Chapter 115: The Devil Drillmaster (2)

Within the vast expanse of forest, in front of every sapling stood a pair of individuals, their faces pale with suffering, clenching their teeth as they repeatedly struck the tree trunks with their shins. Blow after blow, even as cold sweat streamed down their brows from the pain, not one dared to utter a sound—because others had it worse.

On a slightly flatter patch of muddy ground nearby, robust figures were leaping high into the air and landing forcefully on their backs. Each impact sent pebbles sinking deeper into the earth, leaving shallow pits in their wake.

Han Shu's tiger-like eyes stared fixedly at the scene before her. She was actually training their bodies this way. If they endured this kind of regimen long enough, these people would surely gain bodies as tough as iron and steel.

Her deep gaze shifted to the black-clad woman standing at the center of the group. Cloaked in layers of dust, her expression was unreadable, but her erect posture radiated a silent yet oppressive force.

Half an hour later—

"Stop. Rest for fifteen minutes."

The command, delivered in that same cold, low voice, sounded like heavenly music to the soldiers who had nearly been pounded to death. Almost simultaneously, every man collapsed to the ground. Numb with pain, they all felt as though they were on the verge of death.

Seeing the young men sitting on the ground, their lips cracked and drenched in sweat, Gu Yun didn't rush to reassemble them into ranks. Instead, she smiled nonchalantly and said, "Impact resistance training will be part of your routine for the next half-month. Let's call it a day for now."

Upon hearing her words, many faces turned green. Their legs still ached unbearably, their backs burned as if on fire—and this was only the second day. None of them knew if they'd even survive until the end of two weeks.

Before they had time to mourn their fate, Gu Yun's voice rang out again:

"Fall in!"

Trembling, they climbed to their feet. Caked in sweat and mud, each looked as though they'd rolled through the earth.

Gu Yun, however, was quite pleased with their disheveled appearance. Her tone lightened as she continued, "Next up is combat training. Now that you've learned how to take a hit, it's time you learn how to strike back. Since this is night assault warfare, our focus will be on silent kill techniques. Today, we begin with close-quarters combat.

"Unarmed combat encompasses many disciplines—karate, Jeet Kune Do, Muay Thai, judo, and Sanda..."

Before she could finish, a ripple of laughter broke out. She turned her gaze toward the sound. It came from a particularly youthful face—likely no more than fifteen or sixteen, still more boy than man. His face smeared with mud, he was grinning like a fool.

Gu Yun strolled over and asked with a smile, "What's so funny?"

"Judo? Isn't that something girls play with?"

Though he tried to suppress his grin, the mirth still laced his voice.

Gu Yun's eyes flashed—Excellent. A fearless one. She patted his shoulder, her tone deceptively soft: "You—step forward."

Though her touch seemed light, the pressure on his shoulder sent a chill down his spine. At last, the boy realized there was something sinister in her smile. But backing out wasn't an option. Cautiously, he followed Gu Yun to the front, staying on guard.

She waited for him to stand before her, still wearing that unnerving smile.

"Attack me."

The boy hesitated. How could he, such a strapping youth, strike a woman?

Gu Yun's eyes narrowed. "What are you dawdling for? Attack!"

After a moment's pause, the boy lunged at her half-heartedly.

But the instant he got close, Gu Yun grabbed his shoulder, pivoted, and with her back pressed to his side, yanked downward. In a flash, his tall frame was hurled over her back and slammed into the ground.

Lying there stunned, the boy felt the world spin. He hadn't the faintest clue how he'd been thrown with such force.

Gu Yun released him and said coldly, "Again!"

Being thrown to the ground by a woman half his size was beyond humiliating. The boy scrambled up and assumed a horse stance. That earlier toss had only caught him off guard—this time he would not let her succeed so easily.

Horse stance? Gu Yun's brow lifted slightly. Very well—she'd test its strength.

Before the boy could move, Gu Yun closed the distance. Her left leg stepped between his, catching him off balance. Just as he raised a fist, her twin strikes landed heavily on his shoulders, knocking him backward.

Trying to stabilize himself, he shifted his stance, only to feel a tightness at his chest—Gu Yun's hands had seized his collar. In the next moment, he was airborne again, flung in a graceful arc before crashing to the earth.

The soldiers watching, their backs still ablaze with pain, all instinctively shrank away.

Beautiful! Han Shu secretly admired her. She hadn't expected Gu Yun's unarmed skills to rival her swordsmanship.

Standing tall, Gu Yun's face darkened. "Again!"

His footing unstable, his legs weak—clearly, more frog jump drills were needed to build explosive strength and endurance.

The boy clambered up like a broken puppet. One look at the fierce woman before him made him unconsciously retreat a step.

Gu Yun barked, "Attack!"

He dared retreat?

Frozen in place, the boy said nothing.

A flicker of impatience and disappointment flashed in Gu Yun's eyes as she charged again.

The moment he flinched backward, she changed tactics. One hand grabbed his collar, the other his belt. Dropping to one knee, she twisted—

In a blur, the boy was flung again.

But this time, she didn't let him go. Instead, she followed through, pressing him to the ground. Her knee dug into his sternum. One hand locked his throat. The other curled into a tight fist and shot toward his eye.

A sharp gust of wind brushed his face. Terrified, the boy squeezed his eyes shut and let out a panicked yelp.

Yet the pain never came. Slowly, he opened his eyes to see her fist suspended an inch from his eyelid, a cold sweat streaming down his face.

One inch closer, and he would have lost his sight.

In the vast forest, five hundred men stood in stunned silence.

Gu Yun relaxed her fist and slowly rose, taking several deep breaths to suppress her fury.

The boy didn't dare lie there any longer. Rubbing his neck, he shakily got to his feet, dreading that she might continue.

Fortunately, she didn't. She only gave him a frosty look and asked, "How did that feel?"

The boy hesitated, then muttered, "Dizzy… no matter how I attacked, you always threw me down."

It wasn't just him. Everyone shared the same question: how could she toss a man twice her size so effortlessly?

"Judo is a combat art that focuses on leveraging strength with precision. Its essence lies in using softness to overcome force. Even when your opponent has greater power and size, you can still triumph."

Gu Yun gave him a sidelong glance. "Still think it's a joke?"

Embarrassed, the boy lowered his head.

"Answer!" Gu Yun snapped.

The boy straightened immediately and shouted, "Not a joke!"

Her cold gaze swept across the ranks. Cowed by her murderous aura, none dared meet her eyes. Her sharp voice rang through the still forest:

"Arrogance blinds you…"