Chapter 34: Military Training and Morning Exercises

T/N:

Heikou (Black Dragon Mouth)

Heicheng (Black Dragon City)

...

Recently, a new militia group has emerged in the city. They are reserves undergoing training for hunting expeditions outside the city, living and training alongside the patrol soldiers.

The Queen called this "military training." Every able-bodied adult male demon citizen is required to participate, and female demon citizens can volunteer if they wish.

After seven days of military training, those who remain will undergo more intensive training. In the future, they will become reserve demon soldiers, primarily responsible for hunting outside the city.

Since this training is semi-mandatory, the Supervisory Court has carefully planned the schedule: literacy classes will continue in the mornings as usual, while adults will undergo military training in the afternoons. During this time, their children will be sent to school for supervision.

Yin Jixue was quite satisfied with the Supervisory Court's plan. Not bad, they've gotten things on track pretty quickly.

The term "military training" was her idea, but the content of the training followed the traditional methods of the demon race. Yin Jixue only added one instruction: try not to go easy on them; train them as rigorously as usual.

However, to foster closer relationships between the demons inside and outside the city, she had the soldiers mix the citizens during training to build camaraderie. This way, during future hunts, they could trust their teammates to watch their backs.

Yin Jixue hardly had any private time to herself. Just as she curled up in bed for a nap, she remembered that the city's clinics had been overcrowded lately, mostly with children.

Many of them loved playing in the snow and having snowball fights in the freezing weather. Because their homes were warm, they played recklessly and ended up catching colds or fevers.

Fortunately, fevers weren't fatal for demon children. Their bodies would become scorching hot, to the point where touching them could burn your hand, and they could even ignite the bedsheets. Despite feeling fine themselves, anyone who touched them would get burned. Even with foreheads hot enough to fry an egg, they would still be lively and energetic. Once their temperature dropped, they wouldn't even need medicine.

When Yin Jixue first learned about this, she was envious. A fever with no risk of death and no need for medicine? If she had such a constitution, she'd want to roam outside every day too.

Black Dragon City didn't have much in the way of medicinal herbs. Only professional demon doctors could lower fevers, and the herbs she had brought with her were only suitable for her, a human.

The doctors said that demon children shouldn't be kept too restrained. They needed to release their natural energy to grow stronger in the future.

Given this, it was time to introduce broadcast exercises.

It was time to get these kids to strengthen their bodies and develop good exercise habits.

Yin Jixue recalled a few movements, climbed out of bed, and started sketching at her desk.

School was a distant memory, so this broadcast exercise routine was a mix of several sets. She drew whatever came to mind.

"Feng Xiu, Ruo Shui, come in."

"This is a set of physical exercises I've drawn up. Find two soldiers to practice it once and let me see how it works."

Hmm, having soldiers learn it first and then teach the children was a great idea!

The two maids were puzzled. Physical exercises?

They had never heard of such a thing. Should they ask Lord Teng She to learn it personally?

They treated Yin Jixue's request as a serious matter, so when Teng She and Gou Chen arrived together, Yin Jixue thought they had come to discuss something important.

"What's the matter?" she asked.

Teng She looked confused. "Feng Xiu said you wanted to teach a set of physical exercises, so Gou Chen and I came to try it out."

Yin Jixue:

Pfft.

Hahahaha.

She stifled her laughter. "Sure, here's the manual."

Teng She and Gou Chen exchanged glances. As expected, it was a secret manual from the Queen.

They didn't have any ulterior motives; they simply wanted to see what these physical exercises were about and help the Queen spread them, as it would benefit the citizens of Black Dragon City.

Yin Jixue handed the manual to Teng She. "Each movement should be accompanied by a chant, like 'one, two, three, four' for the first movement."

She wanted to pat Teng She's shoulder but realized she couldn't reach it, so she awkwardly clapped her hands instead.

"Do you understand?"

Teng She and Gou Chen blinked. "Sort of."

As expected of a secret manual from the Queen. It was as incomprehensible as a heavenly script, which made them believe even more in its effectiveness.

Today was the day the single demon maidens of the city would have their illusions shattered.

The two guardians performed the physical exercises with stoic expressions, chanting in a firm voice: "One, two, three, four; two, two, three, four..."

They took it very seriously, treating the broadcast exercises as a solemn task, but their awkward movements betrayed them.

Even though they were good-looking—no, let's be honest, watching handsome men seriously doing broadcast exercises while being completely uncoordinated was hilarious.

Yin Jixue tried hard not to laugh but eventually couldn't hold it in. She turned around, her shoulders shaking as she silently laughed.

What could be funnier than watching cold, stoic guardians awkwardly performing broadcast exercises?

Yin Jixue swore this was the most unrestrained laughter she'd had since coming to the demon realm. She had to bite her hand to keep from making a sound.

Meanwhile, Teng She and Gou Chen were thinking that despite their strength, second only to the Demon King, their bodies were so uncoordinated during these physical exercises. Just a few movements had already made them feel warm and flushed.

When Yin Jixue finally stopped laughing and turned back, she pretended nothing had happened. "What do you think of these physical exercises? Are they effective?"

Teng She and Gou Chen exchanged glances, recalling their uncoordinated movements. It felt like their limbs didn't belong to them. The two usually cold and aloof guardians blushed for the first time.

These physical exercises had made their cheeks flush and their ears burn. They must be truly effective!

They didn't realize that the emotion they were feeling was called embarrassment.

"We think they're excellent. They should be promoted throughout Black Dragon City."

Yin Jixue nodded with a smile, then quickly added, "No, no, these are for the children to learn."

Teng She was puzzled. "I believe adults can learn them too."

Yin Jixue: *I'm doing this for your good...*

Teng She and Gou Chen insisted that the citizens undergoing military training should also learn the exercises. Unable to dissuade them, Yin Jixue let it go.

As long as I'm not embarrassed, the embarrassment is yours.

Somehow, Teng She and Gou Chen managed to promote the broadcast exercises so effectively that the recent greeting in the city became, "Have you done your physical exercises today?"

Not only that, but some citizens even started competing in the streets to see who could perform the movements more accurately, drawing crowds to watch and score them.

Just hearing about this made Yin Jixue's scalp tingle. She finally understood what it meant to feel so awkward that you could dig a three-bedroom apartment with your toes.

Oh, simple citizens of Black Dragon City, there will come a day in the future when you'll look back on this moment and cringe.

If only there were a camera, she would have recorded it. This could be used for future city promotions—it's a symbol of the citizens' happiness!

Just as she was thinking this, Yin Jixue felt a strange pulling sensation.

She followed the feeling and got up, stopping at her dressing table.

On the table was a wooden box. Yin Jixue had never touched it before because it wasn't hers, and she didn't want to mess with it and risk losing something.

This time, however, she opened the box as if guided by some force. Inside was a fist-sized magic crystal—or something resembling one, though its color was lighter than the usual purple magic crystals.

"What's this?"

And what was that strange pulling sensation just now?

It felt like being hypnotized, but not as severe. She had gotten up voluntarily, and the pulling force wasn't strong enough to control her.

She was utterly confused.

Suddenly, the system updated her with a new task.

Turns out, this thing was a memory stone.

Wait a minute! Isn't this supposed to be a tool from a cultivation world?

What kind of world have I ended up in?!