Qi and Jiu (Part 4)
Zhao Da’s junior didn’t grab his collar that was in a particular hard way to break, but it wasn’t easy to break, either. Besides the guandao, Iron Horse Manor was also most renowned for their joint-locking techniques.
From there, he had three variations he could counter his opponent’s counter with. Howbeit, because he spotted the broadsword on the table, he decided to draw his blade before his opponent could arm himself.
The white-robed man raised a hand, then immediately used his opponent’s weight against him to dismantle the hold and dislocate an arm bone.
Seeing his junior crumble to the ground and groan, Zhao Da instantly drew the broadsword at his sash. “I underestimated you.”
The white-robed man rose to his feet with a grin, kicked the floored wingman aside and said, “If you can counter my attacks in ten exchanges, I’ll surrender without a complaint.”
“Consider yourself defeated!”
“You may really fail to last ten exchanges.”
Zhao Da looked in the direction of the soft voice. Instead of seeing the timid youth holding a weapon, he was reading through a book whilst elaborating, “There are twenty-seven joint-locking disciplines in the world. Leveraging the opponent’s weight and technique against them is just one approach. Instead of riding the opponent’s force to use against them, this method requires speed and meticulous application of force to inflict harm. What we just saw was a push followed by a chop. The first push was a technique called ‘Flow Severance’. There are… fifteen schools that teach the same technique. The chop, however, was a broadsword technique. There are three schools that could combine the two techniques together into a combination as we saw.”
The timid youth shut his book and ambled to the white-robed man. “You are without an umbrella and are wearing white attire, yet you are dry and without a blemish in this rainy weather. This goes to show you are advanced in your internal discipline and your style is concentrates on flow over rigidness. Among the clans that like to wear white and practice such a style, there is only one among three possible clans.”
Turning to Zhao Da, the timid youth continued, “The both of you are broadsword wielders. Iron Horse Manor’s broadsword discipline is decent. Howbeit, you may, may, lose your weapon within seven exchanges against Valley of Yearning’s ‘Red Sleeve Broadswordplay’.”
Upon stopping to catch his breath, the timid youth was faced with astonished visages, prompting him to cover his mouth. “Uh oh, I did it again… Umm, pretend I never said anything.”
Obviously, nobody was willing or able to do so.
The white-robed man voiced, “Buddy, I underestimated you. I had no idea you know how to fight.”
The timid youth wagged his hand frantically. “No, no, no, I only know theory…”
Zhao Da had fossilised. As a broadsword wielder, he naturally knew of Red Sleeve Broadswordplay and Valley of Yearning’s existence. Given he had to pander to a branch of Mount Lu Sword Sanctuary, he had no place picking a fight with one of the Seven Champion White Princes. As such, he began to sheath his weapon.
Yan Fuli cracked a smirk. “I take it you are marginalising us on account of your school?” His confidence stopped Zhao Da’s hand.
The white-robed man smiled back. “It sounds like you insist on fighting. Would you be interested in wagering something?”
“In that case, in the event we win, the lady shall…” Yan Fuli stopped himself before “marry me” could come out of his mouth because… it had zilch to do with the matter at hand. Plus, it would reveal his lecherous thoughts to the public – not that it wasn’t already obvious. Zhao Da saying it was one thing, and explicating it himself was another thing.
Master Qi retained a smile from beginning to end.
Zhao Da: How old is this kid? How much could he have practiced, yet he wags his tongue like a know-it-all. Everyone in Jiangnan knows the name Valley of Yearning. You think that’s enough to scare me? I have to swing a few times at him to confirm.
“You are from Valley of Yearning? Then all the more reason to test my mettle. Let’s see your answer of this!” Although still frustrated, Zhao Da had toned down the aggression in his voice noticeably.
Yan Fuli was fuming Zhao Da attacked before they set the terms of the wager, but it was already too late.
Zhao Da didn’t only have a big mouth; he made his mark in Zhenjiang from participating in real fights.
The white-robed man smiled as he formed a knife hand to fight back. In their dozens of exchanges, he was never grazed even once, demonstrating his significant superiority over Zhao Da.
Zhao Da was a strong man, but he couldn’t make the most it because it felt as though he was fighting in water. Owing to his short temper, he quickly grew frustrated and broke sparring etiquette. Give him an opportunity, and he would’ve made mincemeat out of his opponent.
