The Wind Rises in 1898: Becoming a Warlord Starting in Southeast Asia

Chapter 61 The First Appearance of Military Spirit

Luzon has a tropical monsoon climate. From March to May, it is a hot and dry season. As June approaches, the island gradually enters a rainy period due to the influence of the southwest monsoon.

Chen Feng stepped out of the stone house, looked up, and saw that the sky was gloomy with low-hanging clouds, as if a downpour was about to hit at any moment.

Inside the village drill ground, soldiers were sweating profusely, training rigorously according to Professor Frank's tactical maneuvers under the guidance of their officers.

The thrusting, parrying, and formation changes were all perfectly synchronized, and the roars were like the howling of tigers in the mountains.

On the mountain path in the distance, captured natives and enemy soldiers were busy widening the road with hoes and shovels.

Many of the soldiers originally had a blood feud with the natives and wished they could kill all the prisoners.

However, considering the unpleasant reputation of killing prisoners and the potential for persuading the enemy to surrender and weaken their forces, Chen Feng temporarily organized a public trial court, sentencing the prisoners to varying terms of labor reform according to the severity of their crimes.

Only those whose hands were stained with the blood of Chinese people were handed over to the soldiers as live targets for shooting training.

Yesterday, the first large-scale military skills competition for the entire army just concluded.

Zhang Xiuwu's hard training paid off. He dominated the mixed martial arts competition and won first place, but he was slightly inferior in the marksmanship competition and came in second.

The winner of the marksmanship competition surprised everyone; it was none other than the youngest player, Pang Li. This kid had sharp eyes and a steady hand, hitting the bullseye with all three shots, which convinced all the veterans.

As for the first place in the cultural courses, it unsurprisingly went to Qian Biao. He had been studying diligently with Wu Dequan for nearly a month and had become quite proficient in recognizing characters, punctuating sentences, and doing arithmetic and bookkeeping.

"It rains so much here!"

Chen Feng chuckled softly, his gaze sweeping over the bustling training ground and mountain path, before strolling towards the high platform in front of the training ground.

Feng Qinlan followed behind, her tailor-made women's military uniform with its clean lines highlighting her tall and slender figure.

Behind her followed three female workers from a garment workshop, each carrying ten sets of hastily made standard military uniforms.

"gather!"

Pang Li quickly ran to the side of the platform and shouted, his voice instantly penetrating the training ground.

The soldiers in the training ground immediately stopped training and quickly began to gather on the high platform to organize their ranks.

In less than two minutes, nearly six hundred people stood neatly in front of the platform, eyes fixed straight ahead, their morale high.

The total number of people in the team is more than when the large-scale conscription was stopped last time.

The newcomers all came from the surrounding villages and even the city of Manila after hearing about the Liberal Army's victories and protection of the Chinese community. Some were strong young men, while others were veterans who had served in the old army.

Chen Feng couldn't bear to refuse such sincerity, so he accepted them all.

Chen Feng walked up to the platform, his gaze slowly sweeping over the soldiers below, who were wearing short jackets and covered in sweat. After a moment of silence, he suddenly raised his voice and shouted, "Who are you?"

"Fighters of the Chinese Freedom Army!"

The soldiers' responses soared into the sky.

"What are you fighting for?" Chen Feng asked again, his voice growing stronger.

"Fight for the freedom of Chinese people!"

The responses remained uniform and carried a strong sense of killing intent.

"very good!"

Chen Feng nodded approvingly and said in a long voice, "Yesterday, the all-army competition concluded, and a total of thirty winners were selected. They are the best among you and role models for the Free Army! Now, on behalf of all the Chinese in Luzon, I present awards to these warriors who never forget to train for the freedom of the Chinese!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Pang Li shouted, "Winner, step forward!"

Twenty-nine figures stepped quickly out of the queue, their faces filled with undisguised excitement and pride.

Pang Li also quickly followed and walked to the front of the group.

Feng Qinlan led three female workers forward and handed the blue-gray military uniforms and a month's salary bonus to the winners one by one.

As the soldiers received their uniforms and bonuses, they instinctively straightened their backs, their eyes filled with appreciation and reverence.

"This is no ordinary military uniform!"

Chen Feng's voice suddenly rose, "It cannot bear the retreat of cowards, nor tolerate the cowardice of deserters! This shoulder line carries the fate of the Chinese in Luzon, this garment wraps the hopes of our compatriots, and this button sews on the weight of freedom!"

Upon hearing these words, the expressions on the faces of the thirty soldiers became even more solemn. They all silently reminded themselves that they must not betray the honor that this military uniform brought them.

He raised his hand and swept it across the dark faces below the stage, including victors holding their uniforms to their chests and soldiers still wearing short jackets with eyes full of longing: "You thirty men are the spearhead of the Free Army and the backbone of the Chinese people!"

Your unparalleled bravery in combat, your unparalleled accuracy in marksmanship, and your top-notch academic performance—you have earned this honor through your solid abilities.

You deserve this military uniform!

"Fight for the freedom of Chinese people!"

The thirty winners clenched their fists and shouted in unison.

"Fight for the freedom of Chinese people!"

Nearly six hundred people shouted in unison, their voices almost piercing through the dark clouds overhead.

The prisoners working in the distance stopped what they were doing and looked up at the high platform. Their eyes were complex and hard to decipher, showing awe, envy, and a barely perceptible wavering in the eyes of some of the Chinese prisoners.

On the other side, Franger heard the shout and his face turned serious. He muttered to himself, "I have a feeling that Colonel Connor is going to raise a dragon."

With role models in mind, the soldiers trained even harder, and they didn't complain even when the rain was pouring down.

Frank watched Chen Feng walk down from the platform and quickly walked up to him, his tone filled with sincere admiration: "Chen, I admit that I was a bit arrogant at first and thought you were just a bunch of ragtag soldiers, but since I came to the Chinese Free Army and saw your leadership and the willpower of your soldiers, I have changed all my previous impressions."

Chen Feng wiped the rain off his face, pointed in the direction of the stone house, and chuckled, "Only those who don't have queues at the back of their heads are true Chinese, and only they deserve the title of warrior."

"That makes perfect sense!" Frank nodded sincerely, recalling the numb faces of the Qing Dynasty, and followed them toward the stone house.

The two sat down inside the stone house, where a glass of chilled tea had already been laid out on the table.

Pang Li deftly served tea to the two of them, his eyes still brimming with lingering excitement.

Frank watched Pang Li's retreating figure and said in a mix of English and Chinese, "This kid is really good. He's the smartest soldier I've ever led. He not only learns quickly, but he also has a great talent for combat and tactics. With a little training, he'll definitely become a formidable general."

"He is indeed very good."

Chen Feng picked up his teacup, took a sip, and looked at Pang Li. He smiled slowly and said, "I plan to formally take him as my disciple and impart all the knowledge I have acquired in my life."

Frank, being an American, completely misunderstood the significance of the term "accepting a disciple" in Chinese culture, taking it merely as ordinary instruction and not giving it much thought.

But Pang Li is different. He grew up in the Chinese community and knows that becoming an apprentice means a bond that transcends superiors and subordinates and is comparable to that of father and son.