Sweat poured down Chen Sanshi's face like rain, even stinging his eyes. His body was close to exhaustion, yet if he clenched his teeth and forced himself, he could still keep going a little longer.
Maybe this was the chemical reaction that came from pairing [Extraordinary Endurance] with the Haoran Breathing Method.
Still, his victory hadn't been easy.
After all, Xu Bin was a martial officer who had trained for years and reached tempering blood, minor achievement.
This battle had done him a lot of good.
[Technique: Basic Spearsmanship for Infantry (Beginner)]
[Progress: (52/500)]
[Effect: Spear strikes fierce and swift; endurance extraordinary]
He could feel these effects in his bones.
He figured that if he faced anyone of the same realm within seven steps, they wouldn't even have time to draw their weapon before he killed them.
His spear wasn't just strong—it was fierce and fast.
Long-lasting and unstoppable.
"Good!"
Up on the platform, Thousand-Household Xiang Tingchun shouted his approval, his eyes glinting with rare satisfaction.
The soldiers watching broke into applause and cheers.
"Fierce!"
Zhu Tong's voice was the loudest of all.
Xu Wencai craned his neck excitedly. "I can tell, Brother Chen has the aura of a king about him. He's destined for greatness!"
"You talk too much crap."
Zhu Tong shot him a glare. "Worry about yourself first. It's been ten days, and you still can't even hold a proper stance. You'll be out fixing city walls before long!"
"..."
"Brother Chen, you're incredible!"
Song Yan couldn't hide his admiration.
Meanwhile, Xu Bin felt dead inside.
He had just lost—publicly—to a newcomer, in front of over a hundred people.
His military career was over.
Not only that, he'd offended Chen Sanshi.
He'd given the kid attitude before, sure, but this time he'd gone all out, showing no mercy.
If Chen Sanshi ever rose to power, wouldn't he be able to make his life miserable with just a flick of the hand?
"You win."
Xu Bin picked up his saber and left, shoulders slumped in defeat.
Chen Sanshi barely had time to respond before Xiang Tingchun spoke again from the platform, clearly pleased with the match.
"Earlier, Hundred-Household Wang told me about this boy. I didn't quite believe it. But now I see—our Poyang Thousand-Household Division really has produced a fine seedling!"
He turned to the civil official beside him. "Deputy Magistrate Zhang, no issues?"
"No issues."
Deputy Magistrate Zhang had already checked the registration rolls. "Once I return, I'll file an official report to the Liangzhou Grand Commander's Office and register Chen Sanshi's qualification for the Elite Selection."
Normally, this duty would fall to the county magistrate.
But since the last one was dead and the new magistrate hadn't yet arrived, the deputy had to handle it.
"Good."
Xiang Tingchun nodded, gesturing for Chen Sanshi to step aside while the rest of the recruits continued their assessments.
"How many of them have cultivated qi and blood, and how many have learned the spear within ten days?"
Out of the thirty-eight, six men stepped forward.
"Pair up and spar," Xiang ordered. "I want to see for myself."
"Yes, sir!"
The six saluted and began.
Before a stick of incense burned out, all matches were over. The results were clear enough.
"Song Yan, not bad," Xiang Tingchun said thoughtfully. "Give it a few more days and you'll likely break through your qi and blood. You'll qualify for next year's second-half Elite Selection."
He turned to another. "You there—Zhu… Zhu Tong, yes? You're good too!"
"To have seven martial soldiers emerge from this batch—that's the highest number in Poyang County's history.""
He nodded approvingly. "Alright, you may all step back."
"The rest of you—show me your stance training."
Thirty-two recruits began practicing.
Roughly fifteen or sixteen couldn't even hold a proper stance.
Most ridiculous of all was a middle-aged man with a scraggly goat beard—he didn't even know a single move!
Xiang Tingchun's brows furrowed in irritation. He'd had enough.
"That's enough. The assessment ends here."
He looked toward Chen Sanshi. "Chen Sanshi!"
"Here, sir!" Chen answered crisply.
"Effective immediately, you are promoted to Flag Officer. In addition to the standard pay and privileges of your rank, you'll be assigned a top-grade warhorse."
Then he turned toward Wang Zhi at his side. "Wang, he's your man, right? He'll be under your command from now on. You've got room in your unit?"
"Room? Of course there's room!" Wang Zhi grinned, practically beaming.
Wang Zhi quickly replied, "There's still plenty of openings."
"Good."
