Jinting Han people

Chapter 26: First Sword Fight (4k)

After waking up the next day, Liu Xian fetched water from the stone stream to cleanse his face, then headed to the cave entrance to soak in the spring breeze. A new day dawned, and the rising sun peeked out from between the mountains. Its golden brightness lingered between the earth and the foothills, melting much of the snow in the mountains. In its place, a more vibrant and energetic green emerged. Wild grass seemed to have sprouted and spread overnight. Yesterday, it had been only a finger's length, but today it seemed to be taller than a horse's hoof.

What he admired even more was the blooming of the pear blossoms on the southern slope. Overnight, they resembled a thousand fluttering white butterflies, mirroring the shimmering snow on the distant mountaintops. Combined with the overflowing delicate fragrance, it felt as if he had arrived in a pure land of purity, tranquility, and peace. A brilliant rainbow, crossing several mountain ranges, made him wonder if there were truly celestial beings gazing down upon the world below.

Liu Xian, moved by his feelings, took out a bamboo flute given by Little Ruan Gong and began to play to the beautiful scenery. He didn't know many tunes, but he played "Small Bridge and Flowing Water". The melody was light and melodious, like the singing of orioles, leaping for joy. Some sparrows actually flew up to the nearby branches and chirped incessantly at him.

It can be imagined that Liu Xian was extremely happy at that time. But when he turned around, he encountered a young face covered with gloom. It was Wang Zhou.

Wang Zhou, clutching the Fubo Sword, was shaking with excitement, his eyes filled with anger and exhaustion. It was clear he had just made an important decision.

Liu Xian had anticipated this situation. He responded to the other party's gaze and waited for the next speech.

As expected, Wang Zhou said word by word: "Liu Piji, I want to duel with you!"

As a descendant of Wang Shen, Duke of Boling, one of the Eight Founding Dukes of the Western Jin Dynasty, and the eldest son of Wang Jun, the current Duke of Boling, Wang Zhou lived a mere thirteen years, yet he already possessed wealth and prosperity beyond the reach of ordinary men. His sword was a rare, two-hundred-year-old sword, his mount a hundred-gold-dollar snow-capped black horse, and his guards were the most discerning of the Youyan armored warriors.

But this is just a drop in the bucket of the government's financial resources. What is really important is the huge power network of the Boling government.

By utilizing the favor of marriage, various prominent families of the time, such as the Cui family of Qinghe, the Hua family of Pingyuan, and the Zao family of Yingchuan, all followed the orders of the Boling Duke's Mansion. Not to mention that there were also family members such as Wang Hun, Wang Shen, Wang Lun, and Wang Zhan holding important positions in the court. Even in front of the emperor, Wang Zhou could hold his head high, and no one ever said a word to him.

But just yesterday, Liu Xian had taken Wang Zhou's sword and called him a "pigherd slave." This was the greatest humiliation Wang Zhou had ever experienced. When it happened, Wang Zhou was completely stunned, his mind blank. He couldn't imagine how someone could treat him like this. After years of sword training, he had never faced a true enemy. When Liu Xian raised his sword to strike, Wang Zhou's entire body was frozen by the sight of the snow-white blade, unable to even flex or extend a finger. He had no memory of what happened next, and only when Liu Xian returned the sword did he wake up from his dream.

On the way back, Wang Zhou wanted to explode, but he didn't know how. First, having his sword taken away by Liu Xian, who was two years his junior, it felt undignified to say so. Second, he still felt a lingering fear, making it difficult for him to look Liu Xian in the face. But after returning to the cave, Wang Zhou, once the shock had subsided, began to toss and turn again, unable to fall asleep.

