"Master, this?"
Wuqing raised his hand to stop the man from speaking. He knew what he wanted to say, and without even looking at his face, he turned to Qingyao and introduced her with a gentle expression.
"This is Lin Simiao. The other half of the tiger tally is in his hands. If you need to deploy them in the future, just show him your half of the tally and he will do your bidding. The two people behind him are also elite members of this organization and his direct subordinates. The one on the left is Zhao Hongwen, and the one on the right is Li Zhichen. All matters within the organization are handled by these three."
"Mmm," Qingyao nodded slightly, her gaze coolly sweeping over them one by one.
Although these three dared not say much openly, the disdain in their eyes was all too clear. They clearly looked down on women. Qingyao met their predatory gazes head-on, her eyes filled with a thick, bloodthirsty ferocity, accompanied by an arrogant dominance over heaven and earth. She curled her lips and nodded slightly.
"Pleasure meeting you."
Her attitude was exceedingly arrogant. Since they looked down on her, she wouldn't give them any pleasantries. It seemed that if she didn't present herself as a formidable figure today, these people wouldn't be convinced.
Very well, her lips curved into a predatory smile. The pride she carried from her previous life was fully ignited. There were no soldiers she couldn't lead under her command. She truly didn't believe it. With a cold snort, she stopped looking at the three men and pushed Wuqing ahead as they walked forward.
Lin Siyan and his two subordinates exchanged glances. This woman was not only arrogant but also completely dismissive of them. Her commanding presence, looking down on the world, was far greater than theirs and even more imposing than their Master Wuqing.
Could she really be that capable? Yet, the thought that she was a woman made them somewhat unwilling.
In the underground training ground, Qingyao was dumbfounded. It covered an area of over a thousand square meters. Various weapons were displayed on both sides. Everywhere she looked, there was a scene of combat, with groups of three or five practicing.
As a Chief of Staff, Qingyao could discern the hidden strengths and weaknesses of these people with just one glance. Although there were many people, seemingly close to three thousand, they were very disorganized. As an organization, these people might be passable if dispersed, but in terms of teamwork, they were utterly vulnerable.
While Wuqing's martial arts skills were formidable, his organizational ability was clearly subpar.
As Wuqing appeared, many people stopped their movements. Upon seeing the woman beside Wuqing, they were greatly surprised and slowly began to surround them, each with a look of interest flashing in their eyes.
Qingyao cast a cold glance. They were undisciplined and lethargic; everyone seemed to be training without any clear purpose.
Lin Siyan, the one holding half of the tiger tally, walked to the center with an imposing air and spoke in a deep voice, "Everyone quiet down. Master has something to announce."
Everyone stood at attention, silent as the grave, looking curiously at their master sitting in the wheelchair, their eyes filled with respect, fear, and even apprehension.
Wuqing's expression was calm, his voice not loud, but each word fell like a pearl, reaching everyone's ears without fail.
"From today onwards, all of you are to obey Qingyao, the woman by my side. The tiger tally is now in her possession."
The announcement was like a stone thrown into a deep sea, stirring up a colossal wave. A commotion erupted below, and discussions ensued. Everyone found it hard to believe, followed by disdain.
Having them obey a woman, and moreover, a stunningly beautiful woman, felt utterly wrong.
The three men behind Wuqing stood motionless, making no attempt to intervene. If she wanted to be their leader, she had to demonstrate her capabilities and win everyone's trust. It wouldn't do to rely solely on the Master's command to make three thousand men follow the orders of a mere woman.
It wouldn't be glorious to speak of such a thing.
This was Lin Simiao's thought, and it was the sentiment of everyone present.
Qingyao looked at Wuqing, who nodded and rolled his wheelchair backward. Qingyao stood alone before the crowd, her beautiful eyes filled with coldness. She remained silent, her powerful aura enveloping the three thousand people below. This woman might actually stir something up.
Initially, there was a great deal of noise, which gradually quieted down, then quieted down even more, until finally, there was absolute silence.
Qingyao's voice, sharp as a blade, rang out with cold killing intent.
"With your scattered, inattentive attitude, you still have the nerve to look down on others," her disdainful tone was icy, immediately causing another uproar, like an exploded pot, with discussions erupting once more.
These people trained day and night, yet in this woman's eyes, they were worthless. How could this not incite them? A murmur of discontent began to rise, buzzing like a swarm of insects.
Qingyao looked at them, channeled her internal energy, and released it. Although it was subtle, it reached everyone's ears without a single word missed.
"See, is this your capability?" Qingyao's body was enveloped in the chill of winter. Her piercing gaze swept across them one by one, and then she slowly spoke, "If you were to fight others, would they cause you to become so impetuous with just a single sentence? The ancient texts state that this is a major taboo in warfare; calmness and composure are fundamental."
Her words slowly echoed across the training ground, each one a pearl, precise and insightful.
At the front, Lin Siyan and the other two subordinates of Wuqing's shifted their expressions, a flash of admiration quickly crossing their pupils. It seemed this woman was indeed very capable, pinpointing the critical flaw with a single sentence.
"Furthermore, look at your current formation. You are not organized, nor do you hold yourselves properly. When I gave the order to assemble earlier, you were supposed to gather as quickly as possible, but you were dragging your feet and are still quite disordered now. I ask each of you to look to your left, right, front, and back, and tell me how you feel."
As Qingyao finished speaking, everyone below looked left, right, front, and back. They quickly realized that, just as the woman had said, there was no sense of order whatsoever. It could indeed be described by one word.
Chaos!
Wuqing looked at everything before him, feeling much more at ease. It seemed he had made the right decision in entrusting these men to Qingyao's management.
"We're not a proper army, why should we know those things? As long as our martial arts are strong, that's enough!"
Someone in the crowd called out, and then more people chimed in. Qingyao's wolf-like fierce gaze shot towards the speaker, and the person's voice quickly subsided.
Qingyao turned and walked to a higher position, slowly saying, "Alright, who said earlier that only strong martial arts matter? Well, then, who believes they have strong martial arts? Step forward!"
At Qingyao's command, people immediately leaped out. This woman had been crushing their confidence before, and now they were determined to teach her a lesson.
One, two, three, more and more people jumped out, more than ten in total. The others, though they didn't move, all wore expressions of watching a good show, their lips curled into sneers, their eyes filled with amusement.
This woman was good at lecturing people, and she had a way with words. Let her see their capabilities. Reasoning was useless; only a strong fist was true strength.