Chapter 141: The Wu Z卒 of Great Wei

Due to earlier delays, it was past noon by the time Lord Wuji arrived at the Wu'an Grand Camp.

Since no prior notice had been given, there was no welcoming party waiting for him—much like his return to the Wei army camp some time before.

"Let's go, inside," Lord Wuji said to his guards as he reined in his horse at the camp gates.

The horses moved forward, bearing their physically exhausted master on their backs.

Zheng Dali once again went ahead, presenting the tally and credentials to clear the way for Lord Wuji.

No unexpected incidents occurred, and Lord Wuji successfully entered the Wu'an Grand Camp.

"The acting commander of the Wu'an Grand Camp isn't here either; let's head straight to Wang Xiu and the others!" Lord Wuji commanded his entourage from the saddle.

Due to the campaigns on the frontline, the primary generals of the Wu'an Grand Camp had all accompanied the Marquis of Wei.

Consequently, the entire Wu'an Grand Camp appeared somewhat vacant, with the majority of the troops having been drafted away.

Yet, they had not ridden far before Lord Wuji heard the rhythmic shouting of soldiers training.

"Is someone still this diligent?" Lord Wuji asked suspiciously.

"My lord, although the various generals are not here, there are still formidable troops among those left behind," Zheng Dali explained from the side.

Nodding, Lord Wuji suddenly chuckled and said, "Do you think it could be Wang Xiu and the others?"

Hearing Lord Wuji's supposition, Zheng Dali thought for a moment before replying, "It sounds much more like Captain Liu's style."

Captain Liu was naturally Liu Xuanba. Lord Wuji could readily believe that he would be this dutiful, as the troops under his command had possessed the highest combat effectiveness when they were on the frontline.

At this thought, Lord Wuji's blood began to race; it was indeed true that he had not visited an army camp in quite some time.

"Let's move, let's move..." Lord Wuji urged.

As the group pressed forward, the echoing shouts grew louder and more intensely passionate.

After advancing less than two hundred meters, Lord Wuji discovered the source of the sound, though it did not come from Wang Xiu and his men.

"This..." Lord Wuji stared at the scene before him, instantly struck speechless.

The spectacle unfolding before his eyes was simply too exaggerated. Lord Wuji even found himself wondering: were these people even human? Could such training be considered humane?

Ahead in the military camp, the soldiers were fierce as tigers and wolves, running laps around the large parade ground. Though breathing heavily like panting oxen, every single one of them exuded boundless vigor.

The sheer momentum they radiated, even when not standing directly in its spear-like vanguard, delivered a tremendous shock to Lord Wuji.

Even the mounts beneath Lord Wuji and his men began to grow restless at the distant display of might, showing faint signs of backing away.

One could easily imagine that if this army were to appear on a battlefield, they would undoubtedly become the enemy's worst nightmare!

What left Lord Wuji even more tongue-tied was that this army, capable of generating such overwhelming momentum, numbered merely around a thousand men.

If they were deployed against the four thousand Qin troops at Tielin Yi, they would surely sweep through them like a hot knife through butter, Lord Wuji thought to himself.

"The martial spirit of this army has just been forged, deep and solid as a great mountain, possessing an unstoppable momentum. Truly, there are crouching tigers and hidden dragons within the ranks of our Great Wei!" Lord Wuji let out a long breath, sighing in sincere admiration.

At that moment, Zheng Dali also spoke in a low voice, "My lord, these are the Wei Wu-z卒!"

The Wei Wu-z卒... The Wei Wu-z卒... These were the legendary Wei Wu-z卒. Lord Wuji smacked his forehead; he should have guessed it sooner.

"Their training is truly terrifying. No wonder they could roam the world and rarely tasted defeat," Lord Wuji said slowly, his eyes shining even brighter as he looked ahead.

"Their training right now doesn't amount to much yet, otherwise they wouldn't have the breath left to shout like that," Zheng Dali remarked dismissively.

In his eyes, Lord Wuji seemed to catch a hint of disdain.

This made Lord Wuji somewhat puzzled. Did this fellow Zheng Dali actually look down on the Wei Wu-z卒?

"You mean to say that their training right now isn't even considered heavy?" Lord Wuji asked in disbelief. The wooden piles those soldiers were carrying on their shoulders must have weighed at least a hundred catties!

