Chapter 10: The Formation (Part 2)

On the watchtower of Liu Ziying, a group of people still stared at each other in confusion.
They watched as someone jumped down from the tower, but they had no idea what to do: “What should we do?”
“My eyes are ruined; I can’t see clearly anymore!” immediately shouted a slick-haired man. “Neither side has my support!”
He had originally supported Liu Haohao, but after seeing Liu Yu’s demeanor, he had made up his mind: “My eyes are really ruined!”
In the old camp, through the strenuous efforts of Shi Yujie and others, Liu Haohao had only just secured a two-thirds majority. Now, those who believed Liu Yu was the more legitimate leader began to shout: “I still say it—Ayu should be in charge!”
“He deserves to be in charge!”
As they spoke, they suddenly noticed something odd: “Huh? Didn’t Second Brother go to inform Haohao? Why is he heading outside?”
Liu Yu marched forward with steady steps, with Lian Jincheng, his military advisor, closely by his side, issuing orders from time to time as per Liu Yu’s instructions.
Behind them was Jiang Ningxue, holding a battle flag, carrying Spencer’s carbine, with drops of sweat glistening on her cheeks. She followed Liu Yu’s steps firmly and powerfully.
The twenty men were neatly arranged in two rows, marching in unison, not an inch more or less, leaving their marks on the ground.
Among them were the handsome Sima Tai, the mature-looking Liu Suiyun, and the lively Jing Shiyi. But at this moment, they had changed.
Under the sun, armed with foreign rifles, they seemed like entirely different people, their spirits completely transformed. Each one had merged into this collective, becoming a drop in the whole—this collective brimming with masculinity.
Their footsteps shook the ground, and their rifles exuded a sense of strength.
It seemed nothing could stop them with bayonets and foreign rifles.
Although Liu Ziying had many veteran soldiers who had fought in many battles, they were still just farmers who had never received systematic military training. At first, they couldn’t understand where Liu Yu got so many advanced rifles.
But later, they could see a kind of strength in the formation led by Liu Yu—a strength they couldn’t comprehend or resist.
A strength that, beyond rifles and bayonets, could still move them, exploding in their hearts like intense cannonfire.
Only at the back of the group was Ji Xinghui, who was clearly the quintessential “Nan Guo Scholar”—his posture far from standard, making those around him appear even more spirited.
Their clothes were patched up, yet their demeanor was flawless.
It was a perfect counterfeit parade.
Though from a professional perspective, this parade was hardly worth mentioning, Liu Yu was secretly proud.
It would be perfect if there were a marching march.
As if hearing his thoughts, Lian Jincheng took out a small harmonica from his clothes and began to play.
Military music echoed through the air.
Then came the thunderous voices of Liu Ziying’s troops.
Ji Xinghui wasn’t stunned by the loud shouts, but he saw someone running in a big circle, carrying a shotgun, with a flattering smile on his face: “I support Liu Yu as the leader!”

He spat inwardly at the sight of the other person trying to slip behind him. Immediately, he straightened his chest, stepped with more force, and swung the bayonet of his Mini gun to the right, signaling the other person to move aside. At the end of the two rows, another group of single individuals suddenly appeared—comparatively, they were like clowns performing. On top of the watchtower, curses rang out. “How shameless!” “Disgraceful!” “Second Brother is such a weakling!” Even those who supported Liu Yu started cursing. Yet the two rows of riflemen remained unaffected by this incident and continued marching in steady steps. “What the hell, so shameless! What did you say yesterday? It seems like nothing at all!” As curses continued from the watchtower, suddenly someone rushed down quickly, shouting, “I’m going!” “I’m going too!” “I’m going too!” But halfway there, the original two rows had turned into three. The newly joined soldiers were initially unaccustomed to such drills, but soon they held their heads high and marched in uniform steps. Now, however, every command had to be repeated twice. “One, two, three, four…” … “One, two, three, four…” Everyone raised their rifles forward. The further they marched, the more skilled their movements became. Accompanied by the accordion, they gradually merged into the group. In small groups, people with guns would occasionally jog into the ranks, and soon the formation was no longer three rows but four, five—by the time they reached the old camp, it was already six rows. Those at the front held their heads even higher, exuding a spontaneous pride that made those behind them stay silent and simply imitate their movements. Their addition created a greater visual impact—a formation like a mountain, marching like waves. Beside them, more people kept joining the ranks behind. The front row was full of ten people each, leaving no room for them to squeeze in, but they soon regretted it. It wasn’t long before they realized that rank in Liu Yu’s camp wasn’t determined by the row they stood in during the drill. Everyone knew the first two rows were made up of riflemen, so they tried their best to get into the third row. There were only ten people in the third row, but at least a hundred claimed to be there, and fifty claimed to be in the fourth row. As for rows five and beyond, no one actually stood there. In fact, the formation was more magnificent and imposing than they had imagined—eight full rows. Eight rows, an array of eighty people. And Liu Yu’s core forces were only in the first two rows. But now, every one of those eight rows was on Liu Yu’s side, with more people joining with guns, including women, children, and the elderly. The eight rows marched in unison, in step, full of vigor. Liu Yu didn’t know the exact number; he only knew that many familiar faces had joined the ranks. He felt it was almost time—just a short straight stretch ahead. It was time. “All of you! March in step!”