Chapter 151

In Tianjing, most schools select the brightest children—usually one in ten—when they first start their education. The remaining children, having learned a thousand characters or so, reach the age of eleven or twelve and begin to attempt Martial Dao training. At this stage, their bones have undergone a second growth spurt and can withstand the physical demands of training, while their minds are mature enough to grasp the fundamental principles of the martial arts. The various training halls then select another one-tenth from this group. This is the primary source of military recruits for Daxia. Because the requirements for basic soldiers are high, their pay is good, and their strength is significant, Daxia does not impose mandatory conscription. Instead, becoming a soldier is a means of social advancement. The absence of conscription also means that the productivity of the common people is further liberated.