Chapter Thirty-Five: Warriors from the Depths of Hell!

After Li Yi and Bingyu left the workshop, they made their way to the training grounds, where Chang Dong and the seven soldiers he had selected were already waiting for him.

As soon as Li Yi appeared, Chang Dong called out loudly, “Fall in!” In a flash, the eight men formed two neat rows, their movements swift and precise—clearly well-trained soldiers. Yet, lacking the modern military stance of standing at ease, their formation seemed slightly lacking.

Li Yi walked up to the eight men and began his address.

“Listen to my command! Line up in a single row according to your height!” No sooner had Li Yi spoken than they moved quickly, standing in a line within moments. Li Yi was thoroughly satisfied.

“First, let me introduce myself. My name is Li Yi, courtesy name Wen Yong. As for my status, I believe you are all aware. Your performance just now was commendable; at least none of you dismissed me simply because I’m a fifteen-year-old, nor did you disobey my orders. That is well done. However, I must say something more—something you must engrave in your bones and imprint upon your souls.”

Li Yi took a deep breath, raised his voice, and shouted, “Remember this: you are soldiers, and a soldier’s duty above all is to obey orders!”

His words startled the eight men. Perhaps they had never heard such stirring declarations before, but when Li Yi finished, they seemed to find their purpose.

Li Yi exhaled and continued, “To obey orders is not just a slogan for soldiers. You may not understand now, but you will. I know you are confused, uncertain why you are here. You are all elite soldiers from various units, prideful men who could have enjoyed a life of admiration, yet you were inexplicably sent here to serve a fifteen-year-old young master. Aren’t you curious?”

All but Chang Dong nodded firmly, conveying their shared sentiment.

Li Yi smiled, “Such determination! Very well, I’ll tell you why. Because in my eyes, you are all useless! Even the King of Hell couldn’t stand it and wanted me to reform you!”

The seven men’s eyes blazed with anger, clearly unwilling to accept such words.

“What’s wrong? Not convinced? That’s normal. I’ll give you one chance—your first and last. If any of you refuse to accept this, step forward!”

The seven glanced at one another, but none stepped out. In this era, Li Yi’s status was enough to suppress them.

“Not even the courage to speak up for yourselves? I was right—you are a bunch of weaklings. Let me tell you, if no one steps forward, I’ll send you back to your original units. You are not qualified to receive my training!”

Li Yi’s remarks filled the seven with rage; their breathing heavy, fists clenched.

Finally, unable to restrain themselves, they all took a step forward, and one of them called out, “Young master, we did not step forward because of your noble status, but that is no reason for you to insult us!”

“Insult? You’ll soon find out whether it’s an insult or not! Come at me, all of you! A friendly reminder—if you don’t take this seriously, you’ll regret it!”

Among the seven, a man of medium build, robust physique, chiseled features, and cold, steady gaze spoke in a deep voice, “Brothers, we’ve reached this point—let’s give it our all. Whatever his purpose, let’s fight well for our dignity as soldiers!”

“Agreed!” the other six responded in unison.

Li Yi nodded secretly—Chang Dong had truly picked a group of gems.

Li Yi took his stance, gazing at the seven. Truthfully, he wasn’t confident about this fight, but for the sake of training them, he had to overcome it.

The seven charged from all directions. Li Yi exhaled and entered the fray. In his previous life, his adventurous pursuits had led him to pull strings and spend two years training in the military, mastering martial arts that had saved him time and again. Since arriving in the Tang dynasty, he had mostly practiced Taiji and the Demon-Slaying Sword, but military boxing was etched into his bones—he would never forget it.

One of the men rushed at Li Yi, swinging his fist. Li Yi dodged, slipping aside and landing a palm strike on the man's joint, immobilizing him briefly. Before Li Yi could catch his breath, the burly man who had spoken earlier charged straight at him. Li Yi ducked, harnessed the power of Taiji, and sent the burly man flying. He continued with a blend of Taiji and military techniques. After the time it took for a stick of incense to burn, all seven lay sprawled on the ground, while Li Yi, though breathing heavily due to his age, remained standing.

After he steadied his breath, Li Yi barked, “Get up! Lying there whining—what’s that supposed to be? I’ll count to three. If you’re not up by then, get out! Useless lot!”

“One!”

No sooner had Li Yi uttered the count than the seven sprang to their feet, enduring the pain, teeth clenched. Strangely, after hearing Li Yi tell them to leave, they felt reluctant.

