Volume 1 Chushan Bandits Chapter 29: Wild Ditch Murder Night
Xu Huai did not go out in the afternoon, but stayed in the yard to practice with Xu Wuliang and get familiar with the new sword.
During sparring, the blade was wrapped with multiple layers of linen to avoid accidental injury, but Xu Huai did not dare to use heavy and powerful horizontal slashing and chopping moves lightly, which limited the advantage of his extraordinary strength.
However, even so, Xu Huai was not at a disadvantage in sparring with Xu Wuliang. It was more that he was not as experienced as Xu Wuliang.
Xu Xiaohuan was a shy person. She had been hiding in the backyard to help her mother clean the house. In the afternoon, she went to the front yard to help her father and Xu Huai clean the room. After that, she relaxed a little and squatted in front of the Chuihua Hall to watch Xu Huai and her father practicing the Fu Mang Dao.
"Xiaohuan has also practiced swordsmanship?" Xu Huai saw that Xu Xiaohuan was watching them practicing swordsmanship with great interest, unlike Liu Qiong'er who was sitting beside them and yawning. It was obvious that she understood the sword moves, so he asked curiously.
Although Xu Xiaohuan was thin and looked malnourished, she was able to help out in the blacksmith shop and take care of the furnace. Most teenagers might not be able to endure such hardship, but Xu Xiaohuan was able to persevere and did not slow down the speed at which her father Xu Wuliang forged iron pieces, and she had quite a bit of strength.
"After she learned martial arts for a few years, her mother was afraid that she would have thick arms and legs and would have difficulty finding a husband, so she refused to allow her to marry him - she is as thin as a piece of firewood, it would be easier for her to find a husband if she could be stronger!" said Xu Wuliang.
"Xiaohuan, catch this knife!" Xu Huai reminded her, and stretched out his foot to hook the iron knife that eliminated him, and flew it towards Xu Xiaohuan.
Xu Xiaohuan squatted under the eaves, saw the iron blade flying, and hit the ground with one hand, but it was the tail of the python tail fist. Xu Huaili was powerful and powerful, and this force could break thick rocks when he struck from the air. Xu Xiaohuan didn't have that much strength, but he turned his body lightly and took the blade in his hand in a flash.
However, Liu Qiong'er, who was sitting next to him, was startled and almost fell off the chair. She put her hands on her hips, pointed at Xu Huai and shouted angrily: "You idiot, just kick the knife over here, aren't you afraid that Xiaohuan will accidentally hurt me!"
Xu Huai chuckled, ignored Liu Qiong'er's complaints, and said to Xu Xiaohuan: "Show me how to use the Fu Mang Knife."
Xu Xiaohuan looked at her father Xu Wuliang timidly, and when she saw her father nod, she tied up her skirt and walked to the yard, using the iron knife to perform each move of the Fu Mang Sword.
Xu Xiaohuan had practiced the Fu Mang Blade skillfully and in a very good manner, but due to his limited strength and lack of unique bravery and murderous aura, he was unable to demonstrate the essence of this military sword, and this could not be compensated by hard work and practice.
Of course, Xu Huai thought that Xu Xiaohuan would stay with Liu Qiong'er as a maid in the future, so it would be most appropriate for her to practice with short blades such as the bag knife and makeup knife, which are the most demanding of agility.
They also installed a Feng Shui bronze mirror on the courtyard wall opposite the street gate in the afternoon, and they needed someone to peek into the alley from behind the crack in the door from time to time. Xiaohuan was the most suitable person to do these things.
In the past year, debt collectors came to the door every now and then, and from time to time someone approached her mother to hint at selling her. Xiaohuan naturally knew all about it and was frightened for a long time. Although Xu Wuliang said today that she was sold to Qinzhai as a slave and wanted her to learn to serve others in the future, the feeling was completely different when she was with her parents and not alone and helpless.
Now that she had something to do, Xu Xiaohuan happily agreed to do it. She stood guard at the front door carefully, and watched the movements outside through the gap in the door from time to time.
