章 16: Reverence of Life and Death
編集者: Atlas Studios
Night passed quickly.
It was very unexpected. Last night, only five weak and foolish demons showed up, and there was otherwise no movement.
The kind of horrible and tormenting night that Zhang Yang expected didn't happen at all.
But this should also be normal as there couldn't be too many demons in one area. Not to mention, he had also taken out three bosses in a row here.
With that in mind, Zhang Yang retrieved 20 units of demon meat, had the soldiers set up a fire, and began preparing today's breakfast.
When the aroma of roasted meat filled the air, he saw Wu Yuan returning with a patrol squad, with every soldier carrying a large bundle of wood on their backs.
At first, Zhang Yang thought it was firewood that Wu Yuan and the others had collected, but he soon realized that this so-called firewood was just regular wood. They were about two meters long with the thickness of an arm. Both ends had fine and firm texture, and they were apparently carefully selected.
"Village Chief!"
When they came in front of Zhang Yang, Wu Yuan unloaded the wood and saluted him in a professional manner, exhibiting the kind of fear and respect that was engraved in the bones of a loyal subordinate. If Zhang Yang's previous guesses were correct, these soldiers must have been previously sealed and bound in the Village Building Order, which was why they didn't dare to resist any of his commands as the holder.
Of course, these were only his thoughts. On the surface, he looked really kind. He even went up to pat off the dew on Wu Yuan's shoulder.
"Last night was hard on you guys; come and have breakfast. What are these for, by the way?"
"Village Chief, I led the soldiers to chop wood in the early hours of the morning. I will be shaping them all into wooden spears; the kind that can be thrown. Your words yesterday have reminded me that our soldiers are lacking in a means of attack against those terrifying demons. If they master the skill of throwing wooden spears, it will undoubtedly make it easier for us to defeat those demons," Wu Yuan loudly said with a serious expression.
Zhang Yang scrutinized him and laughed out loud. "Good, let's do that! Do I need to recruit another craftsman?"
"Village Chief, there's no need. I always believe that the first and foremost priority of a good soldier is to be familiar with his weapon. If the weapon that his life depends on isn't built with his own hands, what qualification is there for the soldier to survive in the battlefield? He deserves to die."
"Oh? That sounds reasonable too. I was indeed right about you!" Zhang Yang appreciated Wu Yuan even more at that moment. It was as if this guy was born to be a hero.
In that case, should I start the hero's trial?
No, it's better to wait a little longer.
What followed after was a pleasant breakfast.
After eating their fill, Wu Yuan officially began teaching the soldiers the skill of throwing. The 6 elite bowmen didn't need to attend the training, so they were responsible for daily vigilance.
Zhang Yang, 12 elite shield soldiers, and 7 elite spearmen attended the training. Although Zhang Yang boasted about being a wizard, nothing was for sure in terms of survivability. As long as the soldiers could survive, even if he had to have them steal or be philanderers, he wouldn't mind, let alone learning how to throw wooden spears.
However, Wu Yuan's training was truly original and creative. Each of the learners were issued 10 pieces of wood and a knife. They would sharpen their own spear and decide when to stop when they thought it had been sharpened enough.
Although Zhang Yang harbored some doubts, he continued to learn with a serious attitude. In terms of learning, one must, without a doubt, have a learning attitude. Otherwise, it would be humiliating of him to know a skill but not the reason behind it.
Zhang Yang felt that sharpening was neither simple nor difficult. After all, apart from having the regret of not being a star student since childhood, his hands possessed a powerful destructive ability. After all, having a dad as a mechanical engineer was no joke.
After some time, he finally sharpened the first wooden spear, which he felt pretty good about. Perhaps due to his B- soul strength or E- strength, he controlled the knife very stably, which resulted in a smooth, beautifully-sharpened wooden spear.
But when Wu Yuan came over, he had an odd expression.
"Village Chief, please pardon my rudeness. Although you were serious when sharpening the wooden spear, I feel that you lack a sense of reverence. If you still want to continue to learn how to throw a wooden spear, I would need to kindly ask you to experience what reverence is."
"Reverence?"
Zhang Yang was a bit puzzled. He thought that he was very serious in his work. In fact, he was fully focused without any distractions. On the other hand, the other soldiers hadn't even sharpened the first wooden spear and the block of wood looked really ugly.
"I don't quite understand. Can you clarify?"
"Village Chief, I'm sorry, I can't clarify either, but I do feel that you are not reverent enough about this matter. I ask your forgiveness." Wu Yuan also seemed to be distressed, as if some of his memories were out of order.
This made Zhang Yang even more certain about his previous guesses.
"Alright, express it using your method and let me feel what reverence is," Zhang Yang said with a laugh.
"Thank you for understanding, Village Chief. Please be careful."
With a bow, Wu Yuan casually took out the wooden spear that Zhang Yang had just sharpened, stood about 100 meters away, and set his stance, about to throw it.
Honestly, until that moment, Zhang Yang wasn't too mindful. He just thought that Wu Yuan was simply teaching by example.
But in the next second, Wu Yuan twisted his body at a minuscule angle and aimed the wooden spear at Zhang Yang. Everything became different.
It was as if a great terror had instantly descended upon him. Zhang Yang felt his hairs standing on end and his heart almost stopped beating because it was pounding so quickly. Everything in his vision seemed to be cut off by an invisible force.
Death.
This word appeared in his mind.
He felt that he was put on a red-hot anvil, placed in the snow, and thrown into an endless abyss.
He couldn't cast the imprisonment spell and escape was impossible. The only thing he could do was watch Wu Yuan throw that wooden spear from a hundred meters away.
Buzz!
This time, the thrown wooden spear didn't break the sound barrier. It accurately passed between Zhang Yang's legs and struck the ground, trembling. He didn't sustain a single injury and yet, it was as if he had walked through hell. He was scared out of his wits. His brain turned blank. He shuddered and almost pissed his pants!
A few seconds later, he plopped on his butt, feeling all deflated. However, he didn't feel embarrassed, annoyed, or humiliated because he finally knew what Wu Yuan meant when he said that he lacked reverence.
It was simple. What he lacked was reverence when facing death.
He had never faced death head-on, at least, not alone and feeling completely helpless.
Even when he killed the first red eagle before, he did so with the help of the Level 1 Protection. Perhaps he could argue that he was brave, but that was still far from enough.
At least, at that time, he didn't have to directly face the great terror of death.
"Village Chief, I seek your forgiveness!"
Wu Yuan walked over and knelt down on one knee, asking for forgiveness.
"I-It's fine, I understand now. Y-You did a good job." Zhang Yang couldn't speak properly, but he really did understand. He made Wu Yuan stand up, before silently sharpening the second wooden spear. This time, he was still him, the knife didn't change, and the wood was still the same.
However, his attitude was different.
Although he was fully focused when sharpening the wooden spear earlier, he treated this matter as a game and task. It was, at best, a work of art that made him feel accomplished.
So Wu Yuan was right to say that Zhang Yang lacked reverence.
He was the village chief. He had the Level 2 Protection, an imprisonment spell, and soldiers born to die for him. Even if he was once afraid, the fears were indirect, where he had never faced the great horror between life and death.
But now, the wood in his hand was no longer the same—it was his life on the battlefield: the only dear friend, weapon, and a part of his body that he could rely on in the face of life and death.
This training was not only about technicality, attitude, or willpower, but also about the growth of his soul.
Am I ready to face death?
-- 贈り物
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