Chapter 11

"Second Young Master, how... how do you know?" Zhu Ling looked at Yuan Fang in surprise.

Yuan Fang smiled faintly and said, "My two brothers have always looked down on me and have often tried to trip me up. I believe they should have given you, General Zhu, some instructions as well."

Yuan Fang's casual words left Zhu Ling deeply shaken. Yuan Fang's ability to deduce was truly impressive.

"People say this Second Young Master is weak and incapable, but today I see that it's all just rumors..."

Zhu Ling was inwardly amazed. After a moment of contemplation, he spoke frankly, "Since Second Young Master has guessed, there's no need for me to hide it. Indeed, Eldest Young Master sent someone to me yesterday, instructing me not to follow your orders."

Sure enough, it was as he thought.

"Yuan Tan and Yuan Xi, you have truly gone to great lengths to deal with me. Unfortunately, all your tricks are within my expectations."

Yuan Fang sneered inwardly but looked at Zhu Ling and asked, "What do you plan to do, General Zhu?"

"Lord Yuan has given orders for me to follow Second Young Master's commands. I will naturally obey Lord Yuan's orders," Zhu Ling said without hesitation.

Yuan Fang nodded slightly and then said, "My eldest brother is not someone to be trifled with. If you don't give him face, aren't you afraid he will target you in secret?"

Zhu Ling replied calmly, "If Eldest Young Master really intends to act out of personal motives and target me, I have no choice but to face it squarely."

What a straightforward man, Zhu Ling truly is.

Yuan Fang stood up, clapping his hands, and said with satisfaction, "Wenbo is indeed a hero who distinguishes between public and private matters. Rest assured, follow my orders, and if my eldest brother dares to target you, I, Yuan Fang, will be the first to object."

Zhu Ling is a capable general, and Yuan Fang is determined to win him over. Moreover, since Zhu Ling dared to defy Yuan Tan's orders and not make things difficult for him, Yuan Fang naturally wanted to protect him.

"Thank you, Second Young Master," Zhu Ling bowed in gratitude.

After this candid conversation, although it was their first meeting, the relationship between Yuan Fang and Zhu Ling quickly grew closer.

"Second Young Master, if you wish to take Qingzhou, you must first take Pingyuan. The enemy general currently stationed in Pingyuan is Liu Bei, who commands six thousand troops. When do you plan to launch your attack?" Zhu Ling asked about the military campaign.

Upon hearing "Liu Bei," Yuan Fang's heart stirred slightly.

This legendary figure, the founder of the Shu Han Empire, a renowned hero, how could Yuan Fang not know him?

Yuan Fang also knew that Liu Bei's military capabilities were average, making it much easier to deal with him compared to someone like Cao Cao.

However, easy was a relative term. Even if Liu Bei was not as formidable as Cao Cao, he was still a seasoned veteran compared to Yuan Fang, who was a novice on the battlefield.

Moreover, Liu Bei had two formidable subordinates, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.

After a moment of contemplation, Yuan Fang smiled faintly and said, "Father has given me a year to take Qingzhou. There's plenty of time, no need to rush. I need to train my troops to be more proficient first."

Without a well-trained army, launching an attack on Liu Bei would have little chance of success. Yuan Fang had a clear understanding of the strength of both sides.

Zhu Ling's eyes flashed with admiration, seemingly surprised by Yuan Fang's composure. He said, "If that's the case, I will follow Second Young Master's orders."

After a few more words, Yuan Fang concluded this heart-to-heart meeting and left Geling to return to the main camp.

Yuan Fang set up camp outside Geling, ordering Hao Zhao to train the troops day and night, aiming to turn his two thousand troops into a formidable fighting force as soon as possible.

In addition to training, Yuan Fang did not let the troops idle. He had them encircle the wasteland near Geling and start farming.

Yuan Fang knew that Yuan Tan and his group would eventually cause trouble for him. They had already withheld his military pay, and they might do the same with his supplies in the future.

To prepare in advance, Yuan Fang decided to strive for self-sufficiency by farming locally, thus freeing himself from the control of Yuan Tan and Guo Tu.

In his spare time, Yuan Fang read military books at night and practiced martial arts during the day, striving to improve himself as much as possible.

One afternoon, Yuan Fang was practicing martial arts on the open ground in front of the main tent, swinging his saber and practicing his skills.

