Chapter 60: Chapter 60: You’re Not Really a Woman, Are You?
Fortunately, it wasn't past mealtime yet. Although there wasn't much food left, it was still enough to fill their stomachs.
That said, Xu Ming and Wu Yanhan almost got into another fight over a drumstick.
Luckily, the cafeteria auntie intervened, her knife slicing the drumstick cleanly in half with surgical precision.
This was the first time in both his lives that Xu Ming had seen such remarkable knife skills in a cafeteria worker. Clearly, this auntie wasn't someone to mess with. Judging by her demeanor, even when she ladled out portions, no one would dare complain.
Lunch and the midday break combined lasted a total of half an hour. Since Xu Ming had started eating late, by the time he finished his meal, it was already time to resume training.
The training regimen was divided into three main categories:
1. Physical Fitness
As the name suggests, this involved endurance runs, weightlifting, sprint drills, pulling out tree stumps, and more. Every participant's performance was recorded on a special Asura Token, and instructors would use the data to tailor the training. They'd enhance your strengths and address your weaknesses.
2. Body Conditioning
Also known as "skin toughening and bone refining," this reportedly involved sparring with magical beasts or instructors. The idea was that the more hits you took, the tougher and more resilient you'd become.
3. Martial Techniques
All soldiers of the Blood Asura had to practice the Asura Fist. This style was characterized by wide, open moves with a ferocious momentum, making it effective when coordinated in military formations, producing a synergy greater than the sum of its parts.
Additionally, you could choose another martial art to study. The camp's Martial Arts Pavilion offered an open selection of styles collected from across the land by the Wu Kingdom, all of high caliber.
Xu Ming, however, decided not to bother with that. He was already satisfied with the Wang family's Heaven-Opening Fist. Practicing it alongside the Asura Fist would suffice for him.
Speaking of the camp, it was massive! If Wu City could be described as a grand metropolis, then its ten military camps were like ten small towns. Even so, the combined size of these camps was equivalent to half the area of Tang Dynasty-era Luoyang.
The camps were complete with mountains and rivers, essentially a section of land near Wu City designated for troop garrison, collectively known as the military camp.
This made Xu Ming realize just how colossal Wu City must be. Even surrounded by ten such camps, its transportation routes weren't obstructed in the slightest. This setup undoubtedly gave Wu City a sense of absolute security.
Xu Ming thought to himself that if he weren't in such good physical condition, this training would have already wrecked him.
During training, Xu Ming heard the instructor, Wang Meng, calling out names. That's when he confirmed that the man resembling Xiong Haizhi was indeed Xiong Haizhi.
Xu Ming was genuinely surprised to see Xiong Haizhi here.
Likewise, Xiong Haizhi was equally shocked to find Xu Ming in the Blood Asura Battalion.
Although their relationship back at the Zhixing Academy hadn't been great, seeing a familiar face still stirred a sense of camaraderie.
The slicked-back-haired guy was named Li Han, and the bald one was Yuan Hua. Xu Ming also learned the names of the others in the group. After Xu Ming had bested them all in a fight, they became much more agreeable.
Despite being the youngest in their group, Xu Ming was addressed respectfully as "Brother Xu" again and again.
Everyone, that is, except Wu Yanhan.
There was another person who caught Xu Ming's attention — someone named Guang Yin.
Back when Xu Ming had lain on Wu Yanhan's bed, Guang Yin had seemed like he wanted to warn him about something. However, a sharp glance from the slicked-back-haired guy and the others had silenced him.
Xu Ming guessed that Guang Yin had wanted to warn him about Wu Yanhan's reputation, which suggested that he wasn't a bad person.
Still, Guang Yin came across as extremely introverted and timid.
He didn't speak a word, ate alone, rested alone, and did everything alone.
Xu Ming asked Xiong Haizhi and the others if they'd ever bullied Guang Yin, but they all shook their heads, saying that his weak, chicken-like demeanor didn't even make him worth bullying.
As for why they bullied Xu Ming, it was because they had heard that a newcomer would be joining the 484th camp, and they made a bet.
The wager? Whether the newcomer would act like a coward, swallowing his pride, or fight back like a man when bullied. The loser would have to do the winner's laundry for a month.
What they didn't expect was that everyone would end up brawling. Tempers flared, fists flew, and in the end, they lost.
Now, Xu Ming wouldn't have to do laundry for the next eight months.
Since they lost the bet, each of them owed Xu Ming one month of laundry duty.
Through Xiong Haizhi and the others, Xu Ming asked about Wu Yanhan.
Apparently, Wu Yanhan had joined the Blood Asura a month earlier, making him the second-to-last to join the 484th camp.
They were also curious about whether Wu Yanhan was male or female.
After all, this guy looked even prettier than most women, with fair, tender skin.
On top of that, he always went to the restroom alone, kept everyone at arm's length, and never bathed in the communal bathhouse.
It seemed suspicious, like he was trying to hide a secret. Could he really be a woman?
Still, they found it hard to believe.
How could a woman possibly sneak into the Blood Asura Battalion?
The Blood Asura Battalion was akin to the Emperor's personal guard, his sharpest blade, loyal only to him. It required absolute purity in one's family background.
Anyone wishing to join the Blood Asura Battalion would have their ancestry traced back eighteen generations. For a woman to infiltrate the Blood Asura Battalion would be nearly impossible—it'd be like slipping right under the Emperor's nose.
So, most of them chalked it up to Wu Yanhan being a loner with a strange personality.
After all, there were rumors that Wu Yanhan possessed the Martial God Physique.
Though they didn't know exactly what the Martial God Physique was, it sounded like something for geniuses. And geniuses? Well, it wasn't unusual for them to act a little odd.
By the time training ended and they had dinner, night had already fallen.
After an exhausting day, Xu Ming realized he had gained far more attribute points than from his usual training.
Back at the barracks, everyone grabbed their clothes and the special Blood Asura Soap and invited Xu Ming to join them for a bath.
The soap, officially called Blood Martial Brick, wasn't ordinary—it could effectively relieve physical fatigue, promote the circulation of inner energy, and enhance physical strength.
Because of its use, the Blood Asura barracks never reeked of sweat or grime. Everyone made sure to bathe, as skipping it meant you'd be too sore to move the next day.
Plus, Blood Martial Bricks were exclusive to the three elite armies of the Wu Kingdom, strictly prohibited from market circulation. It was a "use it or lose it" situation.
"Wait a second," Xu Ming called out to them, glancing at Wu Yanhan, who was sitting cross-legged on the bed meditating.
He walked over and said, "Do you want to join us? We all live under the same roof—no need to keep things so tense. How about coming for a bath?"
The moment Xu Ming spoke, Xiong Haizhi and the others gasped audibly.
"BOOM!"
A deafening crash followed as Xu Ming was sent flying out of the barracks with a single kick.
"Damn it! What's wrong with men bathing together? Don't tell me you're really a woman!"
Xu Ming stood up, clutching his aching chest, cursing loudly outside the barracks.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone