Chapter 15
I, Master Xu! Fierce!
...
The courtyard was located in an alley behind the headquarters, less than half an incense stick's distance away.
The courtyard, with its entrance and exit, was far superior to his old two-room house at Tiemenguan. The courtyard walls were made of blue bricks, and the courtyard was paved with stone slabs. There were three main rooms, one side room, and a small kitchen.
Hua Xi had already run into the main room with the tortoise in her arms, and a moment later a cheer came from inside.
"Brother! This bed is so big! It can sleep two people!"
Xu Xian chuckled lightly, "It's perfect to sleep with you and that turtle."
...
The next morning, Xu Xian went to the General Command's Martial Arts Arena.
Today was the day the Black Cavalry Guards were to report to him, but when he arrived at the training ground, he found that Shen Weiya was already there.
She was standing in the center of the training ground, twirling her longsword, which was taller than her, the tip of which drew silver arcs in the air, so fast that the blade was invisible.
Several veteran Black Cavalry soldiers were warming up nearby. When Xu Xian entered, one of the bearded veterans glanced at him, nudged his companion with his elbow, and whispered something.
Xu Xian didn't hear clearly, but judging from the bearded man's expression, it wasn't anything good. Shen Weiya sheathed her sword and ran to Xu Xian.
"You've come at the perfect time! Play a match with me!"
She held her longsword horizontally in front of Xu Xian. "My master said you have a palm technique; I'd like to try it out!"
"The Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms"
"Yes, yes, yes! Come on!"
Shen Weiya took two steps back and assumed a starting stance, her eyes filled with excitement.
"I'm at the fifth level of Body Tempering, and I won't bully you. You won't use your weapon, and I won't use my full strength either. Let me see just how powerful your palm technique is!"
Xu Xian did not refuse.
After fighting three Body Tempering Level 3 cultivators in the Green Wolf Forest last time, his Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill broke through to the third level, and he could now control the first move of the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms, "The Dragon Regrets."
Sparring with a swordsmanship master like Shen Weiya is a good opportunity to test my current combat skills.
The two took their stances in the center of the training ground, and several veteran soldiers of the Black Cavalry Guard stopped their warm-up and gathered around to watch the spectacle.
The bearded man stood with his arms crossed at the edge of the training ground. "I bet five taels that he can't withstand a single move."
The middle-aged man next to him took out a silver ingot from his pocket and handed it over, saying, "I'll bet against you."
The bearded man took the silver, grinned, and said, "Tsk... Thanks, now I have enough money for a little 'enjoying myself' at the brothel tonight!"
...
On the field, Shen Weiya had already drawn her sword. Her sword did not have a fixed starting stance. The tip of the sword was angled upwards from below, with a tricky angle. The speed at which she changed direction in the air was much faster than that of an ordinary sword.
Xu Xian dodged the sword tip by sidestepping, and then struck the sword with his right palm from the side, trying to deflect her sword strike. Shen Weiya twisted her wrist and flipped the sword over, using the spine of the blade to take his palm strike head-on.
The two of them took a half step back at the same time, and Shen Weiya's eyes lit up.
"Not bad, that's quite powerful!"
The second sword followed immediately. This time, she used both hands to grip the sword, changing the sword's momentum from a slanted upward thrust to a straight stab. The sound of the sword tip cutting through the wind was as sharp as a whistle.
Xu Xian had no time to dodge, so he activated the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill and met the attack head-on with his right palm—"The Dragon Regrets!"
The golden palm shadow flew out and struck the sword.
Shen Weiya's longsword was jolted upwards by the shock, and she was also pushed back two steps by the brute force, her boots carving two shallow furrows in the sand of the training ground.
She steadied herself and looked down at her hand holding the sword; the base of her thumb was red from the impact.
"Qinglang Lin, is this the same palm strike you used to break that tree in the forest?"
Xu Xian nodded, "It is this palm strike, a family heirloom."
Shen Weiya sheathed her longsword, walked up to Xu Xian, stood on tiptoe, patted his shoulder, and smiled.
"You're pretty good! Although you're still a bit behind me, you're already quite impressive! If anyone bullies you in the capital, just mention my name!"
Xu Xian's lips twitched, and he rolled his eyes at her.
The bearded man watching from the sidelines paused for a moment, then took out a silver ingot from his pocket, placed it together with his companion's, and handed it to the middle-aged man next to him.
The middle-aged man smiled slightly, "Don't be sad, I'll go get it for you tonight."
"Get lost!"
The expressions of the Black Cavalry veterans also became subtle.
Shen Weiya is known in the General Headquarters for being arrogant and haughty—after all, she was personally trained by Mo Feichang, and her swordsmanship ranks among the top three of the entire younger generation in the General Headquarters. Even some veterans who have been in the ranks for many years cannot withstand ten moves from her.
