Chapter Twenty-Nine: The First Battle

The soldiers responded in low voices. Though still weary, a strange sense of anticipation began to stir within them. They were starting to realize that perhaps this "Young Master Chu" was not as simple as they had initially assumed.

Under the setting sun, Chu Nan stood in the center of the training grounds, watching the three thousand men disperse. He narrowed his eyes slightly, calculating the training plan for the days ahead. Although the progress on the first day was promising, he knew there was still a long road to travel before reaching his true objective.

"Officer Liu," Chu Nan called out, stopping Liu Zhi just as he was about to leave.

"Does Young Master Chu have further instructions?" Liu Zhi turned back quickly, his tone respectful.

"For tomorrow's training, I need more equipment—wooden stakes, sandbags, and a larger open space," Chu Nan said calmly. "Also, tell your soldiers that this is only the beginning. In the coming days, they will learn what a real army looks like."

Liu Zhi was slightly taken aback, but he nodded in agreement. He felt a faint intuition that this Young Master Chu possessed some strange power capable of fundamentally transforming this ragtag group of soldiers.

One week later, at the North Camp.

Morning light pierced through the mist, casting a glow over the training grounds where several thousand soldiers stood in a perfectly aligned square formation. They stood ramrod straight, their spears and shields reflecting the rays of the rising sun, resembling a formidable wall of iron. Compared to their lethargic, slack posture a week ago, their presence had undergone a sea change.

The perimeter of the field was crowded with spectators—not the three thousand men under Chu Nan, but the other scattered, undisciplined troops of the North Camp. They stood with folded arms, faces full of mockery, waiting to see the three thousand "greenhorns" make fools of themselves.

"Hey, what kind of tricks is that young master playing today?" a veteran onlooker sneered, his face twisted in undisguised contempt.

"I've watched them running and jumping all week like village children playing hide-and-seek. Do they really think they can cross swords with real soldiers like us today?"

"Hmph, those fools who do nothing but run probably haven't even touched a blade," another soldier chimed in with a cold laugh. "Compare themselves to us? They’re still wet behind the ears."

The targets of their ridicule, Chu Nan and his three thousand soldiers, stood silently in place, as if the jeers did not exist. Chu Nan stood at the front of the ranks, dressed in a crisp, dark-colored robe. He carried no weapons, yet he appeared remarkably composed. His gaze swept calmly across the field, briefly meeting the eyes of the mocking spectators before moving on. He showed no sign of anger and offered no defense, only a faint, subtle smile playing on his lips.

"Officer Liu," Chu Nan tilted his head slightly toward Liu Zhi, who stood at his side. "The opposing force is three times our number. Are the men afraid?"

Liu Zhi looked at the opposing formation—a typical assembly of undisciplined troops. They numbered nearly ten thousand; despite their size, their positioning was chaotic, their movements uncoordinated, and they were nowhere near as disciplined as Chu Nan's ranks. Still, he felt a flicker of anxiety.

"Young Master Chu, although our men have improved rapidly this week, they have only been training for seven days. Against those veterans, I'm afraid..." Liu Zhi hesitated, his brow furrowed, clearly worried about the upcoming sparring match.

Chu Nan, however, was unfazed. He chuckled softly, "Precisely because they have only trained for a week, they need a victory to understand the power of discipline."

Liu Zhi was stunned by this, then bowed his head and clasped his fists: "This subordinate understands."

Chu Nan stepped forward to the front of his three thousand men. His voice was not loud, yet every word rang clearly in the ears of the soldiers: "Remember, today’s confrontation is not to prove who is stronger, but to show yourselves that you are an army, not a rabble."

He scanned the entire unit, his expression serene. "Your efforts these past few days were not to bow down to others, but to secure your own survival on the battlefield! If you are defeated today, remember, it is not because you are weak, but because you lack unity and focus! So, tell me now—are you afraid?"

"No!" the three thousand soldiers roared in unison, their voices like thunder, shaking the entire training ground. The mocking veterans watching from the sidelines faltered, their sneers fading into a look of complex scrutiny.

Satisfied, Chu Nan nodded and gave a light wave of his hand: "All units, take your positions! Prepare!"

The three thousand soldiers moved instantly, their actions perfectly synchronized. With spears crossed and shields locked, they formed a dense, rigorous square formation in mere seconds. The contrast between their orderly ranks and the scattered crowd opposite them was so stark that many onlookers could not help but gasp.

"This..." one veteran frowned, "since when did these men learn such formations?"

"What good is learning them? They are outnumbered three to one! It’s just for show," another veteran dismissed, though his voice lacked conviction.

The opposing troops clearly did not view Chu Nan's unit as a threat. Lacking any formation themselves, their overwhelming numbers gave them total confidence. "Brothers, charge! Teach these wet-behind-the-ears brats how to fight!" the burly officer in command shouted.

"Attack!" the opposing soldiers screamed, rushing forward like wild horses. They were utterly disorderly, each fighting for himself. Some brandished long blades, others swung maces. Their war cries were deafening, but they resembled a chaotic mob more than an army.

Chu Nan smiled coldly and gestured to his three thousand men, "Hold steady! Spears ready!"

"Spears—at the ready!" Liu Zhi roared. Three thousand spears thrust forward in perfect unison, their sharp tips flashing brilliantly in the sunlight. The square formation stood like an impenetrable wall of iron, silently awaiting the enemy's impact.

As the opposing mob reached the formation, the first rank of spears struck their weapons and shields with surgical precision. While not delivering lethal blows, the impact instantly shattered their momentum. Immediately after, the formation began to advance rhythmically, each rank alternating under the cover of shields, maintaining the integrity of the line at all times.

Chu Nan stood in the center of the formation, hands behind his back, calmly observing the situation. His voice remained clear: "Shields up! Maintain the formation! Anyone who takes a step back, report for duty!"

Not a single soldier retreated; instead, they fought with growing fervor. Under Chu Nan's command, the formation acted like a steady, advancing beast of steel, forcibly suppressing the offensive of the undisciplined troops.

"Why are these guys so hard to deal with!" the opposing officer shouted, his face filled with panic. Though his men were numerous, they lacked any coordination, while Chu Nan's formation acted as a singular entity, advancing steadily and systematically dismantling the morale of the mob.