Officer Chen

Chen Sanshi was drenched in sweat, even his eyes stinging with it. His strength was nearly spent, but if he gritted his teeth, he felt like he could still hold on a while longer.

Was this the chemical reaction produced by astonishing endurance paired with the Vast Exhalation Breathing Technique?

Still, he had not won easily.

After all, Xu Bin was also a martial officer who had practiced for years and reached Minor Accomplishment in Blood Refining.

This battle had helped Chen Sanshi quite a bit.

Technique: Basic Soldier Spear Technique (Beginner)

Progress: (52/500)

Effect: Spear force swift and fierce; astonishing endurance

He had personally experienced the effects of those two attributes.

Against anyone at the same level, within seven paces, they would be stabbed to death before they could even draw their blade!

His spear technique was not merely enduring—it was swift and fierce as well.

Long-lasting, and fierce!

"Good!"

From the high platform, Xiang Tingchun called out loudly, his eyes full of gratification.

The soldiers watching the fight clapped and cheered even more.

"Fierce!"

Zhu Tong shouted the loudest.

Xu Wencai craned his neck, watching with great excitement. "From what I see, Brother Chen faintly possesses the aura of a king. He is bound to achieve great things someday!"

"What the hell can you see?"

Zhu Tong cursed, "You ought to figure yourself out first! It's been ten days, and you still haven't learned a single stance exercise properly. Just wait to be sent off to repair city walls!"

"..."

"Brother Chen truly is formidable!"

Song Yan was filled with admiration.

Xu Bin's heart had turned to ashes.

Before hundreds of people, he had lost to a newcomer.

There would be no chance for him to rise any further during the rest of his military career.

Not only that, he had offended Chen Sanshi in this fight.

His earlier attitude toward Chen Sanshi had been poor enough, and he had never shown him a pleasant face.

This time, he had attacked viciously and shown no mercy whatsoever. If Chen Sanshi held a grudge, then once he rose to a high position, would it not be easy for him to make things difficult for Xu Bin?

"You won."

Xu Bin picked up his saber and slunk away from the field.

Chen Sanshi did not even have time to say anything.

On the high platform, Xiang Tingchun was exceedingly satisfied with the contest. He looked toward the civil official who had come with him.

"Wang Zhi told me about this before, but I did not believe him. Now it seems that our Poyang Thousand Households Command has truly produced the makings of a great general!

"Assistant Magistrate Zhang, no problem, right?"

"No problem."

Assistant Magistrate Zhang had already checked the military registry. "Once I return, I will submit a report to the Governor-General of Liangzhou's Mansion, clearly recording Chen Sanshi's qualifications for elite selection."

This work should originally have been handled personally by the county magistrate.

However, the county magistrate was dead, and the new magistrate had not yet been transferred over, so the assistant magistrate was temporarily filling the role.

"Mm."

Xiang Tingchun nodded and signaled for Chen Sanshi to withdraw first, then continued assessing the other newcomers of this batch.

"How many have cultivated blood qi? How many learned the spear technique within ten days?"

Of the thirty-eight men, six stepped forward.

Xiang Tingchun ordered, "Pair up and fight for me to see."

"Yes!"

The six accepted the order.

Before the time it took to burn one incense stick, all the matches had ended, and everyone's results were more or less clear.

"Song Yan is not bad. In a few more days, he should be able to cultivate blood qi as well."

Xiang Tingchun pondered. "His qualifications for elite selection in the latter half of next year should not be a problem.

"You are called Zhu... Zhu Tong? You are not bad either!

"For this batch to produce seven Warrior Recruits is the highest Poyang County has seen in all these years.

"Alright, you may withdraw for now as well.

"The rest of you, directly demonstrate your stance exercises for me."

The thirty-two men began their stance exercises.

Around fifteen or sixteen of them had not even learned the stance exercises yet.

The most outrageous was a middle-aged man with a goatee who could not perform a single movement!

Xiang Tingchun frowned tightly at the sight and lost patience to keep watching.

"Enough. The assessment ends here.

"Chen Sanshi!"

"Here!" Chen Sanshi answered.

"From this day onward, you are promoted to Officer Chen. In addition to the benefits due an officer, you will be assigned one superior warhorse!"

Xiang Tingchun looked to the side. "Wang Zhi, you brought him here. From now on, he will be under your command. You have room under you, yes?"

"Yes, yes, yes."

Wang Zhi hurriedly replied, "There are several open spots."

"..."

