Chapter 31

Goddess of Fortune II

Yok Yeongjin returned home and called for Kukwang and Okhang. The place he led them to was his study. As always, the study was sparsely decorated, with various weapons and armor scattered around. In one corner, there were a few new items: two sets of armor and various accompanying equipment, as well as a few new weapons. Yok Yeongjin led them to these items.

"War with the Mongols will soon begin. I intend to take you both with me. Since it will be your first time on a battlefield... I have prepared a few things for you. Choose what you like."

Okhang couldn't suppress his excitement as he gently touched the new black armor. Seeing this, Yok Yeongjin shook his head.

"That armor is for Kukwang, and yours is that one."

The armor Yok Yeongjin pointed to was clearly thicker and made of stronger steel than Kukwang's. After touching it, Okhang protested.

"This is too heavy. How can I fight in this?"

"I've already asked Kukwang about it and obtained it for him. Kukwang's martial arts are so advanced that he doesn't really need armor, but you are different. Without this level of protection, it will be hard to survive the rain of arrows."

At that moment, Kukwang pointed to a shield about one foot in diameter.

"What is that?"

"That is a 'Zhuowan Dun' (wrist shield), a small shield worn on the hand. Would you like to try it?"

Yok Yeongjin personally attached the wrist shield to Kukwang's left hand. Unlike a regular shield, this one was secured to the arm with wide leather straps. The wrist shield extended from the wrist to just past the elbow, designed to allow free wrist movement.

One of the advantages of the wrist shield is that it allows the use of a bow or sword even when attached, but its small size limits the area it can protect. Therefore, it is only given to the skilled warriors of the Black Wind Corps, not to ordinary soldiers. When the arrows rain down so densely that the wrist shield can't block them all, the freedom of the wrist allows the use of a larger shield attached to the horse, making it one of the few highly praised pieces of equipment among the warriors.

Kukwang tapped the wrist shield with his left hand.

"The soft lining on the back reduces the impact."

This time, he picked up a 5-foot-long cavalry saber and swung it with both hands.

"The wrist shield hardly interferes with using the saber. It's well-made."

"Indeed. However, it can't be made any larger without hindering movement, so ordinary soldiers can't use it. Do you like this saber? Okhang uses a spear, but since you only use a sword, I brought this cavalry saber for you."

"It's very good. The weight is just right."

Kukwang's gaze wandered to a strange object in the corner. It was designed to be attached to the arm like a wrist shield, but instead of a round shield, it had a triangular metal rod. The length varied; some were about half a foot, others about one foot, and one was about 1.3 feet long with a flexible tip. Kukwang picked one up.

"What is this?"

"That is a 'Jianzhiban' (sword guard). Use it like this."

Yok Yeongjin demonstrated by wrapping it around his right hand.

"The wrist shield is attached to the left arm, but it's wide and can slow down sword movements. The sword guard is designed to be worn on the right arm to block the opponent's sword or spear."

As Kukwang examined the sword guard, Yok Yeongjin added:

"To prevent the opponent's sword from slipping sideways, there are patterns of raised and recessed areas on the sword guard."

"Ah, I see..."

"If you're as skilled as you, it might not matter, but most people aren't that strong. In cavalry battles, it's hard to avoid or block sudden attacks from the enemy. In ground battles, you can simply run and retreat, but horses don't always move as the rider wishes. That's why this was created."

"Why is it shaped like this?"

Looking at the strangely shaped sword guard, Kukwang tilted his head.

"You'll understand when you wear it."

When Kukwang put it on, he immediately understood.

"Indeed..."

The sword guard was designed to be flexible from the wrist to prevent it from hindering hand movements. It also had elegant yin-yang patterns to add dignity and prevent the flow of the sword.

"Even I have been saved by this. The sword guard and wrist shield are unique defensive equipment developed through many battles, exclusive to the Black Wind Corps. In ethnic conquests, one-on-one duels are rare. Most battles involve at least three to four times the number of enemies, so various equipment for chaotic battles has been developed. Prepare the things you like. We will likely move out within five days."

Kukwang said with a slightly annoyed tone:

"Do we really have to do this?"

"If you don't want to, that's fine, but it will look strange if you're the only one without equipment."

Kukwang thought for a moment and picked up two short sword guards, each about one foot long.

"Then I'll just take these two. They shouldn't get in the way."

"Fine, do as you please. But Okhang, you must wear all of these. This is an order as your commander."

Four days later, the emperor granted permission for the military campaign. The main Song forces rapidly moved to the border with the Liao and began redeployment. The Black Wind Corps, tasked with suppressing potential Mongol unrest during the war with the Liao, started moving north. The Black Wind Corps received orders to attack the Mongols only after the war with the Liao began to avoid provoking them prematurely, so their movement was slow. Although the distance from Chongqing to Mongolia was not far, the core commanders had to travel a long distance to return to their units stationed at the border, which took considerable time.

All soldiers of the Black Wind Corps wear black armor. The shields and horse armor are also black, matching the name "Black Wind Corps." The military flag of the Black Wind Corps is black, with the character '皇' (Huang) embroidered in gold, the most luxurious color of the Black Wind Corps. The corps is divided into ten units of about 1,000 each, and each 1,000-unit (千人隊) is further divided into ten 100-unit (百人隊) groups, and each 100-unit group is divided into ten 10-unit (十人隊) groups.

Each unit has a leader who, upon receiving orders from a higher leader, immediately relays them to the subordinates, allowing for rapid action. This unique structure of the Black Wind Corps ensures that orders from the top are quickly transmitted to the bottom, essential for effectively utilizing a small, elite force.

