Chapter 149: Witnessing the Wei Wu Zu Once More

After a simple meal, Wei Wuji began to enjoy a rare midday break. Such a regular daily routine reminded him of his student days.

How could memories spanning nearly twenty years be cast aside just because one wished not to have them?

At this moment, having just finished eating, the soldiers also retreated into the shade to enjoy a rare respite, knowing that heavy training awaited them in the afternoon.

For some reason, Wei Wuji still felt full of energy. Although his body was aching all over, it was a pleasant sort of pain.

Holding his sword against his chest, Wei Wuji gently wiped it with a towel, looking like a devout warrior deeply attached to his blade.

"A fine sword... truly a fine sword..." Wei Wuji muttered repeatedly, his voice filled with smiles.

He was not rejoicing over the sword itself; rather, he was rejoicing over his own formidable talent.

Ever since he awakened his innate talent and skill, Wei Wuji's joy had never ceased, leaving him high-spirited in everything he did.

Otherwise, did people really think he was immune to hardship and fatigue?

"If I went back now, Mother probably wouldn't even recognize me!" Wei Wuji murmured. His demeanor had undergone a massive change; inside and out, he felt like a completely different person.

Of course, the more likely reason Lady Dan might not recognize him was simply that Wei Wuji had become somewhat tanned over the past few days.

Tossing the towel aside, Wei Wuji sheathed his sword. He could now perform this movement with exceptional fluency. What once looked clumsy now flowed like moving clouds and flowing water.

"Time for a little nap!" Wei Wuji said to himself—after all, if one could lie down, why sit?

Closing his eyes slightly, Wei Wuji let his mind return to peace.

In the tranquil summer, the sky is dotted with countless stars...

Without realizing it, Wei Wuji hummed the song inwardly, and a sense of satisfaction welled up within him.

Yet sometimes, the things you cherish are easily shattered, igniting a blazing fury within you.

"Woo... woo..."

"Dong dong dong dong dong dong..."

A heavy horn blared, and the deep, sonorous sound of drums rolled like thunder.

Instantly, the entire Wu'an Grand Camp seemed jolted awake, shattering the serenity.

Wei Wuji was beside himself with irritation. He had been on the verge of drifting off to sleep when these noises shocked him awake.

Being disturbed during sleep was undoubtedly one of the greatest grievances, and Wei Wuji's hatred was about to burst through the roof.

"Zheng Dali, where the hell have you died!" Wei Wuji roared, springing up in a single fluid motion, grabbing his side sword, and charging out.

As soon as he stepped out of the tent, Wei Wuji saw Zheng Dali rushing toward him from the opposite direction.

"What is going on? Where is that drumming coming from?" Wei Wuji demanded with a hostile tone.

Zheng Dali approached closely before bowing and saluting. "My Lord, it's not from our camp; it's coming from over there."

Wei Wuji followed Zheng Dali's pointing finger and found that the sound indeed originated from that direction, growing increasingly rapid.

"Not sleeping in the middle of the day, what are they howling about for no reason!" Wei Wuji cursed angrily. Regardless of the other party's motives, disturbing his rest was wrong.

"My Lord... that's the military camp of the Wu Soldiers..." Zheng Dali reminded him.

"The Wu Soldiers?" Wei Wuji muttered the name. They were simply the elite Wei Wu Soldiers, yet Zheng Dali spoke of them with such intimacy.

"Why aren't they sleeping at a time like this? What are they doing out under the blazing sun?" Wei Wuji asked with a sour expression, knowing full well it was noon, the hottest time of the day.

To his surprise, Zheng Dali actually knew the reason. He explained, "My Lord, if I'm not mistaken, today should be the day of their monthly evaluation!"

Hearing yet another modern-sounding term, Wei Wuji almost burst out laughing. A monthly evaluation? Did they think this was a middle school monthly exam?

