Chapter Eighteen: Tempering (Part Two)

"It is raining so hard outside; who knows how long this will last?" Captain Sun looked at Pei Qinghe. "If we force ourselves to travel in this downpour, everyone will get soaked. We only have one physician, and he can barely keep up with brewing medicine as it is. People will die. Aren't you afraid of that, Sixth Miss?"

His tone had already softened.

Pei Qinghe felt a secret sense of relief and said softly, "We have already traveled hundreds of miles, and we will reach Jizhou in a few more days. The imperial court is far away; if we stop here for a day or two to rest, I doubt anyone will notice."

"Notice?" she thought. Nobody cared whether the families of disgraced officials lived or died. Besides, they had been covering over thirty miles a day, moving twice as fast as expected.

Captain Sun himself had no desire to travel through the rain. He had dozens of men under his command, and the warhorses couldn't take it either. He hadn't agreed immediately only because he wanted something tangible in return. Sensing this, Pei Qinghe quietly handed over twenty taels of silver once he gave his consent.

Having received the bribe, Captain Sun immediately issued the order: the rain was heavy and the roads slippery, so it was unsuitable for travel. Everyone was to remain at the relay station and wait for the rain to stop.

The soldiers cheered, gathering together to gamble with dice for entertainment.

After traveling continuously for so long, the young and old of the Pei family were exhausted. Finally, they could set aside their weariness and rest for a day. Pei Qinghe, however, showed no signs of fatigue. She first made a round to inspect the area, then summoned the team leaders, including Pei Yan and Pei Yun, to arrange the training schedule for the coming days.

Pei Yun and the others were dumbfounded when they heard her plan. Training formations, stamina, endurance, and military discipline were already taxing enough. Now, Pei Qinghe actually wanted them to train with weapons?

Even Pei Yan, who admired Pei Qinghe the most, was stunned and blurted out, "Where would we get weapons?"

"You have a dagger, there is an old bow on the wooden cart, and two chipped, broken sabers. How are we supposed to train with so many people?"

Those two broken sabers had been bought from the soldiers with silver. They were fine for emergency self-defense, but using them for training was truly unrealistic.

Pei Qinghe had already planned ahead. Confident, she said, "This downpour will last at least a day or two. I intend to use this time to find everyone some sturdy wooden staves."

Mao Hongling, who was skilled with a spear, brightened up and immediately chimed in, "That's a good idea. They can serve as walking sticks to save energy, and we can use them like spears."

Pei Yun added, "There's a forest near the main road; we can gather materials on the spot. I'll go call some people."

"No need to go out in the rain," Pei Qinghe replied. "There is lumber at the station. Aunt, take some silver and go buy it directly."

Wu Xiuniang’s heart twinged at the thought of their dwindling silver chest. "Qinghe, we really must save our silver. If we go on like this, we won't make it to Youzhou."

Pei Qinghe smiled and reassured her, "Perhaps someone will send us silver along the way."

After a few more lighthearted words, Wu Xiuniang took an ingot of silver to find the station's cook. Indeed, the wood, cut into various sizes, was meant for firewood, and the station had half a room full of it.

Seeing the gleaming silver, the cook’s eyes lit up, and he agreed readily. "Use as much wood as you like. There are three axes here; feel free to use those too."

The sound of chopping wood, mingled with the rhythm of the torrential rain, drifted into the ears of the Crown Prince's guards. A few guards, having nothing better to do, went to the kitchen to watch the spectacle, accompanied by the square-faced soldiers.

Seeing what was happening, the guards couldn't help but gasp. The heavy, ten-pound wooden axe was like a sewing needle in Sixth Miss Pei's hands—lifting and falling with crisp, decisive movements. Logs as thick as bowls were split in two with a single strike.

Laymen watched the show, but experts saw the skill. Having been selected as guards for the Crown Prince, they were all truly capable and had a much better eye than the boisterous soldiers. Her strength was controlled perfectly, not wasting a single ounce of energy. The Sixth Miss was a true master.

Pei Yun, Pei Yan, and the others took turns with the other two axes. Only Pei Qinghe never swapped out; she chopped for half an hour without turning red or losing her breath.

Impressive! Truly impressive!

The square-faced soldier was eager to try. "Sixth Miss, you must be tired after chopping for so long. Let me give it a go."

Pei Qinghe was grateful and smiled at him. "Then thank you very much."

The soldier grinned foolishly, took the axe, and began to hack away with all his might. The soldiers with the mole and the round face exchanged mischievous, knowing looks. They had joined the army as teenagers and were now in their twenties, barely managing to fill their bellies, let alone afford a wife. Occasionally, when they got their hands on some silver, they would go out for a night of indulgence. They often teased the square-faced soldier privately for his constant "Sixth Miss" this and "Sixth Miss" that.

The roughly hewn staves were neither smooth nor round, covered in prickly wooden splinters. The square-faced soldier, showing rare thoughtfulness, said, "Let me use my knife to smooth them out so they don't prick the Sixth Miss's hands."

Pei Qinghe smiled slightly. "No need, they are just fine as they are."

She picked up a strip of cloth and wrapped one end of the stave several times, creating a makeshift grip. The rough, splintered wood now had a bit more lethality to it.

Officer Gao, who had been watching coldly from the sidelines, suddenly spoke up. "It is raining heavily today, and we cannot travel. Since we are idle, why doesn't Sixth Miss Pei teach us a few moves?"

The Crown Prince's guards and the soldiers clamored with excitement. Pei Qinghe glanced at Officer Gao. "Fighting hurts the harmony between us; perhaps we should pass."

Officer Gao: "..."

A true master only kills; they do not spar. Pei Qinghe hadn't spoken harshly, nor had she revealed any murderous intent, but that calm sentence left Officer Gao speechless. Seeing their leader thwarted, several guards turned away to hide their snickers.

Two days later, the rain stopped.

Having rested for two days, the Pei family members felt much lighter on their feet, now equipped with their wooden staves. More importantly, having weapons in hand gave them the confidence and backbone to protect themselves. The Pei women held their heads high, their eyes clear and spirits invigorated.

During a break for water, Pei Qinghe called Pei Feng and Pei Xuan over, patiently teaching them how to use the staves to strike. Pei Feng swung his staff with such vigor that it whistled through the air; upon receiving a few words of praise from Pei Qinghe, his little face flushed with joy.

Pei Xuan had an even greater talent for martial arts, learning the techniques almost instantly. Pei Feng, unwilling to be outdone, challenged her to a spar. Pei Xuan did not hold back, and within a few strikes, she had Pei Feng on the ground.

Seeing this, Lady Lu felt indignant and complained to Lady Chen, "That Xuan girl, she doesn't know her own strength. She's scraped the back of Feng-er's hand raw."

Lady Chen was indifferent. "So what? Getting injured during training is a common occurrence. The men of the Pei family all grew up this way."

Lady Lu, feeling she had lost the argument, finally muttered, "It’s different now."

With all the men of the Pei family executed, only these young children remained—shouldn't they be cherished? How could a mere slip of a girl like Pei Xuan dare to bully Pei Feng, the legitimate heir of the eldest branch?

Lady Chen rolled her eyes at her, showing no restraint. "With Qinghe here, stop worrying. Just lie down and get some rest!"