Clan Rise: Starting as a Grandfather
Chapter 155 - 151 I Want to Fight You

Chapter 155: Chapter 151 I Want to Fight You

"You’ve arrived at the perfect time; the second batch of soldiers at the garrison has just begun their basic training today. You can take this opportunity to understand the entire process of training troops!"

"How about this, you first serve as a Bazong in the garrison, just in time to get involved in the training."

After a long chat about family matters, Yang Zhenshan finally revealed his own intentions.

"This doesn’t seem appropriate!" Wang Sheng didn’t expect Yang Zhenshan to arrange an official position for him.

Yang Zhenshan smiled and said, "What’s inappropriate about it? I plan to train all the soldiers under my command. Once the training here at the garrison is complete, it will coincide with the end of spring farming for the troops stationed outside the city. Then I will bring them into the city in batches for training."

"The whole training plan is divided into five phases; it would be best if you can participate in it."

"Training troops isn’t as simple as just saying it; there are many things that one must personally experience to gain insights!"

"In the troop training records, I wrote about teaching the soldiers to read and explained the benefits of being literate. But unless you experience it yourself, how can you know if these benefits are real?"

"Practice is the only criterion for testing the truth. How to train troops, you can only learn the true method by getting truly involved!"

"Whether it’s learning from books or teaching by example, nothing compares to trying it out yourself!"

Yang Zhenshan deployed his convincing skills, setting aside everything else to first get Wang Sheng to join the garrison.

However, Wang Sheng felt that what Yang Zhenshan said made a lot of sense.

Practice is the only criterion for testing the truth.

Nothing compares to getting hands-on experience.

Having listened to Yang Zhenshan’s words, he actually felt an eager urge to try.

"In that case, your nephew will not shy away from the honor!" Wang Sheng agreed.

Yang Zhenshan laughed, patting Wang Sheng’s shoulder and saying, "That’s more like it."

This is the advantage of being older; one can act as the elder and teacher in front of younger people anytime and anywhere, patting their shoulders to show closeness.

If Yang Zhenshan were a young man, would Wang Sheng have allowed him to pat his shoulder?

Originally, Yang Zhenshan wanted Wang Sheng to stay with the Yang family, but unexpectedly, the Wang family had already purchased a house in An Yuan State City and arranged for servants to move in ahead of time.

Left with no choice, Yang Zhenshan could only send Wang Sheng over to the house bought by the Wang family.

The courtyard was small, just a modest three-section compound, similar in size to the small courtyard that Zhou Lan had given to Yang Zhenshan in Chongshan Pass City, but it was more than enough for Wang Sheng alone.

The next day, Yang Zhenshan personally took Wang Sheng to the City Gate Castle to start his duties. To better integrate Wang Sheng into the garrison and enable him to truly learn the methods of training troops, Yang Zhenshan even stayed in the City Gate Castle for a day, introducing the people in the garrison to Wang Sheng and explaining the methods and significance of the basic training.

He wanted Wang Sheng to feel the warmth of the spring breeze, to make him never want to leave the garrison.

Little did Wang Sheng know how much Yang Zhenshan had considered; he just felt that Yang Zhenshan was incredibly kind to him, his gratitude towards Yang Zhenshan overflowing beyond words.

Yet in just one day, he had almost come to regard Yang Zhenshan as his actual uncle.

Seeing Wang Sheng integrate into the garrison settled Yang Zhenshan’s mind.

He had really been worried that this noble son would not be able to endure the hardships of the garrison.

It was still winter now, and the weather in An Yuan City was very cold; naturally, the training was a challenging and exhausting endeavor.

Fortunately, Wang Sheng was not a delicate noble son; he quickly adapted to the garrison’s training.

...

After Yang Zhenshan had properly arranged everything for Wang Sheng, Wu Chongzhe, the Family Head of the Wu family, also arrived in An Yuan City.

In the garrison office, Yang Zhenshan watched the sturdy Wu Chongzhe, his eyes lighting up.

Wu Chongzhe was thirty-seven years old this year, at the peak of his life.

The peak period for a Martial Artist is generally between thirty-five and forty-five. After turning forty, physical functions gradually decline, and the older one gets, the more severe the decline.

From forty to forty-five, the decline is not too severe; the decline is only slight, but once one passes fifty, there will be a noticeable slip in strength.

Thus, a Martial Artist does not necessarily grow stronger with age unless cultivation reaches the Innate Realm, transforming the Jin Qi within the body into Innate True Qi. Returning to Innate Essence Qi, fostering the Innate Qi Sea, with the Qi Sea ever rejuvenating, balancing Yin and Yang, can one mitigate bodily aging and prolong life.

At this moment, Wu Chongzhe was in the strongest period of his life, his body involuntarily emanating a fierce aura, the strong presence matched with his robust build made it clear that this was not a man to be trifled with.

"Commoner Wu Chongzhe greets the garrison officer!"

Wu Chongzhe’s voice bellowed like a loud bell.

"Hehe, take a seat!" Yang Zhenshan pointed to a chair beside him and said.

Wu Chongzhe sat down without any hesitation, plopping himself down.

"I wonder why the officer has summoned me."

He preemptively spoke.

Yang Zhenshan looked at him, thoughts churning in his mind.

This was an arrogant fellow.

Even facing him, the garrison officer, he showed no hint of subservience.

It’s no wonder that Tian Gui had suffered losses at his hands before.

But this was normal; after all, Wu Chongzhe possessed the cultivation of the Postnatal Sixth Layer and was already considered a top expert in An Yuan State.

Not just in An Yuan State; even in Songzhou Guard, he would be regarded as an expert.