Xiang Tingchun continued, "The rest will fill the vacancies under the various Hundred Household Commanders. If your cultivation breaks through in the future, or if you earn military merit, you may be promoted further!"

Having overseen the assessment, he hurriedly departed.

The various Hundred Household Commanders remained behind to handle the ensuing trivial matters.

First, they divided the soldiers by rank, then decided who would command whom.

Whenever the Elite Selection Officer came each year to receive recruits, it was also when superiors sent people down to investigate ghost payrolls.

The inspections had become stricter in recent years, and the practice had greatly diminished, though it had not vanished entirely.

A Thousand Household Office should have roughly 1,120 men at full strength.

Poyang County reported approximately one thousand men.

In reality, there were only a little over nine hundred.

In other words, there were nearly a hundred vacancies still open.

Among the thirty-odd men, anyone who looked passable enough to get through an inspection was taken away by the various martial officers to fill those vacancies.

Chen Sanshi's command was not at full strength either. He had seven men.

There was Zhu Tong, who had loudly volunteered to join him; four fellow villagers; and two men sent here as penal soldiers.

Very soon, only two or three old, weak, sick, and disabled men remained in the field, wanted by no one. They were the sort who looked worse than a beggar hired off the street at random.

"You fucking can't even hold a horse stance? Send him to the neighboring county to repair city walls!"

"No, no, no, my lord! This humble one can do menial labor!"

"Menial labor? Can you feed horses?"

"I can learn!"

"Learn? Who has the time to teach you? Cut the nonsense. Drag him away!"

Xu Wencai was one of those nobody wanted.

"Brother Chen!"

Seeing that he was about to be hauled away, Xu Wencai rushed over like he had spotted a life-saving straw. He clutched Chen Sanshi's arm tightly. "Do you need men under you? Let me follow you, let me follow you!"

"Don't come ruin things for us!"

Zhu Tong was disgusted. "When we go into battle someday, you can't do anything. Won't you drag us down to our deaths?"

"Who says I can't do anything?"

Xu Wencai declared with utter certainty, "Brother Chen, I, Xu Wencai, know astronomy above and geography below. I excel at deploying troops and arranging formations, and I understand the management of government affairs. Other than being too old to master martial arts, there is nothing I cannot do. Take me, and I guarantee you will not lose out!"

"Enough nonsense."

Commander Liu gave a look, and two soldiers came forward and pinned Xu Wencai down.

At that moment, Chen Sanshi cupped his fists and spoke. "Commander Liu, give this man to me."

"Are you sure?"

Commander Liu looked baffled. "You are not worried about wasting one of your slots? Think this through."

The matter of ghost payrolls had nothing to do with Chen Sanshi, a newcomer.

In other words, he did not need to make up numbers, and naturally the stronger the Combat Power of the men beneath him, the better.

"It's fine."

Chen Sanshi insisted, "I can have him feed my horse later."

"Alright."

Commander Liu said no more. "As you wish. If you regret it, tell me anytime."

"Phew..."

No longer needing to repair city walls, Xu Wencai let out a long breath. "Brother Chen truly has an eye for talent!"

"He is just too kind-hearted and got fooled by you!" Zhu Tong cursed.

About half an hour later, the soldiers had basically all been assigned.

The steward in charge of the main storehouse handed Chen Sanshi several slips and told him that he could use them to collect resources.

There was Blood Replenishing Soup, a weapons voucher, and a horse.

"I still owe Officer Xu a bow."

Chen Sanshi was not one to evade a debt, but he could not find Xu Bin among the crowd for the moment. "Forget it. I will go look at the horse first."

Horses were extremely precious strategic resources.

Not every officer had one.

The entire Poyang Thousand Households Command had fewer than thirty in total.

"Officer Chen, your horse is no ordinary horse!"

The main storehouse steward said with a beaming smile, "Lord Thousand Households went to great lengths to acquire this superior White Crane from the prefectural city. There are only two in total. The fact that he is willing to give you one shows how highly he values you. Officer Chen, your future is boundless!"

He instructed a groom to lead a fine horse out from the stable.

The horse was snow-white from head to hoof. Its muscles were strong, yet its build was well-proportioned. When a gust of wind passed through, its mane fluttered like clouds in the sky.

"Would Officer Chen like to try it? But be careful."

The steward reminded him, "This horse has a very fierce temper."

"I like them fierce."

Chen Sanshi swung himself onto the horse.

Skill: Horsemanship (Not Initiated)

Progress: (0/100)

Effect: None