A Single Person's Infinite Wonderful Life

When choosing disciples, Xiao Zhilong would instinctively suspect that the other party might be an intelligence agent from some organization. However, Li Wei's warm and sunny temperament was something that ordinary intelligence agents could not possess.

Li Wei smiled and said, "It's probably because the swordsmanship taught at this dojo is one of the few practical swordsmanship techniques available now. I'm quite interested in that. I've learned other martial arts before, but now I want to learn Japanese swordsmanship to complete my own skills."

Xiao Zhilong was somewhat surprised. He could tell that Li Wei had a foundation in martial arts. After all, Li Wei's physique was not something that ordinary people could possess, especially his incredibly stable lower body, which indicated that Li Wei was a master of foot combat.

Xiao Zhilong said, "Li Weijun, you must have studied the ancient cold weapon combat techniques of Chong Kingdom, right?"

Li Wei nodded and said, "I know a little about both long and short weapons, and I can also use a sword and shield. I used to play amateur BOTN, just for fun, nothing serious."

Takashi Shinobu was filled with respect. The so-called BOTN is an abbreviation for Battle of the Nations, which means full-armor combat. The rules are also very simple: put on heavy armor, take up weapons, and have a manly contest with your opponent.

The armor used by BOTN is mostly plate armor, with a full set weighing no less than 30 kilograms, and in heavy armor stance, it can weigh up to 40 kilograms. Long-handled battle axes, halberds, and other weapons are allowed. Except for various blunt weapons, most other weapons are permitted. If you don't quite understand, you can think of it as a live-action version of the game "For Honor" with stricter rules, the kind where you can easily kill someone if you're not careful.

It can be said that those who fight BOTN in ancient times would be fierce men capable of fighting three opponents. Their physical fitness and strength would be far superior to that of ordinary people. After all, wearing armor weighing dozens of kilograms and engaging in a passionate sword fight with the opponent is no easy task.

Takashi Shinobu knew that most of the Japanese martial arts were designed for unarmored or lightly armored targets, and that most sword techniques were ineffective against fully armed "iron cans" like Bottom.

However, Japanese swordsmanship naturally has its own unique characteristics, allowing for the swift killing of lightly armored and unarmored targets. Furthermore, the various schools within the "Kageryu" style all pursue a single, decisive strike, representing true battlefield killing techniques.

After the establishment of the Tokugawa Shogunate, most samurai lost their stage to shine. As a result, the various branches of Kendo did not fare very well. Especially in modern times, after Kendo began to pursue aesthetics and ritual, the branches of Kendo that focused on practical combat were crushed by major schools such as Toryu, Shinto-ryu, and Nen-ryu, and found themselves in a rather awkward situation.

After all, the Yin-ryu style, which aims at vital points with every move, is truly useless in a modern society governed by the rule of law. Even if used for self-defense, the Yagyu Shin-kage-ryu style, which is designed to kill with every strike, would at least be considered excessive self-defense, and could easily be considered intentional injury if one is not careful.

Xiao Zhilong said, "Li Weijun, since you've fought in BOTN, I can understand why you came here. The training here shouldn't be too difficult for you. After all, you're someone who can fight in armor weighing dozens of kilograms, so your starting point is much higher than other cultivators."

Li Wei laughed and said, "It's great that you understand. What I want to learn is the fast and ruthless striking style of Yin Liu. I have already mastered some martial arts, but these skills are not enough to deal with all kinds of situations. So, it's always good to have more skills."

Li Wei recalled the "Ashina-ryu swordsmanship" from Sekiro. In fact, the Ashina-ryu swordsmanship has a real-world prototype, namely the "Hokushin-ryu." However, what's most ridiculous about this style is that its ultimate technique is "rapidly drawing the spear."

This thing is much better than a knife.JPG

If we disregard the techniques of using guns, the Hokushin Blade Style isn't among the top few schools of swordsmanship. In terms of pure melee weapon killing efficiency, it's inferior to various branches of the Yin School.

Seeing that Li Wei had made his decision, Xiao Zhilong breathed a sigh of relief. These days, it's not easy to recruit students. The training method of Yinliu is more rigorous than other schools, so young people nowadays don't like to learn the Yagyu Shinkage-ryu, whose moves are not aesthetically pleasing. This kind of pure combat technique will probably be completely lost in a few decades.

Besides, he also needs to eat, so he naturally won't let any students who come to his door go.

Takashi Shinobu said cautiously, "Li Wei-kun, the Yagyu Shinkage-ryu style is stronger in actual combat compared to other styles, but the training materials and daily expenses are also higher. I hope you can understand. The tuition fee for the year is two..."

