Chapter Sixty-Four: Recruitment and Transformation

Afterward, Hu San ordered his men to keep watch over the area for more than ten days. Only when they saw no one alive leave the site did he finally relax his vigilance over that place.

He then led his band of mountain brigands to a towering peak nearby, which he named Wolf Fang Mountain, and there established a new Wolf Fang Stronghold.

Just as before, the news of Hu San’s annihilation of the Da Wan kingdom’s forces could not be kept secret for long; soon, it was known to all travelers. Because the protagonist this time was still Hu San, the news spread even faster, as if it had grown wings, crossing from one end of the Qilian Mountains to the other overnight.

Hu San’s name now resounded throughout the region. After all, to wipe out a regular guerrilla regiment of a kingdom once might be attributed to luck, but to do so a second time was certainly not mere chance. People were more inclined to believe that this youth possessed extraordinary abilities rather than ascribe his success to fortune.

This rumor eventually reached a military unit, a force that had originally set out to deal with the Da Wan kingdom and Wolfheart Stronghold, seeking retribution for what the latter had done. Yet before they could arrive, the once-overbearing Da Wan kingdom had already ceased to exist.

What truly astonished them, however, was that the force responsible for Da Wan’s destruction turned out to be none other than Wolf Fang Stronghold, led by Hu San—the very villain who had previously destroyed Bear Den Stronghold and a subordinate of Wolfheart Stronghold!

A guerrilla general, clad in crimson armor, gazed at the intelligence report in his hand. A faint smile slowly curled at the corners of his lips as he shook his head and sighed, “This Hu San really is a remarkable talent. He’s even taken out the third master of Wolfheart Stronghold. Could it be that he’s already betrayed them?”

“Heh, whether he’s a traitor or not, he can no longer remain with Wolfheart Stronghold. Wiping out an entire guerrilla army of Da Wan—well, that’s sure to give their king a real headache.”

Standing beside the guerrilla general were several other armored officers, clearly his lieutenants. Unlike the previous incident with Mons, these officers treated their commander with great respect; it seemed that this time, Wuzang was not here for training, but for revenge.

“Gentlemen, now that our target for vengeance has been wiped out and our forces have long since reached full battle readiness, every loss is a blow to the kingdom. What do you suppose we should do?” The guerrilla general rose to his feet, sweeping his gaze over his subordinates.

One burly man in his forties or fifties spoke up: “General, since Hu San has accomplished our mission, and has thoroughly offended Da Wan, why not support him and use that place as our base?”

“According to reliable sources, Hu San is not yet a martial artist. But once he becomes one, his personal strength may well rival the chief of Wolfheart Stronghold, to say nothing of his command ability.”

“Our purpose this time was to foster a stronghold anyway. Now that Hu San enjoys such great renown, supporting him would be very much to our advantage.”

The guerrilla general nodded slightly, saying, “That makes sense. What do the rest of you think?”

The officers exchanged glances, understanding their commander’s intent, and all nodded in agreement. “An excellent idea. We could use a rest at Wolf Fang Stronghold; the Qilian Mountains are rich in resources after all.”

“Very well!” The guerrilla general clapped his hands and issued his orders. “Set out at once. Take my token to Wolf Fang Stronghold and meet with Hu San. Tell him that the Wuzang Kingdom is willing to set aside past grievances and form friendly ties with his stronghold. He will receive the same treatment as other bandit lords supported by foreign kingdoms. All we require is that he openly stand behind us, and in return, we will grant him the opportunity to become a martial artist.”

“And another thing—once you arrive, do not slight Hu San. Though he may not yet be a martial artist, he has already slain nearly twenty. Take this seriously.”

His two trusted guards accepted their orders and left at once.

Meanwhile, at the newly founded Wolf Fang Stronghold, everything was so fresh that there weren’t even any houses yet. Hu San had no choice but to lead his men in chopping wood and building the camp himself.

Just as they were busy, a scout arrived with the news that two self-proclaimed emissaries from the Wuzang Kingdom had come seeking an audience.

“Wuzang Kingdom? The power behind Bear Den Stronghold? Damn, they’ve come too? How is anyone supposed to survive this?” Hu San’s face darkened, and though he said nothing aloud, his heart was heavy with worry. “If things really go south, I’ll have to make a run for it. I’ll make arrangements for my family and Lin Hu, and as for the rest, fate will have to take its course.”

Hu San could handle one or two crises, but this constant wave after wave of trouble was more than he could bear.

To his surprise, however, the two envoys had not come to declare war, but to talk about cooperation. When they presented the guerrilla general’s offer, Hu San was momentarily stunned, and then asked in disbelief, “Are you telling the truth? You’re not lying to me?”

The guard smiled. “Commander Hu’s fame echoes throughout the Qilian Mountains. As long as you stand with the Wuzang Kingdom, the news will spread swiftly. If our general were to break his word, he would become the laughingstock of the world. Do you really think he would do that?”

