At dawn, inside the Guard Barracks' meeting room.
The tall and burly Wu Tian laughed, "Our squad finally got a new recruit, huh? Haha! We'll have to give him a proper welcome later!"
"Old Wu, don't scare the kid. I heard he's not even 15 yet?"
"Who cares if he's 15 or 16! If you're a soldier, you've got to be ready to face life and death."
"But you've got to take it step by step."
"Our squad needs warriors. If he can't handle it, he should leave early and not mess up on the battlefield."
The two sides argued back and forth, neither able to convince the other.
"Captain? What do you think?"
Zhou Bing calmly looked at her six subordinates and smiled faintly, "Just a little intimidation, that's all. Go ahead, give it to him. Together or taking turns, it's fine."
"Huh?" The stocky Zhang Yuan was slightly surprised.
This didn't seem like the captain's usual style.
Did this kid somehow offend the captain?
The six men exchanged glances, ready to teach Tang Wen a lesson.
"Sister Bing, my sister asked me to bring you half a roast chicken, with chili," a handsome young man pushed the door open and entered.
Seeing the room full of people, he froze for a moment.
"Oh, Team Zhou, everyone's here," Tang Wen smiled at the group, "I'm Tang Wen, the new recruit for Hunting Squad One. If you're free tonight, I'll treat everyone to drinks."
Huh?
The group watched as Zhou Bing skillfully took the roast chicken and started tearing into it.
They were momentarily confused.
Judging by Team Zhou's demeanor, she didn't seem angry at all?
After Tang Wen introduced himself to everyone, Wu Tian, who stood at a towering 1.9 meters, stood up and said, "I heard you're the top recruit of this batch, Tang Wen. How about we go outside and spar?"
Tang Wen's eyes lit up, "Sure, Brother Wu, I'll go grab my sword."
Wu Tian didn't realize the gravity of the situation.
He chuckled, "Good, that's the spirit! You've got the right attitude for Old Wu."
Inside the room, the other five men and Zhou Bing subtly shook their heads.
The other five: He's just a rookie after all, he doesn't know how ruthless Old Wu can be.
Zhou Bing: Wu Tian, Wu Tian, you're the one who stepped forward this time.
Everyone walked outside, where Tang Wen and Wu Tian stood in the courtyard, each holding a long sword.
"Be careful!"
Wu Tian shouted and charged forward, swinging his sword in a wide arc toward Tang Wen.
Tang Wen planted his feet firmly, holding his sword to meet the attack.
The five onlookers whispered and chuckled:
"This little Tang, it seems he doesn't have much real combat experience!"
"Yeah, why is he so reckless? With Old Wu's size, how can he go head-to-head like that?"
In the hunting squad, Wu Tian was the undisputed shield-bearer, one of the top sword-and-shield fighters in the hunting camp!
His strength surpassed that of a full-grown wild boar, and few in the camp were willing to go toe-to-toe with him.
Clang!
The sound of metal clashing!
The five onlookers nearly popped their eyes out.
Sword against sword, a test of strength.
Old Wu was forced back three steps before barely steadying himself.
Tang Wen, on the other hand, only swayed slightly.
He was secretly satisfied: That strike only used 50% of his strength, yet it stopped the opponent's momentum.
Wu Tian's face turned red as he flexed his sore wrist, trying to save face, "Not bad, kid, you've got some skills. I only used 60% of my strength just now, I was careless!"
So that's what happened.
The five squad members felt slightly reassured.
So Old Wu had underestimated him!
"Pfft," Zhou Bing spat out a chicken bone, noticing the slight tremble in Wu Tian's sword blade, but she said nothing.
60% strength?
Tang Wen felt a surge of joy. After Team Zhou, he had finally found another opponent who could match him in strength. "Brother Wu, you're quite strong. Take this strike from me!"
His leg muscles suddenly tensed, and he kicked off the ground in rapid succession, leaving clear footprints on the hard surface with his military boots.
"Boom!"
Tang Wen slashed diagonally upward, while Wu Tian swung his blade downward.
The two blades collided with a loud crash, and Wu Tian staggered back.
Tang Wen, seizing the advantage, was about to press the attack when he noticed Brother Wu's steps becoming unsteady.
He had no choice but to ease up on his assault slightly.
Thud! Wu Tian couldn't stabilize himself and fell to the ground, his arms trembling uncontrollably.
Brutal!
This newcomer was too damn brutal!
Even if I had run into a wild donkey head-on, it wouldn't have been this bad!
The atmosphere grew tense.
The other five members were wide-eyed, still processing what had just happened.
