Chapter 1728: An Anomaly

 Chapter 265.2: Meeting the Chief Instructor

Such a phenomenon—where everyone seemed roughly equal, yet the opposing side suddenly transforms as if guided by an immortal, becoming untouchably formidable—inevitably delivers a shock of the unknown.

It was as if the battle had not even begun, yet they were already pierced by the enemy’s sharp morale.

And this shock only surged further in the ensuing “battle.”

As Chang Suining lowered her command flag, the soldiers under her saw the signal and advanced.

Chief Instructor Fang shouted: “Meet them head-on!”

He dared not slacken for even a moment, closely monitoring the battlefield and issuing commands.

Yet he quickly realized the gap between the two sides. Although the opposing soldiers attacked and responded, their formation continually shifted under the girl’s flag—sometimes surging like a long serpent, sometimes tightly packed like a wolf pack, aggressive and coordinated, leaving no opening to exploit.

Throughout the battle, they maintained perfect cohesion. No soldier left formation; no formation faltered; each man, each formation, every person, all moved in unison as if fused into a single entity.

In contrast, the girl only commanded with her flag. Apart from the initial call of “Form ranks,” she gave no other orders. Her flag rippled and swayed with the night wind in the firelight, yet every movement was orderly and precise.

Though the exercise forbade harming fellow soldiers with sharp weapons, his formation quickly fractured under their relentless assault.

Soon, they could no longer advance or capture the flag—they were forced steadily backward!

The observing instructors grew increasingly anxious.

“Left flank, watch the side!” Chief Instructor Fang shouted continuously, yet under the girl’s command, his troops’ key positions fell one by one.

Soldiers were knocked down, and formations grew chaotic.

Sweating profusely, Chief Instructor Fang patched and reassembled, to no avail.

He could immediately sense his side resembled a patched, broken net riddled with gaps, while the opposing formation seemed an unbreakable bronze wall.

As the girl waved her flag again, he saw those few women appearing within his broken ranks.

One woman stepped on a soldier’s back, struck down a flag guard with the hilt of her sword, then leapt to seize their flag.

“Girl!”

Yujie, holding a sword in one hand and the enemy’s flag in the other, eyes sparkling, shouted to Chang Suining: “We’ve won! We’ve won!”

Chang Suining nodded.

Chief Instructor Fang froze. His flag dropped. In his mind echoed that earlier voice: “These 170,000 troops, under your training, are like withered trees and rotted timber—useless.”

At the time, they had been angry, they had laughed.

Now, all those voices had vanished.

He watched the girl step down from the platform. Her figure still seemed slight, easy to underestimate, yet amidst the roaring cheers, her aura emanated silent, unshakable authority.

After this, she would certainly become famous in the army.

And he…

He had not won a single round, utterly defeated, unable to lift his head.

After this event, no one would need to remove him from his post—his reputation destroyed, he could no longer continue as chief instructor.

He had underestimated her, unaware there were stronger people, overreaching…

“I, Fang, have lost.” Chief Instructor Fang’s face was pale. He raised his hand toward the girl, about to turn and leave.

“Wait.”

The girl’s voice came from behind him as she approached.

Chief Instructor Fang turned to look.

“Chief Instructor Fang, there is still one matter we have not yet contested,” she said, hands behind her back. “A test of grappling and strength.”

Chief Instructor Fang frowned. “Young Miss Chang still wants to compete?”

Three bouts, two wins—the opponent had already won and established her prestige. Why insist on one more?

Before he could ponder, she smiled and answered: “I want to win one more round for completeness.”

Chief Instructor Fang felt a surge of humiliated anger. She had clearly already won, yet she demanded this “completeness.” Did she intend to utterly crush his pride?

The audacious girl smiled faintly: “Are you afraid to fight me again?”

Chief Instructor Fang suddenly bowed, voice firm: “Then we shall humbly request Young Miss Chang’s instruction!”

Chang Suining stepped back two paces, raising both hands like a swift hare, and lunged at him without hesitation.

The battalion captain about to announce Chang Suining’s victory froze—why attack again?

“Why are you standing there? Beat the drum!” Deputy General Jin said, shoving aside the stunned soldiers and personally striking the drum.