"Twenty million, right? That's a good deal." Li Wei interrupted Xiao Zhilong with a smile.

Xiao Zhilong was dumbfounded. He wanted to say two million yen, but after Li Wei said it, it suddenly became twenty million yen. That was too extravagant.

Chapter 1. Inside the Kendo Dojo

Xiao Zhilong felt he shouldn't take advantage of Li Wei like that. After all, the truth will eventually come out. When Li Wei is training at the dojo, he will definitely run into his former students. When they hear about the expenses Li Wei incurred, they will all think that he has a problem with his character.

Xiao Zhilong said, "Li Weijun, the tuition for the year only needs to be two million yuan. Twenty million is too exaggerated."

Li Wei said, "Mr. Shinobu, what I want to learn is real combat technique, and real combat technique is worth this price. What I want to learn is the entirety of the Yagyu Shinkage-ryu style. Do you still think it's not worth the price?"

Xiao Zhilong muttered to himself, "It's really not worth this price now. After all, swordsmanship has declined in this day and age. Even if you learn the whole set in three years, it will only cost a little over a million yen. Even if you add all the special techniques, it will only cost a million yen. Li Wei's tuition of twenty million yen this year is as if he has 'foolish and rich' engraved on his forehead."

Takashi Shinobu sighed, “I will teach you everything I know. After all, the era of samurai has long passed. I also hope that this sword technique can be spread all over the world. Of course, I will not hold back. However, you don’t need to mention the 20 million yen annual fee, Li Weijun. Just pay the normal tuition fee. I am very pleased that there are still people who are interested in martial arts. That is enough.”

Li Wei raised an eyebrow. Xiao Zhilong had even more principles than he had imagined. It had to be said, it was hard not to like someone like that.

Li Wei could sense the other person's attraction, but Xiao Zhilong chose to restrain his own greed, which was quite remarkable.

Li Wei said, "The situation at the dojo isn't that optimistic right now, is it? There are places to spend money everywhere. Why not make more money? If you think 20 million yuan is too much, then let's do double that for ordinary people, 4 million yuan. After all, my strength is much greater than that of ordinary people. The wear and tear on my training equipment alone is something that others can't compare to."

Takashi Shinohara hesitated for a moment, then said, "Alright, we'll do as you say, Li Weijun. I will do my best to pass on everything about the Yagyu Shinkage-ryu to you."

Modern society is no longer like ancient society, where there is still a strong sense of sectarianism. In Japan today, as long as the apprentice wants to learn, the teacher is willing to teach, because if they don't teach, the lineage of kendo will probably be cut off, and then we can only see those strange or cool styles of kendo in movies and anime.

Takashi Shinobu did some mental calculations. Of the four million yen tuition fee for Li Wei's dojo, the bulk would go towards the maintenance and repair of the dojo. After all, the dojo hadn't undergone major maintenance for quite some time, and in another two or three years, all sorts of problems would arise.

With Li Wei as his "enemy," the tuition fees from the other apprentices could be used to supplement the family income or for other purposes. After all, his eldest daughter had caused a terrible disaster, implicating the family and leaving them constantly under surveillance by intelligence agents, with no freedom whatsoever. Because of this, he couldn't do other work and could only honestly run his ancestral kendo dojo. However, fewer and fewer young people were willing to learn kendo, so the family's life was becoming increasingly difficult. Li Wei's arrival was like a godsend.

Li Wei smiled and said, "Then I'll leave it to you, teacher. I live nearby, less than a ten-minute walk from here."

Li Wei and Xiao Zhilong finalized their study plans. Li Wei had plenty of free time, but he still pretended that he had other things to do and specially arranged his time, scheduling it all for the afternoons and weekends.

The reason for this arrangement is that it aligns with Shinonono Houki's schedule.

Shinonono Houki is currently a third-year junior high school student and a member of the school's kendo club. Therefore, her daily routine is inevitably affected by kendo practice. According to Li Wei's investigation, Shinonono Houki's kendo club does not usually train at school, but here, inside the Yagyu Shinkage-ryu kendo dojo.

However, the members of the school's kendo club are not students here, and the style they learn is not Yagyu Shinkage-ryu, but other styles that are more visually appealing.

Just as Li Weibei stood up, the paper door behind him was pulled open, and the sounds of beautiful women could be heard even before they entered the room.

··· ·Requesting flowers···· ··

Shinobu saw Li Wei, this unfamiliar figure, whom she had never seen before. She was certain that he wasn't a student at her kendo dojo. She knew very well how her family's kendo dojo was doing; there were hardly any students, barely enough to keep it from closing down. The last student to come and learn was half a year ago.

