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"Control your breath, don’t rush, you must control it. Breathing is…"

"Remember the master’s teachings, focus on feeling the power within you…"

"Internal strength comes from…"

Outside the first army camp on Qiyun Mountain, over five thousand young boys and girls are running. Since there is no playground, they run directly up the mountain, where a road has been carved out along the ridge. Running a lap is about five kilometers.

Qin Yong saw over five thousand people running in formation without any chaos. His eyes were wide open in amazement. He came from a distinguished family and grew up in the military camp. Even the most elite army in Feng State cannot achieve such uniformity.

Inside the camp, dozens of cooks are preparing breakfast for the young boys and girls. Breakfast consists of rice with limited vegetables, mostly dried ones stored in advance. Fresh vegetables are not available at this time of year.

Some children are helping out. Those who are not able to adapt to camp life are eliminated by Lin Jiang without any sympathy.

After the run, those people line up inside the camp. Lin Jiang doesn’t make them sing military songs, but they have similar slogans.

"Nobles and generals, are they really different from us?"

"When rulers see the people as enemies, and the people see rulers as…"

"Humans are the spirit of all things…"

"Those who are not of our tribe will have different hearts."

Lin Jiang created some slogans to boost their morale and encourage them to resist. They also developed a hatred towards the Demon Humans. The two races were different and there was nothing to discuss between them. It was a matter of survival for one or the other.

They had to chant each slogan three times before they could start eating.

While they were eating, Qin Yong found Lin Jiang to give him a progress report.

Lin Jiang gave Qin Yong many tasks, including procuring supplies and gathering information about the outside world. Luckily, General Little Qin was quite capable and a talented individual among the rebels.

"Sir, in less than three months, you have trained an elite army. With these five thousand soldiers, you can dominate a whole province."

"Tell me, how are things going? How is Tian Xiong doing on his end?"

"Uncle Tian is doing well. His martial arts skills have greatly improved, and he has started training an elite army as well. However, the soldiers are consuming a lot of food. They need two pounds of food a day for training, which is not sustainable. Currently, we only have about thirty percent of our food supply left. Uncle Tian has ventured deep into Daizhou State, near Qiyun Mountain, to hunt and gather food.

The situation outside is not good. In the past two months, many commoners have rebelled. The emperors are searching for you, and the world is in chaos. The price of food has increased by thirty percent, and there are refugees from Feng State and…"

Qin Yong shared all the news he heard. In summary, everything was chaotic. Different warlords were still fighting each other, but not in a big way because of the unpredictable Lin Jiang. It was mostly just a war of words to claim the rightful name.

Life for the common people was even harder. Towards the end of the dynasty, there wasn’t enough money to maintain basic infrastructure. Even a small natural disaster could lead to big problems. Rebellions were happening frequently, many people went bankrupt, and more and more refugees were arriving outside Fengzhou City. Every day, a lot of people were freezing or starving to death.

The price of food kept going up, it had already doubled compared to before winter. It seemed like it would continue rising, making it harder for Qin Yong to buy food.

"The only good news is that this year is not as cold as last year, the snow from previous years was enough to cover one’s knees."

"Have you contacted the people in Zhong State City?"

"No, but I heard some information. Some were captured, most escaped. They must have set many traps, trying to lure you in."

"Understood, your task now is to buy supplies. Make sure everyone’s logistics are secure."

"Sir, it’s not urgent to buy supplies right now. I have used money to establish some connections this time. I want to learn martial arts with you."

Qin Yong mentioned that the officials in Chen Kingdom were very corrupt. Despite being a wanted man, money could still pave the way. He was quite popular now, even some old acquaintances who once ignored him were reaching out to him again. He was eager to train in martial arts with Lin Jiang.

The Martial Saint in the Chen Kingdom was missed by only a few people, and it might be impossible to encounter it again.

"Practice the techniques I gave you diligently, and you can advance to the realm of Martial Saint. If you have any questions, you can ask me, but there are not many talented people in the rebel army now, so you need to step up."

Lin Jiang nodded. Qin Yong was a talented individual, and he would be nurtured well, but for now, he needed to take charge. There were still too few talented individuals in the rebel army; they were mostly poor and how many talented people could there be?

