We Agreed On Experiencing Life, So Why Did You Immortals Become Real? - Chapter 318: I Will Definitely Give Him the Greatest Reward Under Heaven!
Although Xiao Mo was punished to run several laps around the military camp, no matter what, he had solidified his position in the “dormitory.”
To Xiao Mo, the existence of people like Zhao Wei in the Iron Tiger Army was completely normal.
After all, the Iron Tiger Army was selected from all over the Qin Kingdom. As long as one had a clean background and certain talent, there was a chance of being selected.
Not to mention these people had only entered the camp about ten days earlier than himself.
To wear down these people’s rogue personalities would still require subsequent tempering.
Now that Xiao Mo was the boss of Earthly Branch Twelve dormitory, when the several of them saw Xiao Mo, they were all respectful.
Xiao Mo had them introduce themselves. After all, he needed to familiarize himself with his “roommates.”
Among these nine people, three were sons of farming peasants, one was the son of a carpenter, three were merchant disciples, one person’s father was a county magistrate, and another person’s father even held office in the court.
The children of common people were all sent to the Iron Tiger Army camp through screenings held once every four years in each prefecture and county.
These two official family disciples also came through screening, but their fathers had enrolled them and they were then selected.
“Did you all come voluntarily?”
Xiao Mo asked them with great interest.
This was actually the first time in all his lifetimes of experience that he was having military camp life. They could be considered his comrades.
Although the first meeting wasn’t that friendly, the atmosphere in the “dormitory” now was actually quite good.
“Big Brother Xiao, who would voluntarily come to this wretched place?”
The person whose father was a merchant family, named Xu Yongsheng, said.
“My family is the wealthiest in the county. What could we not have? Big Brother, you’re still young and don’t quite understand these things. Back then, I went to brothels every day to stroll around. It was truly wonderful. I just wanted to live a carefree young master’s life every day. But who knew which nerve in my dad misfired? He insisted on sending me here. If I didn’t come, he wouldn’t give me money to have fun. Isn’t that more painful than killing me? What could I do?”
“Who’s to say otherwise?”
The young man whose father was a county magistrate, named Qu Weize, said.
“I only had some martial talent. I thought I’d just casually practice some fist techniques, but who knew my father would send me here? I said I wouldn’t go, but Father said if I didn’t go, he’d sever our father-son relationship… Big Brother Xiao, could I not come?”
“I’m actually fine.” The youth named Hei Daniu grinned, “My family farms, and I’m naturally strong. Dad said I’m a natural-born farming talent, but I didn’t want to farm for my whole life, so I came here.”
“Me too.”
The young man named Li Dadan said.
“I also didn’t want to farm for my whole life, so I came to the military camp. Plus, I heard the Iron Tiger Army camp even teaches people to read and write, and in the future, we can even become high officials.”
After the conversation box opened, the others also expressed whether they came to the Iron Tiger Army voluntarily, and if so, what their reasons were.
“What about you, Brother Scarface? Why did you come to the Iron Tiger Army?”
Xiao Mo looked at Earthly Branch Twelve’s former big brother.
“Big Brother Xiao, please don’t tease me.”
Zhao Wei smiled and said. Although Xiao Mo was the youngest among all of them, Xiao Mo had already completely defeated all of them, including Zhao Wei.
“My old man is a butcher. I was idle back home, hanging out with bad friends all day. My old man couldn’t stand watching me go on like that, so he sent me here. At first, I actually wasn’t willing. I fought with my old man. My old man couldn’t beat me, and accidentally broke his leg. When I was taking care of my old man, I suddenly thought, it seems like drifting through days like this won’t work. If I keep going like this, in the future I’ll either kill pigs together with my old man, or join some gang in the city and do things like collecting protection money. But I didn’t want to do either of those things. So, that’s how I came to the Iron Tiger Army. I thought that if I can return alive in the future and become a minor military officer, I could bring some honor to the old man.”
Hearing their descriptions, Xiao Mo nodded without making any comments.
“Big Brother Xiao, what about you? You’re so capable, reaching the Cave Mansion realm at such a young age. No matter which sect you join, you’d be a heaven’s pride. Why did you come to this place?”
The scarred man Zhao Wei asked in confusion.
In his view, although the Iron Tiger Army was a good choice, joining other sects would also open up vast opportunities, and there wouldn’t even be such great life-threatening danger.
“Hehehe, me? I come from the Xiao Manor, but I’m just a concubine-born son.” Xiao Mo said frankly, “I also don’t know why I was selected to come to the Iron Tiger Army, but since I’m here, and the Iron Tiger Army is indeed quite good, it suits me well.”
