The Ming Dynasty's henchmen, working from nine to five

Chapter 5 Joining a State-Owned Enterprise

The next day, at 9:00 AM.

Shen Lang arrived at the training ground on time.

The centurion stood on the command platform, reading out the rules.

"The Embroidered Uniform Guards protect the emperor and uphold justice, patrolling and investigating cases; they require immense strength and unwavering patience!"

"Today, we will test your ability to carry heavy loads and make a sprint!"

With a wave of his hand, the centurion ordered a group of soldiers to carry dozens of huge boxes forward.

Inside, there were pairs of black armor pieces adorned with thick iron plates.

"Hiss, this heavy armor must weigh at least a hundred pounds. What infantryman would wear this for a raid?"

"My injuries from last night haven't healed yet, this is going to be deadly!"

"In previous years, they only carried 30 kilograms of weight. What are they doing this year?"

A chorus of complaints rose from the training ground.

"Silence!" the centurion shouted. "Dress up!"

"Run fifty laps around the barracks within two quarters of an hour. Anyone who exceeds the time limit will be eliminated. Anyone who uses internal energy will be considered to have cheated and will be punished according to military regulations!"

The crowd sighed and stepped forward to put on their black armor.

"Ready—Go!"

At the command of the centurion, dust billowed across the drill ground as thousands of people rushed out simultaneously.

The military camp was very large, with a lap around it being at least two or three miles. It was already difficult to run around it without using any internal energy cultivation techniques, let alone carrying heavy loads. Everyone tacitly maintained their speed to conserve their energy.

Except for Shen Lang.

The moment the command was given, he darted out like a cheetah, sprinting with all his might without holding back.

"No, what is he trying to do? Can he even complete fifty laps at that speed?"

"Holy crap, this young man is charging in so recklessly right from the start, is he crazy?!"

However, it wasn't long before everyone's gaze turned to horror.

Before the main group had even finished one lap, Shen Lang had already started lapping.

The grey-feathered parrot stood steadily on Shen Lang's head.

"On your left~"

"On your right~"

"call out!!"

"Hey, you didn't expect that, did you? The fuck's here again!"

In less than 15 minutes, he had finished running fifty laps.

This result was truly extraordinary, and everyone exclaimed that it was impossible, accusing Shen Lang of cheating and demanding that Shangguan verify it.

Chu Hongye came to verify this in person.

"With controlled breathing and stable blood circulation, no internal energy was used; the result is valid!"

These words made everyone even more doubtful about life.

He didn't cheat?

How could he not have cheated?

We're all human, how can there be such a huge difference? This isn't fair!

Looking at Shen Lang, whose expression remained unchanged and whose breathing rate showed no alteration, Chu Hongye asked curiously:

"At that speed, how many more laps can you run?"

Shen Lang held up one finger.

"One hundred laps?"

"Keep running."

"Pfft~"

Chu Hongye giggled and pinched Shen Lang's arm: "You're in great shape!"

"How could it not be good? All those max-level skills weren't for nothing..." Shen Lang smiled without saying a word.

After chatting for a few minutes, Chu Hongye said, "Your bird is quite interesting. I'll take it back and pet it for a while," and then left with the grey parrot.

A little while later, half an hour had passed, and the arduous expedition with heavy loads came to an end.

The results were quite disastrous; nearly a thousand people failed to complete the task and were eliminated on the spot, while hundreds more collapsed from exhaustion and had to be carried off the field.

The remaining people rested briefly before participating in the equestrian archery assessment.

"Those who achieve a hit rate of over 90% when shooting at a stationary target from 100 paces are qualified!"

"Anyone who achieves an 80% or higher hit rate in horseback archery on a moving target is qualified!"

There's not much to say, Shen Lang continues his attack in Gundam form!

They fired six arrows at once right from the start, followed by a series of arrows: the Nine Stars Alignment Arrow, the Shadow Arrow, and the Whirlwind Arrow...

After a series of dazzling maneuvers, they quickly arrived at the last quiver of arrows.

Shen Lang switched to a stiffer bow, exhaled, drew the bow, and fired an arrow into the sky with a 'whoosh,' followed by a second, a third, and a fourth...

The arrows flew into the sky in a parabolic arc.

It pierced through the clouds and tore through the silk, then roared away!

The tenth arrow was fired.

Shen Lang sheathed his bow and turned to leave.

By this time, everyone was already stunned, and subconsciously made way for him, watching him walk away.

Just as Shen Lang stepped out of the crowd, the arrows fell, and the row of ten targets exploded with a loud 'boom'!

"Lord Yan Zheng, what's your assessment?"

Chu Hongye looked at Yan Zheng with a grin: "Your little tricks don't seem to be working very well, do they?"

Yan Zheng said with a straight face, "They're just some ingenious tricks, what's there to comment on?"

Chu Hongye rolled her eyes and turned to Zhang Xian, asking, "I really like this man. How about transferring him to be my personal guard?"

Zhang Xian shook his head: "All of these people will be incorporated into the new garrison. This was personally decided by Lord Lu, and I have no authority to change it."

Chu Hongye stroked the parrot's belly and sighed, "That's such a shame!"

At that moment, the grey parrot, which had been lying on her hand fast asleep, suddenly woke up and sprang up with a "whoosh".

"Holy shit, you son of a bitch!"

"How come you're asleep during work hours? Instead of working, you're taking a nap?!"

"You stupid bird, you seem to be a complete idiot!"

The grey parrot grumbled and flew away, flapping its wings.

"Pfft~"

Chu Hongye laughed so hard she almost fell over: "How can you even insult yourself? This parrot is really hilarious!"

Yan Zheng scoffed, "Interesting? Wandering around Yujing City with such a foul-mouthed beast, who knows what kind of trouble it will cause!"

Zhang Xiandao said, "This boy's strength is beyond question. Let's restore the original standard. He doesn't need to participate in the next selection."

Chu Hongye said, "It should have been done long ago. If we let Lord Yan Zheng do whatever he wants, I'm afraid we won't even be able to recruit eight hundred people in the end."

Yan Zheng remained silent, but he did not object either.

Even though he disliked Shen Lang terribly, he had to admit, with a heavy heart, that the kid's strength was indeed extraordinary, even surpassing that of the carefully cultivated offspring of noble families.

Even if such a talented person has a somewhat eccentric personality, the Embroidered Uniform Guard would never turn him away.

"Call him over."

"Yes, sir!"

Before long, Shen Lang was brought over by Zhang Xian's personal guards.

Zhang Xian sized him up and said seriously, "To be able to enter the ranks at such a young age and become a true martial artist, you certainly have reason to be proud."

"But you must remember that pride is acceptable, but never be arrogant. There are so many talented people in this world, and showing too much talent can easily lead to trouble."

"Be patient and calm. With your talent, as long as you work hard, you will surely become a pillar of the nation in time."

Shen Lang bowed respectfully: "Thank you for your guidance, sir. I will remember it."

Zhang Xian hummed in agreement, his tone softening: "From now on, you are a member of my Embroidered Uniform Guard."

Shen Lang asked, "What about the subsequent selections?"

Zhang Xiandao: "You don't need to participate anymore."

After saying that, he glanced at the grey parrot perched on Shen Lang's shoulder, preening its feathers, paused, and then said, "You little parrot..."

"It's best not to raise any more. Kyoto is different from other places; the situation is quite complex. You must be careful with your words and actions and be extra cautious."

Shen Lang clasped his hands in a fist and said, "My lord, I will be careful."

Zhang Xian nodded: "Go, find a place to settle down as soon as possible. Come to the yamen in three days to pick up your waist token and martial arts manual."