Volume One, Chapter Six: The Arrival of the Moonlight

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Going to the county town barracks to be cannon fodder?
Zhang Muyang stroked his chin, his gaze sweeping around the room. The heated kang stove blazed fiercely, melting the snow piled at the corner of the wall. Drops of water slowly slid down the earthen wall, carving a winding trail on the clay bricks.
The first bridal chamber was Yang Wenxiu’s, which granted him a “Strategy +1” bonus.
Now, he needed to quickly activate the second physical attribute bonus.
Zhang Muyang’s eyes shifted between Yang Wenjuan and Su Ying.
The young girl had just recovered from a fever; her complexion still bore signs of illness, clearly unsuitable.
“Su Ying.” Zhang Muyang patted the kang’s edge, “Wenjuan’s body is still weak, you’ll sleep here tonight.”
“All right...”
Su Ying’s cheeks suddenly flushed deeply, even the scar beneath her right eye took on a rosy tint. Her fingertips nervously twisted the hem of her coarse cloth garment, creating tiny creases.
Yang Wenxiu tactfully moved with her sister to the far end of the kang, separating them with a quilt.
Su Ying lay down stiffly, her whole body taut like a drawn bow, as if she had forgotten how to breathe.
Just as Zhang Muyang reached out, she pressed down on his wrist.
Her voice was as soft as a mosquito’s hum, tinged with embarrassment: “Husband, I... I’ve started my period.”
“Ah?”
Zhang Muyang was momentarily stunned, feeling both amused and exasperated.
Originally, he had planned to marry three wives within seven days to accumulate the physical strength of three elite soldiers, but now all his plans were disrupted.
From the foot of the kang came rustling sounds.
Yang Wenxiu propped herself up quietly, “Husband, shall I come over and keep you company?”
“No need.”
Zhang Muyang smiled, withdrawing his hand and neatly tucking the quilt around Su Ying: “Su Ying, tell me about the military structure of Daliang. I don’t quite understand it yet.”
Su Ying was taken aback.
In this male-dominated world, for a woman to refuse her husband’s advances without being slapped was already fortunate. Yet Zhang Muyang was not angry; his gaze was open and respectful, as if genuinely seeking knowledge. This inexplicably warmed her heart, loosening her tense body.
“I know a bit.”
Su Ying said softly, “My father is the Governor of Beiyan; I grew up in the military camp and learned a little by ear and eye.”
Beiyan’s military system was similar to Daliang’s, with hierarchical units: squad, section, company, and troop, each ascending in scale. Five men formed a squad led by a squad leader; two squads made a section led by a section leader; two sections made a company led by a company commander; two companies made a troop led by a troop leader... Troop leader was the lowest officer rank, not prestigious but the highest rank ordinary soldiers could attain.
Su Ying casually pinched some charcoal ash and sketched the military hierarchy on the kang table. The lines were sharp as blades, carrying the austere breath of the battlefield.
Ranks above troop leader were considered official officers.
Two troops made a unit led by a unit head, with a ninth-rank official status.
Though low in rank, once someone became a unit head, they qualified for a military officer rank, effectively elevating them from the peasantry.
Zhang Muyang’s eyes gleamed, “What’s the highest position?”

