The most secure job in Dajin

Chapter 557, Letting Go of the Obsession with Control

Duan Jishan noticed Hua Changxi's strange behavior, as did many of the centurions and officers in the square.

There's no other reason than that the flaws were simply too glaring.

Firstly, military drills, even those involving small teams of three, are always pre-arranged, making it impossible for anyone to join unexpectedly.

Yet this person brazenly hid in a corner and spied on them, as if unaware that this was a taboo subject.

In the Vermilion Bird Army, even the most reclusive soldiers would not appear alone at the edge of the training ground.

There's no other reason than that this is a military training ground, and going alone is inherently unusual.

Secondly, when speaking with the hall master Duan Jishan, he actually referred to himself as "I".

In the Vermilion Bird Army, there is a clear distinction between superiors and inferiors. When facing the hall master, one refers to oneself as only a subordinate or a lowly general, without exception.

Thirdly, he did not know Qin Centurion, nor Ye Liyue or Yan Guichen—these two were commanders of ten thousand men, and anyone who had spent some time in the Vermilion Bird Army could not possibly be unaware of them.

These flaws all point to the same conclusion: this person is extremely unfamiliar with the rules and personnel of the Vermilion Bird Army.

Logically speaking, based on these facts alone, Duan Jishan could have easily taken her down and interrogated her, but he didn't.

Because beneath this body riddled with flaws, this person is also shrouded in too many perplexing mysteries.

First of all, this person was too calm and composed, showing not a trace of guilt.

An "outsider" who infiltrated the Lingguang Hall was publicly stopped by the hall master and scrutinized by tens of thousands of eyes, yet he remained calm and composed, showing no sign of panic.

Secondly, she was intimately familiar with the operation of a hundred-man army formation, and the cultivation technique she used was the authentic "Vermilion Bird Divine Technique," without the slightest deviation.

Finally, and most perplexingly, she was too self-righteous.

Whether she was thrown off by the army formation or tried to get Duan Jishan to change the arrangements, her every move exuded a sense of entitlement, as if it was only natural for everyone to cooperate with her.

Were there any spies in the Vermilion Bird Army?

of course.

Even now, the hall masters and managers cannot guarantee that there are no spies from other forces in the army.

But the person in front of me gave off a contradictory feeling—she seemed to be familiar with the Vermilion Bird Army, yet knew very little about it.

If he really is a spy, then he's far too...unprofessional.

Because of the contradictions surrounding Hua Changxi, Duan Jishan and the generals present all tacitly chose to remain silent.

Did Hua Changxi realize that his masked and suspicious appearance made him look extremely strange and out of place on the martial arts square?

She was perfectly aware of it.

Did she sense the scrutiny Duan Jishan and the others were giving her?

Of course I sensed it.

But she chose to ignore it.

First, she genuinely wanted to participate in the military drills.

Secondly, she also wanted to see how Duan Jishan and the others would respond.

After being singled out by Duan Jishan, Ye Liyue and Yan Guichen quickly realized his intentions after a moment's thought.

The hall master's move was clearly intended to use the two of them to test this suspicious person whose background was unknown.

Even if someone has ulterior motives or faces sudden danger, their sparring partners, while not nipping any potential problems in the bud, can certainly prevent the danger from escalating.

So, the two of them walked towards Hua Changxi with smiles on their faces.

As soon as she got closer, Ye Liyue subtly sized up the masked Vermilion Bird Army soldier in front of her, a seemingly warm smile playing on her lips.

"I don't think I've ever seen you before?"

Hua Changxi's gaze swept over Ye Liyue and Yan Guichen, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.

Both of them are at the Spirit Platform Realm!

Duan Jishan arranged for two Spirit Platform Realm cultivators to spar with him, which was obviously a test of his abilities.

Hua Changxi didn't have time to test them, and said directly, "You don't need to doubt my identity, I am the Palace Master's person."

The air seemed to freeze for a moment after he said that.

Ye Liyue and Yan Guichen were shocked, and even Duan Jishan, who had been secretly observing from a distance, showed a hint of undisguised astonishment in his eyes.

Ye Liyue quickly suppressed the turmoil in her heart, regained her composure, and asked gently, "What is your name?"

Hua Changxi thought for a moment and said, "Just call me Xiao Hua."

Little Flower? ??

Ye Liyue and Yan Guichen's eyelids twitched uncontrollably at the same time. Thinking of the rumors circulating outside, they dared not ask any further questions.

Hua Changxi looked at the two of them and asked, "What are your names?"

Ye Liyue took a deep breath and replied, following her lead, "...Just call me Xiao Ye."

Yan Guichen, standing to the side, could only helplessly follow suit: "Little Yan."

Hua Changxi nodded and made the decision as a matter of course: "Okay, now that we've met, shall we begin training?"

In just a few words, the initiative was taken away.

Ye Liyue and Yan Guichen exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of absurdity in each other's eyes, but ultimately nodded obediently.

Seeing that the two agreed, Hua Changxi turned around without hesitation and took the lead in walking towards the area where the three-person military formation was being practiced.

