The young woman paused upon seeing the Commandant, gently tugged her reins, slipped gracefully from her horse, and strode two steps to stand before him, offering a delicate curtsey: “Greetings, Commandant Hu!” The Commandant beamed, “Ha! Miss Fan, you’re escorting the escort personally this time. Looks like prosperity is headed your way again!” His tone was jesting and cheerful, a complete contrast to the way he regarded Li Muzhan.
The maiden smiled faintly, “Just earning a bit of hard-won money, nothing worth a laugh!”… Commandant, is the conscription finished? Are you returning to Tenglong City?” Though young, her speech was seasoned and mature, clearly the result of hard experience.
Li Muzhan narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing her closely. Her skin was smooth as ivory, carrying a faint pearlescent sheen, and her eyes, starkly black and white, were as clear and reflective as liquid mercury.
The Commandant sighed dramatically, “Indeed, it’s finally over. Is Old Master Fan still in robust health?”
“He is, Father is well, hasn’t admitted his age yet,” the maiden replied with a slight smile.
“Old Master Fan, still hale and hearty! Truly enviable!” the Commandant chuckled heartily.
As the two conversed, two horsemen approached and took up positions behind the maiden—her guards. Apart from Li Baolu, no one paid them much mind.
Li Muzhan slowly shifted his weight, squinting at the pair.
These two guards looked to be in their early thirties, their faces weathered by exposure, appearing simple and honest, entirely lacking in any sharp, aggressive edge—more like honest farmers.
The two men scanned their surroundings constantly, a posture of vigilance, as if expecting an assassination attempt on the maiden at any moment, which caused the soldiers behind Commandant Hu to suppress snickers.
Commandant Hu waved a hand, and his soldiers slowly advanced past him, not stopping, leaving only four guards behind him standing motionless.
Li Muzhan stood beside Commandant Hu, gazing blankly at the maiden, utterly transfixed, lost in her beauty.
Li Muzhan gave him a slight nudge, inwardly amused. Nevertheless, this maiden was truly beautiful. From a distance, she seemed merely attractive, but up close, her loveliness was astonishing: skin delicate, complexion like fresh snow, and eyes so bright they were hard to look at directly.
Li Muzhan stepped forward, positioning himself in front of Commandant Hu, glaring coldly at the two guards, his gaze like shards of ice, seemingly able to pierce through their bodies.
The faces of the two guards changed slightly as they met his stare. Commandant Hu and the maiden were deep in conversation, and Li Muzhan suddenly obstructing his view annoyed him greatly. He snorted, “Mingkong, what are you doing!”
Li Muzhan stepped back slightly, bowed his head a fraction, and remained silent.
Commandant Hu glanced thoughtfully between the two parties, clasped his hands in a salute, “Miss Fan, we shall speak another day. Farewell!”
The maiden nodded with a smile, “Yes, Commandant Hu, travel safely!”
“Haha! Next time I visit Tianlong City, I must call upon Old Master Fan. Bound by military duties this time, I regret I cannot make the visit!” Commandant Hu roared with laughter, then turned to leave.
After walking a dozen steps, Commandant Hu looked back and called out, “Are those two assassins?”
His expression was grim, his eyes flashing with a cold light.
Li Muzhan shook his head, “… I don’t know.” Commandant Hu glared, huffing, “Little monk, don’t play games with me! … Are you protecting a damsel in distress?”
Li Muzhan offered a wry smile, “They didn’t make a move, I can’t just start accusing people, can I?”
“Hmph, fine!” Commandant Hu’s face darkened as he waved a hand dismissively, “Why are you tagging along with me! … Get lost, scram, go do something useful!”
“Yes,” Li Muzhan executed a crisp military salute, then grabbed Li Baolu, who was still staring intently into the distance.
Li Baolu turned, his face full of lingering fascination, and sighed, “Monk, she was truly beautiful…”
Li Muzhan quickly raised a finger to his lips as Commandant Hu’s gaze snapped over, “Can’t move your feet when you see a woman, you useless whelp!”
Li Muzhan pulled him away, turned, leaped onto his horse, returned a salute, and galloped off.
At the Fan Family Escort Agency, once the maiden returned to her convoy, she beckoned. Xiang Bo approached, and the maiden whispered a few words in his ear, glancing back at the slowly departing army.
Xiang Bo looked thoughtful, nodding repeatedly. He then gathered a few others, and they suddenly moved, seizing two men and throwing them directly into a carriage.
The maiden approached the carriage, frowning at the two men. She saw their gazes were ice-cold, as if they were entirely different people, devoid of any emotion.
The maiden pondered for a moment, suddenly understanding, and sneered, “Hiding so deeply, concealed for over a decade. Such patience, yet ruined in a moment! You almost got me killed this time!” Xiang Bo asked, “Miss, are they agents of Xizhao?”
The maiden snorted, “If not Xizhao, then the Great Khan. In any case, they are not good people!”
Xiang Bo looked at the two men and lowered his voice, “Miss, perhaps we should question them. What if they aren't spies, but acting on personal revenge?”
“Personal revenge is not permissible!” The maiden’s usually pretty face turned cold, “We lost out this time only because of that little monk. Otherwise, had they made their move, our Fan family would be finished!”
“Right, right, I was foolish!” Xiang Bo hastily nodded, his expression shifting drastically.
If they had attacked, regardless of success or failure, the Fan family could not have escaped implication. Even with a good relationship with the Governor, the Governor would certainly not intercede to avoid suspicion.
