Chapter 5 Spring Dawn (Third Ascension)

  "Wang Duozhong... " Wang Jun hesitated, turned his head around, looked around, trying to find the second team leader with the surname Wang from the team. But suddenly discovered that everyone's eyes were staring at himself.

  "That's you!" Zhao Huaiyu, who was standing beside him, gently pushed him and reminded him in a low voice, "It's okay, Old Li knows what to do!"

  With these words as a guarantee, Wang Jun immediately felt the pressure on his shoulders lighten, smiled and quickly walked out of the team, rushing to Zhou Douwei to make a fist and pay respects, "Subordinate is here, please command, Lord Douwei!"

  "Li Jiao Tou, take him away! Thirty paces, shoot to kill!" Commander Zhou bellowed without even giving him a glance.

  "Got it!" Li Yuanqing responded with a nod, pulling Wang Xun towards a nearby cart filled with white wax rods. As they ran, he whispered instructions, "Follow me and throw the white wax rods at that target over there! The faster you move, the better!"

  Before the words had fallen, he was already in front of the carriage. With his left hand, he drew out a horizontal knife from his waist and with his right hand, he pulled down a white wax rod from the carriage, cutting off the thicker end with force. Then, holding the knife in one hand and slanting the white wax rod in the other, he sprinted forward several steps. With a single arm, he threw it violently, "Thud!" The white wax rod, sharpened to a point, drew a beautiful arc in front of the team, piercing a straw man thirty paces away, nailing it through and through. The momentum was not yet exhausted, the tip continued to fly downward for several feet, burying itself into the ground.

  "Good!" The generals and soldiers cheered loudly.

  Li Yuanqin didn't even look, turned around and ran back, grabbed the second white wax rod with one hand, sharpened it with a knife, then took big strides to assist his run, threw it out, and pierced the second scarecrow through.

  "Good!" The training ground was filled with thunderous applause. The new recruits cheered loudly for the accuracy and speed of the spear throw, while some veteran Imperial Guards who were familiar with military formations were shocked and stunned by the power of this single spear. If two armies were stuck together and hundreds of spears suddenly flew out from behind one side, even if you wore the sturdiest armor, it would be hard to escape being pierced through the gut. And once a breakthrough was made in the formation, it would be like a dam breaking, and in an instant, it would be impossible to stop, not even for a god.

  Among the cheers, Li Yuanchen had already picked up the third white wax rod. Wang Xuncai, who was also dizzy, grabbed the first one under his opponent's low reminder. He sharpened the big head, held the small head with one hand about six feet away from the end, took a big step to assist the throw, and threw it out. The white wax rod slanted over a distance of thirty steps, brushing past a scarecrow, its sharp head stabbing into the ground, and its tail sweeping back and forth under inertia, sweeping two nearby scarecrows into a mess.

  "Good!" Cheers and loud jeers mixed together. Wang Xun didn't have the mind to distinguish who was causing trouble, following behind Li Yuanqin, grabbing the second white wax rod, making a mighty slash, sharpening the big head, then assisted by running, throwing it out. Turning around, he grabbed the third white wax rod.

  In less than half a stick of incense, the small cart of white wax rods had already been depleted, with about two-thirds of them thrown by Li Yuanqing and another third attributed to Wang Xuan. The nearby straw man formation was pierced through and through, scattered all over the place, and if they were real people, they would have probably collapsed long ago.

  "Alright!" Zhou Lao Hu didn't care which scarecrow was pierced by Li Yuan Qin's spear, and which one was knocked down by Wang Xun. Clearing his throat, he loudly summarized, "In front of the two armies' formation, superiors can't possibly explain every command to each person clearly. Maybe it's because they suddenly had a bright idea, or maybe they simply think you should understand. What do you do when faced with this situation? Wang Zheng just gave you all the best example earlier. First, follow the old soldier and do what he does. Second, regardless of whether it's accurate or not, aim your weapon at the enemy's head and you'll definitely be right! Got it?"

  "Remember!" The trained soldiers shouted in unison, responding loudly. They were convinced by the instructors sent by the Anxi army.

  "Next, the basic moves of stepping and punching. Coach Li demonstrates, and Captain Wang follows suit. Correcting as they go along. Everyone follow step by step!" Old Tiger Zhou takes advantage of the momentum and shouts loudly.

  Two attendants brought over two identical white wax rods, one handed to Li Yuanqing and the other to Wang Xun. Under the gaze of more than 800 pairs of eyes, the two men began to work diligently, one teaching and the other learning.

  The Tang Dynasty did not have a unified standard for the use of spears and guns. The daily training of various troops relied on the oral transmission and personal instruction of the gun and stick instructors hired by the military commanders. Among them, there were various spear and gun routines, but the most practical and respected ones were only the early Wei family spear method and the later Xue family spear method. The Wei family spear method originated from Wei Zhengde, Duke of E, emphasizing the training of the user's physical strength, eyesight, and body coordination, focusing on large-scale movements, one move at a time, without looking back. The Xue family spear method, on the other hand, was developed by Xue Rencai, who lived closer to the people of that era. It emphasized the training of the user's spirit, focusing on the unity of mind and intention, coordination of breathing and strength, attacking only one point in the midst of a chaotic battlefield, without being disturbed by external noise.

