Chapter 5

Under the bright moon and sparse stars, in the guest room, Yang Yu lay awake for a long time, then turned over and sat up, taking out the broken sword and began to practice sword techniques.

Speaking of sword techniques, that wasn't quite accurate.

More fundamental than the basics, for example, how to hold the sword.

There were various ways to hold a sword: front grip, reverse grip, left grip, right grip, diagonal grip, and so on. Based on each way of holding the sword, there were basic stances and techniques.

Naturally, Yang Yu held the hilt correctly.

Whoosh~

The broken sword sliced through the moonlight that shone into the room, Yang Yu's eyes were bright, and the many techniques were imprinted in his mind, ready for reference at any time.

"Pity there's no progress bar..."

He slowly and steadily practiced the techniques in his mind, subconsciously glancing at the wall, feeling somewhat regretful.

But before long, he was immersed in it, forgetting all distractions.

Only when his body began to ache did he realize that it was already dawn.

"Has a whole night passed?"

Yang Yu shook his numb hands, feeling a shock.

He was very sure that he had never been this focused before.

In the past, even if he really wanted to accomplish something, he would still get distracted.

Although he wasn't someone who lost interest quickly, he certainly couldn't focus to this extent.

"Did the previous 'refinement' improve my concentration?"

While stretching his muscles, Yang Yu speculated.

Inside the tripod, he didn't feel tired and couldn't keep track of time. Thinking about it now, he must have been practicing for a long time.

Perhaps it wasn't that he had become more focused, but rather that he had developed a 'habit'?

He couldn't help but want to try refining again, but now wasn't the time. If he fell into a coma for a few days, it would be very troublesome.

...

Old Wei's martial arts training had no strict rules, and could even be described as quite relaxed.

When to come, when to leave, and when to practice, Wei He didn't care at all.

Most of the time, he would sit in a large chair, half-asleep, holding an old monkey. But if someone made a mistake, he would promptly scold them.

Yang Yu knew this was inevitable.

Wei He's place wasn't a martial arts school; those who came to learn martial arts were mostly doing so in their spare time, and most of their time was spent working.

Only a few people could come to practice every day for a few hours.

For Yang Yu, coming three to five days a month was already quite good.

"Today, another junior disciple will join. I'll give you a few words of advice."

As soon as Yang Yu entered the courtyard, he heard Old Wei's voice and hurriedly quickened his steps to stand behind his fellow disciples.

Wei He released the old monkey and limped forward, his body rising and falling: "It's said that one should be proficient in unarmed combat before learning weapons, but most of you don't have that luxury. Learning unarmed combat is much more costly than learning weapons..."

Yang Yu listened intently, knowing that Old Wei was speaking to him.

"To practice unarmed combat, not to mention the medicinal wine, ointments, and oils needed, even the daily supplements alone are beyond your means."

Wei He's voice wasn't loud, but everyone in the small courtyard could hear clearly.

Some people nodded in agreement.

But Yang Yu knew that the cost of practicing swordsmanship was also considerable. A regular sword alone would cost three taels of silver.

With his monthly salary from the yamen, he would have to go without food for two years to afford it.

And that didn't include the daily maintenance.

Weapons need maintenance, not just being left aside when not in use and sharpened when needed.

"Since you've joined my school, you should know that I come from the military, starting with beheading. So, what I can teach you is this."

Wei He glanced over his disciples, pausing briefly on Yang Yu.

"What are you talking about, Master? Who in Black Mountain City doesn't know your reputation? If we can learn even a fraction of your skills, we will be greatly benefited!"

Such blatant flattery made everyone look over.

Yang Yu turned his head. The speaker was a middle-aged man with a rugged face and a robust build. He recognized him as Hu Butcher from the outer city, Hu Wan.

One of the few who could come to practice every day.

"Whether on the battlefield or in beheading, you don't need fancy moves. You just need to focus on 'stability, accuracy, and ruthlessness.' With these, standing firm in Black Mountain shouldn't be a problem."

Wei He gestured: "Come here, someone."

"Hey, I'll come!"

The rugged-faced Hu Wan was the first to step forward, grinning foolishly.

But the next moment, his smile froze: "Hey, hey, Master, be gentle..."

"Whoa! What strength!"

Yang Yu was startled. This robust, rugged-faced man must weigh around two hundred pounds.

Yet, Wei He, the withered old man, lifted him by the neck.

"There's no need to elaborate on stability. You've been cutting tofu for years, and most of you have some degree of it. Next, I'll talk about accuracy!"

Wei He held Hu Wan with one hand and gestured with the other:

"A single cut can save three parts of strength, never waste any effort! The human body has over two hundred bones, some hard, some soft..."

"If you fight someone, a cut to the top of the head or the second or third vertebrae will have very different effects!"

Wei He spoke confidently, his eyes brightening as he talked.

"Very reasonable..."

Yang Yu's teeth ached; this old man was definitely a ruthless person.

"Your grip must be stable, and your cuts must be accurate!"

Wei He pointed and explained which bones were hard, which were soft, which could bear force, and which couldn't.

He spoke with authority, but many in the audience, including Yang Yu, felt uneasy.

This was a method of killing, described as if it were chopping vegetables...

"Master, Master, please, put me down..."

After a long teaching session, Hu Wan couldn't take it anymore. His rugged face turned red, and he felt as if his neck wasn't his own.

"You're so young and can't even endure a little hardship!"

Wei He's face darkened, and he threw Hu Wan to the ground.

"Cough! Cough, cough~~~"

The robust man coughed, almost unable to catch his breath, regretting his decision to join in.

"Never mind."

Interrupted, Wei He lost his enthusiasm. He waved his hand and said, "Hu Wan, you're the most idle here. Take your junior disciple, Yang Yu, back."

He paused, then added:

"Have dinner, then go back to your place!"

"Ah?"

Hu Wan was puzzled but quickly agreed when he saw Wei He glaring at him.

"Thank you, Master!"

Yang Yu bowed, feeling grateful.

"Let's go."

Hu Wan rubbed his neck, wincing in pain.

...

"Has this kid not come back all night?"

Outside the inner city gate, a few men squatted by the roadside, extremely agitated.

They hadn't expected that a half-grown boy would dare to wander around in the evening and stay out all night without being driven out by the inner city guards.

"Hey! Sixth Brother, that kid is coming out!"

A slightly thin boy's eyes lit up, looking at the city gate.

"Let me wait for so long, this little brat!"

Wang Liuxiao stood up with a sinister smile.

"Wait, Sixth Brother, wait!"

Just as Wang Liuxiao was about to step forward, he was pulled back by his junior, turning to glare at him.

The small boy swallowed nervously, his legs trembling:

"Look, look at the guy next to the kid. Isn't that Hu Butcher?"