"Of course," Zheng Dali replied, a trace of pride appearing on his face.

He continued, "During normal drills, a Wei Wu-z卒 soldier must don three layers of heavy armor and an iron helmet, and draw a three-shi crossbow (one shi being one hundred catties)."

Saying this, Zheng Dali became even more animated, his speech quickening. "In addition, each man must carry fifty arrows, wield a long halberd or an iron halberd-axe, wear a sharp sword at his waist, carry three days' worth of combat rations, and march fifty li in a single day."

Lord Wuji cast a sideways glance at Zheng Dali, his confusion deepening. How did this fellow come to know such detailed information, rattling it off like family treasures?

Yet, he remained dumbfounded by the scenario painted by Zheng Dali, and the earlier thought resurfaced in his mind: were these people even human?

Based on what Zheng Dali had described, Lord Wuji roughly calculated that this level of training intensity meant each soldier was bearing a load of nearly two hundred catties while marching on foot for over twenty kilometers a day.

Such exaggerated figures almost made Lord Wuji suspect that Zheng Dali was pulling his leg.

Yet, seeing the other guards wearing expressions of deep conviction, Lord Wuji had no choice but to believe it.

"If they weren't so freakish, how could the Wei Wu-z卒 have dominated the world?" Lord Wuji laughed in self-deprecation.

"The selection of the Wei Wu-z卒 begins with layer-upon-layer of screening across various units of the Wei army, followed by final eliminations. Those who ultimately remain are true warriors," Zheng Dali said with profound reverence.

"Weren't they saying that when the Sovereign went on expedition, he took all thirty thousand Wei Wu-z卒 with him? Why are there still some here?" Lord Wuji asked suspiciously.

Zheng Dali smiled, a hint of disdain returning to his eyes. "They... can hardly be considered true Wei Wu-z卒 yet."

"What do you mean by that?" Lord Wuji asked, perplexed. First they were, and now they weren't?

After calming his emotions, Zheng Dali slowly replied, "My lord, these men must have been newly selected and have yet to complete their training."

At this, Lord Wuji was truly won over. If they were already this formidable before even finishing their training, what must the actual, fully-fledged Wei Wu-z卒 look like?

Suddenly, Lord Wuji felt a twinge of regret that he hadn't personally visited the camp of the Wei Wu-z卒 back on the Chen State frontline.

"A powerful army is indeed forged through blood and fire!" Lord Wuji sighed. Without such rigorous training, how could any army hope to conquer the world?

"My lord, since the formation of the Wei Wu-z卒, it is not as though they have never tasted defeat!" Zheng Dali said abruptly.

Lord Wuji turned his head, casting an inquiring gaze. Ever since he had learned of this army, he had heard only endless praise; none had ever spoken like Zheng Dali.

"Years ago, during Marquis Cheng's southern campaign, he faced thirty thousand Wei Wu-z卒 against three hundred thousand allied troops of the various states, and in the end, suffered a crushing defeat." As he spoke, Zheng Dali's mood turned somewhat gloomy, even tinged with a trace of sorrow.

Lord Wuji nodded, though he also began to question Zheng Dali's unusual behavior today; this simply was not the Zheng Dali he knew.

"Heng-ha..."

Once again, loud shouts erupted from ahead, their momentum seemingly piercing the highest heavens and shaking the earth.

"Truly brave warriors!" Lord Wuji could not help praising them once more. With such a mighty army in hand, how could one worry about failing to destroy enemy states?

"Alright, it's time for us to leave as well; our stomachs are getting hungry!" From morning until now, Lord Wuji and his companions had indeed not eaten a thing.

Soothing his mount, which had grown restless once more, Lord Wuji flicked his whip and moved forward. The Wei Wu-z卒 were fiercely impressive to an absurd degree.

However, his own foundation did not lie here. Though his own soldiers lacked this deafening momentum, they were the ones who truly held his heart.

Quietly slipping past the camp of the Wei Wu-z卒, Lord Wuji and his men headed straight for their own camp, choosing not to use the main gate, but instead entering through a side gate.

Lord Wuji was essentially reenacting his previous entry into the Wei camp down to the very last detail!