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墨書 Inktalez
“Come on, you, you, you, you all step forward and follow me.”
She pointed at a group of about twenty emaciated individuals with hunched backs. Those who were called out exchanged glances, their eyes flickering with uncertainty.
“Keep up! Why are you dawdling?”
After calling the names, Xia Muxin started walking ahead. After taking about ten steps, she noticed that no one was following her. Turning around, she saw them still hesitating in place, and the infuriating Shen Muqing remained silent. Frustrated, she shouted.
“Xia Muxin, what do you think you’re doing? They are soldiers going to battle, not your pawns to command at will.”
Shen Muqing was still sulking over lunch. Seeing Xia Muxin’s arrogance as she led people into those neglected fields not only wasted their training time but also risked demoralizing them over time. How could they talk about fighting under such circumstances?
Xia Muxin merely scoffed and walked directly toward Shen Muqing, suddenly saying:
“Stand at attention, relax, turn right, turn around. Do you know how to do that?” She then pointed at the twenty individuals she had just called out and continued, “With their frail bodies and vacant eyes, can they defeat the enemy? Right now, I want them to do one hundred push-ups on the spot. After that, they’ll do one hundred sit-ups. If they complete these tasks well, I won’t bother with them anymore. If not, they’ll be under my supervision for the time being.”
She rattled off a long list of commands, but not a single person understood her. They all frowned in silence, looking helplessly at Shen Muqing.
At that moment, Shen Muqing stared wide-eyed at Xia Muxin in disbelief.
“You don’t understand, do you?”
Xia Muxin raised an eyebrow and smirked sarcastically. Shen Muqing’s face turned pale as he struggled to contain his impending rage. However, what happened next left him dumbfounded.
Before he realized it, Xia Muxin had made her move and swiftly knocked him down to the ground.
Dust swirled up from the ground, stinging their eyes and making it hard to see while the soldiers remained frozen in shock.
Shen Muhan was originally on his way to explain how to brew the medicine, but at that moment, he happened to see Xia Muxin easily take down Shen Muqing, leaving him both shocked and astonished.
It wasn't just the technique; the sheer difference in weight and height made it seem impossible.
"I'll tell you, as long as you grasp it well, even a grain of sand can become a boulder."
Xia Muxin clapped her hands and looked at the soldiers with a cold voice. Then she lay down on the ground.
"Sit-ups."
After completing five in a row, she got up and immediately bent down.
"Push-ups."
She did another five, her forehead already drenched in sweat. The day was unbearably hot, and at this moment, it was noon—the hottest time of the day.
"Try doing it."
Wiping her sweat with her hand, she pointed at the twenty men.
She could tell that all twenty of them were recovering from injuries. With poor nutrition, even if they had healed, their bodies would only become weaker. This kind of rest was not a solution.
Rather than waste this precious time, it was better to create a life together with them.
"Do it."
Shen Muqing suddenly barked coldly.
He had already gotten up, covered in mud and dust, but he didn't bother to brush it off. Instead, he shot a glare at Xia Muxin.
Xia Muxin shot them a glare, watching as they lay on the ground. Most of them couldn't even last three seconds; either they were writhing in pain from their wounds or unable to get up, or their postures were all wrong.
She walked over and kicked one of them, her voice cold as she commanded, "Get up and follow me."
With that, she turned and left without another glance at Shen Muqing.
At that moment, Shen Muqing said nothing, allowing them to follow Xia Muxin as she departed.
Shen Muhan approached with interest, a smirk on his face as he looked at the disheveled Shen Muqing. He raised an eyebrow and remarked, "Never underestimate her explosive power."
With that, he casually followed Xia Muxin, hands behind his back.
Shen Muqing trembled with anger, while the soldiers practicing nearby dared not make a sound, keeping their eyes straight ahead. It wasn't until Shen Muqing left that they exchanged glances and stifled laughter.
Shen Muqing had always been high and mighty, impervious even when gravely injured. Everyone was used to it, but today she had been defeated by a woman—an extraordinary sight indeed. How could they not gossip out of curiosity?
*
"Alright, everyone take off your clothes and dig in; the more mud you excavate, the better," Xia Muxin instructed as she led them to an area overgrown with weeds. The grass reached their calves, and it was clear this had once been farmland. The weeds thrived here, unlike anything they had seen before.
