Chapter 3 Endurance

  At dawn, the golden sunlight sprinkled on everything on earth, and a faint mist also shrouded the mountains and forests in early winter. In the gentle breeze, even the birds that used to get up early now shrunk their necks and hid in their nests, not daring to sing. The sky and earth seemed desolate and quiet, showing the power of 'winter'!

  Just then, in the Qin army camp at the foot of Mount Zhongnan, a sudden burst of military drums shook the air: "Boom boom boom...", and in an instant, the dull and distant sound of the drums quickly reverberated throughout the entire camp. For a moment, it seemed as if the stillness of the camp was suddenly broken like a spring breeze rippling a pool of water.

  As soon as the drumbeat started, the military camp was stirred up. Countless Qin soldiers heard the assembly drum order and quickly got out of bed, putting on their armor and holding their weapons at the fastest speed, rushing to the drill ground. For a time, the military camp was filled with the sound of footsteps and the rumble of iron hooves, which was majestic and extraordinary. It wasn't until the first batch of Qin soldiers arrived at the drill ground that they were surprised to find that their young commander, Fu Su, was already standing proudly on the inspection platform, looking sternly into the distance!

  The Qin soldiers quickly formed up in their respective units, and in less than a moment, the three light cavalry and the "Trap Array Camp" had all assembled. For a time, the vast drill ground was packed with Qin army officers and men, their heads crowded together, horses' hooves trampling, though numerous they were as silent as crows, showing off the good military discipline of the Qin army.

  Fu Su narrowed his eyes and lowered his face, estimating: "From the moment the drums sounded to gather troops until the four branches of the army were assembled, it took about 15 minutes. That's equivalent to half a stick of incense. This assembly speed is already quite fast, I estimate that in the six countries of Guandong, it would take at least 20 to 30 minutes. But even with this speed, we are still not prepared for unexpected situations, let alone when the troops are somewhat disorganized and unstable during assembly. It seems that we need to focus on training in this area."

  Fu Su suddenly opened his eyes, a cold light flashing in them. He quietly sized up the more than 3,000 Qin army officers and men, then loudly declared: "Your emergency assembly this morning was very good, showing that you are well-trained and strictly disciplined. In this regard, the six nations of Guandong are not as good as you!" When he said this, Fu Su stopped speaking and carefully observed them. Indeed, a hint of pride and self-confidence appeared on the faces of all the Qin soldiers!

  "But," Fu Su's expression turned stern, "your assembly speed is still too slow. If you were to encounter an enemy army's sudden raid, would they give you so much time to assemble? Moreover, during the assembly, many of you looked somewhat flustered and couldn't even find your own formation for a moment. Is this the kind of performance that the great Qin iron army should have?" The Qin soldiers lowered their heads slightly, after all, they were all young men with a strong sense of self-respect.

  Fu Su said coldly, "Today, your assembly time is half a stick of incense, which is already something to be proud of compared to ordinary armies. But the army I want is not one that is barely passable, but rather one that can conquer all and sweep away all obstacles, an invincible elite force, the crème de la crème! However, from what I see now, you are not yet qualified to bear such a title!

  Therefore, in the next half month, I will frequently arrange emergency assemblies, and require you to shorten your assembly time to within one-quarter of a stick of incense! If anyone exceeds half a stick of incense without arriving on time, they will receive 30 military lashes. And if after half a month, someone still fails to arrive within one-quarter of a stick of incense, I want them to immediately leave the military camp and go wherever they came from!

  My army only wants brave warriors, not cowards! Do you understand?" "Yes!" Although the Qin soldiers' scalps felt numb upon hearing this, the strict military discipline made them dare not disobey orders. Moreover, their proud and arrogant nature could not bear the shame of being expelled from the military camp as a member of the elite Imperial Guard.

  Fu Su nodded in satisfaction, looked up at the sky and said: "Now, I declare that within these three months, you must not only follow all the military discipline of the Qin army, but also add three new military orders! First: obey orders; Second: absolutely obey orders; Third: if there is any doubt, refer to the first two articles! Do you understand?" Fu Su's face was ferocious as he let out a loud roar. "Yes!" The Qin soldiers responded with a thunderous roar that seemed to shake the earth.

  Fu Su nodded in satisfaction and ordered: "'Trap Array Camp' stay where you are, all cavalry dismount and form an array!"

  With a clinking sound of armor, the 3,000 cavalrymen dismounted and quickly formed their ranks. Everyone stood upright with their eyes fixed forward, waiting for Fusu's next command. Fusu pointed to the Zixia Mountain Path behind the military camp: "All troops listen to orders: fully armed, in a hurry, in a long snake array, run straight to Zixia Mountain! Depart!" "Yes!"

  The Qin soldiers were somewhat astonished, but the inertia of strictly executing orders made them quickly execute Fu Su's order. In an instant, team after team of Qin soldiers were fully armed and formed a long snake array under the command of their generals, rushing towards Zixia Mountain in a mighty manner.

