For Qin Bing, Duan Canglong, and the rest of their crew, the Black Sharks had become a gilded cage. They were soldiers on ice, their futures frozen solid. So when Bai Longyin gave them the green light, they didn't hesitate. They filed the paperwork, packed the little they owned, and fell in line behind Xiao Ke, ready to leave it all behind.
They traveled light. The Black Sharks demanded every piece of gear back, save for the combat knives on their belts. Within thirty minutes, over a hundred of them were crammed into the back of military trucks borrowed from the base, rumbling away from the only home they'd known and heading toward the sprawling metropolis of Zhuque City.
They had barely cleared the base perimeter when the dam inside Xiao Ke finally broke. A sudden, ragged cough tore from his lips, and a spray of crimson splattered against the dusty dashboard. In an instant, Duan Canglong, who was driving, Luo Hou in the passenger seat, and Qin Bing, sitting beside Xiao Ke in the cab, went pale.
"Xiao Ke, what's wrong?" Qin Bing demanded, already dabbing at his lips with a handkerchief, her voice tight with alarm.
He coughed again, a wet, grating sound. "Bai Longyin's 'pat on the shoulder'… he wasn't playing around. He messed me up pretty good." He managed a weak, grim smile. "But he didn't have the guts to finish the job. Just wanted to teach me a lesson. I've got a vial of Angel's Kiss. I'll live."
Qin Bing didn't need to be told twice. She dug through his pack, found the glowing vial, and helped him drink it down.
Afterward, Xiao Ke leaned his head back and closed his eyes, his focus turned inward. He remained silent for the next three hours. Only when the distant lights of Zhuque City appeared on the horizon did he stir, his eyes fluttering open. A bit of color had returned to his cheeks.
"Better?" Qin Bing asked softly.
He nodded. "It's under control. A couple of days of rest and I'll be fine." He let out a bitter sigh. "Still, that bastard cost me a vial of Angel's Kiss."
He couldn't help but feel the sting. Angel's Kiss was a small fortune in a bottle, and with the Iron Wheels just getting off the ground, every coin counted. Having to waste one because of Bai Longyin's power play was infuriating.
Qin Bing's gaze was steady. "It's just a thing," she said quietly. "You're okay. That's what matters."
They rolled into Zhuque City and found lodging for the night, planning to catch an airship to the capital, Qilin City, in the morning. Xiao Ke treated the men to a massive dinner at a local hotel, then handed each of them two gold coins. "The night's yours," he announced. "Just be ready to move out at dawn."
For most of the former Killer Whale warriors, it was a dizzying experience. Born into poverty, they had never set foot in a city of this scale, let alone held so much money at once. The bonuses they'd earned on the battlefield had been mysteriously held up by Black Shark command, but Xiao Ke, with a generosity that stunned them, had just paid it out of his own pocket.
After dinner, the men—now calling themselves the Iron Warriors—scattered into the city's vibrant nightlife in high spirits. Only three remained behind: Qin Bing, Duan Canglong, and Luo Hou. Xiao Ke led them to a quiet corner of the hotel's third-floor coffee shop to lay out the future.
He told them everything: about winning the Glory competition, about his new sworn brothers—Ling Feng and Ye Yun—and about their shared vision for a new legion, the Iron Wheels.
"So here's the deal," he said, his expression serious. "The Emperor has given us his blessing, and we'll get a lot of political support. But he also made one thing crystal clear: there's no money. We don't know if we'll get regular pay, where we'll be stationed, or what our mission will be."
He paused, letting the reality sink in. "Simply put, we're sailing into the unknown. There's an incredible opportunity, but also an incredible risk. I want you all with me, more than anything. But if this isn't the fight you want, I understand. I can talk to the Emperor, get you placed in a more stable, established legion."
His eyes lingered on Qin Bing. This speech was mostly for her. She was a Chiliarch, a commander in her own right. Why would she trade that for a fledgling outfit with no resources and an uncertain future? More than that, she had been his mentor, his superior. Joining the Iron Wheels would mean becoming his subordinate. He wasn't sure if her pride would allow it.