"Father, are we having guests?" Houki Shinonono asked.

Upon hearing Houki Shinonono speak, the chattering little girl instantly fell silent. Houki Shinonono was the captain of the school's kendo club and held considerable authority within it. Moreover, she wasn't worried that these little girls would try to steal her kendo techniques by bringing the club's students to her family's kendo dojo, because the difficulty of training the Yagyu Shinkage-ryu style was undeniable, and these girls practicing sword-fighting techniques couldn't endure such hardship.

.

He looked at his daughter and said, "This is your junior brother, a martial artist from Chong Kingdom, Li Wei."

Li Wei stood up, turned around, looked at the little girl, and said, "Hello."

Shinonono Houki looked at Li Wei, paused for a moment, then came to her senses and said, "Nice to meet you."

This was the first time Shinobu had ever seen such a handsome man. Compared to the man before her, the celebrities on TV seemed like sparrows before an eagle. Li Wei's handsomeness wasn't the effeminate "girlish beauty" of today, but rather a rugged, masculine beauty.

Shinonono Houki wanted to complain in her heart. She could have been the junior sister, but her father said that she had to call the man in front of her junior brother, which made her a little curious.

The girls behind Shinonono Houki were also looking at Li Wei with shining eyes. Because of IS, men are now at a disadvantage, so many men have begun to become "introverted" and effeminate. Traditional tough guys like Li Wei and Shinonono Takashi are becoming increasingly rare.

Li Wei said, "I am a student from Chong Kingdom. I have some martial arts skills from the past. Please give me more guidance in the future."

Shinobu's face flushed slightly. When she saw Li Wei, her heart skipped a beat. It has to be said that Li Wei's charm was almost unfair.

Chapter 1. The Hachiko of Shinohara

Shinonono Houki said, "Father, I've taken the others to the dojo to practice."

Xiao Zhilong stood up and said, "Wait a moment, I have to go out to run some errands and buy some things. You take Li Weijun to the dojo to start practicing. I need to go and have protective gear and practice equipment made to fit Li Weijun's body type. I probably won't be back for a while."

Although Shinonono Houki is not very old, she has been training in the Yagyu Shinkage-ryu style since she was a child, so her movements and strength are very impressive. Although her actual combat ability is not up to that of an adult swordsman, she is still good enough as a demonstration.

In fact, Shinonono Houki herself could be considered a semi-instructor, more than capable of teaching those novice disciples. Moreover, Li Wei himself already had considerable martial arts skills. After Shinonono Houki demonstrated a few times, Li Wei should be able to grasp the basics.

Shinonono Houki asked curiously, "Aren't the equipment in the dojo suitable right now?"

Xiao Zhilong said, "Li Weijun is much taller and bigger than the average Japanese person, so ordinary forging armor and tools are not suitable for him. Moreover, Li Weijun is much stronger than the average person, so I need to customize a few suitable Su Zhen rods."

The so-called "su-shiki-bang" is an important training tool for sword practice in Kendo, much like the stone weight in traditional Japanese wrestling. It can be considered a core training tool, and the required weight and style vary depending on the individual's physique.

Shinonori immediately noticed that the wooden clubs used by the students at the kendo dojo were all too light for Li Wei. They were like toys to Li Wei – like Sun Wukong going to the Dragon Palace to ask for treasures. The experienced Shinonori, though unable to see through Li Wei's true strength, could glean much from Li Wei's physique.

Looking at Li Wei's thick arms and firm hips, Shinobu realized that Li Wei's physical fitness had far surpassed that of ordinary people.

Shinonono Houki said to Li Wei, "Junior brother, come with me. The training ground of the dojo is over here."

Li Wei nodded and followed Shinonono Houki's footsteps, arriving at the dojo's practice area with the other kendo club girls. The dojo's practice area appeared quite traditional, with light brown wooden floors and a wooden ceiling. Shinonono Houki turned on the lights, instantly brightening the previously dim practice area.

Li Wei asked, "Are there no other disciples practicing in the dojo besides me today?"

Xiao Zhizhi Hou said, "Junior Brother, you came at a rather convenient time today. It's Thursday, a day of rest for the disciples. On this day, the other disciples are all doing their own things. After all, it's not ancient times anymore, and everyone has to make a living."

In ancient times, samurai made a living with their swords and naturally spent most of their time honing their killing skills. But times have changed, and the samurai as a whole has disappeared into the tides of history. So now, kendo practitioners, apart from competing, are left with only self-entertainment and self-defense.

What's the use of being good at kendo if you still have to work to make a living? Having realized this, Shinonono Houki is actually somewhat pessimistic about kendo.

