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Kapitel 23

The young man stood there dumbfounded, staring blankly at his hands.

"The reason you four are slapped first is because, as members of the Phoenix Army, you have bullied the weak, disturbed the peace, and treated human life as a joke, which is a serious violation of military discipline. This is a minor punishment to serve as a warning."

"You...you are..." The four of them stood there, not daring to utter another word in protest.

Lang Xiong stood up and sneered, "Today I've encountered a martial arts expert. Who are you, sir?"

Junyu sat down and looked at the still dumbfounded young man: "This person threw you downstairs, it's not unreasonable for you to slap him, go quickly."

The young man had just inexplicably and swiftly slapped each of the four burly men, and was still in shock when Junyu urged him on. Without thinking, he slapped Lang Xiong across the face.

Even though Lang Xiong was extremely fast, he felt a numbness between his legs and couldn't dodge in time. The young man's palm had already hit him squarely in the face.

The young man had no martial arts skills, and although his palm strike was heavy, it did not harm Lang Xiong at all. But Lang Xiong had never suffered such a loss before. He laughed wildly and attacked Jun Yu with his bare hands, using all his strength.

Junyu swept the hilt of his sword, "Chasing Fly," and Lang Xiong staggered back three steps before stopping. A trace of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as he snarled, "Boy, who are you? I'm an eighty-year-old woman who's been tricked by my son. I've been caught off guard today."

"Ugly freak, don't be discouraged. Countless people who are a thousand times more powerful than you have fallen into the hands of this 'kid'..." Amidst a cold laugh, a young man in white robes and jade pendant gracefully entered.

The four people who had been standing to one side were now looking at Junyu and then at Langxiong in astonishment: "Could it be...could it be..."

"What? Are you all blind? Commander Fengcheng is here, how dare you be so insolent?" the white-robed young man said coldly. "Why aren't you returning to your camp? Do you want to be severely punished here?"

The four glanced at Junyu, and seeing that he didn't speak, they stood still, not daring to move an inch.

Junyu nodded: "You must return to the army immediately without delay."

The four of them immediately turned and left.

The young man, who had been frightened and inexplicably slapped the thugs several times, finally came to his senses and bowed down, saying, "Thank you for saving me, Commander Fei."

Jun Yu immediately helped him up and said solemnly, "There's no need for thanks. I should have apologized to you for the disturbance caused by the chaotic army."

The young man paused for a moment, then happily bowed and left.

Lang Xiong stood there, unsure whether to leave or stay.

Junyu said, "You shouldn't hit someone in the face. But you relied on your martial arts skills and acted on a whim to bully an unarmed stranger. This is a huge violation of the code of the martial world. Do you accept this?"

Lang Xiong's purple face turned red, then yellow, then purple again. He turned around and left dejectedly.

Seeing the shopkeeper peeking in from the doorway, Junyu immediately took out a silver ingot and placed it on the table as compensation. The shopkeeper beamed with joy and immediately took the silver and went downstairs.

In an instant, only a pile of broken bowls and plates remained in the lobby.

Junyu smiled wryly at the noble young man in white robes and with the jade pendant staring at him: "Zhu Yu, it seems we never meet again in this world."

Zhu Yu didn't speak, staring at her for a long time, then suddenly burst into laughter: "What a magnificent 'Flying General of Phoenix City' who commands respect among the Hu and Han people! But what would it be like if this idol, worshipped by thousands, were to collapse one day?"

Junyu met his gaze with a slight smile: "Don't worry, if it's truly worshipped by thousands, it certainly won't collapse suddenly."

Zhu Yu walked out slowly with a cold smile.

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Chapter 58: A Mishap Occurred (2)

The once empty parade ground was now packed with people, and the wide reviewing stand, adorned with colorful ribbons, had been transformed into a fierce arena of competition.

The competition began at noon, with newly joined fighters from all walks of life taking to the stage to challenge the leading figures or to fight each other. By the time the sun began to set, those with weaker skills had already been defeated, leaving only the strongest fighters to compete.

Because of his recent dominance over the competition, Geng Ke has become the main target of challenge from those winning players.

After defeating five challengers in a row, Geng Ke stood on the platform, scanned his surroundings, and everyone was impressed by his superb skills, and there was a moment of peace in the arena.

Geng Ke secretly breathed a sigh of relief and was about to step back when suddenly, a man leaped up from the ground. This young man was burly and unshaven, landing as nimbly as a cat. The moment he landed, Geng Ke felt an invisible pressure. Geng Ke recognized him as the arrogant giant who had recently arrived in Phoenix City but resolutely refused to reveal his name. Geng Ke, though inwardly startled, calmly asked, "Friend, what is your surname?"

