Chapter 154: Contending For Supremacy
The martial arts competition will last a whole day, divided into four matches. The first match tests strength, with each camp selecting ten people to lift stone locks, scored by weight. The camp with the highest total score from five people wins.
The second match tests fist and foot combat, selecting another different ten people to draw lots and duel together, with winners scoring one point each.
The third match tests riding and shooting, still with ten spots per camp, and the personnel must differ from the first two matches. Scored by the number of hits on the arrow target.
The final match involves the remaining seventy people in a troop formation confrontation drill. This match has the highest score, with winners getting twenty points.
These are the martial arts competition rules set by Pei Qinghe, considering everyone while giving outstanding individuals in each camp a chance to shine. The scoring system is relatively fair and just.
Of course, luck in drawing lots is very important. Especially in the final troop formation confrontation drill; if you draw a new recruit camp that’s only trained a few days, it’s a sure win. Conversely, if you draw Pei Yan’s camp, everyone has to sigh that their luck is too poor.
In terms of leading troops capability, in the Pei Family Army, besides Pei Qinghe, it’s Pei Yun and Mao Hongling, with reckless Pei Yan barely ranking fourth. However, in terms of charging bravery, hot-blooded reckless Pei Yan surpasses the two ahead. Except for Pei Qinghe personally taking the field, no one can suppress Pei Yan.
Feng Chang’s camp is also extremely powerful. It almost always takes top three in monthly martial arts competitions. After Gu Lian went to Quanzhou County, Feng Chang shone even brighter.
Now, with Captain Sun arriving, who is more powerful?
Pei Qinghe was full of anticipation.
The first match tested strength, with two hundred people on the field, lined up in ten teams lifting stone locks. The stone locks were specially made by artisans on Pei Qinghe’s orders, arranged from light to heavy, the lightest at eighty jin, the heaviest at one hundred sixty jin.
Someone tried to lift one hundred sixty jin right away but failed, scored zero, and retreated red-faced amid boos and mockery from the crowd.
More conservative ones chose lighter ones first. After lifting, they had two more chances to try heavier ones.
In the end, only five people successfully lifted one hundred sixty jin.
Pei Qinghe called these five in front of her and rewarded each with a long saber. The five returned to their camp formations heads held high and faces full of pride to watch the rest of the martial arts competition.
Captain Sun’s camp also had one who got a reward. But it wasn’t a veteran specially picked by Captain Sun, but a young and strong new recruit.
Captain Sun thought that he truly couldn’t underestimate the Pei Family Army. He turned to the two dejected veterans and said, “See that? The Pei Family Army is full of elite soldiers. Don’t think you’re better just because you’ve been in the barracks.”
“Buck up, train hard from now on. Next month’s martial arts competition, I’ll switch you two to other events.”
The two veterans, who prided themselves on their strength, were unhappy: “No need, we still want to do stone lock lifting.”
“We two could lift the heaviest stone locks back in the barracks. This time we fled on the road for so long, never eating our fill, so we lacked strength. Let us eat full meals for a month, then try again.”
Soldiers fear weaklings and cowards most; what they need is this kind of competitive, unyielding, bloody guts and bravery.
Captain Sun successfully stirred their competitive spirit, and they patted their chests guaranteeing top five rewards next month.
The second match had already begun. After drawing lots, everyone found their opponents, and without any posturing, they started practicing on an open patch of ground.
Two hundred people on the field formed one hundred pairs sparring, dazzling the onlookers.
Captain Sun had no time to watch others; his eyes quickly spotted the ten he sent out. Among these ten, five were veterans and five new recruits. The veterans had all killed and seen blood, with good skills, and all won their rounds. Three of the other five new recruits also won.
In this round of the martial arts competition, Captain Sun’s camp won eight matches, stealing the show.
Under the crowd’s envious gazes, Captain Sun remained calm and composed, not particularly self-satisfied.
Feng Chang’s camp won six matches, which was decent. But being outperformed by the new arrival Captain Sun left Feng Chang quite annoyed. He cursed the four losers in a low voice: “You four, from tomorrow, train hard for me. Next month’s martial arts competition, win them back.”
The martial arts competition rules are set; to get the highest total score, every camp must rack their brains. Feng Chang is clever, selecting ten for specialized strength training, ten fixed for daily fist and foot combat practice. Another ten specialize in riding and shooting. The remaining seventy focus on military formations.
Precisely because of this, Feng Chang’s camp always ranks extremely high. They get three meat meals every month. Feng Chang is also the most trusted and favored by Pei Qinghe, with everyone convinced.
Who would have thought Captain Sun would be even more formidable, quietly shining brightly in the fist and foot combat match.
Pei Qinghe smiled and announced: “It’s already noon, everyone go eat lunch first, rest for half a shichen, then back to the training ground.”
The crowd roared in agreement, each eagerly discussing the previous martial arts competition, winners bragging amid praise, losers not mocked but all harboring a breath of frustration.
Shi Yan naturally sidled over, stuffing half a bag of sunflower seed kernels he’d shelled half the day into Pei Qinghe’s hand.
Pei Qinghe casually took it, grabbed a handful, and ate with relish.
Sixth Sister Pei, renowned for her majestic presence, is actually only sixteen, at the age of loving finery yet wearing cloth clothes daily, holding not an embroidery needle but bow and arrow and long saber. Her expression is cold when killing, unmatched by anyone. Those truly close to her, besides Pei Clan direct descendants, are but a scant few.
Shi Yan had been here less than half a year but had fully integrated into the Pei Family Army and become Pei Qinghe’s most trusted and closest confidant.
“No wonder Sixth Sister values this Captain Sun; he really has capability,” Shi Yan laughed.
“The people Captain Sun brought are all battle-hardened veterans.” Pei Qinghe’s tone was quite gratified: “It wasn’t obvious this morning; we’ll see in the afternoon matches.”
Shi Yan chuckled lowly: “Feng Chang has met his match.”
A hint of amusement flashed in Pei Qinghe’s eyes.
The barracks need this rivalry and competitiveness. If everyone’s too harmonious, how can you train elite soldiers.
This midday meal was brown rice, with each person getting a palm-sized meat slice. A spoonful of fragrant meat juice poured over the brown rice made it so oily and delicious.
After resting half a shichen, the third martial arts competition match started on time.
Warhorses are scarce in the Pei Family Army, few can ride and practice riding and shooting, usually training by shooting arrow targets on foot. In today’s martial arts competition, the “divine archers” carefully selected by each camp took the field with high spirits under everyone’s gaze.
Each camp’s leader can only participate in the final military formation confrontation. The first three matches also test the leaders’ ability in arranging troops.
Captain Sun selected ten veterans, all able to ride horses and shoot arrows effortlessly.
Swoosh swoosh swoosh!
After several rounds of arrow target shooting, Captain Sun’s camp scored extremely high, surging far ahead like a lone rider.
