Chapter 6 Is this an army?

  What is a master of weapons?

  A true master of arms is not just about crafting exquisite and sharp weapons, but also about the unparalleled skill in using them!

  Master Wu Jie's use of weapons is beyond the reach of ordinary people, making him an object of admiration. No matter what kind of weapon or person, in his hands, they will always be used in a way that is unexpected and surprising.

  The famous returnee army is a model!

  Under the leadership of Master Wu Ji, the Gui Xin army conquered the world, sweeping across all directions, wiping out countless nations, and spreading the prestige of China to distant lands beyond!

  "Great Song Dynasty Arsenal Catalogue: Lu You"

  The military camp covers a large area, but it's a pitiful sight.

  Wu Ji rushed in and saw that the barracks were old and dilapidated, with many holes on the roofs and walls, and it was unknown how many years had passed without any repairs.

  "It's only slightly better than my thatched cottage, it won't collapse!" Wu Ji looked around and couldn't help but compare it to his home in Wu Family Village, the difference wasn't too great.

  "Bang!"

  Wu Ji's thought had just arisen when a loud noise came, he turned his head to look and saw that the roof of a house had collapsed in a big chunk, leaving another hole.

  "Oh no! It's broken again!"

  A loud roar echoed through here, full of anger, yet helpless. It must be some poor soldier.

  Is this a military camp? It looks like a slum no matter how you look at it. Wu Ji couldn't believe his eyes, if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't have believed it even if he was beaten to death, the legendary Song Dynasty military camp turned out to be in such a state.

  "Beat! Beat! Beat you to death!"

  Just then, a fierce voice rang out. Wu Ji looked around and saw a soldier with a scarred face, waving his fist at a middle-aged man, who was being pummeled by the soldier's powerful fists.

  "General, general, please don't hit me anymore!" The middle-aged man's nose was blue and his face was swollen, he hugged his head with his hands, struggling constantly, letting out a mournful cry like a slaughtered pig, begging for mercy.

  "Beg for mercy? Heaven has the virtue of giving life, but unfortunately you have a stinky mouth and love to talk nonsense. Who stole your chicken? Who stole your chicken?" The soldier's face was ferocious, and the big man's fist was raised again.

  "General, general, please spare my life this time!""The middle-aged man begged for mercy: "It was my mistake, it was the fox that took away my chicken, it was the fox, it was the fox."

  "Your dad is a fox!" The soldier shouted, and as soon as the words came out, he realized something was off, and quickly changed his tone: "That fox is really something, able to sneak into the city and steal chickens, it must be a fox spirit!"

  "Yes! Yes! Yes!" The middle-aged man hurriedly continued: "It's a fox demon! It's a fox demon!"

  "Dad, this chicken is delicious! Axe hasn't eaten meat for a long time!" Just then, a sturdy and spirited child, with a red nose from the cold, wearing tattered clothes, came out of the house, with greasy mouth, holding a chicken leg in his right hand, devouring it with relish, with a look of satisfaction on his face.

  "Axe! Good boy, hurry back home, it's cold outside!" The soldier's fierce face broke into a kind smile as he saw the child, and his raised fist fell.

  "Dad, where did you steal this chicken from?" The child asked while gnawing on a chicken leg, his eyes darting back and forth as he looked at the middle-aged man in front of him, hastily adding: "Dad, you didn't steal it from their house, did you?"

  "Shut up! My father bought it! He bought it!" The soldier's face sank, and he scolded in a low voice.

  "Where did you get the money to buy a chicken? You haven't received your military pay in ages, have you?" The child spoke bluntly, "Mother is sick and you don't even have money for her treatment!"

  "Shut up, you little brat! Get back in the house!" The soldier's face finally fell.

  "Dad, we've eaten his chicken, can't hit him again!" The child lowered his voice and said softly: "Mom said so. Mom said not to make things too absolute, wait for Dad to see it's good before stopping."

  "Shut up...!" The soldier hesitated, then changed his mind and shouted at the middle-aged man: "Get out! Get out of here! Shut your mouth tight, or else I'll kill you if you dare to speak nonsense!"

  "Yes, yes, yes! Get out of here!" The middle-aged man nodded hastily, as if he had been granted a great pardon, and scrambled to his feet, fleeing in a hurry.

  Wu Jie watched this scene with his own eyes and couldn't help but be stunned, repeatedly asking: "Is this an army? Is this a bandit's lair?"

