External Assignment Issued

At dawn, when the sky was only just beginning to brighten and the gates of Blue Martial Arts Hall had yet to fully open, a burst of hoofbeats sounded outside.

The menial disciple responsible for opening the gates poked his head out for a look, then quickly shrank back inside.

"People from the County Office are here."

Those words spread throughout Blue Martial Arts Hall in no time.

The apprentices eating breakfast all looked up. Some ran outside with their bowls in hand, not even having time to swallow the buns in their mouths.

Chen Mo was dragged up by Zhao Chuan as well.

"Come on, come on, let's see what big news this is."

"Slow down."

Chen Mo snatched back the bowl that had nearly been knocked over. "I haven't finished eating yet."

"Eat when we get back."

"Easy for you to say."

Chen Mo gulped down the rest of his porridge in a few mouthfuls, wiped his mouth, and only then followed Zhao Chuan out of the dining hall.

Quite a few people had already gathered by the Training Ground.

The hall master stood on the steps, holding an official document sent by the County Office. Instructor Li stood beside him.

The runners who had delivered the document had already left, leaving only a packhorse tied beside the gates.

The hall master glanced at the people below.

"Quiet, all of you."

The previously clamorous voices gradually died down.

"What the County Office has sent this time are several local assignments."

He spoke unhurriedly.

"After the spring plowing, some rural roads in various places have been damaged and need repairing. Several villages near the foot of the mountains are short on medicinal supplies, and the martial arts hall is needed to escort a batch over. In addition, wild beasts have been coming down the mountains in some places and ruining crops, making it difficult for the villagers to handle them on their own."

As those below listened, their expressions gradually turned strange.

Zhao Chuan blinked.

"That's all?"

Someone nearby could not hold back a laugh.

The hall master ignored it.

"The County Office has had many matters to deal with lately and lacks manpower, so by custom, they have asked the martial arts hall to assign some apprentices to help."

"Of course, the specific arrangements will be decided by the martial arts hall itself."

With that, he handed the document to Instructor Li.

Instructor Li took it and gave it a glance.

"The assignments in the western villages are slightly more numerous than in previous years."

He said it very casually.

Yet quiet murmurs immediately rose from below.

"The west?"

"Those villages near the mountains?"

"I heard there have been quite a lot of wild beasts over there lately."

"Isn't it always like that in spring?"

Just as the discussion started, Instructor Li lifted his head.

"Stop making wild guesses."

His voice was not loud, yet it suppressed the noise across the Training Ground.

"They're just ordinary local assignments. Don't scare yourselves."

With that, he put away the document.

"The senior students have other arrangements."

"The new outer court students will only be responsible for transporting medicinal herbs, repairing rural roads, escorting supplies, and driving away ordinary wild beasts near the villages."

The crowd immediately stirred.

Even more people who had been excited before became eager.

"We're leaving the martial arts hall?"

"It's finally our turn."

"I've been at the martial arts hall for so long, but I've barely even gone beyond Qinghe Town."

Zhao Chuan's eyes lit up at once.

He bumped Chen Mo with his shoulder.

"Did you hear that? External work."

"I heard."

"Isn't this exactly what a Martial Artist should be doing?"

Chen Mo smiled.

"Don't get happy too soon. We might just be going to carry stones."

Zhao Chuan did not care in the slightest.

"Even carrying stones means Martial Artists are carrying them."

"..."

Chen Mo looked at him and could not help laughing.

On the other side, Wang Lie had already gotten hold of the assignment list.

He scanned it from top to bottom, his brow furrowing tighter and tighter.

"Road repairs?"

Someone beside him asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Wang Lie handed the list back, and the anticipation on his face visibly faded.

He had originally thought external work meant going out to exchange blows with some formidable figure.

Yet everywhere he looked, it was road repairs, herb hauling, and escorts.

As for driving away wild beasts, they were merely ordinary creatures near the villages.

This was far too different from the real combat he had imagined.

Zhao Ming, meanwhile, looked entirely different.

He was gathered with several disciples who had paid their way into the hall, excitedly talking about something.

"Tell me, when the villagers see us wearing Blue Martial Arts Hall uniforms, will they all come over to ask us questions?"

"Definitely."

"I heard that whenever martial arts hall apprentices go out to handle business, the villagers bring them water and food."

"Really?"

"I only heard it from someone else."

The more they spoke, the more animated they became.

Zhao Ming even lowered his head to inspect his clothes and reached up to straighten his collar a little.

When Chen Mo saw that, he nearly burst out laughing.

Zhao Chuan saw it too.

