Chapter Eleven: An Agonizing Incense Stick
“You brat! You really surprised me the moment you came out!”
“You single-handedly killed that barbarian squad of thirteen?”
At the city gate, Li Pangzi stared at the unscathed Sumu in astonishment.
Smiling lightly, Sumu dismounted and walked up to Li Pangzi.
“Captain, the promise you made to me should now be fulfilled, right?”
Li Pangzi was momentarily speechless.
He had originally planned to put Sumu through some training, but everything had fallen apart.
What surprised him most was that within just three days, Sumu had truly wiped out an entire barbarian squad all by himself.
Looking at Sumu before him, for some reason, Li Pangzi’s mind flashed back to the image of Brother Jiang from days past.
Youthful pride!
Yet dominant over all!
“Of course! I keep my word!” Li Pangzi declared.
“You can choose the candidates yourself and then inform me.”
“As for the training ground, I know a place that should suit you perfectly.”
Li Pangzi spoke with feigned mystery.
Seeing this, Sumu handed over the token and pointed to the defeated barbarian leader behind him.
“This is his token. I leave him in your hands, Captain. Remember to exchange it for silver for me.”
Li Pangzi looked at the bronze token in his hand, his pupils suddenly shrinking.
He turned to the barbarian leader in disbelief.
A bronze token?
This meant the barbarian leader was actually a centurion!
Judging by the situation, this man must have intended to lead an elite squad to raid.
Unexpectedly, the raid failed, and Sumu’s group annihilated them all.
Most importantly, Sumu had captured the centurion alive.
This was a tremendous achievement!
Li Pangzi took a deep breath and pulled Sumu aside.
“Brother, according to military regulations, capturing a barbarian centurion alive is a major merit!”
“Given the barbarians you’ve killed recently, you could be promoted at least to squad leader, maybe even centurion!”
Sumu raised an eyebrow and, seeing Li Pangzi’s solemn expression, immediately understood his concern.
“Captain, let this merit belong to our Tiger Might Battalion!”
“I have only one condition: the upcoming training plan for these five must be strictly carried out according to my requirements.”
“The necessary supplies and equipment must be provided promptly by your side.”
Li Pangzi was quite surprised; he hadn’t expected Sumu to be so sensible.
He instantly grasped the underlying meaning.
Li Pangzi patted his chest and nodded solemnly.
“Don’t worry! Leave all this to me!”
……
At the Li Residence courtyard in Qinghe Town.
Sumu looked at the courtyard in front of him, somewhat amazed.
The courtyard was large enough to accommodate dozens of people, designed with a central axis and three entrances, forming a traditional quadrangle.
The surrounding paths were paved with bluestone, flanked by pines and cypresses, giving it a unique charm.
In a secluded section of the courtyard was a training ground, surrounded by an assortment of weapons.
Seeing Sumu’s surprised expression, Li Pangzi smiled proudly.
“I tell you, this courtyard is one of the best in all of Qinghe Town!”
“Whether it’s the layout or the completeness of the facilities, it’s top-notch!”
“On ordinary days, it’s more than enough for training you five.”
Sumu glanced back at Li Pangzi, took out a hundred taels of silver from his bosom, and handed it over.
“Captain, this is the rent. It might be a little short for now; I’ll make up the rest when I have more money.”
Li Pangzi weighed the silver in his hand, looking at Sumu with some surprise.
“Good lad, you’re richer than you look.”
“Oh, and I’ve brought the people you wanted!”
As soon as Li Pangzi finished speaking, five people walked in from the gate.
Three men and two women.
Each of them looked at Sumu with some puzzlement.
Especially one short-haired woman holding a long spear, who cast a skeptical glance his way.
“So you’re our squad leader? Are you qualified?”
Upon hearing this challenge to Sumu, Su Yi placed her fingers on the long knife at her waist, seeming ready to leap forward and fight at any moment.
Sumu pressed Su Yi’s shoulder, then looked at the woman and smiled lightly.
“I know you probably don’t respect me, thinking I’m just a newcomer. Why should I be your leader, right?”
“In that case, I’ll give you a chance!”
Standing on the nearby training stage, Sumu casually picked up a long staff and faced the five.
“All five of you come at me together. If you can hold out under my hands for the length of one incense stick, I’ll give up on forming this team.”
Li Pangzi twitched at Sumu’s words.
The five people Sumu had chosen were all hotheads!
Proud and unyielding.
When they served in the Xilin Army, they were transferred to the Tiger Might Battalion precisely because of their rebelliousness.
But regardless of temperament, these five were undoubtedly formidable.
Now, Sumu wanted to take on all five alone.
This move was rather unwise.
“What an arrogant brat!”
“Today, if I don’t knock you flat, I’ll never forgive myself!”
The short-haired woman pointed her toes, leapt forward, and thrust her spear fiercely.
In her hands, the spear moved like a startled dragon—swift, accurate, and ruthless as it swung toward Sumu.
Facing this fierce assault, Sumu’s eyes changed sharply.
The long staff in his hand left several afterimages in the air, instantly wrapping around the spear’s shaft.
Smack!
The staff, like a coiled viper ready to strike, suddenly smashed against the woman’s wrist.
The previously aggressive short-haired woman lost her spear in a single exchange, defeated in the blink of an eye.
The other four on the ground also changed their expressions drastically.
They knew well the woman’s prowess.
Ordinary people would rarely last three moves against her.
Yet she was defeated in just one!
This was troubling.
The four exchanged a glance and immediately charged onto the stage.
They had no confidence in one-on-one combat.
But if all five attacked together, losing again would be utterly disgraceful.
With the four joining the fight, Sumu became even more ruthless.
His staff moved like a mighty army, leaving trails of afterimages in the air.
His assault was like the endless surging river—unceasing and overwhelming.
Under the onslaught of the staff, the five were pushed back step by step.
Li Pangzi watched this scene with a grave expression.
He carefully assessed inwardly.
If it were him on stage, how long could he last?
Clenching his fists, he exhaled deeply.
Twenty moves.
At most, he could last twenty moves before defeat.
It seemed he had underestimated Sumu.
No wonder he could single-handedly annihilate a barbarian squad.
This was a true master.
Li Pangzi glanced at the incense stick in Su Yi’s hand, feeling somewhat melancholy.
It looked like the five would have a hard time surviving the length of one incense stick.