Li Mu

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Li Mu (李牧)
Alias(es)	Lord Wu'an of Zhao; God of War of Zhao State; High General of Great Qin 85 94 295
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Zhao State and its Northern Border Army; later the Yan Army; subsequently Great Qin and Wei Zhe 90 146 295 298
Occupation/Role	Border commander, general, strategist, sword cultivator, and later Qin High General 90 248 295
Status	Died by poisoned wine after Zhao condemned him for treason; later identified among the resurrected legendary generals and returns to active service 97 248
First Appearance	Chapter 85

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Xiantian Realm	248	Breaks through and can release True Qi externally. Wei Zhe judges his power formidable against ordinary armies but unstable and flawed against true experts. 248

Background / History

Li Mu was Zhao's foremost defender: a commander credited with repelling the Xiongnu in the north, resisting Qin in the south, and preserving more than half of Zhao's ability to withstand Qin. His reputation as an undefeated master of war made him the central obstacle to Qin's advance on Handan. 85

Wei Zhe exploited King Zhao Qian's suspicion and Guo Kai's jealousy to turn the Zhao court against him. Although Li Mu knew the summons to Handan was likely a death warrant, he surrendered his command and returned rather than let his soldiers become rebels or establish a precedent for armed generals defying royal authority. 88 90

Assassins attacked his returning convoy, killing his personal guard captain while Li Mu fought through the ambush himself. In Handan, Guo Kai presented forged testimony and a forged letter allegedly proving that Li Mu intended to surrender Zhao's northern Great Wall to Qin. Li Mu was stripped of rank, imprisoned, and condemned despite his denials. 91 92 93

Even in prison, he refused calls to revolt. He entrusted Zhao's Grand Tutor with warnings of Qin's coming invasion and urged the court to defend the state rather than surrender. Ordered to preserve “the dignity between ruler and subject,” Li Mu drank the poisoned wine and died regretting only that he had failed his soldiers and Zhao's defense. 93 96 97

A later Li Mu appears as a Yan general during Wei Zhe's campaign. At Wolf Fang Valley, Wei Zhe uses Crown Prince Dan's corpse to force him to clear a path for Qin's trapped remnants and personally escort the body from the valley. Li Mu later gives Wei Zhe a concealed route toward Handan, sacrificing his own men under coercion to secure the survival of his remaining soldiers. 146 147 149

He subsequently commands one hundred thousand Zhao troops against Wei Zhe. When Wei Zhe threatens civilians, Li Mu withdraws to spare them; a later night attack catches his army mired in marshland, and Li Mu is captured after attempting to kill Wei Zhe himself. 159 161

Li Mu is later counted among the resurrected legendary generals serving Wei Zhe. He accepts Wei Zhe's criticism of his Xiantian cultivation, tests at perfect cyan martial aptitude, and becomes a mentor to Xiao He and Han Xin. 248 250 251

After entering Qin service, Ying Zheng appoints him High General and entrusts him with northern defense and the newly established Zhenbei Army. Li Mu pledges himself as Great Qin's shield and later swears his life to Wei Zhe in gratitude for preserving a dignified end for him and a future for his soldiers. 295 297 298

Personality

Li Mu is defined by duty, restraint, and loyalty to the people behind the border he protects. He refuses to defy Zhao's king even when doing so would save his life, believing that a general taking up arms against the court would destroy the state's laws from within. 90 93

He is also a calculating battlefield commander capable of indirect warfare, ambushes, and hard compromises. At Wolf Fang Valley, he immediately understands that Wei Zhe is attacking Yan's honor through Crown Prince Dan's corpse; later, faced with Wei Zhe's threats, he chooses survival for his soldiers at severe personal and moral cost. 146 147 149

Following his resurrection and service under Wei Zhe, Li Mu remains humble about his limits. He accepts criticism without argument, regards his swordsmanship as insignificant beside Wei Zhe's power, and continues seeking improvement. 248

Abilities & Skills

Military Command and Strategy

Li Mu is regarded as Zhao's greatest military pillar, with extensive experience against both Qin and the Xiongnu.

