Daily Test

Chapter 99 Ten-Day Test

Nine days later.

The time of White Dew.

The mornings and evenings in Mingyu City were much cooler, but the midday sun still had some lingering heat. The wind swept through the long street, swirling up a few newly yellowed leaves, which were then trampled into the cracks in the stones by the people coming and going in the West Market.

With the hundred banquets approaching, the city is becoming more and more crowded every day.

The narrow alley in front of the fish shop is often blocked by delivery carts.

The shop became even busier.

The number of orders on the wall increased from five to more than a dozen. When the wooden clips were not enough, Zhaoyue took two thin hemp ropes and stretched them horizontally, hanging the papers on them. When the wind blew, they rustled.

Yan Xiaolou arrives very early every day.

She would buy two extra breakfasts every day, and after a few times, Zhaoyue figured out the exact time and would wait by the door as soon as it was light.

"Sister Lou, what's today?"

"Tofu cakes".

"Is there meat?"

"no."

"Quack, then don't take that road tomorrow."

Yan Xiaolou raised his foot to kick, but Zhaoyue, holding the pancake, darted into the backyard and ran away as fast as she could.

This is how a blacksmith's day begins, with the blacksmithing time always exceeding the agreed-upon six hours.

Today Yan Xiaolou says the sickle is still missing a blade, tomorrow she says the coal has already been added and can't be burned for nothing, and the day after that she says she took the order and has to watch the customer take it.

The reasons given may differ, but the meaning is the same.

She doesn't want to go.

Besides wanting to repay the kindness of those who helped, I also found that what I learned was truly useful.

Shen Gui rarely offered advice, but whenever he did, it was always effective.

"You've lowered your wrist."

"Don't push with your right shoulder."

"The force returns to the elbow."

Although he was talking about the falling of a hammer, Yan Xiaolou could always find corresponding sword techniques when he practiced his sword at the inn at night.

She gradually learned to conserve her strength, leaving room for her shoulder and elbow when her arm fell, and not rushing to exert all her force when the hammer hit the iron.

The term "withdrawing force" is often heard in martial arts.

Yan Xiaolou had heard this story many times before, but no one had ever gotten to the heart of the matter.

Of course, not all ten days went smoothly.

Yan Xiaolou's first order for a woodcutter's knife went wrong.

The blade of that machete was badly chipped. When she was working on it late into the night, she felt she had found the right balance and started striking too fast, which resulted in the blade breaking in two on the spot.

Yan Xiaolou apologized, silently picked out some iron, and started a new furnace. She wanted to forge two new ones as compensation, and she forged them from dusk until dawn the next day.

Zhaoyue didn't sleep either. She leaned against the courtyard wall and dozed off. As soon as the candlelight next door lit up, she woke up immediately and called out over the wall, "I'm sorry, it'll be ready soon, it'll be ready soon."

There was a burst of cursing from the other side of the wall, but they ran out of words and only said, "Are you blacksmiths trying to break through the sky?"

The next day, the man came to collect his wood-chopping knife.

Yan Xiaolou placed the old knife, broken in two, on the cabinet, first admitting his mistake, and then handed over two new wood-chopping knives with both hands.

"It was my clumsiness that caused you to break your knife. You can keep both of them; I won't charge you."

The man, who had been in a bad mood, didn't react after hearing this. He pulled out a knife and slashed it twice outside the door, then compared it with another knife, and finally took the old knife with him.

"As long as they admit it, that's fine. Everyone breaks things sometimes."

From then on, Yan Xiaolou never destroyed any of her guests' belongings again.

It's unclear whether it was because a superior sword physique is inherently adept at controlling muscles and bones, or because she was willing to endure hardship, or whether Shen Gui's reminders truly struck at her vital point.

Starting from the sixth day, she took over the role of master hammerer by the hearth.

The faster Yan Xiaolou progressed, the more anxious Zhao Yue became.

Every day after Yan Xiaolou left, it would secretly practice more, not only practicing all day long, but also hitting the small hammer non-stop at night, which made the bamboo ware shop next door curse three times.

Finally, Shen Gui tossed a small silver ingot over the wall.

The cursing stopped immediately.

A moment later, a very polite voice came from the other side of the wall: "We're all neighbors. It's a good thing the child is trying to improve. Hit him if you want, I'm sleeping soundly."

In short, after nine days, both the human and the demon have made great progress.

However, the sheer volume of orders meant that even with all the furnaces running simultaneously, we were still struggling to keep up.

Shen Gui lost his free time and moved from the stone table in the backyard to the counter in the front hall, where he became the order taker.

He was a man of few words; he might not get three answers out of ten questions from customers, but he was always right about pricing and delivery dates, and customers gradually got used to it.

Autumn leaves fell across the threshold, and the sun slowly began to set.

