"Is this guy an idiot?"
"Who throws away their weapon at the very beginning?"
"Could it be that he has no real combat experience and is just too nervous?"
Similar thoughts inevitably surfaced among the onlookers.
Even the two Guards facing Tang Wen in the ring were full of questions.
Just like most of the crowd, they instinctively tilted their heads back, their eyes following the long saber tossed high into the air!
'Here's my chance!'
Tang Wen pulled out a few round pebbles. His hands moved like lightning as he went all out.
Many couldn't see his movements clearly, only a blur.
WHOOSH, WHOOSH, WHOOSH!
A terrifying whistling sound cut through the air, followed by a series of THUDS!
The two Guards had just registered that something was wrong when they felt a heavy impact on their foreheads!
The impact felt as if a two-meter-tall brute had viciously smashed a giant Wolf Fang Club against their helmets!
Their foreheads!
Their chests!
Their shins!
In an instant, both men's heads were spinning. A dull ache spread through their chests, and sharp pain shot through their lower legs.
They staggered, unable to keep their balance, and collapsed to the ground with a THUD, unconscious.
After throwing the stones, Tang Wen sprinted forward like a cheetah, then leaped into the air to catch the falling long saber.
He landed in front of them with lightning speed and held the blade to their necks.
It all happened in the blink of an eye.
The entire square was silent.
Tang Wen turned to the proctor and asked, "Is it over?"
The woman snapped back to her senses and gave him a deep look. "Tang Wen, victory! Eleven seconds."
Eleven seconds?
Right.
She had completely forgotten to count the seconds.
She had just blurted out a number that felt about right.
The crowd erupted.
The buzz of discussion exploded.
"What just happened?"
"How did those two just collapse like that?"
"Did that Tang Wen awaken some kind of ability?"
Many of the Martial Disciples still hadn't figured out what happened.
For one, they had been too busy staring up at the saber. For another, Tang Wen had moved too fast!
"Pebbles! It was pebbles!"
An Lei's eyes were sharp as a hawk's; she immediately spotted the pebble fragments embedded in the two Guards' Iron Armor.
"What terrifying force!"
Li Gang Cannon and Zhao Lei went over to Zhang Lin.
"Zhang Lin, are you confident you can beat him?"
Zhang Lin glanced at Li Gang Cannon. "Unless we were both wearing Heavy Armor and the circle was smaller. Otherwise, even if I won, I'd probably be blind."
The other two fell silent. They were thinking the same thing as Zhang Lin.
The people on the high platform were also discussing Tang Wen. "Good heavens! That kid's arm strength must be at least five or six hundred pounds, right?"
A Commander who specialized in strength was the first to speak, estimating the force behind Tang Wen's throw.
"His accuracy and speed are both top-notch."
"He doesn't even look eighteen. How did he train to get this good?"
"His strength and speed are good, but his Martial Arts technique seems mediocre. I wonder if he has any Talent for Martial Arts."
"Even if he does have the Talent for it, it's a bit late to start."
Commander Zhao smiled and reminded them, "Gentlemen, don't forget you owe me a drink."
The others pointed at him with good-natured curses.
General Zhou spoke up. "The combat assessment is over. The top forty-five will be inducted into the Hunting Teams!"
Some were overjoyed; others sighed in disappointment.
The Martial Disciples who didn't make the cut could, without any further assessment, join the ranks of the ordinary Guards right then and there.
They could also go home, train for a year, and try again.
But no one could say what the situation would be like next year.
General Zhou then called out, "Tang Wen, An Lei, Zhang Lin, step forward!"
The three of them came to the front of the platform.
"Zhang Lin's Sword Skill, An Lei's Spear Technique, and Tang Wen's cleverness! All are excellent. Especially you, Tang Wen. Coming from the Outer City and making a living as a hunter, it's not easy to have honed your skills to this level!"
General Zhou offered a few more words of encouragement, adding that their rewards would be distributed once they officially became Hunting Guards.
After that, he didn't linger and left the square with a few of his own guards.
The three Commanders of the Hunting Battalion came down from the platform to greet the trio.
Listening to how the others addressed him, Tang Wen learned that the Commander who had been guarding the Silver Wolf had the surname Zhao.
Commander Zhao was one of the three great commanders of the Hunting Battalion. Each commander had ten Hunting Teams under his command.
"Xiaotang, not bad at all! You even took first place. Still remember what you said before? That you wanted to serve under my command?"
Tang Wen wondered, 'Did I say that?'
Commander Zhao subtly shot him a look, and Tang Wen understood.
For him, it was of course better to join the command of someone he knew.