He handed Hu San a token—a piece of yellow jade inscribed with the words “Guerrilla General” on the front and bearing the Wuzang national emblem on the back.

The craftsmanship was exquisite, clearly a treasure, and Hu San immediately knew it was genuine. After pondering for a moment, he said, “Very well, I agree. But first, we should announce our alliance. Once our relationship is formalized, I’ll invite your general to the stronghold. How about that?”

The envoys were surprised. They hadn’t expected the legendary Hu San to be so agreeable, and they were overjoyed. “That couldn’t be better. I’ll send word back at once. The news will soon spread across the Qilian Mountains, and when the general’s army arrives, we can help you build the stronghold.”

Having completed their task, the two envoys hurried off to report Hu San’s response in person.

They were amazed by his attitude, but did not realize that, given the bottleneck in his cultivation and the current tense situation, this alliance was a windfall for Hu San.

Wuzang truly seemed sincere, and in just a few days, the news that Hu San and Wolf Fang Stronghold had pledged allegiance to the Wuzang Kingdom spread throughout the Qilian Mountains.

At the same time, the Wuzang guerrilla general publicly confirmed the alliance.

This occurred after Hu San had twice annihilated Da Wan’s regiments, drawing the attention of countless factions, and giving Wuzang Kingdom a surge in notoriety.

A few days later, the Wuzang forces arrived near Wolf Fang Stronghold. The guerrilla general and his lieutenants joined the caravan and entered the newly established camp.

The general’s visit was only temporary; true support for Wolf Fang Stronghold would come from the Wuzang merchants, including martial artists who taught the methods of internal energy.

Atop the mountain, Hu San met a national guerrilla general face to face for the first time, and General Cheng met the legendary Hu San. Though they were not instant soulmates, their conversation was lively and pleasant. At the end, they even tried their strength against each other, and Hu San’s prowess left everyone astonished.

The next day, the general and his men returned to camp. Though Wolf Fang Stronghold was now allied with Wuzang, their systems were different, so they could not coexist in the same place.

The general seemed likely to remain in the area for some time, so he ordered his soldiers to help build the new stronghold. Meanwhile, among the merchant caravan, the scholars responsible for teaching martial arts began their work.

Hu San called together his most trusted followers—Lin Hu, Tan Yue, Zhao Feng, Lei Ming, Snake Fang, Liang Chuan, Yan Fei—to learn from an elderly, white-bearded scholar about the Way of the Martial Artist.

Though it broke with convention, the old scholar dared not object under Hu San’s renown, and so he taught them all together. Fortunately, they were all literate, saving the scholar considerable trouble and greatly easing his task.

Only now did Hu San begin to understand the knowledge of acupoints and meridians, as well as gain new insight into the properties of martial arts manuals.

Unnoticed, a month slipped by. The trials across the land grew ever fiercer, but at Wolf Fang Stronghold, with the Wuzang garrison present and Hu San’s own formidable presence, no lesser power dared provoke them.

After a month, Hu San had absorbed all the martial knowledge the old scholar had to offer. With his already high foundation, this theoretical training brought a qualitative change to his internal energy.

One misty morning, Hu San performed his usual early cultivation, when he suddenly felt a tremor in his dantian. To his senses, his previously unremarkable internal energy became suffused with a green hue.

He continued to cultivate, and the green deepened. When it reached a certain intensity, his internal energy suddenly began to swell, as if it had drunk deeply of water.

First it broke through the barriers of his meridians, then permeated his flesh, finally surging out through his pores like a green fountain.

When this torrent of energy was compressed by the vital energy of heaven and earth, it snapped back into his body. As it re-entered his meridians, his formerly colorless energy had become a crystal-clear green, and faintly, it even showed signs of liquefaction.

“So this is what it feels like to project internal energy—the second great realm,” Hu San mused. Clenching his fist, a faint green aura shimmered around it.

He picked up a small stone, infused it with his inner energy, and hurled it. With a sharp whistle, the stone shot forth like an arrow and embedded itself in a distant cliff.

“It seems I’ve only just begun the fourth level—the range is still too short.” Though the stone lodged itself deep in the rock, Hu San’s keen eye noticed that the internal energy had dissipated after just a few paces; the rest was simply the result of his brute strength.

And speaking of strength, Hu San could not hide his delight. He hadn’t expected that, in breaking through the third-level bottleneck, the process of linking his internal energy to the world’s vitality would have tempered his body as well, raising his strength from that of seven men to eight—a not insignificant leap.

Only now did Hu San understand why martial artists of the second great realm so thoroughly outclassed those of the first. It was not just a qualitative leap in internal energy, but a complete refinement of the body. No wonder even the strongest third-level martial artists could not hope to match one of the fourth level.