Could this incident just be ignored? Wang Zhou kept replaying the scene late into the night. He wasn't a stingy person; his parents described him as a man of chivalry, yet at this moment, a knot in his throat clung to him. After a long pause, Wang Zhou suddenly understood. While he resented Liu Xian for humiliating him, he loathed himself even more for letting fear take over. He was two years older than this fallen duke, clearly possessing the advantage in both size and strength. So why had he remained so frozen in time, letting him manipulate him?
Wang Zhou couldn't swallow this anger. All night, doubt, pain, and hatred simmered deep within his chest, forcing him to do something, to release all these emotions. Only then could he be himself again, Wang Zhou, the Prince of Boling. And after Liu Xian's flute music, Wang Zhou finally erupted, challenging Liu Xian to a duel.

"We're having a sword fight here, just the two of us, to decide the outcome in an upright manner." After saying the first sentence, Wang Zhou felt relieved, and his fighting spirit was ignited. His subsequent words became more and more fluent. "Whether we win or lose, what happened last night is written off!"

Still a teenager, his words were frank, unconcerned with worldly wisdom and human feelings; he simply wanted to fight. He let loose all his emotions, as if a fight would resolve them, and he could let them go. In his later years, when Liu Xian recalled his duels, he often felt nostalgic for this youthful sword fight, as it was something he would rarely encounter again in the adult world.

Liu Xian, of course, hadn't yet learned to reminisce; he was only excited. For a swordsman, after years of diligent practice, the most frustrating thing is not having a chance to wield the sword. Liu Xian was no exception. He had studied swordsmanship with Little Ruan Gong, but none of his peers were skilled swordsmen, leaving him with few opportunities to wield the sword. Now, someone had finally offered him a duel; how could he refuse?

So he replied very briefly with one word: "Okay!"

Liu Xian had just agreed to a duel with Wang Zhou, and needless to say, all the young men on the hunt knew about it. Their attitudes were similar: first, they were incredulous, then burst into laughter. Jia Mi, for example, asked bluntly, "What's the point of competing?" In his opinion, Wang Zhou's advantage was too obvious, and his victory was a foregone conclusion.

Shi Chao actually thought the same thing, but since this was a matter of personal dignity, it was not appropriate for others to interfere. As a friend, he could only speak up for Liu Xian. He said, "A sword fight isn't a contest of strength. It's not that simple."

But no matter what they said or thought, no one was unwilling to witness the sword fight, so the young men gathered around without any prior arrangement.

Under the gaze of the young men, Liu Xian and Wang Zhou each walked out of the cave and stopped at the pool where they came from.

Of course, there are no rules or protection in the young people's fencing competition. They just find an open and suitable place for fencing. In order to avoid any serious accidents, two people fight with wooden swords that are similar to wooden sticks, and then fight until one of them voluntarily admits defeat.

Liu Xian stood still, raised his wooden sword, and assumed a mid-fight stance. Seeing that Wang Zhou across from him was also ready, he asked, "Wang Hutou, shall we begin?"

Wang Zhou was also sizing up Liu Xian. Comparing their figures and stances, he felt a clear victory was within his grasp. His confidence surged, and he no longer felt the slightest bit of the fear he had felt the night before. He shouted, "Alright! Come on!"

After saying that, he stood up and slid forward, instantly closing the distance between the two of them to just a few inches, and swung the wooden sword straight towards Liu Xian's head.

Wang Zhou didn't know Liu Xian's swordsmanship skills, but given their size, there was no doubt that Liu Xian was weaker than him. So, facing Liu Xian's mid-sword defensive stance, he still chose the easiest to defend head-on. That way, even if Liu Xian tried to block his sword, Wang Zhou could leverage his strength advantage to instantly secure victory. Defeating Liu Xian in this fair and square manner was a perfect way to avenge the humiliation he had suffered the previous night.

His sword thrust out like lightning, and Liu Xian instantly understood his intention and reacted accordingly. Liu Xian's feet remained stationary, his body swaying back and forth, instantly moving forward and backward at such speed that Wang Zhou's wooden sword barely grazed his collar as it slashed down in front of him. Simultaneously, he shifted his two-handed grip from the wooden sword to one, raising it from one side to overhead before returning to a two-handed grip. Using the swaying force of his waist, he also slashed down with the sword.

