Chapter 320: New Winds (2)
The Deflecting Blade Manor was currently bustling with a huge crowd of nearly a hundred. This formed a stark contrast to how it was in the past when only the usual few consisting of Wang Chong, Zhao Jingdian, and a few others dropped this by area.
Wang Chong's initial intention was to bring in only the recruits of Kunwu Training Camp. The interest from Longwei and Shenwei were completely unexpected, resulting in the insufficient capacity of the Deflecting Blade Manor to house everyone.
"Gongzi!"
Beyond the door stood an ordinary-looking young man. He had a common square face and inconspicuous feature, making it easy to overlook him if not for the tenacity that shone through his eyes. Upon seeing Wang Chong, the young man bowed respectfully.
"We have finished organizing those who are here for the examination. If gongzi wishes to, the examination can be carried out anytime you wish."
His demeanor was neither excessively humble nor arrogant when he spoke. This young man was the talent whom Wang Chong brought in from Longwei Training Camp, Wei Anfang.
Wang Chong's judgement was spot-on, Wei Anfang was indeed currently tiding through the most difficult period of his life. Nothing seemed to be going well, and he was being snubbed by his comrades as well.
On top of that, Wei Anfang even offended the eldest son of his clan in Longwei Training Camp. As such, when he received Wang Chong's invitation letter, he literally leaped up in joy, accepting the request without any hesitation.
With just this single letter, Wei Anfang easily freed himself from the oppression of his clan and the eldest son.
——After all, the Wei Clan had been racking their heads over how they could build a relationship with the Wang Clan when Wang Chong's invitation letter arrived at this precise moment.
Wei Anfang's capability didn't let Wang Chong down either.
He wasn't particularly outstanding, but he was always able to arrange and accomplish the tasks which Wang Chong instructed him orderly and punctually.
With Wei Anfang around, Zhao Jingdian was finally freed from his duties. The first thing that Wang Chong did was to dispatch the latter to the spirit vein to train.
In Wang Chong's previous life, Zhao Jingdian didn't just play an auxiliary role, he was his most capable general. It would be a huge mistake if the other party's talent and fighting prowess were tied down over such miscellaneous affairs.
"Un, do as you deem fit."
Wang Chong nodded. Under Wei Anfang's lead, he descended a flight of wooden stairs, and after turning at a corner, two long flagpoles appeared before him. One of them bore the flag of the Deflecting Blade Manor whereas the other was just a wooden stick that had been stuck in recently.
Two recruits were currently standing beneath the wooden flagpoles, and a huge crowd was gathered around them.
"Come, which one of you dares to challenge me?"
"Hah, allow me then! Ten gold taels!"
"Deal"
Amidst loud cheerings from the crowd, the two men suddenly rushed up to the flagpoles and began scaling it.
Wang Chong chuckled as he gazed at the two nimble figures climbing the flagpoles. This was the place where he had planted the flag, but somehow, it had turned into an area where the crowd gathered for leisure and competed on their movement technique.
At another bend, he saw several figures clashing with one another in the garden, within the pond, above the fake mountains, and beneath the walls. Some of them were armed with wooden swords, some were armed with wooden sabers, and some were unarmed altogether.
This was the spars that the members of the Deflecting Blade Manor conducted daily.
A spar should always emulate real conditions, and on a battlefield, combat wouldn't just be limited to flat ground. Hill, forest, river... All of these were possible fighting grounds.
This was what Wang Chong believed in, and he shaped the Deflecting Blade Manor for it as well.
——Battle emulation!
Ultimately, all training was conducted with the goal of being applied to the real world. As such, even though there were sparring grounds in the Deflecting Blade Manor, there weren't too many of them.
What was promoted amongst its members was to make use of the terrain and fight freely.
"Gongzi!"
"Gongzi!"
"Gongzi!"
...
Upon seeing Wang Chong, everyone immediately stopped what they were doing, stood up, and bowed respectfully.
"There's no need to stand on ceremony, continue what you were doing."
Wang Chong waved his hand with a smile. Hearing those words, everyone returned back to the task they were doing before. This was just a usual day in the Deflecting Blade Manor, and everyone was already used to it.
There were those who worked hard in their training while there were also those who were resting and playing around. The group ahead of Wang Chong sat back down and continued sipping on their tea and chatting with their buddies.
Many found themselves fancying the rattan chair and table set which Wang Chong specially prepared. As such, they also had their own crafted and brought to the Deflecting Blade Manor. At the moment, there were already more than ten sets of them placed in the courtyard.
Grape, pomegranate, Custard apple, pineapple, fig... All kinds of delectable fruits that came from the Western Regions or even further were placed in a luxurious spread on the various small rattan tables.
Most of these fruits were prepared by Wang Chong while the remaining were contributed by the scions of the capital. They were all extremely fresh, and some of them were even wrapped with a layer of frost when bought from the Western Regions merchants.
What the scions brought weren't just limited to chairs, tables, and fruits. If one were to glance at the wall, one could see the tips of massive halberds protruding slightly above the wall.
Accompanied with each of these halberds was an extraordinarily powerful aura!
These were the steel guards of the Chi Clan.
——The Chi Clan was a little hesitant toward the attitude they should take toward Wang Chong, but it seemed like they had made up their minds already. To show their earnest goodwill, the Chi Clan had dispatched all of these valuable guards to Chi Weisi.
