Chapter 19

As Zhang Jian knocked down the mountain bear, the admiration in the eyes of the watching warriors began to wane. To Zhang Jian, it was a somewhat burdensome look. Especially, Bi Lang’s bright eyes were hard to meet.

But Jiefeng, who laid the mountain bear under the tree shade, was a bit different. He became serious and asked Zhang Jian,

"Your main weapon is a sword, right? If you had fought with a weapon, the mountain bear would have died, wouldn’t it...?"

Zhang Jian, who was also good with his fists, didn’t bother to deny it. If he had really wielded a sword, they wouldn’t have exchanged blows two or three times. As Jiefeng continued, the other warriors also began to stiffen their expressions.

"The vagrants I saw in the village weren’t martial artists. Are all real martial artists like you?"

Zhang Jian smiled at the stiffening expressions of the warriors.

"Even if I don’t know what level a real martial artist is, I’m not a common warrior."

"Then the martial artists the Central Plains people will bring will be easier than you, right?"

"…I can’t be the absolute standard for martial artists. In the first place, there can’t be an exact ranking in a life-or-death fight with a sword. But, roughly speaking, that’s fine."

Jiefeng crossed his arms and stroked his chin.

"Still, it’s best to use the power of the spirits as a last resort."

"Was that the power of the spirits just now?"

Zhang Jian’s question made Jiefeng chuckle.

"The Central Plains people aren’t the only ones who use mysterious powers."

Zhang Jian tilted his head.

"I didn’t see anything like that from the people of Tianhoucheng."

"Not every tribe can use the power of the spirits. It’s not a power that’s easily granted."

Jiefeng seemed reluctant to explain in detail. Zhang Jian recalled the rebound he felt when he struck the mountain bear with his inner strength, the flow he sensed under his feet, and the meridians he briefly scanned. Even if he didn’t know the exact state of the acupoints, the smooth flow in the twelve main meridians was clearly similar to inner strength. However, he couldn’t feel the dantian, which was strange.

But if they wanted to keep it secret, Zhang Jian didn’t want to pry. He already had his own efforts and abilities to achieve and continue to develop in martial arts. It would be nice to know, but he had many things to realize in the future.

Seeing him seemingly uninterested, Jiefeng asked regretfully,

"Are you curious? Do you want to know?"

Zhang Jian looked at Jiefeng, who seemed absurd, and Bi Lang interjected from the side.

"To use the power of the spirits, you first need to meet a spirit. And when your heart opens with their help, you can accept the power of the spirits and ancestors in the world...”

"Hey! Be quiet!"

She pouted when Jiefeng shouted.

"So what? You can’t meet them anyway if they don’t allow it."

"Still, you shouldn’t just blab about it?"

"Didn’t Uncle want to tell him?"

"No, I... I can’t just meet them even if I want to..."

Zhang Jian watched their conversation, which seemed to be gauging his reaction. It appeared there was some secret unique to this tribe, but it wasn’t something Zhang Jian needed to worry about now.

He spoke up.

"Let’s do what we planned."

"…What we planned?"

Zhang Jian picked up the sword he had set up.

"Didn’t you want to teach me how to deal with martial artists? Let’s do it."

Jiefeng and Bi Lang’s faces became serious. The other warriors, who had been watching their argument with a smile, also became serious.

Zhang Jian sheathed the sword at his waist and distanced himself from the gathered warriors. It was about this length.

"The most dangerous moment for a martial artist is probably the first strike. It’s the moment when inner strength, physical strength, and keen senses converge and explode. That’s why one-on-one duels between martial artists often end in one strike. Life and death can be decided by a difference as thin as a sheet of paper."

Standing at a distance, Zhang Jian looked at the gathered warriors.

"The distance for that one strike is usually about this distance, give or take a few steps. There are martial arts that start from a greater distance or get closer, but those are exceptions."

All the warriors crossed their arms or focused their eyes on Zhang Jian.

"The speed of the mountain bear’s charge just now is the speed of a martial artist’s first strike. It will definitely slow down after that, but the first strike is that fast. I’ll show you once."

Saying that, Zhang Jian turned to a tree on the edge of the clearing. After taking a deep breath, he suddenly drew a white flash.

"Wow..."

"Is it that fast?"

Zhang Jian’s flash cleanly cut through a tree slightly narrower than a person’s waist. As the tree tilted and fell, Zhang Jian sheathed his sword with a clean motion and looked at the warriors.

"The speed itself will be about this level. The power of the sword might vary."

The warriors’ expressions became not just serious but grave. They were losing confidence in their ability to avoid that first strike.

"Then, how do you deal with this first strike? It would be difficult elsewhere, but in this valley, it’s not that hard. Just draw them into the forest."

The warriors, who had been serious, looked puzzled. Jiefeng asked on their behalf.

"What do you mean?"

"The first strike of a martial artist is powerful but very straightforward and simple. While facing a sword, countless principles of martial arts can be derived from tiny angles and small movements, but from a distance, it’s actually very linear. So, draw them into the forest to block that line."

Jiefeng seemed to understand immediately.

"You mean to block the strongest strike of a martial artist. Use trees as shields. Then what’s next?"

Zhang Jian shrugged.

"Well, for ordinary people, the power of the spirits I saw just now should be enough."

"…What if it’s not an ordinary person?"

Zhang Jian’s eyes darkened. He looked around at Jiefeng, Bi Lang, the warriors, and the mountain bear getting up and shaking its head.

"Then you just have to bet your life. Hope that the balance of life tilts a little in your favor."

