Chapter 9: A Shocking Change (Part 2)

Ji Xinghui explained every detail of the matter clearly: “That Shi Juyi was a subordinate of General Feng Zicai of Guangxi. This time, General Feng assigned him to go beyond the borders to recruit troops and station them in Annam. That’s how he ended up colluding with Liu Haohao…”
He described the situation in great detail—something only someone who had been directly involved could know. The reason was simple: he was the mastermind behind it.
If not for his instigation, Liu Haohao, though simple-minded and a typical brute, wouldn’t have stepped in to cause trouble at such a critical moment.
After seeing Shi Juyi’s military rank insignia and those appointment letters, along with a few words from him, Liu Haohao immediately rallied support for him.
Once both sides reached an agreement, Ji Xinghui went out specifically to find Liu Yu and his group. There, he saw twenty foreign rifles. Even if he knew little about them, he could tell they were top-quality. He hesitated for a moment. He had originally planned to persuade Liu Suiyun, but before he could say much, Liu Suiyun already convinced him: “Master, Ji Xinghui is willing to lead the way for you. He’ll face danger without hesitation!”
Liu Yu’s battalion was a cornerstone of his plans. Although there were less than a hundred soldiers, all armed with muskets, along with fifty women and children, they were all loyal troops with no issues of loyalty.
So Liu Yu immediately nodded and shook Jiang Ningxue’s hand firmly: “Let’s head back to the old camp right away.”
Shi Juyi offered a position as a battalion officer—a position that seemed extremely generous to outsiders—but to him, it was insignificant. All he wanted was Liu Yu’s battalion. “Sima, give your Minie rifle to Xinghui.”
Sima Tai had already found carrying an extra Minie rifle burdensome. Hearing this, he without hesitation put down his rifle along with its ammunition and handed them all to Ji Xinghui. “Take it! Remember, this is a Minie rifle used by Sima Tai—don’t forget that!”
Ji Xinghui’s eyes lit up—what a great rifle!
Having just pledged his loyalty, he already received such a reward. Seeing those twenty breech-loading rifles and their disciplined demeanor, his future seemed secure.
Meanwhile, Jiang Ningxue grabbed Liu Yu’s hand and asked softly, “Do you think Liu Yu is fit to be the leader of our Liu Yu battalion?”
Having traveled together these days, those twenty people had already become one heart. They almost unanimously replied, “Of course! He definitely deserves it!”
“How can that brute Liu Haohao be our leader?”
“Of course, it should be someone young and strong like Yu!”
“Could Liu Haohao even get such good foreign rifles?”
Everyone spoke at once, all agreeing on the same point. Jiang Ningxue then turned to ask, “Brother Yu, Uncle Zhu—you two have always been close to Uncle Hao. What do you think?”
The two replied in unison, “We’ll side with justice, not kinship!”
“Good!” Jiang Ningxue clenched her fist. “Come back to our old camp with our Yu! These rifles will officially belong to you from now on!”
Liu Yu didn’t expect Jiang Ningxue to boost his morale so much. He shouted, “Let’s head back to the old camp! Let them see what we’ve accomplished these days!”
With high spirits, it took less than half an hour to reach the old camp, which was only a mile away.

Without Liu Yu giving any orders, everyone had already gathered together, their eyes filled with a murderous intent. It was Lian Jincheng, who was temporarily acting as the instructor, who now issued the command: “At ease!”
He was indeed a good instructor. The Liu Yu Battalion immediately formed two neat columns, a result of days of drill training: “Count off!”
“One, two, three, four…”
This time, Lian Jincheng didn’t hold up a cross but instead gave a standard military salute: “Sir, the Liu Yu Battalion is ready. Please give your orders!”
Taking advantage of the enthusiasm from acquiring modern rifles, Liu Yu had focused heavily on drill training along the way, in addition to shooting practice and live combat exercises.
Aside from Jiang Ningxue and a few others, most members of the Liu Yu Battalion found such tedious training boring. But first, they had just gotten modern rifles, and their enthusiasm was still high; second, Liu Yu often used Lian Jincheng, his military advisor, as an excuse to enforce drill training, and now the formation was quite orderly.
At any time, drill training is the most fundamental aspect of military training. Only by training all soldiers to move in unison, obey orders without hesitation, and act as obedient soldiers at the command of their superiors can they truly evolve from civilians to soldiers.
What was evident now was the result of drill training—two neatly arranged columns.
Lian Jincheng, who was always quoting the Bible, indeed had some talent for basic instruction, not inferior to someone who had served in the army.
In the distance lay the old camp of the Liu Yu Battalion.
“Load bullets! Attach bayonets! Hold the rifles!”
Both Jiang Ningxue and Liu Suiyun quickly loaded bullets into their magazines, while the veteran with a Remington rifle calmly attached his bayonet to the bayonet socket.
They all held their rifles together, their gazes cold yet fervent, their faces filled with anticipation.
The two columns stood neatly, silently.
They were waiting for Liu Yu’s orders.
Liu Yu felt a sense of exhilaration.
Everything before him suddenly filled him with joy.
Liu Yu was a true military enthusiast who loved parades. When he saw online that some scumbags suggested canceling the Tiananmen Parade, he immediately cursed loudly.
It takes me ten years to feel this thrilled once, and you bunch of scumbags want to take away such joy.
Long live the parade!
But in his past life, he could only shout “Hello, commander!… Serving the people!” at parades. He also wanted to say “Hello, comrades… Comrades, thank you for your hard work.” Now, he finally had this chance.
These were true soldiers!
Twenty soldiers he had personally trained.
Their clothes were tattered, their military postures not perfect—some tall, some thin, some short, some fat—but they were no longer just a group of peasants.
There were no numerous bayonets; only four. Jixing Hui was still nervously attaching a bayonet at the back of the line.
Yet as they stood there, they exuded a proud and spirited aura.
They were full of vitality, carrying the unique spirit of soldiers.
Even Jiang Ningxue, as his daughter, was no exception. Standing at the front, her face slightly flushed, she held her rifle tightly, her fingers turning pale from the pressure.
This is my team!
“Ningxue, step forward and raise the flag!”

Jiang Ningxue raised the large flag with the character “Liu” on it; the battle flag flapped in the wind as it faced east. Everyone stared straight ahead, their gazes sharp as swords. In the distance lay the old camp of the Liu Army. It was a picturesque landscape—a long journey ahead! Liu Yugu shouted, “All—march in step!”