Martial King's Retired Life-Novel

Tainted Goods

Nobody dared to be out on the streets late at night, yet there was someone singing as if he was high, but his volume gradually reduced until it was inaudible. When the street was finally silent again, a wine jug loudly broke! Nobody uttered a word, but someone stumbled onto the broken fragments, reducing them to dust. The high-pitched sound of the jug pieces shattering wasn’t anyhow worth mentioning compared to the smell of alcohol and bitterness of defeat emanating from him.

He risked his life for the city when arsonists threatened to put it in jeopardy, yet he lost everything only a few days later. People used to say, “Lions will be tamed when the dog is beaten.” Nobody was more heartless than monarchs. Not long ago, he was entrusted with an important role, and now he had been kicked off his horse.

I fulfilled my duty to the country loyally, sacrificed my youth, and offered my blood, sweat, and tears, yet all of you only remember me being on His Majesty and me not personally going to your aid. I didn’t want to abandon you, either. I went to save the citizens, didn’t I? I trusted the wrong people, put my faith in the wrong people. This is a widow falling for a playboy. This is dumping a lady after you have your fun.

Long Zaitian hammered the ground heavily with his fist. Subsequently, he pointed to heaven and verbally blasted heaven for doing him dirty. Had anyone from the imperial court overheard him, he would’ve written his own death sentence, but how could he have reasonably bottled it up when he was angry, upset, and drunk? The next time he opened his mouth, he saw his alcohol and dinner a second time. The next sounds that broke the silence on the street were the burbling sounds from him snoring in his own vomit. He wasn’t a hero who had turned into an antagonist. He was a wronged small dragon.

After heroically saving the citizens, taking down villains and turning his back on the officials, Long Zaitian was demoted to guard of the military camp outside the capital’s outskirts. People in the capital closed their doors on him and told others to keep their distance from him. People were livid they were foolish enough to lick his boots and send him gifts when he was promoted. All of that was for nothing. He had witnessed the warmth and coldness of people, but he never thought people could switch so fast. In just a matter of days he went from the centre of attention to the ostracised one.

It would’ve been inaccurate to say that Long Zaitian didn’t achieve anything while he was in his prime. At the very least, the patrol guards who saw their erstwhile superior sleeping in his own vomit didn’t kick him awake – whether it was out of pity, respect or disgust. Squad after squad ignored him and continued their patrols.

When he woke up at daylight and smelt himself, Long Zaitian chucked up again. Since there was no way he could get the stench off him, he discarded his upper body’s attire and relied on walls to support himself on his feet to the camp.

Despite his personal predicament, Long Zaitian hadn’t forgotten he was a Qilin Guard. No matter what condition he was in, he couldn’t stain the Qilin Guards’ name. He was among the first group of people to exit the capital in the morning.

Given Long Zaitian’s training, sleeping outdoors on the ground didn’t leave any detriments, and he was able to gradually pick up his pace.

“Dragon, you didn’t listen to me at all, did you? The waters of government employment are deeper than you can swim in. You can’t do that just for a title, can you?“

No! That’s what Songtard Ou said.

The thought of Song Ou was enough to inflame Long Zaitian. Ming Feizhen was hideous to look at, but the imperial court didn’t employ him for nothing. He could’ve disgusted people to death if necessary. If necessary, you could’ve made him a pin cushion. What about Song Ou, though? He couldn’t be counted on. Was Song Chi someone who could be trusted? So, the useless one couldn’t be used, and the useful one couldn’t be used, either.

Song Ou’s recent rise created a number of rifts in the Bird-Dragon Alliance, which was why Long Zaitian had been wanting to thrash Song Ou. It was unbecoming to have been motivated out of jealousy, but Long Zaitian held himself back since he saw it as a violation of their alliance. It was sad enough that the imperial court trusted the idiot, but it was even sadder that they trusted Song Ou over him.

I’m done. I’m turning into an antagonist.

Long Zaitian schemed numerous ways to get back at all those who did him wrong before he was first to arrive at the camp. There was obviously no welcome party for a gate guard captain.

The barrack at the capital’s outskirts predominately consisted of new recruits from across the land, and virtually none of them were even from the capital; the person who disrespectfully shooed off Long Zaitian wasn’t even from the capital. Hardly anyone there recognised Long Zaitian. His new superior dismissively brushed him off after hearing his background. Honestly, though, it was less embarrassing than having people recognise him while he was standing guard.

With four subordinates under him, Long Zaitian truly was the standard gate guard. Not only were they untrained in combat, even their appearances resembled cooks. However, when he saw his ninth subordinate, he fossilised.

Long Zaitian’s ninth subordinate had a pretty handsome appearance despite his unkempt hair, and an aura that was different to the others, primarily because Long Zaitian recognised him,

“Your Highness Orange Prince?”