The anti-Qing movement began with the looting of the Eight-Nation Alliance.

The soldiers fixed their bayonets and stepped forward. They closed their eyes and stabbed the corpse. They were terrified, but they were even more afraid of military discipline—afraid of being discharged!

The army doesn't need cowards. If they don't dare to take action, they'll definitely be discharged. How can they face their parents back home then?

"Ahhh!" The soldiers, holding rifles and bayonets, desperately stabbed the corpses on the ground.

In an instant, blood and flesh flew everywhere, and screams filled the air. The prisoners not far away trembled with fear!

"Alright! Take them away." Mo Biao shook his head and instructed the officers to take the soldiers, who had been severely traumatized, back. They didn't need to do anything else.

Mo Biao ordered the prisoners to dig a large pit and threw all the dozens of bandits he had killed into it. Finally, it was piled up into a large mound.

The bandit stronghold had many wagons, and with the wagons brought by the new army, they barely managed to load all the useful supplies. After having the able-bodied men carry some more, the group slowly departed.

Once everyone had mostly left the valley, Mo Biao ordered the stronghold to be set on fire.

The towering flames illuminated the departing troop, signifying the annihilation of Zhang Bazi, the notorious bandit who had dominated Yang'ao Mountain for over a decade.

At the gate of Xintai County, a large group of officials were eagerly waiting. The county magistrate, who had not shown himself until now, finally appeared, stroking his beard with a smile as he listened to the county lieutenant speak.

Clearly, they had already received news of the New Army's great victory in suppressing the bandits and their triumphant return.

"Your Excellency, Lord Shen's new army is truly formidable! I heard they wiped out Zhang the Scarface's band of thugs in just one hour. Zhang the Scarface himself was beaten to a pulp on the spot. Tsk tsk tsk!"

"Moreover, after killing over a hundred bandits, the new army suffered not a single casualty! Such a powerful army is truly unheard of!"

“Yes! These are not the most important things. The most important thing is strict military discipline. They do not harm the local people in the slightest! That is the most valuable thing.” The magistrate nodded and said.

The county magistrate was a scholar who had passed the imperial examinations, and he originally looked down on Shen Lian, who had obtained his official position through donation. So he went into hiding when the new army entered the city.

Unexpectedly, Shen Lian's new army had such good discipline. Not only did they not disturb the people, but they even paid silver for requisitioning grain. Their combat strength was also so formidable; they wiped out Zhang Bazi, a notorious bandit who had plagued Xintai for more than ten years, in just half a day.

Upon receiving news of the New Army's victorious return, he eagerly summoned the county officials and wealthy merchants to the city gate to welcome them.

"Sir, they're here! They're here!" The crowd stirred as they saw a column approaching the city gate. A red flag led the way, bearing the inscription "Second Battalion, First Company."

"Company commander, political instructor. The magistrate of Xintai County, along with all the officials and wealthy merchants of the city, are welcoming us at the city gate!" the sentry reported back.

"Attention, all men! Rifles on your shoulders, march!"

The sound of footsteps approached, and the officials and wealthy businessmen who had just been all smiles fell silent. They had never seen an army march so in perfect unison.

As the column approached, a menacing aura swept over them. Having just finished a battle, many soldiers bore traces of blood, which only added to their formidable presence.

"Attention! Click-clack!" The soldiers all stood at attention. Mo Biao and Jiao Long quickly stepped forward.

"Haha, welcome back, Company Commander Mo and Political Instructor Jiao!" The county magistrate stepped forward and clasped his hands in greeting.

"Thank you, Magistrate and all officials! Suppressing bandits is the duty of our new army. We are extremely grateful for your kind visit!" Mo Biao was not good with words, so Jiao Long stepped forward to speak.

"Ah! That may be true, but you have also helped Xintai to suppress the bandits and restore peace to all the officials and people of Xintai. On behalf of the officials and people of this county, I thank you both for your great kindness!"

"In addition, the righteous merchants of the city have prepared some wine and meat to reward the troops. We hope the two generals will accept them!"

"Our military discipline dictates that we cannot disturb the local community, so we simply cannot accept this!"

"Oh! How can this be considered an intrusion! It is the custom for the local authorities to reward the troops upon their triumphant return. I'm sure even if Lord Shen finds out, he won't blame the two generals," the magistrate said, bowing slightly to the north.

Mo Biao and Jiao Long declined at first, but then accepted it!

"Generals, tonight I and the officials and gentry will host a banquet at Hongfu Restaurant to welcome you both."

"Thank you for your kindness, sir! I have just been through a bloody battle today and it is really inappropriate for me to attend the banquet. I am truly sorry!"

"If you all really care, please help us collect some large iron pots and wooden buckets so the soldiers can wash the blood off their bodies!" Jiao Long said.

"The two generals truly love their soldiers like their own children, I admire them greatly! Hahaha! This is a small matter, I will arrange it immediately." The magistrate gladly accepted.

Mo Biao was instructed to lead the troops back to the military camp, and Jiao Long handed the prisoners over to the county magistrate and county constable.

"My lords, we are unable to keep these prisoners under our care, so we entrust them to you! Before we came, Lord Shen gave orders that the elderly, women, and children among the prisoners should be resettled by the local authorities. We must ensure that they have a way to survive."

"These able-bodied men must serve three years of re-education through labor. They will first be supervised by local authorities and perform tasks such as repairing bridges and paving roads. After that, the Daotai (local official) will have a unified plan."

"We have received Lord Shen's document and guarantee that we will handle the matter well!" The county magistrate and the county constable nodded.

Back at the barracks, all the soldiers were dismissed and returned to their dormitories! The magistrate was quite efficient; he quickly delivered twenty large iron pots and thirty large wooden barrels to them.

Jiao Long quickly arranged for the soldiers to cook and boil water, as everyone hadn't showered for many days. They had just gone through another battle, and especially since they were all new recruits, a hot shower would surely help them relax.

These were all taught by Lord Shen, who said soldiers are prone to post-traumatic stress disorder. Helping them relax is the most important thing!

Jiao Long then arranged for the cooking squad to bring out all the good stuff, along with the supplies sent by the county government to entertain the troops. He planned to prepare a big feast for everyone today, and there would be no limit to the amount of alcohol tonight.

Of course, Jiao Long also arranged for officers to select some well-behaved and thick-skinned soldiers to be on duty in order to prevent accidents from happening.

While the soldiers in the barracks were drinking heavily, boasting, or even weeping, a young scholar-looking man was also drinking with others in a courtyard within the city.

"Husband, are you really sure?" the woman in red outfit beside him asked, looking up.

“Brother, not a single official is a good person! Aren’t you just throwing yourself into the lion’s den?” said a burly man at the bottom.

“Yes! My benefactor, I think we should reconsider this matter. In any case, the authorities haven’t found any trace of us all these years, so why should you take the risk?” A wealthy-looking man sitting at the lower seat advised.

“This time is different! This Lord Shen is different from other officials. Since he took office, everything he has done has benefited the people. He is a truly people-loving official.”

"Especially his new army, you all saw it! They wiped out Zhang the Scarface in an hour without losing a single man. Can you imagine that?"