The drumming intensified. Some instructors, annoyed by Chang Suining’s insistence even after winning, were stirred; others were fired up.

Though the girl moved swiftly, she had not yet gained the upper hand. Xiao Min, calm and experienced, knew Young Miss Chang must have a finishing move.

Indeed, he had now fully understood Chang Suining, even surpassing General Chang himself.

Strictly speaking, he had already surpassed General Chang.

After all, the general himself did not possess this confidence regarding his daughter.

“Ah, trouble,” Chang Kuo muttered, seeing his daughter’s arm captured, looking away.

But with a thud, Chang Suining was thrown shoulder-over by Chief Instructor Fang, hitting the ground.

The surroundings went silent, everyone caught off guard.

Chief Instructor Fang stood over her: “?”

Had he… won?

Strength was his specialty; he knew this well.

But all the previous defeats? Were they not in his domain of expertise?

Repeated blows beyond comprehension can gradually shatter one’s sense of order.

Just as every boast of hers had become reality, he assumed he must lose this one as well.

His actions now were reckless, provoked by her, by the humiliation.

Chief Instructor Fang stood dazed until the girl rose, brushed grass and dust off her robe, and smiled, raising her hand: “I am grateful, Chief Instructor Fang, for granting me this defeat as I wished.”

Fang’s eyes trembled at her words, recalling her phrase: “I only wish for a defeat.”

Only wish for a defeat…

So she had known this would happen?

Every word of hers became truth. She knew her limits and always adhered to them.

In grappling and strength, she knew she would lose.

She could have avoided defeat; she only allowed it to ensure today’s test was complete, achieving true “perfection.”

The night wind blew, and Fang’s last anger dissipated. Awaking as if from a dream, he suddenly bowed to the girl, ashamed:

“I, Fang Chao… pay respects to Head Instructor Chang!”

 Chapter 265.1: Meeting the Chief Instructor

Of course, within the Da Sheng military camp, there were many types of long spears. Depending on cavalry, chariot, and infantry use, their standard lengths varied; spears taller than a person were common.

The remarks mocking Chang Suining for not being as tall as a spear were nothing more than casual taunts.

When someone was weak or overlooked, any object or remark could be used to mock them, regardless of logic.

At this moment, however, there were no more jeers, and no more doubtful glances.

Under the combined weight of visual and psychological impact, a brief stillness settled in the surroundings.

The sound of the girl halting her spear seemed to leave aftershocks, buzzing incessantly in the ears and lingering in the hearts of all present.

“First round—mounted archery and spear drills… Young Miss Chang wins all three bouts!” The voice of the battalion captain rang out, the final tone carrying a subtle tremor.

As the sound landed, everyone’s attention was drawn back to reality.

The area erupted in chatter.

“The spear technique Young Miss Chang just used… did you see that clearly? I’ve never seen anything like it!”

“I wonder who taught her?”

“General Chu… did you teach this set of spear techniques?”

Chu Xing, dumbfounded, nearly dropped his own eyeballs in shock upon hearing this: “…That is a spear technique created by His Highness the Former Crown Prince!”

He had followed Chang Kuo for many years and had once seen the Former Crown Prince use this very technique!

But… how could a girl suddenly execute the Former Crown Prince’s spear technique?!

And she did so with such precision and skill, as if she had practiced countless times!

Or… perhaps, in that moment, Young Miss Chang was possessed by the Former Crown Prince himself!

What was happening? Things seemed to be getting stranger and stranger…

Chu Xing broke into a cold sweat, trembling as he approached Chang Kuo: “General…”

Chang Kuo looked at him and raised a hand, stopping him mid-sentence, his gaze seeming to say: I know you’re panicking, but hold your composure.

Seeing his calm demeanor, Chu Xing’s sense of the bizarre only intensified.

Xiao Min could not help but ask: “General Chang, this spear technique Young Miss Chang used… who did she study under?”

Chang Kuo smoothed his beard and smiled: “I taught her.”

Chu Xing: “?”

When did that happen!

Xiao Min was equally doubtful.

Earlier, Ah Dian had shouted, “This is His Highness’s spear technique!” and many had heard it.

