After learning exactly what had happened, he lost all desire to sleep. He put on a set of ordinary clothes, went to the main hall, and sat down to wait for further news.
County deputy Tan Zheng and registrar Tang Jiusi arrived one after the other, and the three officials sat together and waited.
When He Zhixu heard that Xu Jing had actually taken the city's archers out of the city with Wu Shuangren and a group of militia, he flew into a rage!
"How outrageous!"
He Zhixu's face flushed red with anger. "They took men out of the city without asking me first. Do they have any regard for me as the county magistrate at all?!"
"That Wu Shuangren has the gall to reach for the heavens, and Xu Jing has no sense of proportion either, indulging a child in his nonsense!"
"Now that they've killed Hong Fan and offended Mist Hidden Temple, my Bo County will know no peace!"
Tan Zheng and Tang Jiusi joined in the condemnation.
After cursing them for a while, the three discussed how they would have to put their colleague firmly in his place when Xu Jing returned, and warn Wu Shuangren not to stir up any more trouble.
A little later, footsteps sounded outside the hall. He Zhixu's adviser hurried in and bowed.
"My lord, County Commandant Xu, Commander Wu and the others have returned to the city."
A chill entered He Zhixu's gaze. "Did they suffer heavy casualties?"
The adviser wore a strange expression. "County Commandant Xu said they won a great victory. They brought back more than a dozen warhorses and dozens of heads."
"What?!"
He Zhixu shot to his feet, nearly knocking over the teacup beside him.
Tan Zheng and Tang Jiusi's expressions changed too.
The three exchanged glances, and for a moment, the atmosphere turned awkward.
"They... actually won?"
He Zhixu slowly sat back down.
It was clearly good news, yet he felt a chill in his heart.
After returning safely to the county seat, Wu Shuangren first dismissed the militia, then went with Wu Dongrong to the clinic to let Xu Nanzhi know they were safe.
The whole family stayed at the clinic that night.
Lying on his bed, Wu Shuangren kept his eyes open, replaying that night's battle in his mind.
He had now left the [Match for One Person] state, and his Internal Skill was no longer enhanced, but he could clearly feel the Qi and blood flowing more smoothly through his body than before!
The aim of [Nine Rivers Suppressing the Mountain] is for Qi and blood to flow like rivers, racing a thousand li in one unbroken surge, passing over mountains in their path and breaking through every obstacle! I saw with my own eyes the devastation after Mo Family Village was washed in blood. Although it didn't frighten me, I still subconsciously regarded their cavalry as a "mountain" standing in my way.
Wu Shuangren summed up his thoughts, just as he had always reviewed his performance after a match in the past.
Tonight, I led the militia to victory and personally killed several cavalrymen. That was the same as breaking through this obstacle with my own hands. The "mountain" is still there, but in my heart it's no longer so difficult to cross. The change in my state of mind fits the intent of [Nine Rivers Suppressing the Mountain], so has my Internal Skill improved?
Wu Shuangren's [Method of One Person] came from [Nine Rivers Suppressing the Mountain]. Although it was now a different Internal Skill, some things were the same at their core.
Xu Nanzhi had told him that the more advanced an Internal Skill was, the more importance it placed on one's state of mind-that was, the influence of Mental Power.
So practicing blindly was not enough; one also needed opportunity and comprehension.
For Wu Shuangren, tonight's battle was that opportunity!
Once he had thought it through, he sat up in bed, naturally adjusted his breathing, and set the Qi and blood in his body in motion.
That night, his Internal Skill reached another level!
Early the next morning.
Wu Shuangren practiced Sun-Observing Meditation as usual.
Afterward, he looked at the great hole that had been smashed in the clinic's outer wall, then said to Xu Nanzhi with eager anticipation, "Mom, how about we spar?"
But Xu Nanzhi refused to agree, no matter what he said.
Wu Shuangren could tell that, for some reason, his mother seemed unwilling to use her martial arts unless absolutely necessary.
There was nothing he could do. He couldn't force her, so he could only give up on this "experience."
Afterward, he went home and took a chest to the militia's encampment in the south of the city.
Wu Shuangren first ordered all the militiamen to assemble.
The eighty-odd militiamen quickly formed ranks in the open space.
After several days of repeated drills, they formed ranks much faster than they had at the beginning.
"Those who followed me out of the city to kill the enemy last night, step forward!"
Wu Shuangren ordered.
Fifty militiamen stepped forward.
"Last night, these men followed me out of the city. Facing more than a hundred mounted bandits, we held our ground and won the battle!"
Wu Shuangren used his Internal Skill to project his voice as he spoke loudly.
Hearing this, all fifty men who had stepped forward threw out their chests and raised their heads, pride showing on their faces.
The others looked astonished.
They had defeated more than a hundred mounted bandits, outside the city no less?
"Those mounted bandits once washed Mo Family Village in blood."
"But last night, we beat them!" Wu Shuangren continued. "Because you obeyed orders!"
As he spoke, he opened the chest he had brought, revealing the copper coins inside.
"Everyone who went out of the city to fight last night, come forward and collect one hundred wen!"
A stir ran through the crowd. Those who hadn't been chosen to leave the city last night looked on enviously.
The fifty who had gone were all excited.
Following orders, they lined up and came forward one by one to count out and take a hundred wen from the chest.
