A Monk for a Day, a Bell for a Day

"Thank you, sir. I understand." Chen Mo clasped his hands in thanks, unable to suppress his joy.

His long years of effort had not been in vain. By passing the selection and becoming one of General Sun's guards, he had not exactly risen to the heavens in a single step, but it was still an extremely rare opportunity.

"Don't call me sir. From now on, you and I are comrades-in-arms. My name is Mo Hu. Just call me Fifth Brother, like the others do." Mo Hu's face was full of smiles, and his manner was cordial.

Chen Mo would also be a guard from now on, so there was not much difference between their statuses. With such strength, he would certainly make a name for himself.

There was no need to put on a cold face and shut him out from a thousand miles away when showing him goodwill cost nothing.

"Your younger brother Chen Mo pays his respects to Fifth Brother." Chen Mo clasped his hands and saluted.

"Before we came, the general instructed us that every soldier who could directly become a guard was to receive five taels of silver as a resettlement allowance. Keep this money safe."

Mo Hu took a five-tael ingot of silver from his robes and stuffed it into Chen Mo's hand.

"Don't spend it recklessly. Buy yourself two better sets of clothes and some shoes. The Guard Camp issues military uniforms, but you can't wear them all the time." Mo Hu glanced at Chen Mo's attire and carefully reminded him.

Clothes and shoes were not cheap. Any spare money Chen Mo had went toward food, so he was still wearing old clothes and worn-out shoes.

"Your younger brother understands." Chen Mo smiled awkwardly. If he had a choice, he naturally wanted to dress better, but the crux of the matter was that he had no money.

Fortunately, now that he had these five taels of silver, he could buy two sets of clothes and shoes tomorrow. The weather was growing colder, and he truly ought to purchase some thicker garments.

"Good. Go rest for now." Mo Hu waved his hand.

Chen Mo walked over to rest. The few people who had previously lifted the two-hundred-pound stone wheel hurriedly stepped aside when they saw him approach, clearing a space for him.

Ma Cai gave him a thumbs-up from a distance. He was genuinely astonished that Chen Mo had managed to lift the three-hundred-pound stone wheel. After all, he had never known that Chen Mo possessed such a skill.

But he was also happy that Chen Mo had become a guard.

For one thing, the two of them got along fairly well. For another, now that Chen Mo was a guard too, the two of them could stand together in the Guard Camp. That was naturally a good thing.

Several more soldiers tried to lift the two-hundred-pound stone wheel, but most of them ended in failure. One after another, they left, and soon it was Ma Cai's turn.

Although he was confident he could lift it, he still found it hard to conceal his nervousness. In the end, however, he smoothly raised the two-hundred-pound stone wheel.

He had never properly studied martial arts. Fortunately, he was naturally well-built and had spent some time tempering his strength, so this was not difficult for him.

After lifting the two-hundred-pound stone wheel, he walked toward the three-hundred-pound one. He knew there was a high chance he would not be able to lift it, but he still wanted to try.

He could feel that many people had already focused their gazes on him.

But if he could not lift it, he simply could not lift it. No amount of gritting his teeth would help.

He did not dare force himself to try, either. Failing to lift it was one thing, but if he injured himself by exerting too much force, that would be a real loss.

When they saw that Ma Cai had failed to lift it, the crowd lost interest and stopped watching him.

Mo Hu could not help letting out a soft sigh. He had originally thought that his luck was extraordinarily good this time, that he had actually encountered two people born with great strength.

It seemed he had been letting his imagination run wild. Meeting one such person was already fortunate—how could he possibly encounter two in succession?

"Mo-ge." Ma Cai was not disappointed in the slightest. He had known from the start that he was unlikely to lift it.

The reason he had tried was simply that he figured there was nothing to lose by giving it a shot.

When the others heard him address Chen Mo with such familiarity, curiosity and envy appeared in their eyes.

