Chapter 66: Going Up the Mountain
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He Yan originally thought that if it was Xiao Jue who had called for Ma Damei and the others to challenge her in archery, then after the competition, they would have recognized her exceptional skills and there should have been some acknowledgment. However, several days had passed, and life remained as usual. Apart from the occasional new recruits who came to challenge her, nothing else happened. They didn’t even provide her with extra rations.
Perhaps… it was just a coincidence? He Yan thought, maybe the three instructors were bored in the Liangzhou Garrison and wanted to test her skills.
She decided to put this matter aside for now.
After a few rainy days, the heat seemed to have subsided somewhat. Occasionally, when she went for her morning run, there was no direct sunlight, and a cool breeze blew. It wouldn’t be long before the summer days in Liangzhou Garrison came to an end.
Due to the gradually cooler weather, the new recruits were allowed to go up the mountain in recent days.
White Moon Mountain was vast, and crossing over the mountain ridge would take at least a day and a night. Therefore, the new recruits were strictly prohibited from crossing the mountain; they were only allowed to go up to the mountaintop. They were divided into groups of five, and they would patrol the mountain.
Hong Shan was puzzled, “Why do five people need to patrol? If it’s really dangerous, is five enough?”
He Yan thought to herself, of course not, because you’re not actually going on patrol.
These new recruits stationed at Liangzhou Garrison had been training here for an entire summer by now, and it wouldn’t be long before the “Flag Capture” event.
During the Flag Capture event, several flags would be planted on the mountaintop. The recruits with better qualifications and outstanding performance would be divided into teams to compete for the flags. Fights between teams were common during the competition. When they descended the mountain, the team with the most flags would be the winner. The victorious team would receive special attention, and they were likely to be chosen for the Vanguard Camp.
He Yan’s goal was no longer the Vanguard Camp; her aim now was the Nine Banner Battalion.
Currently, sending the new recruits up the mountain each day was actually to help them become familiar with the terrain of White Moon Mountain in advance, to remember the locations, so that they wouldn’t be unfamiliar with the route during the Flag Capture event. However, the new recruits were unaware of this, whereas He Yan, as someone who had served in the army before, was well aware.
During the previous Flag Capture event in Moxian, the area consisted of continuous deserts. With every gust of wind, landmarks disappeared, and sand dunes changed their shapes. The situation during that Flag Capture event was extremely dangerous. If it hadn’t been for an older brother in the team who found a small river, none of them might have made it out of the desert.
“Flag Capture” not only tested the individual skills of the new recruits but also the unity and cooperation within teams. Excelling in just one aspect wouldn’t be enough. The test was demanding for everyone. Although the actual Flag Capture event was still a while away, in a sense, the competition had already begun. Smart people who paid attention during patrols would remember the route, while those who were unaware would simply wander around without paying it any mind, which wouldn’t help them during the upcoming “Flag Capture” event.
“Forget him. Brother Ah He, it’s your turn to go up the mountain today. Can you hunt a few rabbits with your bow and arrows? Let’s secretly roast and eat them. I haven’t tasted meat in half a month,” Xiao Mai licked his lips.
“I won’t take a bow,” He Yan smiled, “Bows are too heavy. I’ll take a blade.” Most importantly, bows weren’t suitable for close combat. If they encountered any real problems, bows wouldn’t be very effective. Besides, there would always be someone in the team with a bow, so they could borrow it if needed.
Seeing Xiao Mai looking disappointed, she reassured him, “It’s okay, in a few days, we’ll be able to go up the mountain together. By then, we can hunt as many rabbits as we want.”
Xiao Mai remained skeptical.
He Yan couldn’t tell him either. During the flag capture event, everyone was on the mountain, except the instructors. It was likely that they would be staying on the mountain overnight, and in such situations, they could eat whatever they wanted.
She tightened the belt on her clothes and heard Hong Shan say, “Then come down the mountain early. We’ll celebrate together tonight.”
“What celebration?” He Yan was puzzled.
Xiao Mai said, “It’s the Qixi Festival!”
He Yan: “…”
She almost forgot that today was the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, the Qixi Festival, also known as Chinese Valentine’s Day. But what can a bunch of guys do on Qixi Festival? He Yan chuckled and said, “Isn’t this supposed to be spent with the girl you like? Do any of you have someone you like?”
Hong Shan immediately said, “Don’t underestimate me. There are plenty of girls who like our Brother Shan. If Brother Shan wants to celebrate Qixi, the girls would definitely be willing.”
“I… I don’t,” Xiao Mai quickly added, “But my brother does! My brother likes Big Sister Xiao Lan from Lord Sun’s noodle shop in the east of the city!”
Shitou: “…”
He Yan looked at Shitou, whose ears turned red. Xiao Mai asked again, “Brother Ah He, do you have anyone you like? What kind of girl do you like?”
He Yan casually made up, “Someone good-looking, intelligent, excellent in skills, wealthy, and by the way, gentle, considerate, lively, and fun. It would be even better if she’s talented in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and if she can cook.”
After He Yan left, Xiao Mai continued to chew on He Yan’s words, muttering, “Brother Ah He’s requirements for his crush are really high…”
“Don’t listen to his nonsense,” Hong Shan patted his head, “He’s describing a princess. Xiao Mai, don’t learn from him!”
Xiao Mai nodded solemnly.
…
He Yan went to the weapon rack in the training ground and took a pair of Mandarin Duck blades. Since she defeated Huang Xiong’s large golden-backed blade with these Mandarin Duck blades, many people had been practicing with them for a while. However, they weren’t as agile with the blades as He Yan, and after a few attempts, they found it unsuitable for them and gave up. As a result, almost no one else used the Mandarin Duck blades in the training ground; it was almost exclusively He Yan’s.
Today, as she was heading up the mountain, she took these blades for their lightweight and easy handling. If she wanted to catch some fish and roast them on the mountain, these blades would be useful for gutting the fish.
After picking up the blades, she walked to the end of the horse path. The other four were already prepared.
He Yan didn’t recognize these four; they weren’t under Instructor Liang’s command. When they saw He Yan, one of them smiled and pointed behind her, “Go pick a horse quickly, we’re ready to go.”
He Yan nodded and went to the stable to pick a horse. Then, the five of them set off towards White Moon Mountain.
The mountain was densely covered in forests, providing ample shade from the sun. Walking here was much more comfortable than at the foot of the mountain. Rabbits would occasionally dart across their path. Someone suggested, “Why don’t we hunt a few rabbits?”
“Sure, let’s do it,” the recruit who had greeted He Yan enthusiastically agreed, “Who brought bow and arrows?”
Everyone exchanged glances.
Probably because bows and arrows were too heavy and they would be on the mountain for more than half a day, no one wanted to bring them. Consequently, nobody had brought them.
“Fine, nobody brought them,” a scruffy-looking recruit shrugged, his tone somewhat sour. However, his gaze was fixed on He Yan, “Well, I guess we can only watch.”
Everyone knew that He Yan was exceptionally skilled in archery, and they assumed she would bring them.
He Yan calmly looked back at him, her expression composed.
Does he think I’m going to hunt rabbits for him? Does he have a swollen head or what? She thought.
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