The court lackeys of the eight-hour workday

Chapter 498 One Knife
The sword, the culmination of a lifetime of training, was severed in two mid-air.

The Japanese leader's eyes glazed over for a moment.

He couldn't comprehend what he saw in that instant.

The knife broke...?

The blade continued forward due to inertia, and there was no recoil force from hitting a hard object from the hilt. The "Iai" technique continued to be unleashed without any hesitation.

But that finger stood there, unmoved, passing through the blade like a phantom. And the playful, carefree expression in those eyes, as if watching a child's clamor, remained unchanged.

Is it an illusion?

The next moment, the Japanese leader knew the answer.

The blade sliced ​​to the apex of the semicircle, and the arm retracted, but only the hilt and half of the blade were pulled back with the arm.

bass!
The broken blade flew out in a straight line, landing right next to Wu Zhi's ear before disappearing into the wall.

"what!"

The next moment, Wu Zhi's scream came belatedly, waking the Japanese leader from his astonishment.

"!!!"

Swish!
He instinctively sheathed the broken blade, channeling all his strength into his arm. His muscles suddenly bulged, squeezing the air out of his sleeve with a loud bang.

"I don't believe it!"

He raised his bloodshot eyes and looked at the tall figure in front of him.

Her front was covered by a white undergarment, and her lower body was also covered by the same white undergarment, as if she had just gotten off the bed. Her left hand was tucked into her clothes, and her right hand casually raised a finger. Her whole body was full of flaws.

But those jet-black pupils seemed to gradually merge with the bearskin cloak he wore, transforming into the entire pitch-black night sky that enveloped him. And he was like an insect screeching at the night sky, unable to escape its embrace even after exhausting his life essence.

In a daze, the Japanese leader seemed to have returned to the time when he first started practicing martial arts, and opposite him was his master, whose back he could never see no matter how hard he tried.

He had also suffered such a desperate defeat.

But at that time, after defeating him, his master walked up to him, squatted down, and said to him.

"Ikki-kun, what I'm going to teach you today is to acknowledge your own weakness and the strength of the other party."

What is swordsmanship?

"Swordsmanship is not a skill for the strong to bully the weak, but a means for the weak to resist the strong. One day in the future you may encounter an opponent so strong that you despair. I hope you will remember the secret to defeating the strong."

The master put his hand on his shoulder.

The gentleness in his tone vanished, replaced by a sharp, murderous intent that condensed into a hammer, driving the resolute words into his mind.

"If you are weaker than others, concentrate your strength!"

"If you can't catch up with others, then squeeze every last drop of your own strength out of yourself!"

"Abandon your soul, abandon your life, abandon your blood! Drain your strength, empty your flesh and blood, dedicate everything to the sword in your hand! Not a breath is needed, one sword is enough!"

"Extract your own essence and transcend this ultimate limit in that instant!!!"

The memory vanished abruptly.

"Die!"

The secret of Boqi Liu - Iai!
The remaining half of the blade suddenly sprang from its sheath. The instant he swung the blade, blood gushed from his eyes, muscles in his arm snapped one by one, and bones emitted a mournful cry as if they were about to break!

He could no longer tell whether he was swinging the knife or the knife was pulling at his arm.

But he was certain that he had given it his all.

Life, future, lifeblood—all offered up! In exchange, this unparalleled strike was delivered! A strike even faster and more lethal than his strongest self!

His eyes showed neither sorrow nor joy, for he knew that this strike would allow him to defeat an invincible foe. Even if he were to die from internal injuries after unleashing this blow, it would be the best outcome for a martial artist like him.

His gaze barely caught up with the blade.

The blade was instantly close to his neck.

Time seemed to stand still.

In that critical moment, the tall man smiled.

"She has a loud voice, but unfortunately—"

He stretched out his hand again, curling his index finger and pinching the tip of his index finger with his thumb, facing the blade.

The instant it made contact with the blade.

Relax your thumb and flick your index finger.

"Unfortunately, it's still pitifully weak."

Snapped.

whoosh-

The last half of the blade shattered, countless fragments flying out and instantly filling the entire field of vision of the Japanese leader. "Ah—Master, you are wrong."

The fragments pierced his eyeball, plunging his vision into darkness.

In the last moment before the fragment burrowed into his brain, he seemed to recall another memory.

"Master, if I unleash a powerful strike, only to have it easily countered by my opponent, what should I do?"

He looked up at his master.

Suddenly, he felt his master's hand on his shoulder tighten, and his once firm and resolute eyes dimmed, as if his words had stirred up some unbearable memories.

The master sighed deeply.

"Sigh... if that day ever comes..."

"Some mountains are insurmountable for ordinary people. Some people are beyond our reach no matter how hard we try. A desperate strike from us might just be a clumsy joke in the face of such people."

"If you really encounter such an opponent—"

His master patted him on the shoulder.

"Then he can only die, Ikki-kun."

The pain spread to the brain.

The Japanese leader smiled helplessly.

"Master, you are not wrong, I am wrong."

"I shouldn't have come to the Central Plains, nor should I have swung this sword."

"Otherwise, I wouldn't know how ridiculous my life has been..."

wow-

Blood splattered on the back of his head, and he lost consciousness.

Fragments of the blade flew out, carrying red and white matter, and embedded themselves in the wall beside Wu Zhi, splattering some brain matter onto Wu Zhi's face in the process.

The body fell to the ground with a thud.

Li Miao casually withdrew his hand and put it in his pocket.

He kicked the Japanese leader's corpse, along with the hilt of his sword, away, then smiled and slowly walked towards Wu Zhi.

"Ah uh!"

Wu Zhi let out another scream.

Only then did he realize that he had regained his freedom and his limbs were back under his control.

His first action was to raise his hand and cover his mouth tightly, then slowly kneel down on the ground.

"So sensible."

Li Miao walked over and placed her hand on his head.

At the same time, the doors of the side rooms on both sides opened, and Wu Mingxiao and Zhao Ying, who had been secretly observing for half a day, came out and quickly walked to Li Miao's side.

"Brother Li, what's going on here..."

Wu Mingxiao still didn't understand.

Zhao Ying, however, already knew the answer. She adjusted the satchel on her shoulder, weighed the sleeping infant in her arms, and asked calmly.

When do we depart?

Wu Mingxiao scratched his head.

"Um, Miss Zhao, where are we going?"

Zhao Ying glanced at Li Miao and replied.

"The Japanese followed Gao Lei to Dayan Hall. The Ming Cult, the Japanese pirates, the bandits who were chasing us, and the bandits who were planning to assassinate us had all gathered together. Master Li left this person alive who could lead the way."

Where else can we go?

"Naturally, we should eliminate the thieves completely."

Li Miao smiled and nodded.

“Miss Zhao has made a lot of progress in the past few years.”

After saying that, he looked down at Wu Zhi, who was trembling, and shook his head.

"What do you think, Master Wu?"

"I'll spare your life because you have kind intentions."

"But can your sect, which treats human life like dirt, lead us innocent passersby who have been unjustly harmed to seek justice and revenge?"

(End of this chapter)