Chapter Nine: Young Master, This Is Not How Elite Soldiers Are Trained

“2. Choose to reveal the truth, reward with a divine weapon—a single Dragon Slayer Pike, which increases the host’s martial prowess.”

Chu Feng’s pupils contracted. The Dragon Slayer Pike? If his memory served him right, legend had it that this was Xiang Yu’s weapon. Wouldn’t it suit him perfectly?

The system was clearly pushing him to choose the second option.

“Father, if numbers alone determined victory, then Liu Biao of Jing Province and Liu Zhang of Yi Province would be invincible in the world. Yuan Shu lost this battle because he was defeated by his own men.”

Chu Feng spoke quietly.

“His own men?” Yuan Shu’s brow furrowed instantly.

Yang Hong squinted, caught in deep thought. Suddenly, his pupils narrowed sharply and a chill ran down his spine. If what Chu Feng said was true, he could just about guess who was responsible.

Yang Feng and Han Xian!

Both had roots as bandits, driven purely by profit, and had already betrayed their master more than once. If Lü Bu promised them gold or silver, there was no guarantee they wouldn’t turn coat.

But the plan had been his suggestion!

“Who?” Yuan Shu demanded, his brows knitted.

“Yang Feng and Han Xian. Both come from bandit backgrounds, always chasing profit. They pledged themselves to Yuan Shu late last year, but have never shown true loyalty,”

“Perhaps Lü Bu is not cunning enough to tempt them, but Chen’s family certainly would devise a plan to break their ranks.”

“Alas, Yuan Shu is a fool. Anyone with half a brain wouldn’t have fought Lü Bu, much less used Yang Feng and Han Xian. But if Yuan Shu weren’t a fool, we’d have nothing to do with this.”

Chu Feng said, making exaggerated winks.

With Yuan Shu’s actions, Chu Feng felt ever more confident about his own plans for rebellion.

Yuan Shu’s lips twitched. Son, could you at least stop calling your father a fool every other sentence? It really grates on the nerves.

Nevertheless, he turned his gaze to Yang Hong, since the scheme to ‘drive the wolves against the tigers’ had been Yang Hong’s idea.

Yang Hong felt uneasy, inwardly speechless. As the lord, Yuan Shu should choose his words more carefully. Chu Feng was right—Yuan Shu was a fool. He had only offered advice.

“Father, where did you get these weapons? Don’t tell me you stole them from Yuan Shu’s stockpile?” Chu Feng looked at the weapons loaded on the cart behind them, clicking his tongue in awe.

His father was truly invested in rebellion. No wonder he hadn’t shown up for three days; he’d been busy with this. With his father’s support, the grand plan seemed within reach!

“Ahem, you could say that!”

“By the way, Feng’er, who taught you these training methods? They’re quite different from what I’ve seen. Shouldn’t spearmen practice thrusting, archers practice shooting, and infantry carry shields?”

Yuan Shu asked with suspicion.

“Father, that’s for large-scale armies. We have only two hundred men right now. Practicing mass thrusts or volleys is pointless—we can’t defeat anyone that way. Only elite training will work.”

Chu Feng explained.

“Master, can these methods really produce elite soldiers?” Liang Gang was skeptical. To him, leading troops depended first on courage, then discipline. Only after that came training in thrusts and volleys.

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“That’s a certainty! With the equipment I’ve prepared, most can’t survive a single round. Once they master these routines, they’ll become true elites.”

Chu Feng spoke with confidence.

“Master, may I try it myself?” Liang Gang was eager.

“Of course. I’ll demonstrate the process first, and you can watch.” Chu Feng said, leading his men into camp.

In front of everyone, he removed his pleated tunic, then donned the improved Hu-style attire—tight-fitting clothes.

Coupled with his bearing, he appeared sharp and capable.

The two hundred strong men wiped sweat from their brows, grinning and chatting. Their leader was about to put on another display—truth be told, it was quite impressive.

He moved.

Climbing, crawling, rolling, shooting—his speed was astonishing.

In the blink of an eye, he’d covered half the course.

Yuan Shu glanced at Liang Gang. “What do you think of this training?”

