Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Qian Jun barely slept a wink. Early the next morning, he went to the military headquarters. Chen Hua took one look at his bloodshot eyes and agitated look, thinking for a moment that there shouldn't be anything too pressing lately.

"Old Chen, yesterday that girl beat up Tian Guihua's son. I went to see her last night, and do you know what she said?" Qian Jun rubbed his face hard, his expression filled with the weariness of a middle-aged man.

"She said she didn't kill 'em. Not killing 'em—that's her bottom line. And those eyes of hers, you haven't seen them. They made my heart skip a beat! That girl might've actually killed someone before."

Chen Hua was startled, thinking it couldn't be that serious. But seeing Qian Jun's restless anxiety, he swallowed the words that came to his lips and offered a consolation: "This girl didn't have a good life at home. She's got a bit of an extreme personality. We can teach her slow, straighten her out. She's still young."

Qian Jun smiled bitterly: "I hope so."

While Regiment Commander Qian didn't sleep a wink, Feng Xia slept just fine.

She woke up at dawn, did a hundred one-arm push-ups, and hearing movement upstairs, knew the old lady was awake. Feng Xia switched arms and did another hundred push-ups, then went to wash up. She planned to have breakfast at the mess hall, but Old Lady Wu had already heated up the chicken soup and made a big bowl of noodles, calling Feng Xia over to eat.

Feng Xia played the obedient role in front of Old Lady Wu, sitting down to finish the big bowl of noodles and the soup. Afraid she might go up the mountain again, Old Lady Wu gave her detailed instructions. Her withered, old hand stroked the girl's shiny black hair, her gaze not as stern as usual but soft, tinged with a bit of nostalgia. She really liked this little girl.

After eating, she still had time before school. Feng Xia wandered to the mess hall to get breakfast. It was mealtime for the soldiers, a sea of young, sturdy military green that was dizzying to look at. Small and skinny, Feng Xia got squeezed into the line. She grabbed six steamed buns, a jug of soy milk, and three eggs. The soldiers around her, seeing how delicate and frail she looked, unconsciously made way, wondering which commander's kid this was, coming to buy breakfast so early.

Then they saw the skinny girl sit down, eating the buns and drinking the soy milk like it was nothing. The soldier sitting across from Feng Xia just stared blankly, forgetting to swallow his own bun. A bunch of onlookers secretly watched the girl, watching her polish off six big buns, three eggs, and a big jug of soy milk without her stomach even bulging. The new recruits were totally dumbfounded.

Feng Xia wiped her mouth, put the utensils back, and walked off briskly with her backpack, leaving behind a bunch of bewildered soldiers.

From then on, a legend spread through the 1st Regiment about a girl who ate six buns in one sitting, earning her the nickname "Rice Bucket."

On the way to school, she bumped into some classmates, including some who'd seen her beat that kid up the day before. Seeing Feng Xia, they acted like fans meeting their idol, their faces all red with excitement. They ran up to her, going on about her "achievements" from yesterday.

Zhao Dabao was unpopular—actually, he was the bully of the elementary school. Tall and fat, the other kids didn't dare mess with him. He was always stealing snacks from other kids, and getting in trouble at school didn't faze him. His mom, Tian Guihua, was a real piece of work, so the teachers could only give him a light scolding.

But yesterday, Feng Xia came down like some kind of heavenly warrior, leaving a lasting impression on these kids' hearts.

She could actually pin Zhao Dabao down and beat him up! That was incredibly impressive!

Wang Lingling had also seen the fight. Her eyes shining, she looked at her desk mate, her little face pink. She'd been bullied by Zhao Dabao before, so she pulled out the peanut candies from her pocket and stuffed them into Feng Xia's, who couldn't say no.

When they walked into the classroom, almost the whole class was buzzing about what happened. Feng Xia sat down like nothing had happened, pulling out her math problem set. She found the problems interesting; solving each one put her in a better mood, easing the agitation from the Red Aconite she'd taken.

A few bold kids, ignoring their moms' warnings, gathered around to praise her and placed snacks on her desk. Feng Xia took it all, eating whatever was given.