Duan Canglong and Luo Hou didn't miss a beat. Their loyalty was simple and absolute. "Where you go, we go, boss," Duan Canglong said, cracking his knuckles. "Just point us at the enemy."
Xiao Ke smiled, a weight lifted from his shoulders. He turned back to Qin Bing. "Sir? What about you?"
A wry, almost sad smile touched her lips. "Still calling me 'Sir,' huh? You're a Myriarch now, Xiao Ke. I'm just a Chiliarch. I think we're past that."
"Never," he said, his tone unwavering. "In my mind, you'll always be my commanding officer. You taught me everything. You're the reason I'm here today. You're my teacher, my guide… my benefactor."
Qin Bing was known for her icy composure, but his raw sincerity seemed to chip away at it. She felt an unfamiliar warmth spread through her chest—something more than just pride. Was it… joy? She quickly regained her composure. "You're exaggerating," she said, her voice even.
He didn't argue, just held her gaze. "So, will you join us? Will you come to the Iron Wheels?"
She noticed that it wasn't just Xiao Ke watching her with hopeful eyes. Duan Canglong and Luo Hou were staring too, their expressions oddly intense. The moment felt less like a job offer and more like a proposal.
She hesitated, a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes. "Give me a reason," she said, her voice low. "A good reason to join your Iron Wheels. If it's convincing, I'm in. If not, I'm out."
It was a small act of self-preservation. She couldn't just jump at the chance; what would people think? That she was chasing him across the continent? She needed a justification, an excuse she could tell herself.
Xiao Ke, however, was completely lost. A reason? he thought, scratching his head. Shouldn't she have her own reasons? Why do I have to give her one?
He fumbled for a moment, then looked her straight in the eye. "Well…" he began, his voice suddenly shy. "What if I said… the reason is that I just really want you there? Would that be enough?"
Her face flushed a deep crimson. This man! He had no idea how to play the game. All he had to do was say something about shared ideals or building a better future, and she would have had the perfect excuse to agree. But no, he had to make it personal. I want you, so will you come? He was backing her into a corner.
Her first instinct was to say no, to shut down the unbearable awkwardness. But then she saw the genuine, hopeful plea in his eyes, and her resolve melted. She let out a quiet sigh, fighting to keep her composure.
"That's a terrible reason," she said, feigning a sternness she didn't feel. "But… It's not like I have anywhere else to go. Fine. I'll join your Iron Wheels. For now."
Days later, the skyline of Qilin City rose to meet them. After arriving, Xiao Ke's first stop was the Imperial Palace to return the Dragon-Patterned Gold Plate—a symbol of a special envoy, not meant for a permanent holder.
His duty done, he headed to the temporary recruitment center for the Iron Wheels. In the two weeks he'd been gone, Ling Feng and Ye Yun had been in charge. Progress was slow. Ling Feng, the illegitimate son of a noble house, was a hard-nosed perfectionist, demanding as much from others as he did from himself. And Ye Yun, the refined young lady of the Ye clan—who insisted on brewing tea with ancient, complex methods—had an equally aristocratic eye for quality.
Their shared "quality over quantity" philosophy meant that after half a month, they had only managed to recruit about seven hundred soldiers. More than half were fresh graduates from the Glory School—hardly rookies, as most were already at the Battle General level. Adding to that, Ling Feng and Ye Yun had each brought a hundred of their own family's private soldiers into the fold.
With the arrival of Xiao Ke and his hundred-plus veterans, the Iron Wheels finally numbered over a thousand strong. It was a far cry from the ten thousand-man legion they were meant to be, but every single soldier was a seasoned, elite fighter, ready for combat at a moment's notice.
Introductions were made, and a command structure was quickly established. Duan Canglong, Luo Hou, and the former Killer Whale warriors would remain as Xiao Ke's direct command. Ling Feng and Ye Yun would each command their family guards. The seven hundred new recruits would fall under the command of a new Chiliarch: Qin Bing.
