Chapter 17: Crowning Her! The God of War's earth-shattering victory sends the entire army into a frenzy!
The wind from the northern frontier, carrying the chill of early autumn, swept across the entire military compound.
In addition to the usual aroma of food and the shouts of training, there was also a tense atmosphere, one that was ignited with excitement.
The annual military skills competition of the military region is just around the corner.
This is more than just a competition.
This is the battleground for the honor of all the battalions, the highest stage where countless soldiers poured their blood and sweat to prove themselves.
The entire Tiger Battalion entered a high-speed, combat-ready state.
Lu Zhanting is busier and more demanding than ever before.
He practically lived on the training field, personally leading his soldiers through mud and obstacle courses.
His voice was hoarse, as if it had been sanded, but his eyes were frighteningly bright.
Su Wanqing sensed the impending storm.
The man was coming home later and later, always carrying a strong smell of sweat and dirt.
He became very quiet, and ate as fast as if he were on a mission.
Sometimes, even while sitting on the sofa with a towel in hand to wipe away sweat, he would already be fast asleep.
Su Wanqing didn't utter a single complaint, nor did she ask a single extra question.
She simply and quietly managed everything at home in a proper and stable manner.
She would time his return precisely and boil the water in advance.
She would quietly add his favorite braised pork to the dinner table.
After he fell asleep, she would quietly bring a thin blanket and gently cover him with it.
From the casual conversations of Liu Sao and other military wives, she pieced together the whole picture of this grand competition.
"Our Fierce Tiger Battalion was number one in total points last year. If we win again this year, it will be a three-peat!" Aunt Liu said, her pride barely concealed.
"But I heard things are a bit tricky this year." Another military wife lowered her voice, speaking mysteriously, "The 'Cheetah Regiment' from the neighboring division has produced some formidable figures this year. They broke last year's records in several events during the preliminaries, and they're really making waves!"
"What's there to be afraid of! They have greenhorns, but we have Battalion Commander Lu!" Aunt Liu slapped her thigh, her voice ringing out, "As long as Zhan Ting is here, the Tiger Battalion's flag will never fall!"
Listening to their discussion, Su Wanqing's heart also tightened.
She didn't understand those complicated military projects, but she understood Lu Zhanting.
She knew what kind of honor and responsibility that man carried on his broad back.
He is using his blood and sweat to defend the weight of the name "Tiger Battalion".
On the day of the grand competition, the sky was high and the clouds were light, and the sky was clear and blue.
On the largest training ground in the military region, colorful flags fluttered like a forest, and people thronged the area.
On the dais, the military region leaders were already seated, their expressions solemn.
The training ground was surrounded by family members and support staff who came to watch the game, a dense, dark mass.
Su Wanqing and Aunt Liu found a spot with an excellent view.
This was her first time witnessing such a grand scene. The deafening drums and resounding slogans filled her ears, while before her stood a perfectly aligned and imposing array of soldiers.
A surge of hot blood welled up uncontrollably in her chest.
"Wanqing, look! Zhanting and the others are coming out!" Aunt Liu excitedly grabbed her arm and pointed to the entrance.
Su Wanqing's gaze immediately turned to them.
Lu Zhanting was walking at the very front of the Fierce Tiger Battalion.
He was dressed in a crisp training uniform, his waist cinched with a belt that accentuated his lean physique, wearing combat boots, and his face was painted with face paint.
His figure was as upright as a mountain peak, his steps as steady as a bell, and his whole being exuded an aura of iron-blooded ferocity forged from mountains of corpses and seas of blood, instantly making him the sole focus of attention in the entire arena.
Su Wanqing's heart skipped a beat.
She had seen Lu Zhanting at home, gentle and considerate, and Lu Zhanting on the training field, dignified and imposing.
But I have never seen him like this before.
Like a peerless, deadly blade finally unsheathed, its sharpness fully revealed, its power overwhelming.
The martial arts competition officially began.
The first item is a group 5-kilometer armed cross-country run.
As the starting gun fired, hundreds of soldiers surged out like wild beasts released from their gates.
Lu Zhanting always stayed at the very front of the team, controlling the speed and rhythm like a precise war machine.
He not only ran himself, but also looked back from time to time, shouting out the most inspiring power in the shortest of words.
"Tiger Battalion!"
"Keep up!"
