The next few weeks proceeded smoothly. After setting an example with Qiang Yi, the recruits learned their place and managed to fit into the system. Che Xiao Wen had returned to training the next day and to fill in the gap, Zhang Yun would rotate around and spar with everyone.

After the first few days, long marches was incorporated into the daily training. The training ground was also opened up to the recruits, allowing them to come there whenever they had free time. Something Guan Yi and Wang Jie took advantage of, sparring with each other to up their skills.

The boys quickly got used to getting up early and taking care of their belongings. After a week the Lieutenant had stopped the morning checks. The training went well and everybody could at least handle a spear now, though it was clear there was a long way to go for them to be fully trained soldiers.

Never the less, time was the exact thing they were lacking. Two and a half weeks after they arrived at the camp, war had broken out. Two days after, a front line camp at the border of Rosalan Kingdom suffered a devastating attack. They requested reinforcements and as the camp Wang Jie was being trained at was the closest by it fell on them.

400 soldiers was all the camp could spare, of those 400, 100 were the recruits. As faith would have it, Wang Jie’s group was among the chosen recruits.

Each equipped with nothing but a spear and a backpack stuffed with a thick blanket and a pathetic amount of rations, they were sent on their way.

That day was when they received their spears. They hadn’t practiced with them, let alone fought battles. From stick to spear, it was quite a big difference.

It wasn’t easy to stay cheerful. They had been walking for at least 5 hours by now with no break. Wang Jie’s group followed closely behind a wagon. It almost felt like the rider was taunting them, sitting up there while they were lugging their equipment around.

It all came so suddenly. They’d been made aware from the start that they might not have the chance to finish training. Still, sending a bunch of juveniles out to fight, without even a shield to defend themselves with. Things really had to be bad.

Wang Jie looked over at Liu Wei, they exchanged glances, a suspicious understanding forming between them. Yeah, it had to be bad.

When Che Xiao Wen had heard they would set out immediately that morning, he’d almost broken down. It had been just as much of a shock to everyone else, but they seemed to handle it better.

A light breeze blew by, cooling everyone down a bit. Wang Jie closed his eyes momentarily. It felt so good.

Yet it only lasted for a second, before he felt the heat return, the breeze long gone. The sounds of hundreds of boots hitting the dirt road continued endlessly.

A bead of sweat trickled down his face and he brushed it off with the back of his hand. It was spring but it hardly felt like it.

“We’ll break here for now, 15 minutes.” A yell came from the front. It had to be one of the lieutenants or the Captain, only a Qi Condensation master could transmit his voice like that, and they were the only ones here.

The boys went off to the side of the road and sat down in the long plump grass. One hard piece of bread was what each of them had to eat for lunch. Not exactly filling, and this time there was no opportunity for seconds.

Supposedly a group would be in charge of hunting for dinner, that sounded real nice as they sat there and chewed on the steel-like bread.

“Arghh I’m still hungry.” Liu Wei leaned back and rested on the grass.

“Tell me about it. This was already barely edible when it was fresh.” Wang Jie chucked slightly.

“True.” Guan Yi nodded. “It honestly seems like the dirt would be easier to eat.”

“Probably easier to chew, but I bet you’d regret it real fast.” Wang Jie’s lips curved up into a smile.

At least he got along well with most of them.

“Quit dawdling, we’re leaving now.” Unbeknown to them, Adjutant Zhang Yun had walked up on them.

The group could only get up on their feet and hurry back into position.

After they had walked for 6 more hours it was starting to get dark. They broke again for dinner and since there was a huge forest on the left side of the road, ten hunting parties were sent out to catch their meal. That amounted to 1 per platoon.

A platoon was made up of around 40 soldiers plus an adjutant and a lieutenant. The Captain led the company while the Colonel led the regiment. The Colonel hadn’t come with them though, he was back with the other soldiers and officers at the camp.

After waiting a few hours, the hunting parties started to trickle in. Rabbits, squirrels and a few deer here and there was what they managed to get. It sounded like a lot, but there were over 400 soldiers who needed to be fed. But at least it was meat, and they were also given another piece of bread from the wagons for dinner.

It was hard to imagine what that bread would be like in a few days though, every hour passed increased its toughness by a lot. At the end they might have to use them as weapons, or throw them like rocks. Perhaps they could even throw it to a hungry enemy soldier and watch him pull his teeth out on it, that would be a distraction.

As he thought about it, Wang Jie chuckled to himself, he’d done that a lot lately. Was he always that funny? Maybe it was just finding humor in adversity.

He yawned and felt himself getting tired.

39 people slept close around a huge bonfire. With only a single blanket to drape over them, no one was stupid enough to sleep without their uniform on.

