The Great Song Dynasty's Soul-Forging in Progress

"As for the commander, I recommend Qin Tiedan. He is brave and loyal, and already has a good reputation at Longsheng Ferry, so he can command respect. As for the training methods..." Wang Zhonghua smiled slightly, "I am not very talented, but I know a little about military formations. I can work with Brother Tiedan to draft the regulations. In addition, Master Huiming, who is temporarily staying at Da Wanshou Temple, is a highly accomplished monk. The temple's martial monks also have famous teachers. If we provide some incense offerings, we can ask him to teach us some basic skills for strengthening the body and for self-defense. This is in accordance with the law and is also the right path."

Listening to Wang Zhonghua's clear and well-thought-out plan, Lü Sanjun's last doubts vanished, and he slapped his thigh: "Good! It's up to you! Zhonghua, you are truly my lucky star, even Zhuge Liang reborn couldn't be better! The grain storage and the manor protection team will be entirely handled by you and Tiedan! If you need money or manpower, just ask! I'll also have Fusheng help expand your little courtyard and 'Qingliangfang'."

With Lü Sanjun's full support, Wang Zhonghua acted swiftly and decisively.

The matter of grain storage was personally handled by Lü Fusheng, the experienced and reliable steward of the Lü family. Relying on the Lü family's existing business network, grain was purchased in small quantities from grain-producing areas around Chenzhou and even further afield, and secretly stored in several well-hidden and easily defended cellars in the manor.

The formation of the village protection team was mainly driven by Wang Zhonghua and Qin Tiedan.

Upon hearing this, Qin Tiedan was so excited that he couldn't sleep all night. He knew that this was an opportunity that the Chinese Brotherhood had fought for him, and also a chance for the "Brotherhood" to move from a loose, mutual-aid organization to a formal force. He immediately gathered his five most reliable brothers who had initially followed him and had not backed down in the conflict with Qiu Laohu at Longsheng Ferry.

These five people all came from humble backgrounds and each had their own unique characteristics:

Duan Gong, true to his name, possessed extraordinary strength. He had studied archery with an old hunter for a few days and was taciturn with eyes like an eagle.

Lü Maoyi was a native of Lüjiazhuang Village. He was quick and agile, able to climb mountains and wade through rivers as if walking on flat ground, and was skilled in reconnaissance.

Du Ziteng has a funny-sounding name, but he is actually very clever, quick-witted, and good at dealing with people.

Ma Nao was short and stocky with an extremely stable lower body, possessing the stubbornness and strength of a bull.

Zhang Simao, the youngest, is simple-minded and idolizes Qin Tiedan and Wang Zhonghua wholeheartedly.

"Brothers!" Qin Tiedan looked at the five dark but energetic faces before him and said in a deep voice, "The Zhonghua brothers have shown us the right path! From now on, we don't have to rely on our strength to earn that meager wage at the docks anymore, and we don't have to put up with Qiu Laohu's bastards! We're going to be the Lu family's proper protection team, safeguarding the peace of this area, and earning ourselves a future!"

Upon hearing this, the five men were all excited, patting their chests and guaranteeing, "Brother Tiedan, Young Master Wang, whatever you say, we'll do!"

Yes, with the booming sales of Hu spicy soup and the opening of "Qingliangfang", Wang Zhonghua was no longer the mediocre and dull "Wang family boy", but had become the well-known "Young Master Wang".

Looking at this initial core group, Wang Zhonghua felt somewhat reassured. He divided the manor protection team into three squads, each with twenty members, with Qin Tiedan as the head instructor and Duan Gong, Lü Maoyi, and Du Ziteng temporarily serving as squad leaders. Recruitment was primarily conducted among the sons of tenant farmers in the Lü family manor, requiring them to have a clean family background, good health, and upright character.

As soon as the recruitment notice was posted, applicants flocked to the scene. For these young men from farming families, joining the village protection team not only meant a stable wage, but also the opportunity to learn martial arts, improve their physical fitness, and avoid being bullied. It was also a rare chance to get ahead.

Under Wang Zhonghua's personal supervision, the training base for the manor protection team was set up in a secluded Lü family manor outside the city. The training regulations were formulated by Wang Zhonghua by drawing on his "author's knowledge" and combining modern military training methods with the requirements of ancient military formations, emphasizing discipline, physical fitness, and basic tactical coordination.

The morning mist had not yet dissipated, and dew still clung to the grass blades beside the Lü Family Training Ground (a large wheat field). Sixty guards were already lined up neatly. Wang Zhonghua stood on the makeshift earthen platform, his gaze sweeping over the faces that were still somewhat childish but filled with determination.

Wang Zhonghua nodded in satisfaction.

A strange lyric involuntarily came to mind: "Back in the day, when my team was just starting out, we only had a dozen or so men and seven or eight guns..."

