Ye Tiancheng was thinking of things others hadn't considered. Perhaps his strange expression made Hong Hu ponder for a moment, and a peculiar feeling arose, prompting him to ask.
"Then we should seriously consider how to create miracles in this era. As fellow transmigrators, we shouldn't disgrace our mission."
"What mission? I've never thought about it. I just feel I should do this."
Ye Tiancheng glanced at him.
"Shouldn't the group leader strive to overcome your shortcomings?"
This statement was filled with question marks, implying slander. As a person with absolute power, he could easily have someone's head chopped off.
Suddenly, the atmosphere between the two became very strange. They always said things that didn't fit the mood, giving Ye Tianchen a headache. If he needed his help, he would chop off his head and kick it around like a ball. When facing someone with absolute power, one should be obedient.
They talked for a while and found it meaningless, so they dropped the topic.
"There's no need to dwell on these issues."
To hurt feelings over these inexplicable emotions was truly regrettable. He needed to change his strategy, starting with his personality. As a king, he was always destined to be alone. Ye Tiancheng chuckled and said nothing more. His previous goal had deviated, and he had become someone he himself disliked.
Ye Tiancheng felt bored being with Hong Hong, but he still endured a long and arduous night.
The next day, a new adjustment was necessary.
Ye Tiancheng decided to train the soldiers.
What followed was the need to forge a stronger army. The training was arduous, especially for the shield bearers, as they simply didn't understand tactical operations. It was a headache, but there was no other way. These people were from a different era than Ye Tiancheng and couldn't comprehend anything he said. Each of them looked at his explanations like fools.
What he anticipated would always disappear inexplicably, only to reappear at an unexpected moment – that was when Sister Si arrived.
"Is this how you train soldiers?"
Sister Si's expression was strange, and she felt Ye Tiancheng was quite foolish. She found some paper and drew on it for a while, writing down all the operational rules.
"This operation is quite good. How did I not think of it?"
A hint of helplessness appeared on Ye Tiancheng's face. He thought he was quite capable, only to be thoroughly put in his place by a woman.
"Does our City Lord seem particularly incompetent in front of women?"
Seeing Ye Tiancheng's expression in these training videos, it was clear he couldn't change anything. Everything seemed to be changing in different ways, but Sister Si wouldn't appear too capable in front of Ye Tiancheng, as it would leave him with no face.
"I'm just doing what I should do. These principles were taught to me by him. I'm not as capable as City Lord Ye Tiancheng." When Sister Si spoke, some people believed her, while others did not.
Those who believed felt there was nothing wrong with Sister Si's words, while Ye Tiancheng's words were full of strange implications. However, to spare Ye Tiancheng's feelings, they remained silent.
Being too clever in front of the City Lord was not a good thing.
Ye Tiancheng glanced at them. They all lowered their heads, not daring to meet his gaze, knowing Ye Tiancheng was a vain person.
"All of you will run three laps around the city walls."
"Ahhh..."
They hadn't expected Ye Tiancheng to use this punishment.
"Otherwise, go and bring me back 1000 trees with a diameter of one meter."
"Then we'd rather run."
However, some people went to chop trees, as chopping trees allowed for slacking off. When they got tired, they could rest by the stream, drink water, and roast fish.
Running, however, was different; they had to keep running without slacking.
Ye Tiancheng assigned the tasks and then ignored them, not wanting to say more, as it was pointless. He then sat in a leisurely chair and watched them work.
Si Yiran arrived at this time. Seeing Ye Tiancheng's demeanor, she found it amusing. What kind of City Lord was this? He was simply foolish and incompetent. In her ideal vision, a City Lord should be benevolent and generous, not so petty. Punishing subordinates for minor mistakes would make everyone dissatisfied with him, potentially leading to betrayal.
What happened next made Ye Tiancheng feel helpless and resigned. At the same time, he really wanted to reprimand Sister Si, but he decided against it. This girl opposing him was also a good dynamic. When he got carried away, someone always poured a bucket of cold water on him to sober him up.
When too many problems arise, one needs to calmly think and solve them.
By the afternoon, the soldiers who had chopped trees returned, each with a look of joy and happiness on their faces. Seeing their sense of accomplishment, Ye Tiancheng was also happy for them.
No matter when, one must always maintain a calm and peaceful demeanor. This was not easy. For Ye Tiancheng, no matter how much of a scoundrel he was, he couldn't be too outrageous. These soldiers who followed him would have to face bloody battles in the future, so he shouldn't be too harsh or demanding.
"Everyone, rest. Today's training ends here, but each of you will receive a training manual."
"Tonight, you will all study the contents of this book. Tomorrow, there will be an assessment. Whoever can recite it, this City Lord will treat them to roasted wild boar. Whoever cannot recite it will continue to chop trees until they can."