Li Wei said, "Hmm, I see. Then I'll just watch from the sidelines for now."

Shinonono Houki was somewhat surprised. Unlike other kendo beginners, Li Wei was more composed. When other beginners came to the dojo, they would try out all sorts of training equipment, looking like monkeys jumping around. But Li Wei didn't do that.

Shinonono Houki nodded and said, "I'll go change into my practice clothes first. Junior brother, please wait here for a moment."

Houki Shinonono and the other girls from the kendo club often practiced here, so they had prepared their practice uniforms in advance. A short while later, the girls, dressed in blouses and hakama (traditional Japanese jackets), entered the dojo. It must be said that this ancient samurai-like attire made these girls appear quite dashing and gave them a cheerful air.

Shinonono Houki is already quite beautiful, and after changing into a martial arts uniform and tying her long hair into a high ponytail, she looks quite like a female samurai from the Sengoku period.

Houki Shinonono took the heaviest shojin (a type of Japanese kickbox) from the equipment rack next to the dojo, came to Li Wei, and said, "Junior brother, it's pretty boring for you to just watch from here. While you watch us practice, you can also experience the air swing of the shojin in Neon Kendo. Afterwards, there will be training to strike heavy objects..."

Li Wei took the vibrating baton from Shinonono Houki's hand. This vibrating baton weighed about four kilograms, which would be a very heavy training tool for an ordinary person. His arm would start to ache after swinging it a dozen times. But for him, it was as light as holding a goose feather.

Shinonono Houki stepped aside, picked up her shinobi baton, and swung it in the air with a standard stance, saying, "That's how you swing it in the air. As long as your posture is correct, you can get a full-body workout, including training your hand strength, waist coordination, footwork coordination, and cardiovascular endurance. It's a basic training method that all schools have, although each school's shinobi baton will have slight adjustments and variations based on its own needs. What I'm demonstrating now is the most standard shinobi baton, the Yagyu Shinkage-ryu shinobi baton. I'll teach you more after you've become familiar with the basic shinobi baton, junior brother."

As expected of the daughter of the kendo dojo master, Shinonono Houki's posture was excellent, and Li Wei could feel the explosive power in her lunges. For a girl in her early teens to have such skill was quite remarkable. However, if Shinonono Houki were to simply compare kendo skills, she would be inferior to Saeko Busujima on the floating island. Although Shinonono Houki studied practical swordsmanship, Saeko Busujima was a real-world swordsman who fought her way through the zombie apocalypse with him.

Moreover, most of the various schools of Yinliu originated in the Warring States period. They are all about honing their skills in the face of life and death. The training method is quite simple: after completing the most basic training, one finds a daimyo to serve as a subordinate and then goes to the battlefield to kill people. Alternatively, one can become a ronin and fight with others everywhere, where there is both victory and defeat and life and death. Those who can survive will naturally become stronger and stronger in swordsmanship.

Li Wei said, "It's a very beautiful vibration; it even made a sound like it was being cut through the air."

Because of its unique shape, the vibrating baton requires considerable strength and speed to make a whistling sound when swung. Despite her slender figure, Shinonono Houki's strength is surprisingly good; it's about what most adults would be capable of.

Chapter 1. Deception and Disguise

Li Wei had witnessed higher levels of swordsmanship, so he felt that Shinonono Houki's level was only among the better ones of his age, not even outstanding. However, swordsmanship is all about talent, and Shinonono Houki's current level is already quite good.

Xiao Zhizhi Hou said, "Junior brother, how about trying Su Zhen?"

Shinonono Houki wanted to see Li Wei's talent. She slowed down her movements just now, trying her best to let Li Wei see clearly. She wanted to see how well Li Wei could swing after only watching the demonstration once.

This is one of her signature routines. She would do the same when her senior brothers first entered the sect. Through this method, she could quickly discern their sensitivity and talent in kendo.

Li Wei nodded, mimicking Shinonono Houki's posture, gripping the katana with both hands, and swiftly slashed out with his sword.

A dull, thunderous sound rang out, and the girls from the kendo club who were watching the spectacle all showed expressions of surprise. The layman sees the spectacle, the expert sees the technique. Li Wei's swing of the vibrating stick was of exceptionally high quality. Beginners could easily lose control and drop the stick due to excessive force, leading to distorted movements or even the stick slipping from their hands.

However, Li Wei's Su Zhen, the Su Zhen staff, stopped abruptly at its lowest point, without any sign of lifting up. This showed that his control over the power had reached a certain level. Previously, Xiao Zhilong said that Li Wei had a foundation in martial arts. When Xiao Zhizhu Hou saw this, she knew that what her father said was true.