The Dragon Tooth Guard had a Grand Steward who held the Grand Dragon Tooth Order and commanded all of the Dragon Tooth Guard.
The Dragon Tooth Guard was divided into ten armies, each with a Commander and a Deputy Commander.
Below each army were ten Major Corps, each comprising ten thousand men. Each Major Corps had one Battalion Commander and two Deputy Battalion Commanders.
Below the Battalion Commanders were Squadron Commanders and Platoon Commanders. Every level had strict divisions.
By rank, the Grand Steward naturally sat at the very top.
Below the Grand Steward were three Deputy Stewards. Then came the ten Commanders, followed by the ten Deputy Commanders.
This Commander Lü was, in fact, a Deputy Commander.
In terms of rank and grade, he stood one level above Tian Shao, a Battalion Commander.
However, the army Tian Shao belonged to was not actually under Deputy Commander Lü's jurisdiction. Tian Shao had his own direct superiors—his own Commander and Deputy Commander.
So officially, Deputy Commander Lü had no authority to give orders to Tian Shao.
But everyone knew that Deputy Commander Lü was a notorious connection-based appointer. His backer was one of the Dragon Tooth Guard's Deputy Stewards.
And that Deputy Steward was a close friend of the First Prince, Ye Dai.
In this way, Deputy Commander Lü's connections reached all the way up to the First Prince.
With such a towering network of backers, Deputy Commander Lü was incredibly arrogant and overbearing within the Dragon Tooth Guard. Overstepping his jurisdiction to handle cases was nothing unusual.
What he hadn't expected was that right now, this Tian Shao—a mere Battalion Commander—would dare to openly defy him.
"Tian Shao!" Commander Lü stared coldly at Tian Shao. "I've heard your name before. I know you're the Dragon Tooth Guard's most notorious troublemaker. You're right—I'm not your direct superior. However, getting your Commander Qiu to step forward would be nothing more than a single word from me. Step aside now, and I can let bygones be bygones."
"Sorry, this is my territory, and I won't let you through!" Tian Shao refused flatly.
"Good, good, good!" Commander Lü barked three times, his tone ice-cold. "Tian Shao, I don't know whether you're clinging to some so-called principle or you have some shady relationship with this kid. But let me tell you—your disrespect and insubordination have gravely offended me. I can tell you plainly, your days as Battalion Commander are numbered!"
Tian Shao was just as stubborn: "As long as I'm still the Battalion Commander, don't even think about getting past here."
It was clear that Tian Shao had been deeply provoked. This principled man brimming with justice had been pushed to his breaking point by Commander Lü.
"Tian Shao, don't be so obstinate! Commander Lü has heaven-reaching connections—opposing him is like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, utterly foolish! Destroying you would take him only a single word. Step aside now, and we can still put in a word for you."
"Clinging to power and fawning over the strong—scheming and groveling like flies and dogs! That my colleagues in the Dragon Tooth Guard include shameless rats like you is truly embarrassing. Get lost! Get as far away as you can, and stop making noise in my territory!"
"Insolent!"
"Ignorant!"
"Tian Shao, you're done for. In the Tiangui Kingdom, no one can save you now."
Commander Lü was fuming as well, his face dark and grim. He barked, "Jian Laoqi, go report to Deputy Steward Yang and tell him what's happening here. Have him issue a demotion order and strip Tian Shao of his Battalion Commander position!"
"At once!"
Tian Shao's face turned ashen. He knew that Deputy Steward Yang Zhao was Commander Lü's uncle—the third most powerful figure in the Dragon Tooth Guard, holding enormous authority. Removing a Battalion Commander would be nothing more than a word from him.
But things had gone too far. Tian Shao knew there was no turning back, and he steeled his heart.
He also knew that fighting this faction alone was as futile as a mantis trying to stop a chariot.
But he had his principles. Even if it was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, as long as he believed he was right, he would give everything he had—and be at peace with his conscience.
Just then, someone hurried in from outside and handed a slip of paper to Commander Lü.
Commander Lü, still seething from Tian Shao's defiance, took the note irritably. After reading it for a moment, his face darkened, and he shredded the paper on the spot. "An elder of the Qianlan Southern Palace? What right does she have to interfere with the Dragon Tooth Guard's cases? Go tell whoever came—this Jiang Chen is a major criminal of the Dragon Tooth Guard. No plea from anyone will work."
"Understood."
Commander Lü raised an eyebrow and shot a mocking glance at Jiang Chen in the cell. "So, kid, your arrogance comes from latching onto a female elder of the Qianlan Southern Palace? No wonder you're so brazen! But let me make this crystal clear—even if Elder Ning herself came to demand your release, she wouldn't get you out. So you might as well give up on that idea!"
No sooner had his words fallen than another subordinate rushed in, bringing a person along—it was Feng Yan.
"And who are you?" Commander Lü furrowed his brow at the sight of Feng Yan.
"I am a disciple of the Duobao Dojo, here under Deputy Sect Master Shi's orders to retrieve a person." Feng Yan might have been obsequious in front of Shi Xiaoyao, but that was entirely voluntary.