Chapter Twenty-six: The Special Forces Instructor (Part One)

This is the third update for today. If you’ve enjoyed the story, please give your support—any votes are welcome, the more the better.

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As dusk approached, the lingering glow of sunset wrapped around the horizon like a blush on a maiden’s cheek, shyly lowering her head. The light reflected off the misty mountains, casting an enchanting and alluring beauty. The lush, layered shrubbery brimmed with vitality, while birds weary from the day’s flight had already returned to their nests in the forest. Mountain streams murmured as they flowed, shimmering with flecks of sunset glow, as if moon and stars danced upon the rippling water—a sight too beautiful to behold.

By this hour, the military district was brightly lit. Students who had trained all day were now gathered in relaxed conversation. From the office building, a burst of hearty laughter echoed.

“Haha... what a talent! I didn’t expect Liu Fan to possess not just formidable martial prowess but such extraordinary learning ability as well.” The speaker was Sun Jianguo, commander of the East China Military District. Facing him was the shooting range’s battalion commander, Cao Wei, who had come to report after parting ways with Liu Fan that afternoon. Hearing of Liu Fan’s outstanding performance at the range, Sun Jianguo’s desire to recruit him grew stronger. “A talent like this must be brought into the army. Here’s what you’ll do, Wei—go and invite Liu Fan here for me. I want to sound him out.”

Cao Wei was puzzled by Sun Jianguo’s instructions, hesitating and remaining silent for some time.

“Hmm, Wei, do you have something to say? If you have a point, spit it out,” Sun Jianguo said with a quizzical smile, noting Cao Wei’s demeanor.

“Heh, alright, I’ll say it then.” With Sun Jianguo’s permission, Cao Wei grinned mischievously before continuing, “Serving one’s country is every citizen’s duty. Recruiting someone is no big deal—why all the ceremony? Just give the order and be done with it.”

“You don’t quite understand. What you say is true, but only for ordinary citizens. For someone like Liu Fan—young and exceptionally powerful—his heart is bound to be proud. That’s the unique pride of a warrior. Such people aren’t easily recruited; do you see?” Sun Jianguo himself was a mid-tier martial artist, well aware of the ways of those in the martial world. He smiled at Cao Wei’s words.

“Oh, I see now. I understand. I’ll go bring him at once.” Cao Wei saluted and left.

Outside the student dormitory, some students were fetching water, some were playing, others chatting idly. Liu Fan lay quietly on the grass under the shade of a tree, head tilted back, hands behind his head, listening as classmates recounted their military training experiences.

“Heh! You don’t know, do you? Our squad leader was so imposing—his punches and kicks like the wind! One move could split mountains and rocks. He battled our instructor for nearly three hundred rounds, and absolutely overwhelmed him. It was like the earth shook and the sky dimmed! In the end, our squad leader swept his leg like a whip and struck the instructor’s chest, sending him flying more than ten meters...” At this moment, Liu Fan’s roommate was boasting to students from another class about how Liu Fan had heroically defeated Xing Yong, spitting as he spoke, drawing laughter from the crowd.

“You’re exaggerating! What is this, a martial arts novel? Splitting mountains and rocks?” a student challenged.

“Hey, you don’t believe Iron Mouth Zhang? I’m a gold-standard storyteller—honest to all. If you don’t believe me, ask our classmates. Plenty saw it happen.” Iron Mouth Zhang, whose real name was Zhang Hua, was short and sharp, not quite a meter tall, with small eyes—compact but spirited. He was eloquent and lived in the same dorm as Liu Fan, their relationship good. Hearing someone doubt him, he retorted immediately.

“Mm!” Liu Fan’s other classmates nodded in support. With someone like Liu Fan in their class, they felt honored.

“Wow, that’s incredible...” That was the genuine reaction of students from other classes.

“Wait! There’s something else you don’t know. I asked other instructors—our Instructor Xing is actually one of the top three champions in the district’s martial contest.” With this bombshell, the crowd erupted in discussion, and Liu Fan listened with a smile.

“There’s another thing you might not know—the battle was actually over halfway through. The second half was our squad leader instructing the instructor in martial arts.” Zhang Hua, feeling mysterious, dropped another piece of news, causing even more excitement and satisfying his vanity.

As more students gathered to listen, the wily Zhang Hua whispered to a nearby classmate, who walked off with a mischievous grin and then shouted, “Come, come, gather round for a story! Modern-day Guan Yu battles Qin Qiong—don’t miss it! Admission only one yuan!”

“Pfft...” This drew unanimous derision from the crowd, with many raising their middle fingers in mockery.

“Heh, training is tough and dull. Just trying to bring some fun—don’t mind me!” Zhang Hua explained sheepishly, eliciting laughter from the crowd. Liu Fan, watching this clown, laughed heartily.

Just as the group was joking and playing, Cao Wei appeared before Liu Fan, laughing, “Haha, Brother Liu, I finally found you! Come, come, let’s go. The commander sent me to invite you over.”

“Your commander? I don’t know your commander. Can you tell me what’s going on?” Hearing that the district commander wanted to see him, Liu Fan was puzzled and quickly asked.

“Heh, don’t ask for now. You’ll know when you get there. It’s a good thing. You trust me, don’t you?” Cao Wei replied mysteriously, refusing to divulge more.

“Alright, shall we go now?” Although unsure what it was about, Liu Fan had a guess—it might relate to the morning’s events.

“Let’s go, let’s go—don’t keep the commander waiting.” With that, he pulled Liu Fan along.

“See? That’s what a top talent looks like—the commander himself wants to see him. The commander! That’s a big deal.” The other students overheard Cao Wei’s words, and Zhang Hua gave a proud thumbs-up, boasting about Liu Fan as if he were himself.

The surrounding students knew Liu Fan was about to make it big. The boys wanted to befriend him—his martial arts alone would keep them safe from bullies at school. The girls, meanwhile, saw him as a prime prospect, perfect for long-term investment. This was why Liu Fan received a flood of love letters after returning to school.

Leaving their classmates’ reactions aside, Liu Fan followed Cao Wei through twists and turns to the commander’s office. They knocked and entered, finding Sun Jianguo seated at the reception table, sipping tea, eyes half-closed as he appraised Liu Fan. Liu Fan also observed Sun Jianguo. After a moment, Sun Jianguo greeted him warmly, “Haha, excellent, excellent! Truly, heroes emerge young. I never expected someone so young to possess such remarkable strength.”

Upon entering, Sun Jianguo tried to gauge Liu Fan’s abilities, but found nothing definite—only that his strength seemed unfathomable.

“Heh, ambition doesn’t depend on age; without ambition, one’s life is empty. I never imagined that the commander of such a large district would also be a mid-tier martial artist. My respects.” Liu Fan spoke with confidence, subtly revealing Sun Jianguo’s martial status.

Hearing Liu Fan expose his identity, Sun Jianguo was shocked. His gaze toward Liu Fan grew even more intense, but as a military leader, he quickly regained composure and said with assurance, “Haha, I didn’t expect Brother Liu to be so perceptive, seeing through my abilities at a glance.”

“Commander Sun flatters me—it’s just a minor skill. May I ask why you summoned me?”

Liu Fan’s tone was steady and direct; the worldly status of Sun Jianguo meant little to him, so he spoke without deference.

Seeing Liu Fan’s straightforwardness, Sun Jianguo responded just as frankly, laughing, “Heh, to be honest, I’ve invited you here to offer you a special enlistment. With your martial arts, you’d at least start as a lieutenant colonel. What do you think, brother? Would you consider it?”