  "Alas!" Huang Fu sighed, and said with regret: "Wu Zhihui, you don't know that the people of Xizhou scold the garrison troops as bandits. The soldiers steal chickens and dogs every day, and the people's food, clothing, and silver will be stolen if they are not careful. However, the soldiers are also forced to do so, their military pay has been embezzled, and they cannot make ends meet at home, with old and young to support, they have no choice but to steal chickens and dogs in order to survive! The reputation of the soldiers is bad, but it's also inevitable."

  If it were outside, Huang Fu would say so, Wu Ji may not believe. But seeing this dilapidated thatched hut with his own eyes and the scene before him, he had to believe it was true.

  "Let's go get dinner!" The soldier picked up the child and with his whiskers rubbing against the child's face, went into the house.

  Wu Jimei's eyebrows rose, just about to investigate this matter, when suddenly a loud and earth-shattering cry came: "Heavenly killing He Wanquan, you black-hearted! You cut off our sons and grandsons, embezzled our military pay! Woe is me! Woe is me!"

  This sound is extremely sorrowful, as if there were a great tragic event, making one's heart feel bitter and aching.

  "There! There!" Huang Fu's sharp eyes were the first to locate where the sound came from, and he pointed to his right. Wu Ji looked in the direction he was pointing and saw a group of soldiers gathered in front of a military camp, shaking their heads and looking disappointed.

  "Go! Take a look!" There must be something big going on. Wu Ji had to temporarily put aside the matter of handling the stolen chicken and hurried over.

  Wu Ji walked ahead for a while and heard the sound of soldiers whispering to each other, with obscene language and words of despair.

  "Li Mingchu, Li Mingchu, you didn't do it early or late, but you had to do it at this critical moment and produce a bastard!"

  "Want money but no money, want food but no food, isn't this wretched life suffering?"

  "When Li Ming first started, he didn't think about it and just found a good season to have a child."

  "It's not a sacrificial animal, whatever season it is!"

  These words were unbearable to hear, but they made Wu Ji's heart tremble, and he roughly figured it out. It seemed that a soldier's wife was about to give birth, but they had no salary or money, and couldn't afford to have a son, which is why they were so anxious.

  "Make way! It's Commander Wu!" Wu Jian led the way forward, shouting loudly.

  "Who is Wu?"

  "Can a bamboo pole also serve as a baton?"

  "Is it him? Let's go quickly!"

  Wu Jian shouted, and the soldiers couldn't help but mock him when they saw Wu Ji's small stature. A bamboo-like physique, weak and unable to withstand the wind, could actually be a commander, everyone thought it was a joke.

  However, the soldiers immediately recognized that Wu Jia was the ruthless man who had thrown thunderbolt bombs at their families. During the suppression of the Liufeng bandits, the soldiers had personally witnessed the power of the thunderbolt bombs and were extremely wary of Wu Jia. As soon as they recognized him, their scalps exploded in fear, and they no longer dared to mock him. They hastily retreated, and in an instant, a large group of people vanished without a trace.

  Wu Ji took a step forward and looked around, only to see that it was a dilapidated barracks with many holes in the walls, which were plugged with various objects. Tattered clothes, wooden sticks, and planks were all used to block the holes.

  However, it still cannot withstand the cold wind. The cold air blows in, making people feel as if they are in an ice cellar. Now that it is already September, and this place is in the north, it has become very cold. When the cold wind blows on the body, it feels like a knife cutting through flesh, causing a dull ache.

  "Waaah!"

  A tall and thin soldier, with tattered clothes, knelt on the ground, covering his face with both hands, sobbing.

  On the bed, a pale-faced woman, obviously malnourished, about thirty years old, with a large belly, leaned against the bed. Tears hung on her face as she looked at the soldier kneeling on the ground, and all she could do was wipe away her tears.

  "Madam, don't worry, no matter what, we must bring the child into this world! I...I...I'll go get the silver now!" The soldier suddenly stood up, drew out his dagger, gripped it tightly in his hand, and a beast-like glint flashed in his eyes.

  Turning around, he suddenly found Wu Ji and the others. A pair of eyes swept across Wu Ji's body, and he couldn't help but radiate a fierce aura. With a loud shout, he said: "You're Wu Xiuciai? This time you must have received a lot of reward silver for eliminating the Liu Feng thieves! Hand it over to me! In the past, I was just stealing chickens and dogs, now I'm going to kill officials and rebel!"

  The hand holding the machete flashed a dazzling blade of light and hacked at Wu Jie's head.