The crinkle of logs burning was quite soothing to the ears. As he lay there, Wang Jie kind of wished they’d been given a hat though, it was cold around the ears. He pulled the blanket up and curled himself into a ball. That would have to do.

It was chaos when he woke. All around him screams and yells came forth. An arrow whizzed by his face and a boot hit him in the ribcage as someone ran past. Disoriented he woke up and grabbed the spear by his side. What was going on?

Liu Wei was in a deep slumber beside him, it was incredible how he could sleep through all the noise. Wang Jie shook him roughly and he woke muttering some words.

“What’s going on?” He blinked, looking around fervently.

“It’s an attack, come on, we have to get the others.”

Liu Wei nodded and quickly grabbed his own spear, getting up to follow Wang Jie. It seemed like everyone had gotten up by now.

Guan Yi and the Huang twins ran up to them a few seconds later. Liao Kang and Che Xiao Wen were nowhere to be found however. They were supposed to be sleeping right next to them almost.

The only person they found nearby was a lifeless body with an arrow sticking out his neck. It looked like he’d been struck while he was sleeping. Wang Jie didn’t feel great about it, he didn’t know the guy, but seeing him lie there was so tragic. He hadn’t even known what was coming, so fragile he had no chance to resist.

The arrows had long stopped so they ran around the nearby area looking for Liao Kang and Che Xiao Wen. Having no luck, they went towards the clanging of steel. People were fighting over there.

It didn’t take long before they ran into the enemy. Four enemy soldiers were standing over a few dead bodies, laughing to each other as they kicked it. One of them spotted their group and pointed them out to the guy that seemed to be the leader.

There were only four and Wang Jie’s group had 5, yet the enemy had obviously been in far more battles. They were dressed in dark tattered leather, most of them unshaven and unkempt. Their weapons were a mix, two wielded a sword while one wielded an axe and the last had a mace. They were all equipped with shields though. They looked like bandits.

Slowly the bandit group started walking towards them. It was no use running as they’d have to fight at some point. At least this time they outnumbered the enemy.

Wang Jie tightened both his hands around the spear, it hurt a little bit, but that just made him feel more awake. His whole group looked tense, in comparison, the bandits were awfully relaxed.

As the bandits got closer Wang Jie decided to cease the initiative. When the leader was in range, he stepped forward and struck out towards him. He didn’t put enough into it though and the bandit merely raised his shield and blocked it like nothing.

The bandits used the opportunity to charge them and a fight quickly broke out. Wang Jie bit his lip as he fought against the leader. The mere weight and speed of his attacks felt like it was overwhelming him. He tried to fight back but it was difficult. If not for the range advantage of his spear and his nimble movement, he would’ve already been gone.

Everyone else seemed to be struggling like him. Only the twins who had ganged up on someone managed to get the upper hand together. However, that person was still able to fight back against the two of them.

Something had to be done. They exchanged blow after blow, Wang Jie’s hands were starting to get numb. The forms had long since disappeared from his spearmanship, now he was just parrying whichever way he could. The bandit leader knew he had him cornered too.

Frustrated, Wang Jie made a mistake and ended up slipping and falling backwards onto the dirt. The bandit seized the chance and was right on him now. Wang Jie was panicking now, he had to do something, anything. He looked around and didn’t see much else but dirt. Dirt as far as the eye could see. Wait, that’s right there was dirt.

In a hurry he grabbed a handful of dirt and threw it right at the eyes of his opponent. He gripped the spear firmly with his right hand and loosely with his left, putting all his energy into it he slid the spear forward sending it piercing right into the bandits uncovered collarbone.

The sound was gruesome to his ears as the spear slid unobstructed into the bandits flesh, blood seeping out of the wound.

He retracted the spear and watched as the bandit dropped his sword, unable to hold onto it with that arm. The bandit was now the one on his ass, looking up at Wang Jie with wide eyes. He could recognize that same expression he had worn on his face just moments before.

It was an empowering feeling, looking down on your opponent. Another mans life in your hands. Did he really wanna do this? Kill another person?

He knew the answer in his heart, as the cold night breeze washed over him, he knew he had to kill him. For himself, for the others, to take charge of his own life.

“Pleas-.” The bandit begged, it was funny how one could change when death stared you right in the eye.

The spear hurtled right through his heart, not giving him a chance to plead his case. The bandit had desperately tried to block it, but in his final moments he wasn’t fast enough.

As he took his last breath, his eyes were still frozen in the wide eyed state, unwilling to believe he had lost, unwilling to believe that he would die here.

Wang Jie just scoffed, as he looked over the now dead man, a cold expression spread across his face. It wasn’t over yet, he still had to help his comrades and take the other bandits out