Legend of the Female General

Chapter 55: Jiang Jiao

The summer at Liangzhou Garrison was long and grueling, filled with endless days of arduous training that were both monotonous and exhausting. Yet, somehow, the days passed one after another—Minor Heat gave way to Major Heat, and soon after Major Heat, autumn would begin.

Training under the scorching sun quickly forged the new recruits of Liangzhou Garrison into men of remarkable endurance and resolve. Every month, aside from crossbow practice and morning weighted runs, they also trained in whip-blades, formation drills, spearmanship, swordsmanship, and mounted archery—though the latter was practiced less frequently due to the limited number of horses at the garrison.

"Brother He, your flatbread." Xiao Mai handed the dry rations to He Yan.

The round bread had been roasted over charcoal, crispy and savory. With each bite, even the crumbs carried warmth. He Yan chewed a few mouthfuls, then gulped down a large swig of water, feeling the emptiness in her stomach instantly soothed—an indescribable comfort.

Hong Shan stared at He Yan, puzzled. "A-He, something doesn’t add up. You eat the same as us every day, sometimes even get extra treats, so how are you still so thin and... small?" He barely managed to swallow the word "short."

He Yan: "..."

Was it her fault?

Her sworn brother, that "useless young master" Cheng Li Su, dropped by every now and then to secretly slip her some food—sometimes a handful of pine nuts, sometimes a few strips of jerky, and once, he even brought her a bowl of soup, claiming he’d "borrowed" it from his uncle.

Every time he handed her something, Cheng Li Su would nervously urge, "Quick, quick, eat it here—don’t let my uncle see." It was like a covert prison visit. Sometimes, He Yan really didn’t want to accept it—why bother? But then again, there was no reason to turn down good food, and Cheng Li Su’s offerings were genuinely delicious.

Yet, even with these extra snacks, He Yan hadn’t managed to bulk up. Instead, the relentless training and constant sweating had left her even leaner after a few months, making her look all the more pitiable.

But this "pitiable" figure had recently stunned the Liangzhou Garrison with her crossbow skills, earning the title of "boss" from a scar-faced bandit-turned-recruit and costing countless recruits their dry rations—a memory still fresh in everyone’s minds. Nowadays, He Yan was something of a celebrity.

Since then, no one had challenged her to a duel, much to her relief. Her current focus was figuring out how to catch Xiao Jue’s attention, hoping to indirectly secure a place in the Nine Banners Battalion.

Today’s training was spearmanship. The long spears on the Martial Arts Field were mostly made of hardwood—sturdy yet flexible shafts with short, sharp tips.

Instructor Liang demonstrated a series of spear techniques on the platform while the recruits mimicked below. After some practice, they had made decent progress. He Yan wasn’t particularly skilled with the spear—she was more accustomed to the sword. Now, as the petite Miss He, handling a spear felt even more awkward, as though her movements were constrained.

After finishing his demonstration, Instructor Liang let the recruits practice on their own while he walked among them to observe. When he reached He Yan, he couldn’t help but pause and study her for a moment.

After all, her crossbow skills from before were unforgettable. This recruit deserved attention. Yet, over the past few days, Instructor Liang had also noticed that while He Yan was decent with whip-blades, formation drills, spears, and swords, none of it stood out as extraordinary. The only surprising aspect was her mounted archery—but without any recent competitions, it was hard to gauge her true skill.She trained diligently every day, including crossbow practice and weighted running, never slacking off. Yet Instructor Liang still had a feeling that this young man seemed to be holding back, displaying only a fraction of his true abilities each day.

He walked over to where Instructor Du Mao was stationed. Du was also making his rounds, surrounded by several other instructors who were pointing at a new recruit and discussing something.

As Liang Ping approached, he overheard their conversation.

"Truly worthy of being from a martial arts family. Look at how he handles that spear—impressive!"

"I’d say he’s even more skilled than you, Old Du. I’ve never seen this spear technique before!"

"The kid isn’t even that old, probably just seventeen or eighteen. Must’ve trained since childhood."

Liang Ping asked, "Who are you talking about?"

"That one—the recruit under Instructor Du, standing at the far left in the front row. The tall one, see him?"

Following the pointing finger, Liang Ping spotted a young man in tight-fitting attire practicing with a spear. The youth had thick eyebrows, striking features, and an air of determination, with a hint of arrogance in his bearing. His footwork was steady, and his spear movements were dazzling—not just for show. Liang Ping could sense the lethal intent behind every motion.

"Excellent!" Liang Ping couldn’t help but praise.

"Indeed, he’s quite good," Du Mao said proudly. "I’ve tested him a few times—he has real skill. His name is Jiang Jiao. His father runs a martial arts school in the capital."

"Then why did he enlist?" Liang Ping was surprised. The young master of a martial arts school might not be extravagantly wealthy, but he certainly wouldn’t lack for food or comfort in an ordinary household.

"Great ambitions, my friend. Don’t you understand the aspirations of a true man?" Du Mao said. "I admire such young men!"

Someone interjected, "I wonder who’s better—this Jiang Jiao or He Yan from Old Liang’s group?"

The surroundings fell silent at the question. Du Mao looked thoughtfully at Liang Ping, who instinctively replied, "He Yan has a natural talent for the crossbow, but his spear skills are mediocre. He’s no match for Jiang Jiao."

It was a joke—He Yan was small and slight, while Jiang Jiao was tall and robust. Archery and spear combat were entirely different. In archery, the targets were straw dummies, birds, or beasts. But spear combat was a direct clash between two people, where even a slight misstep could lead to injury or bloodshed. Jiang Jiao had trained in martial arts since childhood—how could He Yan possibly compete? If Jiang Jiao ended up beating He Yan senseless, where would Liang Ping find another sharpshooter like him?

"Now, Old Liang, that’s not entirely fair," Du Mao said, undeterred, slinging an arm over Liang Ping’s shoulder. "At first, your He Yan always lagged behind in running, but now he does it with ease. At first, he couldn’t even draw a bow, but now he can shoot blindfolded. If you say he’s no good now, who’s to say he won’t improve in ten days? As an instructor, you can’t be too protective of your recruits. After all, they’ll have to go to the battlefield someday."

The others chimed in, "Right, right! Old Du makes a good point. Old Liang, you can’t coddle your recruits."

Good point my foot! Liang Ping fumed inwardly. These troublemakers just wanted to stir up drama—they had no good intentions.

"Instructor Liang, I’d like to spar with He Yan too."Liang Ping turned around to find the young man named Jiang Jiao standing behind him, having already set down his spear at some point. He had likely overheard the instructors' discussion and abruptly made this request.

Liang Ping didn't answer immediately, pondering how to decline.

"May I?" Jiang Jiao, seemingly unaware of his hesitation, asked again.

(End of Chapter)