Liu, before you say that, why not look at what's in your own hand?"
Everyone subconsciously followed his gaze.
They saw that Liu Ke's long sword had been placed on the nearby table at some point, and he himself was holding a piece of snow-white fine cotton cloth, meticulously wiping the bed board.
The bed board was already sparkling clean, yet he was still not satisfied, wiping it again and again with an earnestness greater than serving his own ancestral tablet.
"…"
Liu Ke's wiping motion suddenly stiffened, and his handsome face instantly turned a liver-red color.
Jiang Yuechu leaned against the door, resting with her eyes closed, deaf to the squabbling of these clowns.
She didn't care, but if these people wanted to do it, then let them.
Just then.
"Report—"
A camp guard quickly ran to the door and knelt on one knee.
"What is it?"
"Reporting to Captain Jiang, Commander Zhou requests an audience!"
Hmm?
Jiang Yuechu opened her eyes, a little puzzled.
She had only met this person once; why was he looking for her at this time?
"Let him in."
Soon, the burly Commander Zhou strode in quickly, his face showing a hint of unconcealed urgency.
"Captain Jiang."
Commander Zhou cupped his fists in salute, skipping all pleasantries and getting straight to the point, "I apologize for the abrupt interruption, but I wanted to ask if Captain Jiang has received any new military orders?"
As soon as he spoke, Chen Tong and the others, who were bickering in the courtyard, all froze.
Jiang Yuechu's brows furrowed slightly.
She shook her head, her tone calm.
"Great General Wei has ordered that before the main army arrives, my Vanguard Battalion only needs to guard within the pass, investigate internal threats, and strictly prevent Demons from infiltrating."
Upon hearing this, Commander Zhou's face instantly darkened.
Indeed!
That Li Gui had acted on his own initiative!
Jiang Yuechu was extremely perceptive and, seeing his expression, had already guessed a few things.
"What does Commander Zhou mean by that?"
Commander Zhou took a deep breath, no longer beating around the bush, and said in a deep voice, "Captain Jiang, this matter is of great importance, so I'll be direct."
"Just before, my subordinate reported…"
"Squad Leader Li Gui, under your command, led over ten people out of the pass."
What?
Left the pass?
Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned.
Jiang Yuechu's expression darkened even further, a chill flashing in her eyes.
This group of Li Gui, how dare they defy military orders and leave the pass without authorization?
What did they want to do?
"Commander Zhou, is this true?"
Commander Zhou's expression was solemn as he cupped his fists and said, "I would not speak carelessly; this matter is absolutely true! The city gate guards saw it with their own eyes, there can be no mistake!"
"Damn it all!" Chen Tong could no longer hold back, slamming the rag in his hand to the ground and cursing angrily, "These sons of bitches, did they eat a bear's heart and leopard's guts?!"
"Amitabha…"
Monk No Abstinence sighed and shook his head, "I'm afraid Benefactor Li… wants to steal credit."
One sentence enlightened everyone.
Vanguard Battalion, Vanguard Battalion, as the name suggests, is meant to be the first to charge into battle.
But now, with the main army not yet arrived, they could only wait here idly.
Li Gui's group clearly couldn't sit still.
"When did they leave the pass?" Jiang Yuechu asked.
Commander Zhou looked at the sky and said in a deep voice, "About an hour and a half ago."
An hour and a half is three hours.
Jiang Yuechu looked up; the last trace of light in the sky was about to be swallowed by darkness.
An hour and a half, and they still hadn't returned.
Demons surrounded the pass, and if that Core Formation Great Demon, who called himself Heaven-Pacifying True Lord, wasn't a fool, he would certainly have set up scouts outside the pass.
This group of people… was probably in grave danger.
"Chen Tong, No Abstinence."
"Here!"
"Go to the West City camp and see how many brothers are left."
"Yes!"
The two did not dare to delay and quickly turned to leave.
"Captain Jiang, this matter…" Commander Zhou hesitated.
"This matter has nothing to do with you."
Jiang Yuechu interrupted him, "If the Dusi holds anyone accountable, I will bear it alone."
Commander Zhou opened his mouth, but eventually it turned into a sigh as he cupped his fists and said, "I understand."
...After seeing off Commander Zhou, Jiang Yuechu looked at Liu Ke and the others and said, "You all wait here. If there's any news from No Abstinence, report it immediately."
"Yes," Liu Ke replied, cupping his fists.
She dropped that sentence and turned to walk into the freshly tidied barracks.
Jiang Yuechu walked to the table and sat down, pouring herself a cup of tea that had long gone cold, and drank it all.
She felt a bit helpless.
She had previously thought that being an official was good, holding power and making things convenient.
But now, it seemed she had thought things too simply.
A team of merely dozens of people held dozens of different thoughts.
These matters were far more troublesome than facing a Demon.
This also made her realize one thing more clearly.
She was truly not cut out to be a leader.
Jiang Yuechu let out a long sigh, feeling a wave of exhaustion.
She suddenly felt that her days of struggling to survive in front of the Tiger Demon seemed purer than now.
Back then, the goal was clear: to survive.
But now?
She had to consider military orders, human hearts, the lives of her subordinates, and even the complex relationships behind it all.
It was too annoying.
She leaned back against the cold chair, looking at the deepening night outside the window, and murmured to herself.
"Sigh, if only there was a position where I didn't have to manage people or deal with all this."
"Only focused on killing Demons, how great would that be…"