Bah! My team, Wang Zhonghua's team, is a million times stronger than Hu Chuankui and Diao Deyi!

"Do you all know why we're called the 'Protective Village Team'?" Wang Zhonghua gathered his thoughts, his clear voice piercing through the thin mist. "We're not just stag dogs and hounds guarding the village; we're a sharp sword protecting the land and its people! From today onwards, everyone must be on duty at dawn. Anyone late will have their daily pay deducted!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than three men came stumbling and running from a distance. They were all sons of nearby farmers, covered in mud, clearly having run all the way from the field ridges.

"Instructor Wang, my cow has run away, please help me chase it..." the young man in the lead explained, panting heavily.

Wang Zhonghua, expressionless, took out a roster from his pocket and heavily underlined the names of the three men: "There were reasons and extenuating circumstances. But when the enemy attacks, will they listen to your explanations? Your pay will be deducted today, plus five more laps around the drill ground!"

After the three men entered the ranks with mournful faces, he called out loudly, "Duan Gong!"

"exist!"

"Let's warm them up. Same old routine—ten laps around the training ground, the last three runners will have to run five extra laps!"

Duan Gong received the order and led the team to start running. At first, they were quite orderly, but after three laps, the differences became apparent. Lü Maoyi rushed to the front like a nimble monkey, while Ma Nao, though short and stocky, kept up with steady steps. On the other hand, several of the usually aggressive and fierce ones gradually fell behind.

Wang Zhonghua and Qin Tiedan stood side by side, carefully observing each other's condition.

"See that?" Wang Zhonghua pointed to the pale-faced young man who was lagging behind. "That guy named Zhao Si, he could carry a 200-pound sack when we recruited last month, but now he can't even breathe after running five laps—he must have been gambling again tonight."

Qin Tiedan frowned deeply: "Damn it! I'm going right now..."

"No need," Wang Zhonghua stopped him. "Let the rules speak for themselves."

After ten laps, the last three collapsed to the ground. Wang Zhonghua stepped down from the platform and stopped in front of Zhao Si: "You're fired."

The entire audience erupted in uproar!

Zhao Si struggled to his feet: "Instructor Wang! I just didn't sleep well last night..."

Wang Zhonghua bent down, grabbed a handful of soil, and slowly sprinkled it in front of him: "The Manor Protection Team needs brothers you can entrust your life to. You don't even cherish your own body, how can you protect others?" He turned to all the team members, his voice suddenly rising, "Remember this! The Manor Protection Team is not a place to freeload! Monthly assessments, the bottom five will have their pay docked; two consecutive months at the bottom—get out!"

Last-place elimination, I bet that can't keep you in check.

Sure enough, these words were like cold water poured into hot oil, and everyone was shocked.

The atmosphere during the following training was completely different. When standing at attention, no one dared to slack off or scratch; everyone stood as straight as a pine tree. When marching in formation, the sound of their footsteps shook the ground. When doing cross-country runs with weights, everyone gave it their all, afraid of being among the "last five".

The most exciting part was the equipment training. The obstacle course designed by Wang Zhonghua made these rural children suffer greatly—they had to climb over a wall more than ten feet high with their bare hands, cross a log bridge covered with thorns, and crawl through mud.

Du Ziteng was clever and always tried to take shortcuts, but Wang Zhonghua caught him red-handed: "Trying to be clever on the battlefield will only get you killed! Start over!"

Ma Nao was strong but clumsy, repeatedly failing in front of the ladder and crying out in frustration. Wang Zhonghua personally demonstrated how to use his core strength: "You must use your strength where it's most effective!"

Qin Tiedan's training in staff fighting was even more rigorous. This honest and simple man was a completely different person when teaching martial arts; the slightest deviation in movement would result in a slap on the wrist: "Raise your hand three inches higher! The enemy is going to cut your neck!"

A month later, the village protection team had begun to show its prowess. That evening, during the assessment, Wang Zhonghua suddenly changed the rules:

"Today, we're not testing individuals, we're testing teams! Duan Gong, Lü Maoyi, and Du Ziteng, each lead twenty men. Any team that falls behind overall will be punished!"

The three teams shot off like arrows. Duan Gong's team took the lead thanks to their good stamina; Lü Maoyi's team cleverly chose a shortcut; and Du Ziteng's team helped each other, managing to keep up with the rest of their less physically fit members.

The Duan Gong team was the first to reach the finish line and was about to cheer when they saw Wang Zhonghua's gloomy face:

"The last three of you in your team are even slower than the last person by half an incense stick's time—on the battlefield, would you abandon your brothers and run for your own lives?"

A gust of wind blew by, and Wang Zhonghua's hair stood on end. The wind carried the scent of meat, but also a strange and dangerous aura!