Chapter 235: Training

The fiery heat blowing from the blazing flames continued to rise up high into the air in the dark. The sparks from the flames were blowing in all directions like tiny fireflies.

Yan Liqiang stood outside the piles of rising flames like the rest of the guards and watched them burn. He watched the sparks dance about in the air and the pile of corpses slowly being incinerated inside the sea of flames.

Like the others around him, Yan Liqiang’s face was completely cast with the red lights from the flames. Even though the piles of flames were ignited at the mountain slope behind the Hui Clan Gathering, the flames had been ignited inside Yan Liqiang’s heart as well.

The twenty-six piles of rising flames were the last bit of heat that Sun Bingchen’s twenty-six guards had left behind in this world after they were killed in battle.

The silence felt slightly stifling. Everyone, including Sun Bingchen and Liang Yijie, solemnly stood around the fire piles. In addition, Yan Liqiang could still faintly hear the uncontrollable sobs.

The one who was crying was a young guard who had just turned twenty years old, not much older than Yan Liqiang. The reason why he cried was because his older brother was one of the twenty-six corpses in the burning flame.

The young guard was named Hu Haihe. He and his older brother hailed from the Imperial Capital. Since one of their uncles worked in the Imperial Cavalry Unit, his older brother was placed in the same unit because of his relationship with his uncle during his conscription. The reason for that was the Imperial Cavalry Unit was treated slightly better than the other armies that were stationed in the Imperial Capital. Afterward, when Hu Haihe joined the army, he also joined the Imperial Cavalry Unit because of his uncle as well. On top of that, he was stationed together with his older brother so that these two brothers would be able to look out for each other.

With Sun Bingchen as the Patrol Inspector this time, he and his brother were both transferred from their squad to follow Sun Bingchen to the northwest region.

In the battle two days ago, for the sake of protecting him, his older brother engaged in combat with the Blackwind Bandits on the battlefield. He was shot through the neck by an arrow, dying on the spot.

Yan Liqiang wasn’t aware that there was a pair of brothers among Sun Bingchen’s troops. It wasn’t until yesterday that he had learned of this information after listening to the other guards talking about it.

The brothers had bid their farewell on a battlefield. This could be considered a human tragedy too…

The flickering flame wavered inside Yan Liqiang’s eyes. The corpses burning in the hot flames incited a change to those who would not feel any pleasure from seeing them.

As Yan Liqiang watched everything unfolding in front of him, he was suddenly reminded of the celestial burial in Tibet that he and his good friends had witnessed in his previous life without knowing the reason why. At that time, he didn’t have the courage to watch the entire celestial burial process to the end. Just when that person appeared on the burial stage, followed by a large group of vultures in the sky, Yan Liqiang couldn’t help but run away since he knew what was going to happen next. Right now, as he watched the burning corpses expanding and decomposing from the heat of the flames, he felt calm instead. In his heart, a voice was telling him that if he had died in the battle two days ago, his body would have become ugly and disgusting within the flames. In the end, he would be nothing more than charred ashes. He could make his family sad and his enemies happy. Because of that, he decided that he would never allow himself to become the combustion of decaying carbohydrates no matter what.

All dangers were unpredictable. Death could also come and go without any given notice. The people you trusted and relied on might possibly lead you to the snare of death. Because of that, one would only require a single method if they wished to live, and that was to become stronger and stronger.

Yan Liqiang was calm on the outside. However, he started to tightly clench one of his fists inside his sleeves.

……

The fire continued to burn for two hours before it was finally extinguished and had become residual smoke. It was then that Yan Liqiang and the other guards gathered the leftover bone ashes into each of the clay pots labeled with names, which they had collected from the Hui Clan Gathering. The rest of the ashes and bones that had not been completely burned were buried instead without erecting a gravestone.

The lively twenty-six guards whom they were riding together on their rhinodrake steeds just a few days ago had now become a pile of ashes placed inside clay pots that their fellow brothers were holding.

In order to give some comfort to the remaining breathing guards with sullen faces, Sun Bingchen said, “When we return to the Imperial Capital, I will explain to His Majesty and consider the guards who died in battle this time as martyrs who sacrificed their lives to their country. Their compensation will be doubled too. Those with sons or brothers will be given preferential treatment when joining the army or will assume duties in the bureaucracy!”

