Strongest Soldier King

"The boy has a sweet tongue," Elder Liu said with a laugh, not minding as he walked into the kitchen and got busy.

Luo Zheng watched for a while and noticed Elder Liu efficiently pouring a large heap of flour onto the counter, adding water, and kneading it into dough in no time. It weighed about two hundred pounds, yet Elder Liu handled it as easily and comfortably as if he were taking care of a newborn, carefully and seriously. He easily lifted and set down the two hundred-pound mass of dough. When his fist, large as a vinegar bowl, squeezed the dough, it was as easy as kneading tofu.

What great arm strength! What strong endurance! Luo Zheng's expression grew solemn, and he glanced at Elder Chang, who was sitting quietly at the door smoking a water pipe, secretly amazed. The cooking team was full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. It seemed coming here was the right decision, perhaps the team leader did it deliberately. With this thought, all displeasures vanished.

"Elder Chang, give me a hand," Elder Liu suddenly called out.

Elder Chang, who had been squatting and smoking at the door, stood up, patted non-existent dust from his clothes, and sauntered over to the counter. He glanced at the long, well-kneaded dough, and without waiting for Elder Liu's instructions, a military dagger appeared in his hand as if by magic. His eyes focused, the dagger in his hand suddenly moved.

All one could see was a flash of the blade, and then, the dough was covered in countless slashes. Elder Chang left slowly as if nothing had happened. Surprised, Luo Zheng looked closely and was shocked to see nine horizontal and nine vertical lines drawn on the dough, cutting it into small chunks. Each piece was the same size, as small as a bun, and without close inspection, one could hardly notice. What quick knife work, steady skills, and accurate technique!

As Luo Zheng watched in awe, Elder Liu casually placed the neatly cut small chunks of dough into a steamer and started steaming them. Luo Zheng came to his senses, looked at Elder Chang, who had squatted down at the door to continue smoking, and made up his mind. He quickly walked over, squatted beside Elder Chang, and gazed at him intently.

"Are you hungry? I'll make you a lamb hotpot," Elder Chang asked with a chuckle, his demeanor showing not a trace of a master's aura, but rather that of a warm-hearted person.

Luo Zheng knew that such people possessed real skills; those who always acted like masters were usually pretentious. Seeing Elder Chang getting up, he quickly said, "Brother Chang, I want to learn knife skills."

"Learn knife skills? The army teaches that, doesn't it? The team leader's right and left hand knife skills are very sharp, he's the best person to find," Elder Chang said with a chuckle.

"I want to learn your way of using the knife," Luo Zheng said determinately.

"My knife? The kind used for cutting meat and buns?" Elder Chang asked in surprise, looking at Luo Zheng who nodded, and he couldn't help but laugh, "You're quite the odd one, aren't you? Being a soldier and not learning the combat knife but choosing to learn how to cut meat instead. What, planning to leave the service and open a restaurant?"

"Please teach me," Luo Zheng said firmly, his gaze earnest.

"This kid has some insight," Elder Liu came over smiling and said, "Brother Chang, it's time you found an inheritor for your Finger Knife Skill. I find this young man quite suitable—polite, steady, persistent, and what's more admirable is his calmness and sharpness."

"All these are useless. Isn't everyone in the Special Warfare Team tough? The key lies in perseverance and comprehension," Elder Chang rebuked unswayed, then looked at Luo Zheng, asking seriously, "Do you seriously plan to learn?"

"Yes," Luo Zheng responded without hesitation.

"Fine, just now the head of our cooking squad, Elder Liu, said he wouldn't assign you specific tasks. So, here's what you'll do—you'll be responsible for chopping firewood. See that row of dry wood over there? Chop all of it into half-foot lengths, the size of a matchbox, using only an Army dagger. When you're done, come find me to learn the blade," Elder Chang said coldly. After finishing, he picked up his hookah, heading towards a small house nearby while shouting, "Elder Liu, I'm going to take a nap. Don't call me for anything."

Luo Zheng looked at the neatly stacked dry wood nearby; each piece was as thick as a thigh. To chop them into half-foot lengths, the size of a matchbox, with an Army dagger would take at least two to three months, without taking any breaks; Elder Chang, noting Luo Zheng's serious expression, joked, "Kid, you're quite fortunate. Brother Chang is the best bladesman in our Special Warfare Team, known as 'Ghost Hand.' His Finger Knife Skill is nearly divine, and many in the team hope to learn yet fail. Whether you pass the trial is up to you."

"Thank you, Brother Liu," Luo Zheng's eyes lit up, his resolve strengthening. It's just two to three months, after all. To truly learn the skill, enduring hardship is inevitable. He immediately responded, "Brother Liu, I might not be able to help with other cooking squad duties. Please don't take offense."

"Not at all, not at all, there's not much to do anyway," Elder Liu said with a chuckle, looking pleased.

Luo Zheng didn't say anything further, drew out his 65-type Army dagger—a keepsake from his platoon deputy—and silently prayed, "Brothers, bless me." He then strode over to the pile of dry wood, grabbing a large bundle to place on the ground, sat down, and started scrutinizing a piece.

The wood was thick and abundant. Relying solely on brute force was definitely not an option. Luo Zheng examined the wood and gradually noticed the lines in the wood, wondering, "Would it save effort to chop along the grain?"

With this thought, Luo Zheng started chopping. The Army dagger was not large enough to leverage much force. When he put his full strength into a chop, the dagger got stuck in the wood and couldn't be pulled out. Instead of yanking it out forcefully, Luo Zheng continued contemplating. Observing the wood up and down, he realized that chopping along the grain did make it easier; however, simply relying on strength was unsustainable. His muscles wouldn't withstand the intense chopping action for long. How should he apply the force?

Thinking this, Luo Zheng recalled the dark strength emphasized in military boxing, which involves concentrating the power of the hips and waist in the hands. When punching, the force isn't fully released but hits a single point, needing retraction. From attack to retraction, a burst of dark strength occurs. If mastered, this dark energy's power is unmatched. The principle of using the blade should be similar: better to use finesse than force, and better to use intention than finesse.

The concept of intention was profound. Luo Zheng had heard the drill instructor mention it back when he was in the new recruits' platoon. The instructor wasn't very clear himself, speaking vaguely and generically. Luo Zheng had yet to understand it fully, but he grasped some understanding of using energy. With this in mind, he focused his energy on his arm, eyed the blade-like lines in the wood, took a deep breath, and chopped fiercely.

The 65-type Army dagger hit the grain accurately and penetrated deeply into the wood. Although it didn't split the wood entirely, the result was quite satisfactory. Luo Zheng, confident in his analysis, began to chop the dry wood following the technique he had figured out.