The world of martial arts, the immortal swordsman in the mortal realm.

Chapter 20, Rong'er's Night Escape

"Please enlighten me, Senior Huang!"

Lu Chen performed a sword salute, and in a flash, he appeared in front of Huang Yaoshi, thrusting his wooden sword at Huang Yaoshi in succession.

Facing Huang Yaoshi, one of the most skilled martial artists in the world of Condor Heroes, he dared not be careless in the slightest. He immediately used the most exquisite killing move of the "Falling Flower Sword Technique," and his continuous thrusts were as fast as a storm, each sword strike faster than the last.

Despite its small quantity, the extremely pure and refined true energy infused into the wooden sword produced a sharp, piercing sound as if a real sword were cutting through the air.

Huang Yaoshi stood leisurely with one hand behind his back, casually swinging his sword without any airs, easily neutralizing Lu Chen's rapid attacks by simply striking with the spine of the sword.

Lu Chen had anticipated this and was not discouraged. He took quick steps, circling around Huang Yaoshi. His elbows flicked and his wrists trembled, and his wooden sword hissed as he attacked Huang Yaoshi with thrusts, slashes, points, and flicks. His moves were sometimes three feints and one real attack, or five feints and one real attack, and he could switch between them at any time, making them unpredictable.

Using the Fallen Flower Sword Technique to attack Huang Yaoshi is tantamount to showing off one's skills before an expert.

Huang Yaoshi stood still, without even turning or turning his body. He wielded his sword with one hand, casually deflecting Lu Chen's sword attacks from all directions.

Even when Lu Chen walked up behind him, Huang Yaoshi seemed to have eyes in the back of his head, and without turning his head, he broke Lu Chen's sword move with a backhand.

Even so, Huang Yaoshi was still quite satisfied.

Lu Chen had only been learning the Falling Petals Sword Technique for three days when he was already able to use it freely in actual combat. Unlike most beginners who were rigid and followed the steps from the first move to the last, he changed his moves according to the situation and circumstances.

They are not even bound by fixed moves. If they realize something is wrong halfway through a move, they can instantly switch to a second half of a move that is more suitable for the current situation.

This kind of practical combat savvy can be said to have already achieved a certain level of "skillful application".

It should be understood that the essence of martial arts, and the key to its application, lies in one's own mind.

Any martial art, its moves and mental techniques can be taught, but how to apply them is almost impossible to teach.

The same set of martial arts can be used by some people at will, turning the ordinary into the extraordinary. Even the "Taizu Long Fist," which is widely circulated in the martial arts world and among the common people, can be used to unleash amazing power.

Some can only execute the moves meticulously and rigidly, sometimes even failing to grasp the precise timing of their application. The difference in power between the two is like night and day.

And this is precisely the difference between genius and mediocrity.

A genius can bring out the spirit in martial arts, letting their imagination run wild and unrestrained; a mediocre person can only imitate without daring or being able to make any breakthroughs.

Lu Chen was undoubtedly a peerless genius in swordsmanship.

Huang Yaoshi couldn't help but wonder, if Lu Chen had been born decades earlier, lived in the same era as him, and received guidance from a wise teacher from a young age, then who would have been the "Number One in the World" at the Mount Hua Sword Tournament would probably still be unknown.

After exchanging dozens of blows, when Lu Chen turned to face him, Huang Yaoshi, who had been on the defensive, suddenly changed his sword stance and launched a counterattack.

For a moment, Lu Chen felt that all he could see were blurry sword shadows that were hard to distinguish from reality, and a chilling sword wind rushed towards him, making him feel cold all over, his brows sting, and his hair stand on end.

Such a fierce attack was beyond Lu Chen's ability to parry, let alone counter it. He tried his best to dodge with his footwork and blocked several swords at the same time. Suddenly, his hand felt light. The wooden sword had been knocked away by Huang Yaoshi's sword, and the wooden sword was also pointed at his throat.

"Your wisdom is truly admirable!"

Lu Chen said sincerely.

Having easily defeated such a junior, even if the other party admired him greatly, Huang Yaoshi was not complacent. He nodded slightly and said calmly:
"Your swordsmanship is too crude and your skill is too shallow. You need to practice diligently. In addition, although your move 'White Rainbow Piercing the Sun' is powerful, it also has a considerable flaw. It is a straight thrust. In front of a true master, even if they cannot see through your sword move, they can at least dodge it without any problem."

"You must not become arrogant and conceited just because you have this sword. You should think about how to create an opportunity with ordinary sword moves, and then unleash that ultimate sword technique in the blink of an eye, leaving the enemy with no way to avoid it."

Lu Chen nodded gratefully:

"Thank you for your guidance, senior!"

"Ah."

Huang Yaoshi gave a faint "hmm," tossed the wooden sword back to Huang Rong, and went back to the stone table under the tree to drink tea.

Lu Chen stood quietly, pondering the swordsmanship he displayed during his fight with Huang Yaoshi, especially during Huang Yaoshi's counterattacks. Soon, he nodded as if he had gained some insight, and resumed his practice stance. This time, his swordsmanship quickly developed new variations, becoming even more agile than before. The flashes of his sword were like a sudden gust of wind rising in a peach grove, scattering colorful petals everywhere, dazzling and overwhelming the eyes.

