Jinting Han people

Chapter 72 Sword Heart (4k)

In the dim light, heavy rain covered the sky. The fire, the noise, the thunder, all disappeared at this moment. Only the endless sound of rushing water was left. It seemed that the outside of Chongqi Tower had been isolated from the world, a world of its own.

Liu Xian narrowed his eyes and looked at the swordsman holding a sword opposite him. At the first glance, Liu Xian knew that this person was a good swordsman.

Zhao Hei's stance seemed casual, but in reality, his feet were in a hollow stance, his sword held mid-span, his waist, abdomen, and shoulder blades naturally forming a straight line. His gaze rested on the tip of his sword. For an ordinary swordsman, this posture would inevitably cause muscle tension and stiffness. The reason he appeared so effortless and carefree was simply due to his long practice, his unity with the sword becoming second nature.

What made Liu Xian most alert was that although there was no murderous intent in the swordsman's eyes, he had an indifferent look. Even in the face of a storm, he did not waver at all.

This aura put Liu Xian under immense pressure. At one moment, he felt as if the swordsman didn't exist, and at another, he felt as if he was as vast as a mountain. This showed that this opponent was not only a master of swordsmanship, but also possessed a profound mind, perhaps reaching the realm of being unmoved by the eight winds, as described in Buddhist teachings.

From this perspective, the swordsmanship of this person in front of him may be even better than that of Mr. Ruan.

Liu Xian gripped the Zhaowu Sword tightly, thinking of strategies to defeat the enemy.

At the same time, Zhao Hei was also observing Liu Xian. Unlike his outward indifference, his heart was burning with passion.

Zhao Hei was actually quite dissatisfied on his way to Chongqi Tower. In his opinion, as a swordsman, he should have faced the turmoil head-on, but unexpectedly, he was sent elsewhere by his lord to protect a woman. This was a real disgrace.

No matter how beautiful a woman is, she is just a woman after all. She may be as beautiful as a fairy now, but she is worthless in the face of time. In twenty years, she will be old and ugly. In forty years, she will be crawling with maggots and turned into bones, which is unbearable to the sight.

In contrast, a good sword can accompany a swordsman through life and death, and this is his pride as a swordsman.

But he didn't expect that he would actually run into an opponent tonight. Although he was wearing a black veil and his face could not be seen clearly, just by looking at his sword posture, he could tell that he was a master of swordsmanship with thousands of tempers. How could Zhao He not be happy?
Unlike Zhao Hei's sword posture, Liu Xian took a forward bow stance, holding the hilt of the sword with both hands, and his head, chest, waist and abdomen were also in a straight line with the sword edge, but his body was slightly leaning forward, like a tiger ready to pounce, ready to show his prowess at any time.

Time is urgent. Although there is only one person in front of him, more people may appear behind him at any time. Liu Xian must fight quickly and take the initiative to attack.

After all, he is already a seven-foot-tall man. Unlike the sword fight when he was young, he is now no longer at a disadvantage in terms of physical strength.

Liu Xian strode towards Zhao Hei. Facing Zhao Hei's first move, he chose a simple thrust.

It seemed ordinary, but when the two took about three steps, Liu Xian's steps suddenly changed. He first exerted force with his right foot, and the tip of the sword flashed like a flying star, drawing a silver arc in the darkness and heading straight for Zhao Hei's left shoulder.

In the brief moments of confrontation, Liu Xian had already weighed the pros and cons. Although time was pressing, given the swordsman's skill, if he rushed and engaged him head-on, he would likely be evenly matched. It would be more sensible to feign a direct attack, then strike from the side, first stabbing his shoulder blade joint to break his balance, and then wait for an opportunity to secure the victory.

Liu Xian's thrust was incredibly fast, but Zhao Hei's reaction was equally swift, his eyes fixed on Liu Xian's sword's momentum. Though Liu Xian's movements varied, he was accustomed to such challenges. He kept his lower body in a false step to guard against changes in tactics, constantly shifting positions. He naturally stepped forward to the left, his sword tip tilting slightly, meeting the Zhaowu Sword. The two swords were about to meet, but without a sound, like two whisks.