Her superpower was still at level two. Getting to level three required a lot of toxins and pure energy. She figured she could advance by the end of the year. At level three, mastering 2,500 jin of strength, she was confident she could help this regiment take care of those dwarves.

Feng Xia thought absently, her gaze slightly vacant. Xu Wen entered and immediately saw her. She had heard about Feng Xia's glorious feat. Everyone knew Tian Guihua was unreasonable and troublesome, and her son was just as bad. Seeing that little girl put them in their place—it was satisfying, no doubt about it!

This class was math. Feng Xia ignored the teacher, focusing on her problem set. When stuck, she practiced calligraphy in her copybook. Xu Wen didn't bother her, and Wang Lingling admired her desk mate even more—skilled in both arts and martial arts!

Days passed like this. The five school days flew by quickly. On the weekend, there was no school, but Qian Jun had arranged different lessons for Feng Xia.

Lin Feihu belonged to a special unit of the Field Army Corps. This unit had only thirty members, but they were the elite of the field army—everyone had been in battle and seen blood. Any one of them could take on ten opponents.

Lin Feihu was the deputy leader of this squad. But today, he received a baffling task: to train a little girl. Puzzled, he obeyed nonetheless. Arriving at the small training ground, he saw his superior, Regiment Commander Qian, standing with a young girl. She was under 1.5 meters tall, looking delicate and frail. Lin Feihu grew even more confused—was this his training target?

"Reporting, Regiment Commander! Lin Feihu reporting for duty. Please give your orders." Lin Feihu's face was stern, his every move exuding a military aura.

Qian Jun's voice was authoritative: "Comrade Lin Feihu, your task today is to train Comrade Feng Xia, conduct an assessment, and record it in the archives."

At the mention of "record in the archives," Lin Feihu's pupils sharply contracted. A little girl, entered into the archives—what did this mean?

But years of military service made him respond promptly. Qian Jun nodded in satisfaction and left. He had a meeting today; otherwise, he would have stayed to watch the girl's training results.

Lin Feihu looked at Feng Xia's fair, tender cheeks, feeling at a loss. She had gained some weight recently, looking more like an 11-year-old child. Lin Feihu silently screamed inside. What could he do? He had to grit his teeth and proceed!

"Hello, Comrade Feng Xia. We might need to start with a physical test. Carry a 60-jin load and run three kilometers within 20 minutes. Is that okay?" Lin Feihu couldn't believe in Feng Xia's ability. She probably weighed around 60 jin herself; burdening her with that seemed cruel.

Feng Xia nodded, her expression unchanged. But she was no longer the scrawny kid she used to be. Now, with a neat student haircut and soft, fair cheeks, she looked endearing. Even Lin Feihu found it hard to be harsh.

Lin Feihu brought the 60-jin load. Feng Xia put it on swiftly, blinking to signal she was ready. Lin Feihu hesitated but said, "Stop if you can't handle it. Don't hurt yourself."

This weight was nothing to Feng Xia. Even without her superpower, her survival-honed physique from the apocalypse made three kilometers easy.

Feng Xia started running. Lin Feihu timed her with a pocket watch—a rare item in those days. Watching the girl on the track, he noted her pace: steady. The small track was 1,000 meters per lap; three laps made three kilometers.

First lap: Feng Xia's breathing was steady, not a drop of sweat.

Second lap: Still steady, no sweat.

Third lap: Same.

Lin Feihu mechanically recorded the time: 16 minutes. This was an outstanding result even in the military, and it was clear from her demeanor that she hadn't given her all.

Feng Xia removed the load and dropped it to the ground. She took a sip from her canteen and asked, "What's next?"

What's next? Right, what now? Lin Feihu felt dazed. In a stupor, he led her to the special squad's usual training ground, where the obstacles were the toughest in the unit. The squad members were training rigorously in sequence.

There were eight obstacle groups: stepping posts, trenches, low walls, high platforms, ladders, balance beams, high walls, and low wire nets.

Feng Xia watched with interest as a soldier crawled under the low wire net, covered in sand and grit, going back and forth without pause.