Yan Xiaolou put the last pair of tongs back on the shelf, washed the black ash off his hands, wiped them on the hem of his clothes, and then walked to the front hall.

"Mr. Shen."

Shen Gui looked up.

Yan Xiaolou respectfully performed a junior's salute: "The sect has matters to attend to tomorrow, so I may be a little late."

After saying that, she added, "The promised six hours will not be less; I will make up for it during the night."

"Okay." Shen Gui nodded.

Yan Xiaolou breathed a sigh of relief, picked up his short sword, and stepped over the threshold.

After she walked out of the alley, Zhaoyue poked her head out from the stove: "Young master, I noticed that Sister Xiaolou seemed preoccupied today, and she was talking less."

"Don't worry."

Shen Gui glanced at the receding figure outside the door and murmured softly, "His talent is average, but his temperament is alright."

Zhaoyue opened her mouth.

It had inquired about the superior sword body, which was an excellent talent for cultivation. If that was only considered average, then what about its own talent of only sticking out its tongue?

Yan Xiaolou was completely unaware of the discussion taking place in the shop.

She was walking along the long street towards the north of the city.

Along the way, a carriage cut across the street. The driver shouted for people to get out of the way. Yan Xiaolou shifted her toes half an inch to the side, and with a slight turn of her waist, she walked around in front of the carriage without stopping, and her clothes didn't even touch the wheels.

She paused for a moment after walking a dozen steps.

I didn't gather my qi or deliberately use any movement techniques just now; my body naturally moved aside.

Yan Xiaolou looked down at her feet, a smile slowly spreading across her face before she quickly suppressed it.

Their skills have definitely improved, but they haven't had any real combat experience yet, so we can't be too happy yet.

She quickened her pace.

Zhefeng Inn's post station in Mingyu City is located in the north of the city. It occupies a considerable area and is surrounded by various industries. There are few vendors selling their wares, making it much quieter than the West Market.

As soon as Yan Xiaolou pushed open the door, a gatekeeper disciple came to greet him.

"Senior Sister, the Master and the elders are waiting for you in the backyard."

"understood."

Yan Xiaolou stepped over the screen wall and let out a long breath.

finally come.

During these ten days, her master never urged her or asked about her progress, but every night during rehearsals, Wei Lianshan would stand on the sidelines and watch for a long time.

Yan Xiaolou knew that the pressure on her master's shoulders was no less than that on her own.

Therefore, she must win this bet today.

With these thoughts in mind, Yan Xiaolou went to the backyard.

A large open space had been cleared in the backyard. Master Liu and several elders stood under the eaves, and Wei Lianshan was also there.

At the other end of the open space, three disciples of the same generation each held a wooden sword. When they saw Yan Xiaolou enter, their gazes fell on him at the same time.

These three were also disciples who had secured their seats for the competition. They were all at the Guanchen realm. Although they did not have the fame of Yan Xiaolou, they were still far beyond the reach of ordinary disciples.

Taking on three opponents at once is no easy feat.

"Master, Elder, Master."

Yan Xiaolou stepped forward and bowed to each of them.

Wei Lianshan was already used to her coming back every day with the smell of iron. He wrinkled his nose as he approached and said, "Go wash up first, then meditate for a night. We'll take the test tomorrow morning."

Yan Xiaolou nodded.

Wei Lianshan added, "Don't let Master lose too badly."

These words were spoken casually, but Yan Xiaolou could sense their weight.

She raised her head: "We won't lose."

After returning to her room, Yan Xiaolou did not practice her swordplay. Instead, she sat cross-legged and used the hammer-like breathing technique taught by Shen Gui to gradually relax her shoulders and back. She then mentally reviewed the Hunhe Swordplay.

When the third move is executed, some strength should be retained.

Where does the fourth move begin?

She didn't rush to give an answer.

The ten days by the fireside taught her one thing: don't rush to strike the next blow before the previous one is finished.

It gets light very quickly.

The morning mist had not yet dissipated, but the backyard was already full of people.

Yan Xiaolou and his three disciples each held a wooden sword, standing three zhang apart.

The elder in charge of adjudication walked to the sidelines and explained the rules simply: being struck by a sword means losing; one must not injure anyone and cannot leave the field.

"start."

As soon as the words were spoken, the four of them moved at the same time.

The three disciples did not immediately use the Hunhe Sword Technique, nor did Yan Xiaolou.

When fellow students are too familiar with each other, they know the strengths and weaknesses of Hunhe Sword Technique and other sword techniques. Whoever reveals their sword path first is more likely to be exploited by their opponent.

The four men moved about in the courtyard, none of them in a hurry to use their killing moves, but they still needed to concentrate fully when testing each other's moves.

