That's why he made a point of giving the other person some pointers today.
"I understand, thank you for your guidance, Commander!"
Chen Tie's eyes gleamed with excitement.
Then he took a small booklet out of his pocket and placed it on the table.
"Commander, I've asked around the Second Battalion, and most of them are willing to Internal Skill. Commander, I want to practice too! I know that Internal Skill as an adult will harm my health and cause me great suffering when I'm old. But I've thought it through. In this day and age, how many people can live to old age peacefully? I might as well take a chance while I'm young!"
"Everyone in the Second Battalion who was willing to cultivate Internal Skill thought the same way!"
Chen Tie said to Wu Shuangren.
After receiving the martial arts inheritance from Mist Hidden Temple, Wu Shuangren instructed Bai Jinhuan and Chen Tie to ask the veterans of the First Battalion and Second Battalion if anyone was willing to practice Internal Skill.
In addition, he also asked his personal guard.
Today, his most elite soldiers are no less equipped than some of the government troops, and their formation coordination and morale are also not much worse.
However, in terms of actual combat strength, they are actually far inferior.
Ultimately, Wu Shuangren had too few martial artists under his command.
Back then, Ciwen, with only a few dozen elite warrior monks from Mist Hidden Temple, wearing heavy armor, was able to easily defeat his personal guard.
It was because too few of his personal guards had practiced Internal Skill cultivation, while all the martial monks that Ciwen led had practiced Internal Skill.
Both sides were equipped with the same weapons. Ciwen, First Rank expert, served as the spearhead to break through the enemy lines, and the individual combat strength of the rest of them was also stronger than that of Wu Shuangren's personal guards. That's why his personal guards were so easily defeated.
Wu Shuangren had heard Wu Dongrong and Liao Yu say that in the border army, as long as you make meritorious contributions, have the aptitude for martial arts, and are willing to bear the consequences of cultivating Internal Skill after adulthood, the border army will provide you with Internal Skill, and even provide the medicine needed to cultivate Mental Power for free.
Almost all the personal guards around the generals of the border army had practiced Internal Skill.
Some high-ranking generals have hundreds of seventh and Eighth Rank martial artists among their personal guards, as well as many fourth and Fifth Rank experts!
These warriors were clad in heavy armor and fearless in the face of death; even First Rank master would find it difficult to break through such a defensive line.
Although individual combat strength is higher in this world, taking down an enemy general from a vast army is still extremely difficult. Very few people can do it, and each one is a true legend!
Why was that Prince of the Western Capital revered as the "Hegemon-King"? Why was he so highly respected in the army?
It's because the enemy has achieved the feat of taking the heads of thousands of soldiers in numerous battles!
Wu Shuangren lacked foundational knowledge, but he received the martial arts inheritance from Mist Hidden Temple, which made up for some of his shortcomings. However, talent still needs to be cultivated slowly.
Have you thought it through?
Wu Shuangren looked at Chen Tie.
"I've made up my mind!"
Chen Tie answered readily.
Wu Shuangren nodded. "Alright, have each battalion make a separate list of those who volunteer to practice Internal Skill. Starting tomorrow, these people will practice alone every night."
"Yes!"
Chen Tie's eyes lit up.
He walked out of Wu Shuangren's room, his mind still replaying the words Wu Shuangren had just said to him.
Our vision should not be limited to Yi Province, but should extend further.
Yes, we should look further ahead.
Who would have thought that one day I would be able to kill a general with my own hands?
"Rong Province..."
Chen Tie murmured, quickening his pace.
After Chen Tie left, Wu Shuangren got up and went to the study, where a stack of books brought back from Mist Hidden Mountain was placed on the table.
Wu Shuangren flipped through the books, pulled one out, and the cover had the words "Upright Origin Deliverance" written on it.
This is a breathing technique used by Mist Hidden Temple to teach new monks the basics. It is balanced and gentle, and can be practiced by people of all ages.
Even if an adult misses the best time to cultivate, as long as their aptitude isn't too bad, they can gradually find their sense of Qi by practicing according to the methods for a period of time.
Whether someone has the aptitude for martial arts can be determined with this test.
Wu Shuangren plans to have all the members of his personal guard, from the First Battalion and Second Battalion, who are willing to cultivate Internal Skill, first practice this book, "Upright Origin Deliverance".
