“The ones that you spoke to were all Imperial Army guards. The real instructors are all near the peak of the mountain. Even though their disposition feel the same, they are two completely different groups of people. On top of that, their dress up is different as well. The armor that the instructors are dressed in is vastly different from the armor the Imperial Army guards are wearing.”
“Ah!”
Chen Burang’s look of realization piqued Wang Chong’s laughter.
Along the way, Chen Burang seemed to be interested in everything in the surroundings. It seemed like there really was a good reason for the jokes he created back then.
“Since you practice archery, I can introduce an instructor to you. That person also specializes in archery.”
Wang Chong said.
“Un, alright!”
Chen Burang nodded without even thinking over it. Perhaps it was due to his innocence, but he seemed to hold complete trust in Wang Chong.
After some interaction, Wang Chong also felt goodwill toward the other party. Chen Burang had just come from the mountain and there was an aura of simplicity lingering around him.
This kind of aura made instinctively bred intimacy.
“Right, how do I address you?”
Chen Burang suddenly realized that up until now, he still didn’t know the other party’s name, and he knocked his head.
“I am Wang Chong!”
“AH!”
Chen Burang abruptly came to a halt. He stared at Wang Chong with widened eyes.
“C-could it be that… yo-you are…?”
Staring at Wang Chong in shock, Chen Burang stuttered. Even though he had come from a clan of hunters and he spent most of his time in the mountains, he still heard of Wang Chong’s name.
He didn’t expect the person who rendered him assistance to be that Wang Chong.
“Un!”
Smiling, Wang Chong nodded his head. It seemed like the benefits derived from the regional commanders incident was truly immense.
This made it much easier for Wang Chong to unfold his plans.
“Kunwu Training Camp isn’t very big. If you’ve any time, feel free to look for me. We can always have a chat or something.”
Wang Chong extended an invitation to Chen Burang.
“Un, un! No problem, no problem!”
Chen Burang nodded his head in agitation just like a little chick.
Chapter 198: Su Hanshan!
Regardless of whether it was his previous life or his current one, Wang Chong had never been good with bows. Thus, Wang Chong couldn’t really guide Chen Burang on this aspect.
Even so, he retained some memory of various archery techniques from his previous life. Perhaps, this might prove useful in helping Chen Burang raise his capabilities!
After separating with Chen Burang, Wang Chong loitered around the crowd a little longer before returning back to the mountain peak. However, to Wang Chong’s surprise, he saw a few more figures standing near Zhao Jingdian.
“What happened?”
Wang Chong walked over and asked with a hushed voice.
“These people came not too long after you left. They are all very strong, and based on my estimates, their cultivation is at least at Origin Energy Tier 7. Like me, they all used the method of mutual destruction to pass the test.”
Zhao Jingdian said.
He had been sitting here since Wang Chong left so he witnessed the entire proceedings from start to end.
“Oh?”
Hearing Zhao Jingdian’s recount, Wang Chong couldn’t help but chuckle.
“There’s nothing too surprising about that. There are many smart people here as well. Most probably, they were watching by some corner when we were taking the test so it isn’t too surprising for them to know about the method as well.”
The biggest mistake one could make was to underestimate others. Wang Chong could immediately tell that those people were imitating Zhao Jingdian’s method.
Furthermore, given how they resorted to it the moment they rushed up, not even bothering to test the waters first, it was clear that they were confident. If they hadn’t witnessed Zhao Jingdian’s fight, they wouldn’t have dared to do something so risky.
“Those two are still alright. I can sense that their cultivation is around our level. However, that man… Somehow, I feel that he’s even stronger than you!”
Zhao Jingdian said fearfully.
“Oh?”
Wang Chong’s eyebrows shot up and a grim expression appeared on his face. Zhao Jingdian had witnessed his fight with the instructor, and he wasn’t the type of person to exaggerate.
If Zhao Jingdian said that the other person was stronger than him, then it was very likely that that was the case.
“Who are you talking about?”
“That person over there!”
Zhao Jingdian pointed to the person standing behind the instructor. Only then did Wang Chong realize that he had overlooked a figure.
That person was standing around ten zhang behind the instructor so Wang Chong simply thought that he was just a spectating student.
(~30m)
On top of that, the person had an extremely cold face, and the aura he emanated was equally frigid. Even when standing amidst a crowd, his presence would make him exceedingly conspicuous. He seemed to have a natural disposition in inducing fear and creating distance against others.
——There wasn’t a single person within a perimeter of three zhang around him. The fact that the crowd was circling around him showed a lot.
(10m)
“It’s him?”
Wang Chong’s eyebrows shot up in astonishment.
“… That person is extremely formidable. If I’m not mistaken, his cultivation should be very close to Origin Energy Tier 9. On top of that, when he crossed hands with the instructor, the instructor was actually unable to defend against him and was left with a small cut.”
Zhao Jingdian spoke with a slightly apprehensive tone.
To be able to induce such apprehension within Zhao Jingdian, the other party’s strength was indeed extraordinary.
However, that wasn’t what Wang Chong was concerned about. At this moment, his mind was currently preoccupied with something else.
