Chapter 210: First Volume_Chapter 210: Live-Combat Drill

First Volume_Chapter 210: Live-Combat Drill

Ning Hu and Xu Mo stood on either side of Qin Feng.

The two were born of noble houses to begin with, not ordinary guards one could lump together with the rest. Add to that their daily training alongside the guards, and their progress was all the greater. Though young, by any measure they could already be called fierce generals.

Ning Hu gave a low shout: "Greetings, Young Master Qin!"

The moment the words fell, three hundred guards roared in unison: "Greetings, Young Master Qin!"

The sound was like muffled thunder, making Qin Feng's scalp tingle, but in the blink of an eye the scene fell quiet again.

Now that was strict discipline—every order obeyed, every action halted.

At last a grin split Qin Feng's face. The money had been well spent.

Happy at heart, his appetite was good. Qin Feng dropped onto a Tengyi Chair Chair, grabbed a handful of grapes and tossed them into his mouth. Chewing away, he mumbled, "Looks like the training these past days wasn't bad. I called you all together today to hand out weapons and gear. Starting today, we begin live-combat drills."

Xu Mo, who had been fired up a moment ago, stiffened at Qin Feng's words. Slowly turning to face Qin Feng, he said in shock, "Brother Qin, what did you just say? Live-combat drills? You mean everything we trained before only counts as child's play?!"

Beside him, Ning Hu's heart was a tangle of mixed feelings.

The training before, which could only be called "hellish," had completely shattered Ning Hu's worldview. Setting aside Shedynasty, even among all the nations under Heaven, he had never heard of anyone drilling troops like this.

And now, feeling the changes and progress within himself, Ning Hu's admiration for Qin Feng was beyond words.

But… what exactly did Qin Feng mean by "live-combat drills"? Could it be even harsher and more grueling than the current training?

Just as Ning Hu was silently marveling, Qin Feng's hearty laughter suddenly rang out.

"No need to be afraid. The so-called live-combat drill, as the name suggests, means simulating a real battlefield to fight, thereby building real combat experience. After all, the battlefield is full of twists, and anything can happen. If we only keep sharpening basic skills without real combat experience, no matter how polished the training, in the end we'd just be a bunch of big, dumb, black, rough brutes."

Once Qin Feng put it that way, everyone understood.

The so-called live-combat drill was like the Po Zhen Guan at the Qingyi Ceremony.

Centered on two armies facing off against each other.

Every last one of them secretly rubbed their fists in anticipation.

Sensing the fighting spirit in their eyes, Qin Feng gave a small nod and shot Qin Xiaofu a look. Before long, large wooden crates were carried out onto the Jiaochang.

As the lids were opened and the various pieces of gear inside were revealed, even the strictly disciplined guards couldn't help murmuring among themselves.

"These past few days the Gongfang has been hammering away nonstop—could it have been to make all this?"

"I thought before that our weapons would have to be requisitioned from the Ministry of War. I never expected they'd be custom-made by the Gongfang? Wonderful!"

"Sigh! The money Young Master Qin has spent on us is simply staggering. We have to live up to Young Master Qin!"

Under the gazes of the crowd—puzzled yet expectant—Qin Feng waved his hand, signaling Qin Xiaofu to distribute the gear.

Once they were fully kitted out, three hundred imposing guards stood in formation before Qin Feng's eyes.

Round Helmet on the head, black brocade armor on the body, Arrow Quiver on the back, short Bow in hand, a short saber slung at the rear of the waist, an equipment pouch hooked at the front. At a glance they looked like three hundred Light Cavalry Bow Infantry; on closer look, though, there was more than met the eye—they were Armed to the Teeth.

Qin Feng had Lu Ming explain each piece of Weapon gear one by one—its use and its pros and cons—so the guards could quickly grasp their own way of fighting.

Ning Hu tested the weight of the short Bow in his hand, a flicker of hesitation crossing his eyes. After much wavering he still asked, "Brother Qin, isn't using this short Bow as the main Weapon a bit of a stretch? After all, once you're on the Battlefield, close combat is inevitable. This short Bow may be nimble, but its range and killing power are limited. The moment we engage, our disadvantages will be laid bare."

Ning Hu's words voiced the doubt in everyone's heart.

Qin Feng, however, put on a grin that looked careless but was in fact a heart-stopping smirk: "I know! All of you listen up. In the live-combat drills that follow, you are only allowed to use the short Bow. Using any sidearm under any circumstances is strictly forbidden. Every match you lose, I'll dock one meal from you!"

"The road before you comes down to two paths: either get slaughtered, or push the short Bow's role to the absolute limit."

The moment these words fell, the field erupted in wails of protest.

Though the men trusted Qin Feng's Strategic Vision, looking at the short Bow in their hands, they had no confidence.

Qin Feng paid no heed to their doubts. He glanced up at the sun—it was nearly dusk, the hour was about right—and immediately issued the operation order: "Xu Mo Ninghu."

The two men, hearing their names, hastily cupped their fists in salute and said in unison, "What are your orders, Brother Qin!"

Qin Feng didn't beat around the bush and said straight out, "Today at noon, because the training tasks were too heavy, none of you had time to eat lunch. Now it's almost dark, so I'm preparing to add a meal for you tonight! But the ingredients for the extra meal are all hidden in a place I chose. You two, quickly lead three hundred guards and retrieve the ingredients at any cost."

Because the training load was so heavy, skipping even a single meal could leave one so hungry one's chest stuck to one's back.

Hearing that there would be an extra meal tonight, the guards immediately grew excited.

Ning Hu rubbed his fists together, unable to hide the joy on his face: "Where are the ingredients hidden?"

Qin Feng pointed north of Jingdu, a wicked laugh rising unbidden in his heart: "In the kitchen of the Dragon-Tiger Army Camp."

Hearing the words "Dragon-Tiger Army Camp," Ning Hu felt as if a basin of cold water had been dumped over his head.

Ice-cold to the bone!

The guards, who had just been rubbing their fists in anticipation, instantly fell silent.

The men looked at each other, thinking they must have misheard. The look in their eyes shifted gradually from shock to terror.

Xu Mo swallowed, his face panicked: "B-Brother Qin, you're not joking with us?"