"What's he doing?"

"Fixing his clothes."

"I know that."

Zhao Chuan curled his lip.

"He's only going out to repair a road, not get married."

Chen Mo could not help laughing.

"It's his first time going out. It's normal for him to take it seriously."

"True."

Zhao Chuan touched his own clothes.

"Then should I straighten myself up too?"

"You don't need to."

"Why not?"

"Your clothes aren't even properly washed. Straightening them would be pointless."

Zhao Chuan looked down at the hem of his clothes.

"Chen Mo, haven't you been getting more and more punchable lately?"

"Then stop dragging me away while I'm eating."

As the two bickered, Instructor Li had already begun calling names.

"First group: Chen Mo, Zhao Chuan, Wang Lie, Zhao Ming..."

Several people raised their heads at the same time.

Chen Mo froze for a moment.

They had really been put together.

"Second group..."

The list continued.

Soon, every group had been assigned.

Instructor Li had everyone stand properly, then went over the precautions once more.

"This time, you'll only be doing ordinary assignments."

"If you're repairing roads, repair them honestly. If you're delivering medicine, keep a close eye on the medicinal supplies."

"If you encounter ordinary wild beasts near a village, you may drive them away."

At that point, his tone grew slightly heavier.

"But if you encounter mountain beasts behaving abnormally, do not try to show off."

The Training Ground fell silent.

"Retreat immediately and notify anyone nearby."

"Under no circumstances are you to enter deep into the mountain forests on your own."

Someone asked, "Instructor, what if that thing chases after us?"

"Run."

Instructor Li answered without hesitation.

Laughter immediately broke out across the grounds.

But Instructor Li did not laugh.

"If you can't outrun it, shout."

The laughter slowly stopped.

"You're going out to help the County Office handle business, not to throw your lives away in the mountains."

After those words, no one spoke again.

Chen Mo instinctively glanced westward.

The distant mountain range was still shrouded in morning mist, revealing only a hazy outline.

He thought of those people who had come from Paulownia River some days ago.

Torches.

The sound of gongs.

And those mountain beasts that no longer feared people.

Chen Mo rubbed the calluses on his palm, then quickly withdrew his gaze.

"Alright."

Instructor Li clapped his hands.

"Each group, go collect your supplies."

"You depart in half an hour."

The Training Ground grew lively once more.

Some ran to get herb baskets, some went to collect tools, while others busied themselves checking what they carried.

Zhao Chuan was beside himself with excitement.

"Chen Mo, do you think we'll run into some powerful wild beast this time?"

"Didn't he just say it? Ordinary wild beasts."

"I mean, what if?"

"If that happens..."

Chen Mo thought about it.

"Run first."

Zhao Chuan glared at him.

"Why don't you have even a shred of a Martial Artist's bearing?"

"What do I need bearing for if I'm dead?"

Zhao Chuan opened his mouth.

He actually had no idea how to refute that.

Wang Lie passed by them, heard those words, and said flatly, "We'll talk if we really encounter something."

He slung the bundle of tools over his back and strode away.

Zhao Chuan watched his retreating figure.

"Wang Lie still wanted to fight."

"He just wanted to see how far he could go now."

After speaking, Chen Mo reached out and patted Zhao Chuan on the shoulder.

"Let's go."

"Once we get back from this trip, there won't be many days left until the Quarterly Assessment."

That immediately pulled Zhao Chuan's attention back.

"Yeah."

The excitement on his face had not faded. Instead, it was tinged with a little more seriousness.

"I'd better train properly this time."

Chen Mo smiled.

"Then let's go."

Half an hour later, the gates of the Blue Martial Arts Hall slowly opened.

Several teams filed out one after another.

With bundles on their backs, medicinal herbs on shoulder poles, and tools slung over their shoulders, the youths stepped into the countryside beyond Qinghe Town for the first time as apprentices of the Blue Martial Arts Hall.

Along the way, some chatted and laughed, some discussed how they would practice their fists after returning from field duty, while others had already begun calculating their rankings in the Quarterly Assessment.

Chen Mo walked in the middle of the group.

Whenever his feet fell, he habitually pressed lightly against the ground.

The dirt road was soft.

On either side lay fields where tender shoots had just emerged.

Farther west, mountain forests stretched one after another.

He merely swept them with a glance before withdrawing his gaze.

"Chen Mo, hurry up."

Zhao Chuan shouted from ahead.

"Coming."

Chen Mo answered and quickened his pace.

The distant mountain range lay across the horizon.

The youths' laughter and chatter gradually drifted forward with the procession.