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“Thank you, sir!” Everyone expressed their gratitude toward Sun Bingchen together.

“Rest well tonight, everyone. Let’s brace ourselves for tomorrow and continue our journey ahead…” Liang Yijie added as he stood at the side.

“Understood!”

……

After the ceremony had concluded, Yan Liqiang and the others returned to the inn once more.

No one was in the mood to enjoy anything. With the exception of a few night watch guards, almost everyone returned to their own rooms after they went back to the inn. Yan Liqiang did the same.

Goldie wagged its tail when it saw Yan Liqiang entering his room before walking toward him inch by inch.

Yan Liqiang rubbed Goldie’s head. After checking the wound on its leg again, he let Goldie lie down at the side.

The effect of the imperial Earthworm Herbal Cream that Sun Bingchen had given him was indeed exceptional. In just one day, Yan Liqiang could feel that Goldie had already recovered substantially. The leg, which couldn’t move at all at first, was now being given an attempt to try to walk again. Even though Goldie was still slightly limping, it looked like it was making good progression. Perhaps in no time, the leg would be able to recover completely.

After experiencing the ordeal of a life and death situation this time, Yan Liqiang realized that having a dog like Goldie by his side was sometimes more effective than a human being. Thus, taking care of Goldie had become Yan Liqiang’s obligation and responsibility.

Yan Liqiang sat down silently when he returned to his room. After he had calmed his somewhat wavering emotions, he shut all the windows and doors of his room before drawing the windproof curtains on the windows. After that, he took out an incense stick and lit it up with the oil lamp inside the room, which he then placed inside an incense burner. Yan Liqiang placed the incense burner on the floor before blowing out the oil lamp fire.

When Yan Liqiang extinguished the oil lamp, the entire room quickly became pitch black, to the point that he wasn’t able to see his fingers even if he extended his hand. The whole room was illuminated by the single incense stick that Yan Liqiang had lit. A single red light was ignited amidst the darkness.

Yan Liqiang lay down on the floor and lifted up his head, focusing his gaze three meters away from him on the burning red light of the incense stick in the darkness.

Yan Liqiang’s posture on the ground was quite unique. His posture was as if he was a tiger, or perhaps a bit like planking in his previous life. His toes were planted on the ground and his entire body was positioned like a bridge, forming a straight line. Meanwhile, the strength that supported his upper body, stemmed only from his thumbs and index fingers on both hands. Not only that, Yan Liqiang’s eyes were wide and round as he stared, without blinking, at the red light on the tip of the incense stick just a few meters away from him. His entire attention was solely focused on the only light in the darkness.

Blinking was an act of instinct to relieve the eye fatigue. However, Yan Liqiang purposely controlled his eyes and prevented himself from blinking by staring closely at the red light.

In just a short while, Yan Liqiang’s eyes began to ache. Despite that, Yan Liqiang continued to prevent himself from blinking while staring at the red light. On top of that, the fingers that were supporting Yan Liqiang’s upper body began to ache and tremble as well. Even with all that pain, Yan Liqiang gritted his teeth and continued to hold on…

After a while, Yan Liqiang’s eyes were filled with tears which began to flow out due to him not blinking even once. Meanwhile, droplets of sweat began to endlessly roll down from his forehead…

This was the quickest method that Yan Liqiang had thought of within these past two days in order to strengthen his body and eyes to the state of extreme exhaustion, especially his eyes. This state was definitely a test toward his vision and eyesight.

The incense burned for almost an hour. When the incense had completely burned out, Yan Liqiang’s eyes were already completely red and stinging. They were slightly swollen too. Within the time of almost one hour under his control, Yan Liqiang couldn’t help but blink only four times. Meanwhile, two of his fingers felt like they were about to break as they trembled. His entire body was completely drenched in sweat.

Yan Liqiang got up from the ground, closed his eyes, and slowed down his breathing. After resting for a while, he began performing the Muscle Tendon Changing and Marrow Cleansing.

Sure enough, the result was the same as yesterday. The Spiritual Qi of Heaven and Earth that entered his body began to flood toward his eyes, causing them to become cool and translucent in an instant. The other Spiritual Qi of Heaven and Earth, however, went toward his arms and began to nourish and strengthen the two fingers that had just endured a great test…