In essence, the three Myriarchs would lead their personal retinues, while Qin Bing would manage the main fighting force. Of course, all three of them could give her orders.
Ling Feng and Ye Yun were slightly taken aback by Xiao Ke's absolute trust in this woman, but he was the supreme commander, and his decision was final. Besides, they could both sense the power coiled beneath her calm exterior. The Force aura she casually projected suggested she was a ninth-level Valiant General—an impressive feat for someone her age, especially one without a noble background. She'd clearly earned her rank the hard way.
For her part, Qin Bing was surprised to find Xiao Ke had made two sworn brothers in such a short time. And a woman's intuition is a powerful thing. From the moment she met Ye Yun, something felt… off. The young master's skin was too smooth, his features too delicate. She was almost certain "he" was a woman in disguise. A noblewoman training at Glory and earning a top honor from the Emperor? It was bizarre.
More than that, she noticed the way Ye Yun's eyes would sometimes linger on Xiao Ke, holding a strange, unreadable emotion. Was it admiration? Affection? She couldn't be sure. But Qin Bing was not one for gossip. Her relationship with Xiao Ke was professional. She would watch, and she would wait.
While recruitment was a grind, support from the Imperial Family was anything but. The moment they heard the Iron Wheels had crossed the thousand-man threshold, the Imperial Military Supply Office delivered a mountain of gear: armed off-road vehicles, transport trucks, combat uniforms, weapons, and a full stock of top-tier medical supplies, including Angel's Kiss.
The official who delivered the supplies also brought a message: "His Majesty requests your presence at the palace this afternoon. He wishes to speak with you personally."
That afternoon, Xiao Ke found himself once again in the Emperor's private study. Jiang Ning stood before a massive sand table map of the empire, his back to the door. On the map, ten great cities were marked. Five of them—Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise, and the capital, Qilin—were set against a vibrant green, representing the last bastion of human life.
The other half of the map was a sprawling, necrotic black. It represented the five fallen super-metropolises—Taotie, Hundun, Taowu, Qiongqi, and Kuiniu. This was the zombie domain, the forbidden zone.
Between the green lands of the living and the black lands of the dead lay a vast, chaotic buffer zone. It was a no-man s-land, a brutal frontier where bounty hunters, prospectors, and scavengers came to strike it rich or die trying. It was also a powder keg, constantly threatened by incursions from the fallen territories.
The Empire's authority didn't reach here. The people who lived in this gray expanse called themselves the Forsaken, believing they had been abandoned by the world. They trusted no one but themselves and the strength of their own arms. It was a place where might made right, where the law of the jungle played out in blood every single day. They called it the Lawless Land.
"Your Majesty," Xiao Ke said, bowing.
Jiang Ning turned, a faint smile on his lips. "Ah, Xiao Ke. Come, look at this." He gestured to the map. "Your Iron Wheels are coming together too slowly. But what you lack in numbers, you make up for in quality. You have a force that can fight."
Xiao Ke's eyes met the Emperor's. "You have a mission for us."
Jiang Ning nodded. "As you know, the imperial coffers are strained. At your current rate, you'll burn through a fortune before you even reach full strength." His finger traced the border of the black territory before landing squarely on the gray buffer zone. "So, I believe it's time for you to sustain the war with war."
"Sustain the war… with war?" Xiao Ke repeated, taken aback.
"Precisely," Jiang Ning said, his voice dropping to a low, serious tone. "The Empire has no real influence here. It is a land without law. I need someone to go there, establish a presence, and bring some semblance of order. That is your mission. Go to the Lawless Land and write new rules."
He looked up from the map, his gaze sharp and calculating. "It is a savage, chaotic place, torn apart by warlords. But it is also rich with treasure: priceless, rare minerals, exotic herbs, gold, and silver mines. For the first year, you will establish your foothold. Any resources you seize, any wealth you accumulate, is yours to keep. You will owe the throne nothing."
He let the offer hang in the air before delivering the final terms.
"After one year, once you are established, you will cede half of all profits to the Empire. Tame the Lawless Land for me, Xiao Ke. That is a good deal, is it not?"