Chapter 110: Military Might on the Training Ground (1)

Su Yu swept her sleeves and departed. Gu Yun dropped the half-eaten cucumber from her hand, rose, and stretched lazily. She had eaten too hastily earlier and was now uncomfortably full. In this era without protein powders, to supply enough calories and accelerate muscle growth, she was forced to consume copious amounts of high-protein food. Glancing at her still emaciated frame, Gu Yun felt a pang of frustration—when would she ever regain her former strength? She bowed her head in defeat, only to meet the old servant's slightly reproachful gaze. Gu Yun shrugged and smiled faintly; it was not that she bullied his master, but that he was far too self-important.

The old servant busied himself with the dishes, shaking his head in quiet resignation. This girl was cunning and shrewd; Master Su was no match for her. He wondered whether the Great General could truly rein her in. Muttering to himself, he left the courtyard.

Gu Yun reclined carelessly on the grass, eyes half-closed, idly twirling a stalk of wild grass between her fingers. Qing was nowhere to be found, and she had no leads. The General's residence was not a place she could stay long-term, but fleeing now would only lead to capture. She would be helpless, let alone able to find Qing. For the moment, she resolved to remain at the General's manor, find Qing, and devise an escape plan before departing.

As she pondered her next moves, a sudden, thunderous beat of drums echoed through the air. Gu Yun's eyes snapped open; she tilted her head to listen intently. The sound came again—from the back mountain! Over the past fortnight, intermittent shouts, clashes, and brief drumbeats had come from behind the courtyard. Each booming beat was charged with vigor and restlessness, stirring one's blood to a fevered pitch.

Naturally action-driven, curiosity ignited within her, and her body moved before her mind could fully register. She rose swiftly and headed toward the source of the drumming.

Before her stood a towering courtyard wall, a modest wooden door ajar. Pushing it open, she was instantly met with an expansive open ground, bathed in blazing sunlight. Upon it, two to three thousand soldiers stood densely packed yet arranged with meticulous precision, facing each other as two opposing armies.

The man she had seen at noon, Su Yu, stood at the head of one army, clad in gleaming silver armor, wielding a hefty broadsword. His proud posture radiated commanding majesty.

Between pauses in the war drums, Su Yu gave a low roar: "Attack!" The ranks surged forth instantly, and the opposing force readied to counter.

Leaning against the doorway, Gu Yun watched the confrontation with keen interest. Soon, a faint smile curled at her lips, and a slight furrow appeared on her brow.

"Is it amusing?" a gentle male voice sounded behind her.

Startled, Gu Yun realized she had been so engrossed in the battle that she hadn't noticed someone approaching. She inwardly scolded herself but showed no sign on her face. Slowly turning, she saw a man clad in azure standing behind her—handsome and refined. Judging by his features, Gu Yun surmised he was likely another brother of Su Ling. Compared to Su Ling's haughty aloofness and Su Yu's impulsive dominance, this man's genteel composure lent him a refreshing and pleasant aura.

Though his lips curved in a courteous smile, Gu Yun detected a subtle coldness in his half-closed eyes and the upward twitch of his mouth; his true mood was far from friendly.

Hiding the sharp glint in her gaze, Gu Yun replied calmly, "Not amusing—just regrettable."

"Regrettable in what way?" Su Ren's tone remained unreadable.

He turned to watch the two armies locked in fierce combat below, the outcome still uncertain.

Gu Yun responded evenly, "The primary purpose of this engagement is likely to test the offensive capability of Su Yu's forces. In my opinion, this army possesses formidable attack power but is lamentably deficient in defense."

Though this flaw might not be obvious at the outset, it would soon be laid bare.

Su Ren's eyes flickered as he smiled again, "And by what do you judge this?"

Gu Yun met his profound gaze, sensing his intent to probe her knowledge. She smiled softly and, standing beside him, whispered her analysis:

"Whether offense or defense, at the start of a battle between unfamiliar foes, the initial attack intensity is equal. Victory hinges on who first uncovers the opponent's weakness, who can attack while maintaining solid defense, and endure the onslaught. Su Yu's force might easily triumph against ordinary foes with their brute strength, but against seasoned warriors, mere aggression is insufficient."

She slowly raised a hand, pointing to Su Yu's right flank with a steady voice and a subtle smile: "There—lies the vulnerability in their defense."

As if to confirm her words, the battle unfolded. Su Yu's formation, resembling a butterfly spreading its wings, grew increasingly burdened as the fight progressed. Su Yu and the vanguard had pushed forward, yet the formation lagged behind, especially on the right, where the ranks fell into evident disarray.

