Lu Xuan had always abhorred such things. Whenever he had the energy, he began to crack down on it. However, this matter wasn't so easily eradicated. His forces were still insufficient. Most of his forces were needed to defend against the Tartars in the north. He could only spare a small force to raid several arms smuggling caravans, serving as a kind of early training exercise.
Meanwhile, the martial artists Lu Xuan had sent out to recruit experts returned one after another, bringing back a large number of skilled fighters willing to join his ranks.
Over a period of about six months, a total of more than 120 people gathered at Lu Xuan's residence. Their superior was Zhao Jingzhong, whom Lu Xuan had previously obtained from Wei Zhongxian.
Zhao Jingzhong had gone to great lengths to get eight courtesans that Lu Xuan had taken a fancy to on a whim. Afterwards, Lu Xuan left them idle for a while.
Just when Zhao Jingzhong was filled with anxiety, thinking he was about to be abandoned, Lu Xuan suddenly reinstated him.
"Zhao Jingzhong, I witnessed the conflict that day. You're quite skilled. I have a task for you."
"I will obey your orders, sir." Zhao Jingzhong knelt down excitedly, begging for work...
"Don't get excited, this won't be an easy task. The manor has recently recruited quite a few martial arts experts. These people are certainly not idle. I'm now placing them all under your command. They're all martial artists, so it's understandable that they're proud and arrogant. I'll give you a month to subdue them and turn them into an army. Use any methods you like; eliminate those who aren't suitable. For everyone who passes, give each of them a settlement allowance of thirty taels. After that, take them into the mountains, to the vicinity of the Tartars' stronghold."
I've received news. The internal strife among the Tartars is almost over. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Grand Prince Daishan will rise to power. The Tartars didn't gain much from the last war between our two countries. They won't survive this winter. I estimate their attack will be around the autumn harvest. That's about three months away.
A major battle is imminent; I need to know the Tartars' every move.
This was indeed no easy task; it was extremely arduous and even dangerous, with the risk of death. Nevertheless, Zhao Jingzhong accepted with great joy.
He was a smart man, knowing he wasn't a loyal follower like Lu Wenzhao, and had even been Lu Xuan's enemy at one point. Naturally, he couldn't expect to be given important responsibilities right away. He wasn't afraid of dangerous assignments; he was afraid of being worthless. Ambitious people are like that. He saw this mission as a test from Lu Xuan; if he succeeded, he could truly enter the core circle of the Liaoyang Guard.
"I am willing to die for you, my lord."
"I don't want you to die, I want you to live. Only the living have value. Understand?"
"I understand."
“Very good. After summer, it will get even colder in the north. Make more preparations. Also, those martial artists are undoubtedly skilled, but they are also known for their unruly and unruly nature. They need to be properly disciplined, and it doesn't matter if some methods are used. Just make sure there are no problems in this area.”
"Thank you for the reminder, sir."
"By the way, along the way, make a map of the places you pass by, the more detailed the better."
"I understand."
"Alright, you're an intelligence professional, so I won't say anything more. Go and prepare. If you do this well, I'll offer you the position of commander."
Zhao Jingzhong was overjoyed and, after expressing his loyalty once more, left in ecstasy.
After he left, Ding Baiying came out from the inner room.
"This man, sir..."
"Unreliable?" Lu Xuan asked casually.
"A little. It's just a martial artist's intuition. I feel like he's hiding too much inside."
"Hehe, it seems your skills have improved. Your intuition is becoming increasingly sharp."
"I misspoke."
"No, you didn't say that. This kid is indeed quite ambitious. He's too cunning. So we still need to be careful."
As Lu Xuan spoke, he took out an imperial edict.
"His Majesty previously promised me that I could take over all the secret agents of the Embroidered Uniform Guard in Liaodong with this imperial edict. Although the Imperial Guard has weakened, even a starved camel is bigger than a horse. It still has some foundation. I have also obtained the list provided by the Embroidered Uniform Guard. You will take the imperial edict and the list and take over the Embroidered Uniform Guard's intelligence system in Liaodong. Then, on this basis, we can build our own intelligence network."
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Chapter 138 Shenyang Uprising
In the courtyard, Lu Xuan was sparring with Miyamoto Musashi. He wasn't using his own heavy battle sword, or even the Sun and Moon Sword, but rather the same katana as Miyamoto Musashi. This was primarily to systematically learn Miyamoto Musashi's swordsmanship and the various secret techniques he had developed.
Miyamoto Musashi shared his knowledge without reservation, imparting all his skills. Normally, Japanese swordsmanship, like Chinese martial arts, is divided into schools. Strict secrecy is required between these schools, and there may even be rival schools.
However, Miyamoto Musashi did not establish his own school. Although his swordsmanship was superb and he had gained considerable fame, he remained a low-ranking samurai. It was tragic, but that was the reality. No matter how skilled he was, in the eyes of those nobles, he was merely a tool to be sacrificed at any time.
It was only after his death, with the flourishing of Kendo culture, that he was revived. In that era, his status and position were far too lowly. The fact that the delegation sold him out without hesitation is the best proof of this.
Lu Xuan was a high-ranking official of the second rank in the Ming Dynasty, wielding great power and influence. Furthermore, his personal martial prowess was overwhelmingly superior to Lu Xuan's. This instilled in Miyamoto Musashi a strange sense of submission towards Lu Xuan. This subservience to the strong led him to quickly become Lu Xuan's swordsmanship instructor.
Lu Xuan specially recruited a group of young children for him to systematically teach his swordsmanship. At the same time, he also learned from them.
Miyamoto Musashi did not name the counter-attack. This made "counter-attack" the official name of that secret technique. At the same time, Lu Xuan also systematically learned the counter-attack, correcting some unreasonable aspects of his power generation. Together with Miyamoto Musashi, they perfected this secret technique.
The essence of deflection lies in the moment when weapons collide. Through muscle contraction and trembling, the weapon in the hand is guided to produce a violent vibration within a very short time.
But simply doing that isn't enough. In actual combat, precise timing is also required. That kind of muscle tremor puts a tremendous strain on the body. It can only be executed in an instant. Therefore, this skill must be executed at the very moment the swords clash in order to effectively deflect the opponent's weapon.
This skill was developed by Miyamoto Musashi to counter heavy weapons on the battlefield. It is also a technique for breaking through enemy lines. In Lu Xuan's hands, thanks to his superior physical abilities, he can use this ability more easily and even maintain that tremor for a certain period of time.
The entire courtyard was enveloped in a buzzing, metallic vibration. After a few rounds, Miyamoto, panting, withdrew from the battle.
“Sir, you’ve become even stronger.” He said in broken Chinese.
"It's alright. Your technique has given me a lot of inspiration."
Lu Xuan held a katana in one hand and slowly pointed it at a bunch of flowers beside him. The blade moved very slowly, and it took three or five breaths before it barely touched the flower stem.
At the very moment of contact, the blade blurred slightly. The flower silently rose, its petals fluttering down like a rain of petals.
"Impressive..." Miyamoto was utterly impressed. Although he had developed this skill, there was no doubt that he couldn't achieve such complete freedom. This general's swordsmanship had reached a level he could only look up to. He even suspected that the man before him might be the strongest swordsman of the world.
"Alright, that's enough for today. I still have some official business to attend to. Go check on the children."