Chapter 932 - 774: Two More Deserters

Over a hundred members of the Anti-Japanese Army surrounded Chen Yu and Chen Xu, grinning maliciously, looking anything but friendly.

Chen Xu blocked Chen Yu behind him, surveying the surroundings coldly. His hands retracted into his sleeves, each holding a yellow paper talisman folded into a triangle between his index and middle fingers.

In the tense atmosphere, Chen Yu unexpectedly shielded Chen Xu instead, smiling as he mediated with the Anti-Japanese Army, "No need for violence, no need for violence, we’ll go with you, Lord."

Zheng Jiye immediately responded with pride, "Wise choice, rest assured, with us in the Anti-Japanese Army, you’re well-fed on brown rice every day, and once every three days there’s a meat meal. Even the officials at the Central Army Commander’s Mansion don’t have such luck."

Chen Yu sighed, "Indeed, the Central Army Commander’s Mansion doesn’t eat as well as you do. They’d be lucky to see meat once every half month."

Zheng Jiye laughed heartily, "No immortal could tempt me to give up the comfortable life in the Anti-Japanese Army... You two join the Mao Team, they happen to need two more infantrymen over there."

Chen Yu suddenly said, "We used to be Common Households at the Central Army Commander’s Mansion. Coming here, you should at least give us a small flag, right?"

Zheng Jiye glanced at him, "Even a Divine Dao Realm Grandmaster would start as a small soldier in the Anti-Japanese Army!"

Chen Yu chuckled angrily, muttering under his breath, "What a load of bull."

Zheng Jiye waved his hand, "Back to the county school, double time, one-two-one, one-two-one, left-right-left, left-right-left..."

Chen Yu and Chen Xu gradually adjusted to the step of the Anti-Japanese Army at the back of the team. When the Anti-Japanese Army’s pace became synchronized, over a hundred footsteps echoed simultaneously, making the ground rumble. It was almost intimidating.

Chen Yu’s eyes darted around, whispering to the thirteen- or fourteen-year-old boy beside him, "Little brother, how many camps do we have in the Anti-Japanese Army?"

The boy, unguarded, replied while running, "There are four camps in total: Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding. We’re in Ding Camp, the last one."

Chen Yu asked again, "And how many people and horses are in the other main camps?"

The boy panted, "Two hundred eighty-eight in total; twelve per small flag, twenty-four small flags per camp."

Chen Yu thought it strange.

He originally intended to determine the origins of the Anti-Japanese Army’s Five Tigers by their troop structure, such as whether it followed the eleven-men per small flag, fifty-five per General Banner, and one hundred twelve per Common Households structure used in border town garrisons; or the nine-men per small flag, fifty-two per General Banner in the Imperial Three Camps.

If the Anti-Japanese Army’s Five Tigers were military-experienced, they ought to use the command system familiar to them... Yet, Chen Yu had never heard of such a structure.

Turning to Chen Xu, Chen Yu wondered, "Where did these Five Tigers of the Anti-Japanese Army come from anyway? Uncle Xu, have you heard of such a structure?"

"No," Chen Xu replied quietly, "Young master, you’re here as a supervisor, why not reveal your identity?"

Chen Yu chuckled, "Supervisors and soldiers never get along. Once I reveal my role as a supervisor, they’ll hide everything from me, and I won’t see the true situation. I need to understand the Anti-Japanese Army first before regulating them as a supervisor."

Chen Xu offered no further advice.

Chen Yu quietly added, "Uncle Xu, that supposed foster father is hiding behind the scenes and hasn’t shown his face... During the training, show them your skills. They’re in dire need of talent right now, so they’ll surely make good use of you. Then we might uncover the identity of that foster father."

Chen Xu thought for a moment and agreed, "Alright, but training with these soldiers will be tough and taxing on you, young master."

Chen Yu laughed, "Chen Ji never complained during training in Guyuan or at Chongli Pass, I can’t fall short of him."

Chen Xu fell silent for a moment, then sighed, "Young master doesn’t always have to measure himself against Chen Ji. To the Chen family, he is who he was, and you are who you are."

Chen Yu laughed heartily, "How can I not compare? It’s just a shame he’s no longer around. No matter how well I do, others just think if he were still alive, he’d do better. How do you argue with that? Let’s go. In the Thirteen Qing Officials Division, I learned to endure hardship dealing with salt taxes over the years; this training is nothing."

Four hours later.

Zheng Jiye shouted, dismissing the gathering, and Chen Yu collapsed on the training ground of the county school, gazing at the blue sky and white clouds, "Uncle Xu, I can’t go on, I’m dying."

Chen Xu looked down, seeing Chen Yu drenched in sweat, his lips pale, with large patches on the gray cloth shirt soaked, turning dark with sweat.

Chen Xu hesitated beside him, "Young master just said..."

Chen Yu, devoid of hope, moaned, "How was I to know they’d make me stand under the blazing sun for an hour? And what’s the use of this left turn, right turn, align to the right? Can such training defeat pirates?"

Chen Xu considered, "Perhaps young master should reveal your identity after all?"

Chen Yu reluctantly propped himself up, "No, I’ll hang in there a bit longer."

At this moment, Jiang Chai led people carrying a drum to the county school, with several differently colored flags placed on it.

