Chapter 1027: The New Recruits Arrive
The few days allotted for the tour swiftly drew to a close.
Early that morning, Ma Shouying boarded the "long-distance Solar Car" from Xi'an to Tianzhu Mountain. After most of a day, when he returned to the Tianzhu Mountain barracks, he immediately and without hesitation declared to his subordinates: "I have decided to join the Heavenly Lord Daoist Sect's militia. From today, I will no longer go by Lao Huihui. My name is Ma Shouying."
"Those among you who wish to continue following me, come with me. If you are weary of war and seek to return to civilian life, you are free to do so here. I will not compel anyone."
Once Ma Shouying's command was given, five hundred men left the army and chose to become civilians. The other two thousand five hundred border army cavalry, however, joined the Gao Family Village Militia with him.
After some research by Chief Instructor Cheng Xu, the Gao Family Village Militia gained a new unit: the Iron Cavalry Battalion!
Ma Shouying was appointed as the battalion commander, specializing in close-quarters combat and spearheading assaults on enemy lines.
This unit was intended to compensate for the Gao Family Village Militia's shortcomings in close-combat capability and weak pursuit and outflanking abilities—
Huangpu Military Academy.
Padi Tu and Zheng Gouzi were running laps on the parade ground.
The target of the night raid, astonishingly, was the small building where Headmaster Sun Chuanting resided.
The junior students, fresh to the academy, had no idea that particular building belonged to the headmaster. In their foolishness, they simply charged in with him, surrounding Sun Chuanting.
Fortunately, Sun Chuanting was adept in both civil and military arts, a formidable warrior. Even when ambushed at night, he remained perfectly calm, grabbing a stick and thrashing the "assassins" until they yelped in pain.
Only when the lights came on did both sides realize who they were facing.
And so, Padi Tu was punished...
Zheng Gouzi, for pleading on his behalf, was also sentenced to run alongside him.
Sun Chuanting's exact words were: "Gouzi, since you're so fond of helping your rabbit-brother, when he's punished with laps, you can help him run too."
And so, the two brothers, the rabbit and the dog, were now running laps together.
While they were sweating profusely from their run, the two of them noticed a group of people entering the academy gates: burly, imposing men, each leading a horse. It was clear they were newcomers to the Huangpu Military Academy, as they peered around, seemingly unsure which way to go.
Padi Tu, ever the eager one, quickly darted to the academy gates, jogging in place as he asked, "Oh, new recruits, are we?"
The leading man in the group, though not young, was quite polite. He cupped his fist at Padi Tu. "Ah, I recognize you... from Gaojia News a few days ago... Red Team Leader, Padi Tu."
Padi Tu chuckled, "That's right, that would be your humble rabbit-lord. And you are?"
The man replied, "I am Ma Shouying, just recently joined the militia. My experience and knowledge are lacking; I'm not familiar with the militia's various new weapons, nor do I fully grasp the military discipline. So, I've come to Huangpu Military Academy for a short training course. Everyone behind me is in the same boat."
Padi Tu burst into laughter. "So, new recruits! Hahahaha, excellent, excellent. Your rabbit-lord here is always eager to help and champion justice, and I love taking newcomers under my wing. If there's anything you don't understand, just ask me."
Ma Shouying patted the warhorse behind him. "I saw it on the television, Rabbit-lord mentioned that if you had a cavalry unit, you wouldn't fear artillery. I happen to be skilled in horsemanship, and from now on, I'm willing to be your vanguard, charging into battle to help the Rabbit-lord seize enemy artillery positions."
Padi Tu roared with laughter. "Excellent, excellent! Next exercise, the cavalry unit will be counting on you. We'll go and lop off White Mao's head!"
From a corner of the training ground, White Mao's mocking laugh rang out: "Stop boasting! Next time, I'll be the one to lop off *your* rabbit head!"
"Hahahaha!"
Laughter echoed across the training ground from all the students.
Such boisterous exchanges were common in the military academy; the students had grown accustomed to them.
Ma Shouying surveyed his surroundings, a wave of pleasant surprise washing over him. This truly was a good place. These were all soldiers, yet not a trace of roguishness could be seen on them; each one exuded a comfortable, reassuring aura. Ah, with the exception of the Rabbit-lord, of course.
Padi Tu pointed to a building behind the academy. "New students go over there to run! Oh, I'll see this good deed through; I'll take you there myself."
He jogged all the way, leading Ma Shouying to Sun Chuanting's small building.
This very building, he'd led a group of new students on a "night raid" against it just last night. Numerous footprints had been left on the walls from their climbing, making it look quite comical...
Ma Shouying pondered to himself: *Why would there be footprints on the walls of these buildings? How did they even get up there?*
While he was still bewildered, the door to the small building opened, and Sun Chuanting emerged.
He had already learned from the Heavenly Lord Embroidery Statue what to expect today, so the moment he saw Ma Shouying, his eyes immediately lit up.
Ma Shouying, too, carefully sized up the man before him.
Sun Chuanting didn't waste any words: "Regarding matters of horsemanship, I have little to teach you. Therefore, your short-term training will focus on understanding firearms and coordinating operations with them."
Ma Shouying cupped his fist. "As the Headmaster commands."
"Hey, hey!" Padi Tu suddenly bounded forward. "Headmaster Sun, he's cavalry! You're not going to teach him horsemanship tactics? Instead, you're teaching him about firearms? You've got it all wrong, all wrong! Our militia needs excellent close-combat cavalry, we don't lack for firearm units!"
Sun Chuanting retorted, "You haven't even finished your punishment laps, and you already have time to interrupt?"
"I'm still running!" Padi Tu insisted, still jogging in place.
Sun Chuanting was speechless.
Padi Tu continued, "Teach them mounted tactics, Headmaster Sun! Let them become excellent cavalry! Don't lead perfectly good cavalry astray!"
Sun Chuanting snapped, "What the hell do you know? These men don't *need* me to teach them."
Padi Tu scoffed, "You're just talking nonsense! They're still greenhorns!"
Sun Chuanting gave a wry smile, turning to Ma Shouying. "Hey there, greenhorns! Give your 'senior' a little show, so this fool doesn't actually think you're raw recruits. There's no need to be *too* humble, after all."
Ma Shouying cupped his fist, and with a swift, fluid motion, swung himself onto his horse.
His mounting action was truly as smooth as flowing clouds and water.
Behind him, the entire group, all leaders ranking as centurions or higher, followed suit, swinging onto their horses with perfect, synchronized movements.
At this sight, Padi Tu was instantly struck dumb.
Ma Shouying waved a hand forward. "Brothers, let's show the Headmaster what we can do."
His subordinates roared, "Alright!"
As one, the group squeezed their horses' flanks, galloping towards the parade ground.
Warhorses neighed, and the cavalry, like a sharpened blade, shot forward in an instant. Ma Shouying, at the lead, performed a 'stirrup hide,' concealing himself below his horse's belly. The dozen or so men behind him simultaneously executed the same 'stirrup hide,' hanging upside down beneath their horses' bellies.
Their movements were so coordinated, it was as if they were a single person's reflection.
As they flipped back up from their 'stirrup hide' and sat upright, they had already grasped their Kaiyuan bows. Twisting their bodies, they loosed arrows that whizzed through the air, striking the ground in front of Padi Tu in a perfect circle, thudding with precise regularity.
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