A Wuxia Tale: Blade in Training

A Hellish First Hour

(WANG DAO)

Baba had given me clear instructions about what should I do when I finally entered the Imperial gates.

"Go to the west, the training grounds for soldiers are there. Take your horse and things and report to an officer so you will know who to approach to know the captain who will train you. Be polite, Dao. You are in the lowest rank. Practically nothing inside the military base."

Be polite. I can do that. Right?

"Master Dao, where should we leave the wagon and your things?" The senior servant who came to help me asked.

I started using my head. "Can you go outside again and wait for me to fetch you? Never leave my things unattended. Someone might steal them. We are at the heart of the Capital. I don't trust anyone here yet," I said as I slid down on my horse.

"Are you sure, Master Dao?" The senior servant asked me.

I nodded, "I ask this as a favor, please look after my things until I fetch for them myself. That will be safer. Here," I fished out two pieces of coin from my money purse, "Secure my belongings and find a place where you can wait and eat. I will find you at the earliest possible time."

"Why can't we leave your things in General Wang's office? He is your Baba after all," The younger servant asked.

The senior servant smacked the head of the other servant who asked that question. "Master Dao is keeping his relationship with General Wang in low key. If we will leave his things on the General's office, that will be dangerous to our young Master." The senior servant nodded at me and fisted my hand on the coins I held out to them. "We have money, Young Master. Master Dayu handed us money for food before we left with you. He also asked us to look after you well until you got settled here. You don't have to worry about us."

"Thank you," I gave them a grateful smile. Silently thanking my Father as well for his insightfulness, "I will just search for my training officer and ask for my barracks then I will try to fetch my things. Thank you so much for helping me."

"Best of luck to you, Young Master." The servants bowed to me before they left with the wagon to wait outside of the Imperial gates.

I took the reins of Gentleman and walk my horse with me towards two men in guard's uniform stationed outside of a threshold.

"Good day, officers." I politely greeted them. "I am looking for my training officer, Captain Ching. Do you know him?"

"Inside," the bulkier one said while pointing behind him. "You will find Crazy Ching, inside."

Crazy...what?

I nodded, "Ahm...thank you..." I just said before moving with my horse under the threshold. Inside, I found a huge ground with people scattered around. About forty to fifty people. I have no idea who these people are because like me, they are not dressed as soldiers.

I was about to approach one to ask what is going one when a gong sounded. A loud ear splitting sound that resonated over the enclosed ground.

"NEOPHYTES, GATHER AROUND!" Someone shouted and everyone on the ground scrambled to move.

"FORM LINES! PROPERLY NOW! LADIES, MOVE FASTER! MOVE THOSE ASS!" The crowd splits into groups to form a line. Since I have Gentlema with me who remained calm despite people shouting and scurrying around him, I went to the end of one line. Holding the reins of my horse tight.

"FASTER! FASTER!" The one shouting continued to hurry everyone about. When the crowd was on clean lines, I saw a tall, broad shouldered man in officer's uniform, walking along the lines and correcting postures while smacking heads around using a tree branch as a stick on his right hand. On his left hand, he holds a wooden board with a paper stuck on it. A list most probably.