The morning was unnaturally warm; beads of sweat dotted soldier's foreheads like dew on a melon. After breakfast, they were all summoned in the barracks main hall. It would seem the commander had an announcement for them.
The first words to come out of Commander Bo Guozhi's mouth left everyone dumbstruck.
"Starting today, Sun will be your new captain. I hope you all treat him well."
A fresh mutter went up and standing among the group of recruits, An Sun's brows twitched as he heard it. The murmurs carried the unmistakable echo of support, uncertainty, and resentment.
An Sun felt everyone's eyes fall on him causing the corner of his mouth to twitch.
This man...did he have to announce it so publicly?
Striding down the crowd of troops, Bo Guozhi put a hand on An Sun's shoulder and grinned.
"Good luck, Captain Sun."
And with that, he turned and sauntered out the hall doors, whistling a tune. An Sun was left with the men's stares on him. Inwardly, he sighed.
"I bet his leadership is as dull as his sword," A voice among the crowd sneered followed by snickering.
An Sun turned in the direction of the voice. His eyes narrowed. The young man straightened his own spine as An Sun approached him.
"Name." An Sun ordered in a low voice.
The recruit was surprised momentarily before he gathered his composure and answered.
"Hai Chuanli."
"Hai Chuanli..." An Sun repeated. There was a moment of silence between the two. With no particular expression on his face, An Sun unsheathed the sword on his waist.
Everyone within the room sucked in a sharp breath, too stunned by the sudden turn in events to speak.
Raising the sword to his face, An Sun admired it with an unreadable expression. When his cold, gray eyes fixed on Hai Chuanli, the young man tensed.
"Does this look sharp or dull to you?" An Sun touches the tip of his sword.
Staring at the long, gleaming sword, Hai Chuanli swallowed.
"S-Sharp."
The right side of An Sun's mouth drew up in a dangerous smile. He placed a hand on the young man's shoulder and squeezed.
"Right. Then you should know not to mess with sharp things. Remember that as I'll remember your name, Hai Chuanli." An Sun's voice rumbled. It was deep and steady, unwounded, and coldly mocking.
Absolute silence hovered in the hall, and fear flickered in the young man's eyes at last. That fear was made only sharper and deeper by the fact that he'd never truly expected to feel it. He pressed his lips together and said nothing.
"Do you understand?"
"Y-Yes." Hai Chuanli nodded nervously.
"Yes, what?"
Hai Chuanli bit his lip until he tasted blood, then sucked in a huge lungful of air and made himself nod. "Yes, Captain Sun," he said, his voice loud and clear enough to carry to every corner of the room, despite his shame.
An Sun smiled. It was a grim smile, but there was a hint of approval in it, and he eased the pressure on his grip.
"Good." He drew his sword back into his scabbard and stepped away. Danger clung to him like winter fog and, despite themselves, everyone swallowed.
"Listen up! Hear my words and bear witness to my vow as starting today, I am your captain. I know that's not something some of you find easy to understand, but that's how it will be." An Sun paused and then continued levelly. "We joined not to fight the enemies we despise but to protect what is behind us. Whether you feel hatred or indifference toward me, I will have you as a friend and companion. A brother. I vow to be the shield and sword that protects you from this day and all the days to come."
The sound of An Sun's voice shook the hall with its power and pressed against those who heard it like a storm. He stood in the center of the room, arms folded, and then glanced up as the profound and utter silence registered upon him. Scores of eyes looked back at him, huge with awe.
An Sun didn't give them any time to speak before he continued.
"Now, all of you get ready. We're about to embark on our first mission."
...
On horseback, three hundred men strode through the forest. In the front, An Sun sat tall on his black horse, with his dark hair tied neatly in a bun. After being appointed captain of the new recruits, An Sun was given his first mission. A gang of bandits holding the citizen's hostage infested a small village near the end of the northern territory.
A worthless group of thieves they were, but even the smallest enemy could become something more serious. Thus, An Sun and the recruits set off to recover the village.
The day was gray, damp, overcast, the sort of day that made you wish for rain. No wind stirred the wood; the air hung humid and heavy, and An Sun's clothes clung to his skin. It was warm. Too warm. A strand of hair dangled in his eyes, limp with sweat. He pushed it away with the back of his hand.
"So, how does it feel being captain?"
An Sun glanced to the side to identify the familiar face of Fan Mingli, his eyebrow rose. The scrawny boy was looking at him with a rather comfortable expression in comparison to their first meeting together.
"What's there to feel when I hadn't even started yet?" An Sun had a feeling with his most recent experiences it would be a pain in the ass.
Fan Mingli was dumbfounded. "Even so, being appointed captain is an honorable position for a new recruit. But from your speech this morning, I would say you're already doing a good job."
"I see..." An Sun's voice lowered.
Fan Mingli stared at him, a faint half-smile on his lips.
"I think it was a wise decision."
An Sun glanced at the young lad. He couldn't help but smile in return.
"You're the only one who thinks that."
Fan Mingli snorted bitterly. "Many would agree with me. The rest are just jealous."
"Jealous, huh?" An Sun said slowly, his eyes shifting down. "How's your foot?"
Fan Mingli was stunned momentarily by his question before he grinned. "Better! I'm was able to heal well enough to join you on the mission."
In response, An Sun just sounded a low grunt and continued to look ahead. When they caught a glimpse of the village wooden gates in front, An Sun raised his hand to halt. Hidden within the trees, the soldiers could see a small village up ahead. Some buildings were burned while others appeared damaged. But what stood out the most were the numerous burly men roaming around the village.
They must be the bandits.
An Sun glanced at the two bandits standing in front of the village with piercing eyes. The number of their men was unknown as well as where the villagers were being held. Looking up, An Sun dismounted from his horse and walked toward one of the trees.
"What are you doing?" A soldier's voice brought everyone's attention to An Sun, who by now was already climbing up the tree.
The men watched in wonder as his figure climbed higher and higher up the tree. A few minutes passed before they saw him climb back down quietly.
"From what I can see so far, there's at least one thousand of them. There could be more." An Sun explained calmly.
The moment he finished speaking, every soldier's face grew pale. There were only three hundred of them. Against one thousand, they were at an obvious disadvantage. Despite the men's pale complexions, An Sun appeared relatively calm.
"Gather round." He motioned everyone forward. When all were close enough, he began to explain the plan. "We'll wait until night to attack. First, we need to take out the men guarding the front and go inside and search for the villagers..."
As An Sun further explained his plan, the troop's eyes couldn't help but brighten in appreciation. They nodded their heads with firm expressions.
The corners of An Sun's lips curled into a cold smile, "Let's move then."