After discussing matters with Qin Yong, Lin Jiang went outside. The young boys and girls had finished eating. After eating, they would have an hour of rest time, but it was not entirely restful. They needed to tidy up their belongings, including making their beds neatly. While perfection was not required, it needed to be orderly. This collective action was the easiest way to develop their sense of unity.

After resting, the morning was their study time. This was where the differentiation began. People were different from each other; some learned quickly, and some learned slowly. Those who learned slowly were still in the enlightenment stage, mainly focusing on recognizing words, while those who learned quickly focused on instilling some principles. Lin Jiang had experience in this aspect of indoctrination.

At the same time, they would also select some special talents. For example, some people were naturally good at organizing, so Lin Jiang had them learn about organizational knowledge. Some had talent in construction techniques, so they were taught some craftsman skills. The rebel army was lacking in craftsmen, or else Lin Jiang would not have kept the craftsmen among the former officers and soldiers. Furthermore, arrangements were made for people to learn accounting and other skills.

In fact, not only here but even in the mountains, there was a large-scale learning program, a massive literacy plan. Lin Jiang required them to spend four hours a day learning cultural knowledge. With not much work to do in the winter, it was imperative that before spring arrived, more than seventy percent of the people could have basic reading and writing skills.

In Lin Jiang’s plan, it was relatively easy to recruit soldiers who would charge into battle. There were many refugees outside, and feeding them a few meals and giving them some weapons like knives and spears would be enough for them to fight. However, managing talent was much more challenging. Lin Jiang needed plenty of people to manage the logistics for him so that he could quickly conquer the world.

·······

Over the course of four months, more than five thousand young boys and girls underwent a remarkable transformation. Everyone learned at least a few hundred words, gained basic reading and writing skills, and even picked up some martial arts moves.

Additionally, over a hundred people developed internal strength through their training, becoming fledgling warriors. Although their internal strength was still weak, their quick progress showed their exceptional talent and potential.

Some individuals also mastered other skills, such as craftsmanship or accounting, showcasing their diverse abilities.

Lin Jiang was pleased with the progress and decided to return to the mountains when he had some free time.

The rebel army, consisting of tens of thousands of people spread across various mountain locations, no longer suffered from starvation or freezing deaths. Most had improved their physical health through better nutrition.

Tian Xiong trained the young and able-bodied members of the rebel army, forming a skilled group of ten thousand soldiers who received specialized training during the winter season when farming activities were halted due to snow.

In the past, they would hibernate during the winter to conserve energy. However, this year they were provided with at least two pounds of food daily, leading to increased physical activity and training.

"Sir."

"Sir."

When Lin Jiang arrived, Tian Xiong and others quickly came to greet him. Over the next few months, the rebel army greatly respected Lin Jiang, even starting to idolize him blindly.

Their thoughts were simple – whoever could feed them well and bring them hope, they would obey without hesitation, ready to give their all.

Because a significant portion of the rebel army had not eaten properly for decades, it was Lin Jiang who made them feel full for the first time. The feeling of hunger was terrifying.

"How are the preparations going?"

"Sir, everything else is fine, but we have two issues. Firstly, our food reserves are running out, relying solely on General Little Qin’s purchases. However, the quantities purchased by General Little Qin are minimal, and they might not be able to sustain us for long. Secondly, we lack equipment, especially arrows. We have too few Martial Arts Masters, making us vulnerable in close combat. On the government’s side, just assembling a few dozen Innate Martial Artists would be enough to break our lines."

Tian Xiong mentioned that when they rebelled, they boasted of a million-strong army, only to find out that their numbers were not far off the mark. The government forces, on the other hand, were much smaller, but with their elite troops making a swift charge, chaos ensued among their ranks. Subsequently, they were surrounded and massacred, with only a few survivors.

Reflecting afterwards, they acknowledged their weakness in close combat. Thus, they hoped to engage the enemy from a distance, with archery being crucial. However, they currently had less than a hundred thousand arrows, which was insufficient.

"These are not issues to worry about. If we lack swords and spears, the enemy will unwittingly provide us with some."

Lin Jiang expressed no concern, stating that considering the current state of the Chen Kingdom, wouldn’t it be easy to find a few skilled transport leaders?