Breaking Edge Knife Technique = Chopping Wood

at the same time.

Inside a secluded wing room in the west courtyard of the Huang family mansion.

This courtyard was reserved for stewards and was much more tidy than the servants' quarters. Fei Jianhua was sitting in an armchair in his room, slowly stirring the floating tea leaves in his teacup with the lid of his cup, using the last rays of daylight from the window.

There was a gentle knock on the door, followed by a calm "Come in." Chen Le then bent over, carefully pushed the door open, slipped inside, and quickly closed it behind him.

The room was dimly lit, and Chen Le could only barely make out half of Steward Fei's face, which was hidden in the shadows.

He leaned closer, his voice extremely low, tinged with barely suppressed urgency and ingratiation: "Steward...you saw it all, that Su Yang...he...he actually raised it! Instructor Yang valued him so much, giving him a private room in front of everyone, and rewarding him handsomely...From now on in this courtyard, I'm afraid...I'm afraid he'll only have the instructor in his eyes, and won't care about the rules you set anymore!"

Fei Jianhua didn't stop moving, only letting out a soft "hmm" through his nose, his expression revealing neither joy nor anger.

Chen Le, observing his expression, continued to add fuel to the fire: "In my opinion, his behavior today clearly showed arrogance and conceit. He thinks he has something to rely on just because he has gained the instructor's favor. If he continues to act so recklessly, he might offend important people or disrupt the steward's arrangements in the future."

He cleverly disguised his resentment towards Su Yang as "concern" about Fei Jianhua's authority.

Fei Jianhua finally raised his eyelids. His eyes, which always held a rigid smile, were now devoid of warmth. He merely glanced at Chen Le indifferently: "He lifted his stone lock, received his reward, and acted according to the rules of the manor. What's wrong with that?"

Chen Le panicked, realizing he had spoken too hastily, and quickly tried to salvage the situation: "Yes, yes... Of course, the rules are the highest law. I just feel that this boy's background... is still somewhat unclear, and his strength is strangely extraordinary. Now that he has suddenly gained power, what if his temperament is unstable, or he harbors other intentions...? He is always a hidden danger. I am incompetent, but my heart is always with the steward and the manor. Whenever there is anything I can do to help, I will..."

"That's enough." Fei Jianhua interrupted him, his voice still calm, but it made Chen Le shut up immediately, cold sweat breaking out on his back.

Fei Jianhua looked in the direction Su Yang had just left, his gaze deep and unfathomable.

Su Yang's rise did disrupt some of his original plans, and Yang Yunxing's public appreciation made it difficult for him to suppress him openly.

But that doesn't mean he has no solution.

A newly appointed bodyguard with shallow roots and sudden rise to prominence will face many troubles in this deep mansion.

Can Yang Yunxing protect him for a while, or can he protect him all the time?

Within the rules, there are too many things one can do.

"Now that you are a reserve soldier, you should train hard and fulfill your duties."

Fei Jianhua picked up his teacup again, his tone returning to its usual calm and emotionless tone, and said, "When employing people in the manor, the most important things are loyalty and reliability. Some things can't be rushed. When it's your time to know, you will naturally know."

He made no promises, nor did he explicitly express his attitude towards Su Yang, but his confident demeanor and the implication of "prudent" and "not to be hasty" in his words reassured Chen Le.

"Yes! Yes! I understand! I will certainly remember your instructions, do my duty, and never cause you any trouble!"

Chen Le bowed repeatedly, knowing that he had successfully presented his "pledge of loyalty" today. Although he had not received any explicit instructions, he had already placed his "knife" in a position that was convenient for his master.

Fei Jianhua stopped looking at him, as if he were just a stone on the roadside.

Chen Le tactfully stepped back and walked to a distance. When he looked in the direction Su Yang had left, the resentment in his eyes was mixed with a hint of cold expectation.

...........

The next day.

At the end of the Yin hour, before the morning light had penetrated, a thick, damp, and cold fog shrouded the archery range.

When Su Yang arrived, more than a dozen guards had already arrived and were stretching their arms and legs in twos and threes.

Upon his arrival, many people cast mixed glances at him; his sudden fame yesterday had made him the focus of attention.

He remained calm and found an inconspicuous spot to stand.

Soon, figures appeared in the fog, and more guards arrived from all directions, including more than twenty new recruits from yesterday.

Chen Le was among them, his face somewhat gloomy. He quickly looked away when his gaze swept over Su Yang, but couldn't help but peek at him out of the corner of his eye.

"gather!"

A powerful shout pierced through the fog, making people's eardrums vibrate slightly.

Yang Yunxing strode out of the mist, dressed in a dark gray, close-fitting outfit with a belt around his waist, his eyes sharp as lightning. The moment he appeared, the previously relaxed atmosphere instantly tightened. All the guards, regardless of seniority, quickly gathered before him, forming a neat line in swift motion, none daring to linger.

Su Yang stood on the right side of the line with the newly recruited nurses, and he could feel the tension and excitement of the newcomers around him.

