Tap, tap, tap, tap!
On the training ground, wooden swords clashed repeatedly. Lin Qiye held one hand behind his back and the sword in his right hand, moving forward step by step with steady strides.
Opposite him, Baili Pangpang retreated in a panic, wildly swinging his wooden sword, barely managing to parry.
With a flick of his wrist, Lin Qiye easily deflected the wooden knife from Baili Pangpang's hand. Then, he took a step forward, the wooden knife hovering near Baili Pangpang's neck.
"You're too strong, I can't beat you!" Baili Pangpang threw down the wooden sword in his hand, sat down panting, and said in frustration.
"It's not that I'm strong, it's that you're too weak," Lin Qiye said truthfully.
Cao Yuan, who couldn't touch the knife, sat silently to the side, resting his chin on his hand as he watched the fight between the two. Upon hearing Lin Qiye's words, he nodded in deep agreement.
Baili Pangpang:...
"Baili Tuming, your foundation is too weak. Go practice the basics with them first," Instructor Han Li said to Baili Pangpang as he stepped forward.
With a long face and dejected expression, Baili Pangpang joined the basic team next to him.
"Lin Qiye..." Instructor Han Li frowned slightly, "Although your foundation is very solid and your swordsmanship is very skilled, I always feel that something is missing."
"What's missing?"
"Your sword has the form but no soul." Instructor Han Li organized his words. "Your sword is too rigid. It may be able to deal with some people with average skills, but it will struggle against a true master."
"How about we practice together?"
Instructor Han Li took a wooden sword from the shelf next to him, stood casually in front of Lin Qiye with his hands hanging down at his sides.
Lin Qiye nodded, seriously assumed a fighting stance, and suddenly swung out the wooden sword in his hand!
Tap, tap, tap—!
Instructor Han Li's seemingly relaxed stance suddenly became ethereal, and the wooden sword in her hand slashed out like a ghost, easily blocking Lin Qiye's attack.
After deflecting three consecutive blows, Instructor Han Li narrowed his eyes, and the wooden sword in his hand seemed to come alive, floating out like a snake and striking Lin Qiye's wrist.
With a soft sound, Lin Qiye's wooden sword slipped from his hand and fell to the side.
Lin Qiye was stunned.
Unlike the previous swordsmanship demonstration, where Instructor Han Li practiced with him to teach the recruits fixed swordsmanship techniques, and slowed down the pace to make it clearer for everyone to see, Lin Qiye had learned this swordsmanship from Chen Muye, so he could easily parry it.
But this sparring session was completely different.
Instructor Han Li unleashed four consecutive strikes, with absolutely no discernible pattern. Moreover, the wooden sword in his hands seemed to possess a life of its own, moving with terrifying agility.
In contrast, Lin Qiye's swordsmanship was particularly rigid.
"Did you feel it?" Instructor Han Li picked up the wooden sword for him and asked.
"Hmm." Lin Qiye frowned in thought. "But how can I practice to overcome this rigidity?"
Instructor Han Li paused for a moment, then said, "Actually, although this problem is serious, it is not irreparable. It just requires a lot of time. Many martial arts masters in the mortal world are like this; as long as they practice diligently for twenty or thirty years, they can reach a very high level."
Upon hearing the words "twenty or thirty years," Lin Qiye's expression turned somewhat unpleasant.
"However, I think the root cause is not here," Instructor Han Li continued.
"What is that?"
"Have you ever thought that you're actually not suited to using a sword? Or rather, not suited to using this kind of sword?" Instructor Han Li looked into his eyes.
Lin Qiye was taken aback.
"To be honest, your talent for using a sword isn't that high. The truly talented people, even if it's their first time touching a knife, even if they wield it clumsily, will possess an indescribable charm..."
"Unfortunately, I don't see that in you."
Instructor Han Li continued, "Of course, I'm not saying you don't have the talent. Among so many people in the world, there aren't many who truly possess innate talent. As long as you practice diligently, you will still achieve something in your swordsmanship. However, if you want to reach a higher level, it will be very, very difficult."
"What I've been saying all this time is to remind you that you might be able to find a path that's more suitable for you."
"A path that suits me better..." Lin Qiye murmured to himself.
Instructor Han Li patted him on the shoulder, "Think it over carefully yourself. I'll go check on the others first."
After the instructor left, Lin Qiye stood there alone, knife in hand, seemingly deep in thought.
He instinctively glanced over at Lin Xi Chen as she practiced with the dummy, varying her hand positioning with each thrust. She could even switch hands while wielding the sword. Occasionally, she would try out the grip style used by Levi from the manga they used to read, and it actually worked.
Indescribable charm huh... It is true that Lin Xi Chen is a bit clumsy, but the way she holds her sword and her movements are captivating to watch.
A path that suits me better....
.....
After the first day of hell, the following days were much better. Not only did the cafeteria's food become more palatable, but the frequent and abusive physical punishments also disappeared.
Even so, the instructors' daily varied physical training exercises still made the new recruits suffer terribly.
After finishing a day of training, Lin Qiye slowly climbed into bed. As soon as he closed his eyes, his thoughts became chaotic.
His mind kept replaying Instructor Han Li's four slashes, and his own stiff parrying movements...
Perhaps he was right; he was indeed not suited to using a knife. But he still found it hard to accept spending over twenty years practicing with a sword.
If he gives up using a sword, then... where does his path lie?
In a daze, Lin Qiye fell asleep.
In his dream, he once again recalled the fear of being dominated by Chen Muye.
In the underground training ground, Chen Muye wielded two swords, his swordplay as fierce as a whirlwind, pressing Lin Qiye so hard he could barely breathe. Lin Qiye could only barely block a few attacks before enduring the pain of the wooden swords striking his body.
This time, however, he did not choose to run away.
His eyes widened as he used his mental power to carefully track Chen Muye's sword, noting where it began and where it would fall...
Gradually, the underground training ground disappeared, and Chen Muye's face became increasingly blurry. Only the two wooden swords in his hands remained, each move and stance deeply imprinted in his heart.
No wonder Lin Xi Chen's movements seemed somewhat familiar; she had been thoroughly trained in the techniques by Chen Muye. She had adapted them to better suit her own physique and preferences, creating a style that was unique yet equally effective.
Suddenly, Lin Qiye opened his eyes!
He sat up in bed, his eyes as bright as the moonlight outside the window. After hesitating for a moment, he dressed and quietly pushed open the door and went out.
With the [Starry Night Dancer] buff, Lin Qiye remained completely silent even as he walked. Like a ghost in the dead of night, he quietly drifted across most of the training camp and arrived at the empty training ground.
He walked to the martial arts stage, reached down from the shelf and took down two wooden swords. He slowly closed his eyes, and Chen Muye's swordplay automatically appeared in his mind...
He moved.
Under the night sky, in the moonlight,He wielded two swords, like a fluttering midnight butterfly, agile yet subtly enchanting.
He opened his eyes, his pupils shining like stars!
...
"Achoo!!"
At the Peace Agency, Chen Muye suddenly sneezed.
Wu Xiangnan, who was watching TV on the sofa, tilted his head and asked, "Have you caught a cold?"
"It doesn't seem like it."
"Doesn't a dozen sneezes in a row seem like it?"
"I think someone might be missing me," Chen Muye said earnestly.
Wu Xiangnan rolled his eyes.
"Nonsense."