Daqin Zhentiansi

Chapter 648 You, are you going to hunt down that Boundless Sea Monster?

In the entire village, only the village chief's eldest son could read a few words, and his handwriting was even worse than Chen Dazhu's.

Chen Dazhu wiped the oil and sweat from his face, took out a copy of "Records of River Dredging" from his inner pocket, the three characters "Chen Dazhu" on the cover crooked but vigorous: "The other day, Mr. Yao from the academy taught us how to write family letters, saying that once the Jiuchuan River is dredged, he will also teach us how to use an abacus!"

Chen Dazhu rubbed the scroll in his hand, gently wiping away any mud or water that clung to it: "Every ten days, Confucian scholars from the academy come to teach us the 'Thousand Character Classic,' and at noon we practice the 'Zhenyue Fist Formation' with the new army instructors."

He not only studies, but also practices martial arts!

That's an opportunity that only members of martial arts sects and aristocratic families can have!

Whether it was Li Shuanzi or the other young men, they all stared wide-eyed, their faces filled with undisguised envy and shock.

"Brother Zhu, how's your boxing practice going?" Wang Laizi gripped the hem of his clothes, his breathing becoming rapid.

Chen Dazhu, who had studied martial arts, seemed much more imposing in his eyes.

In the Qin Dynasty, martial arts were revered. Being literate was one thing, but mastering martial arts was something truly desirable.

Chen Dazhu tucked his shirt into his belt and shouted in a low voice, "Look at that starting stance—"

He braced himself, lowered his waist, and threw a punch, which seemed to be accompanied by a fierce gust of wind.

"The mountains and forests form a defensive formation as sturdy as pines, while the wind and fire can be used for attack with lightning speed. The instructor says this is the combined attack formation of the northern border army!"

Li Shuanzi stared at Chen Dazhu as he practiced each punch and move, his fingertips gripping half a cold, hard piece of steamed bun.

When we left the village in the morning, the village chief gave each of the able-bodied men a cold steamed bun.

Chen Dazhu's bare back was covered with whip marks and calluses, which gleamed like bronze in the sunlight.

This is not the same Chen Dazhu who stole corn from his neighbor's house half a year ago and was hung in the ancestral hall and whipped.

"Watch closely!" Chen Dazhu shouted, took a step forward, and threw a punch, the force of which made the porcelain bowls on the table next to him rattle.

As everyone gasped and retreated, his fists had already drawn a "mountain" shape in the air—the very same Zhenyue Fist that the new army camp practiced every day.

"Mountain Forest Fire—" Chen Dazhu exhaled, his fist suddenly becoming as sharp as a knife.

When the final move, "All Rivers Flow into the Sea," came to an end, the camp was so quiet that you could hear the sweat droplets on the ground.

Looking at Chen Dazhu's rough fingers as he wrote the letter to his parents, Li Shuanzi suddenly felt a stinging pain from the calluses on his shoulders from carrying grain.

In Li Shuanzi's eyes, Chen Dazhu was now as formidable as a mountain, skilled in boxing and reading.

Chen Dazhu wiped his sweat with a robe draped nearby, then looked up at the distant river: "Our Marquis said that dredging a river isn't about digging mud—"

"This is a lifeline for farmers!"

His mud-covered fingers traced across the wooden table, like an old farmer guiding a plow through frozen soil: "The Nine Rivers irrigate rice paddies for three thousand miles, and merchant ships on the river transport grain from eighteen prefectures. This principle is clearer than the village head's account book!"

Mud-covered fingertips scraped heavily across the rough wooden tabletop, and the veins on the back of Chen Dazhu's hands bulged like dragons.

The twenty-odd young men sitting around stared at the map of the Jiuchuan River that he had drawn with his fingertips, their Adam's apples bobbing up and down, but no one dared to breathe too loudly.

"Do you know which four characters the Marquis taught us to write first?" Chen Dazhu suddenly straightened his back, his cracked fingernails carving grooves into the blue bricks.

Li Shuanzi's pupils contracted.

The crooked engravings were clearly the teachings of the sages that I had seen in the ancestral hall a month ago. When the village chief's son recited "What is the heart of heaven and earth?", his spittle had even splattered onto his clothes.

The whip marks on Chen Dazhu's back crisscrossed like rivers in the sunlight: "To establish a heart for heaven and earth! I understand now, what I'm establishing is the heart that allows children to drink rice porridge!"

He picked up two remaining white steamed buns from the table and gently wiped the mud off the surface: "Once the river is dredged, our village will have these fine flour buns every day!"

"When I die on the riverbank—" Chen Dazhu suddenly grinned, "the inscription on my tombstone will read 'To usher in an era of peace for all generations,' which will infuriate those old pedants in the ancestral hall!"

