Chapter 46 : Recruitment
Yan arrived at the academy training grounds before noon.The place had not changed a bit, the same wooden fence, the same packed earth and the same raised platform standing at the center of the field.
People were already gathering.
Farmers.
Mercenaries.
Old and young.
Some carried worn swords. Others wore mismatched armor plates tied together with leather straps.
Yan joined the line without speaking. A sword rested at his waist. It was the same sword Ren had given him in the village market.
Then his eyes fell on the instructor stood near the platform, he was the same man who had beaten Yan down with a wooden sword a year ago.
Then his eyes moved away and glanced across the crowd briefly.
More men arrived by noon, and the line grew longer as the sun started climbing higher.
Unknowingly, two hours passed.
Finally the instructor stepped onto the platform, the crowd quieted.
He looked over the assembled recruits, and said “Let's Begin”
Murmurs spread immediately, the very first person in the line moved.
He looked like an ordinary person.
"Name" The instructor asked.
" Jia Jain" He said out loudly, "Early Foundation".
"He is a cultivator" murmurs started in the crowd, but instructed remained calm and pointed his wooden sword at Jia Jain.
"Take your wooden sword" The instructor said.
Jia Jain walked to the table where a wooden sword was placed, and picked it up.
"Come at me with all you have got" The instructor said.
Jia Jain moved immediately, he arrived next to the instructor and his sword already moved towards the throat of the instructor.
Clang
The instructor successfully blocked it with his sword.
"Not bad" The instructor commented, then the instructor moved his sword, pushing the sword away from his throat.
"Clang" Jia Jain blocked it near his stomach.
Jia Jain moved again, he circled and arrived at the back of the instructor, the sword moved at his back.
Clang
Then from the side..
Clang..
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"He is good" The people behind Yan commented, Yan watched and he focused on the fight.
Just behind him, there was a person who was trembling a lot.
Yan noticed him, but ignored, he focused on the fight in front.
"Enough" The instructor shouted, but Jia Jain did not listen.
He continued attacking.
" I said, Stop!" The instructor caught the sword of the Jia Jain easily.
" When I tell you to stop, you should" He punched Jia Jain, and Jia Jain immediately went unconscious.
Yan looked at the fight without worrying.
But the man behind, trembled more, Yan noticed.
"Next" The Instructor said while a few men wearing armor grabbed Jia Jain and left.
The next participant came forward.
"Clang!"
The test continued.
Soon it was Yan's turn, the person behind Yan put his hands together tried to not tremble.
Yan entered the ground and looked at the instructor.
"You look familiar" The instructor said.
"Name"
"Yan, Early Foundation" Yan replied.
"Come at me" The instructor ordered.
But Yan did not move forward a few moments " I am coming then" the instructor moved.
He arrived in front of Yan, and his sword arrived in front of Yan's heart.
" Luma"
The sword halted just a few inches away from hitting Yan's chest.
A man arrived, he was wearing a silk dress and covered with gold ornaments, the soldiers followed him from behind.
"Change of the plan, Wrap the recruitment up"
His voice spread among the candidates.
The trembling cultivator sighed and took a deep breath.
"But recruit everyone, we will move immediately" The man said while he looked at Luma whose sword still pointed at Yan's heart.
"Wai! What?" Among the crowd, the trembling cultivator's legs trembled again but no one noticed.
"As your command" Luma put his sword away and bowed..
The man in the silk left right away.
"Is that?"
Someone in the crowd doubted.
"Yes, he is Han Defu" other confirmed.
Murmurs rose among the crowd, and especially the trembling cultivator behind breathed heavily.
Luma turned towards the crowd and announced "The test is cancelled, everyone is accepted"
"But still make a line, we need to collect details"
Two soldiers came forward with papers they placed a table and sat opposite the table.
People lined up again.
Yan also put the wooden sword at the table of weapons, and joined the line.
Jia Jain also woke up and joined the line..
The trembling cultivator was one of the first people who joined the line.
Time passed and Yan's turn arrived.
“Name.” The Soldier behind the desk asked.
“Yan.”
The brush scratched across the page.
“Cultivator?”
“Yes”
The soldier paused briefly.
Then continued writing.
"Cultivation?”
“Spiritual QI formation layer 1” Yan said.
"Weapon?"
"Sword" Yan replied.
The soldier glanced briefly at the blade at Yan’s waist.
Then wrote a few more characters.
“Stand over there.”
Yan stepped aside.
The ground grew bigger, soon hundred people gathered around Yan, the surroundings were filled with noise of chatting.
Suddenly, they stopped.
The man wearing silk garments arrived again, and the soldier followed behind him.
Then he stopped a few steps away from them.
"I am Han Defu"
"Today, You all are joining my private unit"
" There are about a hundred people here, and thirty of you will come with me for a special mission on the way to the Golden Eagle City"
He paused.
Then he continued "The Shin Kingdom has declared war, they have already crossed the borders"
The trembling cultivator stood stiff with straight back.
"We are joining the war as a private unit, tomorrow we depart for war"
"Seventy of you will follow my soldiers and directly go to Golden Eagle City while thirty of you, as I said, will take a detour for a special mission"
"Be prepared, we depart early in the morning tomorrow, we will leave you behind if you get late"
Han Defu concluded his speech..then departed.
Luma came over and announced the names "Jia Jain, Chen Yu, Yan, Gu Su, Bo Hua..."
He stopped at exactly after thirty names.
"You are the chosen thirty people on the special mission, please come early tomorrow, you can leave now"
"Me?"
"Me??Wait! Me! Why me??" The trembling cultivator complained as he dropped to the ground and looked up in the sky.
The recruitment has been dismissed.
Yan left among the crowd.