Chapter 4

Zhang Yu's heart tightened, feeling an inexplicable pain.

Back then, he was also an orphan of war, both of his parents having died in a conflict.

Zhang Yu tenderly patted Zhao Xin's head.

Suddenly, his expression turned serious, "Everyone, stand up!"

Everyone exchanged glances, though they didn't understand why, they obediently stood up.

It was only early afternoon.

Zhang Yu made the twenty-eight boys, including Yang Guanjun, practice lining up.

In the past, he often trained new recruits in the military.

For these half-grown kids, it was really easy to handle.

Moreover, their level of obedience far exceeded Zhang Yu's expectations.

It only took half an hour for them to basically master the basic formation techniques.

Zhang Yu was very satisfied with this result.

Next, Zhang Yu planned to establish a secret camp in the nearby mountains to train these children.

To compete with the Zhao family, he needed an elite force.

And the number of children was not limited to just these few dozen.

In Pingchuan County, there were far too many children like Zhao Xin who had lost both parents.

It was also very simple to manage them; as long as they had meat to eat.

"Everyone, move into the mountains!" Zhang Yu shouted.

The twenty-eight children lined up neatly and ran into the mountains.

Physical training was extremely important, and Zhang Yu also needed to go hunting in the mountains.

He needed to prepare dinner.

No matter what, he had to feed these children.

The path into the mountains was very rugged, and these children, who were often malnourished, started panting after a short while.

However, Zhang Yu did not show any pity. To build an elite force, he couldn't be soft-hearted.

These children, though young, had great potential if trained properly.

With a crossbow in hand, they would have the strength to challenge the Zhao family.

They walked in the mountains for about half an hour.

On a flat hilltop, Zhang Yu finally let the children stop.

The terrain here was very flat, and with just a bit of clearing of nearby trees and weeds, a camp could be established.

The twenty-eight children collapsed on the ground, panting heavily.

Zhang Yu let them rest for a while, then called out to Yang Guanjun, "Guanjun, take two people and follow me. The rest, collect dry firewood and wait for me to return."

After saying this, Zhang Yu took Yang Guanjun and two others into the woods.

"Brother Guanjun, who is this person? Why did he bring us here?" a child behind Yang Guanjun asked cautiously.

The two he chose were friends from the village.

One was named Liu Qiang, the other Wu Kui.

"He is the magistrate of Pingchuan County," Yang Guanjun introduced.

"Ah? Why would the magistrate be with us?" Liu Qiang was surprised.

Hearing this, Yang Guanjun looked at Zhang Yu's back with a complex expression.

"Do you want to eat meat?" Yang Guanjun asked in return.

"Yes!" Liu Qiang and Wu Kui nodded seriously.

"If you want to eat meat, don't ask so many questions. As long as you follow him, you won't go hungry," Yang Guanjun said seriously to the two: "I won't let anything happen to you."

Although the bruises on his face had not yet faded, Yang Guanjun had the air of a big brother.

Because he was exceptionally strong from a young age, most of the children in the village couldn't beat him, so he had some authority among them.

Suddenly, Zhang Yu raised his hand, stopping the three from talking.

Not far ahead, a rabbit appeared, cautiously eating grass.

Zhang Yu picked up his crossbow, and an arrow whistled through the air, accurately piercing the rabbit's body.

The powerful force stunned Yang Guanjun and the others.

"Wow, so powerful! What kind of weapon is this?" Yang Guanjun's eyes sparkled.

"Crossbow!" Zhang Yu fiddled with the crossbow while explaining: "It has more power than a bow and arrow, a longer range, and is more accurate!"

At this moment, the expressions of Yang Guanjun and the others were like Zhang Yu's when he first saw a Barrett rifle in the military.

"Can we try it?" Yang Guanjun asked excitedly.

At this age, children admire the strong the most.

At this moment, Yang Guanjun had forgotten that this person was the corrupt official he hated the most.

"No rush! When the time comes, I will give each of you one," Zhang Yu promised.

The three immediately cheered, filled with anticipation.

Zhang Yu let Yang Guanjun carry the rabbit. He called these three children over to carry things.

After just a few minutes, the three children were loaded with rabbits.

The weight was not light, but the promise of meat made them forget their fatigue.

Zhang Yu's current goal was to hunt a wild deer, and then he could return.

There were many fierce beasts in the mountains, and the children had little resistance, so he didn't dare to go too far.

Fortunately, there were many resources in the mountains, and Zhang Yu soon found a group of deer.

Zhang Yu aimed at the nearest female deer.

The meat of a female deer was a bit more tender, and its fur was more valuable.

After aiming, he pulled the trigger.

The arrow instantly pierced the female deer's abdomen.

The female deer's scream frightened the deer herd, causing them to scatter.

Zhang Yu immediately chased after the fallen female deer and delivered the final blow.

"Too amazing!" Yang Guanjun's eyes were full of admiration.

If he had such skills, he could eat meat every day and have the ability to protect his sister.

Zhang Yu smiled slightly, then carried the female deer back to the hilltop.

The female deer weighed about 200 pounds, and although Zhang Yu was a bit strained, the camp was not far away.

By the time he returned to the camp, Zhang Yu was quite tired.

"Brothers, meat time!" Yang Guanjun excitedly threw the wild rabbits on the ground.

Everyone pounced, cheering as if it were New Year's Day.

Zhang Yu took a deep breath and turned to look, suddenly surprised.

These guys had collected a pile of dry firewood, taller than he was.

It seemed the motivation to eat meat was quite strong.

Zhang Yu rested for a moment, then began to process the game.

He carefully removed the fur and deer tendons.

Then he started a fire.

By the time the whole deer was on the grill, it was already evening.

The flickering firelight danced on their faces.

Joyful expressions were evident.

The mouthwatering aroma of roasted meat filled the air.

The twenty-eight hungry children, with empty stomachs, were now like ravenous wolves.

As children, they had always heard the village elders say that there were man-eating monsters in the mountains, and they were quite afraid.

But now, with the fragrant roasted meat in front of them, they forgot their fear.

Seeing the time was right, Zhang Yu stood up and said with an impassioned tone, "Do you want to eat meat every day until you're full and even sick of it?"

"Yes!"

The twenty-eight children's eyes sparkled, nodding wildly.

"You can, but remember, everything comes at a price," Zhang Yu said with a rising and falling tone: "From today on, we are one unit. If one person makes a mistake, everyone is punished. If you don't follow my orders or can't keep up, you leave here, no exceptions."