Chapter 169: Two Years Later

In the days that followed, Zhang Xuan, Yang Zaixing, and the others led the twenty-four children through rigorous, militarized training. During this period, Zhao Yun and Tong Fei also joined in. From basic postures, stepping, and running, to mountain climbing, tree climbing, scaling walls, negotiating obstacles, camouflage, signaling, and fostering team spirit, down to learning human anatomy, assassination, and stealth techniques—every imaginable training method was put to the test on these twenty-six individuals. The ranks were frequently broken down and recombined for joint training. Of course, there was also time set aside for reading and carving characters. After all, martial training could not be blind and endless; cultural education was extremely important. When the time came to venture out, being able to put on airs with a bit of literary flair would come in quite handy. Besides, in the era of the late Han Dynasty, the status of a scholar was indeed a notch higher than that of a martial artist.

In Zhang Xuan's words, discussing the balance between literary and martial arts: "In troubled times, if you want to survive, you must first make yourself strong. As the saying goes, it is better to be a dog in times of peace than a man in times chaos. In a chaotic world, human life is as worthless as blades of grass! As for studying the classics and histories, if it were a peaceful era, these doctrines could be used to govern the world. But in times of turmoil, can these classical texts stop spears and swords? It is not that I look down on scholars, but if a person cannot even save themselves, how can they speak of saving the country? This is a very simple truth. However, books must still be read. Everyone should make time to carve characters and read, and help guide one another. When the time comes to step outside and show off a little, it will not be a bad thing. Even if you cannot show off, at the baseline, having some substance in your belly means you won't be easily fooled when you go out to make a living in the world."

Of course, Elder Tong and Uncle Yang also dropped by from time to time to guide everyone in martial arts, especially after Zhao Yun and Tong Fei joined the training.

Everything progressed in an orderly fashion within this utopia-like sanctuary.

Amidst the training, the seeds planted in the spring finally yielded their harvest. As for the calves, lambs, piglets, and chicks, they had all grown considerably compared to when they were first purchased, and they had now become reliable staples on the dining table. Zhang Xuan and the others had bid farewell to the days of eating wild game long ago. Items like eggs, goat's milk, and more had become permanent fixtures at every meal.

And so, year after year slipped by in a blur, and the children blossomed into youths. Following two years of arduous and unyielding training, the results were remarkable. To use the words of Elder Tong, a master of martial arts: if these twenty-four individuals were thrown onto a battlefield, they could easily fend off a thousand untrained soldiers.

On the second anniversary of the camp—for after training for a period, Zhang Xuan had officially named their sect and base a camp—Zhang Xuan had Elder Tong and Uncle Yang slaughter a pig and a sheep to celebrate this momentous occasion. Everyone rejoiced together, extra food was served to treat the entire company, and all training was suspended for a three-day holiday.

On the final evening before the long break, Zhang Xuan gathered Yang Zaixing, Yuwen Chengdu, and Yang Hu. Without beating around the bush, he went straight to the point and said, "It has been two years. Although Elder Tong says these people can now match a thousand foes, their training has reached a bottleneck. No amount of further repetition will improve their skills!"

The three of them nodded in agreement. Every conceivable training subject had been exhausted over the past year. As for martial arts prowess, that was not something that could be forced overnight. Of course, Zhang Xuan still had various other training methods in his mind, but without the proper facilities, it was a classic case of a clever housewife being unable to cook a meal without rice.

"True, during the training, we came to realize this ourselves, and we all share that exact feeling. It feels like we are just repeating the same old tricks over and over again, and it's getting a bit boring! Little Xuan, what are your plans for the next step?"

Zhang Xuan gazed down the path leading away from the camp and said calmly, "We haven't left this camp in two years, have we? Aside from Elder Tong and the others occasionally visiting Wanyang Town, the farthest place any of us has been is that nearby mountain. It is about time we lead them out to get some practice, let them experience the world outside, and taste some bloodshed!"

"Little Xuan, have you finally figured it out? Are you planning to let us leave this place?" Yang Zaixing asked eagerly, fixing his eyes on Zhang Xuan. More than once, he had yearned to leave the camp and venture out to see the outside world. Yuwen Chengdu felt the same way. Two years—time was neither exceptionally long nor particularly short, but he felt as though he had forgotten what the outside world even looked like.

"Look at your eager faces. We are going out with a mission," Zhang Xuan glanced sideways at Yang Zaixing and Yuwen Chengdu.

"What mission? We guarantee we'll complete it! After all, we haven't just been sitting around eating for nothing these past two years," Yang Zaixing, Yuwen Chengdu, and even Yang Hu shouted loudly in unison at Zhang Xuan. Their booming voices caught the attention of many people wandering nearby—or rather, many people had kept their eyes fixed on Zhang Xuan and his group all along.

"You haven't forgotten where these children came from, have you?"

All three shook their heads. "How could we forget? We rescued them from human traffickers!"

As soon as Yang Zaixing finished speaking, Yuwen Chengdu chimed in, "Little Xuan, you can't be serious! Is the mission you're talking about supposed to be us hunting down other human traffickers to rescue more children?"

"Can't we? Didn't you just say you guarantee the mission will be completed?"

"Well, no, the thing is... we don't even know where their mountain stronghold holding the children is located! How are we supposed to rescue them?" Yuwen Chengdu pressed on.

"That's something we'll figure out once we head out. We can't just sit around here daydreaming and expect you to magically find the location of their stronghold!"

"What do you mean by *you* will find it? Little Xuan, aren't you going with us?" Yang Hu honed in on the crucial question as he listened to Zhang Xuan.