Wang Chong knew who that person was!
He was Su Hanshan!
Even among the future great generals in Kunwu Training Camp, this person was ranked amongst the top tier. He was one of the few from the Three Great Training Camps who was publicly acknowledged to be a talented general capable of standing his own ground on the battlefield!
But right until the very end, he was only considered to be a potential great general. He didn’t manage to become a grade-1 general like Wang Chongsi, Go Seonji, and Zhang Shougui.
There was minimal news on Su Hanshan out in public, and all that was known about him was that he had come from Kunwu Training Camp.
“… To think that he would be a student of this instructor as well!”
Wang Chong muttered under his breath.
Looking at that figure ten zhang away, a complicated expression appeared on Wang Chong’s face.
In Kunwu Training Camp, Su Hanshan was definitely ranked in the top.
In the future, the army that he personally trained and led would possess the greatest offensive ability in a frontal fight across the entire Great Tang.
No matter how many layers of defense the other party put up, the army that Su Hanshan led would be able to tear apart their formation as though a sharp blade, stabbing right into the core of the opposing army and tearing it apart from within.
In a frontal clash on the battlefield, Su Hanshan’s army was a subject of fear for hostile nations and foreign tribes.
The troops that he trained fought right down to their very last breath. No matter how powerful the enemies were, no matter how disadvantageous the situation was, his army was able to stand upright without the slightest fluster.
And Su Hanshan had always braved thro
ugh death with his subordinates as well, thereby becoming their spiritual leader as well! In terms of belief, there wasn’t a single army who was as resolute and tightly-knitted as Su Hanshan’s army.
But it was a pity that there was no such thing as a perfect being. Su Hanshan possessed an aloof personality, and this resulted in his eventual defeat.
Just as what that could be seen at this very instant, Su Hanshan was simply too cold and proud. His presence in itself made others instinctively distance themselves from him.
In other words, he couldn’t fit in.
In the military, there wasn’t anyone who was close to Su Hanshan. Even those who graduated from Kunwu Training Camp also didn’t have much of a relationship with him.
And on the battlefield, Su Hanshan never needed or expected reinforcement either.
His proud personality made him unwilling to accept the help of others.
However, there wasn’t a single person who could rule the battlefield by himself.
Wang Chong had failed back then, Su Hanshan was the same as well!
His personality had already carved out his eventual fate.
He disappeared along with his feared army on the battlefield of the great catastrophe!
“To think that I would meet him here!”
Wang Chong thought as his heart leaped in agitation.
Destiny was truly something inconceivable. To think that two lone wolves would meet one another here.
Wang Chong needed help, but due to the lack of help, he could only become a ‘lone wolf’ of that catastrophic age. On the other hand, due to Su Hanshan’s aloof personality, he was unwilling to accept help so he became a ‘lone wolf’ as well.
Looking at this talented future great general who would die before maturity, Wang Chong suddenly understood what he had to do.
“Alright!”
Seated on the rock, the instructor finally spoke, drawing everyone’s attention.
“I’ll be ending the test in advance. Initially, I only intended to accept two to three people but I ended up taking in the five of you. That’s more than sufficient already!”
“Remember this, my name is Zhao Qianqiu, and from today onward, I’ll be your teacher. For now, since the test is officially over, follow me. I’ll bring you all around to familiarize you all with the training camp.”
With the exception of Wang Chong, this was the first time everyone was hearing his name.
“So his surname is Zhao as well!”
Of the people gathered here, Zhao Jingdian was the most surprised to learn of Zhao Qianqiu’s name.
“Don’t think too much into it, let’s go.”
Wang Chong patted Zhao Jingdian’s back. Before leaving, he shot a final glance backward. By now, the students on the mountain had already thinned down significantly.
The recruitment was already nearing its end.
Yiiiii!
Facing the bottom of the mountain, Wang Chong whistled. Soon, the neighing of a colt sounded and a cloud of dust flew into the air. Before long, an indigo figure could be seen charging over.
In just a short moment, a colt of around Wang Chong’s height with hoofs as white as snow appeared amidst swirls of dust. Its mane flew majestically with the wind as it excitedly licked Wang Chong’s face.
“Alright, Little Shadow, stop licking me.”
Its tongue felt ticklish, and Wang Chong couldn’t help but chuckle as he stroked the White-hoofed Shadow’s indigo coat. It had only been a few days since it started following Wang Chong but it had already grown very fond of him.
“I see, you already have your own war steed. That is great. Groom it carefully and don’t waste such a good spirit steed. In the future, it’ll become your second life.”
A deep voice sounded from behind. Turning around, Wang Chong saw five pairs of eyes staring at him with bizarre gazes.
The one who had just spoken was Instructor Zhao Qianqiu.
None of the people here were fools. With just a single glance, it was clear that Wang Chong’s steed was anything but ordinary. It was enviable that Wang Chong had such a steed when he had just entered the training camp.
In any case, Zhao Qianqiu didn’t speak too much about it. After saying those words, he turned around and advanced forward.
