Chapter 32

A Brief Encounter with the Past

The Black Wind Corps arrived at the border after nearly a month of travel. The journey was not a leisurely one for the soldiers, as they continuously conducted mobile training exercises along the way. The entire Black Wind Corps participated in these mobile training exercises, and separate training sessions were also held for the vanguard, main force, and rearguard. Additionally, integrated defense training with the 10,000-strong auxiliary army provided by the Northern Marshal's office was conducted, making each day pass like an arrow.

During this month, General Yu Yingzhen was astonished by the changing appearance of Guo Guang. Initially, he had entrusted the command of the 100-strong unit to Guo Guang on a whim, but Guo Guang unexpectedly managed to control them well. His ability to lead his subordinates improved day by day, especially his exceptional skill in commanding them during chaotic battles. General Yu Yingzhen carefully observed Guo Guang leading his subordinates to break through the imaginary central formation of the 5,000-strong unit amidst the tangled chaos of battle.

'The ability to survey the surroundings and lead subordinates to minimize casualties in such a situation is not something one can be born with. Observing the surroundings broadly in chaotic battles, uniting with the main force when concentrated attacks occur, and separating from the main force when it's time to attack, all while commanding subordinates with the speed of lightning. It's clear that this man has considerable experience commanding a large number of subordinates in the past. What is his background...?'

The simulated battle between the 5,000-strong unit and the 4,000-strong unit ended with the overwhelming victory of the 4,000-strong unit, as a part of it suddenly broke through the center and overthrew the commander of the 5,000-strong unit. Watching this, General Yu Yingzhen smiled in satisfaction. The 100-strong unit, which had caused trouble due to its excellent background and martial arts skills, had now become the elite of the Black Wind Corps.

After the training, Guo Guang gathered his subordinates, the leaders of the 10-man units. By now, no one doubted Guo Guang's abilities. Over time, they were not only impressed by his martial arts skills but also by his command and control. As everyone gathered, Ma Hua finally arrived, panting, and took his seat.

"What is it, Commander?"

Guo Guang deliberately put weight in his voice.

"It's an order from the General. We are now 120 li (approximately 48 kilometers) from the border. From today, we will camp here and remain stationed until the campaign begins. Starting tomorrow, we will focus more on integrated training with the auxiliary army. One 1,000-strong unit, which will not participate in the training, will be sent to scout the enemy lines. The 7th 1,000-strong unit will go first. So, don't do anything unnecessary and make sure your subordinates rest well after the training to prepare for the reconnaissance mission."

The leader of the 20th 10-man unit, Zheng Xiang, asked with shining eyes.

"Commander, when will the campaign begin?"

"In ten days. According to the information we have, Tiejin Tian has already gathered a large force and set up defenses. They must be worried about the Black Wind Corps being stationed near the border. The General continues the training to hide the fact that this is an invasion... If asked by the Mongols, we can say we are in the middle of training."

As he said this, Ma Hua made a slightly strange expression and pleaded.

"It's like a long-awaited rest... Can we drink alcohol?"

"Alcohol?"

The word "alcohol" made his mouth water, and Guo Guang's clear thoughts began to blur.

'Alcohol... If we drink, it will violate military discipline... But, but... Alcohol... It's fine.'

The hesitation disappeared, and emotion triumphed over reason.

"Hmm... Is there any way to get some? If we want to share it with the subordinates, a couple of barrels won't be enough..."

Ma Hua burst into laughter, as if he had read Guo Guang's thoughts from his expression.

"Haha, you really care about your subordinates. I've already sent them to prepare a large amount. That's why I'm late."

"You, I like you. Good! I'll pay for the alcohol. Bring the bill later!... Alright! Good. Let's have a good drink tonight."

"Hahaha, you have a big heart. This is the first time drinking with the Commander, so let's drink together. I'll share a moderate amount of alcohol with the subordinates. They drink as much as they can, so giving them too much might cause problems tomorrow..."

"Do as you see fit. Meet at my tent as soon as the alcohol is ready."

Then, the leader of the 7th 100-man unit, Chang Long Ke (Cang Long Ke) Lin Chong, stepped forward. He was a renowned swordsman in the martial arts world and was quite clever.

"No, the Commander's tent is too close to the General's tent. Let's do it at my tent."

"Alright, let me know when the alcohol is ready."

"Understood."

Guo Guang woke up. After drinking with his subordinates the previous evening, Ma Hua and the other four leaders of the 10-man units, who couldn't hold their liquor, were thrown into their respective tents, and he fell asleep for a while. What woke him up was an indescribable eerie feeling. As soon as he regained his senses, he silently grabbed his Muhun Sword and moved at his highest speed, hiding between the tents.

"The direction seems wrong?"

Suddenly, a voice came from behind, and the man in black, who was carefully observing the tents ahead, froze in fear. Seeing this, Guo Guang spoke again.

"The General's tent is not this way but that way. Although that fact is only necessary if you want to survive here..."

