At dawn.
The blare of horns echoed through the Military Colony.
The soldiers headed for the Military Camp under the farewells of their families.
Sun Li and her younger brother also donned their armor, took up their weapons, and went into battle.
"Sanshi."
Sun Buqi hurried after him. "I looked into the grasslands for you. The men under that Luo fellow, the thousand-man commander, said he never left alone. Could it be that Tang Ruoshan was too useless and got exposed?"
"Perhaps."
Chen Sanshi did not refute him, nor could he be bothered to.
For the people of the Governor's Mansion, evidence was required to get things done.
He did not need to play by those rules.
Sun Li said, "Don't worry, Junior Brother. We'll keep an eye on him."
They arrived at the Military Camp.
After Xiang Tingchun delivered a lengthy speech, all the officers and soldiers moved into the Great Wall.
For the days ahead, they would eat, drink, piss, and sleep inside the Great Wall. Anyone wishing to leave needed permission.
Each Hundred Household Commander was responsible for two watchtowers, a stretch of twenty li.
The remaining two hundred martial arts school disciples and over two hundred newly enlisted recruits were scattered among them.
The commoners were tasked with boiling golden juice, hauling rolling logs, boulders, arrows, and other such tools.
Xiang Tingchun, Luo Dongquan, and Yuan Danzhi—the three Viscera Refining Martial Artists—personally patrolled day and night.
In addition, a team of Night Watchers left the city each night to scout.
This assignment did not fall to Chen Sanshi again.
All that remained was to wait.
Three days passed.
Chen Sanshi's swordsmanship had rapidly advanced to Bone Tempering Entry Level, and it would no longer hold him back in combat.
"My lord, we're finished!"
After several days