In these troubled times, human lives are as cheap as grass.
Even with all his ideas, if Jin Feng were to die, everything would come to nothing.
The veteran soldiers were his greatest assurance of safety, and Jin Feng always paid them close attention.
This drill was not only for training the female soldiers but was also crucial for the veterans.
After breakfast, he took Zhou Jin and Iron Hammer to the back mountain.
By then, the veterans and female soldiers had finished their weighted cross-country run and gone to eat.
Qing Mulanz and Zhang Liang were sitting in a shaded shelter, discussing something.
“Ready?”
Jin Feng greeted the two.
“Ready. Once everyone returns from eating, the drill will begin,” Qing Mulanz said seriously, hand on the hilt of her sword.
If one hadn’t seen it with their own eyes, no one would believe that just half an hour earlier, this valiant female general was at Jin Feng’s house, playfully snatching food from little Xiao E.
Around eight o’clock, the veterans and female soldiers returned, forming two square formations on the flat ground.
The female soldiers numbered over seventy, while the male soldiers, who also had to handle duties at the smelting workshop and the courtyard, as well as guard Iron Can Mountain and Cat Mountain, only mustered thirty.
This thirty included Jin Feng’s personal guard.
However, the male soldiers were battle-hardened veterans. Their combat awareness, skills, and teamwork far surpassed the female soldiers. In a real fight, the men had a strong chance of winning.
On a wooden platform in front of the formations stood rows of long knives wrapped in hemp cloth.
Though this was a combat drill, not a fight to the death, the bladeless knives were made of solid iron. A strike could easily injure someone.
The hemp cloth wrapping reduced some of the damage.
The cloth was infused with red and white pigments, red for the female soldiers and white for the males. Marks on a soldier indicated an injury, helping to assess casualties and determine the victor.
The primary goal of the combat drill was to hone the soldiers’ fighting skills.
In simple terms, the male and female soldiers would face off in groups, fighting until one side was entirely defeated.
This method was straightforward but effective.
Just as reading a book a thousand times reveals its meaning, combat skills also improve with practice.
Masters aren’t born; they are forged through relentless training.
Muscles have memory. With enough practice, soldiers can instinctively react when an enemy swings a blade in combat.
After the soldiers swapped for their training weapons, Qing Mulanz stepped onto the platform and pointed to a small hill on the left of the training ground. “The female soldiers’ task is to charge up the hill and pull down the flag. The male soldiers’ task is to defend it.”
The male soldiers lined up on the hill, behind them a small flag planted in the ground.
The female soldiers stood below the hill.
Seeing both sides in formation, Qing Mulanz announced the start of the drill.
Yet both formations stood still, neither moving.
The male soldiers felt it improper for grown men to fight women, while the female soldiers, outnumbering the men by more than double, hesitated to act when the men didn’t move.
“What are you all standing there for? Fight!”
Qing Mulanz, seeing this, grew furious. She grabbed a bladeless sword and strode to the front of the female soldiers’ formation. “Follow me!”
With that, she charged toward the male soldiers’ formation, swinging her sword.
With their leader taking action, the female soldiers had no choice but to follow Qing Mulanz in the charge.
A Mei wanted to join but was stopped by Jin Feng.
“The female soldiers already have the numerical advantage. You don’t need to go.”
A Mei, trained from childhood by the Western Governor, could take on three or four veterans single-handedly.
Her participation would completely disrupt the balance between the two sides.
“But what if Miss gets hurt?”
A Mei frowned slightly.
“If she’s injured, she’ll see a medic. Besides, with that fine armour she’s wearing, how could she get hurt so easily?”
Jin Feng said, “You know your miss better than I do. You should know she wouldn’t want you to step in.”
A Mei fell silent. Qing Mulanz had indeed instructed her not to intervene. After a moment, she said, “I won’t fight, but I’ll watch from below. If Miss is in danger, I can step in to protect her.”
“Fair enough.”
Jin Feng released A Mei’s arm.
While they spoke, Qing Mulanz had led the female soldiers up the hill.
The male soldiers, still reluctant, resisted half-heartedly, most merely going through the motions.
In just three minutes, every male soldier was marked with red streaks.
The flag was pulled down by A Ju.
Zhang Liang’s face was so cold it seemed it could drip water.
The male soldiers had lost, and lost badly, leaving him humiliated.
Jin Feng’s expression was equally grim.
“What are you doing?”
Jin Feng stood before the male soldiers’ formation, exasperated. “This is a combat drill, to be treated like a real battlefield. If your enemies were women on the battlefield, would you just stand there and let them cut you down?”
The male soldiers hung their heads under Jin Feng’s scolding, though some still seemed unconvinced.
“I’ll give you one more chance. If you lose again, you can forget about lunch!”
Jin Feng continued, “You won’t eat until you win!”
Now the male soldiers panicked.
Training was exhausting, and missing lunch would make the afternoon unbearable.
“Rest for half a stick of incense, then we start again.”
Jin Feng took out a timekeeping incense stick, broke it in half, and lit it. “Liang, Iron Hammer, you two join in this time. If you fail to defend the flag, you’ll each lose a month’s pay!”
“You’ve screwed us over!”
Zhang Liang stayed composed, but Iron Hammer’s face fell. Pointing at the male soldiers, he said, “I’m telling you, if any of you slack off and cost me my pay, I’ll bring my wife and kids to eat at your houses!”
When the incense burned out, Jin Feng coldly announced the start of the second drill.
“Guard team, with me! Anyone who slacks off and gets me fined, I’ll dock their pay!”
Iron Hammer roared, holding a shield in his left hand and a sword in his right, leading the guard team straight toward the female soldiers’ formation.
“A Lan, A Zhu, take your people and stop them!”
Qing Mulanz issued her orders decisively.
A Lan and A Zhu led her personal guard, perfectly matched to face Jin Feng’s guard.
Iron Hammer could tell Jin Feng was genuinely angry, so he showed no mercy. He raised his sword and swung fiercely at A Lan, who was at the forefront, holding nothing back.
To ensure the training’s effectiveness, Qing Mulanz’s guard team wore no armour during drills. A Lan didn’t dare block directly and raised her sword overhead to parry Iron Hammer’s strike.
Iron Hammer, tall and burly, was naturally stronger than A Lan. Charging downhill with momentum, his strike was ferocious.
A Lan was forced back by the blow, stumbling until she fell on her backside.
Iron Hammer pressed his advantage, closing in quickly. His sword swept past A Lan’s neck, leaving a white mark.