Xu Xiaohuan discovered it at dusk. It turned out to be a peddler walking around the streets. He passed by the yard twice in the evening, which was obviously unusual in the quiet Tieshi Alley.
"I'll go and see!" Xu Huai had agreed to be the "oriole" in secret, but when the situation came, Xu Wuliang changed his mind and wanted to go and find a chance to take action himself.
Even if the Tang family still suspected Xu Wuliang, there was no need to be so cautious in sending people to investigate. The disguised peddler was most likely a spy of Hutouzhai or one of the eight assassins.
Although Hutouling is located in a remote and dangerous area, it is only forty miles away from Huaiyuan Town.
The news of Wang Bing's gift of the poem and Liu Qiong'er's redemption from Yuehonglou spread out. According to the time, the assassin should have sent someone to investigate.
Xu Huai wanted to take the lead, so how could he allow Xu Wuliang to take care of him as his underage nephew?
Since the assassin had a detailed understanding of Xu's situation, Xu Huai did not disguise picked up the scabbard with the modified lock, inserted the new knife into it, and walked out regardless of Xu Wuliang's worried face.
…
…
Xu Huai walked out of Tieshi Alley. The peddler was a lean man, about 40 years old, carrying a load of goods on his shoulders and walking in front of him. The top compartment of the load was opened, and several small compartments were divided to display sewing machines, rouge, preserved fruits and other miscellaneous commercial goods for passers-by to see.
It was late spring, and the peddler was wearing a short shirt, with no major flaws in his attire. However, he only called out his wares weakly when Xu Huai walked out of Tieshi Lane.
"Stop it, you peddler !"
Xu Huai stopped the peddler at the entrance of the alley, picked up a handful of fried fruits and put them in his pocket. When he took out copper coins from his pocket, he clumsily brought out a letter, complaining that the last time he was sent to rush to Lutai Village overnight, he fell several times along the way in the dark.
When Xu Huai walked out of Huaiyuan Town, he noticed that the peddler was following him from a distance. He pretended not to know, and as it was getting dark, he quickened his pace and turned south onto the dirt road towards Lutai Village.
Lutai Village is twenty miles away from Huaiyuan Town. There are four or five hills and several streams to cross, and the dirt road is rugged. Even if you are very strong, it will take two hours to travel this distance at a jog.
The peddler followed behind at first, but when he crossed a ridge and came to the Yesenzigou where there were no houses on either side, he called out to Xu Huai:
"The young man in front is also going to Lutai Village?"
Xu Huai stopped by the stream. The crescent moon had risen from the eastern hilltop. The sky and earth seemed to be shrouded in dark purple mist. He saw the peddler carrying a load of goods, walking towards him as if he could not bear the heavy load. "Young man, you are walking so fast. I also want to go to Lutai Village. The journey is not peaceful. I just happen to be with you. I will give you a handful of fried fruit!"
As the peddler spoke, he came closer and put down his carrying pole, but without giving Xu Huai a chance to say a few words, he broke the carrying pole in two, turning it into a four-foot-long blade, and stabbed Xu Huai in the chest.
Xu Huai hated the most those guys who would draw their swords and stab him without saying a few words. He had to fight to the death without even having a chance to say a few words. It was too exciting.
The peddler was definitely strong. When he drew his knife, the blade faced inwards. But when he took a step forward, the blade flipped over as his elbow extended and stabbed towards Xu Huai's chest with extreme sharpness.
The thrusting move of the Fu Mang Sword is similar to this. By taking a step forward and taking advantage of the sword's own length, one can kill a powerful enemy seven or eight feet away in a single step. This is a move in the Fu Mang Sword that is specifically used for stabbing and dealing with fighting, and it is extremely swift and sharp. Similar moves include the pounce and chop.
In a flash, Xu Huai crossed his elbow, and the straight-backed long sword in his right hand was unsheathed. He used his elbow to block the peddler's attack, which he thought was a sure success. He turned around and moved the blade towards the peddler's throat to kill him.
"You are not that idiot of the Xu family?!" It was not surprising that Xu Huai sealed him with a single blow. After all, people who have practiced martial arts would have very quick intuitive reactions.
