Chapter 19

Xu Fengnian really picked up the martial arts he once despised the most, but before he learned swordsmanship, he first learned the art of the saber.

Of course, he learned from the old man with white hair, Lao Kui.

Lao Kui was about to leave the mansion to wander the martial world, already itching to challenge the ten great masters who squatted in the latrine but didn't defecate much. After dealing with the nine behind, he would then challenge the old monster Wang.

Lao Kui despised this old man the most. If you're the best in the world, just be the best; why pretend to be second? What a pretentious and hateful act! The old man, who was gnawing on a lamb leg, burst into a wild laugh when he heard that Xu Fengnian wanted to learn the saber from him, spewing bits of lamb all over the ground. Seeing that the young master was serious about the saber, Lao Kui threw away the lamb leg, and with his greasy hands, caressed the large, crimson saber he had asked a master to engrave into his琵琶骨 (clavicle) in his youth. He asked, "Why should grandpa teach you?"

Xu Fengnian replied, "I'll have Xu Xiao invite Wei Beishan, who uses the horse-chopping saber, to Beilu to spar with you. One every year until I master the saber."

Lao Kui praised him for his grand gesture, looked up at Xu Fengnian with a strange smile, and asked, "Kid, tell grandpa why you want to learn the saber. Isn't the 300,000 iron cavalry of Beilu enough for you to show off?"

Xu Fengnian drew Xiudong, flicked it with his finger, and grinned, "Those sabers and spears, in the end, belong to others. I need to find one that suits me."

Lao Kui pursed his lips, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, but only asked Xu Fengnian to lift Xiudong with one arm for half an hour, without tilting the blade. Otherwise, even if he invited the old monster, he wouldn't take this cheap disciple. In the end, Xu Fengnian fainted on the spot after an hour, but Xiudong never tilted, not even a tremble.

Lao Kui stared at the fallen young master, walked over, and pinched the stiff, iron-like right arm of the young man, marveling at his find.

In the following days, Lao Kui did not teach Xu Fengnian any profound or mysterious techniques, but only had him repeat four dull movements: straight thrust, diagonal slash, vertical chop, and back sweep. Three thousand thrusts, three thousand slashes, four thousand chops, and four thousand sweeps.

Lao Kui thought this young man, accustomed to luxury, would at least ask a few questions, but Xu Fengnian did not. Instead, he practiced the saber every dawn in a secluded courtyard and left late at night, never parting from Xiudong. This made Lao Kui quite depressed but also curious. Xu Fengnian not only showed strong willpower but also a solid foundation in saber handling. Could it be that the young master had been carefully trained by military generals before? Had he learned military saber techniques for self-defense? During this period, Lao Kui deliberately made things difficult for Xu Fengnian, making him practice the dull saber techniques. Half of it was to see if the young man would give up, as there were no shortcuts in saber techniques. The other half was genuine, as the first step in learning the saber was to master the grip. If you couldn't hold the saber firmly, you wouldn't be using it but being dragged by it. Even with a stack of supreme saber manuals, you would only perform flashy but ineffective techniques, and in a real fight, you would be doomed.

The first day of practicing the saber coincided with the Great Heat.

After the Great Heat came the Beginning of Autumn.

Xu Fengnian always practiced the saber bare-chested, and his once smooth skin, nurtured by a life of luxury, turned a bronze color, becoming even more robust. If he had a few scars, he would be indistinguishable from a seasoned soldier.

But his saber techniques were far from proficient.

After the White Dew, Autumn Equinox, and Cold Dew came the Frost's Descent.

The four thousand sweeps became six thousand.

Xu Fengnian finally asked his first question, "The saber is the soul of all weapons, emphasizing bold and sweeping movements, but the back sweep is a defensive technique. Why do I have to practice it more?"

Lao Kui smiled, "There are too many fearless saber practitioners, but the fearless ones are the easiest to die. The most powerful back sweep technique in the world is still a back sweep. There's no good saber technique that always takes lives. Grandpa's wisdom comes from a trip around the gates of hell. Learn from it."

The armory had a mountain of saber manuals, but from the first day Xu Fengnian started practicing, he never set foot in Tingchao Pavilion, which martial artists considered a holy place.

Lao Kui was very pleased by this.

The path of the saber is not like the celestial path practiced by the young master of Wudang. The most important thing is to chip away at it like water eroding stone. After some initial success, how to choose complementary techniques and cultivate both internally and externally, Lao Kui was not worried about. The Butcher Xu Xiao had plenty of unconventional methods. The question was whether the young master, accustomed to luxury, could last until then?

After the Beginning of Winter, until the Great Cold, even when the lake froze, Xu Fengnian was taken by Lao Kui to practice the saber underwater, holding his breath for longer and longer periods. His saber techniques did not improve, but he developed a good water sense.

Recently, several bands of bandits had emerged outside the city, daring to cause chaos under the nose of the Grand Pillar. This was like digging a hole on the head of a powerful official. However, it was rumored that these bandits were not crushed by the Beilu cavalry but were slaughtered by a masked saber practitioner. The city's idle onlookers, after applauding, always said it was a pity that the young master, who had been silent for half a year, did not see it, or he would have given a generous reward. As for the city's nobles, they were all puzzled. Not only did they wonder who the mysterious saber practitioner was, but also where the bandits came from. While the Grand Pillar's rule was not perfect, it was hard to believe that the rumors of Northern barbarians infiltrating Beilu were true.