The young man laughed, revealing a pair of very shrewd eyes on his unshaven face: "Let's fight first and talk about it later."

Having said that, he drew a longsword and attacked, the tip twirling in a flourish, carrying the force of a storm. Geng Ke wielded a specially made double-edged longsword, a weapon he had had for over ten years. With a single clash of weapons, both men took a step back. Geng Ke's longsword immediately chipped.

Peng Dong sat in the observation deck below the stage, watching Geng Ke defeat several skilled opponents. He secretly hoped the matter would end there and not cause any further trouble. However, a stranger suddenly appeared. Although Peng Dong's martial arts skills weren't particularly impressive, he could tell that the stranger's sword was incredibly sharp, cutting through Geng Ke's blade in a single move. If Geng Ke were to lose this time, there would be no one left to subdue the assembled heroes. If they were to cause trouble, it would be difficult to manage. He anxiously awaited Jun Yu's arrival, craning his neck to look countless times, but still couldn't see her. Growing impatient, he sat down on the stool and then stood up again.

The competition today was caused by the newly joined big shots' rebellious attitude. Seeing the stranger's imposing presence, they immediately seized the opportunity to cheer loudly.

These people had joined the "Phoenix Army" for several months, but none of them had ever seen the "Flying General of Phoenix City" in person. In addition, seeing that the commander Peng Dong was nothing special, many of them couldn't help but wonder if the "Flying General of Phoenix City" really existed or if it was just an exaggeration.

Adding to the strife, some powerful figures envied the former Phoenix Stronghold chiefs, whose martial arts, though far inferior to their own, were protected by their past military achievements. These chiefs, unwilling to be inferior, grew increasingly resentful, leading to repeated disturbances. Among them were ambitious individuals seeking to seize power and prestige amidst the chaos, secretly sowing discord. Consequently, the original and newly joined generals of Phoenix Stronghold were subtly divided into two factions. The old guard hoped for a complete victory for Geng Ke to stabilize the situation; while the new recruits, seeing the long-bearded man's exceptional martial arts, cheered loudly for him, hoping he would defeat Geng Ke so they could all profit from the situation.

Seeing that Geng Ke was in danger, an old soldier from Phoenix City stomped his foot in alarm. Suddenly, he noticed that there was someone else beside him. He was surprised when he looked at him and was about to salute when Jun Yu waved his hand, signaling him not to make a sound.

Chapter 59: Unaware that Mulan is a woman (1)

Junyu carefully examined the young man on the stage. Although his thick hair obscured most of his face, making it difficult to discern his true features, his eyebrows and eyes seemed vaguely familiar. Junyu possessed a photographic memory for everyone he saw, yet for a moment, he couldn't recall who this person was.

Geng Ke's initial setback only fueled his youthful spirit. As the strongest and youngest of the "Four Heroes of the North," Geng Ke was usually quite arrogant. Now, he boldly discarded his chipped longsword and fearlessly met the stranger's sword with his bare hands. The stranger, unwilling to take advantage, tossed his sword aside and joined in the hand-to-hand combat. After thirty moves, Geng Ke was completely at a disadvantage. The long-bearded man roared and struck Geng Ke's neck with a palm strike. Geng Ke leaped away, narrowly avoiding the blow, and withdrew his attack, saying in a deep voice, "Your skill is excellent, sir. Geng Ke concedes defeat."

The long-bearded man picked up the sword from the ground, laughed three times, and turned to look at Peng Dong, who was standing on the observation platform with an anxious expression: "General Peng, I barely managed to defeat Instructor Geng by one move. I would like to ask the experts of the Phoenix Army to give me another move."

The man spoke politely, but his disdain was obvious. In Phoenix City, Geng Ke was currently the best in kung fu. Now that Geng Ke had been defeated, and he still had such a sharp sword in his hand, who would dare to go on stage and make a fool of themselves?

Peng Dong barely managed to stand on the stage, anxious but at a loss for words. The man stood facing the center of the stage and shouted, "Brothers from all walks of life have come to join the Phoenix Army because they admire the reputation of the Flying General of Fengcheng. However, it has been a long time and no one has been able to see the real 'Flying General'. Could it be that the Flying General of Fengcheng thinks that we are not worthy to see the real face of Mount Lu?"

These words struck a chord with all the bigwigs, and the audience roared in agreement. These unruly men started to jeer, and several burly men even jumped onto the stage and surrounded Peng Dong, showing no sign of stopping until they saw the "Flying General of Fengcheng".