……

The oxcarts on their way home rolled over the newly paved gravel road, and the straw sandals of more than twenty strong young men carrying grain scraped against the rammed earth, the rustling sound drowning out the sound of the surging waves in the river.

Li Shuanzi, as if possessed, reached for the crumpled grain transport document in his pocket.

The setting sun dyed the riverbank blood red, and the sounds of drills coming from the distant New Army camp were mixed with the loud shouts of "How can we say we have no clothes!"

"Forest fire..."

He unconsciously imitated that boxing stance, the calluses on his palms rustling against his rough linen clothes.

As the cart jolted, documents fluttered to the ground, revealing the vermilion official seal of the "Eastern Border New Army Recruitment" bathed in the evening glow.

------------------

Yunming Prefecture.

New Army Camp.

New recruit Zhao Cilin walked to the logistics camp, clutching his military tag in his hand.

Two soldiers in gray robes took the military tag from his hand and pressed it onto a piece of jade.

The jade shimmered with light, then a red light swept away.

"Go, medicine pool number thirty-seven." The sergeant returned the insignia to Zhao Cilin and pointed to the rows of gray tents covered by cloth in the camp behind them.

Zhao Cilin nodded, took a deep breath, and strode towards the tent.

Upon entering the tent, a strong medicinal smell wafted through the air.

A small, azure pool, its water shimmering with a faint spiritual light, was formed. Zhao Cilin removed his clothes and stepped into the pool.

As the pool water submerged his body, a faint crimson hue surged across his skin.

Half an hour.

"Om-"

Zhao Cilin's vital energy surged and rippled, causing the pool water to swell.

A breakthrough in cultivation!

Qi and blood flow like a drum, mid-stage of acquired constitution!
Zhao Cilin, who was a rural youth just six months ago, has reached the mid-stage of the Acquired Realm in just six months in the army, with the strength of 800 jin in both arms.

Zhao Cilin showed no joy whatsoever.

Because among the five million new soldiers here, more than one hundred thousand have already reached the mid-stage of the Acquired Realm.

They practiced daily decoctions, ate meat every day, had medicinal meals for ten days, took a medicinal bath once a month, and also received pills to enhance their qi and blood.

As long as one's aptitude isn't too bad, the Acquired Realm is just the beginning.

Stepping out of the medicinal pool and putting on his clothes, Zhao Cilin left the tent and eagerly headed towards the supply camp on the other side.

With his cultivation reaching the mid-stage of the Acquired Realm, he was finally able to wear armor!

In front of the supply depot, several military clerks took his military badge, then took out a tape measure to measure his height and waist.

"Lift the stone lock."

"Line the bow and shoot quickly."

"Practice two sets of boxing techniques."

"Practice martial arts while bound with ropes."

Several clerks and soldiers from the supply battalion made various requests, which Zhao Cilin fulfilled in every way.

After half an hour of practice, he was covered in sweat.

"Alright," the clerk waved his hand and handed him a piece of paper. "Go and collect your armor."

Zhao Cilin took the paper and instinctively gripped it tightly.

His heart was pounding. When he reached the barracks, he handed over the paper.

In front of the barracks, several soldiers carried out black armor and weapons.

This is Zhao Cilin's armor.

As he placed his hand on the three characters "Zhao Cilin" on the collar of his armor, Zhao Cilin's hand trembled slightly.

A set of black fish scale armor.

Left arm guard with a Qilin (Chinese unicorn) pattern.

Right shoulder guard with dark yak-eyed pattern.

A shield, one foot square.

One repeating crossbow, five boxes of crossbow bolts, one hundred bolts in total.

A thick-backed waist knife.

A long, slotted spear.

One strong bow and thirty armor-piercing arrows.

This is a protective and emergency first-aid pouch containing medicines for stopping bleeding, setting bones, and protecting the heart.

"Come, put armor on Brother Zhao."

Beside him, soldiers unfolded their armor and took out weapons to help Zhao Cilin put on his armor.

Armored, spear in hand, scalpel held horizontally, bow and crossbow folded and hanging at his waist, crossbow quiver under the scabbard of his left scalpel, and longsword quiver on his back.

Zhao Cilin, holding a gun in one hand and a knife in the other, strode out of the supply camp.

"Have you heard? The armor and weapons of the Marquis's personal guard are all manufactured under the supervision of the Zhen Tian Division, and are engraved with spirit patterns..."

The voices of the supply battalion soldiers came from behind, causing Zhao Cilin to slowly clench his fists.

One day, he too will wear that armor with spirit patterns.

At this time, the Prefectural Governor's Office of Donghan County.

In the back hall, Zhang Yuan sat opposite Wu Daoling, the Nine Yang Sword Immortal.

"Is Marquis Qingyang going to sea?"

Wu Daoling looked at Zhang Yuan, his eyes revealing surprise.

"You... are you going to hunt down that Boundless Sea Monster?"

(End of this chapter)