After practicing for a period of time, those who can generate a sense of Qi can continue to practice other Internal Skill; if they cannot generate a sense of Qi, it means they do not have the aptitude for martial arts.
Wu Shuangren put down "Upright Origin Deliverance" and took out another booklet from the bottom of the pile of books.
The booklet was entirely yellowed, with four large, dark gold characters on the cover: "Leakless Golden Body".
This is the external martial arts technique that Ciwen has cultivated. The opponent is wearing armor, and with this skill, they are difficult to be injured by swords and blades, and are not afraid of blunt weapons. Their defensive power is extremely strong!
Wu Shuangren was also envious of such defensive capabilities.
If he can master this martial art, he will be able to ignore most attacks when he is wearing heavy armor and fighting one-on-one on the battlefield.
These days, he leads everyone in training during the day and studies flag signals with Xu Jing at night. Only when he returns to his residence does he have time to peruse the martial arts manuals of Mist Hidden Temple, focusing particularly on this one, [The Leakless Golden Body].
This is a martial art that cultivates both internal and external strength. Externally, it uses medicinal baths and striking techniques to continuously strengthen the body; internally, it involves taking special medicines and combining them with breathing techniques and visualization methods to regulate the body little by little by circulating qi and blood.
Over the past few days, Wu Shuangren has been having various medicines prepared for cultivating the Leakless Golden Body.
The various pharmacies in the city, along with several boxes of medicinal herbs gathered from the back mountain of Mist Hidden Temple, finally gathered enough.
He had his guards set up a large wooden tub in a side room and put the medicinal herbs in according to the prescription.
After the water boiled, the whole room was filled with the smell of medicine.
Wu Shuangren walked into the side room, took off his shirt, revealing his left shoulder still wrapped in bandages, and stepped into the tub.
The water was scalding hot, Wu Shuangren's skin first contracted, then he sat down in the tub.
He closed his eyes, began adjusting his breathing rhythm according to the breathing method in the book, and started visualizing golden Buddha statues appearing in various acupoints throughout his body, each statue different...
In the scalding hot medicine, Wu Shuangren gradually loosened his muscles and bones, allowing the medicinal power to slowly seep in.
With each breath, heat seeps from the skin into the flesh, and then from the flesh into the bones.
After soaking in the tub for nearly half an hour, until the water had completely cooled down, Wu Shuangren finally stepped out.
He sensed that his progress in cultivating this Leakless Golden Body was not fast.
This martial art requires training from a young age. Once the body and muscles are fully developed in adulthood, it becomes much more difficult to master the art and achieve full mastery.
Wu Shuangren's only hope for mastering the Leakless Golden Body lies in strengthening its Traits. He hopes the Traits can be strengthened to create a completely new version of the Leakless Golden Body that is suitable for his current cultivation style.
"Commander, someone from the Flying Feather Hall has come to deliver a message."
As Wu Shuangren was pondering the matter of the Leakless Golden Body, the voice of a personal guard suddenly came from outside the door.
Wu Shuangren out of her reverie. "Tell him to wait for me in the study."
He quickly dressed and went into the study, where an intelligence agent from the Flying Feather Hall was already waiting for him.
"Greetings, Commander-in-Chief."
The intelligence personnel from the Flying Feather Hall bowed respectfully.
Wu Shuangren waved his hand, indicating that he didn't need to be so polite. "What news?"
The intelligence officer quickly handed Wu Shuangren a slip of paper.
Wu Shuangren took the note and saw a few lines written on it:
On September 2nd, the border troops of Shannan Circuit arrived at Tiger Soul Pass, Mount Liang army retreated to Ya Province City.
On September 6th, 30,000 Shannan Army besieged Ya Province City and began their attack.
On September 8th, the elite troops of Mount Liang launched a night attack, burning most of the grain and provisions of the Shannan Army.
On September 9th, Song Hai, the Grand Commander of Mount Liang, opened the city gates and led his army out to engage the Shannan Army in open battle. The two sides fought from noon until sunset, when the Shannan Army withdrew. Mount Liang sent men to pursue them, but they fell into an ambush. Ultimately, both sides suffered losses and retreated.
Wu Shuangren stared at the note in his hand, lost in thought.
151 A formidable foe is approaching; a confluence of events is unfolding.
Inside the room, Wu Shuangren instructed the intelligence agents from the Flying Feather Hall to go down and collect their reward.
