Changning's Imperial Army Chapter 3 - First-In-Command

Shen Leng felt that he was obligated to save Meng Changan. However, he could not help but think about how he had been trained in the Academy of Classical Learning in Changan city and hence, he should be strong enough. If that was the case, why was he caught?

"You brat!"

One of the bandits knocked on Meng Changan's head, "You are so vicious at such a young age - a few of my brothers got killed off by you. Even though that means more money to be split amongst the rest of us, you are extremely loathsome. If not for you..."

"Shut up!"

Another person glared at him and said, "Let's lock him up here first and talk later."

The few bandits jostled Meng Changan before turning around and leaving.

Meng Changan fell to the ground. Since he was tied up tightly, even if he wanted to stand up, he could not do so. Shen Leng jumped out from behind the goods and used all his strength to cut the ropes binding Meng Changan with his small unsharpened knife. "Shh."

When Meng Changan saw him, he was dumbfounded for a few seconds before saying, "What are you doing here?"

Shen Leng smiled widely - his spotlessly white teeth made him seem exceptionally warm and friendly, albeit somewhat silly.

"Don't smile!"

Meng Changan glared at him, "Don't you know how dangerous our predicament is? Yet you're still smiling ridiculously."

"Ok."

Shen Leng stopped smiling. He helped Meng Changan up, "How did you get captured? Mr. Shen's boat was the one that got attacked."

"You tell me first - what are you doing here?"

"I came here to save Mr. Shen."

Shen Leng answered in a matter-of-fact tone, "Mr. Shen treats me really well, and even gave me a gift - he gave me this small hunting knife."

Meng Changan snatched the small hunting knife from him and took a closer look, "It's still unsharpened - it can't even cut open a watermelon. However, it's better than nothing."

He kept the small hunting knife. Shen Leng was in a daze, "It's...it's mine."

"Let me use it first. It serves no purpose in your hands."

Meng Changan bent his back and walked over to the window before trying to take a peek outside. Thereafter he went back to where he was earlier and heaved a sigh of relief, "That bunch of disgraceful trash...they tried to create trouble in my hometown. Sooner or later I will kill them all! Right, stupid Leng, do you know where this is? I find it rather familiar..."

Shen Leng got up and ran over to the window to take a look. He ran back to Meng Changan and said, "I know - it's an abandoned house behind our warehouse. I peed in front of the door of that house before. It is said that the family that used to live here met with some supernatural forces and reported ghost sightings. Hence they moved out. Some time later, a gutsy guy entered the house, but on the second day, he was found dead outside the house. Ever since then, nobody dared to enter the house.

"This group of sea bandits are extremely daring - they actually had the guts to use abandoned house behind our warehouse as theirs. The whole thing about it being haunted is bullshit. I bet it was something they came up with because they were afraid of being discovered by others. Since this place is rather close to my house, follow me closely in a while. We will cut through the courtyard and run home."

"I'm not going back. I need to save Mr. Shen."

"Are you crazy?"

Meng Changan glared at him. Even though he was the same age as Shen Leng, he was a lot more mature than him. He was slightly taller than Shen Leng as well, and more muscular. He was also handsome than him.

He came from a good family that was wealthy. Furthermore, he was studying and training at the academy in Changan. Hence, this accounted for the great disparity between the both of them...He exuded self-confidence.

Meng Changan looked decisive and tough. On the other hand, Shen Leng looked...ordinary.

Meng Changan said, "Do you really think that in doing so, you will become a hero?"

Shen Leng replied, "I'm not a hero, I am Leng."

"Idiot!"

Meng Changan scoffed and suddenly recalled something, "And one more thing - you better freaking remember this: next time, don't you ever dare to say 'our house'. You are not a part of our family. My dad adopted you. You were merely adopted."

"Ok."

Shen Leng answered.

Meng Changan looked at him and started getting riled up again. He said ferociously, "You better be well-behaved and squat here quietly…..in a while, I will think of a way to distract them. When that happens, you run straight to my house and tell my father to report to the authorities at the Weaving Repository Government Office. Do not go to the Town Government Office. The useless bailiffs in the Town Government Office will not be able to handle these thugs. Furthermore, the bandits had the guts to use a warehouse within Yulin town itself; for all we know, they might be in cahoots with those bastards from the Town Government Office.

"What do you mean?"

"What do you mean by what do I mean?"

"I don't understand what you just said earlier."

"Shut your mouth!"

Meng Changan glared at him, "Did you remember everything I said? If you make a mistake I will throw you out of our house."

Shen Leng replied, "You just said 'our house'."

Meng Changan replied, "Are you crazy? I can say it, but you can't!"

"Ok."

Meng Changan straightened up his body and stretched his limbs. "Remember what I said earlier. I will go out to distract them now. You run straight home and look for my father and tell him to report this to the authorities at the Weaving Repository Government Office. Understood?!"

"Yes!"

Shen Leng pointed at his small hunting knife and said, "It's...it's mine."

Meng Chang'an lifted his hand and knocked on Shen Leng's head. It was rather painful.

"Do you think I give a damn about your useless thing?! After I'm done with it, I will return it to you. No...I'm not returning it!"

Shen Leng replied, "Ok...please be careful with it. Don't break it."

"You!"

Meng Changan lifted his hand, about to strike him. "Can't you act more like a man? Can you not be so easygoing with everything? Can't you forcefully take back what is yours?"

