Chapter 84: The Spear

Wu Yi abruptly sprang up from his bed. The other men roused as well, some groggy and bewildered. “What’s going on?” someone muttered.

“Assembly!” Wu Yi quickly recovered his wits. “Hurry up and assemble!”

Assembly drills were among their training routines, though they had practiced only a handful of times. Their squad’s performance was commendable. Xu Wenshan was exacting about assembly times—if they took too long, he would berate them mercilessly. As a result, everyone scrambled desperately to get dressed.

They finally made it to the parade ground, and once everyone was lined up, Xu Wenshan addressed them. “You’re all as slow as turtles. Did you think that after a few days of assembly drills, there’d never be another one? Let me tell you, if someone tried to raid your camp and you reacted this sluggishly, you’d all be dead before you knew it.”

The soldiers lowered their heads, stifling their indignation. Xu Wenshan continued, “Today isn’t an assembly drill. It’s a surprise march. Your task is to reach the target thirty li from here. The moment you arrive, you can start a fire and eat. The last squad to arrive will run twenty laps around the field as punishment. Understood?”

“Understood!”

“Louder!”

“Understood!”

“Begin.” With that, Xu Wenshan mounted his horse and rode to the front.

Wu Yi’s eyes widened. A forced march of thirty li in the dead of night—anyone could collapse from exhaustion! But what could they do? They had to run.

The unit set off from the parade ground, streaming out of the village in the predawn darkness.

At last, as dawn broke, they reached their destination. Watching the army arrive, Xu Wenshan noted with satisfaction that their first instinct was to stamp their feet and fall into formation, rather than collapsing on the spot. For the first time, a glimmer of true military discipline shone through.

With the aid of Spider Spirit and Saya, he had learned everything about Windstone Village—even the village chief’s most trivial actions. If he’d wanted to destroy Windstone Village, he could have done so alone, swiftly and unseen. But he didn’t want to annihilate them.

Windstone Village possessed complete techniques and facilities for salt production—a resource he coveted. Massacring the villagers would only leave him with a deserted salt mine, but no salt.

His aim was to make the people of Deer Crane Ravine strong enough to subdue Windstone Village, to conquer and cow them, so that he could truly seize control of the salt mines.

This forced march revealed to him that the villagers of Deer Crane Ravine had real potential.

War is the art of coordinated violence; it’s not one hero against a hundred, but a contest of organization and discipline.

If a unit can still form ranks after a grueling forced march, it means they possess a deep sense of discipline.

Only a force that keeps discipline at heart can truly obey commands without hesitation.

“Well done. Start your fires and cook here. Rest for a while, but not too long—your next task is to return to camp before noon. The last to arrive, as before, will be punished with more laps!” Xu Wenshan declared.

…

Perhaps the forced march had put Xu Wenshan in high spirits, for the equipment Wu Yi had long dreamed of finally arrived: helmets, half-armor, and shoulder guards. Though these seemed rudimentary even for this world, they were the most practical gear Xu Wenshan could produce with current resources.

Wu Yi’s issued weapon was a spear—a full five meters in length.

Many were disappointed when they received these weapons, none more so than Lei Tiger.

“This thing’s heavy and awkward—what’s the use?” Lei Tiger hefted the spear, frowning.

Beside him, Honest Li said, “I’m sure the officer has his reasons.”

By Xu Wenshan’s order, all soldiers in camp addressed him only as “Officer.”

Lei Tiger shot Li a look. “What reason? You can’t kill anyone with this.”

Seeing Li still unconvinced, Lei Tiger rolled up his sleeves, picked up a branch from the ground, and said, “Don’t believe me? Let’s try it. You use that thing, and I’ll use this branch as a knife.”

Li thought it might be fun and nodded.

On the parade ground, the soldiers formed their usual hollow square, but this time they faced inward to witness a contest between the two squad leaders, Lei Tiger and Honest Li.

Honest Li, holding the newly issued standard spear, looked solid and stolid. Facing him was Lei Tiger, burly and bearded, gripping a branch with arms as thick as old tree limbs.

Wu Yi acted as referee. He glanced between the two. “Ready… Begin!”

The match started. Honest Li lowered his spear with a whoosh, gripping it with hands spread, the tip aimed straight at Lei Tiger. Lei Tiger moved his feet, body sidestepping several meters, but the spearhead tracked him relentlessly.

Lei Tiger gave a faint smile, letting the branch dangle as if he’d given up. Honest Li thrust forward; the spear tip neared Lei Tiger’s chest, but he dodged and spun, circling behind Li’s off-hand.

Switching hands with such a long spear was difficult—if an opponent seized the off-hand side, they could easily close in and endanger the spearman’s life.

But Honest Li quickly jabbed the spear tip into the ground, raised his hand, and reversed his grip, turning his disadvantage into a fresh attack. Lei Tiger’s branch pointed at Li, poised to strike, but Li parried with the spear shaft and kicked at Lei Tiger. Tiger protected his belly with his arm, absorbing the blow and simply being shoved back a bit.

Honest Li swept the spear sideways; Lei Tiger retreated just beyond its reach, standing at ease while Li was already breathing hard.

Though it looked as if Lei Tiger had taken a kick, he was in fact holding the upper hand. Honest Li’s long weapon drained his stamina, while Lei Tiger, agile and quick, could advance or withdraw at will, leaving Li on the defensive.

“What’s going on here?” someone suddenly asked from outside the crowd.

“Isn’t it obvious? They’re sparring!” someone replied without turning his head.

A nearby man tapped him on the shoulder. He turned to see Xu Wenshan himself. Instantly, his tongue froze and he dared not breathe.

Honest Li drove his spear forward, but Lei Tiger skillfully stepped in, seized the spear, and struck at Li’s hand with his branch. Li’s defenses crumbled; he was completely outmatched.

Lei Tiger tossed Li’s spear aside with a grin. “I win.”

Li admitted defeat, crestfallen.

Lei Tiger chuckled. His opening moves weren’t meant to win at once but to force Li to switch to an unfamiliar grip. With Li off-balance, Lei Tiger seized the moment and secured victory in one burst.

A round of applause broke out. The men turned to see Xu Wenshan clapping.

“Well done,” Xu Wenshan praised.

Lei Tiger straightened his chest with pride.

“But who gave you leave to gather a crowd and cause trouble during training?” Xu Wenshan’s tone changed abruptly.

Faces fell all around.

“Twenty laps around the field for each of you! And in full armor!”

Groans and sighs echoed throughout the ranks.