He sat at his desk, repeatedly looking at the note in his hand. The note was last recorded with information from September 9th, but it was already September 20th.
There's Rong Province between Yi Province and Ya Province, which is quite a distance. Considering that Flying Feather Hall is still in its early stages, Luo Heng has done a remarkable job of transmitting intelligence in about ten days.
This is a limitation of our time.
The high-ranking officials and nobles in the capital city probably only know about the Mount Liang rebellion and the fall of Rong Province City; they don't know as much detail as Wu Shuangren.
Looking at the intelligence in his hand, Wu Shuangren felt both joy and worry.
The good news is that Mount Liang ultimately failed to block the two passes of Ya Province, and the border troops of Shannan Circuit have successfully entered Jiannan Circuit.
This means that they are no longer alone and helpless.
What worries Wu Shuangren is that, according to intelligence, the border troops of Shannan Circuit and the Mount Liang army seem to be evenly matched.
Shannan Circuit borders Tubo and has long been a military town. In recent years, Tubo has repeatedly invaded the border and fought many battles with the Wu Dynasty. The Shannan Army has been on the battlefield for a long time and its combat strength should be not weak.
Wu Shuangren originally thought that once the Shannan Army arrived, Mount Liang would suffer repeated defeats and quickly collapse.
But now it seems, I don't know whether I underestimated Mount Liang's fighting strength or overestimated the fighting strength of the Wu Dynasty's border army?
Now that both sides have retreated, Mount Liang is defending Ya Province City, and it seems unlikely that the Shannan Army will be able to defeat Mount Liang in the short term.
I wonder what Mount Liang's next plans are?
Should we first concentrate our forces to defeat the Shannan Army, and then turn our attention to conquering other prefectures; or should we defend Ya Province City and lock down key routes while sending a portion of our troops south to continue attacking Yi Province?
Judging by the timeline, Lin Qian, Zhigang, and the others who withdrew should have already rejoined the Mount Liang army, and Song Hai, the commander-in-chief, should also be aware of the situation in Yi Province. If Mount Liang intended to divide its forces and march south, they are probably already on their way.
Thinking of this, Wu Shuangren put down the note in his hand, stood up and walked out of the study. He called Xu Yu, who was still awake, and asked him to spar with him in the courtyard.
He wore no armor and did not use a knife; his injuries had not yet healed, so he could only fight Xu Yu with his right hand.
The two men sparred hand-to-hand in the courtyard.
Wu Shuangren intentionally chose to defend rather than attack, activating his newly learned and still inexperienced "Leakless Golden Body" technique to defend against Xu Yu's punches and kicks.
Just as he predicted, [Match for One Person] indeed strengthened the "Leakless Golden Body"!
While memorizing the differences between the enhanced "Leakless Golden Body" and the original version, Wu Shuangren fought with Xu Yu.
Under the cover of night, in the courtyard, two figures clashed, their fists striking each other with brutal force.
A few days ago, in Ya Province City.
A dozen torches were lit in the council chamber, illuminating the entire room.
The leaders and deputy leaders of the thirty-six halls of Mount Liang sat on both sides. These were the true high-ranking members of Mount Liang and those who had a seat in the Gathering of Righteousness Hall.
Some were still wearing their armor, some had bandages wrapped around their wounds, and many looked solemn.
Commander-in-Chief Song Hai sat at the head of the table, while Lin Qian, Zhigang, and Liang An stood in the middle of the hall, recounting the events of the Battle of Yi Province.
The three led the remaining troops of Mist Hidden Temple back to Rong Province first, and then the three led a small number of elite troops to Ya Province City.
Below the hall, Liang An spoke the most, recounting everything from how Wu Shuangren led his men to block Mist Hidden Mountain, to how the enemy ambushed six thousand men on the official road, and how they won the battle under the Yi Prefecture City.
Lin Qian spoke the least, only recounting his fight with Wu Shuangren.
After the three finished speaking, the crowd couldn't help but start discussing it.
"An eighteen-year-old First Rank expert?!"
"Even Instructor Lin is no match for him?"
"..."
Lin Qian's martial arts skills in Mount Liang were second only to Lu Yulin, so it's unbelievable that he would lose to an eighteen-year-old!
Is this person really only eighteen years old? Do you know his background?
Song Hai asked.
"She is indeed only eighteen years old."