Volume of the New Treatise on Military Efficiency

...the [East] Army strikes the drum and raises a black flag to form a Curved Formation Curved Formation original: quzhen (曲陣). A formation with an angled or "bent" front, often used for flanking maneuvers or adapting to uneven terrain.. The West Army also strikes the drum and raises a yellow flag to form a Circular Formation Circular Formation original: yuanzhen (圓陣). A solid, 360-degree defensive posture intended to leave no weak points for the enemy to exploit. in response to it.

In all military exercises, the side that initiates the movement is the Guest The "Guest" (ke) represents the offensive force that sets the pace of the engagement., and the side that follows is the Host The "Host" (zhu) represents the defensive force that must counter the specific movement of the attacker.. Following the principles of the Five Elements Five Elements original: wuxing xiangsheng (五行相勝). The traditional Chinese theory of the "conquest" cycle where Water (Black) is countered by Earth (Yellow), which is countered by Wood, and so on. Here, it is used to determine which tactical formation counters another., one creates a formation to respond to the opponent.

Every time the formation changes, both armies each select fifty Shield-and-Saber men Shield-and-Saber men original: daodunshi (刀楯士). Infantrymen equipped with a heavy round shield and a single-edged saber, specialized for close-quarters skirmishing and breaking through enemy lines. to issue a challenge.
In the first and second challenges, they take turns acting out the appearance of bravery and cowardice.
The third challenge simulates a stalemate where the two sides are evenly matched.
The fourth and fifth challenges simulate the appearance of Victory. and Defeat. The dots in the original text likely represent rhythmic pauses or specific drill steps indicated in the manual's woodblock layout.

Whenever. the General. is about to change. the formation., he first. sounds the drum. and. creates. a Linear Formation The army returns to a basic straight line before transitioning into a more complex secondary shape., then changes according to the rules for the remaining formations.

Once the five formations are completed, both armies return to the Linear Formation. The drums are struck three times; the officers in charge lower the flags, and the soldiers all kneel. Then the drums are sounded again and the flags are raised; the soldiers all rise. The cavalry gallops and the infantry runs as both the Left and Right armies reach the central markers. They simulate an engagement original: ni ji (擬擊). A "simulated strike" or mock combat maneuver where the units move into striking distance without causing real harm. and then return. Every time they retreat to a line of markers, they kneel and rise as they did before, eventually returning to their original positions to await further orders.