One Hundred and Sixty-Two: The Beginning

After Zhang Xuan announced this series of matters, the next day the children, including Yang Zaixing and others, and even Grandpa Tong and Uncle Yang, were all discussing what Zhang Xuan would do next. However, Zhang Xuan himself, except for showing up at mealtimes, hid in his wooden hut the rest of the time. Yang Zaixing, Yuwen Chengdu, and Yang Hu, who shared the cabin with him, saw how mysterious Zhang Xuan was acting and felt as though he was practicing something, but even after observing, they could not figure out what he was up to. When they tried asking him, this fellow kept his mouth tightly shut and refused to reveal a single thing. Eventually, they simply stopped bothering; they figured that when the time came, they would naturally find out what tricks he had up his sleeve.

By the evening, everyone had gathered early at the designated spot, waiting for Zhang Xuan to clear up the doubts that had bothered them all day. Zhang Xuan walked up to everyone right on time. Looking at the children in the field, as well as Grandpa Tong and Uncle Yang, he said, "Grandpa Tong, Uncle Yang, what are you two doing here? You surely aren't going to participate in our training! But since you are here already, I'd like to ask a favor of you. You must not refuse!"

Grandpa Tong and Uncle Yang looked at each other. In truth, the two of them were simply curious about what Zhang Xuan was about to announce and the training he intended to carry out. They had not expected that by merely standing there, they would inexplicably feel as though they were being press-ganged into service, and that feeling was quite strong. "Little Xuan, let's hear it. As long as it's not too outrageous, we might just agree!"

"Grandpa Tong, what kind of talk is that? When have I ever done anything outrageous? I am a person who always knows my place, and I've decided to make 'knowing my place' my personal label." Before Zhang Xuan could finish his boasting, Grandpa Tong interrupted him once more, "Out with it. Don't I know your character by now? Stop rambling about nonsense."

"Oh! It's very simple. As masters of martial arts, especially since you, Grandpa Tong, hold the title of 'King of Spears' in the Jianghu, we hope you can come over every few days to guide the children and practice martial arts with them. It doesn't have to be every day, just every few days will do, because we have other daily training tasks as well. Of course, this includes us too—don't forget about us, since we are your disciples as well, and the close kind at that. As for Uncle Yang, as an elder, our bond is rock-solid. This proposal should be a breeze for the two of you!" Zhang Xuan had originally intended to beat around the bush, but after some consideration, since they were all so familiar with one another, he decided to speak his mind directly. Why bother beating around the bush and making things so distant? Besides, Grandpa Tong and Uncle Yang had plenty of leisure time anyway, so how wonderful would it be for them to put their leftover energy to good use!

"I thought it was some major matter. This thing, I agree to it!" Grandpa Tong didn't think much further and simply agreed. Uncle Yang agreed shortly after; teaching one person was teaching, and teaching a group was no different.

"What are you all staring blankly for? Say thank you! These are two genuine martial arts masters; ordinary people couldn't hire them to teach even if they wanted to. You have such good fortune, yet you remain so indifferent. Your performance is truly disappointing. Hurry up, opportunities like this don't wait!" Prompted by Zhang Xuan, the twenty-some children all bowed with cupped hands toward Grandpa Tong and Uncle Yang, shouting in unison, "Thank you!"

Grandpa Tong and Uncle Yang waved their hands dismissively. Then Grandpa Tong said, "Little Xuan, didn't you say you were going to announce something today? Hurry up and announce it! I want to see what this 'sea of bitterness' you keep talking about is really like." After all, this was the primary reason Grandpa Tong was present.

Hearing Grandpa Tong's words, Zhang Xuan turned to look at the twenty-plus children. The moment he turned his head, however, his playful expression vanished entirely, replaced by a look that felt completely alien. To those familiar with Zhang Xuan like Grandpa Tong, looking at his face right now gave them a strong sense of strangeness. If Zhang Xuan had previously seemed like a child, or perhaps an amiable older or younger neighbor with a smile on his face, being friendly to everyone—even speaking to Grandpa Tong and Uncle Yang with such a radiant smile just moments ago—right now, with a mere turn of his head, he suddenly became serious, looking completely unfamiliar and quite fierce.

Zhang Xuan gazed at everyone in the field. Some of the children were startled by his abrupt transformation and looked at him in nervous panic. After a long moment, Zhang Xuan spoke calmly, "Welcome to you all. Back at the stronghold, I already told you that when you choose to join me, I will lead you into another sea of bitterness. Everyone remembers that, right? And this sea of bitterness will officially begin tomorrow. I believe it will not disappoint you!" Zhang Xuan paused, looked into everyone's faces, and continued, "Next, I will train you according to the standards of an elite soldier. No one is born a king of soldiers; every single soldier is forged, endured, and honed through training. You don't need to doubt whether I have the ability to train you into outstanding soldiers; you only need to complete the tasks I assign you. Today, I will teach you a preliminary lesson. As a soldier, you must remember to be disciplined and organized, obey commands, report whenever something happens, and under no circumstances act on your own initiative. Do you understand?"

Everyone in the field looked at each other, feeling somewhat baffled. Yang Zaixing and the others felt the same way, having no idea how they should reply to Zhang Xuan.