118: Chapter 118 Why don't I have a daughter?

Su Bai sat down in the empty seat next to Zhou Zheng and calmly poured himself a cup of tea.

He knew what was on Zhou Zheng and Li Han's minds.

But he was in no hurry to explain.

Some things are better seen with one's own eyes than explained with many words.

Zhou Zheng held his teacup, but his gaze never left the training field.

He watched the Village Braves, who were drenched in sweat yet still stood as straight as pines, and the look of approval in his eyes grew stronger.

He turned to look at Su Bai and finally couldn't help but ask out of curiosity:

"Su Bai,"

Zhou Zheng's voice held a hint of curiosity. "Tell your father-in-law the truth. What's the point of standing like that? I've led troops my whole life, but I've never seen training like this."

Li Han also pricked up his ears.

He was clearly curious about Su Bai's novel way of training soldiers as well.

Su Bai put down his teacup, a confident smile appearing on his face. "Father-in-law, Lord Li, the benefits of standing in Military Posture are immense. Please, take a look."

He pointed toward the recruits on the training field:

"What they are standing in now is not just a posture, but a form of energy—a force that takes root in the soles of their feet and shoots straight to the top of their heads."

"This force is what martial artists often call the 'Foundation.' If the lower body is unstable, the whole world shakes."

"If a person can't even stand steadily, no matter how good the weapons you give them or how exquisite the Moves you teach them, the moment they hit the battlefield and an enemy charges at them, they'll be knocked head over heels."

Zhou Zheng and Li Han glanced at each other, both seeing a glimmer of realization in the other's eyes.

What Su Bai said seemed to make sense.

Zhou Zheng was, after all, the Military Governor of Yunzhou City and had led troops for a lifetime.

With a little hint from Su Bai, he immediately understood the key point.

Exactly. What do recruits lack the most?

Not strength, nor courage, but steadiness on the battlefield.

This Military Posture trains not just the body, but the heart.

A heart that remains unshaken amidst thousands of charging horses and soldiers.

Although Li Han didn't understand military strategy, he could hear the logic in it.

He looked at Su Bai and couldn't help but admire him inwardly.

This time, that fellow Zhou Zheng really had struck gold.

What a pity. Why don't I have a daughter who hasn't married yet?

I wonder if it's too late to have one now.

The scorching sun hung high, and the intense heat was unbearable.

As the minutes and seconds ticked by, the recruits on the training field finally reached their limit.

Commotions began to break out frequently in the ranks. Some swayed precariously, some stealthily shifted their feet, and others took advantage of the gaps in Ma Lie's inspection to quietly bend their knees to relieve the pain.

Although these movements were subtle, every single one of them fell into the eyes of the three men on the high platform.

Su Bai's face darkened. These people—he had just finished talking about the benefits of the Military Posture.

And now they were already making him look bad?

"Father-in-law, Lord Li, I'll be stepping away for a moment."

Su Bai stood up and cupped his hands toward the two.

Then he turned and strode toward the high platform in the center of the training field.

Su Bai's movements immediately caught the attention of the recruits.

Upon seeing Su Bai, they stopped their little tricks. Even though it was becoming unbearable, they still forced themselves to stand tall.

On the high platform of the training field, Su Bai spoke to the people below with an annoyed tone:

"How long has it even been? It hasn't even been an hour, and you can't stand anymore? Are you women? Or are your bones made of dregs?!"

No one dared to answer.

Just then, a voice rang out from a corner of the training field.

"General! Do you even know how to train soldiers?"

Everyone instantly looked toward the person in the corner who had just spoken.

"I think standing like this every day is completely useless! We came to be soldiers to learn how to kill enemies, not to be wooden posts."

"Instead of wasting time on this, you might as well teach us a few real skills. That way, when we actually go to the battlefield, we might survive a bit longer against those Bandits."

These words caused the recruits currently standing in posture to nod repeatedly.

He was right.

They came here to kill enemies on the front lines and protect their homes and country.

And now they were just being made to stand?

Could they really train that way?

Most of the people from Su Family Village were farmers with a lot of physical strength.

But being forced to stand like this every day—what was that all about?

They had long been filled with suppressed anger; it was just that no one had dared to speak up.

Now, someone had stepped forward.

A low murmur of agreement immediately rose from the ranks.

Su Bai's face instantly darkened.

He was angry not because someone questioned him, but because saying such things in this setting was, to put it seriously, shaking the morale of his army.

If he didn't completely crush this ill wind today...

...this troop would be ruined.

"Who said that? Get the hell out here!"

Su Bai's voice was like a clap of thunder as he roared toward the corner.

There was a commotion in the crowd, and Pang Hai stepped out from the ranks with his neck stiffened.

He looked at Su Bai defiantly and said in a loud voice, "General, I'm the one who said it. What of it? I'm telling the truth! I just want to ask, besides making people stupid, what's the use of standing like this?!"

Pang Hai's words made Su Bai's face turn even darker.

This was a damn slap in the face in front of everyone!

Under the sunshade, the expressions of Zhou Zheng and Li Han also changed.

Neither of them expected someone to be so defiant of authority.

Su Bai looked at Pang Hai's arrogant "I just don't submit, what can you do to me" expression and, instead of getting angrier, he laughed.

Good, very good.

To build, one must first break.

Today, I'll use you as an example to warn the others.

Su Bai leapt down from the high platform and landed lightly in front of Pang Hai.

"You say standing is useless, right?"

Su Bai's voice was very calm. "Fine. Today, I'll let you experience for yourself whether the skills trained by 'standing' are useful or not."

He casually pulled a wooden practice saber from a nearby weapon rack, weighed it in his hand, and pointed it at Pang Hai. "I won't use Spiritual Qi. Just like you, I'll rely only on physical strength. You, try to take one Move from me."

Hearing Su Bai say he wouldn't use Spiritual Qi...

...Pang Hai's courage immediately grew by thirty percent.

No Spiritual Qi?

Then isn't it just a contest of who has more strength?

I, Pang Hai, have never been afraid of anyone in a fight since I was a kid.

You're a general; how much strength can you have?

In Pang Hai's mind, these people were, in the end, just—

Thinking this, he spoke with a hint of disdain, "General, you're the one who said it. If you get bumped or bruised later, don't blame me for not holding back!"

Afraid of being at a disadvantage, Pang Hai also ran to the weapon rack.

He didn't just take a Wooden Saber; he also specifically chose a thick Wooden Shield half the height of a man before returning to the field and assuming a stance.

Seeing his "facing a great enemy" look, Su Bai was amused and said to Pang Hai with a smile:

"Watch closely. I'm only making one Move."