Chapter 74 - A Tough Start (2/2)

Ling Zhong nodded, letting them to have a rest. Then he had a talk with w.a.n.g Dashan and Liu Yi. “You have to keep watch tonight, can you stand it?”

“That’s OK. We will take turns at night, so that we will both have good rest and keep energetic at day. Don’t worry about us.”

Both w.a.n.g Dashan and Liu Yi said that the training would not have an impact on their evening activities. If they were really tired, they would tell Ling Zhang on their own initiative.

Ling Zhang found that they didn’t seem to be in low spirits, so he didn’t say anything more. After leaving the guards’ residence, he pa.s.sed on a message to the servants in the kitchen that they should provide more nutritious meat dishes to the guards every noon.

Although the person in charge of the expenditure of the kitchen was Fu Caiwei, she had said that as long as it was Ling Zhang’s request, they had to follow even if it would cost more money. So the servants in the kitchen promised him right away.

At noon, there were a few more meat dishes in the food for the guards, which deeply touched the group of men.

At the moment they were very happy, but Ling Zhang was not. After helping himself some lunch, he began to write down the knowledge points to be taught to the guards; then he sorted out and refined these points one by one. He had been sitting here since he started doing this. Not until the appointed time came did he take the things he prepared to the guards’ residence.

“That will keep Childe Ling busy for a while. These guys are a group of illiterates. It will take a lot of effort to let the knowledge sink in.”

Yao Yi, who was on guard on the roof of the Green Bamboo Mansion, looked at what was happening in the residence of the guards in the distance while complaining to the other guard.

“If I were him, I would rather have martial arts compet.i.tion with them than to teach them the knowledge. It is too hard.”

“That’s why Marshal dislikes you.”

“Cough! Captain, what are you talking about? If he knows it, we will be in trouble.”

“Marshal is not here. What are you afraid of?”

Yao Yi folded his arm on his chest, eyes on what was going on in the guards’ residence. However, the other guard beside him was looking around warily, he was afraid that their Marshal would suddenly pop up like a ghost.

The guards had been waiting on the practice ground on time. When Ling Zhang arrived, no one was absent and they all looked more energetic than in the morning. It seemed that the extra meals at noon had worked wonders.

“Take it easy, and don’t worry about the learning. I will explain in detail and demonstrate them one by one. All you need to do is focus on what I’m talking, remember it and reflect on it.” Ling Zhang said.

These guards were also experienced. Although the formation drills confused them, they were not lazy in the afternoon study.

This time, Ling Zhang slowed down his pace and patiently explained the most basics to them first. Then he gave them a demonstration over and over again. He wouldn’t move on to the next step until each of them had a clear understanding of each knowledge point.

Things were going on like this, in a rather slow and hard way. He spent an afternoon explaining only four basic knowledge points.

When he left the guards’ residence, he couldn’t help but touch his forehead. He needed to tell himself to be patient over and over again to actually keep his cool. In fact, he was really anxious. If at the current pace, it would take years before he could reach his goal .

After taking a bath, Ling Zhang looked at the formations he had picked on his desk and sighed. He was too naïve, thinking that he could teach them all three formations in half a month. But now, he would be overjoyed if they could master one. Green Bamboo Mansion had been quiet these days, which meant that Yuwen Tong hadn’t come back. Ling Zhang guessed what Yuwen Tong was doing exactly. But he was so tired that he finally fell asleep. In the middle of the night, there was something going on in the Green Bamboo Mansion. Yao Yi immediately knew who it was. “Marshal, you are back.”

Yuwen Tong nodded. “Anything new about Ling Mansion these days?”

Yao Yi then told Yuwen Tong what had happened in the Ling Family in the past few days. He highlighted two points. The first was that Ling Zhang had collected all the herbs; the second was the process of their training.

Hearing that those guards spent an afternoon learning only four basic knowledge points, Yuwen Tong frowned. “They are too stupid.”

“Precisely. They are too stupid that I couldn’t even bear to watch. Fortunately, young master is still patiently teaching them. Can these rough fellows learn that?”

Yuwen Tong thought about it seriously then asked, “Did he stay up late?”

“No, maybe he is too tired, so he rested early today.”

“Such a group of waste.” Yuwen Tong scolded and his face had turned cold.

Seeing that he was really angry, Yao Yi didn’t dare to say anything more.

“Remind me when he goes out tomorrow morning.”

“Okay.”

Yuwen Tong changed the nocturnal clothing and washed up. Sitting behind the desk, he unfolded a piece of paper. Then he took out his pen and began to draw a diagram of the Trap and Kill Formation of Twelve. He drew eight pictures and picked out two of them.

Then he drew a big circle on a blank piece of paper and began to ill.u.s.trate on it.

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