From the examination area where the instructors were stationed to the peak of the mountain, there was a fence. Imperial Army guards were stationed behind the fence to guard the area, and only those who had passed the instructors’ tests were qualified to enter the barracks within the region.
Flashing his token, Zhao Qianqiu was able to bring the group in without any problem. Soon, they arrived at the barracks.
“Kunwu Training Camp can be further divided into four smaller camps—Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise—and they are located on the four peaks of the mountain. Based on the instructor one is under and one’s level of cultivation, the recruits will be allocated to one of the camps. Of which, the allocation for Vermilion Bird is slightly more unique as it’s where all the ladies live.”
“Heh. The reason why I’m telling you this is to warn you all not to go peek at the ladies. Don’t even dream about sneaking into the Vermilion Bird Peak——I know that some of you will definitely try it in the future!”
Hearing those words, the group couldn’t help but chuckle.
“This instructor sure is interesting.”
Wang Chong thought.
“If you were to peep on those ladies, you’ll definitely be kicked out of the camp. However, that is not the reason why I’m warning you. The ladies of Vermilion Bird base are exceptionally powerful. Even though your level of cultivation isn’t bad either, you all might not necessarily be a match if you were to encounter them.”
For some reason, Zhao Qianqiu’s words reminded Wang Chong and Zhao Jingdian of the Little Marchioness Yi, Yi Weiliang.
Zhao Qianqiu’s words were definitely not an exaggeration.
“Alright, I’ll bring you all to the training grounds now. This is the location you’ll be frequenting the most in the future!”
Saying so, Zhao Qianqiu brought the group further up the mountain peak.
Chapter 199: The Three Great Troops of Great Tang
“The Three Great Training Camp is a major affair of the royal court, and the Sage Emperor is extremely concerned about it. One thing you must know about the Three Great Training Camps is that they are built to augment the military. The royal court’s intention behind contributing resources to train you is not for you to boast about your strength. Rather, it is to prepare you for the military so that you can contribute to the empire through your talents.”
“Thus, there is some basic knowledge that you must know about Great Tang’s military. Judging from your current cultivation realms, it’s also about time for you to come into contact with this.”
Zhao Qianqiu said as the group stood by the side of the archery training ground encircled by a fence.
“The troops in the military can be divided into three main categories—archer, footsoldier, and cavalry. You’ll have to choose among the three categories in the future. Of them, archers represent dexterity!”
Zhao Qianqiu pointed to a student standing a significant distance away in the training ground. The student drew an arrow on a gigantic bow and abruptly released his grip. Xiu xiu xiu! In the blink of an eye, a dozen arrows were released in unimaginably short intervals.
In just a short instant, that person managed to shoot twelve arrows individually. The twelve sharp arrows flew in differing trajectories and struck twelve different wooden dummies fifty meters away accurately.
Xiu xiu xiu!
Almost instantaneously, another recruit drew his arrow. This time, it was fourteen sharp arrows striking the same puppet from many different directions.
And all of the arrows accurately landed on the vitals of a human.
Upon seeing this sight, everyone was stunned.
“That’s dexterity! Martial artist
s who cultivate dexterity-type secret arts will possess attacking speed far beyond that of their peers. In fact, some of the outstanding ones are even able to move ten times faster than —-. In other words, in a physical brawl, in the duration that you are able to deal your opponent a single punch, the other party might be able to deal you two, three, or even more.
On the battlefield, the most suitable class for such a martial artist is archery. With a high attacking speed, one will be able to shoot a huge quantity of arrows to be fired within a short moment. Rumor has it that the most talented archer in the Eastern and Western Turkic Khaganate is capable of simultaneously striking fifty sprinting hares on the exact same spot of their body from several li away.
(li -> 0.5km)
In other words, on a battlefield, he could destroy fifty of our elite foot soldiers in the blink of an eye! If there were ten such people like him, can you imagine how many of our footsoldiers would die in just a short face-off? If the numbers increased further to fifty or even more, our vanguard would start to falling apart!”
“However, even though the master archers in the Eastern and Western Turkic Khaganate are incredibly talented, the strongest archers are still within Great Tang. Do you know why?”
At this point, Zhao Qianqiu abruptly paused and flashed the group a mysterious smile.
“Bow, armor, and arrows!”
Zhao Jingdian muttered after contemplating for a moment.
“Smart! It’s because our Great Tang has the world’s best bows, sharpest arrows, and sturdiest armors!”
Zhao Qianqiu complimented.
On the other hand, Wang Chong’s eyebrows knitted together inconspicuously. At that instant, he recalled the issue that Elder Ye, Duke of Hu, and the others raised.
In the past few decades of trade between Great Tang and the rest of the world, the Eastern and Western Turkic Khaganate had accumulated a massive pile of top-notch metal, arrows, and armors.
Such a long period of time was sufficient for them to craft a huge quantity of armor and sharp arrows.
Even though Wang Chong had already advised Elder Ye and the others regarding the usage of using tariffs to control the flow of metal, there was nothing they could do about those the resources had already been transported out of Great Tang’s borders.
The Human Emperor c1-2382 Page 153