Chapter 18: Assessment Rewards, Steamed Buns, and the Fourth Guard Warriors Camp!

Sweating profusely, he went to the well in the courtyard and drew up a bucket of water, taking a cold shower. Only then, utterly exhausted, did he return to bed, clutching his wife and drifting into a deep sleep.

Early the next morning, Xia He arrived at the military camp.

In the main yard of the quartermaster battalion, some recruits were already standing still in practice.

The sweat steadily dripping from their foreheads showed they had been there for quite some time.

“So intense!” Xia He muttered to himself. He had come early enough, at least half an hour ahead of the instructor, yet here were others who had arrived even earlier.

It made sense, though. There were at least thirty or forty new recruits in the quartermaster battalion this time, all rivals, already competing quietly among themselves.

After observing for a while, Xia He noticed that one recruit’s movements were somewhat off.

Several key postures were distorted, clearly indicating he hadn’t grasped the correct techniques.

Xia He shook his head but said nothing; after all, he had no right to criticize others.

Just then, a round figure came rushing over.

It was Wang Erpang! He panted heavily as he reached Xia He, his face beaming with a radiant smile, carefully holding a package wrapped in oiled paper.

“Hehe, Brother He, I brought you something delicious!” Wang Erpang said excitedly, unwrapping the paper to reveal four steaming meat buns. The enticing aroma immediately filled the air, making mouths water.

“You brought this for me?”

Xia He looked surprised.

After all, the two had only met briefly the day before. Wang Erpang was a bit of a chatterbox, but bringing him breakfast was unexpected.

“Brother He, don’t read too much into it. I really admire you and want to learn hunting from you.”

“Next time we go to the mountains, can you take me along? I’m counting on you to be my big support!”

Xia He was a little speechless.

What big support was he?

But Wang Erpang was so enthusiastic and didn’t seem to have any ulterior motives.

Gratefully, he accepted the meat bun and took a bite, instantly savoring its delicious flavor.

“Erpang, you’re really thoughtful! These buns are amazing.”

Wang Erpang grinned proudly, patting his chest.

“Of course! Training is tough. You have to replenish your nutrition, or your body won’t hold up.”

Hearing this, Xia He couldn’t help but ask curiously, “Erpang, where did you get the money to buy these buns? We just arrived and haven’t received our pay yet.”

“You said you were the only one in your family, right?”

Wang Erpang scratched his head, smiling sheepishly as he explained, “Actually… my father passed away, and the army gave me some compensation. Plus, I used to work as a kitchen assistant at a restaurant in the city, so I have some income.”

“So sometimes I treat myself to something good. These buns were swiped from the restaurant this morning.”

Xia He suddenly felt the bun in his hand was less appealing. He pulled out two copper coins from his pocket and tossed them to Wang Erpang.

“Don’t do these sneaky things anymore.”

As they spoke, more recruits gathered in the yard.

At the appointed time, a soldier about thirty years old strode in with the bearing of a dragon and tiger.

Upon entering, he barked loudly, “Everyone line up immediately!”

“My name’s Zhang Meng. You can call me Instructor Zhang.”

The recruits stiffened at the sharp command and quickly formed several rows.

Seeing the crooked and disorderly formation, Instructor Zhang frowned and shouted a few more times before speaking.

“The stance manual was given to you yesterday, so I assume you’ve all reviewed it.”

“Today, I will demonstrate the fist stance and the sword techniques from start to finish.”

Without further ado, he began showcasing the fundamental stances and sword movements.

His body moved like lightning, hands and feet working in harmony, the techniques flowing seamlessly in one continuous motion.

However, his speed was so fast that no one present could catch the subtle details.

Especially those who hadn’t fully memorized the thirty-six stances stood dumbfounded, their faces blank with confusion and anxiety.

While everyone was still marveling at the fluidity, Instructor Zhang suddenly stopped and declared loudly:

“Whoever can break through the Skin Refining stage in the shortest time will immediately be freed from the status of a vagrant and earn the precious qualification to compete for the elite Fourth Guards Warrior Battalion!”

His words struck the crowd like a stone dropped into a pond, stirring a thousand ripples.

Many had little feeling about the Fourth Guards selection, but the chance to escape the vagrant status was irresistible.

The Qin Empire’s social hierarchy was divided into five classes: nobility, military household, commoners, vagrants, and slaves.

One of Xia He’s reasons for enlisting was precisely to escape the vagrant class, so he was naturally overjoyed.

As for the Fourth Guards Warrior Battalion, Instructor Zhang offered no further explanation.

Then the young man who had been standing still in the yard since early morning rose, glanced around at the others with an air of superiority, and explained,

“The Fourth Guards Warrior Battalion is the elite of Qin’s frontier army. Joining any of its companies instantly grants military household status and even the chance to be personally taken as a disciple by a general, who will teach you martial arts!”

“One month from now is the assessment. Those who fail will remain in the quartermaster battalion for life!”

Instructor Zhang sneered coldly, looking at the group of recruits made up of vagrants, thinking to himself,

“Each generation worse than the last!”

After Instructor Zhang left, the crowd could no longer contain themselves, bursting into heated discussion.

“Elite? That means fighting at the front lines! No way, I’m not going; that’s the fastest way to die!”

“Fools! Don’t you want to become a military household?”

Some sneered at the cowardly voices.

“We’re cannon fodder on the battlefield! Once you become a martial artist and gain strength, do you think it’s easy to die?”

“As long as you become a martial artist, you’ll never have to live such a poor life again!”

The recruits exchanged looks, each lost in thought, but soon regained their composure and resumed practicing the stances.

Xia He said nothing, simply beginning his own stance practice.

At that moment, the rotund Wang Erpang quietly sidled up beside him.

Due to his physique, Wang Erpang’s movements were clumsy and awkward.

Someone nearby scoffed mockingly.

“Good-for-nothing.”

The speaker was the same recruit who had spoken earlier.

Perhaps emboldened by his earlier display, a large group had gathered around him.

The weak always liked to band together. Wang Erpang glared fiercely at them but dared not retort.

Seeing Xia He’s puzzled glance, Wang Erpang panted and indignantly explained,

“That guy is my neighbor, Liu Wei. Hmph, like me, he’s a hereditary military slave and already got a head start with the soldier’s basics.”

“Brother He, watch out for him. Don’t let him snatch first place in the new recruit assessment.”

Xia He glanced over and nodded slightly, feeling a surge of urgency.

Although Liu Wei’s movements were somewhat flawed, he had already mastered over a dozen stances, a pace surpassing most others, including Xia He.

“I must take first place in the new recruit assessment and break free from the vagrant status!”