* * *

The valley tribe, having received Zhang Jian’s advice, decided to ambush in pairs along the path leading to the village. They planned to ambush the Central Plains people as they passed through the forest. In addition to the ambushing warriors, others were setting up traps in the forest. The tribe’s warriors were incredibly agile and light on their feet, almost as if they were flying through the forest.

Meanwhile, Zhang Jian returned to the tent and sat down on the tree stump where he had sat yesterday. He watched Bi Lang silently as she gathered her bow and arrows.

Bi Lang tilted her head at his gaze.

"Why?"

"You’re the youngest among the warriors."

She placed her hands on her hips and smiled.

"Are you underestimating me because I’m young? I’m the fastest among the tribe’s warriors, except for Uncle. Those martial artists will just chase my tail and get hit by my arrows."

It was a plausible scenario. Zhang Jian had studied lightness techniques due to his past life’s memories, but most martial artists practiced to move a few steps faster over short distances rather than long distances.

However, paradoxically, Zhang Jian had reached a higher level of footwork by researching long-distance lightness techniques. The principles of long-distance lightness techniques had paradoxically enhanced short and fast movements. This was the reason he had gained confidence in his martial arts.

"Anyway, aren’t you really curious?"

"About what?"

"About the spirits. Other tribes are curious about how it works. At least our tribe has never told the Central Plains people our secrets."

Zhang Jian smiled at Bi Lang’s peculiar expression.

"Then will you tell me?"

"Hmm... I think... even if I don’t explain, the spirits will probably find you first. They will open your heart, and then you can be called a warrior."

"Open the heart... what does that mean?"

Bi Lang opened her mouth to explain but then closed it, as if something was stuck in her throat. She frowned for a while, then awkwardly smiled and said,

"Opening the heart... means opening the heart...? Honestly, I don’t know. I can only say it’s open."

Zhang Jian shook his head gently and extended his hand.

"Can I see?"

"See? How?"

"Give me your hand."

She hesitated for a moment and then extended her hand. Zhang Jian took her wrist and felt her pulse. An incredibly fine and thin energy traced her meridians through her wrist.

"Hmm."

Zhang Jian understood what she meant by an open heart after feeling her meridians. Her Dantian point, the important meridian in the center of her chest, was brightly open. It wasn’t just a channel for energy; it was like a hole, breathing in and out with the natural energy.

Zhang Jian thought of the term "dantian." A word that barely remained in Daoist sects. The realm of drawing in the vast natural energy and using it as if it were one’s own.

At the same time, Zhang Jian realized that such an open dantian was impossible for him. He had already created a dantian and stored his inner strength in it. If he opened his meridians like Bi Lang—how such a state was possible was beyond his imagination—his inner strength would slowly dissipate through the open meridians.

If his inner strength dissipated, all his martial arts achievements would be in vain. That couldn’t happen. He cleanly let go of any lingering thoughts. He hadn’t helped them with such expectations in the first place.

"…How is it? Can you see it?"

Zhang Jian could see Bi Lang, who was cautiously asking, gauging his reaction. He released her wrist and said casually,

"Hmm. I can’t see it well. And in the future, don’t let martial artists grab your wrist."

"Why?"

"A few experts can render their opponents powerless by grabbing the pulse on the wrist."

"So, you’re one of those experts?"

"I’m a bit different. I realized it on my own, unlike them."

Bi Lang tilted her head and smiled.

"Isn’t that even more impressive? Anyway, don’t let anyone grab your wrist, except for me."

"…Why me?"

She laughed playfully at Zhang Jian and ran into the forest with her quiver. Zhang Jian watched her back and organized his thoughts.

The open dantian wasn’t entirely useless. From the appearance of the mountain bear when it attacked him and the meridians he just examined in Bi Lang, he could get some clues. Just thinking about how the open meridians could strongly draw in energy brought many ideas to mind.

He needed to think more about what he could gain from this, but his martial arts always started with small clues and imagination. Zhang Jian could smile contentedly.

Zhang Jian stayed in the tribe’s village for a few more days.

Jiefeng and One-Eyed Cloud realized he was not just helping but also willing to fight alongside them, and they expressed their gratitude. Jiefeng gave him all the silver coins he had received and the copper coins he had saved.

One-Eyed Cloud even performed rituals day and night in his tent to help Zhang Jian meet the spirits. When the spirits didn’t respond, he continued the rituals for good luck in the future.

The mountain bear, who had been severely defeated, later came to thank him. He was a very straightforward friend, unlike his initial impression. He told Zhang Jian to call him Shan Xiong in the Central Plains style and gifted him high-quality deer skin. Zhang Jian didn’t refuse. The natives’ leather could fetch a good price among the Central Plains people.

On the fourth day, as countless traps were set up along the path to the village, Bi Lang, who was ambushing with Jiefeng in the forest, ran back to the tribe alone.

"They’re here! The Central Plains people are bringing a lot of sword-wielding people up the path!"

"Why are you alone?"

"Uncle is still watching them. Hurry up!"

The village became bustling at her cry. The tribe’s warriors, who were already prepared, quickly left the village. One-Eyed Cloud led the elderly, children, and sick people to hide deep in the valley.

Now, the warriors’ task was to use the forest, traps, and their individual strength to drive away the Central Plains people who were bringing unfair contracts. At least, they planned to make them think twice about crossing the valley with swords again.

Zhang Jian used his lightness technique to rush to the front. He needed to meet the Central Plains people first and confirm something.