Liu Xian knew that his attack had missed, so he stepped forward with his left foot and followed with his right foot to a side bow stance. Before the two swords intersected, he had already drawn out the sword. In just a moment, he had turned the side bow stance into a straight bow stance, and both he and the sword shot out instantly, stabbing towards Zhao Hei's right shoulder!

Zhao Hei exclaimed inwardly at the brilliant performance of this move. He had previously used his sword to block Liu Xian's left thrust, and before he could regain his balance, Liu Xian's sudden change of tactics completely thwarted his plan to counterattack. He was left with no choice but to retreat. If he retreated, he would surely have a backup plan, and the initiative would fall entirely into his opponent's hands!

Faced with this situation, Zhao Hei decided to take a risky move. Although he had already started to retreat, the sword force turned from bottom to top, turning the forehand sword into a backhand sword.

Liu Xian's second stab missed, so he chose to use the same trick again. He took a step back, turned around, and made a third stab towards Zhao Hei's center line!
With a clang, the two swords finally clashed, followed by a sharp, piercing sound as the blades flashed. Both men were skilled swordsmen, their strikes swift and fierce. The sound of the swords clashing pierced through the heavy rain outside, causing Lu Zhu, who was watching from the side, to cover her ears.

After this attack, neither of them gained any advantage. When their strength was about to run out, they both stepped back and breathed a sigh of relief, while at the same time becoming extremely alert to each other.

The three-stage stab that Liu Xian had just used was a sword technique he had created based on the sword theory taught by Mr. Ruan. He combined the rising and falling sword with the striking sword. He called it the Bow Void Sword, and believed that it was as fast as an arrow, strange and unpredictable.

During his usual sparring sessions with Ruan Xuan, Zhang Gu, and the others, Liu Xian used this sword technique, pressing forward with every step and exerting overwhelming force. It was truly unstoppable, and even Little Ruan Gong was full of praise. Unexpectedly, this time, not only was his attack in vain, he couldn't even touch the opponent's collar!
Zhao Hei was also filled with admiration. Before meeting Shi Chong, he had fought with no less than a hundred swordsmen and was well-versed in swordsmanship in the world, but he had never seen such a tricky swordsmanship. The first sword seemed to be a test, but the next two swords turned the test into a murderous intent. If he was not careful, he would be ripped open.

If this sword technique was created by the person in front of me, then his attainments must have reached an extremely high level.

In the darkness, the two men stared at each other silently, their feet circling the hall, preparing for the next round of swordplay.

The atmosphere in the building grew increasingly tense, and Lu Zhu watched with deep worry. Although she knew nothing about swordsmanship, she knew that Zhao Hei was a master hired by Shi Chong. Even a draw with him would be a rare achievement for Liu Xian, let alone a victory. But she was completely helpless in this situation, unsure what to do.

While he was hesitating, Zhao Hei moved. This time he launched an attack first. Knowing Liu Xian's level, he did not choose to take the risk of slashing. Instead, as he approached, he turned his wrist, and the tip of his sword swept out like lightning, hitting the sword in Liu Xian's hand hard, trying to press down Liu Xian's sword with one sword, and then return the sword to cut his neck.

Seeing this, Liu Xian's long sword, which was originally intended to stab at him, suddenly flashed and the sword edge changed several times. He first dodged the sword force that Zhao Hei was sweeping across with his back arm, and then he risked touching the opponent's sword with the tip of the sword without using any force. After slightly hindering Zhao Hei's sword force, he stepped back repeatedly and also imitated him, sweeping the sword with his backhand, trying to force Zhao Hei back.

But Zhao Hei had the upper hand, so how could he give up so easily? He ignored the sweeping blow before him and continued forward, his longsword shifting from a sweeping blow to an upward thrust, the tip of the sword pointing directly at Liu Xian's jaw. If both were struck by the sword at the same time, one would be severing his intestines, the other piercing his head.