"Missed?" Wang Zhou had expected a sure-fire strike, but Liu Xian's dodging was a complete surprise. Seeing Liu Xian's sword strike arrive after him, aiming for a chop on his head, Wang Zhou had no choice but to stop his sword and duck sideways, instantly losing his advantage.

After dodging, Wang Zhou retreated in quick succession, a move his teacher had taught him: avoid being entangled after losing the initiative. But Liu Xian's response again surprised him. He made no attempt to pursue, but returned to mid-sword position, sword in hand, anticipating Wang Zhou's next move. Wang Zhou realized he had been a bit pedantic. Liu Xian's strength was inferior to his, which meant his offensive wouldn't be sustainable. If he chose to engage, even if he was temporarily passive, as long as his strength was slightly depleted, he could still seize the initiative and ultimately win. So Liu Xian decisively chose to abandon the fight, waiting to see if he would reveal further weaknesses. What a calm judgment! Wang Zhou realized the gap between actual combat and his teachings, and couldn't help but admire Liu Xian.

At the same time, Liu Xian was also sighing inwardly: Wang Hutou has great strength! If he fights head-on and consumes energy for a long time, he will definitely lose! If he wants to win, he will probably have to fight quickly and decisively.

He recalled what Little Ruan Gong had taught him: When there is a huge disparity in power, the trick to a quick victory is to lure the opponent into attacking, disrupt the opponent's rhythm, and win with the last move.

Thinking of this, Liu Xian gave up holding the sword in the middle, and instead pointed the sword tip directly at Wang Zhou, slightly raising it upwards in a provocative gesture.

Wang Zhou was also a little annoyed by this. He actually saw through Liu Xian's strategy, but after much thought, he couldn't think of a good way to deal with it. He was older than Liu Xian, so there was no reason to maintain a stalemate. Even if he won, he would be ridiculed. So after a brief consideration, he shrank back slightly, gripping the hilt of his sword at his waist. At the same time, he suddenly roared at Liu Xian: "Ah ...

He was trying to intimidate Liu Xian while simultaneously boosting his own fighting spirit and momentum. This was a common tactic used in sword fights. When faced with a loud roar, one tends to be at a loss, and attacking at this moment greatly increases the chances of victory.

Sadly, while the young men watching were startled, Liu Xian remained unmoved. He had heard countless screams from countless others when he was haunted by the ghost in his dreams, and Wang Zhou's roar was nothing compared to that.

By this time, Wang Zhou's fighting spirit had reached its peak. He couldn't wait any longer; he had to draw his sword, otherwise his energy would have been wasted. Using the power he had just accumulated, Wang Zhou lunged forward like a leopard, the wooden sword in his hand taking advantage of the momentum and stabbing forward directly.

At the same time, Liu Xian also jumped forward to meet him as he took a step forward - taking the enemy by surprise was the key to turning the situation around at the most dangerous moment!
Liu Xian's quick and proactive approach almost caused Wang Zhou to misjudge the distance between them, and his timing was delayed. However, he still reacted in time, adjusted the direction of the wooden sword in his hand, and continued to stab at Liu Xian's chest, while shouting loudly: "Break! Break!"

Liu Xian remained silent, staring intently at the tip of the sword that was coming at him, and suddenly stabbed out with his sword.

There was a teeth-grinding friction sound, and Wang Zhou's stab hit the hilt of Liu Xian's sword, which slid to the side. The tip of Liu Xian's sword also deviated, and the blade flew past Wang Zhou's neck.

The two men crossed each other, and the outcome was almost decided.

Liu Xian rushed forward a few steps before stopping. Although Wang Zhou had stopped, he couldn't help but stand there in a daze. He turned around, stroking his neck with lingering fear, and sincerely praised Liu Xian: "Good boy! You really have a trick!"

Liu Xian smiled, his hands holding the sword trembled slightly, and his palms felt numb. He thought: If the next strike cannot decide the outcome, I will definitely lose.

