Chapter - 13 Train the soldiers

It had been a week since the battle. Leylin, after a hearty lunch, enjoyed the serene beauty of the ancient, undisturbed countryside while lying on the grassy high ground of the plain.

Below him, he observed people training in spear formations, practicing horse riding, and engaging in archery exercises. What struck as unusual was that they were all carrying weights on their bodies. Despite the intense heat of the sun, they were sweating profusely but continued their exercises with determination and intensity, as if driven by madness.

After the battle, Leylin reported to the army headquarters that there was no need for them to assign a 100-man unit and he could recruit them himself. Leylin then ordered Mei to bring the slaves he had freed from Hui. Mei returned with the former slaves, who now appeared transformed—no longer malnourished but possessing healthy bodies and a fierce determination. Their newfound vigor and resolve were evident.

He separated the freed slaves based on their skills and suitability for different fields such as archery, cavalry, and infantry.

While organizing them, Leylin noticed a girl who seemed observant of her surroundings. He approached her stealthily from behind, but she turned her head and looked into Leylin's eyes directly. Leylin sensed that she possessed great intuition, and her alertness intrigued him.

Leylin took her to an open field on the other side and asked, "When I approached you from behind stealthily, did you have a feeling that something was approaching?"

"Yes, sir. I've always had a sense of my surroundings from childhood. Whenever something happens, I get a feeling about it," she replied.

Leylin observed her keenly. He blindfolded her with a cloth and threw pebbles in random directions, asking her to point to the direction of the sound. Zhi accurately indicated the correct direction. Impressed, Leylin removed the cloth covering her eyes and thought to himself, "Damn! She has a strong sixth sense. This could be useful in war."

"What is your name, and where are you from? Tell me," Leylin asked.

"My name is Zhi, sir. I don't have a surname. I was a servant of a murdered family, taken by bandits, and then sold to a slave merchant before you rescued me," Zhi replied, her voice tinged with sadness as she recounted her tragic past.

Leylin looked at Zhi earnestly and said, "Do you want to become a name that goes down in the history of the Middle Kingdom, Zhi? Follow me and witness the new world I am going to build. I need your abilities to make my dream a reality."

As Zhi gazed at Leylin, time seemed to stand still. Everything around them fell silent, and a new light shone in her eyes. Leylin appeared to her as a man destined to shape history.

Moved by his words, Zhi bowed to the ground, holding her fists together. "I will follow you, my lord. I take your dream as my own and devote myself to fulfilling our vision of reshaping the history of the entire Middle Kingdom."

Leylin was stunned by what had just happened. While he didn't fully comprehend the significance of the moment, he knew that he had gained a new companion in Zhi. 

After the pivotal moment with Zhi, Leylin sent Jun and Zhi to Ouki's castle to fulfill the second request of the bet he made with Ouki. The first request was to place the Lin unit under Ouki's authority and transform it into a special unit. Amused by Leylin's bold requests, Ouki promised to fulfill the requirements.

Leylin bid farewell to Zhi and Jun as they embarked on their journey to study strategies under Ouki's army.

Leylin returned to the open fields and arranged the 100 men in formation. "Soldiers!! Do you know what I am thinking when I see your training?" he shouted, capturing their attention.

The soldiers eagerly anticipated praise for their performances, but Leylin's words surprised them: "A bunch of monkeys doing nothing but playing with toys."

"Huh?" reacted the soldiers, taken aback by the unexpected criticism.

"If we continue training like this, our unit will be called 'monkey shit'. Do you want to die on the battlefield? Where is the determination I saw in you? You are not slaves anymore; you are Lin soldiers. I refuse to let you be weak,"

"You were aimless as slaves, but now we have a dream. Let's carve our names in the history books! Aim for greatness or die trying. If death comes for us, we will conquer it—for our unit, for glory!" Leylin shouted passionately, rallying the soldiers.

"Train your bodies and minds to the fullest, you bastards! Let the entire Middle Kingdom know that my soldiers are not weak sheep but majestic lions!" Leylin's words rang out, igniting a fire of determination and pride in the hearts of his men.

The unit looked at Leylin with renewed determination. "For glory! For our unit!" they shouted in unison.

From that day forward, they trained like maniacs, pushing themselves to their limits and beyond. 

Each soldier embraced Leylin's vision of greatness and dedicated themselves wholeheartedly to becoming formidable warriors. Their training became relentless and disciplined, fueled by a shared goal to leave their mark on history and uphold the honor of the Lin unit. Together, they forged a bond and a spirit that would carry them through the trials ahead on the path to glory.