Liu Xian had no choice but to give up sweeping the sword, and kept swinging the palm of his sword-holding hand horizontally, and instead used the sword to disrupt Zhao Hei's sword momentum.

Zhao Hei first picked and then pointed, then stirred and pressed, while Liu Xian responded with collapse, interception, lifting and pulling respectively.

In just a few breaths, the two men's swords kept colliding and their positions switched back and forth, just like two birds chasing each other in the wind. Both sides were originally fast swordsmen, and the fight at this time was extremely fast. It was so dazzling that it was impossible to tell whose swordsmanship was better.

This is indeed the case. In this round of fighting, Liu Xian generally took a defensive stance and exchanged thirteen sword strikes with Zhao Hei in a row.

But just like the bow and sword used by Liu Xian before, although Zhao Hei seized the initiative, he was still unable to convert it into victory. The levels of the two were too close, and there was no obvious difference in speed and strength. As a result, although the two sides had no tacit understanding, they strangely reached a balance, and for a while, neither could do anything to the other.

When Zhao Hei's strength for this round was almost gone, he drew his sword and retreated. If Liu Xian wanted to win, he should now turn defense into offense and seize the opportunity to counterattack. However, Liu Xian had no more strength to spare, so he could only retreat in sync with Zhao Hei, increasing the distance between them, and then they simultaneously began to adjust their breathing.

This is not a solution, Liu Xian thought.

Based on these two rounds of sword fighting, he had a deeper understanding of Zhao Hei and his own strength. If the two continued to fight like this, it would be impossible to determine the winner in less than two quarters of an hour, let alone life or death.

Time was so tight that he couldn't possibly spend more than two quarters of an hour here. According to the original plan, regardless of success or failure, Liu Cong and his men would all leave in about three quarters of an hour. By then, he would be the only one left in the garden. How could he possibly escape with Lu Zhu?

If two or three more people came in to stop him, it would be extremely difficult for him to take Luzhu away, let alone escape successfully.

What should I do? Should I leave Miss Luzhu behind and run for my life first?
Liu Xian turned to look at Luzhu, seeing her clear, star-like eyes gazing back at him from the darkness. Tears seemed to glisten in the corners of her eyes, a thought that made him think of the word "burden." He remembered his mother's words and thought, now that he's here, he shouldn't give up halfway. He had to break this impasse! Even if there was no other way, he had to win in a short time.

What's more, after he showed up to Lu Zhu, he actually had no other way out.

So after pondering for a few thoughts, Liu Xian decided to take another risk.

Facing this formidable opponent, Liu Xian sheathed his sword and spoke for the first time, "Stop stalling! Either get out of the way! Or strike with the next sword. A life-or-death battle!"

Zhao Hei was stunned, obviously surprised by Liu Xian's youth. But after a little thought, he understood Liu Xian's intention and said with a smile, "Life and death? You want to risk your life?"

As soon as these words came out, Lu Zhu also understood the situation on the field. She was extremely worried. She took two steps forward and whispered to Liu Xian, "Sir, why do you have to do this? If you can't win, then leave early."

Liu Xian pretended not to hear. He pressed Lu Zhu with his hand, signaling her to be quiet. Then he said to Zhao Hei calmly, "So what if I risk my life? Since I came here, I no longer care about my life!"

"It should be the same for a swordsman like you! If you can't fight life and death on the edge of the sword, it will be a lifelong shame. Otherwise, how can you be worthy of this sword heart?"

"Kenshin?"

Zhao Hei was somewhat dazed. He recalled the bold words he had spoken to Sima Wei before, but he was unexpectedly provoked by the swordsman in front of him in the blink of an eye.

As a true slayer of hundreds, I've been practicing swordsmanship since I was five, a journey of over twenty years. I've sweated countless times, faced countless life-or-death situations, yet I've never slacked off. Why? Isn't it because, since childhood, I've yearned for the legend of a sword-killing stunt?
No matter how rational a person's life may be, they always have passion and dreams in their hearts. And for a true swordsman, distinguishing the superiority of the sword's heart is a request that cannot be refused.