The ten 1,000-unit groups were divided into four front armies, four central armies, and two rear armies. The rear armies also guarded the 10,000 auxiliary troops and 20,000 horses. The Black Wind Corps, being a cavalry unit, each soldier was assigned three warhorses for emergencies, making horse protection crucial.

The front army, one of the 1,000-unit groups, split into 100 ten-unit groups to form a fan-shaped reconnaissance formation, training to be prepared for sudden ambushes.

With ample time, General Yok Yeongjin combined the mobilization with training. However, the 46th 100-unit group (四六百人隊) was a headache for him. The Black Wind Corps uses numbers to refer to units. For example, the 77th 100-unit group (七七百人隊) is the 7th 100-unit group of the 7th 1,000-unit group (第七千人隊). The 8th 10-unit group of this 100-unit group is called the 778th 10-unit group (七七八十人隊). This naming system allows for easy and specific identification of sub-units during battles.

The 46th 100-unit group consists of highly skilled individuals, mostly children of high-ranking officials or those with some fame in the martial arts world, who tend to be unruly. Additionally, 25 difficult women were part of the group.

Since the Black Wind Corps selects members based on martial arts talent, they couldn't refuse women with exceptional skills. However, after accepting them, they found that a few were uncontrollable, leading to regret. General Yok Yeongjin left the commander position open, hoping for a capable leader, but Kukwang, who was assigned, couldn't control them. Kukwang himself was uncontrollable, so it was a challenging situation.

After the initial training, ten 10-unit leaders, including three women, approached Kukwang. Wearing armor, it was hard to distinguish between men and women. They all appeared fat, and their armor slightly inflated and deflated with each breath.

The women, being women, tried to stand out a bit, perhaps with more elaborate tassels on their swords or more intricate patterns on their sword guards and wrist shields. However, the differences were subtle, and many men also enjoyed such decorations.

The only way to identify them was by the numbers on their armor, indicating their 1,000-unit, 100-unit, and 10-unit groups. Kukwang, being in the 4th 1,000-unit and 6th 100-unit groups, had "四六" (46) marked on his armor. In the Black Wind Corps, the person with the least markings was the highest-ranking, such as the commander or deputy commander, who wore armor with no markings. The 1,000-unit leaders had armor with a single digit, the 100-unit leaders had two digits, and the 10-unit leaders had four digits.

Kukwang's subordinates didn't view him favorably. He didn't know much about tactical maneuvers and didn't appear to have high martial arts skills. Unlike Song warriors, who wear their swords on the side, slightly forward, Kukwang wore his sword on his hip, like a barbarian. He didn't wear a wrist shield and only had two sword guards, and his armor was thin and poorly made.

Seeing this, the heavily armored 10-unit leaders felt a mix of frustration and disbelief. They thought Kukwang had secured his position through General Yok Yeongjin's influence, but they were confident in their own abilities and weren't intimidated.

The leader, identified by the number "463" as the 3rd 10-unit leader, Ma Hua, stepped forward. Her thin voice from under the helmet confirmed Kukwang's suspicions. Ma Hua, the granddaughter of General Ma Long, a deputy commander in the Northeastern Army, was a formidable martial artist with a quick and bold personality. She was expected to become the 100-unit leader of the 46th group, but Kukwang, who seemed to know nothing, took the position, making her furious.

"Hey, new guy! Have you even read the Combat Manual? You don't even know the Black Killing Thousand Horse Formation?"

"Hmm... I plan to read it now. So, if you have nothing else to say, disperse."

"What? Are you really relying on General Yok Yeongjin's influence to act this way!"

Ma Hua drew her sword. The red tassel at the end of the hilt had a small jade flower, indicating the origin of her nickname. The sword was a fine blade, and as she drew it, a cold aura emanated from it. Everyone flinched, but Kukwang remained expressionless.

"Huh, you think I can't hit you, don't you?"

"Whether you hit me or not doesn't matter. Even if all of you attack me, you won't be able to do anything. Now, shut up and go away!"

As Kukwang turned to leave, the enraged Ma Hua lunged at him. Kukwang sidestepped, avoiding her thrust, and struck her helmet with his left wrist guard, which extended to his wrist.

Thud!

Ma Hua flew about ten feet and landed hard but quickly got up. The impact had dented her helmet, and her face, with a sharp nose, fierce eyes, and long, soft hair, was revealed.

"Hmph! Tai Chi Fist? Not bad. Draw your sword!"

Her voice was filled with suppressed anger, but Kukwang's response was dry.

"I'll draw it when I'm ready."

"Hmph! Don't think I'll go easy on you just because you're using Tai Chi Fist."

As she spoke, a lightning-fast strike aimed at Kukwang's left chest. Kukwang blocked it with his left wrist guard, and the sword changed direction, sweeping around to his lower abdomen.

"Not bad."

Kukwang lowered his left hand, blocking the sword with his wrist guard, and kicked Ma Hua's lower abdomen with his right foot. Ma Hua quickly turned to the left, but Kukwang followed with a second kick.

Thud!

Ma Hua felt a tremendous impact in her lower abdomen, flying about ten feet and landing hard. The thick armor reduced the impact, but the weight of the armor made the fall more severe. However, the blow to her pride was even more painful. As she got up, a strong killing aura emanated from her.

As Ma Hua tightened her grip on her sword and prepared to attack, Kukwang's demeanor changed. He slowly drew his sword, a unique dark