Chapter 140: Grueling Training

The child was unable to stand up in time, and could only roll on the ground in obvious pain; his reaction was pure reflex, an instinctual reaction to avoid danger and survive.

The six horses galloped past him, brushing past his face with little room to spare. The danger was finally over...

The child then stood up in a sweeping motion as stars greeted his vision just as his feet planted themselves on the ground. He immediately fell over again. The near-death situation earlier had taken all his energy; now that the danger was past, he lost his hold on consciousness the moment he heaved a sigh of relieve.

"Wake him up!" The old mistress was enraged. "How can he faint at such a time? Splash him awake with cold water! The training has to continue!"

One of the noblewomen standing at the sides could no longer watch as she begged weakly, "Mother... please... let them rest a little more... Little Fif, he's only six years old!"

Shangguan Lingxiu, who was standing on the other side, bit her lips tightly. Determination painted her face instead of the supposed gentleness of a woman.

The old mistress shut her eyes and sighed, feeling a twinge of guilt in her heart.

In most occasions, she would have been obstinately resolute, but this time, she finally softened her stance.

"Alright. Why not..." Just as she spoke, Shangguan Lingxiu hollered loudly, "No! No rest! Nobody gets to rest before the time is up!"

The determination in her tone held no room for discussion.

"Lingxiu!" The middle-aged woman beside her was spewing fire from her eyes. "Do you intend to torture them to death?"

Shangguan Lingxiu bit her lips tightly.

"This drill ground has existed in the Shangguan Family for over seventy years! All these years, the men of Shangguanhave all trained and drilled in this very spot before they entered the battlefield."

"I was born late. I was not fated to watch my grandfather train here." Shangguan Lingxiu said loudly, "However, I have seen my father and uncles trained and ground to perfection here!"

"I have also watched my brothers take charge of this place, clenching their teeth and bleeding, drilling themselves since they were three or four!"

"All of them worked hard, really really hard." Shangguan Lingxiu said aloud, "But even though they broke their backs practicing here, they still died in the battlefield!"

"The difficulty of training now has only increased a tiny bit compared to when my brothers trained at this age. However, it's still far from satisfactory!"

"I'd rather they trained to their deaths in this drill ground than to enter the battlefield in future and fall on the cold-blooded earth, beneath the enemy horses' hooves, for them to become the enemies' meritorious achievement!"

"Keep it up! Continue the training! The only way you can rest before the time is up is if you die!"

"No favors for anyone! Now, get back to work!"

Shangguan Lingxiu's delicate face was flushed, her gaze burning with fervor. "Faster! Otherwise, you'll be caned!"

With the slicing sounds of the whip, six children shakily climbed up onto the horses again as they gritted their teeth and continued to go through the different motions.

"This is the Shangguan Family of Generals!" Shangguan Lingxiu announced loudly, "This is how it is for the descendants of the general family. You either revive the Shangguan Family of Generals' glory by stepping on the enemy's corpses and carrying the heads of your foes or you succumb to the enemy's blades and become their victory!"

"This is the destiny of the Shangguan Family of Generals' men. There is no other way!"

Her declaration was shrill and sharp, carried by the autumn wind, adding a chill to the billowing wind.

...

It was evening when Shangguan Lingxiu brought her nephews out as the group moved soundlessly.

Their route grew increasingly deserted.

Finally, the group arrived at a squalid destination.

This was the red-light district of Tiantang City; countless thugs and gangsters, criminals and fugitives gathered here, surviving in this dark slum.

This was the land of the forgotten.

It was quiet abandonment where almost no person or activity could be seen during the day yet when night came, all sorts of monsters and demons came out from their hiding spots to hold a party of their own.

People drank and argued; some brawled while others grabbed onto any woman that was handy to fulfill their carnal natures.

Under the dim lantern lights, twisted faces were everywhere - menacing, scary, and brutal.

A burly man came stumbling over and extended his claws towards a ragged woman. "Come to me my love, have fun with this father."

Before his claws could reach his target, a tiny shadow suddenly appeared as a punch landed on the man's stomach.

"Little f*cker, you dare punch your father? Are you seeking your death?" The man could feel the intensity of the punch as if his guts were about to spill out. However, he was furious enough to ignore the pain and countered the attack mercilessly.

His opponent was a tiny shadow who could only be five to six years old at most. The shadow stealthily dodged the attack and skipped agilely away. He was avoiding the man's strikes while trying to find a window to counter; the tiny fist that seemed weak could actually pack a powerful punch. The man cried out in pain as the began to throw a flurry of punches in his direction.

It looked like victory and defeat was clear but the burly man was an adult after all. A single punch or kick that reached the child could turn the situation around as the child would never be able to shrug it off, small as he was.