By this time, the young men watching understood. Although most of them didn't know swordsmanship, they understood the situation clearly: the two sides were evenly matched, a fierce contest. Furthermore, both clashes had a dynamic beauty that perfectly suited the young people's tastes. Therefore, they stopped sneering and began to applaud and cheer.

Having already decided to strike the final blow, Liu Xian finally took the initiative. However, he didn't choose to attack head-on like Wang Zhou. Instead, he straightened his upper body and took a step to the left, then suddenly a step to the right, making a small half circle between the two steps.

This might not seem like a big deal to others, but in the eyes of the opponent, it could easily mislead the opponent's judgment. However, Wang Zhou was no novice in swordsmanship. He keenly judged the correct direction of Liu Xian's attack and then suddenly twisted his body to cut back, breaking the attack with a cut. This was a finishing move that took advantage of the opponent's attack and anticipated the enemy's attack.

Wang Zhou's strike was extremely swift. If it had hit Liu Xian, he would probably have dropped his sword immediately, which meant admitting defeat on the spot.

But unfortunately, this was still just a flaw that Liu Xian deliberately exposed. He took the initiative to attack in order to trick Wang Zhou into using his sword.

Because the slashing sword move was the most difficult to change direction, Wang Zhou couldn't change direction. Liu Xian's slashing sword move was devoid of sincerity. The moment Wang Zhou swung his sword, he smoothly cut a semi-arc, transforming the slashing sword move into a thrust, piercing Wang Zhou's wrist. Simultaneously, Liu Xian's body rapidly pivoted backwards, using his left foot as the axis. Separately, he lifted his right foot and kicked Wang Zhou directly at the knee!
With a loud bang, Wang Zhou fell to the ground before anyone could see what had happened. The wooden sword in his hand flew out of his hand and flew into the nearby pool of water. Liu Xian, on the other hand, leaned on the wooden sword and gasped and trembled. Others didn't know, but he knew full well that his movements, while seemingly smooth, had been an exhausting effort. If he had to do it again, he wasn't sure he could pull it off. This was truly a hard-earned victory.

He wasn't defeated by the huge gap in physical fitness. Instead, he took the initiative, tricking his opponent with a series of feints, and finally succeeded in landing a successful blow. It was such a relief! This also indirectly proved that his understanding of swordsmanship far surpassed Wang Zhou's!
Wang Zhou lay on the ground in a daze for a moment before finally understanding what had happened. He stared at his empty hands and muttered, "I lost?" As the reality dawned on him and he recalled Liu Xian's decisive strike, Wang Zhou couldn't help but burst into laughter. He stood up and praised Liu Xian wholeheartedly, "Liu Piji, excellent swordsmanship! As agreed, win or lose, last night's events are written off."

Wang Zhou's happiness also made Liu Xian lose his mind for a moment. He loosened his hand on the wooden sword, held Wang Zhou's hand and said, "It was just a fluke. I was very rude last night, please don't take it to heart."

There's a saying in later generations: "No fight, no acquaintance." This was the case with Liu Xian and Wang Zhou. A single duel often reveals a person better than a thousand words. During this duel, Liu Xian felt Wang Zhou's honesty and generosity, while Wang Zhou recognized Liu Xian's calmness and tenacity. This was enough to convince both of them and resolve the previous night's disagreement.

The fencing competition was over, and the young men who had been with them gathered around and started to make noises, some mocking, some praising, and some joking. To them, this was an interesting thing worth remembering, but in fact, they would forget it after a few days.

Liu Xian thought so too, but when he was packing his clothes and luggage, he accidentally caught a look that made him suddenly shudder.

Liu Xian looked up again and found Jia Mi sitting on a rock, staring at him silently. He was smiling, his eyes naked and undisguised, like a vulture examining carrion. Seeing Liu Xian notice him, he not only didn't shy away, but laughed even more unscrupulously.

What was he thinking? Liu Xian couldn't figure it out, but he suddenly had a premonition that he was in big trouble.

　I'm currently testing the waters for this update. It's very important to keep reading. I hope everyone will read and vote. Your support is my motivation to update. Thank you~
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(End of this chapter)