  Zixia Mountain is about 5,000 meters south of the military camp, with a height of 700-800 meters. The transportation distance from the military camp to the top of Zixia Mountain is estimated to be around 10,000 meters. This is the first big test that Fusu has prepared for the Qin army: a 10-kilometer armed cross-country run!

  Fu Su and Wu Xin, along with the central army guards, rode war horses, grasping leather whips, gazing intently at the advancing troops, searching for any Qin soldiers who might have fallen behind! Fu Su was conducting a test of the Qin army's current physical strength to get a sense of their abilities, otherwise, if they didn't train properly, the army would be ruined by its own hands.

  "The sound of footsteps was neat and powerful, the sound of friction was loud and rhythmic. The Qin army soldiers marched forward in silence, their heads bowed. It was clear that these Qin cavalrymen had received strict formation training. In one breath, the Qin army had already run over 2,000 meters, although everyone had started panting heavily, they still gritted their teeth and persisted, not a single person dropped out! Fu Su was slightly surprised: originally he had estimated that after running a quarter of the distance, some people would not be able to keep up and drop out, but unexpectedly the Qin army's endurance was so good!"

  Fu Su smiled slyly again: "Don't be in a hurry, the road ahead is still long. I don't believe we can't find an opportunity to deal with you! If the first day of training doesn't intimidate you, it's not considered successful!"

  As expected, under the rapid and intense march, the Qin army began to show signs of physical exhaustion after running about five kilometers: sweat dripped down like raindrops, lips turned purple and dry due to severe dehydration; everyone's face was flushed red, desperately opening their mouths wide to breathe in fresh air, creating a thin layer of fog above the rapidly advancing troops. The frequency of hand and foot movements also became slower and more irregular, causing the tight formation to become increasingly loose and disorganized. It was clear that at this point, the Qin army's physical strength had already been depleted by half!

  Fu Su observed carefully: At this time, although most people felt their legs were heavy as lead, they could still grit their teeth and hold on. After all, the current Qin army was good at enduring hardships and had a physical quality far superior to that of modern people. However, some Qin soldiers with poor physical strength could no longer withstand the intense exercise, and their footsteps became somewhat staggering. Fu Su gave a signal to Wu Xing and the guards, who understood and dispersed on horseback, using whips to urge on the fallen Qin soldiers like wolves.

  "Bang, bang……!" A fierce lash of the whip came down on their heads, followed by a loud and menacing roar: "What's with the slow pace? Run faster!" "Faster, didn't you eat yesterday? You're running so slowly!" "Damn it, even pigs run faster than you!"... Under Fusou's strict orders, the ruthless instructors were using 'toxic' language and 'gentle' whips to 'educate' the lagging Qin soldiers. Meanwhile, Fusou was also loudly rebuking them: "Run faster, don't pretend to be a bear! If you can't even make it now, then get out of my camp, because the training ahead will be even more brutal! I'll say it again, my army only needs brave warriors, not cowards!" The Qin soldiers heard this and, fueled by their strong sense of pride and fierce battle spirit, let out a low growl from their throats, gritted their teeth, and immediately picked up speed as they climbed towards the Purple Mist Mountain.

  But as the mountain became steeper, the Qin soldiers' breathing became more urgent: "Huffing and puffing..." The frantic gasping sounds filled the air, continuous and unrelenting; and the originally neat formation had become scattered and disorganized by the time they reached halfway up the mountain. At this point, Fu Su and others had also abandoned their horses and were running up the mountain on foot with the Qin soldiers, of course, along the way, they would inevitably give some slow-moving, panting Qin soldiers a good punch or a lash of the whip, or at the very least, kick them in the soft buttocks...

  Gradually, Fu Su saw that the vanguard of the Qin army was approaching the top of the mountain, so he quickened his pace and led Wu Xin and others to rush straight to the top. Fu Su had been trained by 'Zhong Yin Old Man' for many years, with excellent physical strength, while Wu Xin and others were also bitter practitioners for many years, with light body skills, so they quickly flew over the Qin army like a leopard, lightly like a monkey, and climbed to the top first!

  Fu Su stood at the top of the mountain, gazing out into the distance: what was originally a column of troops about one kilometer long had now stretched to over two kilometers; the Qin soldiers running in front were already close to the summit, while those lagging behind were still halfway up the mountain, desperately dragging their almost immobile legs, gritting their teeth, sweating and crying as they struggled upwards.

  Fu Su's heart slightly softened, and he secretly sighed. He turned to Wu Xin and said: "Look, the gap is so big, they are still far from becoming an 'Iron Army'!" Wu Xin asked in confusion: "What does the young master mean?" Fu Su smiled and said: "Training, every day training, until they can satisfy me!" Wu Xin and others shivered, thinking about the 20-mile long run every morning, which was not a pleasant experience.

  Gradually, the first batch of Qin soldiers panted and climbed to the top of the mountain, then without saying a word, they fell to the ground, desperately stretching their tongues and panting heavily. Next was a sky-covering, earth-shaking cry of pain. Immediately after were the second batch, third batch... until the last few Qin soldiers stumbled and staggered up to the summit under the urging of the fierce Central Army guards, who pushed and kicked them forward like wolves. By this time, more than an hour had passed since they set out!