After all, Commander Zhao had given him pointers on his Posture Stance.
He immediately smiled. "Of course, I remember."
Hearing this, the other two Commanders exchanged a glance, pursed their lips, and went their separate ways—one to Zhang Lin, the other to An Lei.
In the eyes of the other two Commanders, it wasn't certain that Tang Wen was much stronger than the other two, who had trained in Martial Arts since childhood. Whether he even had Talent for Martial Arts was also an open question.
In any case, Commander Zhao was quite satisfied to have recruited the first-place winner from among several hundred Martial Disciples. "You and I are truly fated, kid." Then he called out, "Captain Zhou."
He turned his head and shouted.
"Sir!" The voice that responded was slightly hoarse.
The female proctor from Tang Wen's match strode over.
"You two should get acquainted. This is Zhou Bing, the captain of Hunting Team One and the strongest captain in our battalion. Captain Zhou, Tang Wen has just agreed to join my command."
Hearing the praise, Zhou Bing's expression remained cold, but a hint of pleasure showed in her almond-shaped eyes. She curved her lips slightly and said, her tone as gentle as she could make it, "Team One would be delighted to have Tang Wen join us!"
"Good. Then it's settled."
None of the three had any objections.
Commander Zhao went on to select other recruits.
Zhou Bing gestured for Tang Wen to follow her.
The two of them left the square and headed toward the Guard Battalion's camp in the Inner City.
"Captain Zhou, aren't you going to pick anyone else?" Tang Wen was just making small talk, trying to get to know his new captain.
Zhou Bing replied, "If the Hunting Teams are the sharp edge of the battalion, then Team One is the very tip of the blade. We value quality over quantity."
"Understood."
"I've looked into your background a bit. You've only ever practiced the Health Maintenance Stance?"
"Er, yes."
She frowned. "Then during the three-month training period for new recruits, you'll have to master the Earth Fire Stance."
"Earth Fire Stance?" Seeing the curious look on Tang Wen's face, Zhou Bing slowed her pace and began to explain.
"The Earth Fire Stance is the Basic Pile Technique for our battalion's Fire Element Technique. It's like how the Mountain-Opening Cannon Fist's foundations are Inch Force and Explosive Force..."
She explained it earnestly, which made Tang Wen's opinion of her improve even more.
The station for Hunting Team One was in the eastern part of the Guard Battalion, consisting of a row of stone houses. Three of them were assigned for their use.
Two were dormitories, and one was a meeting room that also served as a place to eat and chat.
As a new recruit, Tang Wen had a lot to do on his first day.
He had to get his military identification tag, supplies, and armor.
The Hunting Battalion issued everything, from boots and socks to hats and scarves.
In the meeting room.
Tang Wen was trying on the Armor he had just received. It was a complicated piece of work; impossible for one person to put on alone.
Zhou Bing instructed him from the side, casually explaining the Hunting Team's structure. "All Hunting Teams operate in three-person cells. An Archer in the back, a Sword and Shield Soldier in the front, and a third person, wielding a saber or spear, who is free to create opportunities. Which position do you think suits you?"
'Sword and Shield Soldier sounds like a meat shield from a game.' Tang Wen didn't want that job.
'Archer... hmm, I don't know how to use a Bow and Arrow.'
Tang Wen said, "It sounds like the 'free to create opportunities' role is the one that suits me best."
Just as he finished speaking, Zhou Bing stepped closer and reached out to fasten the buckle on his chest plate.
Tang Wen rubbed his nose, feeling a bit awkward.
Zhou Bing's eyes sharpened and she frowned. "You're not married?"
"Er, I'm only fifteen."
This time, as he caught the faint, clean, soapy scent from her, Tang Wen's mind uncontrollably conjured up a few names: Tang Yue, Tang Yun, Tang Zhao, Tang Xue, and so on.
"What about you, Captain?" he asked, remembering the key question he'd forgotten.
Zhou Bing's brow remained furrowed. After fastening his Armor, she lowered her hands and replied, "It's been three years."
Tang Wen felt a pang of disappointment.
Zhou Bing was secretly amused. "I mean, my third fiancé died three years ago."
Tang Wen: Huh???
She spoke languidly. "After Martial Disciple is Martial Artist, and above Martial Artist is Martial Artist. At that stage, many people awaken certain abilities because of the Cultivation Technique they practice. All three of my fiancés died. 'Husband killer'... that might be my ability."
After she spoke, she stared at Tang Wen, curious to see how the fifteen-year-old boy would react.
"Holy shit! Doesn't that make you invincible?!" Tang Wen's face was a mask of pure shock.
"What?" Zhou Bing suspected she had misheard.