Xia Muxin carried several large bags in her hands. The group was filled with confusion; after all, General Shen hadn't spoken up earlier and had entrusted them to this young woman. After a moment's hesitation, they began to strip off their clothes and descended into the field to start digging.
Because this field had not been tilled for several years, the soil was still hard despite the ample water supply. Digging with bare hands was quite laborious.
Xia Muxin stood on the ridge, watching as the soldiers quickly broke into a sweat. With a smirk, she said, "That's the effect I wanted. That one, throw it over here; let me take a look."
As soon as she spoke, a soldier pulled out a large weed. Xia Muxin's eyes brightened, and she nearly squealed with excitement. She had tried to pull them out before but lacked the strength. These weeds had matured in winter, and now in June, they were still thriving in this land. Without tasting them, she couldn't tell if they were old or if they had enough moisture, or if they were even edible.
The soldier was startled by her enthusiasm and almost stumbled into the mud. He glanced at Xia Muxin timidly before carefully tossing what he had in his hand over to her.
There were rules in the military camp. Their injuries had mostly healed, and their needs were being met. If they couldn't keep up with the main force, they would be left to fend for themselves and might end up assigned to cooking and firewood duties for life, with no hope of ever going to battle again. Their grand ambitions would remain unfulfilled, and they would live in contempt, their dignity trampled upon.
There had been precedents; some could not bear it and betrayed their general. When discovered, they were skinned alive—a bloody scene that haunted them to this day. This rule had been established by the former general, Shen Muhan, who had enforced it strictly.
Though they feared death, they wanted it to be meaningful. At that moment, Xia Muxin's actions undoubtedly trampled on their dignity, yet they could only endure.
Xia Muxin paid no mind to their discomfort as she picked up the weed and cleaned a few black seeds from its root before peeling off the skin with her nails and popping one into her mouth.
The seed was sizable, making her cheeks bulge. When Shen Muhan approached, he saw her in this comical state—one side of her face swollen as if struck, yet her eyes sparkled with delight as she mumbled through her full mouth, "So delicious! Here, you all try some."
As she spoke, she tossed some of the white seeds to several soldiers. They exchanged glances until Xia Muxin urged them again before reluctantly putting the seeds into their mouths.
At that moment, Xia Muxin finished one seed and noticed their silent chewing. She widened her eyes and asked eagerly, "How is it? Isn’t it delicious?"
Their expressions shifted from surprise to astonishment and then to blissful enjoyment. Xia Muxin beamed with joy and lifted her sleeve to reveal her delicate arm like a lotus stem before bending down to roll up her pant legs. The sight made everyone blush and their hearts race. Shen Muhan's brow twitched as he quickly stepped forward to stop her actions.
"This is a military camp, not your home," he said in a lowered voice, his gaze lingering on the exposed part of Xia Muxin's arm. With a swift motion, he pulled down her sleeve.
Xia Muxin let out a slow "oh," realizing she had indeed been too excited, so much so that she couldn't help but want to jump down and start digging herself.
"Here," Shen Muhan suddenly placed the clothing into her hands and said lightly before stepping barefoot into the field.
Xia Muxin watched Shen Muhan's perfectly toned physique and couldn't help but lick her lips. She set his clothing down on a clean patch of grass by the shore, then stood on the embankment, opening a bag and saying, "You all need to dig faster. Once you find those black fruits, toss them into this bag."
A few people who had tried the taste knew it was surprisingly good. Moreover, in this hot weather, eating something cool felt incredibly refreshing—more so than taking a cold shower.
"This is called water chestnut; it can also be referred to as water caltrop or ground pear. Its benefits include quenching thirst, relieving heat, warming the stomach, boosting energy, expelling toxins, and alleviating internal heat. It can also be made into flour. Don't underestimate it; at night it can turn into a delicious dish worthy of the table. Plus, cooking it makes it sweeter and more nutritious than eating it raw."
As everyone continued to dig, Xia Muxin kept sharing knowledge about water chestnuts. In modern times, they were quite common fruits; however, since they grew in water and were prone to parasites, it was safer to cook them in this unfamiliar place.
- End of Chapter -
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