  Whether it is the Wei family spear method or the Xue family spear method, the most basic moves are roughly the same, namely: lift, thrust, sweep, seal, horizontal, press, send, and turn. Each move starts from the simplest starting posture and gradually evolves into more than a dozen different movements. If you can integrate them and master them thoroughly, you will achieve great success.

  When Wang Jun's father was alive, he had already planned to let his son seek fame in the future, so the masters he invited for him were all good at using Guandao at that time. Although these masters had low standards and loose requirements for their apprentices, after insisting on four or five years, Wang Jun's martial arts foundation was still laid down.

  This time, in the large school field, demonstrating basic footwork techniques in front of everyone, and then following Li Yuanqin's simple postures, the other party had already sensed that Wang Xun had passed the test in terms of basic skills. In order to cultivate the training interest of others, Li Yuanqin deliberately found a few very fancy moves and demonstrated them slowly in front of everyone. Wang Xun followed closely behind, learning every move without missing a single step. Both of these two men were over eight feet tall, with long arms and straight legs, and when paired with those moves that were originally more suitable for performance than actual combat, they looked even more elegant and free-spirited. The applause from the school field was like waves, one higher than the other, and if it weren't for Zhou Dounan calling a halt in time, it could have turned the blue sky upside down.

  With so many people in front of him, Wang Xun, although he was still calm and composed by nature, couldn't help but feel a little proud. After the excitement, he began to fantasize about how he could become like his predecessors, such as Wei Guangwei and Xue Rengui, who had made a name for themselves on the battlefield, achieved great things for their country, and earned honor for their wives and children. For a moment, he forgot all about the humiliation he had suffered earlier when he was booed by the crowd after throwing the white wax rod, as well as his intention to retreat that had been brewing in his heart.

  It was as if fate had ordained it, for someone like him who often made grand vows would have to undergo some unexpected tempering from time to time. The afternoon's weapons training had just ended, and he was walking back to the dormitory with a few newly-made friends, chatting and laughing, when suddenly he was violently bumped into by someone using their shoulder.

  "Ah!" Wang Xun was caught off guard, stumbled a few steps, and only managed to steady himself with the instincts he had developed from his martial arts training back in the day. He turned his head around, wanting to see which careless fool wasn't watching where they were going, but instead heard another voice questioning him, "You're that kid from Chongren Alley, Open Country Duke's Manor, aren't you?!"

  "In the lower part of Wang Xun, indeed lived in Chongren Fang. I don't know what noble business you have to ask this!" Although extremely annoyed in his heart, due to his respect for military discipline, Wang Xun still stood firm and responded very politely.

  "I said I became a team leader as soon as I enlisted, but it was actually relying on the remaining prestige of my ancestors." A sturdy man with a bronze face, who almost knocked Wang Xuan to the ground, sneered and said disdainfully. "I've been in the Imperial Guard for five years, and just by putting out fires, I got seven merit badges. But when I was demoted, I was really demoted. Now I can only be a big-headed squad leader. My rank is actually lower than yours, a little kid who just enlisted. You tell me, is this reasonable?"

  "What does it have to do with me!" Wang Xuan became more and more annoyed as he listened, turned around and left. Many people who relied on their ancestors' influence to achieve success at a young age, why didn't this guy go to their door to reason? It was clear that they were bullying him because he was new here, had a shallow foundation, and few helpers by his side!

  Who would have thought that the robust man would not give up, and instead took a few more steps forward, stretching out his hand to grab his shoulder. Wang Xun was furious in his heart, slightly twisted his body, and shook off the other's palm. Then he retreated a few steps lightly, smiled and cupped his hands, "Brother, this is a military camp. If you want to get flogged, go find Ming Fa Can Jun yourself, don't drag me into it for nothing!"

  "Old...!" The burly man's eyes widened to the size of eggs, but was startled by Wang Xuan's words behind him. He raised his fist high, not daring to charge forward again. After a while, he gritted his teeth and shouted loudly: "My surname is Qi, my name is Heng, I am the leader of the second team of the new seventh brigade fourth team! If you don't accept this little kid as the deputy captain, bring it on, let's have a match!"

  At this moment, the afternoon exercise has just ended, and many people are walking towards the campsite. Hearing a loud shout from a strong man surnamed Qi, it's unclear what happened, but everyone is laughing and gathering around.

  If this were in the streets of Chang'an, Wang Xun would have already clashed with his opponent. However, having just recently suffered a loss from acting impulsively, and now being newly enlisted in the military camp without knowing its inner workings, he gritted his teeth and suppressed the anger that had been rising to his forehead, coldly saying: "I'm not some street performer trying to make a quick buck. If you want to cause trouble for profit, go find someone else!"

