Three hours passed in a flash.
With his knees on the ground, Eastman blinked hard to relieve the stinging from sweat in his eyes.
Sweat constantly dripped from his neck, seeping into the mud by the river, deepening its color.
"I... I can't go on."
Eastman took a breath.
He looked up to see Shawn looking at him with concern.
"But we haven't been practicing for long."
Hearing Shawn's words, Eastman almost rolled his eyes.
"Sometimes I really can't figure out if I'm training you, or if you're training me."
"Why is it that when I teach you, I'm the one who ends up exhausted?"
Eastman regretted it in his heart.
Shawn was simply a beast; after several hours, he had only broken a few drops of sweat.
If that were all, it would be fine, but the problem was that Shawn would learn the techniques Eastman taught him after just a few repetitions.
If Eastman hadn't seen his own shadow in Shawn's movements, he probably would have thought Shawn had practiced before.
But it must be said, although he was utterly exhausted in the end,
Shawn's talent was the highest he had ever seen; at least when Morgan learned from him, he was far from Shawn's learning speed.
Eastman swallowed, waved his hand, and then spoke.
"Wait for me to rest for a few days; what you've learned is already enough for now."
"Just as I said earlier, what you need is no longer confined to the techniques of specific moves; you need to feel nature, feel all the elements flowing in the world."
Eastman's words were a bit profound, and Shawn didn't quite understand.
He only understood that with one punch, any demon or monster would be knocked to the ground.
And with the techniques he had now learned, it was like adding wings to a tiger.
Because he had points added to his hammer and saber skills, his progress was very fast when learning from Eastman.
He learned almost a month's worth of content in just three hours.
From the initial use of long-handled weapons, then to the weapon as an extension of the arm, the unity of weapon and force, and finally the connection between different technical movements and swinging the weapon...
Eastman was almost completely drained, and then he endured through these three hours.
"I'll go back and rest for a bit first; you... you can continue to contemplate it."
The long staff in Eastman's hand now looked like a crutch, supporting him as he limped towards the Camp.
"Are you alright?"
Shawn quickly asked, seeing Eastman clutching his waist.
This guy couldn't afford to have anything happen; the Prison didn't lack in military strength, but he was the only psychologist in the Prison so far.
"I'm fine."
"It's just as you said, I really am old."
Eastman looked somewhat tired, hunched over and leaning on his crutch, his posture making him appear a dozen years older.
Seeing Eastman show signs of recovering, Shawn quickly had a few Zealots escort him back to the Prison.
Turning around, Shawn saw Beth cooling off under a tree not far away.
Seeing Shawn look her way, she sat on a rock and practiced swinging the wooden spear in her hand in a proper manner.
But Beth stopped halfway through her practice, holding the wooden spear and jogging to the side, her small hand wrapped around Hershel's arm.
"They told me you needed me to bring Hershel over."
Shawn came to Shawn's side, hands on his hips, his gaze quickly scanning the surroundings to ensure there was no danger before he looked back at Shawn.
"I need to select a planting site, and a farm will be built upon it in the future, so I want to hear Hershel's opinion, as he is the professional."
Shawn explained.
"Do you need me to bring the army to stay with you here?"
"No need, you all just continue training."
Shawn wiped a drop of sweat from his cheek and sent Shawn away.
Turning back, he happened to see Hershel kneeling on one knee, squatting on the ground, his rough hands caressing the damp soil.
He then casually picked up a handful of soil, rubbed it between his fingertips, and sniffed it at his nose.
Seeing Shawn approach from the side, Hershel frowned and spoke.
"The soil here is moist, but the fertility is a bit lacking."
"Are you planning to plant seeds here?"
"Actually, it's not impossible, but it would require starting from scratch: tilling, adding fertilizer... This whole process would take a long time to show results."
"I'm worried it will affect the growth of the seeds."
Hearing Hershel's words, Shawn chuckled inwardly.
Let alone the soil here, he could grow fruit even from random mud.
Shawn brought Hershel here just to let him get familiar with the area, to make farming easier later on.
This location was backed by a water source and faced the Prison.
The water source could, to some extent, prevent attacks from Walkers and survivors, and also facilitate irrigation.
If nothing unexpected happened, this would likely be the future location of the farm.
"Don't worry, Hershel, I'll take care of everything."
"I will mark out an area here, clear away the weeds, trees, and rocks, and then build a fence and an earthen wall for you."
As he spoke, Shawn led Hershel to see the approximate location of the future farm.
Putting the issue of soil fertility out of their minds, the two discussed the construction of the farm for quite some time.
Shawn even planned to build a road directly, branching off from the Prison gate and extending all the way to the farm entrance.
This way, when it was time to harvest, it would be convenient to transport the ripe food by vehicle.
And with the idea of not wasting water if it was available,
Hershel also suggested that Oscar and Jacob build a waterwheel and place it by the riverbank.
The waterwheel would transport water and also increase air humidity, so even in summer, if the seeds lacked water, it wouldn't trouble him, an old man.
The two planned endlessly, even Beth was pushed to the side.
One was Beth's boyfriend, and the other was Beth's father.
Beth could only follow behind them, feeling depressed.
About half an hour later,
The two finally reached an agreement on the farm's construction.
Hershel's skin was flushed, and he shook Shawn's hand with excitement.
It was as if no one in the world was closer than the two of them.
"Then I'll wait for your good news at the Prison."
Hershel couldn't help but rub his hands.
"I'm already a bit impatient."
Yes, Hershel had a deep love for farms and crops.
After Hershel left, Shawn finally noticed the pitiful Beth.
Her father hadn't even given her an extra glance until he left, his eyes shining solely for this land.
Shawn pulled her into his arms: "Are you unhappy?"
Shawn instantly understood the reason.
Beth pinched Shawn without speaking, looking somewhat cute.
"Don't be like that; I'll teach you a new game tonight, at the very least."
"A new game?"
Beth perked up, like a groundhog sniffing a fresh carrot.
Shawn motioned for Beth to lean closer, then whispered into her ear.
Beth didn't know what she heard, but her face flushed, the color spreading all the way to her smooth, white neck.
"You!" Beth turned and lightly pushed Shawn, but he didn't budge.
Instead, Shawn scooped up her legs, carrying Beth in a princess carry, and walked laughing towards the Prison.
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