Sharpness Revealed

Inside the mess tent at breakfast, the atmosphere was completely different from yesterday.

Wei Zhe's squad, ten men holding their heads high and chests puffed out, sat in the most prominent spot, an extra piece of glistening, fatty meat resting in each person's clay bowl. This was the reward of victors, and also the public affirmation Shi Meng gave to their performance yesterday.

The other surrounding recruits cast envious gazes, some even proactively approaching to exchange a few words with them, their speech full of flattery.

"Eat quickly, everyone. There's still training after you finish," Wei Zhe said calmly, splitting half the meat from his own bowl and giving it to a thin-framed team member beside him.

The youth was flattered beyond measure, waving his hands repeatedly, yet under Wei Zhe's unquestionable gaze, he gratefully ate the meat.

Hu Lei watched and nodded repeatedly, his heart holding a few more fractions of admiration toward Wei Zhe. Strong without bullying, mighty without arrogance—such a boss was truly worthy of them following to the death.

After breakfast, training continued.

Today's event was the long halberd formation drill. The long halberd was the foundational equipment of Great Qin infantry, standing over a zhang in length and possessing multiple functions such as hooking, pecking, stabbing, and cleaving, carrying immense power within the battle array.

Instructor Shi Meng personally demonstrated several basic thrusting and parrying movements, his motions opening and closing widely, brimming with the unyielding strength of battlefield pragmatism.

"Did you understand it or not? Ten thousand tedious repetitions can trade for one survival on the battlefield! Now, take squads as units and drill yourselves!"

Once Shi Meng gave the order, he crossed his arms and stood off to the side, watching with cold eyes.

The recruits picked up the heavy long halberds and began clumsily imitating him. The halberds were overly long and extremely difficult to control, many of them swaying unsteadily as they brandished them, even striking neighboring comrades and drawing a patch of chaos and curses.

"Look at me, all of you!"

Wei Zhe let out a low bark, holding his long halberd and standing firmly, once more emphasizing the breathing technique taught yesterday.

"The long halberd is an extension of your arm! Do not use brute force to swing it; feel its center of gravity and use the strength of your waist and abdomen to drive your whole body!"

As he spoke, the long halberd in his hand moved.

A simple thrust, yet fast as lightning, the halberd tip emitting a faint tearing sound in the air and stopping precisely upon a fallen leaf three paces ahead, without the slightest deviation.

This single display instantly stunned all the team members.

"Strength must rise from beneath your feet, transmit to your waist and hips, and then run through to your arm. Just like blacksmithing, the hammer itself has no power; true power comes from the person swinging the hammer!"

Wei Zhe explained the technique of "force penetration" from Thousand Refinement Force using the most plain and accessible metaphors.

He did not keep secrets. He knew clearly that the strength of one person was not true strength, and the strength of a team could allow him to walk further in this cruel military camp.

Under his guidance, the ten men of the squad quickly found the feeling. Although their movements remained raw, the initial chaos was gone, and between every thrust and retraction, a trace of method gradually emerged.

Naturally, this scene also fell into the eyes of several veteran squad leaders not far away.

"Hmph, this brat really takes himself for some kind of big shot," a scarred squad leader named Qian Hu spat with disdain.

"Tiger Brother, this brat is freakishly weird; even Instructor Shi Meng took a tumble. We'd better not go provoke him," a nearby veteran advised in a low voice.

"Bullshit!" Qian Hu glared. "Shi Meng was just careless! Besides, so what if he can fight? This is the military camp; what counts is formation and battle array! A green recruit like him leading nine pieces of trash, what kind of waves can he possibly kick up?"

Qian Hu was the ringleader among this batch of veteran squad leaders, possessing old seniority and numerous battle achievements, and he always looked down on recruits. In his eyes, Wei Zhe's actions last night were a severe provocation to the authority of veterans like them.

He had to reclaim this territory.

At the noon hour, the drill concluded.

Just as Wei Zhe and his team members prepared to go collect their meals, Qian Hu led his subordinates and swaggeringly blocked their path.

"Brat, I hear you can fight quite well?" Qian Hu looked Wei Zhe up and down, his gaze full of pickiness and contempt.

"Something the matter?" Wei Zhe furrowed his brow slightly.

"Nothing major," Qian Hu grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth. "Just saw that your squad is 'well-trained' and wanted to have a sparring match with you guys to exchange some sentiments."

The veterans behind him all burst into a round of ill-intentioned jeers.

Wei Zhe's team members immediately grew tense, one by one gripping the long halberds in their hands and watching the other side with vigilance. Hu Lei stepped forward even further, blocking in front of Wei Zhe like a wall.

"What? Too scared?" Qian Hu pointed at Wei Zhe with his chin. "Don't think that winning against a few useless fellows makes you really think you're somebody. Let me tell you, on the battlefield personal martial prowess is worth a fart; team coordination is the king of the road!"

"How do you want to spar?" Wei Zhe patted Hu Lei's shoulder, signaling him to step back, and asked calmly.

"Refreshing!" Seeing him take the bait, Qian Hu flashed a trace of smugness in his eyes. "Let's bet on team drills! Five against five, using training wooden halberds—whichever side knocks three people from the opponent out of the ring first loses. As for the stakes... I won't take your life; the losing team's meat rations for the entire coming month will all go to the winner! Well then, dare you play or not?"

A month's worth of meat rations!

In this impoverished military camp, this was a heaven-reaching stake.

The veterans under Qian Hu all licked their lips, as if they had already seen Wei Zhe and the others gnawing on rye cakes with mournful faces.

Meanwhile, the team members behind Wei Zhe changed expressions drastically. They were all recruits, while the other side consisted of veterans who had been on the battlefield; how was this supposed to be a contest?

Everyone's gaze turned toward Wei Zhe.

Wei Zhe's gaze swept across Qian Hu's certain-of-victory face, then looked at the several battle-hardened veterans behind him, and suddenly a curve hooked at the corner of his mouth.

"Fine, I'll take the bet."

His crisp answer left everyone stunned.

"However, I have a condition." Wei Zhe extended three fingers. "We are recruits and you are veterans; this match isn't fair. If you want to fight, fine. Give me three days. Three days from now, in this exact same spot, we'll settle the victor."

"Three days?" Qian Hu was startled, then burst into loud laughter. "Hahahahaha! Good! Don't say three days—even if I gave you thirty days, this pack of green recruits still couldn't win! Daddy will make you lose so you're convinced with your whole heart!"

"A word is a deal!"

"A word is a deal!"

Their gazes intersected in the air, sparks seemingly flying.

Not far away, Shi Meng took in all of this. He did not step forward to stop them, merely rubbing his chin as his gaze grew increasingly profound.

"Brat, let me see just how many more surprises you can bring."