True Solution of the Sword Dao

"Since Master has given me this title, I won’t be modest. I accept being called Senior Disciple," Yuan Yonglong’s thought was truly inspired. Even if he was just a rich family’s son who could not endure hardship, by making acquaintances with these brothers and sisters, with this layer of relationship, one with money and the other with martial force, in the future if he ever ran into trouble, it would be likely that he would think to ask them for help. Though being a hired thug isn’t very glorious, at least it would be better than his previous life. His master really had his best interests at heart. However, from this angle, one could also see that Yuan Yonglong’s sense of right and wrong wasn’t very pronounced—in his eyes, living well was more important than anything else. Perhaps the harshness of life had worn away his original spirit of moral integrity. But regardless, such a person was easiest to control."

"These two are my children, Yuan Ying and Yuan Que. Little Ying, Little Que, come over here," Yuan Yonglong called out, beckoning the two children over.

"Greetings, Senior Disciple," the twins bowed respectfully, their voices soft and glutinous, very pleasant to the ear.

Upon hearing their voices, the first thing Lin Fei thought of was thick, fragrant hot milk and soft, glutinous rice. The twins left a first impression of being well-behaved. Although they were quite tall, their voices seemed to still be in the midst of changing. They looked to be about fifteen or sixteen years old.

"Good kids," Lin Fei smiled and said, "Yuan Ying and Yuan Que, right? Have you practiced swordsmanship with your father?"

"We have practiced a little," Yuan Ying said quietly, his sister Yuan Que lowering her head shyly, not daring to speak.

Lin Fei nodded, then turned his glance to the three others to the side.

"All right, let’s talk business. Let’s head to the Sword Room first."

The group entered the Sword Practice Room together, a spacious room almost the size of a small basketball court. Even with a dozen people, it didn’t feel crowded.

Lin Fei had someone bring over newly purchased swords for use in swordsmanship practice. In total, there were five white and one bronze swords neatly arranged on the rack inside the room.

"Now that I’ve assumed the title of your Senior Disciple, let’s introduce ourselves to each other, and then I’ll check out the level of your Practice, how does that sound? Who wants to go first?" Lin Fei held a white longsword in hand.

"I’ll go first!" the sole female student stepped forward boldly and said, taking the white longsword passed to her by Lin Fei. A hint of joy flickered in her eyes. In this era, online shopping wasn’t very common, such a well-made longsword would cost at least five hundred at minimum, and it was also hard to find a place to buy one. Before, they all used wooden sticks made to look like swords for practice. Naturally, seeing a real sword brought them indescribable joy.

The white longsword had a wooden scabbard, coated with white paint. There were no patterns, just a sleek snowy whiteness without any tassel, and the hilt was wrapped with black non-slip cord. The blade was straight, about a meter long. It weighed about four to five pounds in hand.

"My name is Xu Ruoruo, I am the latest to join," she said, her demeanor changing immediately after receiving the longsword, seeming to also have understood the purpose of her master and senior brother from earlier.

Lin Fei nodded and said, "So, you’re the Fourth Junior Sister. Let’s get this straight in advance, what we are looking for is Actual Combat Sword Technique, not some fancy exhibition routines. The best way to demonstrate this is to have an opponent."

"I’ll do it," the somewhat lively boy stood out. "My name is Lin Yuanshan, I joined a year before Junior Sister."

Lin Fei handed him a longsword as well.

Then the others around them made space for the two to face off.

Yuan Yonglong, worried that Lin Fei might not understand Actual Combat Sword Technique, planned to stand by Lin Fei’s side to explain it to him. After all, real combat sword techniques are not always visually appealing.

In the center, Xu Ruoruo and Lin Yuanshan faced each other. There was no ceremony between them; they both drew their longswords one after another, placing the white scabbards to the side. Then both adopted the same stance, gripping the sword with both hands.

The atmosphere instantly became serious as both held their swords with both hands. As a woman, Xu Ruoruo’s approach was to point her blade directly at her opponent. In contrast, Lin Yuanshan held his sword horizontally to the right side of his body.

Commencing directly with a real swords fight without any protective measures, it was clear that much depended on each person’s grasp and control of their swordsmanship. Yuan Yonglong was prepared to step in and separate them at any moment.