"Remember this: from now on, as long as you obey orders, we can win battles, and you can earn money!"
In the open space, Wu Shuangren's voice reached every militiaman's ears clearly.
56 Ciwen
In front of everyone, Wu Shuangren had all fifty militiamen collect one hundred copper coins each, paying out five strings of coins in total.
Though it pained him to part with the money, the effect was remarkable.
During the training that followed, Wu Shuangren could clearly feel that everyone was more motivated!
That morning, while they practiced standing at attention, he hardly had to strike anyone with his wooden stick.
The militiamen's marching was also much more orderly than it had been a few days earlier.
Wu Shuangren felt he could reduce the basic training somewhat and add spear training.
At noon, he ate lunch with the militiamen at the encampment.
Liao Yu and Wu Dongrong came to find him.
"Of what we took last night, Lord Xu said the leather armor, sabers and bows can all go to the militia, but he's taking ten of the warhorses."
Liao Yu told Wu Shuangren how the spoils from last night had been divided.
"Ten..."
Wu Shuangren considered it for a moment, then nodded. "All right, I have no objection."
Xu Jing's support had been crucial to getting out of the city and ambushing the enemy last night.
The tactics he had devised and the archers under his command had also played a key role.
So it was only right that he took ten warhorses.
"The Mo Family didn't want anything. They only said they were grateful to Commander Wu for helping them take revenge."
Liao Yu spoke.
Wu Shuangren smiled. "Dad, Uncle Liao, if I wanted to spend money on leather armor, would we have a way to buy it?"
They had captured more than thirty sets of leather armor this time, but he wanted to equip every militiaman with a set.
Wu Dongrong shook his head. "Throughout the dynasties, crossbows have been banned but not bows, and armor has been banned but not sabers. Buying sabers and swords is easy, but buying armor crosses a serious line. Even the Mo Family before this couldn't equip their militia with more than a few sets of leather armor. In all of Yi Province, I'd say only Mist Hidden Temple has the means to obtain large quantities of it."
Wu Shuangren was a little disappointed. "All right."
Liao Yu smiled. "You have to eat a meal one mouthful at a time. How many days have you been a commander? Even if you had a way to buy it, how many sets could you afford with the money you have?"
Wu Shuangren sighed.
That was true. Even if he had a way, he didn't have enough money.
Wu Dongrong spoke up. "First, think about how to use the five warhorses we were allotted."
Without hesitation, Wu Shuangren said, "I want to learn to ride, and we need to train a few riders in the militia too."
Riding was a skill he had to master. Even if he didn't use it in battle, it would be more convenient for traveling and carrying messages.
"You should have your father teach you to ride. He's an expert."
Liao Yu pointed at Wu Dongrong as he spoke.
Wu Shuangren turned to look at Wu Dongrong.
Wu Dongrong smiled. "From now on, practice with me every day."
Mist Hidden Temple.
In the main hall, Hong Zhanming sat in a chair, dressed in a dark red brocade robe. He held a string of prayer beads in his left hand, slowly turning them.
"Master Hong, those people from the Warrior Monk Hall are too arrogant! They're all shouting for you to hand over the cavalry unit and put it under the Warrior Monk Hall's command!"
A middle-aged man with a goatee and an unshaven head spoke indignantly from beside him.
Hong Zhanming's hand paused on the beads, then resumed turning them, only a little faster.
He sneered. "Kongzheng runs the Warrior Monk Hall. All these years, it's taken things in and given nothing out, taking more and more silver while its fighting strength has grown weaker and weaker. And he still has the nerve to ask to take charge of the cavalry unit too?"
The middle-aged man beside him hurriedly said, "Exactly! If you weren't holding Mist Hidden Temple up, Master Hong, Kongzheng and his lot would have hollowed it out long ago!"
Hong Zhanming glanced at him. The man immediately fell silent and drew in his neck.
"How has the abbot reacted?"
Hong Zhanming asked.
The middle-aged man shook his head. "Huiling said the abbot had no particular reaction when he heard the news. But Master Hong, the cavalry unit suffered losses this time, and the Warrior Monk Hall finally has its chance. They certainly won't let it pass easily. You must be careful."
Hong Zhanming's face was expressionless. "Keep an eye on the Warrior Monk Hall."
The middle-aged man rose. "I understand."
After he left the hall, Hong Zhanming sat in his chair turning his prayer beads for a while, then rose and went out.
On the mountain behind Mist Hidden Temple.
Inside a magnificent hall, a golden Buddha statue wore a look of compassion.
Before the statue, an elderly monk sat cross-legged on the ground, nearly naked, with only a piece of white cloth wrapped around his waist.
He was the abbot of Mist Hidden Temple-Master Ciwen.
He sat cross-legged with his eyes closed and his back ramrod straight. The contours of his muscles stood out beneath his bronze skin, as though cast in iron.
A monk stood barefoot beside him, scooping up golden oil from a wooden bucket and pouring it over the crown of Ciwen's head.
The oil ran down his temples, behind his ears and along the sides of his neck, flowing over his whole body...
Ciwen's skin began to glisten, each muscle like old sandalwood soaked through with oil.
The monk poured the oil over him scoop after scoop. When he had scooped up the last layer from the bottom of the bucket, he rested the ladle on its rim and took three steps back.