While those guards were under Chi Weisi's command on the surface, Wang Chong actually possessed the authority to command them as well.
This was the Chi Clan's way to express their support for Wang Chong and the Wang Clan.
Not only so, there were also the guards from other clans as well. After the matter with the spirit vein, countless clans had offered their own guards to Wang Chong to provide security.
Nevertheless, Wang Chong didn't simply accept all that was offered to him. He would sieve out and take in only the strongest of the group. But even so, there were still many prestigious clans who were sending letters to Wang Chong, persuading him to take even more of their clan's guards.
"Be careful! ——"
At that moment, a loud exclamation suddenly sounded. Di da da, a loud rumbling reminiscent of thunder boomed, and a cloud of dust flew into the air. Five dashing black steeds passed inches by Wang Chong's side. Lifting his gaze, Wang Chong could see the fluttering hair and robe of the rider.
"Damn it!"
"It is those bastard cavalries again!"
"Can't you all choose a better place?"
"Are you bastards dying to knock us to death? Why do you always choose to pass by us?"
...
A tirade of displeased criticisms echoed in the courtyard. Of the group in the courtyard, it was the scions who were leisurely enjoying their cup of tea who were the most furious. The cloud of dust raised by those war steeds had soiled their tea and clothes.
However, the five riders ahead only burst into laughter at those criticisms.
"Xu Jin, Huang An, and Zhang Tu, what are you all doing? You nearly bumped into gongzi!"
With a straightened back and an austere expression, Wei Anfang berated the riders ahead.
"AH! Gongzi, we're sorry!"
"We really didn't see you there!"
"Shit, we're done for. How could we have bumped into gongzi?"
...
The loud gleeful laughter from the successful prank abruptly silenced. The five riders immediately stopped their steeds and turned around to face Wang Chong. Their expressions revealed their awkwardness and unease.
It was one thing to prank the others, but nearly crashing into gongzi was a huge affair.
In the Deflecting Blade Manor, regardless of one's standing, members would address one another by their names. As such, there was only one person who was addressed as gongzi in the area, and that was Wang Chong.
"I'm fine, just be careful the next time around. Don't go charging into crowds."
Wang Chong waved his sleeves.
"Yes, gongzi."
The unease finally fell from the faces of the five riders, as if they had pardoned from their heinous crime. They hurriedly slipped past the gates of the Deflecting Blade Manor and disappeared toward another mountain.
"Wang Chong, I didn't call those ladies here to squeeze fresh juice for you. Quickly call a few of of your members over to serve us!"
As Wang Chong was watching the readers leave, a furious voice suddenly sounded by the side. In a shed not too far away from where he was standing, Marquess Yi was glaring at him furiously. As she spoke, she abruptly drew her spear and pointed it at him, as if threatening to teach him a lesson should he utter a single word of complaint.
Stress!
Seeing the furious demeanor that Marquess Yi had put on, Wang Chong could feel cold sweat flowing down his back. He had invited the other party here to help share his burden.
But who could have known that birds of the same feather would actually flock together.
Out of the shyness, the ladies whom Marquess Yi had brought in would still help with several chores in the Deflecting Blade Manor.
However, after being berated by Marquess Yi against that several times, they began to follow her around and put on airs.
Furthermore, under the protection of Marquess Yi, there was nothing Wang Chong could do about them.
"Anfang, try to find a few brothers to help Marquess Yi."
Wang Chong glanced at Wei Anfang and instructed.
"I understand."
Wei Anfang's complexion darkened, but this only provoked the laughter of the ladies in the area.
He had always tried to avoid this area as much as possible. As the only female marquess of Great Tang, not even Wang Chong could curb her, needless to say, him.
How could he have allowed this to slip his mind this time around?
"That's more like it, you can leave now."
Receiving a positive answer, Marquess Yi finally smiled in satisfaction.
"Wang Chong, what about me? When are you going to hand the intelligence network to me?"
Barely after Wang Chong could take a few steps, another shadow flashed across, blocking Wang Chong's path. Her face was cold, betraying her malicious intentions.
By her side, an old granny with an unfathomable level of cultivation stared at Wang Chong threateningly.
Of the entire Deflecting Blade Manor, the only one who could speak to Wang Chong with such a tone and yet he could do nothing about could only be Princess Ni Huang.
After Wang Chong was spot-on about the matter regarding Li Yichao, this royal princess had decisively chosen to coop herself in here so as to keep an eye on Wang Chong.
"Your Highness, I have already told you that such a thing doesn't exist. The news came from the military."
Wang Chong explained patiently with a smile.
"Stop trying to fool me, I have already looked into the matter. When you told me about Li Yichao losing the Black Mountain, not even the Beiting Protectorate Manor has obtained the news yet. How in the world can you get the news from the military when even the frontline is unaware of it?"
Princess Ni Huang exposed Wang Chong's lie coldly.
She wasn't a mere spoiled princess of the royal family. After the matter regarding Li Yichao was verified, she immediately sent her men to the north to investigate the matter.
But to her shock, she realized that not even the Beiting Protectorate Manor was aware of the loss of the fortress at Balck Mountain. Yet, a man who was cooped in a training camp in the capital actually managed to grasped hold of such information.
She would have to be a fool to not notice that there was something amiss in this matter.