Chang Kuo continued, “Indeed, this technique was created by the Former Crown Prince. I studied it for many years but could never grasp its essence. By chance, I tried teaching it to Chang Suining…”

The rest needed no explanation—everyone could see that Chang Suining, his ‘daughter,’ was a prodigy, learning it with ease.

Xiao Min was struck with realization and moved: “I have long admired His Highness the Former Crown Prince, never expecting in my lifetime to witness his spear technique reappear…”

Chang Kuo sighed: “Indeed.”

Chu Xing’s expression was complicated; he sensed something amiss but could not pinpoint it.

At this moment, there was no time for deeper thought.

Next up was the second round—formation deployment.

In this round, each side needed to command a unit of 200 soldiers for a tactical exercise.

Ordinarily, preparing for this required at least a month of training a full unit in advance.

Chief Instructor Fang, naturally, met this condition. During his time in the capital as chief instructor, his soldiers had undergone thousands of days of training.

Chang Suining, having recently assumed the role of Instructor, had some preparation through her familiarity with training across the camp and had taken command of a unit for practice. As a result, she had already drawn some discontent from other instructors.

However, her participation had lasted only half a month.

Before the exercise, the responsible battalion captain asked if she needed to change or postpone the event. She replied: “No need. Though I cannot guarantee everything, winning this round should be more than sufficient.”

Her haughty words reignited the irritation of the instructors, including Instructor Fang.

At this moment…

As both units prepared, the instructors gathered around Instructor Fang, their expressions complex.

“Chief Instructor Fang…”

“Old Fang,” asked one instructor carrying a wine jug, worried, “are you alright?”

Instructor Fang seemed unable to recover. He stared at the long spear fallen on the ground, his expression vacant.

His palm still trembled, numb.

The shock in his heart had yet to subside.

It seemed absurd, but he had been frightened—by Young Miss Chang’s cold, uncanny spear technique and the commanding presence of her soldiers.

He had watched the spear tip come toward him, and as an experienced chief instructor, he froze in place, unable to respond.

In the blink of an eye, he had lost both the spear in his hand and the prestige of being the foremost of the Seven Chief Instructors.

Three bouts of mounted archery and spear drills, all lost to Young Miss Chang at just seventeen years old…

And lost without dispute, clearly visible to all.

This was a humiliation Chief Instructor Fang had never experienced in his tenure.

It took him some time to barely hear the voices of his companions.

“…It’s alright, there are still two rounds!”

“Even if she is a martial prodigy… what experience does she have in training soldiers? As for strength contests, she can never surpass Chief Instructor Fang!”

Many voices echoed in agreement, yet the initial arrogance had vanished, replaced by solemnity, tension, and focus.

Could she truly never surpass him?

Chief Instructor Fang clenched his numb hand.

Previously, he had believed no one could surpass him in spear technique, yet Young Miss Chang had repeatedly shattered his ‘impossibility.’

The 200 soldiers on each side soon assembled. One instructor noticed several women among the opposing ranks and remarked: “…There are all kinds of people. If one didn’t know, they’d think this was the marketplace rather than a drill!”

His words were partly mocking and partly to ease tension, yet Chief Instructor Fang’s mood could not be eased in the slightest.

He instinctively looked toward Young Miss Chang—his opponent.

Chang Suining was also surrounded by a group, with Ah Dian standing in front, eyes filled with inexplicable urgency: “Xiao Ah Li, how could you…”

Chang Suining smiled: “I’ll explain after I finish my task, alright?”

Ah Dian, anxious, nodded obediently: “Alright, alright, then hurry!”

He immediately stepped aside, watching Chang Suining return to the field, take the unit’s command flag, and climb the temporary wooden platform.

The exercise tested the results of training and the ability to deploy formations. The competitor did not participate directly, only guiding the battle from the side.

Each side had a military flag; the first to capture the opponent’s flag would win.

Chang Suining’s unit was commanded by Battalion Captain Bai, who now led the soldiers from the front.

Several women stood in formation to protect the flag, their posture straight and solemn.

“Form ranks!” From the platform, the girl’s voice rang out clear and commanding as she waved the five-colored flag in her hand.

