Volume One: Beneath Mount Zhongnan Chapter Sixteen: The Spear and the Steed

Li Mingyu descended the mountain with Little Black and returned home. After dinner, he saw his master, Li Xuanba, preparing to take a stroll through the village. Mingyu hurriedly called out, “Master, today I’ve reached the minor mastery of the blade technique!”

Li Xuanba was greatly surprised. He thought, “It’s only been just over half a year, and this boy has already achieved it? I thought it would take at least a year.” He immediately asked, “Can you cut through bamboo as thick as a child’s arm with a single stroke?”

Mingyu replied proudly, “Of course! Master, let me show you.” With that, he eagerly grabbed his blade and led Li Xuanba into the courtyard.

There was no bamboo in the courtyard, only the wooden rods Mingyu usually used for practice, about as thick as a wrist. He planted one in the ground and said, “Master, please watch!” Then he drew his blade, calmed his mind, took a deep breath from his dantian, and in an instant, swung five strokes. Five cold flashes swept by, and the rod snapped into pieces, falling to the ground. Mingyu, feeling pleased with himself, asked, “Master, does my blade technique meet your standards?”

Li Xuanba was shocked. Not only had the boy progressed rapidly, but his technique had reached a certain level of finesse. His control over the force of his strikes was extremely precise, not a shred wasted. He had already touched the threshold of true mastery. Li Xuanba couldn't help but marvel, “This boy truly is extraordinary! Far beyond my expectations!” Rarely, he did not dampen Mingyu’s spirits, but instead said, “Hmm, not bad. You’ve indeed been diligent lately.”

Mingyu seldom heard praise from his master, so he was delighted. He thought, “Master praised me today—rare indeed. All my days of hard practice have not been in vain.” Seizing the moment, he tried to please him further, “Master, you said before that once I achieved minor mastery in the blade, you’d start teaching me the spear. You mustn’t break your promise!”

Li Xuanba laughed heartily, “Practice the spear? Haven’t you already begun?”

Mingyu was puzzled and protested, “When did I start practicing? Every day I just stand with a rod, or have you throw sandbags at me, or balance on an iron pot filled with sand holding the rod. How is that spear practice? Master, don’t trick me!”

Li Xuanba, hearing his complaint, frowned and replied, “You think I’m tricking you? Cavalry spear play is all about waist strength, since a rider’s legs don’t bear weight and the force comes from the waist when wielding the spear. Your daily stance training is to strengthen your waist!” Then he walked into the house, sat down, and gave Mingyu a look, shaking his head and shoulders as if exhausted.

Seeing his master in the mood to explain, and catching the hint, Mingyu hurried inside, standing behind Li Xuanba to massage his shoulders with earnest care. “Master, is the strength alright? Please continue telling me more.”

Li Xuanba felt Mingyu’s little hands applying just the right pressure and nodded, “Hmm, the strength is fine.” He closed his eyes in enjoyment and continued, “You must understand, on the battlefield, it’s easy to dodge a spear in plain sight, but hidden arrows are hard to guard against. A general fears not thousands of soldiers, but a single inch of steel. So as a general, you must keep your eyes and ears alert at all times for hidden arrows. I throw sandbags at you so you learn to dodge them for this very purpose. In some time, once you can evade sandbags from both my hands, you’ll have to do it blindfolded, training to hear the wind from all directions.”

After hearing his master’s explanation, Mingyu finally understood the purpose and massaged with renewed attention, asking, “What about making me balance on an iron pot holding the rod?”

“Hmm, switch to this side!” Li Xuanba moved his other shoulder. Mingyu understood and shifted to massage it as Li Xuanba explained, “Fighting on horseback is different from fighting on foot. Horses are less agile than feet; their running and leaping are bumpy and uneven. You might hit your target on the ground, but not necessarily on horseback. Making you balance on the iron pot is to train your balance, so no matter how your body sways, your spear always points steadily at the target.”

Mingyu, after listening, couldn’t help but say, “So learning the spear is much more complicated than I thought.”

“Indeed. You think cavalry spear play is easy? A year for the blade, a month for the rod, a lifetime for the spear! For generations, only sons of military families could learn it, simply because it’s so costly. Only noble families can afford it,” Li Xuanba snorted.

Mingyu asked, “From what you say, is cavalry spear play very expensive?”

“A fine cavalry spear costs hundreds of strings of coins, but that’s not the main thing. ‘Cavalry spear’ means you must practice on horseback.” Li Xuanba sighed, “Making you balance on the iron pot is a last resort, since our mountain village is so poor we don’t even have a horse. I remember when my brothers and I learned the spear as children, each of us had a half-year-old colt prepared for us at age six or seven. We washed, fed, and cared for them ourselves, sharing a room. When the colt turned one, the family’s servants helped us ride it daily. After a month, once the colt grew used to being ridden, we began spear training on horseback. Growing up together with your horse, you build a bond, so later in battle the horse responds as an extension of your body, charging wherever you command. You must understand, a warhorse is a general’s second pair of legs, his closest comrade. When food runs out, some generals would rather starve themselves than let the horse go hungry. Cavalry soldiers would rather die of hunger than slaughter their horse for food!”

Mingyu nodded, “Master, I understand. Recently, you told me about the ‘Records of the Grand Historian – Annals of Xiang Yu.’ The Western Chu overlord could lift a cauldron and was invincible. Surrounded at Gaixia, with Chu songs on all sides, he wanted to cross the Wu River but there was only one boat, enough for a man but not for a horse. The overlord preferred to end his own life by the river rather than abandon his warhorse, which had fought alongside him through countless battles. A true hero indeed!”

Li Xuanba coughed, “Xiang Yu, yes, strong as an ox and unmatched in valor, but also hot-tempered, indecisive, and skilled in battle but lacking in strategy. That’s something you must never imitate!”

Mingyu replied, “Of course, master. I only seek to learn his heroic spirit.”

Seeing his disciple so obedient today, Li Xuanba was pleased. He thought for a moment and said, “This is all just a stopgap. I’ve already decided: after some time, when you’re a bit older, I’ll write to your second uncle and ask him to send a few horses. If you’re to venture out in the future, you’ll need a good mount.”

Mingyu was overjoyed to hear his master had made plans. “That’s wonderful! When the time comes, let second uncle pick a good horse for me!” He thought to himself, “I remember when I visited Xi’an, I saw the ‘Six Steeds of Zhaoling’ in the stele museum, the treasured stone carvings of Li Shimin’s six warhorses. Their names were unusual and left a deep impression. I think Li Shimin had a horse called ‘Telebiao.’ When it comes time for my own horse, I’ll name it ‘Telunsu,’ how fitting—they’re all family! Ha, if second uncle asks, I’ll reply, ‘Not all fine steeds are called Telunsu!’ It’ll be so much fun!”