Yang Yunxing's gaze swept across the entire room, lingering briefly on Su Yang before shifting away. He said in a deep voice, "Same as always. Find a place and practice the routines I taught you yesterday ten times. Work on your own to build up your strength! Wang Tiezhu, you keep an eye on things."

"Yes, Instructor!"

A sturdy old nurse stepped forward to acknowledge him; he was none other than Wang Tiezhu, who had led Su Yang to his lodgings the day before.

The veteran nurses, clearly used to this, immediately dispersed, each finding their own space to practice or hone their strength. Shouts and the clanging of equipment rang out again, all in perfect order.

Yang Yunxing then turned his gaze to the newly recruited guards on his right, his voice still cold and hard: "You just joined the guard team yesterday. The rules and regulations will be taught to you. But remember, the duty of a guard is to protect the home and ensure its safety, not to put on a show. From today onwards, I will teach you three sword techniques for self-defense, survival, and deterring thieves!"

These words immediately lifted the spirits of the new nurses.

Yang Yunxing took a few steps back and casually pulled out two training knives made of hardwood from a wooden basket on the lower shelf of the weapon rack. The wooden knives were similar in shape to real knives, and felt solid in the hand, but they were without blades. He held one of them and casually placed the other on the stone lock next to him.

"Look carefully."

Yang Yunxing stood with his sword drawn, facing the morning mist.

"First move! Thrust!"

His voice was like iron: "Aim for the throat, the heart, the Achilles' heel; wherever the blade points, there is no turning back! That's the ruthless force of a sudden, penetrating attack!"

After saying that, he took a half step forward with his right foot, pressed his center of gravity forward, and flexed his waist and back like a bow. The wooden knife in his hand suddenly thrust out from his side! Although the wooden knife was without a blade, the momentum that was unstoppable and penetrated to the "tip" made the air seem to be pierced, producing a short, muffled "whoosh" sound!

"Second move! Horizontal sweep!"

"Focus on the lower body—ankles, shins, knees—like cutting grass, like severing vines! Not aiming for a fatal blow, but for a decisive strike that disrupts the enemy's foundation!"

Before his thrusting motion was complete, he lowered his wrist, pressed the blade down, and used the momentum to half-turn his body, sweeping the wooden sword horizontally at a height of about a foot on the ground!

"call--"

With a low whistling sound, dust and grass clippings flew up where the blade swept past, as if to cut off any obstacle that dared to approach the lower body.

"Third move! Crushing Slash!"

"Push aside the attack, then slash downwards, either severing the shoulder lock or breaking the neck! Close combat, bloodshed, a single strike to decide the outcome! That's the decisive 'one strike, one kill' we're after!"

After Yang Yunxing finished speaking, the sweeping blade light circled to his side. With a flick of his wrist, he used the middle of the blade to parry upwards. Then, using the force, he pressed down and pushed forward. The wooden sword drew a heavy arc, as if it wanted to suppress and cleave the fog in front of him!

The wind grew heavy and oppressive, carrying a suffocating sense of resolve.

He slowly sheathed his sword, his body as steady as a rock.

After the three moves were performed, the wind stirred up by the wooden sword seemed to still linger in the mist.

Yang Yunxing casually shoved the wooden sword back into the wooden basket, his breathing still steady: "These three moves are the Three Edge-Breaking Sword Techniques that will sustain you!"

He pointed to the wooden basket: "Everyone take a wooden sword. Now, two people per group, stand five steps apart, and practice the 'thrust' technique! Five hundred times, not a single time less! Remember, this is about training power, accuracy, and courage! Begin!"

"Yes, Instructor Yang!"

"yes!"

Many of the new guards stepped forward to take wooden swords and began their drills.

Su Yang was filled with anticipation and picked up a wooden sword to practice. Just as he finished practicing the last "suppress" move for the third time, the panel in his mind flashed.

The greatest truths are the simplest.

[Su Yang]

[Martial Arts/Skills: Herbal Recognition (Perfect), Tiger Fist (Perfect), Breaking Edge Three Forms (Beginner 1/100)]

[Simplified point: 27.2]

[A simplified version of the martial art "Three Forms of Breaking the Edge" has been discovered. It can be simplified by consuming 10 simplification points. Yes/No?]

"Huh? It's on the panel!"

"It can be simplified!"

Upon seeing the "Three Forms of Breaking the Edge" displayed on the panel, Su Yang's eyes lit up, and he immediately confirmed it. "Yes!"

[You consumed 10 Simplification Points to simplify the Three Forms of Breaking the Edge... Simplifying... Simplification successful... Three Forms of Breaking the Edge = Chopping Wood!]

As Su Yang regained consciousness, a prompt popped up on his mental panel.

"firewood?"

Upon seeing the simplified result, Su Yang's eyes showed a thoughtful expression.

The medical text "Xinglin Shiyao" (杏林识药) is simplified to "touching herbs," "Huxingquan" (虎形拳) is simplified to "touching tigers," and "Pofeng Sanshi" (破锋三式) is a knife technique that is simplified to "chopping wood." This is quite interesting!