Before Ye Tiancheng could finish, Sister Si chimed in, this little beauty always liked to butt in. Ye Tiancheng glanced at her, said nothing, and waved his hand, signaling his subordinates to leave.
These soldiers were quite sensible.
"I have to say, my additions were quite interesting. You looked at me with such a disgusted expression, as if you really disliked me. It truly makes me unhappy."
Sister Si pouted, displeased.
Ye Tiancheng chuckled. He stood up, looked around, his heart filled with hesitation.
"You've already matured, why do you still look so glum?"
"Does the City Lord also have things he cannot accomplish, Group Leader?"
At this moment, Hong Hu stood beside him, fanning himself with a feather fan, looking like a strategist, and said.
"Have you finished the task I assigned you, Hong Hu? If not, don't waste my time with idle chatter." As he spoke, his eyes were filled with disdain. Despite this, everyone's mood was very pleasant.
Not for any other reason than that his mood had started to become cheerful.
As long as one's mood is cheerful, everything will be cheerful. If one's mood is unhappy, everything will become exceptionally unpleasant. A person's expression can betray your soul.
It was like a nightmare, or perhaps a solitary and proud existence. The reason for each existence was so absurd that Ye Tiancheng felt he was being blatantly slapped in the face.
But no matter what, as long as his mood was cheerful, it was a good thing.
After experiencing many things, one would slowly change and mature. Although he had lost a lot, Ye Tiancheng had also gained a lot.
"Reporting to the City Lord, the soldiers who went to hunt in the forest have not returned. According to our agreement, they should have returned an hour after noon."
The soldiers, who were truly immersed in joy, suddenly heard this news, and their expressions turned grim. They knew that the soldiers who hadn't returned must have encountered danger. Ye Tiancheng immediately looked at the sky. If they went to look for them now, it would already be night, and the forest at night was extremely dangerous...
"Shall we go tomorrow morning?"
Hong Hu asked tentatively.
"I don't think so. Of course, going tomorrow morning is too late, and it would be meaningless. Without further ado, bring five people with me."
"Understood."
The soldier who came to report the news immediately turned around and soon brought back five carefully selected soldiers. Each of them was clad in beast-hide armor, standing straight, displaying their strong and powerful physique.
"Very good. These five are fine to go with me."
Ye Tiancheng observed their demeanor and felt they were suitable for adventuring with him, so he nodded.
Si Yiran and the others were very worried that Ye Tiancheng would be in trouble if he went. That wild place, where a single mistake could be fatal, so being able to return alive was the most important thing.
"I really don't know what you people are thinking."
When faced with so many issues, no one expressed their stance, instead opting for a neutral approach. Ye Tiancheng was very dissatisfied with these people. Therefore, those who could solve problems were those who dared to speak. Silence always made people feel disgusted. However, the reason they remained silent was that Ye Tiancheng was always unpredictable, like an erratic tyrant.
Everyone was very afraid of him, so some words were kept in their hearts and not spoken. Sometimes, speaking certain words was also meaningless, so saying them was no different from not saying them. Ye Tiancheng gave a helpless wry smile. All these consequences were his own doing; he couldn't blame others.
When he finally understood this, everything seemed too late. Therefore, for Ye Tiancheng to change everything, it needed to start with changing his personality. First and foremost, he would no longer be a lazy bum.
It was as if everything was arranged by heaven, and he had to train his abilities. Therefore, he didn't think about changing after the fact; he only thought about suddenly becoming powerful, possessing a deterrent force, not like before, acting like a tyrant towards people. Doing more for others would earn him more affection from them.
With these five strong soldiers, Ye Tiancheng set off. He suddenly realized that not having mounts was a very unfortunate thing. Relying on physical strength to walk was not a problem, but those five soldiers, lacking the blessing of a system, became exhausted after walking for an hour. This was because each of them was carrying a bronze battle axe.
Each axe weighed over a hundred pounds. Carrying over a hundred pounds of battle axe for over an hour was indeed difficult for them. He hadn't thought that far ahead before, so now he realized the problem, which seemed extremely unfortunate.
"You all stay here and rest. I'll go alone."
The soldiers felt very scared. Leaving Ye Tiancheng behind and letting him go alone to risk his life was inherently wrong.
"Then you should find a place to hide your axes and come back for them later."
Seeing their hesitant expressions, Ye Tiancheng thought of a solution.
Upon hearing this, they took their axes off their backs and hid them in the roadside bushes. With a lighter load, their movement speed improved greatly. In a short while, they reached the depths of the forest. Following their previous trajectory, they should reach their hunting grounds in about ten more minutes.
As they walked, a strange smell permeated the air. It wasn't the smell of blood or death, but a floral scent that was hard to describe.