On the vast training ground, Yuan Fang's saber swung like the wind.

Before his穿越, Yuan Fang had always thought that the descriptions of martial artists fighting hundreds of enemies in books were just artistic exaggerations. After crossing over and personally practicing, he realized that ancient martial arts were real.

In fact, the internal skills described in martial arts novels are based on ancient martial arts, just slightly exaggerated to make them seem unbelievable.

However, ancient martial arts have existed since ancient times, but their transmission has been too narrow, with no written records. Moreover, martial arts schools were strictly prohibited by the government, causing many techniques to gradually be lost to history.

With the rise of modern firearms, a child could easily kill a master of martial arts with a single shot, making ancient martial arts less useful. As a result, their transmission became even rarer, eventually turning them into a form of physical exercise for health.

The key to ancient martial arts lies in continuously training the body to unlock its potential, maximizing strength and speed.

According to Yuan Fang's knowledge, the training of ancient martial arts is roughly divided into several stages: strengthening the flesh, tightening the tendons, condensing the membranes, forging the bones, training the organs, and transforming the marrow.

It is said that martial artists who reach the stage of transforming the marrow have deeply ingrained their skills, with their marrow as hard as frost, making them powerful enough to fight hundreds of enemies.

"How strong must one be to fight hundreds of enemies? I think only the legendary Overlord Xiang Yu and the current Lu Bu can achieve that..."

Yuan Fang pondered, swinging his saber several times, but the sound of the wind grew weaker.

"This body has been crippled for over twenty years, and my martial arts are only at the initial stage of strengthening the flesh. At best, I can only fend off two or three ordinary soldiers. With just this skill, how can I excel on the battlefield? I must improve my martial arts as quickly as possible."

Yuan Fang made up his mind, gritted his teeth, and continued to practice, ignoring his physical exhaustion.

However, Yuan Fang found that no matter how hard he tried, his progress was still slow. He had been practicing diligently for a year since he crossed over, despite his leg ailment, but he was still at this level.

"Is there something wrong with my training method?" Yuan Fang wondered.

"Second Young Master practices diligently, but the method is incorrect. Continuing like this will only lead to many detours, and you won't improve your martial arts."

A regretful voice came from behind. Yuan Fang sheathed his saber and turned to see Zhu Ling standing outside the training ground.

Seeing Yuan Fang turn around, Zhu Ling bowed and said, "I came to report on military affairs to Second Young Master and happened to see you practicing. I couldn't help but comment. Please forgive me, Young Master."

"No problem," Yuan Fang replied, becoming interested. "What do you think I should do to improve my martial arts as quickly as possible?"

Zhu Ling cleared his throat and slowly said, "The key to martial arts is to strengthen the body and improve reaction time. Your current level is only at the initial stage of strengthening the flesh. The most important thing is to focus on making your entire body strong and full, rather than rushing to practice weapon techniques. Otherwise, without a strong body, even the most intricate and skillful techniques will be ineffective."

Yuan Fang was enlightened by these words. Zhu Ling's martial arts were indeed superior to his, and he had immediately identified the problem.

"According to your advice, what should I do to best strengthen my flesh?" Yuan Fang asked, looking at him.

"I suggest that you first practice a high-level boxing technique to strengthen your body, increase your strength and reaction time, and then practice weapon techniques," Zhu Ling suggested.

A high-level boxing technique?

Yuan Fang's lips curled into a bitter smile.

He knew that his status in the Yuan family was low, unlike Yuan Tan and Yuan Xi, who had been taught by famous masters. The boxing techniques he had learned were all for show and not very useful.

Zhu Ling paused for a moment and said, "I have a family boxing technique called 'Tiger Step Fist,' which is designed to strengthen the flesh, tighten the tendons, and condense the membranes. Although it is not a high-level technique, it should be helpful to you."

Zhu Ling not only saw that Yuan Fang lacked a high-level boxing technique but also generously offered his family technique.

Yuan Fang was pleasantly surprised, not expecting Zhu Ling to be so generous.

"Although Zhu Ling is not the top martial artist of his time, his skills are clearly much higher than mine. If I can learn his boxing technique, it will greatly help improve my strength. Yes, this is truly a stroke of luck..."

A long-lost joy appeared on the young man's face.