  Looking at the Qin army officers and men lying on the ground like dead dogs, panting heavily, Fu Su's face tightened, and he shouted in a deep voice: "The three armies are arrayed, and those who delay will be beheaded!" The Qin soldiers were startled, and they quickly pulled their almost unconscious heavy legs to slowly but laboriously form their ranks. However, when the Qin army had finished forming their ranks, there were still over a dozen Qin soldiers lying on the ground, exhausted to the point of being unable to move!

  Fusu gazed at the troops with a cold eye, and now the formation looked far less tidy, orderly and spirited than it had been that morning before departure. Each of them looked limp and listless, and the formation was also crooked and slack, not in good shape. Even Sima Yue, Jiang Huai, Ying Qiang, Qin Hu and other powerful generals were now being trained by Fusu to the point where they could only pant heavily!

  Fu Su's mouth twitched, his face filled with rage as he bellowed: "Look at you all! You're already exhausted from just this short distance. How are we supposed to win battles like this? I'm telling you, starting today, long-distance running will be a fixed training every morning. Today's result was one hour, and I'm very dissatisfied. I demand that all of you complete it within three-quarters of an hour. From tomorrow on, anyone who doesn't reach the top within an hour will have their breakfast cancelled and receive thirty military lashes! Half a month later, anyone who still can't make it to the top within three-quarters of an hour will be kicked out of the army immediately! As for those dozen or so good-for-nothings lying on the ground, get them back to their original units at once! Do you understand?!" The Qin soldiers thought to themselves: "We're doomed. This young master is truly a ruthless devil reincarnated. We'll be lucky if we don't lose our skin in these three months!"

  At this time, Jiang Huai couldn't help but burst out: "Young Master, you want us to practice military training, but you don't teach us combat skills or battle formations. What's the point of running around like this?" Fu Su's face turned cold with anger and he shouted: "How dare you question my orders!? Didn't I make it clear in the morning that there are three rules: First, obey orders; Second, absolutely obey orders; Third, if you have any doubts, refer to the first two points! Jiang Huai, how dare you treat my orders as nothing but a joke?! Guards, take him down and give him thirty military lashes!"

  "Ah!" Several of the Qin army guards, like wolves and tigers, quickly rushed forward, ignoring their fatigue. They pinned Jiang Huai to the ground, stripped off his helmet, and revealed his sturdy and muscular back. "Whoosh!" The heavy water-fire club swung down with a fierce gust of wind. The loud thudding sounds echoed in everyone's ears as Jiang Huai's strong back was instantly covered in bruises, turning purple and red. By the time the thirty lashes were over, Jiang Huai's back was a bloody mess, his flesh mangled beyond recognition. The cruel scene left the Qin soldiers aghast with terror! It was clear they had not expected that this seemingly gentle and kind young master would be so ruthless when angry!

  Jiang Huai was indeed a tough guy, seeing himself unintentionally violating military orders and having to be punished, yet he didn't utter a single word of apology, and during the execution process, he also gritted his teeth and remained silent, not making a sound. But after thirty lashes, even an iron man would have his skin torn off, so Jiang Huai, as strong as a mountain bear, couldn't help but turn pale and sweat like rain.

  Fu Su looked at the silent troops of Ya Que and then glanced at Jiang Huai, saying in a cold voice: "Jiang Huai, you have disobeyed my military order. I will punish you with 30 military rods. Do you accept this?" Jiang Huai was after all a soldier, and obeying orders had become part of his nature. He gritted his teeth and said: "I did not intentionally violate the military order. It is right that I should be punished. I dare not complain!" Fu Su nodded secretly in his heart and shouted loudly: "Absolute obedience to military orders! This is an oath that no country, no army can violate! Once soldiers start to doubt their commander's orders, this army will soon collapse! So, all of you remember Jiang Huai's lesson! Jiang Huai, go back and take good care of your wounds. But don't be absent from training!" Jiang Huai gritted his teeth and said: "Yes!"

  Fu Su looked at the Qin soldiers who were frightened and stunned, and said: "From today on, I am your master in the military camp, your god. Anyone who dares to disobey orders or has doubts, will be punished once, and executed twice, no mercy! Do you understand?" "Yes!" The Qin soldiers hastily responded with a loud voice.

  Fu Su nodded in satisfaction and ordered: "Now, each army will form a line to go down the mountain. The logistics camp at the foot of the mountain has already prepared breakfast for you. Eat quickly, there is still training afterwards!" "Yes!" The Qin soldiers heard that they could finally go down the mountain to eat, and suddenly cheered in their hearts. They hastily formed a line and dragged their extremely tired legs down the mountain with difficulty! After struggling through the whole morning, the Qin soldiers were already exhausted! As for those dozen or so who had collapsed from exhaustion, they could only be dragged back by the Imperial Guards and told to scram!