Huang Yaoshi's eyes twitched slightly. He never expected that Lu Chen would gain some understanding so quickly, and his skill in the Falling Flower Sword Technique had reached a new level. While marveling at this, he couldn't help but occasionally speak up and offer some pointers.

Huang Yaoshi's insights into martial arts far surpassed those of Huang Rong. Even his casual remarks were profound insights into the essence of swordsmanship.

Whenever Lu Chen received guidance, he would pause to reflect on it, and when he resumed practice, his swordsmanship would visibly improve.

Such terrifying comprehension made Huang Yaoshi find him more and more pleasing to the eye, but when he inadvertently caught a glimpse of Huang Rong resting her chin on her hand, smiling as she looked at Lu Chen with pride, the old master Huang felt displeased again.

This kid has amazing talent, a strong will, is good at both literature and martial arts, and is also good-looking. He is clearly a big menace!
The more he looked at her, the more annoyed he became. Old Master Huang, in a fit of temper, glared at Lu Chen again, snorted coldly, and got up to go back to his room, leaving Lu Chen completely bewildered and looking at Huang Rong with a puzzled and inquisitive expression.

Knowing her father's temperament well, Huang Rong simply stuck out her tongue, made a face at Huang Yaoshi's back, and then pretended nothing had happened. She gave Lu Chen a big smile, indicating that he didn't need to worry and continued practicing his sword.

Although Master Huang's stubborn temper would occasionally flare up, he still watched Lu Chen practice swordsmanship without fail for the next few days.

These past few days, Huang Rong has been obediently serving her father, using all her skills to cook Huang Yaoshi's favorite dishes, and also drinking a few cups of Shaoxing rice wine with him every day.

Huang Yaoshi was overjoyed to see his daughter so obedient and filial. So much so that if she made a slight request, Master Huang would once again step in to instruct Lu Chen, and would also offer his guidance on the subtleties of Lu Chen's techniques during their practice sessions.

The subtlety of this martial art is so profound that even a mediocre person couldn't learn it by being taught step by step. But for a genius like Lu Chen, a single word from him could enlighten him and further enhance his practical application.

Over the course of a few days, Lu Chen's swordsmanship improved by leaps and bounds, reaching a new level every day.

When Huang Yaoshi suppressed his power to a level comparable to his own, he was able to fight Huang Yaoshi for forty or fifty moves before being defeated. Such rapid progress deeply shocked Huang Yaoshi, who believed that he had only been learning swordsmanship for a little over a month.

Before we knew it, it was already the eighth night.

That day, Lu Chen practiced hard until midnight. He had just washed up and gone back to his room to lie down. Before he could fall asleep, he heard the door latch move slightly, followed by a soft creak from the door.

Lu Chen sat up and saw the door suddenly open a crack, and Huang Rong, dressed in a tight-fitting outfit and carrying a package, slipped in through the crack.

"Rong'er?" Lu Chen was taken aback: "What's this?"

"Shh!" Huang Rong made a shushing gesture, quickly went to Lu Chen's bedside, grabbed the clothes hanging on the bedside table and threw them to him, lowering her voice and saying, "Quick, get dressed, we're leaving!"

"Leave?" Lu Chen was speechless. "Senior Huang is still here..."

“It’s alright. I know Father’s martial arts best. Every year at this time, he enters the deepest state of meditation. For two quarters of an hour, unless someone gets within ten steps of him, he will not react to anything outside.”

Huang Rong's face was flushed, and her eyes sparkled with excitement and pride.

“These past few days I’ve been using the tactic of underestimating him to lull him into a false sense of security, making him think that I’ve obediently resigned myself to my fate and am going back to Peach Blossom Island with him. For the first few nights, Father didn’t enter a deep meditative state and kept a close watch on me in secret. But seeing how obedient I was, he completely relaxed his vigilance and entered a meditative state without worry from the night before last. I waited for two more nights before making my move today. I’m sure I can slip away successfully.”

Lu Chen hesitated for a moment: "But I promised Senior Huang..."

"However, I didn't really agree to him. Besides, the task he gave you was absolutely terrible and extremely unfair to you. Even if I agreed, I could easily renege on it. Anyway, I'm not a real man, just my father's precious daughter."

Huang Rong said this as if it were the most natural thing in the world, while looking at him intently:
"I am your first teacher. Will you listen to my father or me?"

Then there's no other choice.

"Of course I'll listen to you."

Without further hesitation, Lu Chen quickly put on his clothes and shoes, put on his straw hat, picked up the real sword Huang Rong had bought for him, and grabbed the bundle containing his change of clothes. He was ready to run away.

"Let's go! Now that you've mastered the art of light footwork, we can reach the Cao'e River in a quarter of an hour. We can then use water magic to conceal our tracks. That way, no matter how powerful Father is, he won't be able to catch us in a short time!"

Huang Rong chuckled and left with Lu Chen.

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(End of this chapter)