Chapter 34: A Show of Authority
In the summer, dawn broke by the mao hour (5-7 AM). This was even earlier than their previous travel schedule. Having just arrived in Liang Province the night before, everyone had been too excited to sleep early. By the time they reached the Martial Arts Field, they were all bleary-eyed—some had even put their shoes on backward.
Shitou was doing alright, but Xiao Mai and Hong Shan were still tying their belts as they walked. Seeing He Yan full of energy and alert, they couldn’t help but ask in confusion, “Brother He, aren’t you tired?”
“I went to bed early last night and slept well,” He Yan replied.
Xiao Mai praised, “You’re amazing!”
By the time they finished talking, they had already arrived at the Martial Arts Field. Since it was their first day, they lined up according to their travel groups. On the high platform stood a burly man dressed in crimson martial attire. He had thick eyebrows, large eyes, a towering and dark complexion, and held a long spear—an imposing figure.
“Who’s that?” He Yan asked.
“The drill instructor overseeing our training—Instructor Shen,” Xiao Mai, ever the gossip, had already gathered the information.
He Yan nodded but thought to herself that she had originally expected Xiao Jue to personally oversee their training. Yet today, she hadn’t even caught a glimpse of him. Though both had risen to military command at a young age, every officer had their own methods of training. He Yan had wanted to observe Xiao Jue’s techniques to learn from them, but it seemed that opportunity wouldn’t come anytime soon.
“I am your chief instructor, Shen Han,” Instructor Shen’s voice boomed like a bell. The Martial Arts Field at the foot of White Moon Mountain was surrounded by hills, amplifying his voice until it made their scalps tingle. “From now on, I will be leading you.” He shook the military register. “Now, roll call!”
Roll call had to be swift. Today was the first day, but in the future, they would be divided into squads, platoons, companies, and battalions, with appointed squad leaders, platoon leaders, company commanders, and battalion commanders handling the roll call to save time.
This group consisted of recruits gathered from the capital, none of whom had undergone formal training before. The roll call took nearly two hours, leaving them standing idly on the field, growing increasingly restless and fidgeting constantly. Xiao Mai whispered to his elder brother, “Brother, Brother He isn’t moving at all—he’s like a rock.”
Shitou glanced at He Yan.
Compared to him, He Yan seemed more deserving of the name “Shitou” (Stone). She stood straight as a pine, arms properly at her sides, her bright gaze fixed on the high platform. She showed no signs of fatigue or boredom, creating the illusion that even after two more hours, she could maintain that posture without faltering.
Shitou recalled hunting in the mountains with Xiao Mai. Wild beasts would lie in wait in the grass, motionless, like lifeless stones, before pouncing on their prey. Over years of hunting, Shitou had learned patience, but Xiao Mai could never endure it. Why could He Yan? According to Hong Shan, He Yan had joined the army after his family fell into ruin. His refined appearance suggested he had once lived comfortably—so why did he possess the patience and endurance of a wild beast?
After all, He Yan wasn’t hunting.
His musings went unanswered as the roll call finally ended.Shen Han closed the military register and declared, "From today onward, a hundred men shall form one squad, each led by a drillmaster. Here, you will train in formations and martial charges! Today, you will learn military discipline!" At this point, a faint smile appeared on Shen Han's face, though for some reason, it sent a chill down everyone's spine.
Sure enough, Shen Han barked, "Failing to answer when called, absent during roll call, or arriving late—these are acts of military negligence, punishable by flogging! Today, you were late by a quarter-hour. By rights, you should face military punishment, but since it's your first offense, I'll let it pass this time."
His words left the men's hearts in turmoil, and just as they began to settle, the iron-faced drillmaster's emotionless voice rang out again.
"Everyone will carry sandbags and run laps around the camp—ten laps! Not a single one less. Each squad's drillmaster will supervise. Anyone who slacks off will face military punishment!"
A collective gasp swept through the crowd.
The Martial Arts Field at the foot of White Moon Mountain doubled as the military camp. One lap was easily over a mile, meaning ten laps would be more than ten miles. And they had to carry sandbags! Earlier in the morning, the heat hadn't been so bad, but now, after the roll call, the sun blazed overhead, scorching enough to make them sweat just standing still.
Running laps under this sun? Groans of despair erupted all around.
Xiao Mai whispered, "Brother He, Drillmaster Shen said exactly what you predicted! How did you know he'd say that?"
How did she know? Naturally, because when she had first enlisted, the same thing had happened. It was like the "power-breaking rod"—a show of authority to intimidate new recruits and remind them that joining the army wasn't for leisure. Even if it hadn't been this, Shen Han would have found some other reason to punish them.
"Memorize the military rules well," He Yan patted the boy's shoulder. "It'll do you good."
Xiao Mai nodded, though he didn't fully understand.
True to Shen Han's words, the soldiers were divided into squads of a hundred. Everyone went to collect their sandbags. At first, He Yan had assumed the sandbags would be like the ones she and He Yun Sheng had tied to their legs when gathering firewood—small, palm-sized pouches. But when she saw them, her eyelids twitched.
These sandbags were the size of bundles, meant to be carried on their backs, not tied to their legs. Lifting one, she found it unbearably heavy—nothing like the sandbags she was used to.
"Damn it! Carrying this thing for ten laps? That's too much!" Hong Shan grumbled.
Xiao Mai stole a glance at He Yan's expression. Her face, which had remained calm all along, finally cracked when she lifted the sandbag. Xiao Mai secretly sighed in relief—it seemed even Brother He had limits. He wasn't invincible after all.
He Yan was speechless.
Back when she had trained recruits, she had used weighted runs to build their stamina, but it had always been gradual—mostly with the small sandbags she'd made at the He household, increasing the weight bit by bit.
She had never known Xiao Jue's training methods before, but now she understood. Starting off this brutally harsh? Xiao Jue might have a pretty face, but his heart was ruthless. She had underestimated his mercilessness.
What a ruthless man.
"Ah He, you…" Hong Shan was about to offer to help her lift the sandbag onto her back when he saw He Yan hoist it up effortlessly and strap it on with practiced ease.She was excessively thin, standing out like an undergrown boy in a camp full of men. The large, heavy sandbag on her back seemed to press her even shorter, making her look shaky and utterly pitiful.
Even the usually taciturn Shitou couldn’t help but ask, "Can you handle it?"
"I can," He Yan replied with a smile.
Seeing her cheerful expression, the others relaxed slightly, thinking that despite his frail appearance, this spirited young lad must still have some strength.
In her heart, He Yan cursed Xiao Jue ten thousand times.
Such a load would have been no problem in the past. But Miss He’s delicate frame, no matter how hard she trained, couldn’t be turned into a powerhouse overnight.
So yes, it was really heavy.
(End of Chapter)
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