Even if one's brain is not very bright, as long as one strengthens his muscles and bones and practices boxing and kicking regularly, when faced with a sudden attack, his muscles will have a function that is almost an intuitive reflex.
The stronger your skills, the more obvious and quicker this intuitive reflex will be, so you can be more calm in those sword and gun attacks that are as fast as rain.
The peddler knew that the simpleton from the Xu family had been practicing martial arts since he was young. No matter how stupid or clumsy he was, he had a fifty-fifty chance of taking on his sudden stab. However, after Xu Huai blocked the attack, he turned around and attacked, and his left armpit had to just move away from the enemy's blade that he had blocked to the side. This was not an easy task.
The peddler was shocked, but he didn't slow down either. He raised his hand and held the knife across his body to block Xu Huai's knife attack.
“…”
Xu Huai ignored the peddler. He stared at him with sharp eyes like an eagle. The knife in his hand was like a collapsing mountain, and he swung it towards the peddler's head.
He has been receiving instruction from Lu Xiong for the past two months, and practiced with Xu Wuliang today, but neither can be considered actual combat.
Not to mention that this was a life-and-death fight, even if it was his first actual combat, he would arouse all the fighting spirit in his chest and devote his whole body and mind to the sword.
The Fu Mang Blade does not have too many routines, and its movements of lifting, chopping, stabbing and blocking complement the Fu Mang Fist, and they can even be used in conjunction with each other.
Just like Xu Huaigang put the sharp blade against his elbow to block the enemy's blade and then stabbed the enemy's throat, the Fu Mang Fist can be evolved into a whip and hammer style.
The footwork used in conjunction with the Fu Mang Dao is also very steadfast, and even gives people a feeling of dragging their feet. In fact, swords are the most dangerous weapons in the military formation, and no matter how strong the skills are, one would never dare to test the sharpness of the blade with his flesh.
Therefore, the slashing, chopping, thrusting and stabbing of the Fumang Sword all require quick and decisive strikes and quick withdrawals. The most complex sword moves only contain three to four variations. Playing fancy moves on the battlefield is courting death.
When encountering a fighting enemy, the Fumang Dao can also respond with thrusts, pounces, and slashes, completely abandoning those slutty moves of jumping up and down, moving left and right in the fighting sword technique.
This fighting method may even feel a bit clumsy, but the spare force between drawing and retracting the sword expands and contracts in the body, giving the enemy a sense of oppression and frustration that is like a mountain that cannot be destroyed.
Xu Huai was strong and powerful, with long arms and legs, which made him most suitable for the powerful wielding of the Fumang Sword. The two of them exchanged dozens of sword strikes in the blink of an eye. The peddler was horrified to find that Xu Huai had cut several finger-wide wounds on his right arm and left armpit, with blood oozing out.
Even so, Xu Huai did not try to launch a quick attack in order to end the battle as soon as possible.
Not to mention that sword wounds are prone to infection. How can he explain to others that he returned to the military camp with a body full of sword wounds?
Of course, in the deserted wild creek, he was not afraid that the peddler would turn around and run away with his back exposed.
On the contrary, at this time it was the peddler who was more eager to kill Xu Huai with his sword so as to end the fight before his physical strength was quickly depleted along with the blood flow.
After more than twenty sword attacks, the fight ended with Xu Huai stabbing the peddler in the left chest with a back-cut.
Xu Huaicai took a short breath and realized that sweat was pouring down his back, as if he was immersed in water. The attack might have lasted for forty or fifty breaths, and his physical strength was almost exhausted.
No matter how strong your skills are, it is extremely unrealistic to fight against many enemies alone in this kind of quick attack battle.
On the battlefield, a brave general wearing heavy armor can ignore the fancy swords and spears that are coming at him without threatening him. His more precise pursuit of killing the enemy with one blow is the key to sustaining combat for a longer period of time.
Xu Huai took a few deep breaths, and when he recovered a little, he was about to search the peddler's body when a figure walked out of the night, holding a knife and shouting, "Who?"