"The essence of our Dragon-Intent Swordsmanship is that all attacks are focused on the front end of the blade, about a dozen centimeters from the tip. Nearly all attacks utilize those edges," Yuan Yonglong explained. "Because holding the sword with two hands provides more strength than one hand, and a sword, being primarily not used for chopping like a saber, emphasizes slashing, picking, and stabbing in Dragon-Intent Swordsmanship. Thus, during fights, clashing of swords is rare, it’s more about dodging and thrusting, with great speed. Also, to achieve the desired effect of a killing move, one rarely hears the whistling sound of the blade. Every stroke of Dragon-Intent Swordsmanship follows the path of least resistance."

Lin Fei nodded, "So you’re saying, in actual combat, the noise will be minimal, except when using killing moves?"

"Yes."

Indeed, the two figures in the arena suddenly drew their swords. Lin Yuanshan’s strikes were merciless, each aimed for his opponent’s vital spots, while Xu Ruoruo seemed to have anticipated his moves. She skillfully dodged the blade and thrust her longsword straight out. After evading, she immediately pointed it downward, simultaneously retreating just enough to avoid her opponent’s attack.

The two exchanged blows, with only the sound of their fluttering garments and the faint whistling of the swords cutting through the air. If they hadn’t been attacking each other so fiercely and rapidly, Lin Fei might have thought they had rehearsed the sequence of movements beforehand.

Within two minutes, Xu Ruoruo’s gaze sharpened, and she suddenly thrust her sword.

With a tearing sound reminiscent of cloth being ripped, her blade stopped less than two centimeters from Lin Yuanshan’s neck.

"I’ve won, Senior Brother Lin," Xu Ruoruo said with a slightly pale face, her chest heaving from the exertion.

Lin Yuanshan smiled wryly and nodded his head.

"Junior Sister is still so formidable."

Clap clap clap...

Lin Fei clapped his hands timely and said with a smile.

"That was splendid, Junior Brother Lin, Junior Sister Xu. Come take a rest first. I’ve got a good sense of your skills now. That last sword move was really brilliant!" His gaze then shifted to the previously silent older senior brother on the side.

After the two stepped down and walked to the side, the last person finally stepped forward.

"My name is Chen Wu." This last participant spoke with a deep voice, taking a white longsword handed over by Lin Fei. Chen Wu had a tall and robust frame, with broad shoulders resembling a bear’s and a tiger’s back. His arms were long enough to reach past his knees, and one could easily see from his eyes the vigor and vitality within him, something an ordinary person would find difficult to confront directly.

Chen Wu glanced at his master, Yuan Yonglong, who nodded back at him slightly.

"Actually, my skills are not as fine as Junior Sister Xu, nor am I as agile as Junior Brother Lin. I’m only somewhat fast when it comes to drawing the sword," he said while pulling out his longsword and tossing the sheath behind him, which his junior sister caught perfectly. Chen Wu then took out a white paper napkin, unfolded it, and gently tossed it forward.

Swish swish swish!

Suddenly, three sharp sounds burst forth in front of Chen Wu. Holding the sword with both hands and with a calm gaze, the paper napkin was instantly sliced into six evenly cut pieces that floated down gracefully.

"I’ve tested my normal sword speed before. I can strike three blows in an instant," he said calmly and confidently, as if the display of skill had been nothing more than a few casual strokes. Yet, it was a move his junior sister had to use all her strength to perform, and he could execute it casually as a normal attack.

Yuan Yonglong asked with a hint of pride, "What do you think? Chen Wu is the strongest in my tutelage. In less than five years, he will surely surpass me."

Lin Fei stared intently at Chen Wu, who met his gaze without any evasion.

Looking at the calm and composed Chen Wu, Lin Fei suddenly felt that the person before him was destined for greatness. This absolute confidence in his own abilities and the overwhelming presence that could make an opponent feel his unshakable strength merely by standing there indicated that this person was born with the potential of a true powerhouse.

"Would you like to join the Swordsmanship Club?" Lin Fei asked softly.

Chen Wu replied calmly, "Of course." He nonchalantly passed the longsword back, fitting it perfectly into the sheath behind him.