• Repelled the Xiongnu on Zhao's northern frontier and defended Handan against Qin. 85
• Commanded a force of one hundred thousand Zhao troops against Wei Zhe. 159
• Recognized Wei Zhe's use of Crown Prince Dan's corpse as a political weapon meant to destroy Yan's prestige as well as force a tactical concession. 147
• Designed a concealed route through Black Wind Pass toward Zhao, exploiting weak guard rotations and dense terrain. 149
• His compassion for civilians can be exploited by opponents; Wei Zhe forces his retreat by threatening hostages. 159

Swordsmanship and True Qi

Li Mu fights with a long sword and reaches the Xiantian Realm.

• During the assassination ambush, he kills the attackers' leader with a single sword stroke and cuts through the encirclement with repeated lethal strikes. 91
• Can release True Qi externally after reaching Xiantian. 248
• His externalized True Qi is considered unstable and vulnerable to a genuine master despite its effectiveness against conventional troops. 248
• Demonstrates swordsmanship powerful enough to astonish Xiao He, yet calls it “a glow-worm's light” before Wei Zhe. 248

Cultivation Instruction

Li Mu possesses enough knowledge of martial cultivation to train others.

• Explains the three broad cultivation paths: body refinement, skill refinement, and qi refinement. 250
• Oversees strategic simulations involving Han Xin and other generals. 250
• Helps Xiao He begin cultivating by forcefully transmitting the cultivation method and True Qi into his body. 250

Equipment

• Long sword — His primary weapon during the assassination ambush and subsequent battles. 91
• Ancient bronze long sword — A sword formerly belonging to Lian Po, described as a mortal-world divine weapon that had tasted blood in countless campaigns. Li Mu later presents it to Wei Zhe. 249

Relationships

• King Zhao Qian — His sovereign in Zhao. Li Mu obeys the king's summons despite recognizing the danger, but Qian ultimately accepts Guo Kai's forged evidence and orders Li Mu's death. 90 93 96
• Guo Kai — Political enemy who spreads accusations, supplies forged evidence, and engineers Li Mu's execution. 88 92 96
• Sima Shang — Loyal deputy general who tries to stop Li Mu from returning to Handan and later leads the Northern Border Army's defiance after his imprisonment. 90 94
• Li Mu's personal guard captain — Dies shielding Li Mu from an assassin's arrow during the ambush on the road to Handan. 91
• Wei Zhe — Initially a formidable enemy who repeatedly exploits Li Mu's honor and responsibility; later Li Mu serves him with deep loyalty and vows to place his life at his command. 146 161 248 298
• Ying Zheng — Gives Li Mu renewed purpose by appointing him Qin High General and entrusting him with northern defense; Li Mu pledges to become Great Qin's shield. 295 297
• Xiao He — Receives martial instruction from Li Mu, who assists his entry into cultivation. 250
• Han Xin — A talented former cook preserved from execution by Li Mu, who recognizes his potential and agrees to guide him through strategic simulations. 250
• Crown Prince Dan — Li Mu attempts to protect the prince's corpse from humiliation, allowing Wei Zhe to coerce him at Wolf Fang Valley. 146 147

Notable Quotes

“I, Li Mu, have been loyal to Zhao State with all my heart and have no second thoughts!” 90

“I, Li Mu! In my life, I have no regrets towards Zhao State! It is Zhao State that has failed me!!!” 97

“My swordsmanship is but a glow-worm's light before you.” 248

Trivia

• Li Mu's martial aptitude registers as perfect cyan—only a sliver short of blue—on Wei Zhe's Martial Arts Bone Structure Testing Stele. 251
• His former status as Zhao's “God of War” is invoked repeatedly even after his fall, reflecting the lasting loyalty and fear his name commands. 94 159