Although she didn't use her full strength, Xu Xian not only caught it, but also made her hand red, which was quite frightening.
...
Soon, it was time to report for duty. Xu Xian's direct squad, consisting of ten men, lined up in the training ground.
Zhao Bao was also in the team—he and Zhang Hu were officially incorporated into the Black Cavalry Guard, which could be considered as "dowry" given to Xu Xian by Cao Zhengde.
Zhao Bao, standing at the back of the line, winked at Xu Xian, only to be nudged by Zhang Hu with his elbow.
A thin man stood at the front of the line, his hands behind his back, his feet shoulder-width apart, his chin slightly raised, his gaze sweeping from the crown on Xu Xian's head to his boots.
"You're the new junior officer?"
He scoffed, "I heard you got promoted by solving cases? Did you do something good at Iron Gate Pass?"
Xu Xian squinted at him, "What's your name?"
"Liu Shan".
He tossed the roster to Zhao Bao beside him, then walked to the center of the training ground and waved to him.
"You just said I rose through the ranks by solving cases—that's true. I understand you think I'm not qualified to be your junior officer, after all, you're both veterans..."
He had already reviewed the information on his men last night and had a general understanding of them.
He glanced at the group of people besides Zhao Bao and Zhang Hu.
"In that case, anyone who disagrees can come at me together and use your best weapons. Don't hold back. If I lose, I'll go to Lord Mo to resign."
The training ground was quiet for several breaths, and even Shen Weiya, who was practicing swordplay on the side, stopped.
Liu Shan squinted at Xu Xian for a while, then turned around and waved to someone behind him.
The crowd looked at each other, seemingly unwilling to make a move, until only a short, short-shouldered swordsman stepped forward.
The two faced Xu Xian.
Liu Shan drew the heavy sword from his back, the tip of the sword dragging on the ground and scraping a string of sparks.
"Xu Xiaoqi..."
He looked coldly at Xu Xian, "I heard you're at the third level of the Body Tempering Realm, and we're both at the third level too. Are you sure you want to fight two of us?"
Xu Xian removed his right hand from the hilt of the knife, his five fingers spread, and a faint golden light flowed through his palm.
"Since I can be your leader, I must have the ability, otherwise I would be ashamed of myself."
Without another word, Liu Shan roared and charged forward, his heavy sword slashing diagonally, the wind from the sword sweeping across the training ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.
Xu Xian sidestepped the heavy sword's blade, then pushed off the ground with his right foot to get to Liu Shan's side. The short man's short sword was already waiting there—two short swords were thrusting at his waist and abdomen at the same time.
Xu Xian did not dodge. He struck out with both palms, channeling the fierce power of the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill into his palms, and slammed them hard against the blade.
The dagger-wielder was knocked back two steps.
"His palm strike is wrong!" the short-sword-wielding man shouted.
Liu Shan pounced from behind, but Xu Xian suddenly turned around and thrust his right palm out from his waist—"The Dragon Regrets!"
The golden palm strike landed squarely on the back of the greatsword that the swordsman was slashing down with. The force of the blow caused the swordsman's hands to split open, and the greatsword flew out of his hands and landed in the sand outside the training ground, making a buzzing sound.
He looked down at his trembling hands, his face filled with disbelief.
He had been at the third level of Body Tempering for over a year, and was only one step away from the fourth level. Among the opponents of the same level he had encountered, none could withstand ten moves from him.
But what he didn't know was that Xu Xian's Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms were specifically designed to counter the most powerful and forceful styles.
Liu Shan and the short-sword man were both stunned for a moment. Xu Xian's lips curled up, and he took two steps closer to the short-sword man. He shook off the short sword with his left hand and stopped his right palm an inch in front of the man's chest.
The dagger-wielder stood frozen in place, his Adam's apple bobbing.
Xu withdrew his right palm, turned to face Liu Shan, and the two exchanged a glance.
"Should we continue?"
Liu Shan remained silent for a while, then bent down to pick up the heavy sword that had been knocked away and put it back behind his back. He walked up to Xu Xian and stood still, his legs together and his back straight. He clenched his right fist and punched it into his left chest—the highest form of courtesy in the Jingguo Army.
"Liu Shan, Third Squad of the Black Cavalry, reporting to Xu Xiaoqi."
The shorter man behind him also bowed at the same time.
The training ground was silent for several breaths before Zhao Bao started clapping, his hands making a deafening thud. As he clapped, he winked at Zhang Hu beside him.
"My brother Xu is awesome!"
Zhang Hu pushed him away expressionlessly.
"You, Master Xu!"
"My Master Xu is awesome!"
Shen Weiya watched this scene while holding the longsword, raising her eyebrows slightly.
Mo Feichang stood in the corridor outside the training ground, holding a new manuscript of poetry in his hand. He chuckled softly, turned around, and left.