Assassinating a military officer was tantamount to treason, a crime punishable by the confiscation of all property and the extermination of the clan. If these two had acted, the Fan family would have been doomed!
Li Muzhan and Li Baolu rejoined Zhao Shengli and others, then scouted ahead. Nothing else noteworthy occurred, and they reached Longteng City safely.
Longteng City was similar to Tianlong City, though slightly less prosperous.
The barracks were located within the city, toward the south, and Zhao Shengli led them along familiar routes to a large courtyard. The compound was vast, featuring a martial arts field in the center—much larger than the field they used outside Tianlong City; circling it once spanned five or six hundred meters.
The surrounding structures housed the soldiers. Li Muzhan was taken to a room at the far north, adjacent to Zhao Shengli’s quarters. It received ample sunlight, which Li Muzhan greatly appreciated.
To his east was Zhao Shengli’s area; to his west was Xiong Sihai. Li Baolu and the others were housed to the east and west, not far off. It was far more spacious than sharing a tent.
Li Muzhan was overjoyed to have his own room. After living in tents, suddenly having a dedicated room felt like extraordinary bliss. Before joining the army, he had his own small courtyard but hadn't appreciated it half as much.
Returning to Tenglong City was much the same as outside Tianlong City; they remained housed within the Fierce Cavalry Battalion. The entire battalion occupied one large compound with a single training field. As for other areas, Li Muzhan rarely ventured out. All his focus was on refining the Yongquan point.
The next day, they resumed training, similar to their routine outside Tianlong City. Mornings were dedicated to archery and horsemanship; afternoons were for spear and saber techniques. In his remaining free time, he practiced spear forms, and after dinner, he practiced the Flying Bear Palm.
After finishing the Flying Bear Palm, he would lie down and begin to quiet his mind, sinking into the Yongquan point, merging with it, and refining the acupuncture point.
He had expected refining an internal point within his own body to be easier than refining weapons like the spear or throwing knives, requiring only a few days.
However, he found refining the Yongquan point was several times more difficult than external objects. It seemed the Yongquan point possessed a consciousness of its own, constantly resisting, making the process manifold harder. He suddenly recalled reading ancient texts from the Buddhist lineage during his time in the modern era, which spoke of every part of the body having a spirit—a shen.
He had always scoffed at this notion, considering it nonsense, but now he found merit in it.
The Yongquan point continually resisted refinement. Just as he was about to succeed, he would fail, pushed back by an invisible force. Under such repeated setbacks, a normal person would have long since given up in despair, ceasing the futile effort.
Li Muzhan’s spirit was tenacious; the more difficult it became, the more determined he was to succeed. He refined it again and again, without pause.
He spent the entire night visualizing and condensing his energy. Half an hour before dawn, he would utilize the Guan Tian Ren Shen Zhao Jing technique. Upon waking, his spirit remained vibrant. As a result, his mental fortitude grew increasingly resilient.
Three days later, their minds settled. That evening, as dusk began to fall, Li Muzhan was strolling on the training field. He had just eaten and wasn't rushing to practice, simply walking slowly.
Chiying followed closely behind him, one man and one horse pacing together in the twilight.
Instructor Zhang suddenly appeared and beckoned. Li Muzhan hurried over.
Instructor Zhang handed him his long spear and said in a deep voice, “Mingkong, this is the Flying Dragon Spear. After today, it’s yours. Do not let it be disgraced!”
Li Muzhan was startled. The spear felt heavy in his hands; its shaft was pale purple, carved with dense patterns, and the silver-white spearhead gleamed coldly. It was magnificent and extraordinary.
Instructor Zhang continued, “This spear has been passed down to me for four generations. Sadly, it has remained confined to chambers, unable to drink the blood of the battlefield!”
Li Muzhan gripped the spear tightly. A sensation of profound harmony permeated his core, as if it was always meant to be his. The spear seemed to gain a life of its own, and he could feel a faint excitement radiating from it.
“Instructor, I accept this spear!” Li Muzhan agreed readily.
Instructor Zhang smiled and clapped him on the shoulder, “Good. Passing it to you settles one matter for me.”
He let out a long breath, seeming suddenly lighter, no longer carrying his former sternness, and the weight in his brow vanished.
Li Muzhan vaguely grasped his meaning and sighed inwardly.
This Flying Dragon Spear seemed to embody his ambitions and aspirations. Handing it over to him now meant he had completely let go, casting aside both ambition and resolution. In doing so, his life became much easier; his frustrated dissatisfaction and unwillingness vanished along with the transfer of the Flying Dragon Spear.
This was a good thing for Instructor Zhang, yet it carried a trace of helplessness—the sorrow of yielding to fate. Li Muzhan could empathize with the complex emotions Instructor Zhang was experiencing.
“Instructor, rest assured, I will never let it suffer indignity!” Li Muzhan nodded slowly and firmly.
Instructor Zhang smiled faintly, “I believe you can do it! Come, let’s learn the next move!” Ten days later, Li Muzhan had mastered the Flying Dragon Spear technique. The spear and he were fully integrated, moving like an extension of his arm, agile and natural; he couldn’t even feel its weight.
He increasingly recognized the weapon’s strangeness. When imbued with inner force, the shaft became elastic, like a white wax spear, capable of automatically neutralizing recoil. However, only the Flying Dragon Spear technique allowed inner force to flow into the shaft; other spear styles failed.
The guidance of inner force was not achieved through conscious manipulation but through movement—a masterful execution. Li Muzhan pondered this secretly, gaining deep insight, and vaguely felt it was time to study the Nine Revolutions Marrow Washing Scripture.