Associating the fearsome and renowned Wei Wu Soldiers with students in a classroom gave Wei Wuji an inexplicable sense of amusement.

How could he miss something this interesting? He simply had to go and take a look! He wanted to see how the legendary Wei Wu Soldiers conducted their "monthly exams."

"Let's go, let's head over and take a look!" Wei Wuji said loudly. Sleep could wait!

"Go to the Wu Soldiers' camp?" Zheng Dali hesitated. For certain reasons, he actually had no desire to return to that place.

Hearing Zheng Dali's seemingly foolish question, Wei Wuji said impatiently, "Nonsense, of course we're going there."

"My Lord, can your subordinate not go? If someone recognizes me, how awkward would that be?" Zheng Dali asked with a troubled expression.

"Is that so..." Wei Wuji stroked his chin, pondering a solution.

After a moment, Wei Wuji smiled and said, "How about you trim your beard a bit shorter so others won't recognize you!"

Wei Wuji had already decided that Zheng Dali must come along, because he knew the Wei Wu Soldiers best and could serve as an excellent guide.

"Ah...?" Zheng Dali wore a look of astonishment, clearly choked up by this suggestion.

Then Wei Wuji heard Zheng Dali whisper softly, "My Lord, back when I was with the Wu Soldiers, I didn't have a beard..."

Damn it! Wei Wuji cursed inwardly, then lashed out with a kick.

"Then what the hell are you worrying about?" Wei Wuji scolded angrily, even using a colloquial dialect from his past life.

Right now, Zheng Dali's beard was so thick it nearly covered his entire face; how could anyone possibly recognize him?

Wei Wuji even suspected that this fellow was looking for an excuse to slack off.

Having received a kick from Wei Wuji, Zheng Dali looked deeply aggrieved. He genuinely had worries! Why did his lord resort to physical violence without a word?

At that moment, Zheng Dali even felt a twinge of regret. Should he really have taught his lord martial arts?

"Behave and follow me!" Wei Wuji stared at Zheng Dali.

With that, Wei Wuji strode off first, leaving Zheng Dali with no choice but to follow, his heart filled with apprehension.

As soon as they left the shade, the scorching sun exerted its full might, causing Wei Wuji to squint his eyes, unable to look directly at the blinding glare.

By this time, the booming drumbeats had ceased.

Wei Wuji knew this meant that in less than three minutes, the Wei Wu Soldiers had completed their formation.

Such speed was difficult to achieve even in a modern military, demonstrating the extraordinary nature of the Wei Wu Soldiers.

Because of this, Wei Wuji had to quicken his pace, for the good show was about to begin, and he had no intention of missing it.

Meanwhile, inside the grand parade ground of the Wu Soldiers' camp, nearly a thousand armored men in black stood in stern silence, enduring the blistering heat of the sun without uttering a single word.

The only movement visible was the sweat dripping from their temples down onto their gleaming armor.

Viewed from a distance, the figures standing across the parade ground did not look like mere soldiers; they resembled rows of spears planted in the ground, radiating a murderous aura.

They were waiting—waiting for their commanding officer to appear so they could strive for their future and glory.

Among the Wei Wu Soldiers, there were no mediocre men, nor any idlers. One must never assume that passing the selection process meant one could rest easy and secure an iron rice bowl.

If one failed the periodic evaluations, there was still the possibility of being cast out of the ranks—an old rule passed down since the founding of the Wei Wu Soldiers.

Perhaps for some, this evaluation was a hurdle, but for others, it was a stepping stone.

Soldiers who performed exceptionally well among the Wei Wu Soldiers and were subsequently promoted to officers accounted for a significant proportion of the low-ranking officers in the Wei army.

And this was one of the reasons the ducal house could firmly maintain military power, for the Wei Wu Soldiers were the private army of the ducal house, the private army of the Marquis of Wei.

Just as Wei Wuji reached the edge of the parade ground, the commanding officer awaited by the soldiers finally appeared on the viewing platform.