“Yes!”

The 200 soldiers below, holding weapons, responded in a loud, sharp, and coordinated manner.

Their posture was upright, eyes sharp, and formations precise.

This combination represented both discipline and morale.

High morale inspired themselves and intimidated the enemy.

Facing such noticeably improved morale, the opposing soldiers could not hide their surprise… was this the so-called saying that after three days apart, one should look at them with new respect?

But they had not even been apart three days! Just a short while ago, they had been laughing and eating dumplings together!

 Chapter 912: Revenge and the Arrival of a Stranger (2)

Mo Yan and Xue Tuanzi were in perfect sync. Seeing it still thinking about chasing girls, Mo Yan decided that it should be transformed into a female, otherwise who knew how many more girls it would harm. This wasn’t like her past life where things were more open.

That very night, dozens of birds of all sizes flew from Mo’s house to the capital, spying on the hidden secrets of various noble families. They became the most discreet aerial spies, gathering intelligence on the powerful families.

Collecting information from these mansions would take some time, so Mo Yan relaxed and stayed at home, spending her days either taking a stroll around the orchard and medicinal fields in the morning or evening, or staying inside reading books or doing chores. The heat outside made it unbearable, with no air conditioning or fans, she would sweat just sitting.

On the third day after the birds flew out, Old Master Ding arrived with a group of villagers to get the fishing nets.

In summer, it was typically too hot for fishing. Fish prices were cheaper than in winter, and the fish often spoiled. Winter, on the other hand, was too cold for fishing. The weather was dry now, with shallow water in the pond, making it easy to catch fish. The fish could be put in small nets in a clear river, where they could be raised and sold fresh at the market every morning without worrying about them dying or spoiling.

Besides, the Mo family wasn’t in urgent need of the money from selling fish, so the lower prices didn’t matter. In winter, the cold would freeze the fishers, and they’d end up spending more on medicine than they earned from the fish.

Mo Yan had never seen fishing like this in her past life, so she became curious and decided to watch. 

Apart from Tang Xin, Xin'er and the others had never seen it either, and when they saw Mo Yan going, they all put on their hats and followed her.

At the pond, Mo Yan and the others stood under a small peach tree, watching Old Master Ding direct the villagers in setting up the nets.

The pond was about an acre large, and using only one fishing net was too inefficient. Mo Yan had bought six nets, each six feet wide, so when laid side by side, they stretched out to thirty-six feet. These nets were arranged in a line, and the people stood at the other end, pulling on the ropes.

Though it looked simple, it required precision with both the spacing and speed of the nets. If the nets were misaligned, they could easily tangle, requiring people to go into the water to separate them.

Another simpler method was to use a large woven net in the middle of the pond, sitting in a boat and using bamboo poles to herd the fish towards the center, where they would get caught in the net. This method was less labor-intensive but could only catch fish that were the right size, leaving out larger or smaller fish. It was also difficult to catch all the fish in one go, and the fish could easily die, making them unsellable.

The six nets were quickly set up, each one tied to a long rope. Twelve villagers each grabbed a rope and walked to the opposite side. With a signal from Old Master Ding, they began pulling the nets steadily.

"Sis, this looks so fun, I want to try pulling the nets too!" Xin'er said, watching the bubbles rising from the pond as the nets moved through the water.

"Don’t even think about it," Mo Yan replied, not holding back in her criticism. "The nets sink deeply into the water, and with your small frame, you won’t even be able to pull with any strength. You’ll just end up falling in."

Xin'er wasn’t happy with the comment. "Sis, stop underestimating me! I’m going to help now, just watch!" She took off her hat, rolled up her sleeves, and ran over to join in.

Mo Yan didn’t stop her but started thinking about which ointment would be good for sprains.

Before long, all six nets had been pulled to the shore. The nets were still submerged, but fish began to thrash inside them, splashing water and soaking the villagers who were pulling the nets.

"Wow, these fish are huge. All together, they must weigh a couple hundred pounds!"

