Chapter 63: You're Getting Too Big for Your Boots

[Seeking one hundred follow-up reads,,]

Gao Conglong shouted curses, blocking Peng Yun’s path with a short axe raised in his hand.

Peng Yun was stunned for a moment; seeing it was Gao Conglong, he couldn't help but feel a bit timid, as this was a ruthless character.

Yet, he still clamored, "Mr. Li, by what right have these low-born wretches been eating our grain for the past two days? That grain was for us to use in training under Boss Wu! You let them squander it all in a few days, so what are we supposed to eat?"

Peng Yun’s words immediately stirred dissatisfaction among the many miners and salt slaves; they all glared coldly at Peng Yun and his gang of mountain bandits, and the courtyard became deathly quiet.

This made Peng Yun and the others feel a chill down their spines even while holding their blades; were these miners different from before?

There was now a distinct light in their eyes, no longer the dim, walking-corpse look they had previously.

"Since the Great Shopkeeper handed you over to me for training, you will follow my arrangements... The matter of the grain is none of your concern!"

Li You said coldly, "Assemble at the hour of the dragon tomorrow morning to begin training. Those who are not present will be dealt with by military law!"

"Military law?" Peng Yun laughed arrogantly and recklessly upon hearing this, "Do you really think you're some kind of hotshot archer?"

Having said that, he drew his bow and nocked an arrow, shooting it into the western door frame. The tail of the arrow vibrated wildly, shaking down quite a bit of the thatch above, and he sneered, "Have you ever been on a battlefield or killed anyone? You're really getting too big for your boots!"

The next morning.

Li You rose early as was his custom. After running about five kilometers with a weighted load, the sky was already bright. He returned to his room to gather his equipment, combining a bow bag and a quiver into a double-slung rig, and strapped two double-edged blades to his belt. In this era of backward productivity, one bow and ten arrows could be exchanged for nearly five piculs of rice.

Once Li You was fully prepared, he stood early on the drill ground in front of the small courtyard.

Last night, Li You had led Li Qin, Zhou Yin, and the others to tidy it up; they had removed the loose stones and erected several straw-twisted arrow targets, making it a makeshift drill ground.

He leaned on his Miao saber, his double-slung rig on his back, his body as straight as a pine or cypress, standing there quietly.

Before long, Wu Dading, Li Qin, and the other thirteen arrived. Seeing Li You standing there without a word, fully armed, his cold and stern expression exuding an unprovoked air of authority, they felt a slight unease in their hearts. None of them spoke out of turn, and they stood neatly behind him.

The hour of the dragon, which is roughly eight o'clock in the later ages, was not considered early.

Thus, many miners and salt slaves were already up and preparing to go to work.

"Dading, you lot don't have bows and arrows either, so go watch the miners work today. I'm still worried they won't listen to me and might cause some trouble. You lot go over and have more contact with Xiang Hu and Dang Suozhi... I need to properly train this group of archers today!"

Suddenly, Li You said to Wu Dading and the others behind him.

Wu Dading frowned and was about to speak, but Gao Conglong beat him to it, saying, "These archers have a troublemaker like Peng Yun. Judging by that display last night, he likely has some real skill. Can you suppress them, sir?"

"If I can't even suppress them, how can I lead you all to build a paradise?" Li You smiled lightly.

However, this smile made Gao Conglong feel a slight chill. The few of them shouted to the miners and headed south, but they were still uneasy, looking back at Li You’s side from time to time.

Around the hour of the dragon, the group of archers arrived at the thatched courtyard one after another. Miao Xianzu was the first to arrive, and Li You nodded at him.

Many others saw Li You from afar, dressed in full military gear with a gloomy expression. The sharper ones quickly trotted over. Regardless of how good his archery actually was, the reputation of the "Killer Scholar" had long since reached the North Stockade.

The archer unit, totaling twenty-one men, had eighteen present by a quarter past the hour of the dragon. Three were still missing, and Li You naturally knew these were Cui Sanzao, Zheng Daniu, and their leader, Peng Yun.

After Peng Yun shot that arrow last night, Li You had actually thought a lot about establishing authority. But after much deliberation, there was only one word: "Kill." In a feudal army, before any true ideology or spirit is forged, the methods to maintain military discipline are always simple and brutal, and these are often the most effective.

Li You couldn't be bothered to consider or weigh the options; even if he was only acting as an instructor, what he wanted was absolute obedience and fear carved into their bones.

Time passed slowly. Many people called out to Li You in low voices, asking if they should start training, but Li You always said softly, "The people aren't all here yet, wait!"

He stood like a sculpture, leaning on his meter-long saber, his double-slung rig on his back, his cold and resolute expression making it clear to everyone that he was about to give them a harsh lesson!

But how harsh a lesson could he really give?

These archers were all direct subordinates of Wu Zhuge. When it came down to it, Li You was just an outsider who had been here for less than a month. Even with the title of a scholar, how much deterrent power could he really have over them?

"Don't tell me you're actually going to kill someone to establish authority!"

An archer below with a dark face muttered to himself. Li You glanced at him; he was in his twenties, with a square face and a tall, thin build.

He met Li You’s gaze and felt as if he had been pricked by a needle. He simply couldn't withstand that imposing look and eventually lowered his head.

By three-quarters past the hour of the dragon, Peng Yun and the other two still hadn't arrived. The dark-faced man left the ranks, looking as if he were going to wake Peng Yun up.

Not long after, the sound of Peng Yun’s cursing came from the small courtyard first. The dark-faced man trotted back to the ranks, and then the three of them finally appeared.

They walked along, cursing and swearing, their quivers not even strapped on properly, looking exactly like beggars. They walked right up to the front, but instead of joining the ranks, they walked directly in front of Li You. Zheng Daniu said brazenly, "I say, Mr. Scholar, didn't you see our archery skills yesterday? Do we still need a pen-pusher like you to teach us? Huh?"

"You thieving dog, stop acting like a big shot. Teach? Go ahead and teach! I want to see what kind of tricks you can teach today!" Peng Yun was even more furious, deliberately spraying his spit onto Li You’s face.

Li You took a deep breath and said loudly, "Yesterday, I said to assemble for drill at the hour of the dragon. Those who are late will be dealt with by military law!"

"Hey, really going to use military law? What kind of military law..."

"Those who are late, die!"