He instructed people to place the drum in the center of the training ground and tapped it with a drumstick: "Today’s lesson on drum signals and the Five Directions Flag, along with the Central Army Banner’s commands, is very simple. If you can’t learn it, don’t eat tonight."

Chen Yu and Chen Xu exchanged a glance: "They’re using the Five Directions Flag, definitely from the regular army."

When all the Anti-Japanese Army stood up in formation, Jiang Chai slowly struck the drum in the center of the training ground: "With one drumbeat, the entire army assembles in formation. If not in formation or speaking loudly when the drumming stops, ten lashes!"

The drumming in Jiang Chai’s hand became more urgent: "With a second drumbeat, draw your swords, ready your crossbows, and press forward! Those who cower will be lashed twenty times!"

The next moment, the drumming in Jiang Chai’s hand became rapid: "At the third drumbeat, the entire army attacks!"

After finishing the statement, he threw the drumsticks on the drum surface, picked up the Five Directions Flag: "That was easy to learn, pay close attention to what comes next. The Five Directions Flag represents direction: once I hold the green flag, it means to press east, the red flag south, the white flag west, the black flag north, and the yellow flag converge towards the Central Army!"

Jiang Chai threw down the Five Directions Flag and raised an even larger command flag: "When the flag is held upright and still, the entire army is on standby; when lowered and waved forward, advance; when waved to the sides, maneuver the flanks; when waved up and down repeatedly, cavalry charge to the death..."

At this point, Jiang Chai suddenly realized something was off and hastily changed his tune: "Don’t remember that, let’s continue with something else... when the flag rotates back, the entire army prepares to retreat."

Jiang Chai’s slip of the tongue was unnoticed by other members of the Anti-Japanese Army, but Chen Yu and Chen Xu both had their pupils contract intensely, exchanging silent glances.

After a long while, Chen Yu whispered: "Uncle Xu, if I remember correctly, in our Ning Dynasty’s flag orders, repeatedly waving up and down should mean readying the artillery..."

Chen Xu slowly responded: "Correct."

Chen Yu continued in a low voice: "While for the Jing Dynasty, it signifies a cavalry charge..."

Chen Xu took a deep breath: "Correct."

Chen Yu seemed to have stumbled upon a shocking secret, staring dumbfoundedly at Jiang Chai: "Are these Five Tigers of the Anti-Japanese Army from the Jing Dynasty? Jing Dynasty people helping our Ning Dynasty fight the pirates? No wonder Ah Xing and Ah Xi have hidden their surnames; they are likely surnamed Yuan... wait, isn’t Yuan Xing the Right Martial Guard Commander?"

Chen Xu was no longer quite as composed: "It shouldn’t be Yuan Xing, or who else would qualify to be his godfather? Surely Yuan Xiang hasn’t personally come to Jiangnan to fight the pirates."

Chen Yu had initially arrived with a playful demeanor, but suddenly, the situation turned perplexingly complex. The image of the godfather hidden in the shadows suddenly became unfathomably mysterious.

"These people have grand ambitions," he whispered: "If it really is Yuan Xing, blocking these people’s path, they might actually kill the supervisor, right? Uncle Xu, can you defeat Yuan Xing?"

Chen Xu hesitated: "Even if I can defeat Yuan Xing, I might not be a match for his godfather. Young master, we should find an opportunity to leave Jingjiang County for now, return to Jinling. I’ll summon the Chen family’s inner guard to come along, though there might not be Seeking Dao Realm officials, there are plenty in the Innate Realm."

Chen Yu thought it over: "Alright, to be safe, let’s leave this afternoon."

At noon, Chen Yu devoured three large bowls of food in one sitting, resting for only an hour before Zheng Jiye called them out for another run, saying it was set by their godfather, three runs a day in the morning, afternoon, and evening, each run covering three miles.

Chen Yu and Chen Xu exchanged a glance, deciding to discreetly escape during the run.

When the Ding Camp left the county school, they ran westward, and their uniform steps attracted frequent attention from the townsfolk. Zheng Jiye greeted them with a smile.

As they neared the North City Gate, Chen Xu whispered: "Young master, when you pass through the North City Gate, run out of the city first. I’ll distract the Anti-Japanese Army. You don’t have to worry about me; we’ll meet at the Guangling County dock tonight. They won’t catch me."

Chen Yu nodded.

As he passed the North City Gate, Chen Yu turned and darted into the gateway, only to crash into a stout man who exclaimed, "Who’s so blind?"

The stout man shoved him, and Chen Yu fell to the ground with a thud.

Seated on the ground, Chen Yu cried out in pain and cursed as he looked up: "You’re the blind one..."

But when he saw who it was, there stood one stout and one lean man, both wearing bamboo hats, in the gateway. The lean one had sharp eyebrows and a handsome face.

Chen Yu was instantly astonished: "Jin..."

Before he could announce the name, Zheng Jiye already led the Anti-Japanese Army into the gateway, surrounding them.

Zheng Jiye sneered at Chen Yu: "Trying to run? We’ve been expecting this!"

Chen Yu hesitated for a moment, then pointed at the stout man and suddenly said: "Sir, these two are deserters and escaped with us."

Zheng Jiye’s eyes lit up: "Oh? More deserters? Capture these two deserters too!"