Even though he had been through an extremely grueling training regime, he was still just a six years old child after all.

Thud!

The child cried an agonized shriek as a kick connected with his stomach, unable to avoid the attack in time. The tiny body was flung thirty feet away and landed heavily on the ground, the boy unable to pick himself up immediately.

The burly man chuckled menacingly as he rushed over. The intention was clear; he wanted the child to die right there and then.

Kindness, conscience, and sympathy were only talk in places like these; those who were aged, sick, women and children, the weak, would fall as sacrifices in this wretched place. The man who got the upper hand would only nip it in the bud, preventing any chances of a possible disaster!

Shangguan Lingxiu clenched her jaw as she trembled but remained still, observing the unfolding events with a stare.

The child on the ground rolled over with much effort, seeing that the man was charging over. He picked himself up as he held onto his stomach, sweat already dotting his forehead. The man laughed menacingly as he pounced, wanting to put an end to this living bundle of twigs. The child suddenly gave a loud growl, sliding away and jumping up high as two of his fingers stabbed straight into the man's eye sockets.

Letting out a shrill cry of pain, the man threw wild punches against the small body that was hanging onto him.

The child yelped and wailed but he scrambled upwards determinedly and bit down on the man's throat with his baby teeth.

Blood gushed and spurted; the man screamed in terror but his tone of his voice had changed. His large build collapsed weakly, jerking once before it went completely still.

The rest of his body was quickly drenched by the crimson blood.

The body that had supposedly returned to nature moved suddenly; a tiny head crawling out from underneath the corpse. His head and face, and his entire body were covered in blood, his breathing was hoarse while the small frame shook occasionally.

Obviously, the child had won this battle but the price he paid had far exceeded the amount a six to seven-year-old could or needed to take!

However, just as the child regained his breath, he puffed out his chest and held in the soreness and pain of his body as he raised his arm. "I win!"

The child had long understood his destiny - the men of the Shangguan Family would never be able to enjoy childhood.

There was only life and death, victory and loss!

Tears escaped Shangguan Lingxiu's eyes as she lowered herself and spread her arms to welcome the triumphant return of her nephew, hugging the still trembling body tight in the shadows.

"Good job! Good job, third child! You are aunty's pride!" Shangguan Lingxiu's voice was tearful.

"My family name is Shangguan, my name is Shangguan Longtao, I'm not a third child." Third child murmured against his aunt's embrace, "I'm a Shangguan man, Shangguan Longtao..." Before he could finish, he had fainted dead away.

The brutal fight just now had been overly cruel to a child of only seven years.

He had used all he had and had even sustained some injuries but his face was one of pride even as he collapsed in a small heap.

I've won!

I am Shangguan Longtao!

I am a descendant of the Shangguan Family of Generals!

"Next!" Shangguan Lingxiu wiped her tears away forcefully.

...

Late into the night, Shangguan Lingxiu brought her six nephews who were wounded and injured to the west of the Thousand Feet Lake where the unmarked cemetery lay.

Will-o'-the-wisps hovered along with mysterious noises.

"Sleep here if you're tired." Shangguan Lingxiu's expression was hard and cold. "Don't take the tombstone as your pillow. Point your head downwards and put your legs on the tombstone when you sleep."

No matter how worn out they were, how could these children fall asleep in an unmarked cemetery? What courage must they have to be able to enter dreamland in this environment?

Each of them looked at their surroundings timidly, their gazes terrified.

"Auntie... I'm scared..." The smallest child pulled Shangguan Lingxiu's sleeves as he begged pitifully, "Let's go home..."

"No!" Shangguan Lingxiu said decisively, "The descendants of the Shangguan Family of Generals are not to be scared! We're not even scared of the living, why should we be afraid of the dead?"

"Let us separate here!" Shangguan Lingxiu continued sternly, "Five steps apart from each other, do not stick together! Do you hear me? Do not stick together! Both of you will be punished once you get near each other disregarding who approached another first!"

The six children were then separated mercilessly.

Shangguan Lingxiu hid behind a tombstone after separating her six nephews, carefully observing their actions.

The six children were weeping and sobbing in fear when a child suddenly stood up. "I can't sleep. I shall practice my punches."

Pow pow, pow...

He had actually started his practice, flowing into the proper stances with punches and kicks.

The other children's eyes glinted merrily. "We shall practice too then!"

The six children moved about in the unmarked cemetery, each of them throwing punches in their distinctive colors.

Shangguan Lingxiu's eyes grew damp watching this scene. She then slowly squatted and pulled her robes around herself tighter; her eyes darted around furtively in fear.

This hero, who did not seem to be afraid of anything, was trembling all over.