Sharpness Revealed

The atmosphere inside the breakfast tent was completely different from yesterday.

Wei Zhe's squad, all ten of them, sat with their heads held high and chests puffed out in the most conspicuous spot. Each of their pottery bowls contained an extra piece of glistening, fatty meat. This was the reward for victory and Shi Meng's public acknowledgment of their performance yesterday.

Envious glances were cast their way by other new recruits. Some even approached them proactively, wanting to strike up a conversation, their words full of flattery.

"Eat up quickly, there's still training after this," Wei Zhe said calmly, dividing half the meat from his bowl to a scrawny teammate beside him.

The young man was overwhelmed with gratitude and repeatedly waved his hands, but under Wei Zhe's unyielding gaze, he gratefully ate the meat.

Hu Lei watched and nodded, his respect for Wei Zhe growing even more. Strong but not bullying, imposing but not arrogant—this was the kind of leader worth following to the death.

After breakfast, training continued.

Today's session was Glaive formation drills. The Glaive was the basic equipment for Great Qin infantry, over ten feet long and possessing multiple functions like hooking, chopping, thrusting, and slashing. It was immensely powerful in battle formations.

Shi Meng personally demonstrated a few basic thrusting and blocking movements. His actions were grand and expansive, filled with the fierce practicality of the battlefield.

"Did you see clearly? Ten thousand repetitions of tedious practice are needed to earn even one moment of survival on the battlefield! Now, train by squad!"

After Shi Meng gave the order, he crossed his arms and stood aside, observing with a cold eye.

The new recruits picked up the heavy Glaives and began to imitate clumsily. The Glaives were too long and extremely difficult to control. Many swung them unevenly, even bumping into their comrades, causing chaos and curses.

"Look at me!"

Wei Zhe let out a low shout. He held his Glaive, stood steadily, and re-emphasized the breathing techniques he had taught yesterday.

"The Glaive is an extension of your arm! Don't just swing it with brute force; feel its center of gravity and use the strength of your waist and abdomen to move your entire body!"

As he spoke, the Glaive in his hand moved.

A simple thrust was as fast as lightning. The tip of the Glaive made a slight whistling sound as it cut through the air, stopping precisely on a fallen leaf three paces away, not an inch off.

This display immediately stunned all the squad members.

"Strength must rise from your feet, travel to your hips, and then flow through to your arms. It's like forging iron; the hammer itself has no power. The real power comes from the person swinging it!"

Wei Zhe explained the "forceful flow" principle from the Thousand Refinement Force using the simplest analogy.

He didn't hold back. He knew clearly that one person's strength was not true strength; only the strength of a team could allow him to go further in this brutal military camp.

Under his guidance, the ten members of his squad quickly found their rhythm. Although their movements were still awkward, the initial chaos was gone. With each thrust and retraction, a hint of order began to emerge.

This scene naturally fell into the eyes of several veteran squad leaders not far away.

"Hmph, this kid really thinks he's someone," a squad leader with a scarred face named Qian Hu spat dismissively.

"Brother Hu, this kid is incredibly strange. Even Instructor Shi Meng was outsmarted by him. Let's not provoke him," a veteran beside him advised in a low voice.

"Nonsense!" Qian Hu's eyes widened. "Shi Meng was caught off guard! Besides, what if he's good at fighting? This is a military camp; it's about formations and battle lines! What kind of waves can a new recruit like him make with nine losers?"

Qian Hu was the leader among the veteran squad leaders. He had seniority and many battle merits, and he always looked down on new recruits. Wei Zhe's actions last night were, in his eyes, a serious provocation to their authority as veterans.

He had to regain face.

At lunchtime, the drills ended.

Just as Wei Zhe was leading his squad to get their food, Qian Hu, with his own soldiers, swaggeringly blocked their path.

"Kid, I heard you're quite good at fighting?" Qian Hu looked Wei Zhe up and down, his eyes full of scrutiny and contempt.

"Is there something?" Wei Zhe frowned slightly.

"Nothing major," Qian Hu grinned, revealing a mouth full of yellow teeth. "I just saw how 'well-trained' your squad is and wanted to spar a bit, exchange pleasantries."

The veterans behind him let out a burst of malicious laughter.

Wei Zhe's squad members immediately tensed up, each gripping their Glaives tightly and looking at the other side warily. Hu Lei even stepped forward, blocking Wei Zhe like a wall.

"What? Scared?" Qian Hu gestured with his chin towards Wei Zhe. "Don't think you're hot stuff just because you beat a few useless guys. I'm telling you, on the battlefield, individual bravery is useless. Teamwork is king!"

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

"Direct!" Seeing that he had taken the bait, a hint of triumph flashed in Qian Hu's eyes. "Let's bet on formation drills! Five against five, using training wooden Glaives. Whichever side knocks three opponents out of the ring first loses. The stakes... I don't need your life. The losing squad's meat rations for the next month go to the winner! What do you say, dare you play?"

A month's worth of meat!

This was a huge gamble in the austere military camp.

The veterans under Qian Hu licked their lips, already imagining Wei Zhe and his men gnawing on barley bread with crestfallen faces.

Wei Zhe's squad members, however, had faces ashen. They were all new recruits, while the other side were veterans who had seen battle. How could they possibly compare?

All eyes turned to Wei Zhe.

Wei Zhe's gaze swept over Qian Hu's confident face, then looked at the battle-hardened veterans behind him. A subtle curve suddenly appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"Alright, I'll bet."

His straightforward answer stunned everyone.

"However, I have one condition." Wei Zhe held up three fingers. "We are new recruits, and you are veterans. It's not fair to compete like this. If you want to compete, fine. Give me three days. Three days from now, in the same place, we'll settle the score."

"Three days?" Qian Hu was taken aback, then burst into laughter. "Hahahaha! Good! Don't say three days, even thirty days won't be enough for you new recruits to win! I'll make you admit defeat wholeheartedly!"

"It's a deal!"

"It's a deal!"

Their gazes met in the air, as if sparks were flying.

Not far away, Shi Meng took in the entire scene. He didn't intervene, merely stroked his chin, his eyes growing deeper.

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

If you find this book to your liking, be sure to add it to your bookshelf to avoid losing it next time.