Chapter 82

Chen Qing walked up to the 1,500 people and raised a blue flag high. The blue flag meant a running drill, and the 1,500 soldiers began to quickly adjust their formation.

A new participating camp was formed, with 500 soldiers lining up neatly. Their specialty was running.

Soon, only seven teams remained on the parade ground, totaling 3,500 people. Each participating soldier received a wooden number plate with a rope to wrap around their wrist.

"Get ready, start running!"

At the command of the chief official, the drums sounded loudly. Fifty guide cavalrymen led the way, and 3,500 soldiers followed them in a grand procession out of the parade ground.

Running is unlike military formations and archery; it is a basic training exercise that almost every army undergoes, even the armies trained by martial students.

Military formations and archery require experience, so running is advantageous for teams of martial students who lack experience. However, the selected elite soldiers from each army are naturally in the best physical condition, so running is also advantageous for the army.

Each of the seven teams has its strengths and weaknesses, so which two teams will win remains a mystery.

......

A fifty-mile round trip run is equivalent to a half marathon, which can normally be completed within half a day.

More importantly, the soldiers do not have to carry heavy weapons and supplies as they usually do, making the run a bit easier.

However, this also makes the competition more intense. The 500 soldiers from the Western Army ran with Liu Qiong, who was known for his running skills in the Western Army. His father had trained him in running endurance from a young age, and he often led long-distance drills after joining the army, gaining rich experience.

"Everyone, keep the rhythm!" Liu Qiong shouted.

Gradually, all the soldiers followed his rhythm, and the整齐的奔跑声在官道上回响。

The soldiers ran very fast, and the greatest advantage of running this way was the collective strength that supported individual will, significantly reducing each soldier's fatigue.

Similar to the Western Army, Cao De's army also ran together in a group, closely following behind the Western Army.

The two major armies followed the guide cavalry on the official road, attracting much attention, while the other teams were scattered, with groups of a dozen or so soldiers running on the road, not forming a large scale.

A turning point came when several officials on the side of the road changed the soldiers' numbers and registered them. At this moment, the tactics changed. Liu Qiong suddenly sped up, and 200 soldiers closely followed him, running faster and faster, even surpassing the guide cavalry.

The Western Army quickly split into three parts, and Cao De's army also began to accelerate. The previous formation gradually stretched and dispersed, with the best performers standing out.

Dozens of soldiers ran faster and faster, even surpassing the leading Western Army.

Another dozen or so scattered soldiers surpassed them.

"Don't rush, maintain the rhythm!"

Liu Qiong did not desperately chase the nearly 100 opponents who had surpassed him but continued to maintain the rhythm, conserving the soldiers' energy while not falling too far behind the leaders, always staying close to them.

At this moment, Zheng Ping appeared on the side of the road and shouted, "Five miles to go!"

This was also part of Chen Qing's strategy, to remind Liu Qiong of the distance.

Five miles meant it was time for the final sprint.

Liu Qiong turned back and shouted, "Brothers, let's give it our all!"

Liu Qiong led 200 soldiers into a sprint, and they began to run at full speed, quickly surpassing dozens of Cao De's soldiers.

The other side also panicked and accelerated.

The two teams chased each other, and after running two miles, the collective strategy of the Western Army began to show its power. With more stamina, they pulled away from Cao De's army and quickly surpassed the scattered soldiers.

Less than a mile from the martial academy, Liu Qiong's group surpassed the leading team.

Liu Qiong ran faster and faster, and 200 soldiers closely followed him, rushing into the martial academy gate like a storm.

Hu Yan Tong shouted, "Two hundred steps to go, give it your all!"

At this moment, all the soldiers began to give it their all, but the Western Army was already unstoppable.

Liu Qiong led 200 soldiers to collectively cross the finish line.

Chen Qing, who was waiting there, excitedly stepped forward and embraced Liu Qiong and the soldiers.

Zhao Xiaoyi, leading the logistics soldiers, quickly brought sugar water to the front.

Commander Liu Guangshi and the officials watched in amazement; the Western Army arrived as a group of 200, taking up most of the top 300 spots. Was there any room left for others?

......

The drums in the camp sounded loudly, and the victorious army celebrated with joy, slaughtering pigs and sheep to reward the soldiers.

But the defeated camps were silent, with soldiers hanging their heads in disappointment and commanders blaming each other. Most of the soldiers were there to be extras.

On the first day of the competition, more than half of the 35 armies were eliminated, with only 10 armies advancing to the semi-finals.

Cao De's army also advanced to the semi-finals, securing 60 of the remaining 100 spots for running, ranking second in the Fire Group and advancing smoothly.

The semi-final draw was held in the martial academy's drill hall, with the draw conducted by the Ministry of War's Langzhong Gao Yong. In the hall, Gao Yong was chatting with several generals when an official approached and gave him a signal. Gao Yong smiled apologetically and followed the official to the side.

"What is it?"