Several generals in the Phoenix Army, knowing they were outnumbered, drew their weapons and stood alongside Geng Ke. Peng Dong tried to stop them, but the burly men, eager to cause trouble, exchanged glances and attacked the generals of Phoenix City.

A series of loud "bangs" were heard, like a gust of wind. The dozen or so experts on the stage stared blankly at the weapons on the ground, looking at each other in disbelief. These powerful figures had roamed the martial world for many years, and they could not believe that in just one exchange, all of their weapons had fallen from their hands, and that the person standing bare-handed opposite them was such a handsome young man whose appearance could not be described by imagination.

A thunderous cheer erupted from the Phoenix Army below the stage. Peng Dong breathed a long sigh of relief, stepped off the stage, and immediately sat down in a chair.

The long-bearded giant still held his weapon in his hand. Everyone thought he was a highly skilled martial artist, but he knew perfectly well that the handsome young man on the stage had just held back.

He stared at the boy in surprise, but the boy smiled and said, "Sun Jia, how have you been?"

"Junyu?!" The long-bearded man's eyes flashed suddenly. "Junyu, it's you?!"

Sun Jia and Jun Yu studied at Qian Si Academy together in their youth and had a pretty good relationship. They never expected to meet again in this way after so many years. Over the years, Sun Jia has changed a lot, and with his full beard, Jun Yu didn't recognize him until he had exchanged several blows with Geng Ke.

Junyu smiled and nodded, and Sun Jia also smiled and quietly withdrew.

Seeing this display of power, how could the powerful figures on and off the stage dare to utter a sound?

Jun Yu said, "You may all leave." With a slight lift of his hand, the weapons that had fallen from the stage returned to the hands of the group without any mishap.

The crowd was even more shocked than when the weapons fell to the ground, and hurriedly retreated. Overjoyed, Peng Dong also stood up. In the vast square, under the gaze of thousands, only soft breathing could be heard. These arrogant heroes from all sides had finally seen the legendary "Flying General of Phoenix City," and their pride instantly turned into a cold sweat.

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Chapter 60: Unaware that Mulan was a woman (2)

Junyu glanced around, and instantly, the vast stands fell silent. She gestured, and several soldiers escorted four soldiers dressed in Phoenix Army uniforms up from below the stands. These were the recruits who had caused trouble with Lang Xiong at the restaurant. The soldiers were now completely sober, and after glancing at her, they all lowered their heads in shame.

Jun Yu said, “We welcome all those who voluntarily join the Phoenix Army. However, once you join, you are a member of the Phoenix Army and must completely obey its military discipline. Over the years, the Phoenix Army has fought in the north and south, and although we have achieved some victories, these achievements should not be enjoyed by us alone, but are closely related to the support of the people of Phoenix City. The people of Phoenix City provide us with military pay, provisions, the sharpest weapons, the fastest warhorses, and the most seamless cooperation. As the saying goes, ‘An army is raised for a thousand days, but used for one.’ Now, the Crimson Gold Clan’s Chen Army is eyeing the border with covetous intent, but our army is degenerating into arrogant and unruly soldiers, constantly causing trouble, oppressing the people, and repeatedly abusing their power to disrupt military discipline. Today, a very small number of people have caused trouble in Phoenix City again, greatly damaging the image of the Phoenix Army. According to military discipline, they will be severely punished…”

Junyu waved his hand, and immediately a military inspector stepped onto the stage, holding a notice, and loudly read: "These four new recruits have violated military discipline, caused trouble in the restaurant, aided and abetted evil, and created a bad influence among the people. Considering this is their first offense, in accordance with Article 8 of the Phoenix Army Regulations, each of them will now be punished with 50 lashes as a warning to others..."

A series of sharp cracking sounds immediately rang out from the stage. The four men gritted their teeth and didn't groan. Among the crowd below were many who had caused trouble and fought before. They knew that "Flying General of Fengcheng" had given them enough face, and this was just a way to "make an example of them." Zhu Hao was terrified. Fifty lashes were a small matter, but losing face in front of everyone was a much bigger deal.

After reprimanding the men, Junyu ordered the soldiers to take the four men away and treat them properly. The group then dispersed and returned to their respective camps.

Zhu Yu stared intently at the composed young man on stage from the crowd, unsure of what to feel.

The crowd had dispersed when Peng Dong suddenly saw Zhu Yu and hurriedly greeted him politely. Zhu Yu nodded indifferently.

Junyu glanced at the audience below the stage, but Sun Jia was nowhere to be seen. He said, "General Peng, please go ahead. I'll be there soon."

