Chapter 780

Before the clamor of the resettlement camp had completely subsided, Chen Yan returned to the inner courtyard of the Governor's Office.

He took off the dark python-patterned cloak he had used to establish his authority in front of hundreds of thousands of people, and changed into a dark black narrow-sleeved martial garment embroidered with dark gold tiger patterns on the shoulders, the wide leather belt binding his lean waist extremely tightly.

Red Leaf handed the personal sword, which had been wiped clean of dust, to him, her gaze lingering for a moment on the killing aura that had suddenly risen after he changed his clothes.

"Take your people and go to the Benlei Camp with me tonight."

Chen Yan took the sword, hung it horizontally at his waist, and flicked his finger lightly on the copper mouth of the scabbard, emitting a crisp hum.

Red Leaf didn't ask more, turned around, and disappeared into the shadows of the corridor.

A stick of incense later, eight fast horses quietly swept out of the heavy iron gate of the west gate of Xia Prefecture city.

Chen Yan rode on a chestnut-colored Hequ fine horse, followed by Red Leaf and six Mingjing Si Beiwei Death Guards, whose cold eyes were the only things exposed beneath their masks.

The eight riders were like a black whirlwind wrapped in cold air, galloping along the secret mountain path that only Lu Ming's personal guards knew, the horse hooves crushing the snow and leaving a string of hoofprints in the moonlight that were quickly filled by the wind.

The moment they crossed the third mountain ridge, Chen Yan pulled the reins.

His gaze looked down from the height, and the dark depths of his eyes were suddenly lit up by a flash of extremely satisfied brilliance.

In the basin, a massive military camp was like a dormant steel giant beast under the illumination of torches.

This was the Benlei Camp, the five-thousand-strong heavy-armored iron cavalry camp that Chen Yan had personally ordered Lu Ming to secretly build after plundering massive amounts of warhorses and gold and silver from the grassland trade fair.

The camp was filled with the strong smell of horse sweat and the pungent burnt smell peculiar to iron anvil quenching, and thousands of strong men were conducting high-intensity riding and formation drills overnight.

Chen Yan pinched the horse's belly, and the chestnut horse walked slowly down the hillside.

The sentries on duty in front of the camp gate saw the face of the visitor, their legs straightened reflexively, and they hammered their chests to perform the highest-standard military salute.

Chen Yan turned over and dismounted, threw the reins to the personal guard behind him, and stepped into the camp with his hands behind his back.

Lu Ming's huge figure, a head taller than ordinary people, was already waiting on the open ground in front of the central army tent; his heavy armor had not been taken off, and there were still mud spots splashed during the day's drill on his broad shoulders.

"Brother-in-law."

Lu Ming grinned, then restrained his smile and knelt on one knee to salute.

"Your subordinate welcomes the Pillar of State."

Chen Yan reached out and pulled him up, looked up and down at this brother-in-law who was half a head taller than himself, and patted his iron-plate-like shoulder armor.

"How is the progress in the camp?"

Lu Ming turned around, led Chen Yan toward the drill ground, and reported while walking.

"The framework of five thousand people has been pulled up; we drill at the Mao hour every morning and dismiss at the Xu hour every evening, only resting for half an hour in the middle to eat."

He reached out and pointed to the stable area illuminated by torches in the distance, where ten thousand Hequ fine horses with shoulder heights far exceeding ordinary warhorses were quietly chewing on fine feed.

"I personally selected the warhorses brought back from the trade fair; the inferior ones were all eliminated to serve as pack horses, and each of the remaining ones was equipped with newly forged light and thin cooked-iron protective gear."

Chen Yan nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over those neatly arranged stables, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the sword hilt at his waist.

"What about the people? How is the spirit of these five thousand people?"

Lu Ming's steps paused, and a trace of embarrassment that was not easy to speak appeared on his rough face.

"As for the spirit, most people have no problem; they practice like crazy."

He scratched the back of his head and lowered his voice.

"But there are a few thorns who have become increasingly restless recently; they have topped mouths with Gu Yuci several times in the past two days, making the atmosphere on the drill ground not quite right."

Chen Yan didn't answer, and strode toward the drill ground.

Passing through the last row of tents, a huge drill ground illuminated as bright as day by pine torches appeared in front of them.

The atmosphere on the drill ground at this moment was indeed not quite right.

Hundreds of cavalrymen conducting night mounted slashing training were clearly divided into two distinct groups; the old soldiers of Xia Prefecture and the brave warriors selected from the Qi State refugees were gathered in groups, glaring at each other, neither convinced by the other.

Gu Yuci stood at the edge of the drill ground wearing battle armor, his usually steady face now gloomy enough to wring out water, his fists clenched tightly at his sides, making a clacking sound.

Chen Yan walked to his side, looking at the split formation, his voice very light.

"What happened?"

After Gu Yuci cupped his hands to salute, he gritted his teeth.

"Reporting to the Pillar of State, the problem lies with that batch of newly arrived Hequ horse kings."

He pointed to a special stable surrounded by three layers of thick wooden fences in the corner of the drill ground, inside which was a majestic warhorse that was jet black, with four hooves stepping on snow, and red eyes.

"This horse is the fiercest of those ten thousand Hequ horses, with a shoulder height of five feet three inches, and its strength is so great that it can kick a two-inch-thick wooden stake to pieces, but it doesn't recognize people."

Gu Yuci's voice revealed a suppressed anger.

"Your subordinate arranged for seven of the most skilled cavalrymen to take turns to tame it, but all were flipped to the ground by that animal; this afternoon, it even kicked and broke the heart-protecting mirror of a centurion in public, and that person is still lying in the wounded soldier tent vomiting blood."

He said in a deep voice.

"Those new recruits from the Qi State were already high-spirited, and seeing that even our Xia Prefecture's old soldiers couldn't tame this horse, they began to discuss privately whether the Pillar of State had assigned them a group of useless animals to make up the numbers."

Chen Yan had no change in expression. His gaze crossed the fence and fell on the jet-black horse king that was violently digging the ground in the stable.

It was indeed a peerless fine horse, one in ten thousand, but its wild nature was far from being worn away.

Just at this moment, a jarring burst of laughter came from the other side of the drill ground.

A burly centurion with a green tiger pattern tattooed on his arm was leaning against a flagpole, shouting loudly in front of hundreds of people.

"If you can't tame it, don't force it. The old soldiers of Xia Prefecture are okay at collecting taxes in the city, but letting you ride this kind of fierce horse to charge into battle, heh, I'm afraid you'll fall to your deaths before you even reach the front line."

Several centurions from the refugee bandits beside him echoed with laughter, their laughter filled with contempt for the old soldiers of Xia Prefecture.

Lu Ming's fists clenched until his knuckles turned white, and a burst of anger rushed straight to his heavenly spirit cover; he was about to open his mouth to stop it, but Chen Yan's palm pressed on his shoulder.

"Don't be anxious."

Chen Yan's voice was very low, and there was even a trace of a cold, indifferent smile at the corners of his mouth.

"Let me see how far these thorns can jump."

He stood with his hands behind his back in the shadows, his eyes coldly watching the storm about to break out on the drill ground.