The courtyard was located in an alley behind the headquarters, less than half an incense stick's distance away.
The courtyard, with its entrance and exit, was far superior to his old two-room house at Tiemenguan. The courtyard walls were made of blue bricks, and the courtyard was paved with stone slabs. There were three main rooms, one side room, and a small kitchen.
Hua Xi had already run into the main room with the tortoise in her arms, and a moment later a cheer came from inside.
"Brother! This bed is so big! It can sleep two people!"
Xu Xian chuckled lightly, "It's perfect to sleep with you and that turtle."
...
The next morning, Xu Xian went to the General Command's Martial Arts Arena.
Today was the day the Black Cavalry Guards were to report to him, but when he arrived at the training ground, he found that Shen Weiya was already there.
She was standing in the center of the training ground, twirling her longsword, which was taller than her, the tip of which drew silver arcs in the air, so fast that the blade was invisible.
Several veteran Black Cavalry soldiers were warming up nearby. When Xu Xian entered, one of the bearded veterans glanced at him, nudged his companion with his elbow, and whispered something.
Xu Xian didn't hear clearly, but judging from the bearded man's expression, it wasn't anything good. Shen Weiya sheathed her sword and ran to Xu Xian.
"You've come at the perfect time! Play a match with me!"
She held her longsword horizontally in front of Xu Xian. "My master said you have a palm technique; I'd like to try it out!"
"The Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms"
"Yes, yes, yes! Come on!"
Shen Weiya took two steps back and assumed a starting stance, her eyes filled with excitement.
"I'm at the fifth level of Body Tempering, and I won't bully you. You won't use your weapon, and I won't use my full strength either. Let me see just how powerful your palm technique is!"
Xu Xian did not refuse.
After fighting three Body Tempering Level 3 cultivators in the Green Wolf Forest last time, his Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill broke through to the third level, and he could now control the first move of the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms, "The Dragon Regrets."
Sparring with a swordsmanship master like Shen Weiya is a good opportunity to test my current combat skills.
The two took their stances in the center of the training ground, and several veteran soldiers of the Black Cavalry Guard stopped their warm-up and gathered around to watch the spectacle.
The bearded man stood with his arms crossed at the edge of the training ground. "I bet five taels that he can't withstand a single move."
The middle-aged man next to him took out a silver ingot from his pocket and handed it over, saying, "I'll bet against you."
The bearded man took the silver, grinned, and said, "Tsk... Thanks, now I have enough money for a little 'enjoying myself' at the brothel tonight!"
...
On the field, Shen Weiya had already drawn her sword. Her sword did not have a fixed starting stance. The tip of the sword was angled upwards from below, with a tricky angle. The speed at which she changed direction in the air was much faster than that of an ordinary sword.
Xu Xian dodged the sword tip by sidestepping, and then struck the sword with his right palm from the side, trying to deflect her sword strike. Shen Weiya twisted her wrist and flipped the sword over, using the spine of the blade to take his palm strike head-on.
The two of them took a half step back at the same time, and Shen Weiya's eyes lit up.
"Not bad, that's quite powerful!"
The second sword followed immediately. This time, she used both hands to grip the sword, changing the sword's momentum from a slanted upward thrust to a straight stab. The sound of the sword tip cutting through the wind was as sharp as a whistle.
Xu Xian had no time to dodge, so he activated the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill and met the attack head-on with his right palm—"The Dragon Regrets!"
The golden palm shadow flew out and struck the sword.
Shen Weiya's longsword was jolted upwards by the shock, and she was also pushed back two steps by the brute force, her boots carving two shallow furrows in the sand of the training ground.
She steadied herself and looked down at her hand holding the sword; the base of her thumb was red from the impact.
"Qinglang Lin, is this the same palm strike you used to break that tree in the forest?"
Xu Xian nodded, "It is this palm strike, a family heirloom."
Shen Weiya sheathed her longsword, walked up to Xu Xian, stood on tiptoe, patted his shoulder, and smiled.
"You're pretty good! Although you're still a bit behind me, you're already quite impressive! If anyone bullies you in the capital, just mention my name!"
Xu Xian's lips twitched, and he rolled his eyes at her.
The bearded man watching from the sidelines paused for a moment, then took out a silver ingot from his pocket, placed it together with his companion's, and handed it to the middle-aged man next to him.
The middle-aged man smiled slightly, "Don't be sad, I'll go get it for you tonight."
"Get lost!"
The expressions of the Black Cavalry veterans also became subtle.
Shen Weiya is known in the General Headquarters for being arrogant and haughty—after all, she was personally trained by Mo Feichang, and her swordsmanship ranks among the top three of the entire younger generation in the General Headquarters. Even some veterans who have been in the ranks for many years cannot withstand ten moves from her.
