Tianlong: Starting with Mantuo Manor as fertilizer

Outside, the wind and rain continued, with raindrops pattering against the cabin roof, but inside, it was eerily quiet.

Mu Wanqing struck first.

With Wang Yuyan's guidance, her actions this time were naturally different.

He feinted with the wooden stick in his left hand to distract Xie Buruo.

His right hand followed closely, the two sticks crisscrossing as he unleashed a double-sword attack.

However, being a beginner, the coordination between the hands is not yet mature.

However, the skill in changing moves and the subtlety in using force are far beyond what they could have been before.

Xie Buruo felt as if the shadows of the sticks were flying around him, some real and some fake, and for a moment he couldn’t tell which one was real and which one was fake.

He felt a slight chill and instinctively wanted to take a step back to avoid her sharp edge.

Just as he moved his right foot, he suddenly realized something was wrong, abruptly stopped, and instead of retreating, charged forward into the thicket of sticks.

Mu Wanqing raised an eyebrow slightly, secretly lamenting the pity.

If Xie Buruo were to back down, she would have at least nine backup plans to deal with the other party effectively.

Unexpectedly, her opponent realized her trap at the crucial moment.

Mu Wanqing flipped her wooden stick with her left hand, and with a snap, blocked Xie Buruo's incoming sword.

He swung the wooden stick diagonally upwards with his right hand, aiming straight for the open space under his ribs.

If that blow lands squarely, it will hurt for at least a day.

Mu Wanqing's attacks, whether left or right, were skillful.

Xie Buruo's sword technique had already aged, and he was too late to defend.

They were about to be infected.

Xie Buruo made a slight turn with his feet, his body suddenly spinning, and in the blink of an eye, he moved half a foot to the left.

His steps were quick and forceful, lacking any sense of agility or ease.

However, he managed to align with some of the true essence of swordsmanship and evade the incoming staff.

Mu Wanqing was slightly taken aback, not expecting him to be able to evade it in this way.

As his mind stirred slightly, Xie Buruo spun around again, turning around and reversing his sword, aiming straight for her back.

Wang Yuyan saw from under the covers that the student had done a good job and nodded slightly.

However, Xie Buruo was not the only one who received her guidance; Mu Wanqing did as well.

With a snap.

Mu Wanqing swiftly twisted her wrist, her right hand holding the wooden stick behind her back, blocking Xie Buruo's sword strike.

The two sticks collided.

Although Mu Wanqing managed to block it, her back still ached slightly from the impact.

Without pausing, he thrust the short stick in his left hand toward Xie Buruo's right leg.

The two became entangled again.

Mu Wanqing's double sticks flew swiftly and viciously, while Xie Buruo's swordplay combined defense and offense, allowing him to respond with ease.

Inside the cabin, sticks flashed, attacks and defenses clashed, and two figures moved with lightning speed.

The two became more and more familiar with each other as they dissected the objects, each gaining insights and their skills improved.

The moves of the Shura Twin Blades used by Mu Wanqing were martial arts techniques from her sect.

She was already familiar with sword techniques, and with her innate intelligence, her moves became much more agile after Wang Yuyan's guidance.

Xie Buruo, however, learned the superior sword techniques of the Xiaoyao Sect, which were profound, complex, and difficult, far beyond the reach of ordinary martial arts. Therefore, his progress was slightly slower than that of Mu Wanqing.

However, his swordsmanship was a peerless skill in the world; although it consisted of only one move, its power was extraordinary.

Outside, the wind was strong and the waves were high, causing the boat to sway violently with the waves.

Xie Bu Ruo lost his footing and stumbled as he thrust out his sword.

In the midst of a struggle, how can one possibly turn back and start over?

He could only tilt his body to the side and cut first.

Mu Wan hadn't anticipated his sudden change of pace and, in her haste, had no time to adjust her move, so she could only stumble back two steps.

Xie Buruo never expected that a mistake could lead to a surprise attack.

He didn't understand the key to it, but he felt that when he went with the flow, his movements became more fluid and smooth.

We don't strive for perfection right now; we simply follow the rise and fall of the ship and advance step by step.

Whether it was half a foot too much or seven inches too little, I no longer paid too much attention to it.

This drastically altered the swordplay, leaving Mu Wanqing flustered once again.

In fact, the sword technique that Xie Buruo learned originated from the innate principles of Yi Jing (Book of Changes), which emphasizes following the natural order and responding to human needs.

Although the step he took was a major error in the sword manual, it corresponded to the principles of the I Ching and the subtle interplay of Yin and Yang.

From that moment on, everything changed.

Although Xie Buruo still made more mistakes than correct moves in his swordplay and footwork because he did not understand the principles of the I Ching, he had already begun to grasp the basics and was no longer as rigid and clumsy as before.

His sword moved with him, and his steps were adapted to the situation.

The moves are a mix of feints and real attacks, making them increasingly difficult to predict.

Mu Wanqing is in a terrible situation.

With Wang Yuyan's guidance, it took her a long time to gradually understand Xie Buruo's sword techniques.

But then his opponent suddenly changed his style, his swordsmanship becoming as swift as a gazelle's horns, making him impossible to find.