Chen Mo was already one of General Sun's guards, while they still had to pass round after round of selection and assessment.

Without a doubt, knowing a guard would certainly help with the selection they were about to undergo.

It was just that they were not familiar with Chen Mo at all. Even if they wanted to curry favor with him now, it would not be easy.

Some of those who had seen Chen Mo a few times earlier felt somewhat regretful. If they had known he possessed such ability, they should have spent more time associating with him instead of now being unable even to open their mouths to flatter and please him.

The assessment on the drill ground continued. In the end, apart from Chen Mo, another seventeen people passed.

Yet how many of them could smoothly pass the other assessments and truly become guards remained difficult to say.

Even Ma Cai did not dare guarantee that he would definitely succeed. He could only say that under equal conditions, his chances of being selected were higher than other people's.

"All of you will remain stationed at this military camp. On the day after tomorrow, at the Chen hour, Chen Mo will lead you to assemble on the drill ground. Anyone late will not be accepted." Mo Hu looked at the soldiers who had passed the selection and issued the order coldly and loudly.

Everyone acknowledged the order in unison, naturally daring not utter another word.

"Fifth Brother, I still have some matters to attend to. You rest here for a day first. The day after tomorrow, I'll take you to the Guard Camp."

When Mo Hu spoke to Chen Mo, his manner was much more amiable.

Aside from Chen Mo now being a guard like him, the most important reason was that he would later be responsible for training Ma Cai and the others. Therefore, he definitely could not show them a friendly face now.

"Brother, go ahead without worry. Your younger brother understands." Chen Mo clasped his hands and saw Mo Hu and the other two guards off as they rode away.

"If any of you have matters to attend to, go deal with them yourselves. Pack up anything you need to take with you as well, and come here to gather at the Mao hour the day after tomorrow."

Chen Mo looked at the remaining soldiers. He had no intention of restraining or managing them.

Since these people had been willing to participate in the selection, they all clearly wanted to become General Sun's guards. Now that they had passed, they would certainly come the day after tomorrow. There was no need for him to meddle.

If someone truly encountered an accident and could not make it, that would simply be his own bad luck. He could blame no one else.

Even so, Chen Mo still required them to arrive early. There was no other reason: by coming early, they could wait for Mo Hu.

And if Mo Hu arrived early, he obviously would not go wait for them.

"We understand." The crowd answered in twos and threes, raising no objections.

The crowd dispersed, and Chen Mo and Ma Cai walked together toward the stables.

Inside the stables, Ding Bao and He Ma Guan were huffing and puffing as they worked. When they saw the two of them approaching, their expressions seemed to hold an indescribable peculiarity.

They were no longer as familiar as before. Instead, a trace of awkwardness mingled with the unfamiliarity.

"Let's get to work." Chen Mo called out and picked up a shovel from the side.

"Leave this work to us. You're General Sun's men now. How could we make you work?" He Ma Guan hurriedly tried to stop him.

Strictly speaking, ever since Chen Mo had lifted the three-hundred-pound stone wheel, he had become one of General Sun's guards. There was no way this work should still fall to him.

"What are you saying, Old Sir? A monk for a day, a bell for a day. We haven't left yet, so we can't just stand by and watch you work." Chen Mo spoke up.

Ever since he had come to this military camp, He Ma Guan had always treated him well and taken care of him in many ways.

Chen Mo was not the sort of person who would turn his back on someone the moment he gained a little status. He was certainly not someone who received kindness without repaying it.

When Ma Cai saw Chen Mo go to work, he wanted to return and rest, but he did not dare say so. He could only walk over to the side and start working as well.

He Ma Guan let out a soft sigh, his satisfaction with Chen Mo growing deeper. Even though Chen Mo was now one of General Sun's guards, he still treated this old horse handler with the utmost respect.

If he showed kindness to such a person, he would surely receive repayment in return.

It was just a pity. He understood that Chen Mo could no longer inherit his craft, so he would have to find another disciple.