The Great Song Dynasty's Soul-Forging in Progress

One hundred, one hundred and fifty, two hundred... As for the "Hidden Arrows" team, only one person was accidentally grazed on the arm by a stray arrow (a headless arrow used in training), leaving a small white mark, which can be considered a minor injury.

As the six hours drew to a close, the last rays of the setting sun shone through the gaps in the trees.

When the bugle call signaling the end of the exercise pierced the mountains and forests, the remaining hundred or so soldiers were mostly ragged, covered in white dust, and looked dejected, sitting or lying down in a sorry state. They hadn't even seen the faces of most of the "Dark Arrow" team members.

Du Ziteng calmly emerged from different directions in the forest with nineteen team members (one of whom was slightly injured). Although they were also covered in dust, their eyes were sharp and their formation was orderly, forming a stark contrast with the scattered soldiers opposite them.

The statistics came out: of the 300 soldiers, 287 were "killed in action" or "seriously wounded," and 13 were "lightly wounded," meaning the entire army was almost wiped out. As for the "hidden arrows," one soldier was lightly wounded, and none were killed.

Upon seeing the result, Zhang Biao's face turned from red to white, then from white to green; his burly body trembled slightly, and he remained speechless for a long time. Li Xin, Zhou An, and the others also looked ashen-faced, incredulous.

Wang Zhonghua walked up to Zhang Biao, his expression calm, revealing neither joy nor anger.

Zhang Biao suddenly knelt on one knee, clasped his hands above his head, and said in a hoarse voice, filled with endless shame and a hint of submission: "General Wang! This humble general... surrenders! It was this humble general who was blind and underestimated the heroes under his command, and even more so the general's ability to train troops! This humble general... is willing to accept defeat!" Behind him, Li Xin, Zhou An, and a group of officers who participated in the martial arts exercise also knelt down.

However, Wang Zhonghua's gaze passed over them and fell on the dejected, battered, and even somewhat resentful soldiers, as well as the soldiers who had twisted their ankles from falling into the trap or were groaning in pain from being stabbed in vital areas by wooden spears.

He took a deep breath, and his voice carried clearly throughout the hall:

"This exercise was intended for testing, not for causing injury. However, although the rules were for a drill, the injuries were real." He pointed to the wounded soldiers. "They are your soldiers, and they are also my soldiers. As the training commander, I failed to fully consider the risks of the exercise, resulting in the injuries of my comrades. This is my fault!"

He turned to Di Qing and Ouyang Xiu, bowed and clasped his hands: "Defense Commander Di, Lord Ouyang! Such casualties during the military exercise are all due to my poor planning and inadequate discipline. This humble general, Wang Zhonghua, is willing to accept military punishment—I request fifty strokes of the military rod as a warning to others and to comfort the wounded soldiers!"

These words shocked everyone present!

Fifty strokes of the military rod! Even a strong soldier would be half-dead if struck hard! Wang Zhonghua is now the military commander appointed by the emperor himself, a position of great prestige. He can easily shift the blame to Zhang Biao's poor command or the soldiers' own carelessness.

But he didn't!

Zhang Biao suddenly looked up and said urgently, "General Wang! No! It's this humble general..."

Wang Zhonghua raised his hand to stop him, looking firmly at Di Qing.

A complex emotion flashed in Di Qing's eyes. He admired this young talent who was guiding his close friend despite their age difference, but he also felt sorry for him. He knew the significance of those fifty lashes. Ouyang Xiu stroked his beard silently, his eyes deep and thoughtful.

"Approved!" Di Qing uttered a single word in a deep voice.

The execution ground was set up below the command platform. Wang Zhonghua took off his shirt, revealing his back, which, though not muscular, was well-defined, and lay prone on the execution bench.

"Execute!" the executioner shouted.

The heavy military baton whistled through the air as it struck Wang Zhonghua's back again and again. His skin was torn and blood quickly seeped out. He gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, cold sweat pouring down his face, but he didn't utter a sound.

Below the stage, countless soldiers watched this scene, their initial resentment and anger gradually replaced by shock and emotion. Especially the wounded soldiers, seeing this young man shoulder such a heavy responsibility for them, felt a mix of emotions.

Qin Tiedan, Du Ziteng, Duan Gong, Lü Maoyi, and others were in tears, sobbing silently!

Zhang Biao's tiger-like eyes were filled with tears, his fists were clenched so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms!

Li Xin, Zhou An, and the others also looked solemn!

After fifty lashes, Wang Zhonghua's back was a bloody mess. Pale-faced, he struggled to his feet with the help of Du Ziteng and Qin Tiedan. His voice was weak but clear: "Today's blows are my punishment. I hope my brothers will also remember the ordeal we faced in the mountains today! The battlefield is no child's play; more sweat in peacetime means less blood in war! From tomorrow onwards, the entire army will double its training! What we need to train is the ability to survive and defeat the enemy anywhere, by any means! Gentlemen, are you willing to follow me and train a truly ferocious army to wipe out the bandits and protect our homeland?!"

