Intimidation

Lin Xuan tossed the wild boar and rabbits he had caught today onto the ground. "Eat first. I have a way to deal with the military farming matter.

This boar will take two or three days to finish. If there's still salt at home, cure it."

"You used to hate eating meat. This time, eat your fill."

Seeing how confident he was, the mother and daughter believed he truly had a solution. Their spirits lifted considerably. They put down their needlework and went to prepare the two animals.

Both of them were quietly delighted. It seemed supporting Lin Xuan's martial training had been an exceedingly correct decision.

His talent must be very high. The other men of the Lin Family had also tried cultivating Grand Ancestor Internal Strength, but none had progressed anywhere near as quickly as he had.

Lin Xuan wondered who exactly was trying to make trouble for him.

If he could not figure that out, many of his ideas could not be put into action.

Even if he wanted to kill that person, he first had to know who that person was.

"Lin Jie? Not likely. That trash is a Squad Leader himself. How could he possibly order two Squad Leaders around to come bark at me?"

Anyone who could send him off to military farming had to be at least a Flag Commander or Hundred-Household Commander.

And most likely, it was the officer in charge of his household registration.

He had no deep-seated grudge against anyone. Whoever was targeting him was doing it for profit; it had not reached the point of fighting to the death.

After only ten days of martial training, his strength already surpassed that of a robust laborer. He had immense potential. If he displayed his value and then offered some benefits, this problem could be resolved.

If that person was smart enough to recognize an investment, perhaps Lin Xuan would not even need to offer any benefits. He might even turn that person from an enemy into an ally.

Two hours later, the prey had been prepared. Roast rabbit and boiled pork covered the entire table. Even when all the Lin Family men had still been around, they had never had this much meat to eat.

"Don't worry. Eat as much as you want. This isn't serious. I'll settle it tomorrow." Lin Xuan gave them both a reassuring pill.

After the meal, Chen Fang returned to her room, while Lin An pulled Lin Xuan into their bedroom and asked:

"Little brother, do you really have a way to solve this? I feel like they're after our land."

Lin An made that guess because such things had already become commonplace in the Garrison.

Lin Xuan nodded. "That's what I think too. I have a way to deal with it. Take good care of Mother these next few days, and don't neglect your martial training."

Early the next morning, the two Garrison Squad Leaders came to Lin Xuan's home to take him away.

Lin Xuan carried bedding, some dried provisions, and the pork his mother had cured. He also brought his bow and arrows.

It was only natural for military households to bring bows, arrows, and weapons when they went to military farming.

Seeing that Lin Xuan did not resist and cooperatively went with them to the Garrison, the Squad Leaders did nothing excessive and silently led him away.

"Sir, I'd like to ask something. I'm clearly the only son in my family, still underage and unmarried. No matter how you look at it, drafting me for military farming makes no sense. Why was I selected?"

The Squad Leader grew impatient and turned back to bark, "You ask—"

"This is freshly cured wild boar meat, hunted by me. Consider it a gift for the two of you."

The two officers had originally wanted to scold him for asking too many questions. But when they saw Lin Xuan hand over two heavy strings of meat, they restrained their tempers and softened their attitudes considerably.

After all, Lin Xuan was only asking a question.

"You've come to the right person by asking me. To tell you the truth, Flag Officer Zhang sent us. He was probably acting on the instructions of his clan uncle, Commander Zhang."

"Flag Officer Zhang, Commander Zhang..." Lin Xuan murmured the two names.

Then those two were most likely the ones behind this.

Before long, the group arrived at the Liangcheng Thousand-Household Office.

The Thousand-Household Office was a small fortress, over a hundred zhang in both length and width. Its rammed-earth walls were even thicker than the walls of the county seat.

After entering, they could see the Drill Ground, where quite a few children of military households were training in archery, blades, and hand-to-hand combat.

When Lin Xuan saw it, he set down his bedding and provisions and took the bow from his back.

"What are you doing?" The Squad Leader beside Lin Xuan saw his movements and hurried to stop him, but it was already too late.

Lin Xuan's Willow Leaf Arrow whistled through the sky and drove straight into the bullseye of an empty target.

Seeing that he was not shooting at anyone, the Squad Leader did not stop him. Instead, he looked in the direction of the arrow.

"Don't be alarmed, sir. I merely saw the targets and my hands grew itchy." As he spoke, he loosed another arrow, which pierced the bullseye of another target.

The third arrow also struck the bullseye.

Standing outside the archery range, he had hit three targets with three arrows—divine skill!

The children of military households who had been training were all astonished by his archery.

Then Lin Xuan shouted:

"I am Lin Xuan, the sole heir of my family. I am fifteen years old. After training on my own for just over ten days, I have landed three arrows in three bullseyes.

My superior has drafted me for military farming. Is that not like using a treasured sword to hoe fields, or laying a road with fine jade? What sense does that make?"

The officers and military households on the Drill Ground were all stunned. Drafting only sons and underage boys for military farming did happen, but not often. And if what this youth said was true, with martial talent this high, could it be that someone was retaliating against him?

Commander Zhang, who had been manipulating this affair from behind the scenes, was also present. Seeing Lin Xuan's actions, he was immensely startled.

He had thought this was merely a widow and orphan easy to bully. Now, it seemed that was not the case.

After only ten days of training, he had already reached such a level. His future was promising.

Now every child of a military household on the entire Drill Ground knew about it. If he continued targeting Lin Xuan, it would be inappropriate.

It would only make people think he was passing off fish eyes as pearls.

So he had to change from suppressing him to drawing him in.

Lin Xuan observed the reactions of the officers and military household children on the Drill Ground, secretly mulling things over.

Peace was not won through compromise. He possessed strength and potential, so he had to display them as bargaining chips for peace, letting people know he was not so easy to bully.

If he privately reconciled with Commander Zhang, Zhang would only think him weak and easily bullied. Then he would tentatively have Lin Xuan do several things that Commander Zhang could not do from his position.

By then, what he did would no longer be up to him.

In the long run, he would become a white glove for dirty work, with no hope of ever rising.

Though doing this might offend Commander Zhang, it was more likely that Commander Zhang would not touch him.

Commander Zhang came before Lin Xuan.

He was a man in his prime, ordinary in appearance, with hair and beard still dark.

He said with a smile, "Who would have thought that our Liangcheng Garrison hid such a young talent! This old man was blind and nearly buried an uncut jade."

Commander Zhang swept his gaze over the surroundings. Seeing that all eyes on the Drill Ground were fixed on them, he patted Lin Xuan on the shoulder and continued:

"Every word you spoke just now was reasonable. With talent like yours, military farming would indeed be a waste.

From today onward, the matter of military farming is canceled.

I will give you ten taels of silver as support for your path in martial arts. Cultivate with peace of mind. If there is anything you do not understand on the martial path, come to the Garrison and ask me."

Commander Zhang produced ten taels of silver from somewhere and handed them to Lin Xuan.