50: Chapter 0050 Unboxing

"Wanying, which training exercises does the Mu Family Army value the most?" Lin Xiao asked Mu Wanying, who was standing to the side.

"As one of the five great iron cavalries, the Mu Family Army must train in archery and horsemanship, close-quarters combat, formation team battles, and long-distance raiding," the woman said softly.

Lin Xiao stroked his chin and said, "Then how about we have a competition in archery and horsemanship?"

General Wu Jinzhe looked skeptical. "Commander Lin, my brothers in the Mu Family Army are in no way inferior to those prairie cavalrymen in archery and horsemanship. Do you really want to compete?"

"Of course. We will each select five men, and in seven days, we will have an archery and horsemanship competition."

Lin Xiao smiled. "The rules will follow your Mu Family Army's standards, and the judging will be left to General Zhao. You should know his character; he is absolutely impartial."

"If the Mu Family Army wins, I will no longer interfere with the Mu Family Army's training."

"But if my soldiers win, you will follow my commands on how the Mu Family Army trains!"

"No problem!"

Feeling looked down upon, General Wu Jinzhe suppressed his anger, cupped his hands, and said, "This subordinate will go and tell the brothers. We shall see who is better in seven days!!"

Watching General Wu Jinzhe stride away, Mu Wanying looked worried.

"My dear Lin, I am not boasting, but these brothers of the Mu Family Army are all elites. Are you truly confident?"

General Zhao Kuan was also anxious. "Indeed, Brother. You executed Vice Commander Chen Zhou before, so you should know that even a Deputy Commander in the Border Army only has that much weight."

"Those who became soldiers halfway through their lives are simply not on the same level as those born into professional military households!"

Lin Xiao chuckled. "It is precisely because the gap is large that winning will be shocking! If there wasn't much of a gap to begin with, winning wouldn't prove anything."

"Brother Zhao, have the entire army assemble. I want to reassign job types for the soldiers today."

"Brother, you want to draft some soldiers to reclaim wasteland, right? Actually, I have already mentioned it to a few lieutenants, and they are all willing."

General Zhao Kuan said, "The soldiers have received their military pay and are now deeply grateful to you; they will not refuse."

Lin Xiao shook his head. "Make the best use of everything and everyone. If excellent soldiers go to reclaim wasteland, it is our loss. It is better to screen them carefully."

"A wonderful 'make the best use of talent,' Brother, you are right! But how can you judge? We have only just taken over the garrison here a few days ago."

"Haha, I am quite good at judging people. Just trust me, brother!"

Lin Xiao smiled enigmatically.

Although General Zhao Kuan was puzzled, he did not ask further and went to assemble all the soldiers.

Lin Xiao walked back and forth twice among the thousands of people, forming a rough impression in his mind.

[Ding! "Eye of God" usage has exceeded 5,000 times, meeting the advancement conditions. Advance?]

Oh? An unexpected gain?

Advance!

[Ding! "Eye of God" successfully advanced, now possessing a wide-range insight effect!]

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiao immediately gave it a try.

Sure enough!

Information boxes floated above the heads of the twenty or thirty soldiers in front of him!

However, there was too much information, making him feel a bit dizzy. It seemed to be very energy-consuming; it was more comfortable to look at them a few at a time.

"I presume you all know that the grain production in Baishui Prefecture is insufficient, so we need to reclaim wasteland."

"From now on, whoever I call, regardless of rank, must report to the Agricultural Department today."

"As long as you obey orders, your military pay will be issued as usual, so do not worry."

As he spoke, Lin Xiao took a roster and began to call out names, putting on an act.

"Zhang Cheng, Li Xiaoliu, Wang Ershan, Lu Wei..."

When he called out a lieutenant named Song Hao, the man was not having it.

"Sir! I refuse! I want to stay in the army!"

Song Hao said indignantly, "I started practicing martial arts at thirteen and have practiced for ten years. I became a lieutenant based on my own ability. Why must I go do farm work!?"

"Oh? You have practiced for ten years?"

"That's right!" Song Hao said confidently.

[Song Hao, 31 years old, lieutenant of the Baishui City garrison, aptitude: mortal grade]

[Technique: Iron Wire Blade Technique (3 years of cultivation), rumored to have been created by a blacksmith; the blade strikes like a hammer. Grade: yellow grade]

[Farming, blacksmithing, swindling]

Lin Xiao said with a half-smile, "Then explain to me why you are 31 years old this year?"

Upon hearing this, Song Hao's expression immediately became unnatural.

"I... I am 23, sir. Look, it's written on the register!"

"Audacious!!"

Lin Xiao shouted angrily, "With your three years of Iron Wire Blade Technique cultivation, do you think I, the Commander, cannot tell? Did you buy this lieutenant position with money!?"

"Don't think I don't know that you are just a farmer, and you've even worked as a blacksmith! Is that so or not!?"

Song Hao was dumbfounded, his face turning pale!

The fact that he had been a blacksmith in his hometown was clearly unknown to anyone in the army!

"Thump!"

Song Hao knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly.

"Spare me, sir! Spare me, sir! I am willing to go reclaim wasteland!"

The soldiers were astonished, whispering to each other, finding it unbelievable!

Many soldiers who knew Song Hao, although aware that his martial arts were mediocre, did not expect that even his age was fake!?

General Zhao Kuan and Mu Wanying were also deeply moved. They had thought Lin Xiao was just taking a casual look, but they hadn't expected him to be so well-informed!?

The key was, how did this man do it!?

Both of them only had one word in their minds: unfathomable!

With this negative example, many of the hooligan soldiers became much more honest afterward.

Everyone whispered secretly, thinking that Commander Lin might know the art of physiognomy from the pugilistic world.

Little did they know, Lin Xiao had directly "doxed" them!

Lin Xiao's mouth was dry from calling out names, so for the thousands of people behind, he simply used gestures to resolve it.

"Pass... pass... pass..."

One by one, the soldiers were arranged to go to the Agricultural Department to follow Xiao Qingxuan's orders.

In the end, the number of soldiers remaining on the field was less than three thousand.

Even more than half of the officers at the lieutenant level were sent to farm.

"Chen Chuan, step out!"

Lin Xiao pointed at a slightly chubby, short soldier.

"Sir, do you want me to go reclaim wasteland?" Chen Chuan asked with a loyal and honest smile.

"Reclaim wasteland? I'm worried you'll split someone's head open..."

Lin Xiao smiled. "Tell me, what crime did you commit to become a wanted criminal of the imperial court?"

[Chen Chuan (original name Chen Yan), 25 years old, wanted criminal, soldier of the Baishui City garrison, aptitude: mystic grade]

[Technique 1: Hundred Step Sword Art (29 years of cultivation), Sword Forest outer sect mental cultivation method, known for its speed and attack range. Grade: mystic grade]

[Technique 2: Lingyun Steps (18 years of cultivation), one of Sword Forest's signature movement techniques. Grade: yellow grade]

[Tag: Wanted Criminal (Special), Cavalry, Swordsman]

The scene was silent!

The smile on Chen Chuan's face froze, and the soldiers nearby showed looks of fear, many finding it hard to believe.

"Sir... I don't know what you mean."

"Hundred Step Sword Art, Lingyun Steps... You are an outer sect disciple of the Sword Forest, right, Chen Yan?"

Hearing his real name, the last glimmer of luck in Chen Chuan's eyes vanished completely.

Lin Xiao's eyes were cold. "I will give you one last chance. Tell the truth yourself, otherwise... I will split you in half with one strike!"