Tianlong: Starting with Mantuo Manor as fertilizer

Before the manpower from Taihu Water Village arrived, the storm hit first.

Large ships should first sail into the nearby reed beds to temporarily avoid the wind and rain.

Xie Buruo never forgot about learning swordsmanship: "Miss Wang promised to teach me swordsmanship, but she hasn't fulfilled her promise yet."

Wang Yuyan said, "Haven't I already given you the reading list? Just read it."

Xie Buruo silently lamented his misfortune.

Reading books by yourself?

That would take forever!

Especially those books on the I Ching.

He simply couldn't understand these remnants of feudalism.

He immediately said, "I am of dull mind and would be grateful if Miss Wang could give me some pointers in person."

Wang Yuyan was fond of teaching, so when she heard him say that, she nodded in agreement.

The two of them took turns asking and answering questions, one speaking and the other listening, teaching as if no one else was around.

Mu Wanqing listened in stunned silence.

She thought to herself, "Wang Yuyan is so weak, how could she possibly teach Xie Buruo swordsmanship?"

After listening for a while, I felt more and more that something was wrong.

The two of them asked and answered questions with great seriousness, speaking as if it were the truth.

Mu Wanqing twisted her neck back and forth, looking at Wang Yuyan and then at Xie Buruo, and couldn't help but say, "Miss Wang herself doesn't know martial arts, what sword techniques could she possibly teach you?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Yuyan's competitive spirit surged.

How can one allow others to question their own field of expertise?

She felt it was necessary to demonstrate her abilities.

"Young Master Xie, please show us that move first."

Xie would be better off starting with a divine guidance.

Wang Yuyan shook her head after only one glance.

"This sword technique is closely related to the principles of the I Ching. The direction of your strike is completely wrong."

Each move is explained in detail, combining the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams.

This move has several variations, each corresponding to a certain direction, the footwork required for each step, and the direction the sword tip should point.

He spoke clearly and logically, as if recounting a familiar story.

Xie should follow her instructions and try out each one.

Many of the previous changes were not smoothly connected, and the sword moves were sluggish and difficult to execute.

Now, following Wang Yuyan's instructions...

It may turn in mid-air or shift positions.

Those obstructed points were suddenly cleared up one by one.

Xie Buruo was overjoyed and immediately practiced the move from beginning to end in one go, using it faster and faster, with the sword light flowing and even showing a lot of power.

Mu Wanqing stared at it for a long time, and the more she looked, the more she felt something was wrong.

This isn't swordsmanship at all.

They're clearly dancing!

Flashy and superficial!

She was so humiliated by Xie Buruo's capture and threats that she was now being incredibly sharp-tongued.

"Your swordsmanship is all show and no substance; it's a silver-plated spearhead."

As a result, the two were busy teaching and no one paid attention to her.

Wang Yuyan said, "After Xie has practiced it once, I will stop."

"My knowledge of this incomplete move is limited; according to the sword manual, it is at most 70% complete."

"In my opinion, this sword technique must be paired with a set of footwork. Only when the two are combined can this sword technique truly be unpredictable and difficult to fathom."

Could it be the Lingbo Weibu (a martial arts technique)...? Xie Buruo nodded repeatedly upon hearing this.

Just as he was feeling happy, he noticed that Wang Yuyan's lips moved slightly, as if she still had something to say.

"Does Miss Wang have any further guidance?"

Wang Yuyan hesitated for a moment: "Young Master Xie, your internal strength is ultimately your weakness."

Xie Bu Ruo nodded, knowing that his internal strength was shallow.

However, cultivating internal strength is not something that can be done overnight; you can't rush it.

Mu Wanqing, swaying back and forth in her chair, said to Xie Buruo.

"I've sworn the oath, shouldn't you untie the rope?"

"Your swordsmanship is too flashy; it's completely useless in actual combat."

"Why don't I, Mu Wanqing, teach you what true swordsmanship is?"

Xie has tolerated her for a long time.

He stepped forward and quickly untied the ropes binding her.

He found two more wooden sticks in the cabin, tossed one to Mu Wanqing, and kept the other for himself.

Mu Wanqing took the wooden stick, twisted her wrist and bent her neck, her joints cracking.

Although she was a woman of her word and promised not to kill indiscriminately, accidental injuries were common during their sparring matches.

This is a good opportunity to put Xie Buruo in his place and save face.

She glanced around the cabin.

The space was cramped, making it extremely difficult for two people to maneuver and turn around while sparring with swords.

Mu Wanqing raised an eyebrow: "In such a cramped space, I'm afraid you won't be able to fully utilize your dancing sword technique."

Wang Yuyan remarked from the side, "If this sword technique is truly mastered, it can reach anything even in a small space."

Xie Buruo didn't say much, abandoning the Boundless Sword Technique and starting with the Immortal's Guidance.

He made a hand seal with his left hand and raised the wooden stick diagonally with his right hand.

As soon as she got into position, Mu Wanqing was slightly taken aback.

She had only been watching from the sidelines and hadn't noticed anything unusual.

Standing in the face of the enemy's aura, he suddenly felt an invisible pressure.

Mu Wanqing dared not delay and gripped the wooden stick tightly.

She fought her way from Dali to Suzhou, killing countless people along the way, and had extremely rich combat experience.

Before the other party could make a move, she had already seized the opportunity.

A wooden stick pierces the air; a swift strike to the chest and abdomen is less effective than a quick tap.

Xie Buruo hadn't expected that she would stab him so decisively and without hesitation.

Fortunately, although the move was fast, he saw it clearly, moved to the left, and avoided the attack.

Mu Wanqing smiled.

She's stabbed so many people, she could predict which way they'd run away even with her eyes closed.

With a flick of his wrist, the wooden stick followed him to the left, its tip never leaving his chest or abdomen.