On the 28th of the lunar month, Xu Fengnian followed the Grand Pillar to Jiu Hua Mountain, the bodhimanda of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, to ring the bell after his coming-of-age ceremony.

Dismounting and climbing the mountain, they spent the night in the Thousand Buddha Pavilion on the mountain top. Xu Fengnian took the opportunity to read a thick letter sent by a Daoist from Longhu Mountain. He smiled, seeing that Huang Man'er, upon seeing the mountain covered in hawthorns, had picked them by the handful and brought them back to his master's residence, filling the courtyard. The respected Daoist, who had high status on the mountain, did not dare to scold him but only explained that hawthorns do not last long after being picked and suggested waiting until they went down the mountain to pick them again, almost getting his house torn down by Huang Man'er.

Xu Xiao had not fallen asleep and entered the room, glancing at the Xiudong saber on the table, holding another letter from his second daughter, Xu Weixiong. The Grand Pillar said with a bitter face, "Your second sister scolded me in her letter."

Xu Fengnian laughed and asked, "Just because I'm learning martial arts and the saber?"

Xu Xiao sat down and sighed, "If you keep practicing, she might run back from Shangyin Academy to scold me in person."

Xu Fengnian, not looking at the letter, said with a sense of schadenfreude, "What did she say?"

Xu Xiao squinted, "She asked me, what's the point of being the best with a saber?"

Xu Fengnian thought for a moment and said, "Just tell her it can strengthen the body and prevent it from being drained by beauty."

Xu Xiao was puzzled, "Isn't that a bit childish?"

Xu Fengnian confidently said, "To deal with your second sister, you need to use this kind of approach. Otherwise, how can you argue with her about big principles?"

Xu Xiao gave a thumbs up and flattered, "This saber wasn't learned in vain!"

On the morning of the 29th.

The mountain was shrouded in mist.

Xu Fengnian placed his hands on the hilt of Xiudong, gazing into the distance.

After the Beginning of Winter, those bandits were arranged by his father, Xu Xiao, as "wooden stakes" for practicing the saber. Xu Xiao gave no hints, but Xu Fengnian naturally guessed that they were mostly death-row prisoners from the Beilu army. Xu Xiao's military discipline was extremely strict, with clear rewards and punishments. Even his adopted son, Chen Zhiliao, was publicly flogged into a bloody mess for breaking the law. If not for this, the literati in the capital would not have spread the rumor that Beilu only recognized the tiger talisman and not the imperial seal.

These temporary bandits, though not trained in orthodox martial arts, had skills honed on the battlefield, being strong and ruthless, with the characteristic fearlessness of the Beilu cavalry. They were the best for Xu Fengnian to practice his direct and brutal saber techniques. Lao Kui watched as Xu Fengnian eliminated three groups and then stopped paying attention, only giving the locations and letting Xu Fengnian go alone. After the first group, Xu Fengnian was hit by six sabers, five light and one heavy, the one on his back not fatal. He lay in the blood, still holding the saber, and was carried back to the mansion by Lao Kui. For the subsequent groups, Xu Fengnian fought while injured, and Lao Kui never gave him a chance to slack off or complain. No other high-ranking martial artists in the mansion would dare to treat the young master, whose status was comparable to imperial kin, in such a manner. The dangers of fighting bandits to practice the saber were not something to be shared with outsiders.

Xu Fengnian closed his eyes and slowed his breathing.

He thought about whether it was time to start internal cultivation. No matter how dominant external saber techniques were, they would be like a child's play against a truly well-rounded master. However, internal cultivation required a step-by-step approach, with the body's meridians and acupoints being refined and connected like an army's formation. The Wudang, known for its internal cultivation, especially those with talented disciples and guiding masters, practiced every day to achieve a state of harmony with the natural order. Internal strength was not like food that could be stuffed into the stomach to fill it. Where could Xu Fengnian find the precious internal strength that required decades of refinement? Should he go to Tingchao Pavilion to find some unconventional methods? Xu Fengnian frowned, opened his eyes, and saw the sea of clouds and heard the pine waves, feeling refreshed. He thought of the old owner of Xiudong, wondering when the white fox-faced beauty would ascend to the third floor. Would she think the saber was given to the wrong person?

That year, in the heavy snow, the white fox-faced beauty drew her saber on the lake, truly displaying the essence of a fierce saber.

Xu Fengnian knew the vast difference, but he did not lose heart. An old man with a missing front tooth but always smiling had once said, "Passing gas after a full meal is quite comfortable, but it's better to let it out gradually, one after another, for a more pleasant experience."

His current method of practicing the saber was the most straightforward.

It was time to ring the morning bell.

Due to his saber practice, Xu Fengnian's bell ringing was loud and clear.

A total of 108 bell sounds were heard throughout the day.

Qi Dangguo, who was in charge of the Beilu army, had a strange expression. The other adopted sons, Yao Jian and Ye Xixiang, exchanged surprised smiles. The fat ball, Chu Lushan, almost popped his eyes out. As for the little Butcher, Chen Zhiliao, and Zuo Xiong, Yuan Zuozong, who were inspecting the border, did not appear.

The group walked down Jiu Hua Mountain, and the Grand Pillar slowly said, "If you really want to practice martial arts, there are some unconventional methods known by the high-ranking martial artists in the mansion. It's up to you whether you can put aside your pride."

Xu Fengnian laughed, "What pride do I have to put aside?"

The Grand Pillar looked far into the distance at Wudang Mountain, squinting, "That's good."