"No one can be left behind!"
Under his leadership, the Tiger Battalion's formation was like a sharp knife driven into the enemy ranks, never breaking apart. It fiercely tore through the long-distance running team, and finally, with an overwhelming advantage, all of them crossed the finish line.
The entire audience erupted in thunderous cheers.
Su Wanqing clenched her hands tightly, her knuckles turning white, feeling as if her heart was about to shatter her sternum and leap out of her throat.
The next activity is shooting.
Moving targets, stationary targets, and ultra-long-range sniping—the difficulty increases progressively.
When it was Lu Zhanting's turn to take the field, the noisy training ground became eerily quiet.
All eyes were on him.
He was recognized as a sharpshooter throughout the entire military region; his shooting was almost a performance of violent aesthetics.
His gun-holding posture was so perfect it could be printed in a textbook.
His gaze was focused and cold, as if the whole world had been detached, leaving only him and that tiny bullseye in the distance.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The gunshot was crisp, short, and swift.
The target reporter's voice then rang out, trembling with uncontrollable fervor:
"Ten rings!"
"Ten rings!"
"Still a bullseye!"
Whether it was a high-speed moving target or a tiny target swaying slightly in the wind, he never missed.
The last item is ultra-long-range sniping.
The target, 800 meters away, is a bullseye no bigger than a fist.
This distance far exceeds the effective range of a conventional rifle, posing a dual test to the shooter's physical and mental limits.
The best result achieved by the top shooters who had previously taken the field was barely hitting the target.
Lu Zhanting lay on the ground, calmly calculating the minute variables of wind speed, humidity, and bullet drop through the scope.
Time passed by, second by second.
The entire room was deathly silent; you could hear a pin drop.
Su Wanqing was so nervous that she forgot to breathe, and her entire lungs were aching.
Just when everyone thought he was going to give up after the time limit, a gunshot rang out without warning.
Bang!
A dull, loud bang struck everyone's eardrums.
Eight hundred meters away, a small, clearly visible cloud of dust erupted from the very center of the fist-sized bullseye.
Hit!
After a brief silence, a roar of cheers erupted like a bursting dam, almost lifting the sky!
The leaders on the dais all stood up and applauded vigorously.
The soldiers rushed forward like madmen, surrounding Lu Zhanting and repeatedly tossing him high into the air.
"Commander Lu is awesome!"
"The Fierce Tiger Battalion is mighty!"
As Su Wanqing watched the man being tossed high into the air, tracing a powerful arc, her eyes instantly welled up with tears, blurring her vision.
That was her husband.
A true, upright hero.
If the morning's events showcased Lu Zhanting's unparalleled personal combat prowess, then the afternoon's comprehensive tactical exercise thoroughly demonstrated his terrifying talent as a commander.
Subject: "Highland Attack and Defense".
Lu Zhanting's Tiger Battalion was on the offensive, and their opponent was the Cheetah Regiment, which had previously been highly anticipated.
As the exercise began, the Cheetah Regiment, relying on the natural terrain, constructed an impenetrable crossfire network, displaying ferocity.
The Tiger Battalion's several probing attacks were all ruthlessly repelled.
"The Fierce Tiger Battalion has really bitten off more than they can chew this time."
"The Cheetahs' defense is like an iron barrel; Lu Zhanting is probably going to suffer a setback."
Whispers arose from the audience.
Su Wanqing's heart clenched. She couldn't understand the complex tactics, but she could see that the blue flag representing the Fierce Tiger Battalion was indeed struggling to move an inch under enemy fire.
At that moment, Lu Zhanting made a decision that shocked the entire audience.
He abandoned the idea of a direct, forceful attack.
He divided the team into three, with two squads harassing the enemy from the sides of the mountain with fire while pretending to launch a main attack, thus keeping the enemy's attention occupied.
He himself led a small elite team of only a dozen people to the cliff behind the high ground, a place almost no one dared to set foot on, known as the "Slope of Death".
It was a nearly vertical cliff, the rocks were slippery and covered with moss, and a slight misstep would result in being smashed to pieces.
"Has he gone mad?!" A leader on the platform roared in a low voice.
Everyone's heart was in their throat at that moment.
Su Wanqing was so frightened that her whole body went cold. She covered her mouth tightly and used all her strength to keep herself from screaming.