The official whispered, "Wang Bo said to change the previous plan. He wants to face Liu Guangshi's army."

Gao Yong frowned, clearly dissatisfied. "What are they up to? First, they want special treatment, then they want to change the plan. Do they think Liu Guangshi's army is weak?"

"I don't know the specific reason, but they have definitely abandoned the previous plan. I think this is actually better; at least facing Liu Guangshi's army won't raise suspicions."

Qin Hui had greeted Gao Yong, asking him to take care of Wang Bo. Wang Bo's team had been drawn to face a military formation, and Gao Yong had already been lenient in scoring, allowing Wang Bo's team to advance to the semi-finals as the group leader.

Wang Bo now wanted to face the Western Army in the semi-finals, a request Gao Yong fully understood. The Western Army was weak, being the Western Gate Militia of Lin'an, known for its decline. Although they had defeated Zhang Kui, they still lagged behind other strong armies.

Wang Bo clearly wanted to pick an easy target.

Of course, the Western Army had to advance to the semi-finals for this to be arranged.

But Wang Bo now wanted to face the strong Cao De's army. Gao Yong really didn't know what he was up to.

A cold smile appeared on Gao Yong's lips. If he wanted to seek his own death, so be it!

"Clang!" The bell for the draw rang.

Gao Yong was responsible for the draw, with ten teams, two teams drawn at a time.

They were divided into five pairs to fight each other. Under the watchful eyes of the ten team leaders, Gao Yong drew the first pair.

"The third army of the martial academy versus the Right Divine Army."

The third army of the martial academy was Wang Bo's team, and the Right Divine Army was Cao De's army.

Wang Bo glanced at Chen Qing from a distance, secretly annoyed. He had always wanted to take advantage of Chen Qing, as the militia was weak. Although Chen Qing's army had strongly taken the first place in the Fire Group, that was for running, which didn't change the militia's weak nature.

But at the critical moment, his uncle had him change to face Cao De's army, which was under Liu Guangshi!

Wang Bo was unwilling but had no choice.

Gao Yong drew the fourth pair and announced loudly, "The fourth pair, the Western Army versus the Left Deputy Divine Army."

......

"Why didn't you follow the original plan for the draw?"

Zhang Zongyan was truly dissatisfied. For such a significant matter, Wang Bo had decided on his own without consulting him.

"Wang Yane, Cao De is Liu Guangshi's top general, with rich combat experience. His army was selected from tens of thousands of new recruits, making them an elite among elites. We may not be a match for him.

But Chen Qing's army is different. His army is weak, being the former militia. Even with two more months of training, it won't be enough to transform them. It would take at least two to three years and many battles. Don't be fooled by their fast running; they are still a weak army."

At this point, Zhang Zongyan's anger could no longer be contained. "Yane, this was our chance. You should have consulted me first instead of directly abandoning the original plan!"

Wang Bo, of course, wouldn't tell Zhang Zongyan that it was his uncle's idea. He defended himself, "You don't understand Chen Qing. He is very cunning, and we had conflicts before. If we defeat him, he won't be convinced and will secretly investigate us. I'm afraid he might discover the secret of our army, which would be counterproductive."

Wang Bo's explanation had some merit, and Zhang Zongyan said gloomily, "I indeed have no confidence in defeating Cao De. If we lose, I hope Prime Minister Qin won't blame me!"

Wang Bo narrowed his eyes and smiled. "Don't worry! I have a plan. Even if Cao De's army has 100% strength, they won't be able to use it."

......

Chen Qing drew Li Heng's army, a team he knew nothing about.

Although Li Heng held a high position, he left no significant mark in history.

"This Li Heng was once a close confidant of the emperor, but he has not been doing well in the past two years," Hu Yan Tong, once again playing the role of the all-knowing, explained.

"Why hasn't he been doing well?" Chen Qing asked, puzzled.

Hu Yan Tong smiled slightly. "Actually, everyone in the army knows about this. You might be far away and not know much. Li Heng performed poorly during the Liu Miao rebellion, being defeated by Miao Fu's army. Although the emperor did not hold him responsible, he has since become colder towards him, favoring Ju Shigu instead."

"How strong is Li Heng's army?" Chen Qing asked again.

"The strength is definitely not weak, but it's not the strongest. This year, Li Heng recruited 8,000 new soldiers and selected 2,000 elite soldiers from them, which should not be a problem. However, compared to Liu Guangshi and Zhang Jun's armies, it is still a bit weaker, roughly on par with Wang Bo's army."

At this moment, Zheng Ping hurried in, looking serious. "I just received a message. Cao De's army has suffered severe diarrhea, with dozens of soldiers already dead."

Chen Qing and Hu Yan Tong exchanged glances, both thinking of Wang Bo. Only Wang Bo would resort to such despicable tactics.

"Should we tell Cao De?"

Hu Yan Tong clenched his teeth, his eyes burning with hatred.

Chen Qing shook his head, a cold smile appearing on his lips. "Let the storm rage even more fiercely!"