Shulong Daojun

As Bei Chen had said, the man with the leopard eyes was indeed very knowledgeable about training.

After the shouts of a thousand people were in unison, he took advantage of their brief rest to mark out the positions of front, back, left, and right on the ground.

He then shouted loudly, ordering a thousand men to stand according to the markings and repeatedly step on the marks until it became a habit.

When the ten burly body-refining disciples arrived at the hour of Wei (1-3 PM), the leopard-eyed man divided the thousand people into ten teams of one hundred each.

Then, each body-refining disciple led a team, stood in the front row, and gave the order, with the hundred people behind them following suit.

Practicing synchronized steps not only cultivates neatness but also instills a sense of spirit.

When the weapons arrived, a thousand men donned armor, practiced marching in the morning, raised their spears at noon, and ate thick porridge with a little meat in the evening before going to sleep.

Although time was of the essence, as long as they marched in unison and thrust forward with their spears, within three days, a thousand people were able to obey orders and act accordingly. At first glance, they already looked quite formidable.

This brings us to the most crucial step – the moment of battle.

After all, a thousand drills are not as good as one battle.

The best part is that the refugees from outside the two counties are the ones who took refuge there.

In the past few days, after Lin Shu and Jiang Heng reached an agreement, they went their separate ways and headed to the two counties.

During this time, Lin Shu secretly observed the number of refugees and their locations, and recorded them in a register.

Jiang Heng then went to the county government office and asked the county magistrate to accompany him to the two county officials to discuss jointly quell the unrest among the refugees outside the county.

At first, the magistrate of Chuxian County was unwilling, after all, he knew the situation in Chuxian County very well.

There can only be one place for rebels; no more can be added.

However, Jiang Heng's single sentence, "County magistrate, you wouldn't want me to use the people of Chuxian County for military training, would you?" forced the word "unwilling" into "willing."

When the people of Chuzhou are used to coerce the magistrate, he has no choice but to comply.

His face turned ashen, and after uttering a few angry words, he finally sighed dejectedly and agreed with a flick of his sleeve.

Upon arriving at the magistrates of the two counties, the county magistrates explained that there were no refugees in Chuzhou County who had risen up in rebellion, and that the county town had sufficient troops. After some persuasion, the alliance was quickly established.

After all, the officials of the two counties were already overwhelmed with dealing with the refugees from outside the counties.

We are very happy that a neighboring county is willing to send troops to help us.

Most importantly, the counties are adjacent, and the local officials are already familiar with each other. With past friendships involved, they are less hesitant to agree.

As for the matter of pacification, after several discussions, a plan has been set: first select a county outside the county with less man-made disaster, and after the matter is settled, the two counties will work together to pacify the other county.

The main force was the garrison of Chuxian County, with the garrison of the other two counties acting as auxiliaries to provide cover.

The fourth day, at the hour of Mao (5-7 AM).

In Chuzhou County, Gu Changming raised his hand and temporarily cleared a path.

With a wave of his hand, the leopard-eyed man signaled a thousand armored civilians to set off from the county. The ranks were orderly, their steps synchronized, and the vast crowd marched towards the neighboring county as the sky darkened.

Before 3 PM, they arrived at the county where grain theft was common, and stopped three miles away.

Lin Shu, carrying Jiang Heng, followed closely behind with Bei Chen.

This matter concerned the subsequent plan to seize the city, so all three of them watched intently.

At the leopard-eyed man's command, ten rows lined up, spear tips pointing forward.

Immediately afterward, another voice rang out, and a body-refining disciple stepped forward, took a booklet, and rushed out to find out the details of the refugees outside the county.

Since the information was previously recorded in the book, the person only needed to check it against the book and report the differences.

Before long, the man returned, reported everything he had discovered, and then went back to his unit to await orders.

After listening, the leopard-eyed man pondered for a moment, then raised his hand and ordered: "The entire army shall rest on the spot. When it gets dark, follow me and charge forward with spears—"

Without orders, you are not to retreat!

Those who violate this rule will not be entitled to any grain or land after the matter is completed.

The armored civilians immediately tensed up and gripped their spears even tighter.

They came for fields, houses, and food; if they cannot get any, then all their suffering these past few days has been in vain.

Moreover, with a leader around, all they need to do is follow and charge forward with their spears.

These people came from nowhere, but they all publicly demonstrated their ability to be invulnerable to swords and spears, and impervious to water and fire, which was truly terrifying.

With these leaders at the forefront, how can we not be victorious?

Upon realizing this, everyone felt relieved, their gazes became more focused, and they awaited the leopard-eyed man's command.

An hour passes in the blink of an eye.

The sun sets at 5:00 PM.

As the dim light of dawn gradually faded into the horizon, the deep darkness of night descended, shrouding the earth in a hazy veil, making it difficult to distinguish between the shadows of trees and people.

At this moment, the leopard-eyed man's eyes sharpened, and he shouted, "All troops, listen to my command—raise your spears!"

In the next instant, ten men moved first, followed by a hundred. Holding their spears, they thrust them forward, the sharp tips grazing the afterglow of the setting sun and flashing a cold light.

Then a loud shout rang out: "Go in—"

A thousand people stepped forward in unison and roared a deep, thunderous sound that reverberated in all directions, causing birds and beasts to scatter in an instant.

In battle, courage is essential.

Ultimately, these were just ordinary people turned soldiers. Even after a few days of training, they couldn't possibly truly understand military operations and warfare. All they needed to know was the four words: "go all out in one go."

Therefore, no attempt was made to conceal it, only to accumulate momentum for a future attack.

The three-mile journey was a steady advance, like a tiger in the night, its gait pressing in.

Two miles away, the tigers bared their claws, and their spears thrust forward in unison.

One mile—step!

"Who goes there?!"

A cry of alarm rang out, and a hundred or so refugees, some holding hoes, some sickles, and some machetes, huddled together, their legs trembling uncontrollably.

They had long heard the terrifying roar, and felt as if several drums were beating in their hearts, making them dizzy and their ears ring, and their hands were covered in cold sweat.

I want to run away.

But behind him were his wife, children, and elderly parents; how could he possibly run away?

A few of the bolder ones exchanged glances, steeled their resolve, raised their farm tools to protect themselves, and cautiously advanced step by step.

But in the next instant, several bursts of blood erupted as the spear pierced through the man's body, then was pulled back, pausing slightly.

"Enter--"

The man with leopard eyes stood up and shouted, with ten body-refining disciples who had already broken away from the line standing beside him.

As night fell, when they were about a mile away from the refugees, they took a large stride forward, rushed ahead, but then turned a corner and disappeared.

The thousand armored civilians, thinking that their leader had already charged ahead, were filled with excitement, and unconsciously increased the force of their spear thrusts.

The armored civilians at the front row suddenly felt their spears sink, as if they had pierced something, and could vaguely hear a painful wail.

However, it was already dark, and he could not see clearly at all. He heard his companions shouting behind him, so he widened his pupils, swallowed, and thrust forward with his spear.

"promise--!"

The voices rose one after another, and a thousand armored civilians marched in unison. Though their feet touched the ground, it seemed as if they were stepping on the hearts of the hundred or so refugees, shattering them violently.

The crowds of refugees behind them, hearing the increasingly approaching roars, were filled with fear, and a chill ran down their spines.

If it were daytime, one could still discern, by the light of the sky, that there were only about a thousand armored civilians, who relied on their numbers to make their own judgment.

But it was night, and the refugees felt as if a large army was closing in on them in the darkness.

Just then, a loud shout rang out: "Those who surrender will not be killed!"