At that moment, Xie Buruo's figure suddenly swayed.

He had already taken a step forward, but suddenly pulled it back, remaining standing in the same spot.

Mu Wanqing's attempt not only missed, but also left her defenses wide open.

Having experienced many battles, her heart sank, and she knew something was wrong.

To her surprise, while Mu Wanqing was indeed startled, Xie Buruo was not much better off.

He understood what Wang Yuyan had just taught him, but when he tried to apply it in actual combat, he was clumsy and ineffective.

If he had truly mastered the variations of swordsmanship, he shouldn't have retreated to his original spot, but should have taken the opportunity to circle around to Mu Wanqing's right side.

At that time, even if a casual strike with a sword could not win the battle in one move, it would still give one the upper hand.

After a moment of surprise, Xie Buruo and Mu Wanqing resumed their fight.

Mu Wanqing was much more cautious this time.

No longer acting rashly, they launched one attack after another, fast and ruthless.

They would chop, slice, hack, or hack, occasionally interspersed with a few sharp thrusts.

Xie Bu Ruo then used only the move "Immortal Points the Way" to meet the enemy.

After all, they were just beginning to learn, and their skills were still developing.

You may be thinking about directions, but when you actually put your foot down, you're often a beat too late.

Yet it was precisely this half-baked move that allowed him to navigate Mu Wanqing's relentless and rapid attacks with ease, and even occasionally gain the upper hand.

Wang Yuyan sighed repeatedly, offering unsolicited advice, almost as if he had criticized everything from beginning to end.

"The pace has slowed down."

"The orientation is wrong."

"This sword was drawn too early."

"This move came too late."

Mu Wanqing grew increasingly alarmed as the fight progressed.

She had seen Xie Bu Ruo use this trick over and over again more than ten times.

But each time the shot came from a different direction, completely unexpected.

On several occasions, he even stopped his attack at the crucial moment.

If it weren't for Wang Yuyan's repeated criticisms from the side, she would almost have thought that Xie Buruo was deliberately showing mercy.

Mu Wanqing secretly groaned.

Now she truly understood; Wang Yuyan was indeed quite knowledgeable.

If Xie were to continue receiving her guidance, he would undoubtedly be defeated.

Even if someone is drugged and knocked unconscious, they can still accuse the other party of using despicable methods.

But if she also loses in swordsmanship, Mu Wanqing will lose all face.

In a martial arts competition, there is no room for the slightest distraction.

Xie Buruo noticed his opponent daring to pause, and his eyes lit up: "There's a flaw!"

He thrust out his sword, intending to knock the wooden stick from Mu Wanqing's hand.

Unexpectedly, the sword strike was not executed properly, and the wooden stick was sent flying.

With a whoosh, followed by a scream.

Ah!

The wooden stick struck Wang Yuyan squarely on the forehead.

The young lady of Mantuo Manor had never suffered such hardship before. Her eyes reddened, and tears were already welling up.

She covered her head with her hands, trying to sound tough: "It's okay, I'm not in pain, you guys continue."

Xie, not wanting to be the one to accuse others first, pointed at Mu Wanqing and said, "Look at you, you can't even hold a sword properly! Now you've hurt Miss Wang!"

Mu Wanqing ignored him and reached into her bosom to get the medicine for her injuries, but found it empty.

"Where's my medicine?!"

Xie Buruo had already taken out several bottles of medicine from his bosom.

Mu Wanqing looked closely and said, "The blue bottle!"

Xie Ruo handed it over.

Mu Wanqing pulled off the bottle stopper, poured out a little medicine, and gently applied it to Wang Yuyan's forehead.

Wang Yuyan immediately felt a cool sensation on her forehead and felt much better. She urged the two of them, "I'm fine, you can continue."

This time, it was Mu Wanqing's turn to hesitate.

She knew that if she continued to fight, she would lose more often than she would win.

Losing is losing, but what's truly embarrassing is when someone retaliates with mockery instead of gratitude.

Just then, Wang Yuyan suddenly spoke.

"Miss Mu, your swordsmanship is derived from saber techniques, isn't it?"

Mu Wanqing already knew how formidable she was, and nodded firmly.

Wang Yuyan then asked, "Have you practiced swordsmanship with your left hand?"

Upon hearing this, Mu Wanqing became even more convinced that she was an expert.

Qin Hongmian used a pair of long and short swords.

Mu Wanqing was not yet ready, so her master first instructed her to practice swordsmanship before refining her saber skills.

You need to be equally dexterous with both hands.

She wielded the sword in her left hand as skillfully as she did in her right.

Wang Yuyan whispered a few words into Mu Wanqing's ear, seemingly giving her pointers on how to make a move.

As Mu Wanqing listened, her eyes lit up and she nodded repeatedly.

Xie Buruo hurriedly stepped forward to eavesdrop, but was waved away by Wang Yuyan.

He had no choice but to step back, thinking to himself, "Teacher Wang is too petty. I must have hit her on the head with a stick, and she's holding a grudge against me."

But then I thought about it again, and realized that I was getting better and better at this "Immortal Pointing the Way" move the more I practiced it.

What is there to fear about Mu Wanqing, who only has a few words of guidance?

Even if she could master the Asura Twin Blades, it might not be as good as a single sword technique from the Free and Unfettered Sect.

He decided to step aside and close his eyes to ponder the sword technique, not wanting to be a coward for nothing.

Wang Yuyan and the other person chatted privately for a while.

Mu Wanqing's eyes brightened, clearly her confidence had increased, and she leaped into the arena, challenging for another fight.

Wang Yuyan, however, had learned from past mistakes and huddled in a corner of the cabin.

She pulled a blanket over herself and wrapped herself up like a dumpling, afraid of being accidentally hurt again.