"Chen Mo lifted 500 kilograms of stone, and ranked first." An elderly man with a goatee wrote down Chen Mo's result on a piece of silk paper.

At the sound of his name, Chen Mo slowly lowered the stone wheel he had raised above his head. He was currently participating in the monthly routine assessment of the personal guard camp, alongside many other guards.

Every month, all the soldiers in the personal guard camp are evaluated, and the results are divided into four levels: A, B, C, and D.

Levels A and B earn rewards, Level C means there are no special merits or faults, and Level D results in punishment.

Chen Mo's previous assessment result was Grade A, so naturally, he was aiming for the same this time.

In addition to receiving one or two taels of silver as a reward, those who get an A rating also enjoy a banquet. Not only do they get to indulge in a delicious meal, but the silver they earn can be spent on buying extra meat or other supplies.

Over the past two months, the Transformation Pearl in Chen Mo's body had accumulated nearly 50% of its qi and blood. At this rate, he would be able to undergo another transformation in just over two months.

Putting down the stone wheel, Chen Mo walked towards the training ground to prepare for the next test: archery.

To achieve an A-level evaluation, all sections of the test must be passed with excellent results.

Although it was called an archery test, the true focus was on drawing the bow. Shooting arrows was not required.

Of course, leaving the bowstring untested could damage the bow, so after drawing the string, they were instructed to retract it carefully.

The reason they didn't shoot actual arrows was simple: arrows were expensive. The cost of a good arrow could easily surpass a penny of silver. Even General Sun, who commanded the personal guard camp, couldn't afford to have soldiers shoot arrows recklessly. The expense was too great.

During their daily practice, soldiers might shoot a few arrows, but they had to retrieve them afterward, as wasting arrows was unacceptable.

This is a prime example of the saying, "The rich may be poor in literature, but they are rich in martial arts," which emphasizes the high costs of martial training.

For archery on horseback, the cost becomes astronomical—requiring horses and additional equipment.

Thus, the monthly archery tests mainly focused on how well the soldiers could draw the bow and how strong their draw was.

Chen Mo was strong enough, and despite his short time practicing archery, he consistently received good evaluations.

After completing the archery test, Chen Mo was graded A-, a clear improvement from his previous B.

Since being reborn, his physical strength had increased, but more importantly, his ability to control his body had also improved. In other words, Chen Mo was now able to apply his strength more effectively, which made him faster at learning and improving compared to others.

Next, there was a flag signals test. On the battlefield, communication was often impossible through voice alone, so soldiers had to be able to read and understand flag signals.

This test was relatively simple—most soldiers, with a bit of effort, could learn the basics within one or two months. Only a few particularly slow learners struggled to remember the signals.

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After flag signals, the final test was spearmanship.

Most soldiers in the personal guard camp trained with spears, though a few, trained in other weapons through family martial traditions, used different armaments.

Spearmanship was easy to start, but difficult to master. A recruit could learn to thrust and jab with a spear after just a few weeks of practice, but fully mastering the techniques took years of experience.

Chen Mo had been training for two months and had grasped the basic techniques of stabbing, poking, piercing, and sweeping. However, compared to the veterans who had been practicing for much longer, he still had a long way to go.

In the end, he was graded B in spearmanship.

However, combining the results of all four tests, he still earned an overall rating of A.

Afterward, other soldiers took their assessments, and their results varied. A and B-rated soldiers were happy, while those rated C simply went about their duties without much fuss. However, those rated D faced penalties. Not only would they have to train harder the next month, but they would also lose two days of rest time—an especially tough blow since each soldier was only allowed three days off per month.

Despite this, the treatment at the personal guard camp was still among the best in all of Xingyuan Prefecture. The discipline was strict, but the rewards were worth the effort.

After receiving his reward of one or two taels of silver for his A rating, Chen Mo returned to his barracks and waited for the lunch banquet that would follow.

He was the only one living in his barracks. These days, there were more barracks than soldiers, so most of the veterans lived together in groups. Even if all the new recruits had a separate room, there would still be plenty of space left.

Chen Mo had specifically asked Mo Hu not to assign anyone else to his room.

The reason was simple: he had a close friend in training, and if that person were to join the camp as a personal soldier in the future, they could share the room.

If someone else was assigned now, it would be difficult to ask them to leave later.

Mo Hu had no objections to this request, as he held some influence in the camp.

Despite his focus on training and eating, Chen Mo wasn't deeply involved in the camp's internal affairs. He had developed a somewhat closer relationship with Mo Hu, but beyond that, he didn't know many others in the personal guard camp.

However, in any large group, factions inevitably form. The personal guard camp was divided into three main factions: the Ethnic Faction, the Hometown Faction, and the Neutral Faction.

The Ethnic Faction was made up of General Sun's relatives and clansmen, and it was led by the general's nephew.

The Hometown Faction, while still close to General Sun, included soldiers from his maternal and paternal families, as well as his wife's side. This faction was also led by the general's nephew.

Within these two factions, there were many smaller groups that often competed and cooperated with each other. But this was not something Chen Mo could understand at the moment.

The Neutral Faction, on the other hand, numbered more than thirty soldiers, led by Mo Dao and Mo Hu. Many of these soldiers didn't want to get involved in the power struggles of the other factions, while others had joined for personal reasons unrelated to factional politics.

Chen Mo, having spent more time with Mo Hu, was now considered part of the Neutral Faction.

Since he wasn't from the same ethnic group or hometown as the other soldiers, the Neutral Faction was his only option. Other factions wouldn't accept him, and remaining neutral wasn't an option unless he was strong enough to stand alone.

For now, it was better to be in the shade of a big tree than to remain unaligned.

Lying on his bed, Chen Mo took out the red bloodstone he had been carrying around. Since acquiring the stone, he often fiddled with it, but so far, he hadn't discovered any particular function or unusual trait about it.

At that moment, a voice came from outside.

"Hurry up and have dinner! Our godfather is here today!" Mo Hu called out loudly.

Through his frequent contact with Mo Hu, Chen Mo had learned a bit about the relationship between Mo Hu, Mo Dao, and General Sun. Both Mo Hu and Mo Dao were adopted sons of General Sun, which is why Mo Hu was referred to as the Fifth Brother—he was the fifth in a line of many adopted sons.

While many of the soldiers referred to him as "Fifth Brother," most other personal soldiers simply called him by this title, since it indicated their closer relationship.

Adopting sons was a common practice in the military camp, mainly to foster loyalty and strengthen bonds. General Sun only felt secure in training soldiers he had personally adopted, ensuring their allegiance.

If Chen Mo wanted to rise through the ranks and gain General Sun's favor in the future, he might have to consider adopting General Sun as his "godfather" as well.

"Coming." Chen Mo stood up from his bed and walked out of his barracks.

The lunch that day was a feast far richer than usual. There would definitely be plenty of meat to fill their stomachs, and if any was left over, it might make for a perfect midnight snack.

He wasn't particularly concerned about General Sun's visit. What mattered to him more was the abundant food and the opportunity to relax afterward.

End