Chapter 3: The evil army trainer, Part 1 of 5
Between 5 to 7 am, the daytime is just before dawn, inside the forest, the lush foliage obscured the morning light, it is still dark and gloomy. Five hundred people in long rows came trotting forward, looking at their running speed and the manner of their march, they were far less spirited than yesterday morning. The team entered the forest, even through a dull gray light, they also saw a glimpse of a silhouette, of the one they have cursed the whole night.
Gu Yun’s face is frozen cold, not for anything else, just because in this era there are no watches, telling the time is too inconvenient. And this crowd of brats, dilly-dallying in reporting to her, causing her to wait for fifteen minutes, of course, she would never admit to them that she came early.
The team just stood still, the soldiers also noticed the complexion of Gu Yun’s face to be unusually bad, inwardly apprehensive she’s unlikely to come up again with schemes to torment people, right?!
“Ge Jing Yun, Leng Xiao.” The ice-cold low voice resounded.
“Yes.” Ge Jing Yun and Leng Xiao stepped forward. Gu Yun with a dark face said: “Beginning today, every day before the training commences the first thing to do is, with your teams, start running from here to the back of the mountain, then come back, elapsed time cannot be more than one quarter of an hour, whoever comes back exceeding this time is not allowed to eat at noon!”
The crowd was secretly relieved, fortunately it is just running nothing more, compared to yesterday, that is really too light. Just when they were secretly rejoicing, Gu Yun suddenly pointed to a dark pile not far looking like a small hill-like mound, very slowly said: “Those are some sandbags, each person carries four bags, on the waist two bags, on the legs two bags, after tying up well set off immediately.”
Yesterday, when she went to the training ground she discovered by accident a lot of sand piled on the sidelines of the ground, for them to do weight-bearing exercises could not be better.
“Yes.” Running up to the small hill-like mound, only to find out that they were big bags of sand, strapped to the body even moving would not be easy, but to run with them as she ordered, added to that to come back within a quarter of an hour! She is really evil! The sandbags tied up well, a group of swaying, rocking, shaking people faced the rear of the mountain and rushed towards it, who does not want to have food to eat for lunch!
Watching their somewhat comical departing figures, Gu Yun snickered, her gloomy mood finally cleared, leaning against a tree trunk, Gu Yun waited for Su Ren to deliver her things over. The summer sun came out early, a few moments later, the sunshine penetrated through the leaves, a faint light entered inside the forest. Just when Gu Yun was getting somewhat impatient, a figure tall and strong resembling like a small hill, following behind him ten soldiers lugging seven or eight large wooden chests, walked over towards her.
Gu Yun slightly knitted her brows, Han Shu? How come it is he who came?!
Stopping in front of Gu Yun, Han Shu said in a clear voice: “The things that you requested.” In fact, the reason he came today, because of the sword yesterday, he was a bit curious about it, the blade was bitter cold, how come she did not feel it.
Opening a chest, the inside was densely filled with weapons, but to see the things inside, Gu Yun’s brows furrowed again, “These are the daggers?!”
Han Shu quickly glanced at the things in the chest, frowned: “Aren’t these daggers?”
Gu Yun coolly replied: “They’re too long, I do not want them, take them away.” Such is called a dagger? Not less than fifty centimeters long, calling it a short sword is more like it. On the battlefield, this kind of dagger is already a short weapon, because it’s not suitable to kill the enemy, ordinarily they’re seldom used, he had rummaged through the entire weaponry room in order to find hundreds for her, now she’s actually saying she does not want them! Han Shu yelled angrily, “vexatious!”
Gu Yun immediately closed the chests, she did not feel like talking nonsense with him.
“You!” Han Shu gritted his teeth.
Gu Yun coldly turned her head, snorted: “What’s wrong, were you not beaten enough yesterday, today you still want to try more? Sorry, but right now I don’t have the time to spare!”
The hands of Han Shu clenched into fists, his tightened knuckles made a rattling noise. Behind him several of the soldiers held their breath, does the second-in-command want to punch a woman?
On one side Han Shu appeared near to blowing his top, on the other side Gu Yun proceeded to examine the other two chests containing the hemp ropes, facing the stiffly standing soldiers on the sides, she said: “You leave the ropes, take the daggers away.”
The soldiers did not dare move, waited for the next command of Han Shu, for a very long time, Han Shu’s pair of big hands loosened and tightened, tightened and loosened, finally he faced the soldiers and waved his hand, the soldiers felt relieved, immediately carted away the several chests of daggers out of the forest.
This woman is simply impossible, Han Shu was preparing to storm away, but he caught sight not far away, several rows of formations scattered in disorder, trudging soldiers, running over and advancing towards them, Han Shu’s complexion immediately blackened, angrily he blurted: “What’s going on with these running soldiers? Their speed is so slow!” Even if they are new soldiers, they should not be of such quality, when did the Su family army surprisingly produce this kind of fishes-groping-in-muddy-water people?!
Gu Yun darted a sidelong glance at him, sneered and retorted: “Try tying thirty catties of sand and run ten lis[1], you will also likely not run fast.”
Han Shu glared at her, narrowed his eyes to look carefully, indeed hanging on everyone’s waist and legs were several heavy, large sandbags. Staring at Gu Yun, Han Shu finally blew his top: “What the heck is that for a training method?!”
Can’t this man keep his voice down? Her eardrums shook till they hurt. Reluctantly rubbing her ears, Gu Yun laughingly replied: “If you dislike it you’re welcome to leave immediately, n.o.body is keeping you. If you are interested to watch, you can stand aside, it’s a good way to learn what is meant by military training! But I’m warning you ahead, you’d better not talk c.r.a.p and affect my training.”
Gu Yun’s arrogant look really provoked Han Shu, swatting his thigh in a fit of pique he replied: “Fine! As a matter of fact, I’d like to see how a woman trains an army!”
At this time, most of the soldiers have returned to the starting spot, upon seeing the tall and formidable Han Shu immediately their mood brightened up, with awe and admiration they exclaimed: “Second-in-command Han!” Han Shu is the Great General Su Ling’s bravest and fiercest second-in-command Senior General! During their recruitment into the Su family army, they have seen him once from afar, now seeing him up close indeed he is even more bold and powerful, an awesome military figure!
More and more soldiers were coming back to the forest, initially looking lethargic, however upon seeing Han Shu immediately they bolted upright, standing straight as a ramrod. Gu Yun gently raised her eyebrows, eyeing them critically, these brats! When did they treat her with such deference, it seems that they have not eaten enough lessons from her!
Han Shu’s fierce eyes glared at them, he shouted, “Line up, during training you are not allowed to talk.”
“Yes.” All at once five hundred soldiers lined up in formation, standing neatly.
Han Shu feeling pleased with himself lifted his head, looked towards Gu Yun, he thought she would be angry or ashamed, who knew she would smile leisurely at him, walking in front of the soldiers, apparently not angry, she brightly said: “You can cast off the sandbags now.”
At this time the soldiers were reminded, they were truly being trained by this evil, ordinary woman before them! Taking off the sandbags, the soldiers fixed their gaze in front, staring straight ahead.
[1] Li – Chinese mile, during ancient times equivalent to around 400 meters, this value varied and evolved during different dynasties, in modern times equal to 500 meters (Source: Wikipedia)