Gou Zai Wu Dao Chao Shi Xing Nian Da Gong

In the dead of night, the backyard was silent, with a crescent moon hanging in the night sky, casting a faint silver glow.

Zhou Fugan stood quietly in the courtyard, holding a long sword horizontally in front of his chest.

Suddenly, he lightly flicked the hilt of his sword with his finger.

Clang~~

With a clang of metal, the long sword was drawn.

In an instant, the blade appeared without a trace, its cold light flashing. It was so fast that the blade itself was not visible. Even the silvery moonlight seemed to be cut off by the blade's light. A ball of silver light exploded and swirled around him, weaving into a fine net of blades.

His blade moved with him, flashing and sweeping away everything in its path.

woohoo~~

A night breeze blew by, and a withered leaf twirled down, crashing into the net of blades, instantly turning into countless fragments that scattered across the ground.

Zhou Fugan stopped, sheathed his sword, and held it horizontally in front of his chest, his posture exactly the same as before he drew the sword, as if he had never moved.

Suddenly, his hand holding the knife twitched slightly, and a faint light seemed to flash in the air, but upon closer inspection, the long knife was still in its sheath, as if it had never been drawn.

However, a night breeze blew by, and the wooden stake about ten feet away trembled slightly. The upper half slowly slid off, revealing a smooth, polished cut, without even a single burr.

"Phew~~~"

Zhou Fugan let out a long breath, his eyes gleaming.

"The Hu family's swordsmanship truly lives up to its reputation!"

He spent several days learning the Hu family's sword technique and practiced it once, instantly mastering it to perfection. He also mastered the ultimate move, the Lightning Blade!

Now that it has been unleashed, its power is indeed unparalleled.

That lightning-fast strike was so powerful that even a martial artist of the same level would have no chance of dodging or blocking it without being completely focused. No wonder Hu Dahai was known for his ability to kill without a second strike!

"Hey kid, come out here! How long are you going to hide?!"

Zhou Fugan sheathed his long sword, looked towards the door, and said irritably.

Then a figure emerged from the corner beside the door; it was Zhou Sheng, the eldest grandson. He couldn't sleep because he was worried about his father, and when he heard the commotion in the backyard, he quietly came over and saw his grandfather practicing his swordsmanship.

"Hehe, Grandpa, what kind of swordsmanship is that? Teach me!"

He rushed over, rubbing his hands together and chuckling foolishly, asking excitedly. The stunning flash of the blade still echoed in his mind. Especially the final strike; the light seemed to be swallowed up, and he hadn't even seen how the blade was drawn or withdrawn before the wooden stake was severed.

"Teaching you is no problem, but you must remember that martial arts cultivation is fundamental. Don't try to do too much at once. You should focus on practicing the Hammer Cloud Fist. This sword technique is just supplementary." Zhou Fugan nodded in agreement, but then gave him a few more reminders.

"I understand, Grandpa. By the way, I've noticed that my younger brother has been learning basic swordsmanship and a stance training method these past few days. Is that the swordsmanship he's learning?" Zhou Sheng asked, his eyes darting around.

"That's right. I plan to have He'er learn this sword technique," Zhou Fugan replied without hesitation.

"Grandpa, you're biased. You taught such amazing swordsmanship to my younger brother, but made me learn the Hammer Cloud Fist," Zhou Sheng complained.

"Hehe, you've been waiting for me here, kid." Zhou Fugan chuckled and cursed, then made up a lie to explain, "It's not that I don't want to teach you. It's just that the stance training of Hammer Cloud Fist is more suitable for you, so your cultivation will improve faster."

"Really?" Zhou Sheng asked skeptically.

"How could that be fake?" Zhou Fugan said, trying to sound innocent but remaining defiant, and quickly changed the subject. "Besides, the Hammer Cloud Fist is just as powerful as this sword technique."

"No way? The Hammer Cloud Fist can be as powerful as that final strike?" Zhou Sheng didn't believe it.

"What do you know? What you see below must remain a secret in your heart. You must not utter a single word to anyone." Zhou Fugan sternly instructed, assuming a stance reminiscent of the Hammer Cloud Fist.