Guo Guang slowly drew his sword, making almost no sound.

Swoosh...

The man in black turned to Guo Guang, unable to take his eyes off the dark sword, and spoke in a trembling voice.

"I came to meet the master, the owner of Muhun. I am not an assassin."

Guo Guang shook his head.

"What? Haha... You, making jokes..."

While slowly raising his sword, he noticed the pleading look in the man's eyes and realized that he was unarmed.

"Do you assassinate without weapons these days? Using fists or palms would be noisy... But there are extreme yin palm techniques and hidden weapons..."

The man in black was grateful to the heavens for entering unarmed as per the master's instructions.

"I am unarmed. As you can sense, I am not trained as an assassin. I only received espionage training... The sword techniques I learned are orthodox. I left my sword over there. I came to meet you, Master Muxiang, on the master's orders."

"Muxiang...?"

'Somehow, it feels familiar.'

"Yes, our master told me to tell you. Our master knows everything about your past. If you join our sect, our master will reveal everything about your past and help you take revenge on those who harmed you."

Guo Guang slowly sheathed his sword.

"An interesting proposal."

"Our master has offered you the position of deputy master. Given the size of our sect, it's not a bad deal for you."

"Did you come alone?"

"Yes."

"Then, did you never think it would be easier to do it this way?"

"What do you mean?"

"If I beat you up to find out about my past, it would be less troublesome and faster, and easier."

Fear filled the eyes of the masked man, who knew better than anyone what kind of monster he was dealing with. He let out an awkward, deflating laugh.

"Hehehe, I don't know much about your past. Beating me up won't get you much."

Guo Guang also laughed low and sarcastically.

"Haha... I still want to try."

As Guo Guang slowly approached, the man's eyes filled with even more fear. In a last-ditch effort, he said:

"Even if you beat me up, you'll only get fragmented information... I really don't know much about your past. If you want, I'll tell you everything I know now."

"Tell me."

"Your name is Muxiang, and you are an extremely... a master who has reached the Xianjing realm. I was told to be extremely cautious and that just by silencing my presence and infiltrating, you would notice and come out. Indeed, you did."

"And?"

"I was told that you were harmed by someone very close to you and lost your memory. It was a stroke of luck that you survived and escaped."

"Anything else?"

"You haven't... been with a woman?"

"What about it?"

"Our master said that the source of your advanced martial arts is Tongzigong, and if you were to be with a woman, you would lose all your powers, so you should be careful."

"Is that true?"

"Under any circumstances..."

"Tongzigong, it seems I was a ruthless person in the past. Haha, Tongzigong... What else?"

The man in black pleaded with a desperate look.

"I don't know anything more, please..."

Guo Guang looked up at the sky, lost in thought.

"Go back. I don't know if what you said is true, but I appreciate the advice. Tell your master that I thank him for seeing me in such a good light... But, in fact, I don't need that kind of past memory. Even without it, I can live just fine. I don't want to take revenge on someone I don't remember harming me. I only want to act on what I know for sure. Go well."

The man in black, feeling the joy of life for surviving unharmed, fled as fast as he could. After watching him for a moment, Guo Guang slowly returned to his tent. He tried to sleep but couldn't, as useless thoughts kept coming to mind.

'My name is Muxiang? Is it true? But it does fit well with the Muhun Sword and Muyingbi I have. Who were the close friends who ambushed me? What is my true identity? Do I have a family? A wife and children... Haha, there's no way I have a wife. And no children. Tongzigong... I can't even think about women for the rest of my life.

Right, when I went to the Qingcheng Tower with Master Yu, I felt uncomfortable with women coming close... It must have been because of this. I need to be careful. If I make a mistake, I might lose everything, even my life. And I might not be able to keep my promise to protect Master Yu... Today, I gained a lot, a lucky day indeed.'

One of the things Guo Guang found interesting while reading many secret manuals in the Imperial Arsenal was Tongzigong. It is a type of internal cultivation technique. On its own, it is useless, but when used in conjunction with other internal cultivation techniques, it can achieve great results. As a martial artist, it's hard not to be tempted. However, the biggest drawback is that one cannot be close to women for life. Once one engages in sexual activity, Tongzigong begins to break down, and the true internal power built on it disperses. If the woman knows a bit of Jingshengshu, she can easily absorb the leaking internal power.

Various evil martial arts of the Jingshengshu type have different levels of power, but they all have a crucial prerequisite: the practitioner must have stronger internal power than the opponent. Otherwise, there is a risk of being completely absorbed by the opponent. However, when the opponent's Tongzigong breaks down and internal power leaks out, even a bit of skill is enough to absorb it. Therefore, in a sense, men who have mastered Tongzigong are the best prey.

Guo Guang already knew this fact from the secret manuals in the Imperial Arsenal. Whether the man in black's words were true or not, he couldn't remember his past, and even if he suspected the man was lying, he didn't dare to experiment. If the words were true, he would lose everything he had.