“So, do you now accept that you are useless?”

The seven lowered their heads in embarrassment, even Chang Dong blushed, clearly surprised by Li Yi’s prowess.

“I’ll give you a chance. If you want to leave, you may do so now—I’ll make sure you’re sent back. Don’t expect promotion, wealth, respect, or fame here. None of that is possible. There is nothing here for you! Awaiting you is only pain, solitude, despair, loneliness, sorrow, and the constant threat of death. All that remains is a heart loyal to the Tang—nothing else. No praise, no admiration, no riches. Because what I train are warriors from hell—hungry wolves who know nothing of death!”

“If you want to leave, register with Chang Dong and you may depart.”

With that, Li Yi turned and left without a pause. Bingyu looked up at Li Yi in awe and hurried after him.

“Haha! Worthy grandson of mine! Yi’er, well done!” As soon as Li Yi exited the training ground, Li Jing emerged from nearby. Clearly, he had been eavesdropping.

“Grandfather, why are you here?”

“Heh! I was going to call you for dinner, heard you were here, grew curious and followed. I wanted to see what you planned to do with so many of my best soldiers.”

Li Yi grinned and boasted, “So, what do you think?”

“Haha! I’m thoroughly satisfied. Honestly, when Chang Dong brought back these seven, the generals from the guard units were heartbroken—these men are their treasures! Yet, all defeated by you! Hell’s warriors indeed! Yi’er, can you tell me what your goal is?”

“Grandfather, you know of the Black Armored Army, don’t you?”

“Hm? What do you mean?” Of course Li Jing knew—the Black Armored Army was Li Er’s prized force, just a few hundred elite soldiers. Li Er had invested heavily to train them, and they had not disappointed: when attacking Dou Jiande, these few hundred men brought Li Er out from thousands, winning the day.

“Heh! Grandfather, I can only say that the troops I am training will far surpass the Black Armored Army—elite among elites. But it’s too soon to conclude; once I’ve finished, I’ll invite you to inspect them.”

A flicker of astonishment crossed Li Jing’s eyes. “Good! I’ll see what surprises my grandson can bring me. Come, let’s eat!”

“Grandfather, you must be bored cooped up at home all the time!”

Li Jing smiled wryly. “You rascal, nothing gets past you! Yes, after a lifetime of battles, suddenly being idle at home feels unnatural.” Although Li Jing served as Minister of War, he knew it was a nominal post—a gesture to appease the public, benefiting both Li Jing and Li Er.

“Grandfather, rest assured! Soon, you’ll return to the field!”

“Eh? Rascal, don’t mess around—this is no joke!”

“Oh, grandfather, relax! Am I the reckless type? Trust me, I won’t say a word, but I’ll have His Majesty issue the edict for your return.”

“Is that true?”

“Grandfather, remember who I am? I’m the grandson of the Tang’s God of War—General Li! How could I lack such capability?”

“Hahaha! Rascal, always flattering yourself! But this time, I’ll trust you!”

“Don’t worry—you won’t be disappointed. Over the next few days, organize your old battle notes and annotations on military strategy; you’ll need them soon!”

“You sound so convincing—fine, I’ll start tomorrow!”

...

While talking, Li Yi and Li Jing arrived at the dining hall.

As soon as Li Yi entered, Lady Hongfu strode forward. “Old man, I sent you to find my grandson for dinner—how did it take so long?”

Li Jing smiled awkwardly, and Li Yi hurried to explain, “Oh, grandmother, you can’t blame grandfather—your grandson was delayed by business!”

“Heh! Rascal, you’re always so busy—never have time for me!”

Now it was Li Yi’s turn to be embarrassed, and Li Jing explained, “Heh, this really isn’t Yi’er’s fault! Madam, His Majesty entrusted Yi’er with important tasks—proving his ability!”

“Hmph! As if I didn’t know—my grandson, the grandson of Hongfu, can only be capable! Enough talk—let’s eat!”

Due to Li family tradition, no one spoke during meals—a rule supposedly befitting nobility. Li Yi didn’t understand it but obeyed strictly, having discovered his grandmother was even more formidable than he’d imagined and wouldn’t tolerate unruliness.

Half an hour later, the Li family finished their dinner and tea, and began their second family meeting.

“Aunt, have you started making your perfume yet?”