Because a sword decides life or death, it is such a passion, which means absolute confidence in one's own swordsmanship.

Moreover, if the young man in front of him wanted to leave by force, he would not be able to stop him. If he wanted to determine the winner, this was the only method he could use.

Considering this, Zhao Hei agreed. He sheathed his sword and nodded to Liu Xian, saying, "Okay, I'll give you this chance!"

With that, the two men took simultaneous steps, standing about five paces apart. This was a deadly distance, impossible to dodge, and only long enough for one strike of the sword. Whoever's sword was faster, whose sword was more powerful, would survive. But whether they survived in good health was another question.

The rainstorm came and went quickly. It seemed that the two men had exchanged dozens of swords, but in fact only half a quarter of an hour had passed. However, after this half a quarter of an hour, the rain was obviously lighter.

The wind began to howl again, carrying the smaller raindrops into the hall. The sleeves of the two people fluttered like flags.

Both men took a lunge, bent their knees slightly, and placed their right hands on the hilts of their swords. It was obvious that they were going to end this sword fight with a clean and decisive sword draw.

Luzhu watched the two of them from the side, feeling extremely nervous. She kept praying for Liu Xian, hoping that he would win. However, her worry inevitably made her feel fearful, fearing that a tragic scene that she could not bear to see would appear.

Time was running out, but Liu Xian's heart was at peace. He was clearing away all distracting thoughts one by one, gradually entering a state of no thoughts and no desires.

Unconsciously, he forgot the sword in his hand, forgot his body, and even forgot his breathing and heartbeat.

In his eyes, there was only Zhao Hei's sword.

The sound of the wind seemed to have died down, but a sound was getting louder. It was vague and hazy at first, but now it was clearly audible, like a drumstick hitting the eardrum, one after another, continuously.

This is the sound of Zhao Hei's breathing.

Suddenly, Liu Xian heard a pause in the drumbeats. Before he could even think of anything, the hand holding the sword had already swung.

With a "whoosh" sound, the sharp sword edge was like a dragon emerging from the abyss, from darkness to light, breaking through the wind, and shooting towards Zhao Hei in a clear direction.

Almost at the same time, Zhao Hei also drew his sword, and a flash of green light passed by, intertwining with the oncoming white mist.

Luzhu only heard a "click" sound, and a flash of golden red sparks flashed by, then disappeared in the darkness.

The two swordsmen have separated and the winner is clear.

Zhao Hei didn't have time to cover his neck, and blood spurted out, instantly dyeing the curtain in front of him red. He fell to the ground as if all the air was sucked out of him.

There was another "ding" sound, and the long sword in Zhao Hei's hand rested slightly on the ground and immediately broke into two pieces.

Liu Xian shook his hand and slowly put the Zhaowu Sword back into its sheath. Although his face was pale, there was no trace of blood on it.

He turned around to look at Zhao Hei who was lying on the ground, and silently apologized in his heart: "It's a pity that our swordsmanship is the same, but there are good and bad swords!"

Liu Xian took Lu Zhu's hand and finally stepped out of the gate of Chongqi Tower.

The raindrops hit his face, but there was still no one in front of the door, which made Liu Xian breathe a sigh of relief. It seemed that it was not too late.

Liu Xian asked Lu Zhu to wait at the door, while he went to the apricot forest to untie the horse's reins, led the horse out, and then helped Lu Zhu mount the horse.

When Luzhu's slender hands wrapped around his waist, Liu Xian planned to return the same way. Unexpectedly, at this moment, a familiar shout suddenly came from the left, "Who are you? Where are you taking her?!"

Liu Xian was shocked and looked back, a bitter smile appearing on the corners of his mouth under the black veil.

The thing he least wanted to see happened. He saw Shi Chao holding an umbrella in one hand and a sword in the other, staring at him with anger.

Behind him, Princess Yingchuan Sima Xiuhua grabbed her clothes and widened her eyes in surprise.

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(End of this chapter)