Zhou Bing spoke calmly, "Old Wu might not be in top form today. Let's try again tomorrow. Liu Su, you're up."
Wu Tian patted his butt and stood up, giving a grateful look to the captain.
Liu Su, who had been called upon, wielded a steel spear.
He was fast, and his role in the squad was to find opportunities and strike from the flanks.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
As soon as they engaged, Liu Su launched a fierce assault. Based on his extensive experience, he knew that great strength often came at the cost of speed.
Blade and spear clashed, sending sparks flying.
The spear rained down like a storm.
Tang Wen focused intently, his long blade leaving afterimages as he blocked each attack.
Clang!
He seized an opening and struck the spear's shaft.
Liu Su stumbled, his footing unsteady, and his palms stung: This isn't good. If this continues, I might get injured.
He planted the spear firmly on the ground and said with a complex expression, "I didn't expect Brother Tang Wen to not only be strong but also have such incredible speed."
Tang Wen gave a simple, honest smile but said nothing.
The other members who hadn't yet fought finally snapped out of their daze.
This newcomer was that strong?
Zhou Bing finished her roasted chicken, wiped her hands, and addressed the veteran members, "Anyone else want to give it a shot?"
The group fell silent. Some looked down at their toes, others gazed up at the treetops, and a few squinted, lost in thought.
Zhou Bing said, "It seems you've all been slacking off lately! Starting today, each of you will spar with Tang Wen at least once a day. Understood?"
"Understood."
"Louder."
"Understood!" x6
Tang Wen looked at Zhou Bing with gratitude. With so many free sparring partners, his experience points were bound to skyrocket. Joining the hunting squad was definitely the right move.
In the evening, the hunting squad gathered for a meal at the canteen.
Various roasted meats, stews, steamed fish, and fish soup were served in a continuous stream.
As a special perk, the hunting squad had a monthly feast where they could eat as much fish and meat as they wanted, all free of charge.
If they wanted alcohol, however, they had to pay for it themselves.
The eight of them drank six jars of Sweet Potato Wine.
The six grown men, after finishing their drinks, didn't go home but instead squeezed into a single dorm room.
Tang Wen, slightly tipsy, was worried about leaving his sister alone and decided to head back.
Zhou Bing, equally drunk, for some reason, stumbled along with Tang Wen and ended up at his house.
Tang Tang was delighted to once again shoo her brother into the inner room to sleep and helped Zhou Bing out of her clothes, tucking her into her brother's bed.
In the morning, Zhou Bing woke up, everything feeling eerily familiar.
Wait, this time there were even fewer clothes.
Leaving the Tang household, she felt restless: How did I end up with this cursed ability?
They say that if your Martial Arts prowess is strong enough, you can control your abilities. I wonder if that's true.
Tang Wen's life as a new recruit was settling into a routine.
The veterans of Hunting Squad One possessed the strength of first-class Martial Apprentices.
One person couldn't handle Tang Wen, so two of them teamed up.
The situation immediately reversed, and Tang Wen became the one in a flurry.
Since the hunting squad wouldn't get new members anytime soon, Tang Wen's partner was Zhou Bing.
The duo, one person short compared to a trio, required both to be as versatile as possible.
Tang Wen had to learn archery to provide long-range support for Zhou Bing, who charged ahead.
"Stance, grip, nock, draw, aim, release!"
Li Mi, the archery expert in the hunting squad, instructed Tang Wen every afternoon.
[Skill: Archery, Beginner (377/500)]
He had a lot to learn, not just archery, but also horseback riding, trap-making, tracking prey, and other skills.
After understanding all this, Tang Wen marveled, "So the hunting squad is like a simplified version of special forces!"
Tang Wen embraced it all, spending every day from morning till night in the camp, absorbing various skills like a sponge.
His teammates were astounded.
Wu Tian: "Does this kid ever get tired?"
"Envious! I was like that too before I married four wives."
"Do you guys think the captain and he are alike?"
"Shh! They share a dorm alone. I saw with my own eyes that Team Zhou brought in a new set of bedding."
"But isn't Team Zhou's ability...?"
"I think those are just rumors, but Team Zhou is quite a bit older than Tang Wen, right?"
"Yeah, Little Tang is not even 15, strictly speaking, still a kid."
"Whoa!"
So,
Team Zhou is like that.
The first month of the rookie period passed, and Tang Wen's experience panel was completely refreshed.
PS: Please, please, please keep reading! During the new book period, readership is crucial. Dear readers, the author is already stockpiling chapters, and there will definitely be a burst of updates upon release!
(End of Chapter)