From a tuberculosis patient to a martial arts master

At first, you had to silently recite the incantation before each cut.

Thinking about how to use your waist, how to generate power from your back, how to rotate your wrists? Eventually, you don't need to recite the formulas anymore; your body just knows how to move on its own. But that power has never truly solidified into a single, unified force.

"What exactly is wrong?"

Zhu Hong sheathed his sword and stood there, his brows furrowed.

He closed his eyes, repeatedly recalling the person in the picture in his mind, and the feeling of each cut he had made.

Suddenly, I remembered that line from the mantra:

"When the knife is drawn, the person advances; when the knife is sheathed, the person stops."

People in, people in...

Zhu Hong suddenly opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in them.

Yes!

Drawing your sword is not the same as standing still.

One must meet the force of the blade and put all the strength of one's body into that strike.

He stood still and pulled, only moving his hands and waist, his feet seemingly nailed to the ground.

"I see."

Having figured this out, Zhu Hong felt as if the tangled mess in his mind had suddenly been untied, and his whole body felt refreshed.

He gripped the knife again, assumed a fighting stance, and went over the principles he had just realized in his mind.

Open your eyes again:

Sharp eyes, like a cold blade.

"Sink your Qi to your Dantian, and channel your strength through your waist and spine..."

Clang—!

He drew his sword.

This time, the strike was completely different from before.

The blade flashed like a bolt of lightning as it burst from its sheath. At the same time, he stomped forward with his left foot, and his whole body shot out like an arrow.

"laugh."

The blade sliced ​​through the air, producing a whistling sound like tearing silk.

Zhu Hong sheathed his sword and stood still, looking down at the slightly trembling blade in his hand, a hint of joy flashing in his eyes.

It became.

I've figured it out.

Although this strike was far from powerful, and the force was not yet fully controlled, it still managed to unleash its full potential.

but……

"Not enough."

His mind was as clear as a mirror.

This is just the beginning. In the world of martial arts, the worst thing is to "dabble and stop". Many people practice kung fu, and today they get a little bit of the kung fu, and tomorrow they relax. As a result, after practicing for several years, they are still only half-baked.

"A tall building rises from the ground."

Zhu Hong silently thought to himself, "Now that I've figured out the way, there's only one thing left to do."

Train like crazy!

……

For seven consecutive days, Zhu Hong did not leave his house.

Aside from necessary meals and rest, they spent all their time on the drill ground, repeatedly doing only one thing:

Draw the sword, sheathe the sword, then draw the sword again.

The drill ground echoed with the crisp, clear clang of swords from morning till night, so loud that even the birds in the backyard dared not land. Occasionally, when other constables passed by and peeked over, they couldn't help but laugh when they saw him practicing the same single sword-drawing motion over and over again like a madman.

On the drill ground, the clanging of swords echoed from dawn till dusk, their clear, sharp sounds piercing through the stones and tiles, startling even the birds in the backyard so much that they dared not land. Occasionally, when other constables passed by and peeked over, they would see him practicing the same single sword-drawing motion like a madman, and they couldn't help but laugh.

"Did that guy go crazy from practicing swordsmanship?"

Instead of hurrying out to earn merit points, you're practicing sword drawing here.

That's incredibly stupid!

"Hey, it's their business if they want to."

"..."

Zhu Hong pretended not to hear, his eyes and mind focused only on the knife in his hand and the sheath at his waist.

Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.

The setting sun cast its last rays, and the sky was ablaze with fiery red hues.

Zhu Hong stood in the center of the training ground as usual, holding the scabbard in his left hand and pressing the handle with his right.

He practiced tirelessly for days and nights, his right wrist swelling and subsiding repeatedly. Now it was wrapped in a thick layer of burlap, but his hand holding the knife was very steady, without the slightest tremor. Of the five knives he had exchanged with Guangchu Tower, three were already dulled and chipped, in a terrible state.

He took out the fourth one from his mustard seed bag and put it on.

Close your eyes.

The evening breeze brushed against his cheeks, and the occasional bark of a dog could be heard in the distance, but he could only hear his own heartbeat, one beat after another, subtly in sync with the knife at his waist.

Just as my heartbeat stopped:

"Zheng—!"

A clear and resonant sword cry suddenly rang out, and a streak of cold light shot out from the sheath.

In the twilight, a silver streak appeared across the sky, piercing the air with a sharp whistling sound like tearing silk. In the next instant, the blade was already firmly fixed in mid-air, motionless, without even a flicker of the cold light at the tip.

fast.

That's so fast!

Compared to when he first grasped the essence of the technique seven days ago, he was more than twice as fast. When the blade flashed, even his own eyes could barely keep up. If he were to encounter that vicious wolf again now, he would surely kill it with a single blow.

"Alright, all that effort wasn't for nothing."

Zhu Hong stood with his sword held horizontally, a smile he couldn't hide in his eyes. "After practicing for seven days, this sword-drawing technique is finally starting to look somewhat decent."

Moreover, he discovered that the potential of this sword technique was much greater than it appeared on the surface.

In ordinary swordsmanship, it's considered good if one can exert one and a half pounds of force out of one pound of force. But with this sword-drawing technique, which he has only just begun to learn, he can already exert force to over one and a half pounds. There is still a lot of room for improvement in the future, and he is far from reaching his limit.

"Snap."

He sheathed his sword.

If you practice behind closed doors, your progress will be slower.

You have to go out and see blood, fight a few real battles, to truly master this skill.

In addition, those people in the government office are always running around, making a fortune in merit points. If he continues to practice foolishly here, the new regulations might suddenly be lifted, and he won't even get a hot bowl of soup.

Wouldn't that mean losing a huge amount of money for nothing?

"It's time to go and fight a few battles."

His mind shifted, and he turned his gaze to the perilous ravine outside the city.

……

The following afternoon.

Zhu Hong had already packed his belongings, fearing that he might be summoned by the yamen in a hurry and not be found, so he tore off a piece of hemp paper, picked up a pen and wrote a few lines, saying that he had been assigned to a long mission as an outside clerk of the yamen to train in the Rift Valley area outside the city, and that his return date was uncertain. After writing, he carefully placed the note under the teacup on the table.

All the trivial matters have been taken care of.

He gripped the reins and leaped onto the horse's back.

Aside from the goose-feather knife at his waist, he only carried some dry rations and water pouches.

One man and one horse

One knife and one bag.

Traveling light is convenient and efficient.

After leaving the official residence, crossing the long street, passing through the marketplace, they arrived at the city gate.

As the shadow of the city gate fell upon his face, Zhu Hong unconsciously glanced back into the city.

The city was bustling with people, a lively scene. People chatted in teahouses, played drinking games in restaurants, and street vendors hawked their wares at the top of their lungs—it was a peaceful time. But once you stepped outside the city gates and headed towards the rift valley, you were in deep forests, teeming with demons and monsters, who knew how many man-eating creatures lurked there.

"Damn it, what a coward!"

Zhu Hong cursed himself inwardly.

He quickly suppressed his thoughts of a warm bed.

Staying in the city and just getting by may be comfortable, but that won't put food on the table. If you don't work hard now, you won't even have the chance to risk your life later.

"drive--!"

He tightened his wrist, pulled the reins, and spurred the horse hard on its belly.

The horse, in pain, raised its head and let out a long neigh, its four hooves flying, kicking up a trail of dust, and charged straight out of the city.

……