Shen Fei walked south along the main street. As he passed the City Guard barracks, the soldier on duty at the entrance recognized him, straightened his back, and gave him a crisp military salute.
Shen Fei nodded to him without breaking stride and headed straight for the training ground behind the barracks.
The Third Battalion of the City Guard was stationed at the foot of the southern city wall, in a row of single-story gray-brick buildings. The front courtyard housed the offices, while the back courtyard served as the training ground.
The training ground was small, a stretch of hard-packed earth enclosed by rough wooden posts. A few straw targets and weapon racks hung from the posts, while stone training weights, wooden training posts, and several more weapon racks stood along the edges, stocked with spears, short sabers, and a few blunt practice swords.
Before he even reached the entrance, Shen Fei heard rhythmic shouts, pounding footsteps, and the sharp clash of weapons. He stopped at the entrance and looked inside.
A dozen or so men stood in two rows on the training ground, sparring. Several veterans in the front row held short sabers, while the younger soldiers in the back row wielded spears. They worked in pairs, one attacking and the other defending, advancing and retreating in orderly rhythm.
A few others stood watching at the sidelines, holding booklets as though they were recording something.
Su Ming stood in the center of the grounds, wearing the City Guard's standard short armor with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He held a blunt practice sword and was sparring with a young soldier half a head taller than him.
His movements were swift and his footwork nimble. The blunt sword twisted and darted in his hand, chopping, slashing, thrusting, and