She saw that Lu Zhanting was the first to climb the rock face.
Like a lurking cheetah, he steadily and swiftly climbed upwards, utilizing the tiny crevices and protrusions in the rocks.
Behind him were his equally silent and resolute teammates.
Sweat quickly soaked through their camouflage uniforms, and sharp rocks cut their palms, leaving streaks of blood.
Every inch of upward movement was fraught with peril.
Finally, after paying the price of one team member being judged "dead from the cliff" by the referee, Lu Zhanting was the first to climb to the top of the cliff!
Without a moment's rest, he immediately gave a series of clean and crisp tactical hand signals to the team behind him.
This small team, like a silent, poisoned dagger, quietly and precisely pierced the heart of the Cheetah Regiment's unsuspecting command post.
When the blue smoke signifying "death" rose from the top of the Cheetah Regiment commander's helmet, he didn't even realize where the enemy had come from.
The battlefield situation can be reversed in an instant.
Without its command center, the Cheetah Regiment was thrown into chaos and became a disorganized mess.
The main force of the Fierce Tiger Battalion seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and launched a thunderous general offensive, successfully reaching the summit in one fell swoop!
The signal to end the exercise was sounded.
Tiger Battalion, victory!
After a long period of suffocation, the entire training ground erupted in applause and cheers that were more frenzied and enthusiastic than ever before.
This is more than just a victory.
This is a classic case of special operations that is worthy of being included in the military region's teaching materials!
Lu Zhanting, with his extraordinary courage and calm wisdom, completely won over everyone present.
As he led his troops down from the high ground, he was greeted by countless gazes filled with a mixture of awe, worship, and fervor.
At the award ceremony, Lu Zhanting, representing the Fierce Tiger Battalion that achieved a three-peat, received the championship banner, symbolizing the highest honor in the military region, from the commander of the military region.
He stood on the high podium, covered in mud and grass, his face a mixture of sweat and paint, looking somewhat disheveled.
But when he stood there, he was like a majestic mountain, imposing and steady, making all the light pale in comparison.
He took the banner and suddenly raised it above his head.
"Tiger Battalion!" he roared hoarsely.
"Invincible!"
Below the stage, all the soldiers of the Fierce Tiger Battalion responded in unison with all their might, their shouts piercing the sky.
At that moment, Su Wanqing felt that this man was radiant.
She gazed at him intently, her heart overflowing with a burning sense of pride.
The military wives around her were all congratulating her with the most envious tone.
"Wanqing, you are so lucky!"
"Yes, marrying such a great hero is totally worth it!"
Su Wanqing simply smiled, but her gaze never left the man on the stage who captivated her.
As if sensing through time and space, Lu Zhanting, on the podium, amidst the cheers of thousands, pierced through the surging crowd and landed precisely on her.
Those eyes, always cold and frosty, melted away the ice the moment they met her gaze, revealing a tenderness that no one else could perceive, a tenderness unique to her.
He even gave her a barely perceptible smile.
A silent smile, a smile that belongs only to the two of them.
Su Wanqing's heart felt as if it were being gently held by a warm hand. All the previous excitement, worry, and pride eventually settled into the purest love and tenderness.
She thought to herself how fortunate she was.
To be able to become this man's wife.
After the ceremony, Lu Zhanting was immediately overwhelmed by his excited comrades.
Su Wanqing did not go forward to disturb him, but stood at a distance, smiling, and waited for him quietly.
Lu Zhanting exchanged a few words with his comrades, then pushed through the crowd and, amidst countless envious, jealous, and blessing glances, walked step by step directly toward her.
His tall figure shielded her from all the noise and glory behind her.
He walked up to her.
He didn't speak.
He simply reached out and took her hand in his, as if it were nothing out of the ordinary.
His palms were hot, covered with thick calluses, rough yet strong, and they held her soft little hands firmly and tightly within them.
"Let's go home."
He looked at her, his voice not loud, but clear enough to reach her ears and soothe all her turbulent emotions.
"Um."
Su Wanqing nodded heavily, her eyes and brows beaming with an irrepressible smile.
The two walked hand in hand on their way home.
Behind me, there was a deafening cheer and a cacophony of voices.
Before me lay a quiet path bathed in the golden afterglow of the setting sun.
Their shadows, stretched by the setting sun, overlapped tightly, becoming indistinguishable from one another.
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