“The Xiao Manor, is that the Northern Pacification Prince’s Xiao Manor?” Ye Yujian said excitedly.
“I’ve also heard of it. The Northern Pacification Prince’s Snow-Treading Dragon Cavalry is truly too famous.”
“Isn’t that right? I heard the selection difficulty for the Snow-Treading Dragon Cavalry is no less than the Iron Tiger Army.”
Everyone spoke one after another.
“Strange? Big Brother Xiao, then why didn’t you go to the Snow-Treading Dragon Cavalry?” Ye Yujian asked curiously.
“You boy, although the Snow-Treading Dragon Cavalry is good, what good would it be for Big Brother Xiao?” The scarred man Zhao Wei smacked Ye Yujian’s head, “Big Brother is more free and unrestrained here. Why would he go to the Snow-Treading Dragon Cavalry to suffer grievances from manor young masters?”
Ye Yujian rubbed his head and muttered softly, “It’s really unfair. The legitimate sons of the Xiao Prince Manor probably don’t even have as much talent as Big Brother Xiao, but just because they were born well, they can exclude Big Brother Xiao.”
“You’re still talking, boy?” Zhao Wei raised his palm.
“Forget it, forget it.” Xiao Mo waved his hand and smiled, putting on the bearing of a big brother, “What’s there that can’t be said? We just need to do our own things well. Don’t bother with others. Did you all understand?”
“Yes, Big Brother!” Everyone responded in unison.
“Alright, let’s sleep. Tomorrow we still need to wake early for training.” Xiao Mo said.
“Yes, Big Brother.”
Everyone returned to their own beds. The candles were blown out, and the bright moonlight spilled through the window, illuminating each person’s face.
The simple military camp life and the day’s training had them falling asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillow but Xiao Mo wasn’t that quick.
Lying on his bed, Xiao Mo thought that although he had some minor friction with them at first, it wasn’t a big problem. Actually, their characters were quite decent.
After seven years when everyone separated and each entered the main army or became court officials, they could serve as connections.
Of course, most importantly, everyone needed to survive until that time, including himself.
Early the next morning, as a horn sounded, everyone shot down from their beds like arrows released from a bow.
Immediately after, Xiao Mo heard Instructor Chang outside Earthly Branch Twelve’s barracks shouting, “Thirty, twenty-nine, twenty-eight, twenty-seven…”
To Instructor Chang’s counting, everyone frantically put on their clothes, brushed their teeth, washed their faces, then ran out of the barracks.
“You little brats, counting down to the fifth number before you’re all assembled. Even my grandmother would be more nimble than you!”
Instructor Chang mocked everyone.
“Now, run a few laps around the training ground first.”
“Instructor Chang, how many laps is a few laps?” Zheng Qi asked.
“Good question.” Instructor Chang nodded, “Let me think. The sun hasn’t come up yet, so you’ll run until the hour of mao ends.”
Everyone: “…”
“Didn’t hear clearly? Still not running! Looking for a kick, are you?” Instructor Chang made a motion to kick them.
Xiao Mo quickly ran forward, and the others naturally followed.
By the hour of chen, apart from Xiao Mo, everyone had broken quite a sweat.
After resting for less than an incense stick’s time, Xiao Mo and the others began weighted horse stance training, weighted footwork practice, and other basic martial arts training.
Because Xiao Mo’s realm was too high, he needed special treatment.
So the weights on Xiao Mo’s body were all made of black iron, and this black iron even had the effect of sealing Xiao Mo’s realm.
By noon at twelve o’clock, they finally had one hour to rest and eat.
Under the guidance of Zhao Wei and the others, Xiao Mo smoothly arrived at the Iron Tiger Army’s dining hall.
This dining hall was enormous, filled entirely with fierce beast blood and flesh that replenished spiritual power and blood energy, as well as spirit medicines.
According to different realms, one could receive different grades.
And each person could eat unlimited amounts within their grade.
Materials for body tempering were also free and unlimited.
Of course, no one would be foolish enough to constantly temper their body, unless they didn’t want to live but it must be said that in the two most critical aspects for martial artists, food supplementation and body tempering, the Qin Kingdom truly didn’t stint or withhold anything, being extremely generous.
After eating lunch, Xiao Mo and the others simply fetched a bucket of water to wash briefly, then lay on their beds for a nap but they hadn’t slept long when the horn sounded again, and training continued.
As newcomers, all training revolved around fundamentals. Although Xiao Mo’s fundamentals were already very solid, he still needed to continue practicing with them.