Ye Liyue and Yan Guichen subconsciously glanced back at Duan Jishan, and seeing that he didn't say anything, they quickly followed Hua Changxi's steps.

Once the three of them had taken their positions in the formation, Hua Changxi turned around, her face hidden behind a mask, but her expression was extremely solemn.

"Although I was sent by the Palace Master, you don't need to have any concerns. Just train the way you usually train, and cooperate as you normally would. Do you understand?"

These words were spoken with confidence and conviction, making him sound more like an incognito military supervisor than a newcomer.

Ye Liyue and Yan Guichen exchanged another glance, their sense of absurdity intensifying, yet they couldn't find any fault with it, so they could only nod in unison and agree: "Of course."

"Very good." Hua Changxi waved her hand decisively. "Then let's begin."

The three-person formation is the most basic triangular offensive and defensive formation.

The spiritual energy of the three needs to circulate at a specific frequency to form a miniature closed loop of spiritual energy, where they can support and protect each other.

"Form ranks!"

Ye Liyue stood to the left rear of Hua Changxi, and Yan Guichen to the right rear.

As soon as the two stood still, Hua Changxi felt two completely different spiritual energy fluctuations coming from behind them—Ye Liyue's spiritual energy was as dense as silk, with a kind of lingering tenacity; Yan Guichen's was as sharp as a blade, clean and neat without any redundancy.

Hua Changxi took a deep breath and mobilized his spiritual power, attempting to connect the two forces.

But as soon as she exerted her strength, Ye Liyue and Yan Guichen frowned almost simultaneously.

Hua Changxi's spiritual power is too strong.

It's not just ordinary strength, but the kind of strength that's overwhelming and pervasive.

As she attempted to merge the spiritual power of the two, she subconsciously used her own spiritual power to "envelop" them, as if she wanted to bring the entire three-person formation under her control.

"Bang~"

With a muffled thud from the clash of spiritual energy, the three-person formation collapsed before it could even take shape.

Ye Liyue took a step back to steady herself, while Yan Guichen remained motionless, though his spiritual energy surged.

Hua Changxi stood there, stunned, unable to figure out what went wrong.

"Again!"

"Bang~"

"Again!"

"Bang~"

A three-person formation, ten attempts to form the formation, and ten failures.

Leaving aside Ye Liyue and Yan Guichen, who were questioning their existence, even the Vermilion Bird Army in the other military formations were utterly astonished.

This failure rate is record-breaking!

Duan Jishan walked over and looked at Hua Changxi: "What were you thinking when you were setting up the formation?"

Hua Changxi's eyes were full of confusion: "I wasn't thinking anything!"

Duan Jishan was speechless for a moment: "I haven't thought about anything yet, but you've been trying to control Ye Liyue and Yan Guichen." Upon hearing this, Hua Changxi felt a 'boom' in her mind, as if struck by lightning.

When practicing the hundred-man formation in the Flaming Mountains, there were so many problems that she couldn't carefully detect every anomaly.

The current three-person formation exposed the problem more thoroughly, and with Duan Jishan's correction as an observer, she finally grasped the core issue.

Yes, she kept thinking, and habitually 'thought' about taking control of the situation.

This control over the outside world had become ingrained in her very being, so much so that she was completely unaware of it.

Hua Changxi's mind replayed the moment he was thrown back.

It wasn't that she lacked spiritual power, or that her steps were wrong; it was that she was still 'thinking'.

She was thinking about how to integrate, how to synchronize, and how to make herself a part of the army.

But the more he 'wanted' it, the more he wanted to control it, and the more a barrier separated him from the other two.

What she has always feared, the so-called fear of losing herself, is in essence the fear of losing control!

Why is she afraid of losing control?

Or rather, why does she feel she can control everything? And why does she not allow things to get out of control?

As this question arose in her mind, Hua Changxi's heart skipped a beat, and she suddenly realized how narcissistic she was—she actually wanted to control everything!

Ye Liyue and Yan Guichen looked at Hua Changxi, who remained motionless, exchanged a glance, and without urging or showing impatience, simply... waited.

Hua Changxi glanced at the two of them and, seeing that they offered no judgment, no expectations, and not even any hints of 'you should do it,' suddenly understood something.

The reason she failed before was because she kept 'trying'.

We strive to imitate, strive to synchronize, strive to suppress our ego, and strive to become 'us'.

But what the military formation needs is never 'effort'.

What military formations need is—to let go.

It's not about forcing yourself to forget 'me,' but rather that you don't need to remember 'me' at all.

Just like a drop of water falling into a river, it doesn't think, 'I want to become a river,' it simply follows the direction of the water flow and naturally becomes part of the river.

Each of her previous attempts was like someone desperately jumping into the river from the shore, forgetting that they were already in the water.

"Again."

Hua Changxi stood up and walked back into the formation.

This time, she didn't deliberately try to sense Ye Liyue and Yan Guichen's spiritual power, didn't deliberately adjust her pace, and didn't even think about the words 'formation'.