Shen Leng replied, "You can use it first. It's mine anyway."

Meng Changan said, "You are trying to send me to my deathbed by pissing me off and inheriting my father's properties, am I right?"

Shen Leng retorted, "I gave myself a last name - it's Mr. Shen's Shen. Your last name is Meng - your father's properties belong to you."

"Cut your bullshit! You freaking belong to the Meng family. How can your last name be Leng?!"

Shen Leng corrected him in a small voice, "Shen...not Leng."

Meng Changan was so angry that he started pacing, "Let me tell you - you belong to the Meng family, even after you die. Don't you dare to say things like, your last name is Mr. Shen's Leng or bullshit like that. Screw you! Don't you ever mention Mr. Shen ever again or I will go home and tell my father to give you a proper name. You belong to the Meng family and yet your loyalty lies elsewhere. You deserve to be beaten up!"

Shen Leng replied, "I was already beaten up two days before."

Meng Changan was taken aback. "Again? Why!"

He grabbed Shen Leng's arm and turned him around, "Where did you get beaten? Show me!"

Shen Leng said, "My...my butt."

Meng Chang'an tried to pull down Shen Leng's pants. Shen Leng tried to dodge, "What are you doing..."

Meng Changan calmed down and scoffed, "I just wanted to see if my father hit you hard enough. If it's not enough, I will hit you once more!"

Shen Leng retreated a couple of steps, "Hard. He hit me very hard. The two wooden sticks broke into two."

Meng Changan turned around, not wanting Shen Leng to see his face. "You squat here quietly. It's for your own good that he beat you up. You deserve to be hit. Hitting...is a sign of love. Yes, if he hits you, it means he loves you. Ahem...I...didn't I use to bully you a lot back then? That's also out of care...just before I came back, my teacher said that everyone was born of equal status. I realized that I'm not any more noble than you. Ah, no. I am better than you by a little. If worst comes to worse, I will bully you less. I need to listen to what my teacher says..."

"You don't even listen to your father's words, why would you listen to your teacher's words?"

"Nonsense. Do you think your father would bear to hit you?"

"Yes."

"Can you be nice...yes, father has the heart to hit you, but he doesn't have the heart to hit me. On the contrary, my teacher does. Goddammit, let me tell you. The beatings you endured were nothing but a child's play. If one day, you ever get to go to Changan, you need to experience my teacher's beatings."

Meng Changan was still rather traumatized. He forgot that his eyes were slightly red.

"So, I was at fault for bullying you in the past. In future, you better have a better memory. Why didn't you retaliate when I bullied you? If I hit you, you should hit me too. If I snatched your things, you should snatch it back."

"Ok."

Sheng Leng nodded and reached his hand out, "The small hunting knife. Mine."

Meng Changan replied, "You're crazy to think I'd let you take it..."

Shen Leng stood there and smiled widely, revealing his white teeth.

"I will not snatch it. In any case, you will return it to me."

"Don't smile!"

"Ok..."

Meng Changan was livid. Whenever he looked at Shen Leng, he wanted to hit him. That fella is such a...good-for-nothing.

However, every time he thought about hitting him, he could not help but wonder - if he were to switch places with Shen Leng, would he be as cheerful and positive as him? That fella clearly leads a miserable life. When he smiles...how is it so warm?

"Remember what I just said."

Meng Changan heard footsteps and pressed his palms against the ground. "Find a chance to get out."

He casually placed the ropes around his body and sat on the ground. He held the small hunting knife in his right hand, hiding it behind his back.

Shen Leng turned over and agilely got up and hid behind the goods, holding his breath.

The door opened and a number of people walked in.

Shen Leng peeked through the gaps in the pile of goods and saw the Meng Changan's hand trembling. He knew that Meng Changan was capable of feeling afraid too, and that he must be more frightened than himself.

Hence, he took a deep breath and charged out from behind the goods. He yelled at the top of his lungs, "I will report you to the Weaving Repository Government Office! You are all bastards! Young master, quick! Run away!"

His loud voice shocked all of them. Even Meng Changan got a shock too.

"Idiot!"

Meng Changan cursed at him before taking the opportunity to roll over and stab one of the bandits in the back, while the rest of them were chasing Shen Leng.

He twisted his hand, that was holding the knife, a couple of times and pulled it out. He leapt up high, as though there was a spring in his body, and pounced onto the shoulder of another bandit. He stabbed the left side of his neck, and the knife pierced through the right side. The moment he took out the knife, blood splattered everywhere.

Meng Changan was like a young tiger. Even though looked really young, he was extremely powerful.

He was swift, merciless and accurate. Most importantly, for some reason, those sea bandits were somewhat afraid of retaliating - none of them dared to touch him.

"Stop!"

At this moment, a group of people entered. The leader was a clumsy looking fat man. He had a birdcage in one hand, and a teapot in the other.

He had always looked amicable, even in the past. He even seemed like a...good-for-nothing. He was Mr. Meng, a yes-man to his wife, the lady boss, whenever she lectured on him. He was also the ferociously violent Mr. Meng who constantly hit Shen Leng.

Most importantly, he was Meng Changan's father, that Mr. Meng.

A group of bandits saw Mr. Meng coming in and did the fist and palm salute, "First-in-command!"

Chapter end