172: Chapter 172 Recruiting and Taking Concubines

Su Bai looked down at Ma Liu from his high vantage point and said straightforwardly:

"Ma Liu, I'll give you two paths."

"First, take your men and get lost. From now on, don't let me see you within the borders of Yunzhou. If I find out you're back to your old tricks of killing and looting, I'll take your head off and use it as a chamber pot."

Ma Liu's expression changed.

Su Bai held up two fingers:

"Second, take your men and follow me. From today on, you are no longer Banditss; you are soldiers of the Yunzhou Army. You'll eat government rations, receive military pay, and live as honorable men."

"Two paths, choose for yourself."

Ma Liu was stunned.

He hadn't expected Su Bai to be willing to incorporate them.

In Ma Liu's view, he had led men to raid Su Bai's home base and killed his people; the fact that Su Bai hadn't killed him yet was already a stroke of immense luck. How could he possibly take them in?

"General... are you serious?"

Ma Liu asked, somewhat unable to believe it.

Su Bai looked at him indifferently: "When I, Su Bai, speak, my word is my bond."

"But let me give you the ugly truth first: if you work for me, you must follow my rules. Military orders are as firm as mountains; when an order is given, it must be obeyed. If anyone dares to break the rules, don't blame me for turning my back on them."

Ma Liu's whole body trembled. With a thud, he knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly like a pestle in a mortar:

"Ma Liu is willing to serve the General with the loyalty of a dog or a horse! From now on, if the General says go east, I will never go west!"

Seeing their First Boss kneel, the Banditss behind him also followed suit and kowtowed one after another, weeping with joy.

They had thought they were certain to die, but they never expected to live, let alone transform into Government Soldiers!

This was simply a stroke of incredible luck falling from the sky!

Su Bai looked at the Banditss kneeling all over the ground and nodded.

Then he turned around, faced everyone in the Martial Arts Arena, and raised his voice:

"Today, there are two great joyous events."

"The first—from today on, you will follow me, Su Bai. From now on, you are not Banditss, but soldiers of the Yunzhou Army!"

"The second—"

Su Bai grabbed Ma Zhenhua nearby, pulled her by the waist, and said loudly:

"I am taking Ma Zhenhua as my concubine!"

The entire field instantly fell silent.

Everyone's eyes widened.

They looked at Su Bai and Ma Zhenhua in disbelief.

Ma Zhenhua was completely stunned, standing there dazed, her mind going blank.

She never imagined Su Bai would announce this in front of so many people.

Her Face instantly turned beet red.

She wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

But for some reason, she felt no resistance in her heart.

There was even... a bit of indescribable joy.

Kneeling on the ground, Ma Liu was also stunned upon hearing this news.

He looked up, saw Su Bai's arm around his daughter, and then saw his daughter's flushed Face. His lips trembled a few times, but in the end, he said nothing.

For his daughter to marry Su Bai—even if only as a concubine—was ten thousand times better than being a Bandits with him.

At least... she wouldn't have to live a life of fear anymore.

Su Bai looked down at the blushing, silent Ma Zhenhua in his arms and asked with a smile:

"What? You're not willing?"

Ma Zhenhua bit her lip, her voice as tiny as a mosquito's buzz:

"I... I didn't say I wasn't willing..."

Su Bai laughed heartily and kissed her on the forehead.

Just then, three people suddenly stood up from the crowd of Banditss.

The leader was a burly man with a full beard who looked to be in his thirties. He was a minor leader among the Banditss named Zhao Hu.

Zhao Hu's eyes were bloodshot as he stared fixedly at Su Bai, then glanced at Ma Zhenhua in Su Bai's arms, his fists clenching with a cracking sound.

"I'm out!"

Zhao Hu roared, ripped off the ropes on his body, and strode forward.

His two followers also stood up and followed behind Zhao Hu with Faces full of defiance.

"General, it's not that we aren't giving you Face, but I really can't swallow this!"

Zhao Hu pointed at Ma Zhenhua, his voice trembling:

"Sister Zhenhua grew up before our eyes, and I've liked her for three years! And now you just take her away with one sentence? By what right!"

"And making me a Government Soldier? Being a dog for the Imperial Court? I won't do it!"

His two followers also chimed in:

"Right! We won't do it! Whoever wants to be a dog can go be one!"

"We're free and easy as Banditss, why should we be dogs for you?"

The smile on Su Bai's Face slowly vanished.

He didn't speak, but simply gave Ma Lie a faint glance.

Ma Lie understood immediately.

The next second.

"Shua—"

A flash of blade light passed.

Zhao Hu's voice stopped abruptly.

His eyes widened as he looked down at his chest.

The tip of a blade had pierced through his chest, and blood was dripping down from it.

"You..."

Zhao Hu struggled to spit out his last word before collapsing to the ground with a thud, twitching twice before becoming still.

Before his two followers could react, Ma Lie had already drawn his blade and struck again.

Puchi! Puchi!

Two heads flew into the air, and the headless corpses swayed for a moment before crashing heavily to the ground.

Blood splattered onto the Faces of the nearby Banditss.

The entire field was silent as a grave.

Ma Lie flicked the blood off his blade and coldly scanned the remaining Banditss, his voice like a wind in the depths of winter:

"Is there anyone else who doesn't want to do it?"

The Banditss were all as quiet as cicadas in winter, their heads shaking like rattle-drums.

"No, no, no... we'll do it! We'll do it!"

"We'll do whatever the General tells us to do!"

"Whoever doesn't do it is a grandson!"

Su Bai nodded in satisfaction, patted Ma Lie's shoulder, and turned to leave the Martial Arts Arena.

...

That night.

Su Bai had the dead horses and those too injured to ride slaughtered. Bonfires were lit, and horse meat was roasted for everyone to eat.

The entire Su Family Village was filled with the aroma of roasted meat.

Over three hundred people sat around the bonfires, eating meat in large bites and drinking wine in big bowls; it was incredibly lively.

The newly incorporated Banditss were a bit restrained at first, but after a few bowls of wine, they loosened up.

The soldiers of the Yunzhou Army didn't discriminate against them either, drinking and eating meat with their arms around each other's shoulders, calling each other brothers.

After all, they were now brothers eating from the same pot.

The past was the past.

Su Bai sat in the seat of honor, holding a bowl of wine and watching the lively scene, feeling quite good.

After several rounds of drinks, Su Bai stood up, grabbed Ma Zhenhua who was sitting beside him, and led her toward the room amidst the crowd's cheering.

Ma Zhenhua's Face was red and her head was lowered as she let Su Bai lead her away, not daring to say a word.

Ma Lie's loud voice came from behind:

"Brothers, the General is entering the bridal chamber! Let's drink!"

"Drink!"

"The General is mighty!"

"The sister-in-law is beautiful!"

One after another, the cheers echoed in the night sky.

Sitting by a fire in the corner, Lin Chanchan held a piece of roasted meat. Watching Su Bai's back as he pulled Ma Zhenhua behind the door, she couldn't help but sigh:

"Sigh, Young Master really is a lecherous ghost. He only took that Bandits's girl yesterday, and today he's in a hurry to enter the bridal chamber."