Xiao Mo didn’t mind this, because training with various black iron implements already provided considerable intensity. Plus, some of the Iron Tiger Army’s footwork and body movements indeed had merit. He might be able to draw parallels.
After all, martial arts under heaven didn’t come from just one school. Every martial art had certain merits worth learning.
Moreover, everything he was doing now was working toward “forgetting” the God-Slaying Spear manual anyway.
When the day’s training ended, it was already past the hour of you.
Those who couldn’t read had to learn characters.
Those who could read had to attend military strategy classes.
Until the hour of hai, Xiao Mo and the others were drained of their last drop of strength. They hastily took cold showers and lay on their beds then the next day when they got up, it was day after day of the same training.
At the same time, in the Qin Kingdom’s imperial palace, Qin Siyao angrily pushed open the imperial study door, then walked toward her father like an angry little hen.
“Father Emperor! You’re a liar!”
Qin Siyao pouted at Father Emperor and shouted.
The Qin Kingdom’s ruler, who was still reviewing memorials, raised his head and looked at his daughter with a smile, “Who dares deceive my daughter? Father Emperor will definitely arrest him and punish him severely!”
“Father Emperor! It’s Father Emperor!” Qin Siyao ran to Father Emperor’s side, her little fists constantly pounding on her father emperor’s shoulder.
“Really?” The Qin Kingdom’s ruler played dumb, “Then Father Emperor is too wronged. Father Emperor dotes on Siyao before it’s too late. How could Father Emperor possibly deceive Siyao?”
“You did! You definitely did!” Qin Siyao puffed up her pink cheeks, “Father Emperor clearly promised your daughter to get Xiao Mo into the imperial guards. Today Siyao just learned the news that not only did Xiao Mo not go to the imperial guards, he even went to the Iron Tiger Army. Father Emperor is a liar!”
“About this matter, Father Emperor really didn’t deceive my daughter.”
The Qin Kingdom’s ruler spoke the excuse he had prepared long ago.
“Didn’t Father Emperor tell Siyao to let Father Emperor consider it, then check the imperial guard roster, and if there were vacancies, Father Emperor would definitely arrange for Xiao Mo to join the imperial guards? But there’s no helping it, the imperial guards are now full. Moreover, the imperial guard disciples are basically all selected from the Iron Tiger Army.”
“Daughter, think about it. If Father Emperor let Xiao Mo use connections to enter the imperial guards, he would definitely be ostracized by others. At that time, Xiao Mo might have a very difficult time in the imperial guards. And Father Emperor can also see that this boy Xiao Mo has a very strong sense of dignity. Tell me, if he knew he entered the imperial guards through your connections, would he really be willing to continue staying?”
“This…”
The young lady who had just reached her teens was stunned by her father emperor’s words.
Although she always felt something wasn’t right, Father Emperor seemed to indeed make sense.
“Your daughter doesn’t care!” Qin Siyao shook her head and continued unreasonably, “Father Emperor not arranging him in the imperial guards is one thing, but a place like the Iron Tiger Army, I heard Sister Huasheng say that out of ten people, barely a few can come out alive!”
“It won’t happen, it won’t happen. Father Emperor is very optimistic about Xiao Mo. And daughter, going to the Iron Tiger Army requires signatures and seals from parents and himself. Xiao Mo himself has confidence. Daughter, you shouldn’t worry.”
The Qin Kingdom’s ruler patted his daughter’s head.
“Father Emperor guarantees you that after seven years when Xiao Mo comes out of the Iron Tiger Army, Father Emperor will not only let him enter the imperial guards, but will even give him a great, great reward. How about that?”
“Hmph! Your daughter doesn’t believe it. Sister Huasheng is right, Father Emperor is best at drawing big pies. Your daughter will never pay attention to Father Emperor again.”
With those words, Qin Siyao pinched her little dress hem and ran out huffily.
“This Huasheng, how come she doesn’t teach my daughter good things, only teaches bad ones?”
After Qin Siyao left the imperial study, the Qin Kingdom’s ruler sighed and said helplessly.
“But daughter, Father Emperor really didn’t deceive you this time.”
The Qin Kingdom’s ruler stroked his chin, the corners of his mouth curving up.
“After seven years, when Xiao Mo comes out of the Iron Tiger Army, I will definitely give him the greatest reward under heaven!”
…
“Stinky Father Emperor! Stinky Father Emperor!”
“Big liar! Big liar!”
Qin Siyao returned to her own bedchamber and angrily beat her pillow.
After beating it for a while, Qin Siyao sat on the bed like a duck. She fiercely bit the quilt, her eyes determined, “If you won’t let me go, I’ll go myself!”
