Dream of the Red Chamber: A Refined and Elegant Young Man in a Turbid World

Back at Qingyan Hall, Jia Cong took the opportunity to look through the sachet that Miaoyu had given him. He didn't know what kind of spices or dried flowers were inside, but it had a refreshing fragrance that was more elegant than ordinary sachets and even drier than perfume.

But then he suddenly frowned, examined the stitching of the sachet more closely, and narrowed his eyes slightly.

"This nun still has worldly desires. As a nun, why would she need to do needlework?" This sachet must have been embroidered by Miaoyu herself. Coming from a wealthy family, she obviously knew some needlework.

Considering how elegant the sachet was, Jia Cong still hung it on his waist. Anyway, now that he had more money, he would never be like before, with an empty waist and not even a decent jade pendant.

The next day after get off work, as usual, he went to the training ground, but today Sun Tai was unusually serious, even taking out a pair of soft armor and handing it to Jia Cong.

"Third Master will be taking the imperial examination in a few months. Today, let's have a real contest and see how much progress you've made these past few days!"

Jia Cong felt a chill run down his spine upon hearing this. Sun Tai was a master of the sixth level of martial arts, and he would naturally not harm him if he knew his limits. However, the other party had also mentioned that the palace examination was not the same as the provincial examination. If he was lucky enough to be selected by the examiners, the emperor would order the top-ranked martial arts candidates to engage in one-on-one duels on the battlefield, which would also serve as a demonstration of their individual bravery.

The duel was about horsemanship, not street fighting, so Sun Tai solemnly brought out his weapon, which turned out to be a goose-wing halberd!

Jia Cong immediately felt a chill. Sun Tai must have read too many storybooks, because he was using a weapon like Yuwen Chengdu's. This thing could effectively counter long spears. It was passed down when fighting against the Japanese pirates and evolved into the "cross-shaped spear".

After changing into his soft armor, Sun Tai mounted a chestnut horse, clasped his hands in a fist salute to Jia Cong, and

"Please, Third Master!"

Jia Cong had no choice but to bite the bullet and embark on his journey into the mortal world.

"I humbly request your guidance, Master!"

Having said that, relying on his magnificent steed, Ba Hongchen, he didn't wait for Sun Tai to say anything more and lightly spurred his horse forward.

Ba Hongchen seemed to understand human intentions, raising its hooves and letting out a long neigh that shook the training ground. It shot out like a shooting star chasing the moon, and with the exquisite "light cavalry" stance of the Youlong Riding Technique, the horse and rider became one, making it several times faster than ordinary fine steeds.

Jia Cong gripped the Dragon Gallant Silver Spear tightly, and following the core principle of the Feathered Forest Spear Technique, "Swift as the Wind," he flicked his wrist, and the spear moved like a serpent emerging from its hole. He then unleashed the "Soul-Severing Thrust," the spear shadow fluttering like a rainbow piercing the sun, aiming straight for Sun Tai's vital heart!

Upon seeing this, Sun Tai's eyes flashed with undisguised admiration. He nodded slightly and his chestnut horse reared up, letting out a long neigh. Then, his wrist dipped slightly, and the goose-wing halberd rose in the air.

With a crisp clang, the boring bars precisely locked onto the spear tip, the force as heavy as a thousand pounds, actually stopping Jia Cong's unstoppable spear thrust.

"Third Master's marksmanship is becoming increasingly sharp and skillful, with controlled advances and retreats, but the strength in his wrist still lacks a bit of refinement!"

Sun Tai's voice was booming. With a slight flick of his wrist, the halberd slowly rotated, and the force between his teeth gradually increased, attempting to wring the Dragon Gallant Silver Spear from Jia Cong's hand!

Jia Cong inwardly cried out in alarm. The sixth-level expert was indeed living up to his reputation. He immediately dared not be negligent in the slightest and withdrew his spear, using the momentum of Ba Hongchen's forward charge to change his move!

Before the "Soul-Severing Thrust" was finished, the "Breaking the Formation" followed immediately, the transition was seamless. He lowered the spear shaft, the spear tip slowly sliding along the shaft, avoiding the locking of the teeth. Suddenly, the spear tip flicked up and thrust straight at Sun Tai's waist, perfectly in line with the key principle of the Imperial Guard Spear Technique, "Swift as Fire".

