"Fugui Ge, kill him!"
"Tuoba Hai, chop down that pretty boy!"
Combat training and sparring were unavoidable. On this day, Zhou Fugui and the Dangxiang man Tuoba Hai were sparring in the Ice Bone Camp training ground, and they were even competing on top of a thick log.
With a "Teng!" sound, the thick log rose three feet off the ground. Tuoba Hai, holding two heavy wooden swords, soared into the air and landed steadily on the log, immediately drawing rounds of cheers.
Tuoba Hai was not tall but exceptionally sturdy. However, his agility was quite remarkable.
Zhou Fugui, on the other hand, held a shield in one hand and a wooden sword in the other, and slowly walked onto the log.
The rule for sparring on the log was that being knocked down or off the log meant defeat.
Tuoba Hai was bare-chested, his muscles bulging. His two thick legs resembled frog legs, appearing exceptionally strong. Zhou Fugui, wearing a leather armor, also had broad shoulders and bulging pectorals. His muscular lines were exceptionally graceful. After more than three months of sun and rain, his skin color had gradually changed from white to bronze, also appearing exceptionally graceful and strong.
"General Zhou, please!" Tuoba Hai held his swords reversed with both hands, raised them, and bowed.
"Hoo!"
Zhou Fugui nodded. He didn't speak, nor did he return the bow. Holding the shield in his left hand and swinging his sword with his right, he fiercely chopped towards Tuoba Hai's head.
If it were in the past, Zhou Fugui would have certainly adhered to the etiquette of "courtesy demands reciprocity." He would have returned the bow before making a move. However, after more than three months of harsh training in the Ice Bone Camp, Zhou Fugui's mindset had been gradually influenced by the training philosophy of General Tu Tisi of Yan. That philosophy was that in a life-and-death struggle, what courtesy? In the bloody battlefield, it was either you die or I live. To observe courtesy was to place one's life in the enemy's hands.
Therefore, the one who strikes first prevails, and the one who strikes later suffers. Zhou Fugui struck first, intending to take advantage of Tuoba Hai's unpreparedness and chop him off the log.
Tu Tisi, watching from the sidelines, appeared calm, but inwardly praised Zhou Fugui.
Zhou Fugui's sword strike was fierce, but Tuoba Hai's reaction was extremely agile. He leaped back a step. After landing on the log, his footing slipped, and he almost fell off. At the same time, Zhou Fugui's wooden sword grazed Tuoba Hai's head. Although it was a wooden sword, it still cut off a few strands of Tuoba Hai's hair.
"You cunning dog!" Zhou Fugui's move instantly enraged Tuoba Hai. After cursing, he swung his twin swords and chopped at Zhou Fugui.
Tuoba Hai knew that Zhou Fugui was Han, and Han people observed courtesy. He had originally planned to seize the opportunity to attack while Zhou Fugui was returning the bow. But he never expected Zhou Fugui to strike first and almost defeat him. He was furious and swung his twin swords, unleashing his full might.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
Tuoba Hai swung his swords in rapid succession. Zhou Fugui blocked with his shield. The clash of swords and shield produced bursts of loud noise. Tuoba Hai's strikes became fiercer and more powerful with each swing, forcing Zhou Fugui to retreat repeatedly.
Sparring on a log offered almost no space for evasive maneuvers. The only things that were truly tested were strength and resilience.
Zhou Fugui's shield was marked with countless cuts from Tuoba Hai's sword, but Zhou Fugui was only forced back a few steps. Seeing that he could not overcome him, Tuoba Hai let out a roar, half-crouched on the log, and swung his sword towards Zhou Fugui's legs.
Zhou Fugui leaped up with his shield, evading the strike. He casually counterattacked, swinging his sword at Tuoba Hai.
Tuoba Hai blocked Zhou Fugui's counterattack with his sword in his left hand, then flicked his sword upwards with his backhand, chopping at Zhou Fugui's right arm.
With a "Chi!" sound, Zhou Fugui's right arm was cut by the wooden sword, and blood splattered onto the log.
"Fugui Ge!" Xu Mancang and Xue Wentai, seeing this, shouted in alarm.
Tuoba Hai's supporters erupted in cheers.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
With Zhou Fugui injured, his sword-wielding right hand trembled slightly, and his footwork became less agile. Tuoba Hai seized the opportunity and attacked fiercely, the sounds of swords and shields clashing continuously.
Zhou Fugui retreated repeatedly. He accidentally stepped on some blood that had dripped onto the log. His foot slipped, and he fell off the log.
Falling off the log meant defeat. Xu Mancang, Suo Dacheng, Xue Wentai, and others let out cries of regret.
"Cheers! Cheers! Cheers!"
"Tuoba Hai!"
"Mighty! Mighty! Mighty!"
The crowd cheered loudly. Tuoba Hai, having defeated Zhou Fugui, raised his twin swords high, accepting the cheers of the crowd while looking triumphantly at Zhou Fugui.
Zhou Fugui stood with his sword and shield, his expression blank.
"Tuoba Hai shall be the leader of the Ice Bone Camp!" Tu Tisi announced loudly after glancing at Zhou Fugui.
Having defeated Zhou Fugui, Tuoba Hai naturally became the leader of the Ice Bone Camp.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
"Jump in!" Tu Tisi roared, "As a member of my Flying Bear Army, why fear this mere pool of flesh and blood?"