  After finishing speaking, he parted the crowd and walked away with big strides, leaving behind a burst of laughter. In the midst of the laughter, that Qi fellow's eyes blazed with anger, and he shouted in a loud voice, "You little white face surnamed Wang, if you're a real man, don't run away! I'll be waiting for you at the martial arts arena tonight at dusk. Let's see who's better! If you don't dare come, then just roll up your bedding and go back home to drink milk, and stop embarrassing your ancestors!"

  Wang Chuan furrowed his brow, about to retort. However, he heard his deputy Zhao Huaixu whispering in his ear: "Agree with him and beat him until even his own mother can't recognize him. This guy must have been instigated by someone; if you don't get past this hurdle, our team's veteran soldiers will never obey you!"

  "Hmm!" Wang Xuan was slightly stunned for a moment, and then he immediately understood what Zhao Que meant. The Fei Long Forbidden Guard had many officers but few soldiers, and internally, they were already at odds with each other. Feng Changqing was ordered to reorganize the army, and after weeding out the old and keeping the new, all of the remaining soldiers were dispersed and mixed in with the new recruits. This naturally caused many low-ranking officers to lose their jobs. These guys didn't dare to bother Feng Changqing himself or the Anxi generals who had seen blood on the battlefield, so they vented their frustrations on the newly enlisted recruits instead. And as for him, this new recruit, not only did he become a deputy captain as soon as he enlisted, but also was pulled out by Zhou Douwei this afternoon to show off his skills in front of everyone. If no one harbored any jealousy towards him, that would be truly strange!

  Wanting to understand the crux of the matter, Wang Xuan knew he couldn't avoid it anymore. Laughing, he cupped his hands in greeting to the new and old soldiers rushing from all directions, and said loudly: "Wang Mou is a newcomer, not knowing that there was a special place for martial arts competitions in the military camp. Since this Qi Zhuang Shi has repeatedly extended an invitation, if Wang Mou doesn't accept it now, it would be equivalent to not giving everyone face. No need to wait until dusk, I can go down and compete right now. This Qi brother, where is the performance arena? Please lead the way!"

  The words were spoken with a tone that was neither arrogant nor humble, causing the new and old soldiers to nod in agreement. Especially those new recruits who had just enlisted, they unconsciously took Wang Xun as their representative, clapping and cheering loudly. Qi Heng, who had been instigated by others to challenge Wang Xun, also seemed quite pleased, seeing that Wang Xun was willing to accept the challenge. He slowed down his tone a bit and said: "You're more tired than me from this afternoon's training, I won't take advantage of you. You go back and rest first, we'll settle this at dusk!"

  "No need. I've finished early, let's go back and have lunch!" Wang Xuan smiled confidently in response. As for the opponent's skills, he wasn't quite sure. But over the past two years, when fighting with peers from Chang'an City, he had never been at a disadvantage. So even if he couldn't know himself or his opponent, he didn't worry about losing too badly.

  Hearing Wang Jun's response, the new recruits cheered even louder. Qi Heng, who had been leading the trouble, saw this and no longer insisted, smiled and said in a low voice: "Follow me, I won't kill you!"

  Wang Xuan shook his head, not understanding where the other's confidence came from. He took big strides, closely following behind Qi Heng. Before they even left the crowd, Headmaster Li Yuanchen also rushed over upon hearing the news, opening his throat and loudly adding a sentence, "Since it's a trial, how can there be no stakes? Surname Qi, I'll bet five strings of copper coins that you'll get beaten into a pig head. Do you dare to bet?"

  "As soon as the word 'money' was mentioned, the robust man's arrogant demeanor immediately subsided. It was clear that he was accustomed to living a poor life and didn't have a single penny to spare."

  "Five hundred taels is five hundred taels, I'll take Old Qi's place." A round-faced, chubby Imperial Guard officer stuck out half his body from the crowd and smiled in response.

  "I'll also bet five bucks, King's team will win!" Zhao Huai Xu added with a smile.

  "I bet one dollar, the Wang team will win!"

  "I bet 500 bucks that Wang's team will win!" The new recruits of the 7th battalion, 2nd company saw both deputy captains betting on Wang's victory and also gathered their courage to participate actively.

  Those swarming veteran imperial guards who were forced to stay on stage also took out their money, betting on Qi Heng's victory. Both sides frantically added more bets, turning a simple martial arts competition into a high-stakes gamble involving hundreds of taels of silver, making it impossible for either side to back down.

  "Among those who are willing to spend money to suppress the Qi family's victory, there must be the mastermind behind the trouble!" Zhao Huai Xu took advantage of the crowd's inattention and whispered to Wang Xun.

  "Let go and fight. Our Western Army has rules, prohibiting private fights, but encouraging fair competition. That Qi fellow's skills are definitely no match for yours!" Li Yuanqin, who had just personally instructed Wang Xunzhi's techniques and had a good grasp of his basic skills, also came forward to encourage him in a voice that only the two could hear.

  Note 1: The purchasing power of copper coins in the Tang Dynasty was astonishing. Even during the Kaiyuan period, when prices were high, one copper coin was equivalent to about three RMB today. One tael is equal to one thousand coins, roughly equivalent to three thousand RMB.