Suddenly attacking the left and then the right, suddenly thrusting forward and then backward.

At this moment, Mu Wanqing could easily discern the origin of the opponent's sword technique.

He had no choice but to wield his two sticks so tightly that they were impenetrable, protecting his entire body from being hit.

She slightly raised her left wrist, and with a soft tap, her wrist was gently struck by the long stick.

Just as I raised my left hand, there was another sound, and my left arm was hit as well.

The two fought faster and faster.

Of Xie Bu Ruo's ten moves, Mu Wanqing could only barely withstand four or five, with the rest landing on her.

Knowing that her swordsmanship was no match for her opponent's, Mu Wanqing threw her two sticks to the ground in a fit of anger.

"I'm not fighting anymore, I'm not fighting anymore."

To save face, he stubbornly added another sentence.

"My martial arts skills complement my ability to use hidden weapons. If you hadn't stolen my flying arrow, I might not have lost to you!"

"How about you return my hidden weapon, and we fight again?"

How could Xie Buruo fall for her shallow provocation?

However, he is currently gaining a good understanding of swordsmanship, and he feels that if he spars with her for a while longer, he will definitely have a deeper understanding.

He said to Mu Wanqing, "Miss Mu, you swore an oath that you would obey my orders on the ship. Come, let's practice a few more moves."

Mu Wanqing knew she was no match for him now and didn't want to make a fool of herself.

But she always kept her promise, so she went on stage in a huff, but this time she didn't put in any real effort.

Xie, having lost interest in the fight, had no choice but to give up.

By this time, the storm had stopped, and the large ship had set sail again.

Just then, Granny Ping and the others came to report.

Before they even got close, they could hear a commotion coming from inside the house, as if a fight was taking place.

The two chuckled to themselves, thinking the young man was just playing a fancy game, and didn't pay any attention to it.

Xie Buruo heard the door open, came out of the cabin, and listened to the two men's report.

Granny Ping said, "These Western Xia people are hiding in Xiaoxia Bay, and our boat is almost there."

Granny Rui added from the side, "Several leaders of Taihu Water Village have also arrived and are waiting for Young Master Xie's orders."

Xie Buruo was overjoyed upon hearing this and went with Pingrui's second wife to meet the village chiefs.

Three men with full beards were already waiting on the deck.

They were dressed in gray, white, and black clothes, and belonged to different water villages in Taihu Lake.

The chieftain of Dongzhai spoke first: "Greetings, Young Master Xie. Our men have already led small boats into the reeds of Xiaoxia Bay, and are just waiting for your order to attack and catch them off guard."

The western and northern villages of Taihu Lake are arranged in the same way.

The group came here for two reasons: first, to report on military affairs, and second, to vie for the command of the main attack.

Although the main attack was a dangerous job, the post-battle bonus was also the highest.

The group of Western Xia people were carrying a lot of valuables, and everyone wanted to seize the credit and make a fortune.

The village chiefs argued amongst themselves, each vying for the right to lead the attack.

Grandma Rui's eyes widened at the sight, and she slammed her cane heavily on the deck, making a loud thud.

"How dare you three try to steal the lead from this old woman!"

The three chieftains, who had always been wary of the people from Mantuo Manor, immediately shook their heads and said they dared not.

The chief of Dongzhai said with a forced smile, "How could I dare to compete with Granny Rui? I've just heard that these Western Xia warriors are incredibly skilled. We've always been taken care of by Mantuo Manor, so how could we let the sisters of the manor take such a risk? Why don't I let Dongzhai go first and test their mettle?"

The western and northern villages quickly echoed this sentiment.

Grandma Ping turned to look at Xie Buruo.

Ultimately, he was the one who made the final decision.

Xie Buruo had already learned from the three chieftains that the pirates had gathered nearly a hundred men, a very sufficient force.

He coughed lightly and spoke loudly.

"Heaven has given me this opportunity to command hundreds of men in battle. On behalf of my fallen comrades from the Wuliang Sword Sect and the wealthy gentlemen who were robbed, I thank you all."

"The troop strength in this battle is ten to one. I've never fought a battle this well-funded in my entire life. Let's just go all out and be the host for once, with everyone attacking first and no supporting attacks!"

Upon hearing this, the leaders cheered enthusiastically, each rubbing their hands together, eager to show their skills.

With the order given, the three chieftains disembarked and returned to the reed marshes to relay the command.

Just then, a small boat shot towards the large ship like an arrow.

The boat is carrying the henchmen of Dongzhai Village on Taihu Lake.

As the small boat approached, a rope was thrown down from the boat, and the man used his hands and feet to quickly climb onto the large boat.

Xie Buruo, fearing that his prize would slip away, hurriedly asked, "What's going on? Have the Western Xia people discovered you? Are you preparing to escape?"

The henchman shook his head repeatedly: "No. Those Western Xia people are blinded by greed. Seeing that this ship is magnificent and has women, they have all come out to plunder this place."

Xie Buruo felt relieved when he heard that the other party not only did not run away, but also dared to attack him.

He ordered the henchman to go back and relay the message, instructing the troops of Taihu Water Village to secretly block the Western Xia people's retreat and launch a surprise attack from the center.