"Plop! Plop! Plop!"
Zhou Fugui and the other strong men of the Ice Bone Camp leaped one after another into a pool of water.
The pool was filled with blood-red water, its origin – human or beast – unknown. It was sticky and extremely viscous. Apart from the bloody water, many bones and chunks of flesh floated on the surface, their origin also unknown.
Some of the strong men in the Ice Bone Camp were afraid, others were disgusted, but none dared to disobey Tu Tisi's orders. They could only grit their teeth and jump in. They also had to traverse a long passage, and only after emerging from the passage would this training be considered complete.
This training was designed to build willpower and courage. Zhou Fugui understood this, as a soldier of the Yan border army, he would inevitably face mountains of blades and seas of blood, and piles of corpses in the future.
However, understanding was one thing. When Zhou Fugui leaped into the blood pool, he still felt an extreme sense of revulsion. The blood water in the pool was sticky and incredibly viscous. When he scooped some up, he found disgusting chunks of flesh and bones. There seemed to be something wriggling constantly in the blood water, which filled Zhou Fugui and the others with great fear and disgust.
Zhou Fugui could endure the bloody and cruel training of the Ice Bone Camp, but this disgusting training made him extremely uncomfortable.
What if there were some nasty蛊虫 (gu worms) or blood worms in the blood pool and they crawled into... Zhou Fugui shuddered at the thought and quickly reached behind him. Fortunately, his leather shorts were intact...
"Mancang, Dacheng, Great Monk, we must stay together and not fall behind."
As they entered the passage, it was pitch black, and one couldn't see their hand in front of their face. So, they lit torches. Zhou Fugui called out to Xu Mancang, Suo Dacheng, Xue Wentai, and the others.
"Mancang, lead the way ahead. Watch out for the water. If you find lamp oil, we cannot light the torches and will have to proceed in the dark," Zhou Fugui then said to Xu Mancang.
Everyone nodded in agreement, secretly praising Zhou Fugui for his thoughtfulness. If lamp oil were mixed in the blood pool and they lit torches, wouldn't they all be roasted like pigs?
Xu Mancang responded and took two men to scout ahead.
"Hmph, do as he says. Be careful of the lamp oil in the pool." Tuoba Hai, who was following closely behind Zhou Fugui's group, also instructed his subordinates.
As the newly appointed leader of the Ice Bone Camp, Tuoba Hai naturally had the authority to issue orders. Therefore, he ordered Zhou Fugui's group to scout ahead, so that they could avoid any trouble.
"I say, Commander Tuoba Hai, why are you following us so closely?" Tuoba Hai and his men were always trailing behind. Xue Wentai, the Great Monk of Guanzhong, was extremely displeased and contemptuous. He pointed to another passage and said to Tuoba Hai, "There's another way. Let's go our separate ways. Don't follow us like a dog."
"You bald thief, what did you say? How dare you insult Commander Tuoba Hai?" Dangxiang man Fang Dangye was furious at this and pointed at Xue Wentai, cursing him.
"What kind of commander is he? In my eyes, he's not even worth a donkey's hair," Xue Wentai said.
"You... Good for you, you bald thief. I think you're tired of living? Guards, beat him!" Fang Dangye said angrily, waving his hand.
"Come, come, come! Do you think this little monkey is scary?" Xue Wentai roared.
Thus, both sides, in the blood pool, crowded together, intending to fight.
"Stop!" Zhou Fugui ordered Xue Wentai and the others to stop. He then walked up to Tuoba Hai and said calmly, "Commander Tuoba Hai, Wentai was rash and offended you. Please forgive him."
"No problem, no problem. For the sake of General Zhou, I won't hold it against him," Tuoba Hai nodded. "However, I have a question. I wonder if General Zhou can enlighten me?"
"Please speak, Commander Tuoba," Zhou Fugui said.
"On the sparring ground that day, did General Zhou intentionally hold back?" Tuoba Hai asked.
Tuoba Hai had won against Zhou Fugui on the sparring ground that day and was naturally extremely proud. However, upon reflection, he always felt that Zhou Fugui had not given his all, hence his question.
Zhou Fugui's first attack was extremely fierce, but later it was rather weak. He was defeated after a scratch on his arm that was not even serious? This made Tuoba Hai suspicious.
"Commander Tuoba's martial arts are superb. I, this humble one, admit defeat. What is there to say about holding back?" Zhou Fugui shook his head.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
"Fugui, did you really let him win?" After the two groups finally separated, Suo Dacheng asked Zhou Fugui.
"A tree that stands out in the forest will be destroyed by the wind!" Zhou Fugui replied calmly.
Always striving to be the best in everything, one always ends up suffering. Zhou Fugui thought to himself. He had already suffered such losses many times.
Zhou Fugui learned from his mistakes, giving up on the idea of being some commander, and the trouble followed suit.
"Ouch, oh my mother, this... this... This is really...!"
Just then, as everyone passed through the passage and came onto an icy surface, faint figures could be seen beneath the ice. The corpses, buried under the ice for a long time, had not decomposed. Their eyes were open, staring at everyone, which was spine-chilling. Xu Mancang, seeing this, cried out in shock.