Liang Gang smiled lightly, shaking his head. “In my view, this method is useless—wasting money and effort. These skills are not nearly as effective as reward and punishment based on military merit.”

“In fact, training in thrusts and volleys is far more useful than these base exercises. Such an army would be wiped out in a single clash!”

“Elite soldiers are not trained this way!”

Yang Hong nodded in agreement.

Yuan Shu was silent. It made sense—his son had no generals to assist him, didn’t know the proper methods of training. To have come this far was already impressive.

Soon, Chu Feng returned.

Dusting off his clothes, Chu Feng breathed evenly and said, “I was slower by a few seconds this time—could’ve been even faster.”

Liang Gang laughed, “Master, you’re strong and healthy. Though you’re not quite the equal of us generals, you’re far superior to ordinary men. Quite admirable.”

Chu Feng blinked in confusion.

What nonsense was he spouting? But he called himself a general—clearly, his father held a fairly high post under Yuan Shu, which made sense. Stealing weapons wouldn’t be easy otherwise.

Liang Gang finished, removed his sword, and declared confidently, “Master, watch closely.”

With that, he charged out.

He thought it would be a breeze!

Then Liang Gang began to doubt himself.

Just now, Chu Feng had shown no signs of fatigue, heart steady, breathing calm, and moved swiftly with ease. Liang Gang had thought it would be simple, given his military background.

But now, he was stunned!

No matter how hard he pushed, he couldn’t match Chu Feng’s speed—he lagged far behind.

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After a while, Liang Gang’s chest heaved as he returned.

Chu Feng said, “Not bad, not bad. Only about the time it takes to burn a stick of incense slower than me.”

Liang Gang’s face, already red with exhaustion, turned even redder. He regretted showing off.

But then again, the young master’s physique must be remarkably strong—at least as good as his own. The exercises had been strenuous, yet Chu Feng accomplished them with ease.

“All right, Feng’er, your father has matters to attend to. I must return now.” Yuan Shu was weighed down with worry.

“Very well. Oh, Father, can you help me find more craftsmen? I’ve gathered all the artisans from the surrounding villages, but it’s still not enough.”

Chu Feng said hurriedly.

“Craftsmen? What do you need them for?”

“To manufacture specialized crossbow bolts!”

Yuan Shu frowned, but didn’t ask further. He nodded, “Fine, I’ll arrange for someone to find more for you.”

With that, Yuan Shu turned and departed.

Chu Feng walked a few steps to see him off, then returned to training. This regimen focused on physical strength, mental resolve, endurance, and ability. In time, he would move on to survival training.

Elsewhere,

On the road, Yuan Shu berated, “Hmph, Yang Hong, this was all your brilliant idea.”

“Your Majesty, I swear I harbor no disloyalty.”

“Besides, prophecies are obscure and unreliable. If Your Majesty is uneasy, why not recall Yang Feng and Han Xian?”

Yang Hong pleaded in terror.

“Hmph, the army is already marching—how could I recall them halfway?” Yuan Shu was furious. “Liang Gang, fetch my token and ride out at once! Catch up with the main force and warn Zhang Xun and Ji Ling to be wary of Yang and Han.”

“Yes!” Liang Gang nodded.

Yuan Shu then glanced at Yang Hong, gave a cold snort, and left.

If this campaign ended in disaster, Yang Hong would pay with his life.

Yang Hong’s expression was fearful, his heart full of anxiety. With Yuan Shu so unpredictable, how could he offer true loyalty? Perhaps it was better to contact Sun Ce.

The Sun clan commanded great prestige in the Jianghuai region—surely a grand future awaited.

But then he paused, recalling Chu Feng’s earlier suggestion to pledge allegiance to Sun Ce after Yuan Shu’s death. Could Chu Feng truly foresee the future?

In that instant, Yang Hong shivered.

No, he couldn’t just sit and wait. He must send someone to gather intelligence—if defeat came, he needed to prepare early. For now, he could seek refuge under Yuan Yao.

Given that Yuan Yao knew he had an elder brother, acceptance would not be difficult.

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