She just stood there.

Standing like a stone.

Breathing is one's own breathing, heartbeat is one's own heartbeat, and spiritual energy flows quietly in one's own meridians, neither pandering nor resisting, neither deliberately integrating nor deliberately holding back.

She was just there.

Then--

The spiritual energy naturally overflowed, gently touching the spiritual energy on both sides without repulsion or collision, just like two streams quietly converging between the rocks.

There is no repulsive force.

The three-person team is formed.

Hua Changxi slightly opened her eyes, a faint light flashing in them.

She sensed it.

It wasn't the spiritual power of Ye Liyue and Yan Guichen that I felt, but rather an unprecedented sense of relaxation.

That kind of relaxation isn't about being lax, but rather... no longer being tense.

No longer holding onto the thought of 'I need to fit in,' no longer holding onto the fear of 'I can't lose myself,' no longer holding onto the obsession of 'I must do it.'

She simply stood there, and the great formation embraced her.

Ye Liyue and Yan Guichen exchanged a glance and both breathed a sigh of relief.

This masked man has finally figured out the tricks of military formations.

It's not about gritting your teeth and forcing your way through, nor is it about suppressing things by force; it's about letting go.

Hua Changxi stood in the center of the three-person formation, feeling the spiritual energy flowing smoothly between them like the tide. She neither smiled nor rejoiced; she knew that the three-person formation was just the beginning.

Ten-person formation, hundred-person formation, thousand-person formation, ten-thousand-person formation... each formation represents a deeper level of 'letting go'.

And she had only just learned how to loosen her grip on that hand.

"continue."

During the subsequent formation, Hua Changxi kept practicing how to 'let go' of her desire for control.

From noon to dusk, from dusk to nightfall, and from nightfall to a sky full of stars.

Hua Changxi, Ye Liyue, and Yan Guichen were repeatedly practicing the same three-person formation in a corner of the martial arts square.

Once, twice, three times...

Forgetting oneself is not about erasing the self, but rather, in that instant, giving way to "us" all "my" feelings, "my" judgments, and "my" habits.

Give way to the point where you don't need to think, understand, or know why—your body will react correctly on its own.

However, all of Hua Changxi's combat experience so far has come from "one person".

She was used to controlling the pace and making the best decisions at critical moments, which made her a strong individual, but a fatal obstacle to integrating into a team.

She's not not strong enough, she's too strong.

So powerful that it wants to fill every crack, smooth out every fluctuation, and control every uncertainty.

But the military formation precisely requires her to relinquish this control.

Outside the training grounds, Duan Jishan had been silently observing the three's training. Now, there was another person beside him—Yun You, the head of the logistics department.

Duan Jishan looked at the scene and said in a low voice, "That person said she is the Palace Master's person, what do you think?"

Yun You's gaze remained fixed: "The Palace Master has indeed returned."

Duan Jishan paused: "That person said her name was Xiaohua... Could she be..."

Yun You shook her head: "I don't know."

Late that night, after finishing his training, Hua Changxi sent a message to Duan Jishan, telling him about Xiao Hua's situation and instructing him not to worry about anything and to train her rigorously.

Duan Jishan's lips twitched when he saw the message.

Isn't the timing of this message too coincidental? So coincidental that it's not even bothered to hide it. It's as if they're certain he won't dare to ask or expose them.

The training continued the next day.

Seeing that Hua Changxi, Ye Liyue, and Yan Guichen's three-person military formation was already operating flawlessly, with their spiritual energy flowing smoothly as if they were one, Duan Jishan nodded slightly: "Since you are already familiar with the three-person military formation, let's begin practicing the ten-person military formation."

As soon as he finished speaking, some of the centurions and captains who had been standing quietly in the surrounding area couldn't contain themselves and stepped forward to volunteer.

"Master, I'll do it!"

"Master, I can do it too!"

For a time, there were quite a few people eager to try it.

It wasn't that the commanders and centurions wanted to take this opportunity to curry favor with the lord's confidant.

Their enthusiasm stemmed purely from an irrepressible curiosity.

They really wanted to experience for themselves just how "incorrigible" this masked little flower truly was.

Duan Jishan ignored everyone with a blank expression and raised his hand to directly point out the seven strongest centurions present.

You can't be weak. There are young girls in the army who need to be able to withstand falls. If you're not strong, you're easily injured.

As expected, in the following drills, the ten-person team that Xiaohua was in put on a variety of fancy wrestling performances.

Those centurions and commanders who were not selected looked on with relief as they watched Yan Guichen and the others being thrown out by the army formation.

The ten-man formation was practiced for three whole days before Hua Changxi's oppressive feeling of wanting to control everything lessened, and the formation was finally able to take shape.

Duan Jishan did not let Hua Changxi start practicing the hundred-man formation, but instead had Ye Liyue and others continue to accompany her to practice the ten-man formation.

He realized that Xiaohua's biggest problem was that she had difficulty integrating with others.

This problem can only be solved little by little through repeated practice and coordination in military formations. (End of Chapter)