"We are willing to follow! To quell the bandits! To protect our homeland!!" The thunderous response, for the first time filled with heartfelt fervor and conviction, shook the entire foothills of Laoya Mountain. Zhang Biao, Li Xin, and others roared the loudest, their eyes devoid of any doubt, filled only with utter submission and a determination to follow to the death!

That night, the campfire blazed brightly at Zhanghuatai. Wang Zhonghua lay on the couch, receiving treatment personally from Liu Xinyi—Qin Tiehua, upon hearing the news, immediately "forced" her to come to the camp. Generals Zhang Biao, Li Xin, and others carried rough porcelain bowls containing "Drunken Eight Immortals," a strong alcohol-based concoction that Wang Zhonghua had Du Ziteng transport from "Xiange Renjia."

Zhang Biao walked to Wang Zhonghua's bedside, his eyes still slightly red. He raised his wine bowl, his voice choked with emotion: "General Wang! I have nothing more to say! I, Old Zhang, am a rough man, and I have offended you greatly in the past! From now on, my life is mine! You point east, I will never go west! This bowl of wine is for you! If you can't drink it, I will drink it for you!"

After saying that, he tilted his head back and drank the spicy liquor in one gulp, exhaling as tears mixed with the liquor streamed down his face.

Other generals also stepped forward to offer toasts and express their support. What could have been a military exercise that caused internal division was transformed into a crucible for uniting the army and forging a spirit of iron will through Wang Zhonghua's fifty lashes and bowls of strong liquor.

From that day forward, the training at Zhanghuatai Camp entered a new and brutal phase. All complaints vanished before the fifty lashes, and all doubts disappeared under the unpredictable strength of the "Hidden Arrows" and Wang Zhonghua's leading role. A steel-willed force, combining the strengths of conventional and unorthodox tactics, began its rebirth at the foot of Laoya Mountain.

Inside the tent, the candlelight flickered. Liu Xinyi cut open Wang Zhonghua's clothes, which were already soaked in blood. Even though she had practiced medicine for many years and was used to seeing blood and gore, her fingertips still trembled slightly when she saw the wounds caused by fifty lashes. The skin was torn open, the tendons and bones were exposed, and each wound was so deep that the bone was visible. The blood that seeped out shone with a dark red hue in the candlelight.

"You..." Her voice was hoarse as she struggled to hold back her tears, "It's just a martial arts demonstration, did you have to take it this far?"

Wang Zhonghua lay on the couch, his face turned to the side with his arm as a pillow. Although his face was as pale as paper, he managed a smile: "Xinyi, if I don't do it, where will the resentment of those three hundred soldiers go? How can the cracks in the new training methods be healed overnight? These fifty lashes are punishment, but more importantly, they are an explanation to them."

"But you have to take care of yourself too!" Liu Xinyi bit her lip, her movements as gentle as a spring breeze. She used strong liquor to clean his wounds, and seeing his muscles suddenly tense up, yet he remained silent, she felt both heartache and anger. She took out her own "Ice Skin Jade Dew Ointment," made with seven-leaf lotus and snow-seeing grass gathered from the depths of Laoya Mountain, combined with her secret acupuncture techniques, it was worth a thousand pieces of gold.

"This medicine can promote blood circulation and tissue regeneration, but it will be extremely painful. Please bear with it," she whispered.

"With Miss Liu here, what do I have to fear?" Wang Zhonghua replied softly.

Liu Xinyi dipped her fingertips in the ointment and carefully applied it to the gruesome wounds. Her fingers were icy cold, and the ointment stung painfully at first touch, but for some reason, Wang Zhonghua felt a warm current slowly seep from his spine into his entire body. She leaned very close, her breath brushing against his ear, carrying a faint herbal scent. Strands of her hair fell, occasionally brushing against his neck, tickling him and making his heart flutter.

"You..." she suddenly spoke, her voice barely audible, "Don't do that again."

"how?"

"To risk your own life for someone else's heart." Liu Xinyi raised her head, her eyes slightly red. "You are training soldiers, not bodhisattvas in the army. Even bodhisattvas have indestructible golden bodies, but you are made of flesh and blood."

Wang Zhonghua was silent for a moment, then said softly, "But these soldiers will fight for my Great Song Dynasty and shed blood for my Great Song Dynasty in the future. If I cannot share their joys and sorrows, how can I expect them to willingly entrust their backs to me? Xinyi, these fifty lashes were worth it."

Liu Xinyi fell silent, silently applying the medicine more carefully. She knew this man was a man of great ambition, and once he made up his mind, nothing could sway him. Yet, in this moment of silence, her heart sank deeper and deeper. She even had a ridiculous thought:

If the injury were more severe, she could stay a little longer; but if it were truly serious, she would be heartbroken with fear.