Chapter 49

"Clang, clang, clang!"

The county magistrate, filled with anger, attacked without holding back, delivering three powerful slashes in succession. Zhao Futu did not dodge; he met the attacks head-on. Surrounded by the chaos of battle, any movement could disrupt his formation. After blocking the three slashes, his arms were numb, but his opponent's hands also trembled from the force, and his breathing became slightly disordered.

Zhao Futu took a deep breath, glanced at his opponent, and thought to himself, "He's a skilled fighter! Much stronger than that big boss!"

The saber techniques were fierce and domineering!

After the Qin and Han dynasties in China, the saber gradually began to replace the sword as the primary weapon on the battlefield, while the status of the sword began to decline. Eventually, it became a prop for scholars to show off. In this regard, the evolution of martial arts in the East was similar to swordsmanship in the West. As the saber became the main weapon on the battlefield, the saber techniques, like the Silver Cross Swordsmanship, evolved to be more open, powerful, and aggressive.

The only difference was that the saber was inherently more suitable for slashing, and its attacks were more stable and forceful than sword techniques!

The county magistrate wielded the historically famous ring-pommel saber, which looked similar to a sword but had a thick back and a straight blade. This cold weapon appeared during the Western Han dynasty and rendered the Xiongnu cavalry helpless, known for its dominance and effectiveness in killing, making it the most lethal weapon of the time! The famous Tang saber later evolved from this.

There is a poem that says, "I wield my saber and laugh to the sky, my liver and gallbladder are as firm as two Kunlun mountains!"

The horizontal saber is the most direct evolution of the ring-pommel saber, different from the large sabers commonly seen today. The saber techniques derived from this weapon were even more fierce and domineering. This can be seen in the later Japanese swordsmanship, which inherited the Tang saber and its techniques, evolving into a style that aimed to decide life and death in a few moves!

Therefore, martial arts masters in the later Republic of China period said that Japanese swordsmanship was domineering, but if you could withstand a few moves, they would be the ones courting death!

Due to the nature of the weapon, the saber techniques also corresponded.

...

"Phew!"

Zhao Futu exhaled lightly, stepped forward with his right foot, and bent his body slightly, changing from a one-handed grip to a two-handed grip on the sword.

Against such a skilled opponent, using the one-handed techniques of the Silver Cross Swordsmanship would certainly mean certain death. With no other choice, he had to use the two-handed techniques, using force to counter force, and decide the outcome in a direct confrontation!

In a narrow path, the brave one wins!

On the battlefield, it's all about courage! He had no retreat, and now he didn't need one!

"Roar!" Zhao Futu shouted, counterattacked, and his fine steel long sword drew an arc, delivering a side slash, followed by a horizontal cut, a spinning slash, and a powerful downward strike. The two-handed techniques of the Silver Cross Swordsmanship were deadly, unlike the one-handed techniques, which were designed to counter Muslim cavalry. The Hospitaller knights created these techniques with a "do or die" approach!

If you want to kill a cavalryman head-on, leaving any strength in reserve is courting death!

Western swordsmanship differs from Eastern martial arts; it is simpler, more direct, and more straightforward, without the elaborate and profound techniques. They wouldn't call a downward strike "Force Splitting Huashan" or a straight thrust "Immortal Pointing the Way." Their techniques were simple: slashing, spinning slashes, side slashes, and horizontal cuts. Their skills were hard-earned through relentless practice.

Perhaps due to the lack of corresponding qi cultivation methods, Western swordsmanship masters rarely lived past their forties or fifties, but during their peak, their swordsmanship was not to be underestimated!

Facing the opponent without underestimating or overestimating them, the term "Xiqin" (Western Qin) was a sign of respect from the Han people. [Note: Xiqin refers to Rome.]

An opponent worthy of being called "Qin" should be respected.

...

In fact, the martial arts of the Han people in this era were not as elaborate. The true embellishment of Chinese martial arts began in the Tang and Song dynasties, the era of the most flamboyant and idle scholars. From that time, Chinese martial arts became more profound and mysterious, at least incomprehensible to outsiders, to highlight their own level.

As the weapons clashed with a sharp sound, a crack appeared on Zhao Futu's fine steel long sword.

His opponent also wielded a formidable weapon!

At this moment, the surrounding soldiers began to gather, and the Yellow Turban soldiers who had followed him into the enemy formation were also engaged in a fierce battle. If this continued, everyone here would die!

He gritted his teeth, steeled his resolve, and suddenly, in the midst of the confrontation, he charged directly into his opponent's ring-pommel saber.

"Thud!"

The blade pierced through Zhao Futu's body. In the county magistrate's shocked gaze, his equally skilled opponent suddenly abandoned his long sword and charged into his weapon as if courting death. The blade pierced through Zhao Futu's lung, and for an ordinary person, this would have been a fatal blow, as the punctured lung would cause a loss of strength, which is essentially a flow of qi in the body.

But his body was no longer that of an ordinary person. Although this blow severely injured him, it was not immediately fatal!

The county magistrate was utterly shocked and desperately tried to pull the saber out. In this era, such injuries were almost impossible to treat, so he couldn't understand why his opponent would use such a suicidal tactic! However, an instinctive sense of unease and fear made him want to retreat, as he clearly felt that his opponent was trying to take him down with him!

As he retreated, his momentum weakened. He tried to pull the saber out, but the hilt was gripped by Zhao Futu. Then, Zhao Futu lunged forward, suddenly leaned back, and rammed his head into the county magistrate's face!

This move was not part of any sword technique, and no school of saber techniques would record it.

The full force of the headbutt shattered the county magistrate's face, his brain turned to mush, and he was dazed, unable to orient himself.

"Die!!!"

Zhao Futu roared, like an injured tiger, using all his strength to thrust his fingers into the county magistrate's throat. A jet of blood spurted out, and Zhao Futu's knee, in a sharp crack, slammed into the county magistrate's groin, lifting his body a few feet off the ground, and his eyes turned white!

When he landed, he was already lifeless.

...

"Phew, phew, phew!"

Zhao Futu knelt on the ground, gasping for breath. Blood gushed from his chest, and fragments of his lung were visible. He laughed nervously, then laughed out loud to the sky!

"Ha ha ha!!!"

In this terrifying laughter, he stood up again, looked around, and the soldiers, as if seeing a demon, retreated far back.

Even some of the more timid ones dropped their weapons and fled in terror!

He gripped the sword again, stood up, and looked around, roaring to the sky, "Zhao Futu is here!"

"Who dares to fight me!"

After the life-and-death struggle, he did not feel weak but a more terrifying madness. His fighting spirit rose like a raging flame, and every cell in his body yearned for the thrill of battle!

This was the madness of a man, of a male!

But.

He was disappointed, for the soldiers fled in disarray.

...

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{Piaotian Literature}