“Allow me to assist, Brother Zhao!”
The white-robed man stepped back as soon as he spotted a silver glimmer coming at his chest from his peripherals.
Though he was the next-in-line leader of Yan Clan, Yan Fuli didn’t have to be so wary of Valley of Yearning that he had to run the other way whenever he heard their name, especially if the affiliate was only an ordinary disciple. By this point, he was more willing to scrap than Zhao Da.
Yan Fuli worked on covering ground that Zhao Da couldn’t, allowing Zhao Da to employ his full power. With each exchange, the white-robed man involuntarily ceded part of his control.
The white-robed man certainly was significantly superior to Zhao Da; however, the gap wasn’t so big that he could control Zhao Da at will. In addition to the technical difference, Zhao Da’s discipline focused on using might and singular attacks, making it easier for the white-robed man to dismantle strikes. When it came to swordplay, though, it was outside of the white-robed man’s wheelhouse. As such, he regretted not picking up his broadsword earlier.
“White-Robbed Brother, their footwork is not very synergistic; do not try to fight them simultaneously!” stressed the timid youth.
White-robed man: Yeah, why am I trying to fight both of them? One on one, neither of them can match me.
Zhao Da: “Junior Brother, silence that runt!”
Zhao Da’s armed junior raced over to the timid youth as soon as he received the order, prompting the latter to run away.
As a result of the distraction, the white-robed man found himself fighting two opponents again. “Buddy, you really don’t know how to fight?”
“I really don’t!” answered the timid youth, desperately dodging swings and thrusts.
Unlike Master Qi, the owner of the restaurant couldn’t smile so blithely. When people fought, they didn’t care where they were or what was in their hands; they’d flip tables and hurl chairs without any hesitation. Customers would flee out of harm’s way, as well.
The waiter grumbled under his breath, “Oh, great. What do we do now? All the furniture is brand new.”
Zhao Da happened to hear the complaint, prompting him to thunder, “You can go to hell, that’s what you can do!” He uncorked a side kick straight into the waiter’s chest, dropping the innocent waiter, breaking his two front teeth and painting his face with his own blood.
For the first time since the fiasco started, Hong Jiu looked up.
Master Qi remarked, “Oh, you were aware there are people around?”
Hong Jiu got up and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. As he passed by the owner, he quietly told him, “I’ll pay for your furniture afterwards.”
By the time the owner turned his head, Hong Jiu was already gone from his side.
Zhao Da’s junior was sure his next swing would catch the timid youth when, all of a sudden, the world started spinning. It took him a moment to realise he was doing circles while airborne. When he looked in the direction of his senior, he saw a silhouette zip over as fast as an arrow off a bowstring.
Hong Jiu grabbed Zhao Da and threw him outside as though he was throwing a rubbish bag. Zhao Da’s immense strength seemed totally useless against Hong Jiu. Zhao Da’s junior would’ve liked to have seen what took place next. Sadly, he hit his head and passed out.
Zhao Da, still soaring through the air, couldn’t use his qi to redirect his trajectory whatsoever due to half of his accupoints being blocked. As a matter of fact, he struggled to determine if someone really did actually grab and hurl him. He sought answers from within the restaurant, but he only saw someone suspending Yan Fuli off the ground on one hand. Nevertheless, his consciousness could no longer stay awake.
“Th-this has no grudge with you. H-how come you…” Yan Fuli had never encountered such a scary beggar before. His body’s trembling and shaky voice betrayed his fabricated composure.
“I just can’t stand watching people be bullied,” replied Hong Jiu.
Yan Fuli fell unconscious.
Hong Jiu gently “set down” Yan Fuli on the table his terrified sister was sitting at. “Miss, your brother for two hundred silver taels. Do you think it’s a good deal?” Hong Jiu showed his pearly whites and stretched the corner of his lips to his ears.
Glossary
Guandao – If you know Seong Mi-na and Guan Yu/Guan Erye’s signature weapon, then that’s the guandao. If you don’t, then here is an image for your visual reference (bear in mind that this is a really embellished version, but I want you to also see its size relative to the wielder): https://preview.redd.it/67dhw4qvji051.jpg?width=1000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bbf84a75164df44097e02b4cb665c8d5b186a032
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