Lin Feihu approached the squad leader, Yuan Biao, and spoke a few words. Yuan Biao stared at Feng Xia, his gaze sharp. Feng Xia met his eyes without flinching, earning a look of admiration from him. What a gutsy girl!

Yuan Biao signaled the soldiers to pause. Lin Feihu turned to Feng Xia: "Did you see everything clearly? Want me to demonstrate again?"

Feng Xia shook her head. Lin Feihu nodded: "Alright, then do it. Remember, the faster, the better."

"Start." Lin Feihu began timing.

Feng Xia started. Following the sequence she had observed, she first ran 100 meters to the flagpole, then crossed the three-step posts, the trench, and the low wall—all at incredible speed.

Small as she was, her movements over the walls were especially agile. A jump and a hand grip, and she was over. The high platform, ladder, and balance beam were even easier; she ran across them as if on flat ground, her speed unaffected by the ups and downs.

Like a nimble monkey, she left the soldiers dumbfounded.

At the trench, where physical exhaustion should have peaked, Feng Xia effortlessly climbed out in less than two seconds. The special squad, also known as the "Blade Squad," required a minimum of 2 minutes 30 seconds for this 400-meter obstacle course. Feng Xia completed it in just over a minute—about 1 minute 10 seconds.

Even Lin Feihu's time was similar.

Going through the low wire net dirtied her clothes, her jade-white arms smeared with mud. But her eyes remained calm, clear and bright.

Lin Feihu mechanically recorded the data. What did this mean? An 11-year-old, untrained child achieving this level? This wasn't a child; it was a monster. In time, she would become an unstoppable blade. Beside him, Yuan Biao's eyes burned with excitement. With this girl, the Blade Squad's reputation would shake the entire field base.

Yuan Biao: "Girl, have you ever held a gun?"

Feng Xia shook her head. In the past ten years, she had never touched firearms.

Yuan Biao asked again: "Have you been training since childhood?"

Feng Xia hesitated, then finally nodded.

Yuan Biao patted Feng Xia on the shoulder, his voice boomed: "Good, from now on you train with me. Come on, let's have a sparring match right now."

As soon as he said this, Lin Feihu moved to stop him, and the soldiers gathered around, their eyes lit up with excitement.

"Captain, this ain't right, is it? If the little girl gets hurt, the CO will have my head." Lin Feihu stepped in front of Feng Xia, trying to dissuade him.

Yuan Biao didn't care about that: "I'll take the heat if the CO chews you out. You were supposed to bring the kid for testing, weren't you? Sparring with me is part of the test. Come on, let's exchange a few moves."

Lin Feihu reluctantly stepped aside, and the others made room for them. Yuan Biao was ruggedly built, and his moves were fierce, his fists cutting through the air with a gust of wind as they lunged toward Feng Xia's face. The punch came with overwhelming force, but Feng Xia flashed a smile, her sweet dimples showing, and without dodging or avoiding, she took the punch square on without budging an inch.

What did that mean? Even Lin Feihu couldn't claim to withstand such a punch. Just how strong was this girl?

Just then, Feng Xia smiled: "I won't bully you. I'll fight you without going all out. Come on."

Hearing this, even the soldiers were embarrassed for Yuan Biao. An eleven-year-old girl being so arrogant!

And indeed, the two went back and forth. In terms of combat experience, Yuan Biao had the edge. Feng Xia was self-taught, learning killing techniques, and she couldn't reveal all her cards here, so she was ultimately less seasoned than Yuan Biao. But Yuan Biao grew more delighted with each exchange, his moves powerful and fierce, and by the end, he seemed to be guiding her, clearly showing great appreciation for the girl.

Lin Feihu kept writing nonstop, filling an entire page with notes.

The soldiers nearby were thoroughly entertained—it was an incredible display!

Yuan Biao stopped first, and Feng Xia followed suit. He laughed heartily, thoroughly satisfied: "Girl, train with me from now on. In three years, you'll be the next soldier king!"

Feng Xia: "I've got school. I can only come on weekends."

"What did you say?!"