In the training ground, faint laboured breathing could be heard. Qin Hao was training with the five most basic stances.
Punch stance.
Kick stance.
Puncture.
Stab.
Evasion.
The five most basic stances, so basic that most people barely glance at them before rushing ahead.
"Others chase after tiger stances that roar with ferocity, bear stances that boast brute strength, or winged bat stances that flaunt agility. Flashy. Intimidating. Powerful at first glance. Yet almost none of them truly understand the foundation beneath those movements."
From the memories of that worm, Qin Hao understood the importance of practicing the basics. They weren't stepping stones meant to be discarded, they were the roots. If the roots were shallow, no technique, no matter how profound, could stand firm.
There was a technique that was praised by the worm repeatedly because It did not rely on a single form or posture. It turned every part of the body into a weapon, fists, legs, joints, spine, even the smallest shifts of balance and breath. To wield this technique, the five basic stances are of utmost importance.
Qin Hao slowly clenched his fists, feeling the tension travel through his muscles, then relaxed, letting his breath steady.
He lowered his stance.
Again. From the beginning.
Cold sweat poured down his forehead. Qin Hao felt his body was about to collapse from exhaustion as his hands trembled and his knees buckled. The good thing was that he had made some progress regarding the stances.
"It seems my talent isn't half bad," he praised himself inwardly. "Though I still have a long way to go before achieving mastery."
Wiping off the sweat, Qin Hao collapsed onto the bed. The next thing he knew, it was the next morning. His body still felt sore, but overall he felt refreshed.
"Did you heal my body?" he asked.
"Heal? I can only heal physical injuries caused by external force. All I could do was accelerate the recovery process of your muscles," the second consciousness replied.
"Oh."
When Qin Hao glanced at the others, some were still groaning in pain as they struggled to stand up from their beds.
He didn't want to appear too flashy by acting nonchalantly, so Qin Hao drooped his shoulders, pretending to be exhausted as he headed to the training ground.
Jiang Fei greeted him from afar, and Qin Hao returned the greeting. Everyone was groaning and complaining until the trainer entered.
Once again, they started with push-ups, but the number had doubled, two hundred. Many trainees' faces grimaced. Some of them hadn't even eaten the night before, causing their bodies to feel weak.
"Now I understand why the rewards are extra meals. If you can't complete training, you'll starve. With a starving body, you can't finish training the next day. As the training intensity increases, they'll continue to fail and get their meals deducted, a vicious cycle. Those who finish training and receive extra meals will eventually realize food is the only way to complete training. Since failure is unacceptable, more and more people will train harder. On one hand, it drives the trainees to push themselves. On the other, it's a perfect strategy to filter out weaklings," the second consciousness analyzed thoughtfully.
"Uhh? I thought the extra meals were given casually as rewards," Qin Hao exclaimed inwardly.
"In the military, it's all about calculation."
Qin Hao scratched his head awkwardly. "I didn't think it was important."
Same as the previous day, training ended and everyone returned to their barracks. Qin Hao was sharing his room with other trainees. Upon entering the room, he found that the bedsheet and pillow were gone from his bed.
After looking around, he found them placed under another trainee's head.
"Those are mine. Please give them back," Qin Hao said politely.
"Oh, I'll give them back when I'm done resting," the guy replied.
Qin Hao frowned. This guy was clearly looking for trouble.
"I can't rest myself if you don't give them back. As you can see, I'm tired from training," Qin Hao said. He didn't want to cause unnecessary trouble.
"Go away. Don't bother me," the trainee said, swatting his hand as if chasing Qin Hao away.
Annoyed, Qin Hao was about to grab the pillow and bedsheet when the guy suddenly bellowed loudly.
"How dare you try to hit me! Someone help!"
"What?!" Qin Hao was bewildered. When did I try to hit you? Are you insane?
The loud shout attracted the other trainees' attention.
"What happened, Han Yu?" someone asked.
"I'm feeling sick and have a severe stomachache, so I was resting with his pillow under my back. But he suddenly threatened me and accused me of stealing his pillow. He told me if I don't give him half my meals, he'll beat me up," Han Yu spoke pitifully. Then, glancing at Qin Hao fearfully, he continued, "When I disagreed, he tried to hit me."
"What? There's such a thing?"
"What's going on? Why did he threaten him?"
"This is disgusting."
"How vile… threatening his fellow roommate."
The trainees in the room began throwing insults at Qin Hao. Some wore mocking expressions.
Qin Hao finally understood it was a setup. Han Yu's accusations stunned him so much that he forgot to deny them at first. Then anger surged through his mind as he spoke coldly.
"Lies! You took my pillow and dare accuse me? When did I try to hit you? I was politely asking you to return it."
As he spoke, Qin Hao turned to another trainee beside him. "You saw everything, didn't you? Tell everyone it's a lie!"
The trainee avoided his gaze. "What… what are you talking about? You threatened him. I saw it."
Those words made Qin Hao shiver with anger. It was one thing for Han Yu to accuse him, but now everyone was turning black into white and white into black.
"You…" Qin Hao stared at him, speechless.
"Qin Hao, you can't lie in this situation. Just because you got first in training doesn't mean you can do whatever you want. Asking for half his meals? Isn't that too much?" Someone said indignantly.
"Right. You already get food from those who fail training, yet you still ask for more? How shameless."
"Tsk tsk. A scoundrel in the name of a batch mate."
"Alright, everyone. No need to get so aggressive. Let's settle this peacefully. What do you think, Qin Hao?" A young man stepped forward. His voice calmed the others. His name was Sun Tao, and he was much older than the rest.
"What do you mean?" Qin Hao asked.
"Since you threatened your fellow trainee, this will leave a bad reputation on you. No one will want to be your teammate in the future. As fellow trainees, we don't want that," Sun Tao said with feigned compassion. "How about this, give half of the extra food you receive to us, and we'll let bygones be bygones. We're a team, after all." He spoke as if doing Qin Hao a favour.
"So this was your goal?" Qin Hao said coldly.
"Goal? Think carefully, Qin Hao. I'm giving you a chance to make amends. Moreover, sharing food builds camaraderie. If this matter reaches Trainer Mohim's ears, think about what will happen," Sun Tao said, frowning.
Qin Hao finally understood. Since yesterday, they had been eyeing his food with jealousy. Sun Tao had orchestrated this to force him to hand it over.
"What if I don't?" Qin Hao asked. Inwardly, he felt anxious, angry, and nervous. This was his first time facing such a situation.
Sun Tao's lips curled slightly as he spread his hands. "It's not up to you. As you can see, everyone is angry on Han Yu's behalf. Who knows what they might do in anger."
As he spoke, some of the trainees laughed savagely, as if eager to tear Qin Hao apart.