Peng Dong led Geng Ke and the others back to the general's mansion first.

Chapter 61: Unaware that Mulan was a woman

Since his two arguments with Zhu Yu in Yangzhou, especially the latter time when he stabbed him, Junyu felt a little guilty. Now that he saw him appear in this border city again, he must be here to assist Tang Zhen on his father's orders because the war at the front was urgent.

Zhu Yu stared at her for a long time, then suddenly tossed her a thin book. Junyu took it and saw that it was a copy of "The Ballad of Mulan," and the first page had two lines of large characters written in red ink: "We traveled together for twelve years, yet we did not know that Mulan was a woman."

Junyu met his gaze without any fear and said arrogantly, "Zhu Yu, did you travel all the way to Phoenix City just to be so suspicious?"

Zhu Yu felt a chill in his heart. He had deliberately tested her. If Jun Yu was indeed a woman, she should have been flustered if her identity was suddenly exposed. However, Jun Yu's calm and fearless gaze was not the kind of gaze a girl should have.

Little did he know that Junyu had become wary after seeing his piercing gaze several times. Moreover, having been dressed as a man for many years, she had seen all kinds of big scenes and storms. How could she lose her composure over something as trivial as hearing others doubt her identity?

Junyu ignored him and turned to walk away.

Zhu Yu stared at her retreating figure as it disappeared into the distance, then suddenly shouted, "Junyu, I don't care who you are, I will definitely have a fair and square fight with you."

Junyu stopped but didn't turn around, and said loudly, "I'm ready to accompany you anytime."

Chapter 62: Forming the Phoenix Army (1)

At the beginning of this year, the Hu and Chijin tribes temporarily retreated after the great battle, and the area within 500 li of Phoenix City was safe and sound. Peng Dong became a general of peace and lived a very comfortable life. Who would have thought that this incident would occur? However, he always escaped danger without any real harm. With a great weight lifted from his heart, he immediately invited Junyu to have dinner together.

After dinner, Junyu convened a meeting of all the generals and officers in the army. The most important task was to guide the various heroes and ensure their complete integration into the Phoenix Army. These heroes, if used properly, would undoubtedly enhance the Phoenix Army's fighting strength; however, if they went astray, the resulting disasters would be immeasurable.

Junyu had been pondering the discipline of the Phoenix Army for a long time. That night, he came up with a complete plan, ordering the military clerks to compile it into a collection, print it into military regulations, and give each soldier a copy.

Junyu also had an important plan: to immediately train the army in new battle formations to improve the Phoenix Army's group combat capabilities. During this trip to Sichuan, Junyu not only studied the "Marrow Cleansing Classic" with Shu Zhenzhen, but also received most of Tuosang's power, resulting in a fundamental leap in his own internal strength and martial arts cultivation.

Having fought against the armies of the Hu and Chijin tribes for many years, Junyu was well aware of the power of the nomadic cavalry formations. Now, with the border in dire straits and a portion of Tang Zhen's army turning back to Shandong to suppress a peasant uprising, if the remaining defenders were to collapse again, Phoenix City would immediately become easy prey for the Hu and Chijin tribes. Therefore, how to combine his martial arts skills with his strategic knowledge to create a new and efficient battle formation to enhance the Phoenix Army's combat effectiveness became Junyu's primary concern.

After leaving Sichuan, Junyu pondered the immense power of the combined swordsmanship of "wielding five strings" for days, gradually comprehending the secrets of a new group combat and effective individual defense. Therefore, on her way back to Phoenix Village, she began writing a brand-new practical military strategy, "Phoenix Military Strategy." She has already completed the first part and is preparing to put it into practice, starting to popularize and practice it among some Phoenix Army members to observe its effects.

Junyu selected several of the strongest martial artists from the recent military exercises for training, and appointed Geng Ke and a newly joined expert, Zhou Yida, as the head and deputy instructors. These long-suppressed men finally had a chance to prove themselves and readily accepted the assignments. However, after careful consideration, she still lacked a suitable head instructor. Junyu thought to herself that Sun Jia was the most outstanding in martial arts among them, and in her memory, he had also learned military strategy well at Qiansi Academy. If he were interested, he would be an excellent candidate.

After the meeting, it was already dawn. The generals returned to their camps to rest, while Junyu walked alone through the camp. He arrived at the seventh barracks, where two soldiers on patrol stood ramrod straight. Junyu gave his order, and the two saluted. Junyu noticed that one of the guards, who had a slight limp, was one of the four who had been punished with 50 strokes of the cane.