Joining the Army

The recruitment office in Shuofang Commandery was set up in the most open square at the center of the small town.

In the past, this was a place where children chased each other and played, but today it was shrouded in an air of grim slaughter. A Great Qin army banner embroidered with a black Xuan bird flapped in the cold wind. Beneath the flagpole, a long table was set up, with several soldiers clad in armor indifferently scrutinizing every young man who came to enlist.

Dozens of people were already scattered sparsely across the square. Most, like Wei Zhe, were poor youths dressed in coarse cloth, their eyes filled with confusion about the future and a hint of desperate resolve.

Wei Zhe took a deep breath and joined the end of the line.

He could feel the outline of the Peace Talisman in his embrace and the cold touch of the short sword, which calmed his wildly beating heart a little.

"Name, origin, age!"

Behind the long table, a Squad Leader with a scar on his face asked without looking up, his voice hoarse and cold.

"Wang Ergou, Beacon Tower Town, seventeen," the young man in front of him replied nervously.

"Put your handprint here." The Squad Leader pointed to a square of red ink paste beside him.

The young man trembled as he pressed his thumb onto it, leaving a bright red mark on the bamboo roster.

"Next!"

The process was simple and fast, as if they weren't recruiting soldiers but registering a batch of livestock destined for the slaughterhouse.

Soon, it was Wei Zhe's turn.

"Name, origin, age!" The same question, devoid of any emotion.

"Wei Zhe, Blacksmith Shop, Beacon Tower Town, seventeen," Wei Zhe's voice was steady and strong, completely unlike the nervous youths around him.

The scarred Squad Leader finally looked up, his sharp gaze sweeping over Wei Zhe. He noticed Wei Zhe's unusual eyes, calm, resolute, and even carrying a hint of... longing?

This surprised him.

He had seen many come to enlist in the Northern Frontier out of desperation, and many who wanted to bring glory to their ancestors through military achievements, but a young man like the one before him, with such pure eyes, as if born for the battlefield, was extremely rare.

"From the blacksmith shop?" the Squad Leader asked, adding a question.

"Yes."

"You've got good strength." The Squad Leader nodded, pointing to a dark, heavy stone lock nearby. "Lift it and walk around the square once."

This stone lock weighed at least two hundred jin, the most basic strength test for new recruits. Some of the previous youths had barely managed to lift it, wobbling as they walked; others, their faces red, couldn't budge it at all and were ruthlessly rejected.

"Heh, another one who doesn't know his own limits."

In the line, a burly young man, as sturdy as a small mountain with dark skin, sneered dismissively. His name was Hu Lei, the son of a renowned hunter in the town, blessed with natural strength. He had just lifted the stone lock and walked with ease, drawing gasps of admiration. Now, he was basking in the crowd's attention with an arrogant expression.

Wei Zhe ignored him and walked straight to the stone lock.

He bent down, grabbed the cold stone rings with both hands, and the faint stream of energy in his dantian stirred slightly. The muscles in his arms instantly bulged.

"Lift!"

With a soft cry, the two-hundred-jin stone lock was steadily lifted above his head, the entire process appearing effortless.

The square fell silent instantly, all eyes focused on him.

Hu Lei's smug smile froze. While he could also lift it, he certainly couldn't do it as easily and gracefully as Wei Zhe.

Wei Zhe ignored the astonishment of the crowd, holding the stone lock, and strode with steady steps, walking a full circle around the square. His breathing was even, his steps stable, as if he wasn't holding a heavy stone lock but a bundle of straw.

Returning to his original spot, he gently placed the stone lock down, the sound far quieter than that of anyone else.

This precise control over his strength was even more astonishing than lifting the stone lock itself.

"Good!"

A spark of brilliance flashed in the scarred Squad Leader's eyes, and he couldn't help but cheer. He stood up, walked personally in front of Wei Zhe, and patted his shoulder heavily. "Kid, your name is Wei Zhe, right? I'll remember you. You're good material for a soldier!"

"Thank you for your praise, Squad Leader," Wei Zhe replied, neither humble nor arrogant.

"Put your handprint here." The Squad Leader's attitude had clearly become much friendlier.

Wei Zhe complied, leaving his mark on the roster.

"Alright, go over there to collect your gear," the Squad Leader pointed to the other side of the square.

There, the selected new recruits were receiving their equipment: a set of coarse black military uniforms, a long halberd, and a water pouch.

Wei Zhe walked over and collected his share.

When everyone had finished registering, the scarred Squad Leader walked to the front of the line.

"From today onwards, you are no longer farmers, hunters, or blacksmiths! You have only one identity: a soldier of Great Qin!"

"Here, there are no beauties gifting swords, nor strong liquor to send you off! The rules of the Northern Frontier are simple: survive, and then kill every enemy who dares to offend Great Qin!"

His voice was like the winter wind, chilling to the bone.

"Now, drink this bowl of wine, and you will officially be a member of my Northern Frontier Army!"

Several veteran soldiers brought forward large jars of strong liquor, filling each new recruit's earthenware bowl to the brim.

The wine was cloudy, its scent sharp and pungent.

"Drink!"

The Squad Leader raised his bowl first and drained it in one gulp.

Wei Zhe didn't hesitate. He picked up the bowl and tilted his head back, draining it in one go. The spicy liquor burned like a line of fire, searing from his throat all the way to his stomach, making his entire body boil.

"Cough, cough... That's some strong liquor!"

"This isn't liquor, it's like swallowing knives!"

The rookies were choked to the point of tears, their coughs rising and falling in waves.

Watching the sorry state of these new recruits, the Squad Leader and the veteran soldiers wore expressions of amusement.

"Remember this taste!" the Squad Leader roared. "On the battlefield, this will be your courage booster! Now, everyone, target: army camp, move out!"

At his command, this new recruit squad, composed of seventy to eighty youths, led by a few veteran soldiers, set foot on the dusty road leading to the army camp, leaving the small town that had raised them far behind.

And at the very moment Wei Zhe stepped out of the town's limits.

"Ding."

"Congratulations to the host for successfully enlisting in the army and completing the initial mission."

"Reward issued: One cubic meter of storage space. The size of the space will increase with the host's strength."

The cold system notification chimed again.

Wei Zhe's heart stirred, and he sank his consciousness into his mind. He "saw" a gray, cubical space, quietly suspended in the depths of his consciousness.

He tried to "place" the short saber in his arms and the Peace Talisman into it.

As soon as the thought arose, his arms felt lighter. The short saber and the Peace Talisman had already appeared within that space.

"This is indeed convenient!"

Wei Zhe was overjoyed. This storage space might seem insignificant, but in a communal environment like the army camp, it would provide him with immense convenience and allow him to hide many secrets.

He looked up towards the distance. On the horizon, the winding black Great Wall coiled like a giant dragon, sprawled across the vast expanse of heaven and earth.

That was his battlefield, and his starting point!