Chapter Five: Taking Command of the Army for the First Time

“Jiang Xu, Su Ran, Gao Jian, you three, as officers, should strictly observe military discipline. Yet today, you knowingly broke the law. Do you understand your crime?”

“You’re but a mere child; we’ve served in the army for over a decade. How can you declare us guilty just because you say so?”

Li Xiang’s face was expressionless as he said, “Xiong Kuohai, what punishment should be given for delaying the third drum?”

Xiong Kuohai responded loudly, “Sir, the appropriate penalty is execution.”

“Then what are we waiting for? Take them down and execute them.”

A squad of soldiers hurriedly took up their spears, preparing to escort the dozen or so men to the camp gate for execution. At that moment, those men realized that this twelve-year-old boy was serious—perhaps intent on using their deaths to establish his authority. Some knelt and begged for mercy; others cursed loudly, but none could sway Li Xiang’s decision.

“Wait.”

The dozen men rejoiced, thinking there might be a twist—that a mere child wouldn’t truly kill them. Yet little did they know, hope would soon give way to deeper despair.

“Wait. I will personally carry out the execution.”

Night deepened. Everyone else had fallen asleep, but Li Xiang stood alone in the main tent, unable to rest. Whenever he closed his eyes, endless visions of blood flooded his mind, along with the grim expressions of those men who died unwillingly today. Their final gazes were filled with resentment, as if trying to say something. Yet Li Xiang understood their meaning perfectly: “I am unwilling. You brat, I will haunt you as a ghost.”

Stepping outside the tent, Li Xiang gazed deeply into the night sky. Was I wrong? No, I was not—and I never will be. When I decided to vie for supremacy, when the system began to activate, everything was already predetermined. Unlike others, in the future, I will face not the life and death of a few, nor hundreds or thousands, but hundreds of thousands, even millions. There is no retreat in the quest for supremacy—only relentless forward progress until reaching the pinnacle. This path is paved with corpses and blood. If today I dare not kill these dozen men, how will I face the lives of millions tomorrow? How can I even talk about ruling the world?

At dawn, the camp was bustling. After the morning bell, everyone assembled neatly. It seemed the fate of those dozen men yesterday had a profound impact.

“Ding! Congratulations, Host. You now command the army as a Captain, leading five thousand troops. In the coming chaos, you hold considerable power. Reward: 50 summoning points and one historical beauty summoning card.

“Congratulations, Host, on your first kill, marking the first step toward world domination. Rewards: +5 Strength, +3 Intelligence, Politics, and Command.

“Current stats: Command 21, Strength 33, Intelligence 82, Politics 61.”

“Due to a significant shortage of officers in our army, today we shall hold a grand martial competition. The able shall rise, the weak shall fall. Those who win may become squad leaders, section chiefs, battalion commanders, camp generals, or even company commanders and tooth generals. Prove your strength. Xingtian, Kuohai, you two shall participate as well to prove your eligibility for the rank of tooth general.”

…

“Xingtian, what’s the situation? How are the newly selected tooth generals?”

“Sir, aside from one named Gao Shun who shows some real skill, the others are mediocre at best.”

Li Xiang heard this report from Xingtian and was overjoyed. Could it be the Gao Shun he knew? Though many thoughts raced through his mind, his face betrayed nothing. It had been nearly a month since his rebirth. During this time, he had been in unfamiliar territory, cautious and careful, never reckless. Now he had learned to maintain a calm demeanor.

“Xingtian, bring that Gao Shun to me. I want to see him.”

Within the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a young man with a solemn and commanding presence followed Xingtian into the tent. On closer inspection, this was the soldier who had spoken first yesterday.

“Private Gao Shun, reporting to Captain,” Gao Shun saluted respectfully.

“System, scan this man’s stats,” Li Xiang whispered mentally.

“Ding! Gao Shun: Command 90, Strength 89, Intelligence 82, Politics 56. Current status: not yet at peak. Peak stats: Command 94, Strength 93, Intelligence 88, Politics 63.”

Truly deserving of his reputation as a famed general of the Three Kingdoms, his Command and Strength were top-tier at peak. Few in that era could compare, Li Xiang thought silently.

Gao Shun was a Lieutenant General under Lü Bu in the late Eastern Han dynasty. Historically, he was known for his integrity and stern demeanor, disliked drinking, and commanded an elite force famously called the “Trap Formation Camp.” He often gave Lü Bu loyal advice, though Lü Bu failed to make full use of him. After Lü Bu’s defeat by Cao Cao, Gao Shun was executed by Cao Cao.

Mentioning Gao Shun of the Three Kingdoms, many might not know him, yet his brilliance during that period remains undiminished. While his martial prowess may not have stood out among so many famous generals, his skill in commanding troops was exceptional. His Trap Formation Camp, though only 700 strong, was undefeated in battle and one of the most formidable units of the era.

“So you are Gao Shun?”

“Yes, Captain, this is Private Gao Shun.”

“Your name is well known to me,” Li Xiang smiled.

Gao Shun looked surprised. “The Captain has heard of me? I’m but a low soldier.”

“Do not be modest, Boping. Your name is known by nearly everyone in the army. When I first joined as a Captain, I needed talented men like you. I hear you are skilled in training troops. There is a mission—I wonder if you dare accept it.”

“What task does the Captain have? I will give it my all and will not disappoint.”

“No need to be so serious. Now that you hold the rank of tooth general and command a thousand men, I hope you can select elite soldiers from across the army to form a unit capable of tenfold strength—a force called the Trap Formation Camp. In critical moments, they will spearhead the charge to break stalemates.”

“Captain, though the idea is excellent, it will be difficult to select a thousand soldiers fitting your requirements from only five thousand troops. Even selecting three hundred would be a stretch. Moreover, such an elite unit would require resources several times that of ordinary soldiers. Given our army’s current situation, sustaining them would be challenging,” Gao Shun said, frowning.