Although she didn't use her full strength, Xu Xian not only caught it, but also made her hand red, which was quite frightening.
...
Soon, it was time to report for duty. Xu Xian's direct squad, consisting of ten men, lined up in the training ground.
Zhao Bao was also in the team—he and Zhang Hu were officially incorporated into the Black Cavalry Guard, which could be considered as "dowry" given to Xu Xian by Cao Zhengde.
Zhao Bao, standing at the back of the line, winked at Xu Xian, only to be nudged by Zhang Hu with his elbow.
A thin man stood at the front of the line, his hands behind his back, his feet shoulder-width apart, his chin slightly raised, his gaze sweeping from the crown on Xu Xian's head to his boots.
"You're the new junior officer?"
He scoffed, "I heard you got promoted by solving cases? Did you do something good at Iron Gate Pass?"
Xu Xian squinted at him, "What's your name?"
"Liu Shan".
He tossed the roster to Zhao Bao beside him, then walked to the center of the training ground and waved to him.
"You just said I rose through the ranks by solving cases—that's true. I understand you think I'm not qualified to be your junior officer, after all, you're both veterans..."
He had already reviewed the information on his men last night and had a general understanding of them.
He glanced at the group of people besides Zhao Bao and Zhang Hu.
"In that case, anyone who disagrees can come at me together and use your best weapons. Don't hold back. If I lose, I'll go to Lord Mo to resign."
The training ground was quiet for several breaths, and even Shen Weiya, who was practicing swordplay on the side, stopped.
Liu Shan squinted at Xu Xian for a while, then turned around and waved to someone behind him.
The crowd looked at each other, seemingly unwilling to make a move, until only a short, short-shouldered swordsman stepped forward.
The two faced Xu Xian.
Liu Shan drew the heavy sword from his back, the tip of the sword dragging on the ground and scraping a string of sparks.
"Xu Xiaoqi..."
He looked coldly at Xu Xian, "I heard you're at the third level of the Body Tempering Realm, and we're both at the third level too. Are you sure you want to fight two of us?"
Xu Xian removed his right hand from the hilt of the knife, his five fingers spread, and a faint golden light flowed through his palm.
"Since I can be your leader, I must have the ability, otherwise I would be ashamed of myself."
Without another word, Liu Shan roared and charged forward, his heavy sword slashing diagonally, the wind from the sword sweeping across the training ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.
Xu Xian sidestepped the heavy sword's blade, then pushed off the ground with his right foot to get to Liu Shan's side. The short man's short sword was already waiting there—two short swords were thrusting at his waist and abdomen at the same time.
Xu Xian did not dodge. He struck out with both palms, channeling the fierce power of the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill into his palms, and slammed them hard against the blade.
The dagger-wielder was knocked back two steps.
"His palm strike is wrong!" the short-sword-wielding man shouted.
Liu Shan pounced from behind, but Xu Xian suddenly turned around and thrust his right palm out from his waist—"The Dragon Regrets!"
The golden palm strike landed squarely on the back of the greatsword that the swordsman was slashing down with. The force of the blow caused the swordsman's hands to split open, and the greatsword flew out of his hands and landed in the sand outside the training ground, making a buzzing sound.
He looked down at his trembling hands, his face filled with disbelief.
He had been at the third level of Body Tempering for over a year, and was only one step away from the fourth level. Among the opponents of the same level he had encountered, none could withstand ten moves from him.
But what he didn't know was that Xu Xian's Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms were specifically designed to counter the most powerful and forceful styles.
Liu Shan and the short-sword man were both stunned for a moment. Xu Xian's lips curled up, and he took two steps closer to the short-sword man. He shook off the short sword with his left hand and stopped his right palm an inch in front of the man's chest.
The dagger-wielder stood frozen in place, his Adam's apple bobbing.
Xu withdrew his right palm, turned to face Liu Shan, and the two exchanged a glance.
"Should we continue?"
Liu Shan remained silent for a while, then bent down to pick up the heavy sword that had been knocked away and put it back behind his back. He walked up to Xu Xian and stood still, his legs together and his back straight. He clenched his right fist and punched it into his left chest—the highest form of courtesy in the Jingguo Army.
"Liu Shan, Third Squad of the Black Cavalry, reporting to Xu Xiaoqi."
The shorter man behind him also bowed at the same time.
The training ground was silent for several breaths before Zhao Bao started clapping, his hands making a deafening thud. As he clapped, he winked at Zhang Hu beside him.
"My brother Xu is awesome!"
Zhang Hu pushed him away expressionlessly.
"You, Master Xu!"
"My Master Xu is awesome!"
Shen Weiya watched this scene while holding the longsword, raising her eyebrows slightly.
Mo Feichang stood in the corridor outside the training ground, holding a new manuscript of poetry in his hand. He chuckled softly, turned around, and left.