Sha Pingchuan, the Commander of the Guard, also had only the cultivation of the Postnatal Sixth Layer, and Wang Bin, the Assistant General, was at the Postnatal Seventh Layer.

With a cultivation of the Postnatal Sixth Layer, Wu Chongzhe naturally possessed an arrogant confidence.

Originally, Yang Zhenshan wanted to recruit Wu Chongzhe with an eager attitude, but now that he saw Wu Chongzhe, he felt this eagerness would not suffice.

Such an arrogant person, merely sincerity and attention would probably not move him.

Furthermore, if only using sincerity to draw him in, he might not be able to control him later.

"I want to have a fight with you!"

Yang Zhenshan stroked his beard, his eyes gleaming as he spoke.

Since it’s hard to recruit an arrogant person, then subdue him through combat.

"A fight?"

Wu Chongzhe looked at him in astonishment.

Isn’t he supposed to make me an officer?

Why does he suddenly want to fight me?

Previously, Yang Zhenshan had mentioned making either Wu Chongzhe or Wu An the defense officer of Shuiquan Castle, and indeed, he was tempted. The Wu family had been in decline for decades, and the people of the Wu family had become restless.

The Wu family was not actually wealthy. They had some assets and also occupied the Wu Family Castle’s garrison lands, but with the direct and collateral family branches, there were six to seven hundred mouths to feed—imagining the expenses was staggering.

Most critically, the Wu family had many Martial Artists, yet the Wu Family restricted these Martial Artists from seeking their own paths outside.

After cultivating for over ten years and finally becoming Martial Artists, they had no opportunity to utilize their Martial Arts and could only stay within the garrison planting crops—naturally, they harbored resentment.

If it weren’t for Wu Chongzhe and the elder family members who could keep them under control, the Wu family would have likely disintegrated long ago.

They could control the situation temporarily, but not indefinitely. The longer the suppression, the deeper the resentment in the hearts of the family members.

Therefore, Wu Chongzhe had come intending to accept Yang Zhenshan’s offer to become the defense officer of Shuiquan Castle, to allow the Wu family’s younger generation to venture out from Wu Family Castle.

Of course, he would accept Yang Zhenshan’s offer, but he wouldn’t submit to Yang Zhenshan.

I will take the post, but don’t expect me to serve you.

"Are you scared?" Yang Zhenshan challenged him with a provocative look.

Wu Chongzhe laughed heartily, "Sir, blades and spears are blind, if you get hurt, don’t blame me!"

He was naturally not afraid; he was merely shocked.

This was a good opportunity for him to establish his authority over Yang Zhenshan to prevent future troubles from Yang looking for trouble with the Wu family.

Yes, that’s exactly what he thought.

Wu Chongzhe was prideful but not foolishly arrogant. His casual attitude was just for Yang Zhenshan to see.

He wanted to let Yang Zhenshan know that he was not easy to mess with, and the Wu family was not something Yang could manipulate easily.

Yet Yang Zhenshan insisted on controlling the Wu family; not only did he want to keep the Wu family under his thumb, but he also wanted the Wu family to serve him.

If the Wu family could not serve him, then Yang Zhenshan would have no choice but to eliminate the Wu family.

Yang Zhenshan was not like Cao Han, who only cared about accumulating wealth and didn’t care whether the Wu family was under control, as long as they didn’t cause him trouble.

Yang Zhenshan was also not like Tian Gui, who bullied the weak and feared the strong, knowing he couldn’t control the Wu family, and just let the Wu family operate independently.

Yang Zhenshan couldn’t tolerate having uncontrollable forces under his command.

"Wait a moment, I will change my clothes!"

Today, Yang Zhenshan was wearing an official robe, which is not suitable for fighting. He needed to change.

Moments later, Yang Zhenshan changed into a tidy black fighting attire, and he went with Wu Chongzhe to an open area outside the main hall.

The space in front of the main hall was fairly spacious, about one hundred square meters, barely enough for the two of them to have a competition.

The two of them stood facing each other, Yang Zhenshan holding a Gold-plated Flying Fish Spear, and Wu Chongzhe holding a Golden Geese Feather Saber.

This Golden Geese Feather Saber was not an ordinary saber; it was a heirloom passed down by the ancestors of the Wu family.

Geese Feather Saber, straight-bladed with a curved tip and a back edge, named for its resemblance to the feather of a goose.

The Golden Geese Feather Saber in Wu Chongzhe’s hand was four feet long, making it one of the longer types of Geese Feather Sabers.

"Please, after you, sir!"

At this moment, Wu Chongzhe was being modest.

"Well, I won’t stand on ceremony then!"

Yang Zhenshan couldn’t be bothered with further niceties, and as his voice fell, he released a strong murderous aura, like a ferocious beast, charging towards Wu Chongzhe.

Wu Chongzhe, who was initially composed, suddenly felt the intense murderous aura emanating from Yang Zhenshan, and his heart tightened.

Such strong murderous intent?

Yang Zhenshan, a man who had charged through the battlefield three times, his spear had pierced through the chests of hundreds of men. Previously, Yu Qingyi had called him a war demon.

But now, Yang Zhenshan could already conceal his murderous aura, spending months concealing his light and nurturing his cunning, almost becoming like a kindhearted old man.

This was why Wu Chongzhe hadn’t noticed his murderous aura before.

Now, facing this strong murderous aura head-on, his scalp couldn’t help but tingle.

In terms of murderous aura, he was far inferior to Yang Zhenshan.

Although he had the cultivation of the Postnatal Sixth Layer, he had hardly ever been on the battlefield.

But now there was no time for him to think more, because Yang Zhenshan’s spear was already thrusting toward his face.