Xiang Tingchun continued, "As for the rest, assign them to fill the vacant posts under the various Hundred-Households. Once they break through in cultivation or earn military merit, we'll promote them accordingly."
With that, he concluded the assessment and left in haste, leaving the Hundred-Households behind to handle the remaining details.
First came sorting the soldiers by rank, then deciding which officer each would serve under.
Whenever the inspectors from above came to select men for the Elite Selection, they also used that opportunity to check for phantom payrolls—soldiers listed on record but not actually serving.
In recent years, such inspections had grown stricter, reducing corruption—but not eliminating it entirely.
A fully staffed Thousand-Household Division should have about 1,120 men.
Poyang County's reported count hovered around 1,000, but in truth, there were only about 900 soldiers.
That meant nearly 100 positions were still empty.
Out of the thirty-some recruits from this batch, anyone who looked even halfway competent was immediately claimed by one of the officers to fill those vacant spots.
Chen Sanshi's unit was also short-handed—he had seven men under him now.
Among them were Zhu Tong, who volunteered himself, four men from his home region, and two who had been conscripted as punishment.
Before long, only a few frail, sickly, or elderly men remained—so useless that hiring beggars off the street would have been better.
"You can't even hold a horse stance? Send him to the next county to build city walls!"
"No, no, sir, please! I can do odd jobs!"
"Odd jobs? Can you feed horses?"
"I… I can learn!"
"Learn? Who's got time to teach you? Enough talk—drag him off!"
Among the unwanted stragglers was Xu Wencai.
"Brother Chen!"
Seeing himself about to be hauled away, Xu Wencai suddenly lunged forward like a drowning man grabbing a life raft. He clung desperately to Chen Sanshi's arm.
"Brother Chen, you're short-handed, right? Let me follow you—please, take me with you!"
"Don't you come messing with us!"
Zhu Tong scowled. "Once we hit the battlefield, you'll just get us all killed!"
"Who says I'm useless?"
Xu Wencai puffed up his chest, speaking with conviction. "Brother Chen, I, Xu Wencai, am well-versed in astronomy above and geography below! I'm skilled in tactics and administration! Aside from my age and lack of martial ability, I can do anything. Take me under you, and you won't regret it!"
"Cut the nonsense."
Hundred-Household Liu gestured, and two soldiers stepped forward to grab Xu Wencai.
But Chen Sanshi clasped his fists and spoke up. "Hundred-Household Liu, please assign this man to me."
"You sure?"
Liu raised an eyebrow, looking surprised. "Aren't you afraid he'll just waste a slot in your roster? Think carefully."
After all, the matter of phantom payrolls had nothing to do with Chen Sanshi, a newcomer. He wasn't obligated to fill numbers—so ideally, his men should all be battle-ready fighters.
"It's fine."
Chen Sanshi insisted, "I'll have him take care of my horse later."
"Alright, then."
Liu shrugged. "Suit yourself. If you regret it, just tell me later."
"Phew…"
Xu Wencai exhaled a deep sigh of relief. "Brother Chen, you truly have a discerning eye!"
"He's just too kind-hearted, that's all!" Zhu Tong muttered. "You conned him, that's what you did."
Half an hour later, the soldier distribution was finished.
The quartermaster handed Chen Sanshi several requisition slips, telling him he could exchange them for supplies.
There were vouchers for blood-replenishing soup, weapons, and even one horse.
"I still owe Flag Officer Xu a bow," Chen Sanshi murmured, frowning slightly as he glanced around but didn't see Xu Bin in the crowd. "Forget it, I'll check out the horse first."
Horses were considered precious strategic resources—not every Flag Officer was assigned one.
Across the entire Poyang Thousand-Household Division, there were fewer than thirty horses in total.
"Flag Officer Chen, your horse isn't an ordinary one!"
The quartermaster smiled broadly. "The Thousand-Household personally pulled some strings to get this from the prefectural capital. A top-grade white swan horse! Only two in total—and he gave one to you. Shows how much faith he's got in you. Your future's bright, Flag Officer Chen!"
At his order, a stablehand led a horse out from the stalls.
The stallion was pure white, with a powerful build and perfect proportions. Its mane flowed like silk in the wind, gleaming under the sunlight like drifting clouds.
"Flag Officer Chen, you should give it a try—but be careful," the quartermaster warned. "This horse has a wild temper."
"I like them wild."
Chen Sanshi swung himself onto the saddle.
[Skill: Horsemanship (Uninitiated)]
[Progress: (0/100)]
[Effect: None yet]