Sun Tai remained calm and unhurried, swinging his halberd horizontally. The blade of the halberd generated gusts of wind, barely deflecting the attack. The shaft of the halberd collided with the spear shaft again, causing Jia Cong's tiger's mouth to go numb slightly.

The two men fought back and forth in the training ground without stopping, their horses' hooves clashing and leaving messy hoofprints, while the sounds of clashing weapons filled the air.

Jia Cong was well-versed in the intricate interlocking techniques of the Imperial Guard Spear. As soon as the "Breaking the Strong Formation" technique ceased, the "Breaking the Encirclement" technique was launched in quick succession. The spear shadows flew like a woven tapestry, thrusting left and right, slashing upwards and sweeping downwards, covering all of Sun Tai's vital points.

Occasionally, when there was a break, he would take the opportunity to use the "Free Gallop" move from the Dragon Riding Technique. Ba Hongchen's body was agile, and in his twisting and turning, he made it difficult for Sun Tai to fully exert his powerful halberd.

Seeing that he was well-mannered and his moves were becoming more and more skillful, with his spear technique and horsemanship working together perfectly, Sun Tai was increasingly pleased, but he did not dare to relax his grip even slightly.

With each rise and fall of the halberd, there was both the ruthless and sharp power to suppress the long spear, and a sense of restraint at every turn, clearly indicating that the speaker intended to provide guidance.

But Jia Cong was getting into the swing of things, and the fierce look in his eyes was even more intense. As the spear tip rose and fell, he suddenly changed his move and used the "Piercing Clouds" technique. The spear stood upright like a cloud rising straight up, avoiding the slashing force of the halberd. Then, it suddenly sank down and thrust straight at Sun Tai's shoulder.

Before Sun Tai could dodge, he spun his spear and changed his move, unleashing the "Cangyue" technique. The tip of his spear drew an arc of light, like a crescent moon hanging in the air, clearly showing that he had exerted all his strength.

Even Sun Tai couldn't help but cheer.

"What a brilliant move!"

But he dared not be careless in the slightest and hurriedly swung his halberd to block. However, Jia Cong's move was a combination of feint and real attack. It seemed to be aimed at his shoulder, but in fact, he used the force to spin around and, with the momentum of "Ren Chi Cheng", the tip of the spear suddenly turned towards the shaft of the halberd. With a sudden flick of force, he was about to knock the goose-wing halberd in his hand away.

Sun Tai hastily adjusted his stance, his wrist slightly tilted, intending to pull back his halberd to leave room for maneuver. However, he pulled back too quickly, and just then Ba Hongchen suddenly stopped. Jia Cong's body swayed slightly, and the sharp blade of the goose-wing halberd accidentally grazed Jia Cong's left shoulder!

With a soft "hiss," the leather armor was torn open, and bright red blood instantly seeped out!

The two combatants abruptly ceased their struggle. Sun Tai quickly reined in his horse, and before the horse had even regained its footing, he dismounted and rushed forward to support the swaying Jia Cong.

"Third Master, please forgive me! I was caught off guard and injured you!"

Jia Cong was in pain and almost fell off his horse. He could not possibly stop Sun Tai's skills. Even though he held back, he was still seriously injured.

As soon as he dismounted, servants like Li Rong scrambled forward and undressed Jia Cong. They saw a three- or four-inch-long cut on his shoulder, gushing blood. They quickly tore off pieces of their own clothing, rolled them into strips, and tied them tightly to stop the bleeding, all the while frantically calling out to him.

"Quickly, return to the manor and fetch a doctor, and send Third Master back for treatment!"

Although Jia Cong was in excruciating pain, fortunately, no arteries or bones were actually damaged. He could only manage a weak wave of his hand as he looked at Sun Tai.

"Master Sun, please don't worry. It's inevitable for martial arts practitioners to experience this. Just don't blame yourself. I'll seek you out again after I recover."

Sun Tai was unwilling to comply. He was already being lenient by Jia Cong not demanding compensation for the medicine from the Rong Mansion, so he hurriedly clasped his hands in a fist salute.

"I am deeply grateful for your kindness, Third Master. I will go back and find your unique ointment to treat you!" After saying that, he turned around and strode out of the training ground without looking back.