Silver Overlord

Shi Changfeng attentively listened to the faint singing voices coming from the houses as his gaze on Yan Liqiang started to turn weird. “I really wonder where you learned this song. Compared to the rules and restrictions in other sects and dojos, this song is rather catchy and easier to remember. Although the melody and notes are a little strange and different from ordinary songs, its lyrics are easy to memorize. Even illiterates can learn and understand the content of the lyrics after listening to it a few times…”

Before this, Shi Changfeng always thought that the tale about Yan Liqiang meeting a deity in his dreams was made up by his fellow villagers with their own interpretations added in. However, Yan Liqiang’s actions during the time they spent together lately started to make Shi Changfeng doubt his past judgment. Yan Liqiang did many things that were completely beyond his age and experience. One example would be this song: Shi Changfeng actually wrote down a comprehensive set of rules for the archery academy. He was planning to have the students memorize them after Yan Liqiang reviewed them. The latter didn’t say anything after reviewing them but composed this song the very next day instead.

Both of them were currently inside one of the small courtyards at the academy. It was where Yan Liqiang managed the academy’s affairs as the head of the archery academy.

“Ahem. Actually, rules are hard to remember if there are too many of them. I also think they’re unnecessary as all the rules can be summed up to one principle —’Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself’!” Yan Liqiang cleared his throat, then stealthily switched the topic.

‘The Three Rules of Discipline and Eight Points of Attention’ was one of the weapons that strengthened the glorious Chinese Red Army and aided them in their victory. This had been proven by history and properly tested through real experience. Yan Liqiang of course borrowed the work, then slightly amended it into an anthem that everyone in the archery academy had to know how to sing.

“Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself… Exactly! Every rule in this world can basically be summed up in these thirteen words!” Shi Changfeng looked at Yan Liqiang.

“You haven’t talked about the cultivation plan for the archery academy when it officially opens on the first day of the eighth lunar month. All you mentioned was that these young men will be learning the rules here for the first three months. What kind of rules are you planning to teach them?”

“The rules I’m talking about are naturally the most basic ones!” Yan Liqiang gave him a mysterious smile.

“What are the most basic rules? You plan to have everyone start from the Horse Stance?” Shi Changfeng curiously inquired.

“Of course not!” Yan Liqiang shook his head. “The Horse Stance is too advanced. I’m going to find something simpler for them!”

“Huh? There’s something simpler than the Horse Stance?”

“Of course!” Yan Liqiang confidently answered.

“I’ve been in the martial arts academy for so many years and been to quite a number of places. I still have no idea what can be simpler than the Horse Stance,” Shi Changfeng had a puzzled expression on his face.

Yan Liqiang smiled. “I’m planning to teach them how to walk and make their beds!”

“Pardon?” Shi Changfeng thought he misheard Yan Liqiang and even seemed a little angry. “Walking and making beds? Are you kidding me, Liqiang? You have invested so much in the archery academy. This is not a game!”

“Hahaha, don’t be angry, Teacher Shi. Take a look at this first!” Yan Liqiang retrieved two items bound up by cotton thread from the drawer beside him while speaking, and handed them to Shi Changfeng. “I spent the past two days producing these. The lessons for walking and making beds are inside here!”

“Everyone knows how to walk and make their beds. How did you manage to write so much on them?” Although Shi Changfeng said that, he couldn’t help but take the items from Yan Liqiang out of curiosity.

Just looking at the text on the covers of the two items was enough to stun Shi Changfeng.

The one on top was ‘The Archery Academy’s Routine Service Regulations’, and the one on the bottom was ‘The Archery Academy’s Formation Regulations’.

“Regulations?” Shi Changfeng mumbled to himself. Despite being well-versed in historical books, he had never come across the word in any other book before.

“Yes. Regulations are rules that are to be obeyed. ‘Routine Service Regulations’ teaches how to make the beds while ‘Formation Regulations’ teaches how to walk!” Yan Liqiang smiled. The content in these two items were naturally from Yan Liqiang’s previous world.

Yan Liqiang had seen stuff like the ‘Regulations on Routine Service of the People’s Liberation Army’ on the Internet in his previous life, but he didn’t remember any of it. Little did he expect to be able to clearly recall even the things he had only seen once in his previous life after being struck by the Heavenly Stone. He could retrieve the information at the snap of his fingers whenever he needed it.

Of course, Yan Liqiang didn’t copy the exact contents. He merely made some adjustments to fit the specific circumstances in the archery academy and the Great Han Empire while keeping the true essence of the original text. Adapting them to fit reality would make it more relatable and easier to understand.

Shi Changfeng curiously and skeptically flipped open the ‘The Archery Academy’s Routine Service Regulation’, and his gaze fell on the first page. A few seconds later, he drew a sharp breath as his eyes widened. His eyebrows were raised and his eyes sparkled. By the time he read half of the book, his hands were already trembling involuntarily as he flipped through the pages. He seemed to be extremely excited and was thoroughly engrossed in the book.

Shi Changfeng was reading ‘The Archery Academy’s Routine Service Regulations’ word for word for a full ten minutes, even forgetting that Yan Liqiang was still beside him. When he finally closed the small book, he shut his eyes as he took a moment to breathe.

After completely calming himself down, he then opened ‘The Archery Academy’s Formation Regulations’. By the time he read half of the book, not only his hands but his entire body trembled. Even the expression on his face changed.

After reading both books, Shi Changfeng’s face was unusually red. The next thing he did totally surprised Yan Liqiang. As he took a deep breath, his palms turned redder and larger before they were smashed together violently. The great force reduced the two books that Yan Liqiang took the trouble to write into powder. It spilled out between the gaps of his fingers like snowflakes.

“Teacher Shi, you…!” Yan Liqiang was stunned.

“This is a military treasure. I may have read countless books, but never have I seen such a book that contained the art of war or training method on such a level. If these two books get out there, they would definitely invite endless troubles and disasters!” Shi Changfeng gave Yan Liqiang a solemn look that the latter had never seen before. “It’s not like you can’t practice this in the archery academy, Liqiang, but you must ensure that it must never be documented. If someone sees this, it will be hard to predict whether it’ll invite fortune or misfortune.”

“Ah… Was…was it that impressive?” Even Yan Liqiang himself was shocked by the solemn expression on Shi Changfeng’s face.

“Are you not aware that the value of this book on the art of war far exceeds any secret technique manuals? Even in the Great Han Empire, the art of war is never documented and is only verbally passed down through families.”

“Ah… I-I really didn’t know that!” Yan Liqiang didn’t expect his imitation work to actually contort Shi Changfeng’s countenance.

Shi Changfeng hesitated for a moment, but couldn’t stop himself from whispering a question to Yan Liqiang. “Could it be that the content of this book was… imparted to you by the deity in your dreams?”

Yan Liqiang didn’t even expect Shi Changfeng to ask such a question and was completely caught off-guard. If he were to say that it was something he made up, then he would be insulting Shi Changfeng’s intelligence. If he were to say it was knowledge imparted by some deity, then he would be deceiving him.

“Well…” Yan Liqiang was suddenly at a loss for words.

Shi Changfeng looked at Yan Liqiang’s expression, then let out a long sigh and nodded in understanding. He lifted his head and looked at the ceiling of the room as though there was some hidden secret there, then mumbled to himself. “Ah, so such miraculous things do happen in this world…”

HEY BIG BRO, I DIDN’T EVEN SAY ANYTHING YET! Yan Liqiang blinked as he screamed internally.