Su Ren furrowed his brows, his heart skipping a beat. When he first saw this smiling woman standing outside the courtyard, he had assumed she was a pampered noble, ignorant of military tactics. He had even smiled foolishly at her. Now it seemed she was not only knowledgeable but quite adept!

Suppressing his astonishment, Su Ren asked, "In your opinion, how might victory be achieved?"

"By strengthening defense."

"As for how?"

After a pause, Gu Yun answered coolly, "By enhancing individual combat capabilities."

Individual combat ability? Su Ren's eyes brightened. He and Su Yu had both noticed this weakness in the formation but had yet to identify its root cause. Her insight gave him a glimmer of strategy.

He regarded the woman beside him with newfound respect and smiled, "Would you care to witness the battle up close?"

Gu Yun readily accepted with a bright laugh, "Certainly."

She admitted feeling intrigued. In this era, nothing had ever felt familiar or engaging—yet here, she sensed a strange connection and an urge to explore further.

They entered the training ground, where the formation was clearer. Su Ren observed the woman beside him intently.

Suddenly, Gu Yun whispered, "What is your name?"

Su Ren blinked and replied, "Su Ren."

Nodding, Gu Yun said, "Qing Mo."

"Miss Qing, are you fond of studying military strategy?"

Su Ren had long suspected her identity, given her presence at the General's residence, but he never expected the famed beauty of the Qing family to be so disfigured—and even more surprising, versed in the art of war.

Gu Yun smiled candidly, "Not quite studying—just a little understanding."

She had indeed read ancient military treatises but had not truly studied them. Her mind was filled instead with modern military drills and combat techniques.

Su Ren raised an eyebrow; her modesty was striking.

As they chatted, the skirmish ended as expected—with Su Yu's assault repelled.

Despite reinforcing the right flank with two hundred men, Su Yu's side still lost! Frustrated, he removed his armor and saw Su Ren nearby. Hastening over, Su Yu greeted, "Second Brother."

Having suffered defeat twice, Su Yu was already in a foul mood. Upon seeing the petite woman beside Su Ren, his face darkened, and he snarled, "What are you doing here? Who allowed you? Get out!"

Gu Yun's eyes chilled, "Is this not the General's domain?"

Ignorant of the full context and venting his anger, Su Yu shouted, "Of course it belongs to the General!"

Gu Yun nodded slowly, speaking deliberately, "Very well. A bastard who lost a wager to me half an hour ago promised I could move freely within the General's manor."

Su Yu's expression stiffened. Indeed, he had consented to her freedom of movement, but as a deputy general, he could not tolerate a woman shouting orders at him!

His fury flared hotter. Pointing at Gu Yun, he barked harshly, "This is the training ground, a place for men to drill. Women have no right to enter, let alone observe at will!"

His repeated references to her gender, coupled with his lofty demeanor, thoroughly enraged Gu Yun.

Casting a cold glance over the defeated soldiers, she faced Su Yu again, a sardonic and disdainful smile curling her lips as she spoke icily:

"Watching a decided battle is pointless. Generals like you—impatient, shortsighted, utterly ignorant of warfare—should not command troops. Otherwise, you'll only lead them to their deaths alongside you."

Her words drew a sharp intake of breath from the soldiers below. Was this woman mad?

Su Ren grimaced inwardly. How dare she publicly humiliate him!

"Impudent!" Su Yu snapped back, fury unleashing in a sweeping blow of his broadsword toward Gu Yun's head. The blade gleamed with a chilling white light in the sun.

Su Ren gasped, "My third brother has lost it. If that sword strikes—she won't survive!"

Just as Su Ren moved to intervene, the seemingly frail woman advanced with astonishing speed. Before Su Yu could react, she grasped the sword's hilt at his waist.

With a deft motion, Gu Yun drew her blade. A flash of silvery light cut through the air as she reversed her sword to meet the descending broadsword.

A clear clash rang out, sparks flying. The slender blade was no match for the heavy sword; it chipped under the force. The brutal impact sent a shock through Gu Yun's palm, and she dropped to one knee.

Damn! she cursed inwardly. In the past,

she had only trained in hand-to-hand combat and light weaponry, never a sword fight against a true soldier.

Su Yu sneered, "How disappointing! Did you really think you could challenge me?"

Gu Yun laughed harshly, struggling to her feet, "Challenge you? I'm only showing you how a real general trains his men."

The air thickened with tension as they faced off. The drumming resumed, swelling like thunder, signaling the start of another fierce clash.