Yan Xiaolou kept moving, his wooden sword first striking the left side, then pressing towards the right. His sword moves were not heavy, but he always maintained the initiative.

The three men tried to surround her several times, but she always managed to slip through the narrowest part. Sometimes she would just take a step to the side or turn half a shoulder, and the sword would graz her sleeve and miss.

After a dozen or so moves, the three disciples were breathing heavily.

If this drags on any longer, their energy will be depleted first, which deviates from their plan.

The three exchanged glances, and one of them suddenly charged forward, his wooden sword whistling through the air.

The first move of Hunhe.

The other two attacked from the left and right, without simultaneously drawing their swords, waiting for Yan Xiaolou to expose an opening after receiving a strong attack.

Under the eaves, Master Liu suddenly frowned slightly.

But Yan Xiaolou's sword stance also changed at that moment.

"Why is she using the Hun River too?" an elder whispered. This is not a good choice.

Master Liu stared at the arena: "Too hasty. The opponent is trying to force her to use her full strength. The best way is to pull away and dodge, but she will take the attack head-on. If she runs out of strength in the first three moves and can't follow up with the fourth move, she will have no way out."

"I'll talk to her about it later," Wei Lianshan echoed in a deep voice.

only...

Before they could finish speaking, a crisp sound rang out in the arena.

Wooden sword against wooden sword.

The sword in the disciple's hand suddenly slipped from his grasp, spun several feet away, and landed on the blue bricks with a thud.

Yan Xiaolou's swordplay didn't stop; the tip of the sword gently touched his shoulder.

One person is eliminated.

At this moment, the other two people passed the sword from behind.

Yan Xiaolou did not turn around, as if she had expected it. She took half a step to the side, and a wooden sword grazed past her waist while another pierced through her shoulder.

She turned her feet smoothly, and the wooden sword in her hand first pointed to the left, hitting one person in the chest, and then stopped in front of another person's wrist as she returned.

One person was struck by a sword, and everyone was eliminated!

The room fell silent.

From the first clash of swords to the defeat of the three, only three breaths had passed.

The disciple who had been struck in the chest was still in shock and subconsciously said, "I haven't used the Hunhe Sword Technique yet, so it doesn't count."

His master walked over from the corridor and slapped him on the back of the head: "You lost and you still complain about the moves? You're a disgrace. Go back and think it over. Why didn't you even get a chance to use your sword?"

The disciple covered his head, not daring to say anything more.

"Clap clap clap".

Applause erupted from under the eaves.

Master Liu clapped his hands as he walked into the center of the arena, the look of surprise still lingering in his eyes.

"Excellent footwork, excellent strength."

The other elders also applauded.

They could see it more clearly: Yan Xiaolou's three sword strikes looked fierce, but in reality, each strike landed on the opponent's most difficult spot to exert force.

The timing of the first sword strike was perfect; it struck out just as the opponent's wrist and sword were about to come together.

The opponent was just a hair's breadth away from succeeding.

Yan Xiaolou intercepted him just before that exact moment.

The next two sword strikes were even faster, with no wasted effort; dodging the sword, turning around, and striking were all done in a straight line.

One of the elders looked down at his hands.

If it were him taking the stage, knocking away that disciple's wooden sword wouldn't be difficult, but it relies on cultivation and strength. To find that weak point in the instant of combat and then control the force perfectly, he might not be able to do it.

Wei Lianshan did not applaud.

He walked up to Yan Xiaolou, paused for a moment, and then spoke.

"Xiaolou".

Yan Xiaolou unconsciously tightened his grip on the sword.

Wei Lianshan smiled and said, "Your choice... is right."

This sentence is definitely more effective than a full house of applause.

Yan Xiaolou opened her mouth, but for a moment she didn't know what to say.

The person who was most shocked was herself.

When the opponent's wooden sword came at her, she hadn't intended to use the Hunhe Sword Technique. But when she saw where the sword was going to land, her body moved involuntarily.

Like an iron billet falling onto an anvil, she saw... no, she heard where the force came from and where it would go.

With her first sword strike, she knocked her opponent's weapon away without even using all her strength.

The last two sword strikes also left some room for maneuver.

If she had used a short sword, and if she had truly exerted all her strength, those three fellow disciples would not have suffered just a tap on the shoulder or chest.

Yan Xiaolou looked down at the wooden sword in his hand.

Ten days ago, all she knew was that the sword had to be fast and heavy, and that she had to knock the opponent down before they could get close enough to press down on her.

Ten days later, she learned for the first time that even restrained power could kill.

The morning breeze swept over the courtyard wall, ruffling the stray hairs on her forehead.

Yan Xiaolou suddenly turned his head and looked towards the west of Mingyu City.

Fish Shop is in that direction.

She gripped the wooden sword and murmured softly, "Sir, who exactly are you?"