[End of Chapter]  

 Chapter 911: Revenge and the Arrival of a Stranger (1)

Upon learning that the Cui family had not given up and would soon formally propose marriage again, Mo Yan wasn’t particularly worried. When the time came, she would simply tell the Cui family the truth—that she was already engaged. The Cui family would never break someone’s engagement. Even if they were willing to do so, it would depend on whether she and Xiao Ruiyuan agreed.

Previously, she hadn’t directly informed the matchmaker, thinking that merely citing the differences in social status would suffice to reject the proposal. If she had been upfront from the start, she could have avoided the persistent attention from the Cui family.

It must be said that the Zhao family women—both the old and the young—were extremely malicious. If she had agreed to the marriage with the Cui family, not only would she have ended up with a sickly husband, but also a difficult-to-please mother-in-law, as well as a legitimate mother who hated her as the concubine's child. How could anyone describe such a life? It would be a nightmare, not something that could be summed up with the phrase "a life of hardship."

Moreover, the legitimate mother wasn’t just anyone; she was none other than the Grand Princess of Da Chu, the youngest sister of Emperor Hui'an, Princess Fuyun. Mo Yan didn’t know how the Grand Princess had interfered in the marriage between third master Cui and his first wife, which had led to the tragic downfall of third Madam Cui from the status of a first wife to a concubine. After giving birth to the sickly seventh son of the Cui family, she had died due to blood loss. The mere fact that this woman held such a high status made her someone to be feared.

Even someone as formidable as the old madam of the Cui family had been forced to send seventh young master Cui to the south for years under the pretext of needing to recover, proving how difficult the Grand Princess was to deal with.

Without Xiao Ruiyuan, Mo Yan’s fragile body would only face endless struggles in that environment. Such a life was not something she could endure, especially as someone who had never been skilled in battles or schemes.

If she rejected the proposal, it would surely anger the Cui family and could create enmity with them, which she didn’t want. She had no desire to end up in such a position.

The two women from the Zhao family dared to scheme against her, and if she didn’t take some form of revenge, wouldn’t that be wasting their "good intentions"?

A malicious smile crept across Mo Yan's lips as she summoned the noisy birds from the roof into her space, assigning each of them specific tasks.

"Yan Yan, you’re so wicked, but I like it. Heh heh!" Xue Tuanzi giggled wickedly, her voice completely at odds with her innocent and cute appearance.

Mo Yan flicked Xue Tuanzi’s belly, sneering, "If they’re heartless, then they can’t blame me for being ruthless. If that Lord Zhao keeps his hands clean, then it’ll be fine. But if not, those two clever women will not only ruin themselves!"

Xue Tuanzi dodged Mo Yan's hand and nodded in agreement, "As long as you’re not asking for their lives, this kind of revenge is nothing. If they’re digging their own graves, we can’t stop them."

Her words sounded pleasing to Mo Yan, who quickly grabbed Xue Tuanzi and rubbed it hard in her arms. "Heaven’s punishment can be forgiven, but self-inflicted punishment cannot be survived. I’ll watch them dig their own graves and bring about their own destruction."

Xue Tuanzi, however, wasn’t content to stay still. Taking advantage of the situation, its two snail eyes nudged against Mo Yan’s chest, lecherously saying, "Yan Yan, this place of yours is getting bigger and softer. Keep up the good work!"

Mo Yan didn’t react at first, but once she realized what Xue Tuanzi had done, she grabbed its chubby body, fuming. "If you dare to take advantage of me again, I’ll pluck your eyes out and feed them to the birds!"

Xue Tuanzi quickly shrank its eyes, shaking its body nervously, "Y-yan Yan, I won’t do it again, absolutely not!"

Mo Yan stared at it suspiciously and, grabbing its twitching antennae, threatened, "How many times have you said that? Have you ever actually remembered it? I think when you transform, you should become a female. If you dare to turn into a male, I’ll cut off your little thing and make you a eunuch!"

Xue Tuanzi drooped its antennae, nearly on the verge of tears. Its life was so tragic—just when it found a reliable master, it was always bullied, and now its little thing might be taken away. Even though it didn’t have it yet, it hoped to one day transform into a male and live a carefree life, chasing after girls.

[End of Chapter] 

 Chapter 1727: Is Granny Fang also a paternal aunt?