Su Fan and his group were already driving their carriage towards Beiling.
Early this morning, Su Fan remembered something he had forgotten: the bandit he had left to stand guard outside. By the time he went to look for the man, he had already fled.
Su Fan felt uneasy and immediately called Chen Fang, and the four of them left before dawn.
"I'll get you all new clothes later."
Su Fan said, looking at the four men dressed in commoner's attire.
Since they were to be his personal guards, proper attire was essential.
After traveling for the entire morning, Su Fan finally reached Beiling City before lunch. The city was less than fifty li from the war zone, and the bandit suppression team was stationed within Beiling City.
Su Fan did not rush to report to the bandit suppression team. First, he took the four men to buy new clothes and treated them to a meal with a distinct Beiling flavor.
Then, they headed to the bandit suppression team.
Although the bandit suppression team was not as formidable as a regular army, they were still well-trained soldiers, but their numbers were not large, only about one battalion, a little over a hundred men.
Su Fan looked at the large barracks. Inside, only a few scattered figures were patrolling, and two men were guarding the gate.
"Who's there?"
The two guards at the gate lazily asked the group.
Su Fan frowned slightly.
Were these the soldiers of the bandit suppression team?
He had to admit, they were not as disciplined as even militia.
"Commander of the Imperial Guard, Su Fan, ordered to take up the post of Commander. Have your Battalion Commander come out!"
Chen Fang stepped forward with a stern expression and introduced Su Fan's identity to the two.
The two were immediately startled.
They had already received news that a commander would be arriving from above soon, and they hadn't expected him to arrive so quickly.
The two immediately stood at attention.
"Yes!"
One of them hurried off to find the Battalion Commander.
Seeing this, Su Fan's expression improved slightly.
Their demeanor suggested they weren't entirely untrained; there was still hope.
Soon, an officer in red armor hurried over, putting on his helmet as he ran.
"Who, who is the Commander, sir?"
The officer hurriedly asked Su Fan and his group.
Su Fan frowned slightly.
He immediately produced his waist token and the imperial edict of appointment.
"I am the Commander of the Imperial Guard, ordered to assume the post of Commander. Who are you?"
"Your subordinate, Li Changmin, Commander of the Bandit Suppression Battalion!"
Li Changmin immediately saluted Su Fan.
"Get up, and assemble all the soldiers!"
Su Fan said to Li Changmin.
"N-now?"
Li Changmin asked Su Fan with some difficulty.
"What? Is there a problem?"
Su Fan asked Li Changmin coldly.
"No, no problem!"
Li Changmin felt a headache coming on. He might not have enough time to call everyone back!
Su Fan stood on the training ground, looking at the scattered thirty-odd soldiers below, and turned to Li Changmin.
"Is this all the Bandit Suppression Battalion has?"
Su Fan's voice was very calm, making it impossible for Li Changmin to discern Su Fan's mood.
However, he guessed it wouldn't be good.
"Reporting to the Commander, the Bandit Suppression Battalion has a total of one hundred and eight men, with thirty-six present."
Li Changmin reported to Su Fan, his heart pounding.
"Where are the others?"
Su Fan asked again.
"The others have gone into the city and haven't returned yet."
"What were they doing in the city?"
Su Fan pressed further.
"Visiting... visiting brothels..."
Li Changmin said hesitantly.
Su Fan fell silent, leaving Li Changmin unsure of Su Fan's attitude.
"The army of the Great Dragon Dynasty, and its soldiers visit brothels during duty hours. How can you be a Battalion Commander?"
Su Fan sternly questioned Li Changmin.
"This is not my fault. It's because there's a person under me whom I can't control. He's the one who corrupted the discipline of the Bandit Suppression Battalion. I don't want this either!"
Li Changmin said with a wronged expression.
"Is that an excuse? As a Battalion Commander, you failed to manage your soldiers. You are guilty of dereliction of duty. Go and receive fifty strokes yourself, and the rest of you follow me!"
Su Fan said coldly to Li Changmin.
Then, he ordered the few dozen soldiers remaining on the training ground.
However, not a single person listened to Su Fan. They all stood there blankly, paying no heed to him.
Li Changmin's heart sank.
"Everyone! Listen to the Commander!"
Li Changmin didn't want to be punished again.
Upon receiving Li Changmin's order, they finally followed Su Fan.
Su Fan looked at Li Changmin with surprise.
He had thought Li Changmin was also a useless fellow, but he hadn't expected him to have such prestige among the soldiers.
Instead of being angry, Su Fan was pleased.
If a Battalion Commander couldn't manage his own men, he would truly be useless.
"Forget about the punishment for now, you and the soldiers follow me."
Su Fan decided to bring Li Changmin along. Without him, these soldiers might not listen to Su Fan when they reached their destination.
"Alright!"
Li Changmin followed Su Fan without any complaint.
Su Fan's destination was the brothels and pleasure houses of Beiling City.
Su Fan didn't bother asking Li Changmin which brothel the soldiers had gone to. He simply led a large group of soldiers down the street, barging into any establishment they saw that looked like a brothel.
"Find all the soldiers of the Bandit Suppression Battalion for me!"
Without a word, Su Fan ordered his soldiers to drag out all the soldiers who were visiting brothels.
Li Changmin felt a surge of excitement.
Didn't he want to manage the Bandit Suppression Battalion well? Of course, he did!
How many people in Beiling City said that the Bandit Suppression Battalion only took military pay and did no work? Even the bandits in the surrounding areas looked down on them. How could he not feel aggrieved? But he couldn't do anything about it; he couldn't afford to offend the soldier who was leading them.
Now, with Su Fan implementing such a strong approach right after arriving, he saw hope.
However, he also worried if Su Fan would cause trouble because of this. That person was not someone ordinary could offend.
"Damn it! Why are you arresting me! We're on the same side!"
The soldiers dragged out of the brothels were still cursing, wondering who dared to lay hands on them.
"I'm one of Young Master Fang's men! Let go of me!"
None of the captured soldiers were compliant. They struggled wildly and continued to bluster.
"Take them all back and lock them in the dungeon!"
Su Fan didn't hesitate. Anyone caught would be thrown into the dungeon first.
Originally, Chen Fang was supposed to return to report after escorting Su Fan to the Beiling bandit suppression team. However, it seemed Su Fan had run into trouble, so he decided to wait. He would return after the trouble was resolved, and perhaps he could even help Su Fan.
The news of Su Fan leading dozens of soldiers to raid brothels one by one in Beiling City spread rapidly, quickly reaching the ears of the Beiling City Lord.
"What? Those scoundrels from the Bandit Suppression Battalion dare to run wild in my territory!"
The Beiling City Lord was furious. Who gave them the courage to cause trouble in Beiling City?
"A bunch of useless wretches! Let's go! Gather my men and stop them!"