"I know." Zhou Sheng nodded, looking carefully at his grandfather, wondering what he was going to do.

Boom!

Suddenly, Zhou Fugan threw a punch, which produced a piercing explosion that echoed through the night sky like muffled thunder.

The air in front of the fist seemed to explode, forming visible ripples that spread outwards.

Click~~

Half a meter ahead, the half-stake was hit by the force of the punch and snapped in two, shattering into pieces that scattered on the ground.

"This, this, this is an amazing skill!"

Zhou Sheng's eyes widened!

Although he had never witnessed the Hammer Cloud Fist's ultimate technique, he had heard of it many times. He was quite certain that his grandfather had used the Hammer Cloud Fist's ultimate technique. He knew that the technique was incredibly powerful, but that was only what he had heard from others. Now that he had seen it with his own eyes, he was truly awestruck.

"That's right, this is the ultimate technique of the Hammer Cloud Fist. And that slash just now was also the ultimate technique of that swordsmanship. The two are equally powerful, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. As long as you practice diligently and master both fighting styles to perfection, you can master the ultimate techniques."

Zhou Fugan pointed with his hands behind his back, his expression calm. He exuded an air of detachment from worldly affairs.

"I see!"

Zhou Sheng nodded solemnly. His heart was pounding; he finally realized just how powerful his grandfather was!

"With such a master, what more could I ask for?"

......

Waaaaaah~~~

A dull horn sounded across the dock, and a Fujian-style ship, several tens of meters long, slowly sailed out, heading downstream along the Blackwater River.

On the towering ship's deck, two figures stood on the observation deck, gazing at the horizon where the water met the sky.

One of them, dressed in a white robe and handsome in appearance, was none other than Wang Jin, the eldest son of the Wang family. He carried a long sword at his waist, the scabbard inlaid with rubies and emeralds, and exquisitely crafted with gold thread.

The other man was rugged-looking, with a face full of fat and a thick beard. He wore a khaki-colored outfit and had two short axes tucked into his waistband, making him appear very capable. He was Hong Tianhua, the deputy chief镖头 (bodyguard/escort) of the Weiyuan Escort Agency!

"Young Master Wang, with you and me in charge on this trip, you can rest easy!"

Hong Tianhua may have looked rough, but he speaks politely and is very optimistic about this trip.

"Chief镖师 Hong should be on high alert. I've heard that bandits have been quite active in Fishbone Bay lately, and several small caravans have been robbed!"

Wang Jin reminded him.

"The pirates in Fishbone Bay are nothing more than Li Chong's gang. His strength is not much different from mine. If the two of us join forces, why should we be afraid of him? I bet he wouldn't dare to cause us any trouble."

Hong Tianhua said confidently.

"I hope so," Wang Jin said, a hint of worry in his eyes.

"However, Young Master Wang, please rest assured. This is merely my opinion. There will be no lack of vigilance. I have already arranged for bodyguards to take turns on duty, with both overt and covert sentries, day and night. As soon as anyone approaches, an alarm will be raised immediately." Hong Tianhua looked at him, then smiled and said.

"Thank you for your trouble, Chief Escort Hong," Wang Jin said.

...

On the first floor of the ship, in a cabin near the stern.

Zhou Fugan and his son Zhou Sheng stood by the window, quietly watching the county town recede into the distance.

"Grandpa, the escort agency and the Wang family have agreed to help find out about my father when they arrive in the prefectural city," Zhou Sheng said.

"Hmm. As long as we can find out where your father is, everything else will be easier. We can even use money to ransom him," Zhou Fugan said quietly.

Then he asked, "How's your practice of that 'drawing sword slash' move I taught you the day before yesterday?"

"It works very well. This sword-drawing slash is easy to learn. If you use it suddenly when facing an enemy, it will definitely catch them off guard," Zhou Sheng replied with a bright look in his eyes.

"That's fine. If it can be used in conjunction with those little tricks, the effect will be even better."

"I understand. We'll see if we can find an opportunity to sprinkle lime first, then follow up with a swift sword strike."