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“The supreme commander of the northern frontier is Prince Beijing, who governs sixteen states.” Su Ying paused, her tone growing solemn, “But the real frontline guardian is General Xiao Lie of the Northern Pass. He commands over ten thousand border troops, holds a fourth-rank official title, and is the solid pillar of the border defense — even Beiyan dares not underestimate him.”
“So, promotion depends mainly on martial strength?”
“Exactly!”
Both Daliang and Beiyan revered martial prowess. Seniority and tenure mattered less than skill with sword and spear.
An ordinary soldier’s strength was at most two hundred jin; squad and section leaders who reached the ‘Skin Refining’ stage could wield five to eight hundred jin of force. Company commanders refined muscles, troop leaders refined bones, and they could use blood-refining powders; beyond that, battalion commanders refined meridians, and vice commanders refined marrow, but advancement depended on fate. Many soldiers got stuck at the bone-refining level, never able to cross that threshold in their lifetime.
Zhang Muyang grew ever more spirited, clenching his fists, “So, if one’s martial strength is sufficient, one can fight their way up?”
“Yes.”
Su Ying agreed, though a complicated emotion flickered in her eyes.
She couldn’t bear to dampen his enthusiasm. With years of warfare between the two states, the casualty rate among soldiers was extremely high. Many never got promoted before becoming bones in unmarked graves.
Suddenly, Su Ying said, “I’ll join the army with you.”
“What? The barracks are for men. Why would you go?”
“If we’re together, I can watch out for you. I have bone-refining cultivation—much stronger than your current strength. Besides, the Killing God Path passed down in our Su family might help you.”
Her fingers traced three evenly deep scratches on the kang table, wooden shards falling softly, the cut surfaces smooth as mirrors.
Zhang Muyang’s pupils contracted.
Such technique couldn’t be forged without ten years of hard training.
“Alright!”
Zhang Muyang agreed, unconsciously patting the “Formation Breaking Manual” in his bosom.
Taking advantage of a bathroom break, he slipped into the woodshed.
Moonlight streamed through the gaps, illuminating the ancient, vigorous script on the pages. The opening line declared: The breaker of formations does not rely on brute force, but on recognizing, understanding, and following the formation before breaking it.
The more he read, the more astonished he became. This was no ordinary military manual.
The upper section, “Power Refining,” described the “Stone-Splitting Mountain-Breaking Force,” completely overturning his understanding of martial arts. Even a soldier’s body could split stone and shatter mountains! Two lethal moves were detailed:
“Wild Bull Style”: Both feet grounded, with the momentum of a charging bull; punches struck like horns, devastating and unstoppable!
“Wave-Crest Slash”: Three consecutive strikes to the same spot; the second strike doubled in power, the third increased fivefold.
The lower section, “Qi Penetration,” was even more profound. It was said to be a fragment discovered by a general at an ancient battlefield. It described the “Drum-Beating Breathing” technique, using the body as a drum and heaven and earth as mallets, allowing muscles to resonate with the primal energy of the universe, ultimately forging a protective aura.
This perfectly filled the gap in the military system for “no path beyond blood refining”!
Zhang Muyang treasured the manual and began practicing immediately.
Under the moonlight, his movements quickened, muscles rippling like waves, the skin cracking as if stretched leather.
Suddenly...
A thought surged within him, and he unleashed a Wild Bull strike at the firewood pile.
Bang!

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The thick firewood snapped on impact, the break resembling a cut from a knife or axe. Wood chips scattered in the air, brushing against his cheek with a gust of wind.
Zhang Muyang stared at his fist, incredulous.
His skin felt like tough leather!
He had achieved mastery of the Skin Refining stage!
When he came to his senses, dawn was breaking on the horizon.
“Husband! Husband!”
Yang Wenxiu’s tearful voice came from outside.
Zhang Muyang hurriedly hid the book. As he opened the woodshed door, a pair of cold little hands grasped his wrist.
Yang Wenxiu’s eyes were red, tears swirling in their depths. She anxiously said, “Did I... did I upset you yesterday? Wenjuan’s fever is gone. She said tonight... tonight she can sleep with you.”
Zhang Muyang finally understood her misunderstanding. He pinched her cheek and couldn’t help laughing, “Silly girl, what are you thinking? I just wanted Wenjuan to rest more.”
Yang Wenxiu froze, then blushed shyly and lowered her head.
At the far end of the kang, Yang Wenjuan heard the noise and peeked out from under the quilt with bright, sparkling eyes. When she saw Zhang Muyang looking, she quickly shrank back like a startled rabbit.
Su Ying leaned against the kang’s edge, a faint smile barely visible at the corner of her mouth.
This sickly husband was far more interesting than those brutes.
What exactly was the Killing God Path?
In the morning light, Su Ying tied a hemp rope between Zhang Muyang’s wrist and a tree branch.
“The Killing God Path emphasizes wrist strength.”
“Your cut must be fast, your recovery steady.”
Her body pressed close, her cool hand resting on the back of his hand: “Don’t rush. Only when you can snap the hemp rope with a willow twig are you truly initiated.”
Zhang Muyang imitated her movements, the willow twig tracing a perfect arc in the air, releasing and pulling back... After several attempts, he grasped the essence and smiled, “Power starts from the elbow, the wrist follows the blade, intent directs strength?”
Hiss!
Su Ying was astonished, her small mouth forming an “O.”
She had taken three whole months to master this move herself.
Snap!
The willow twig broke sharply, knocking a black stone from the wall, which tumbled to Zhang Muyang’s feet.
Was this... iron ore?
He bent to pick it up, fingertips grazing the rough surface, a sudden realization stirring in his heart.
[Beep! Host has comprehended “Killing God Path Swordsmanship”!]
[Current progress: Killing God Path (Beginner 10/100)]