Becoming a Martial Master: Starting as a Swordsmith

Meanwhile, Shen Chu, the instigator, stood in the shadows, slowly sheathing his sword.

He glanced at the fleeing figures, but instead of chasing them, he turned his gaze back to the center of the courtyard.

There, the battle between Xu Zhibao and the black-faced leader continued.

This has now reached a fever pitch!

The two men clashed back and forth in the middle of the courtyard, their blades flashing, the soil beneath their feet becoming uneven and pitted, and the air filled with the stench of blood.

With his superior stamina and cunning swordsmanship, the black-faced leader had gradually gained the upper hand.

Xu Zhibao was forced to retreat repeatedly, and several times he was nearly hit in a vital spot by a knife.

"Xu family brat! Surrender now!" Seeing Xu Zhibao's obvious defeat, the black-faced leader grinned maliciously and swung his long sword even more fiercely.

"Bullshit!"

After blocking the knife, Xu Zhibao took a deep breath, and a completely different aura suddenly burst forth from his body!

His eyes suddenly became bloodshot, and the veins on his arm holding the knife bulged. An invisible current seemed to surge from his body, causing his robes to billow and flutter.

"You have a foul mouth, kid. After I take you down, I'll cut your tongue out first!"

The black-faced leader charged forward, sword in hand.

At this moment, Xu Zhibao suddenly slashed out with his sword at the black-faced leader!

clang!!

This strike was almost twice as fast and powerful as the previous one!

The black-faced leader was shocked and hurriedly raised his knife to block, but the force of the blow made his hand go numb.

He slid backward several feet, his feet carving two deep furrows in the ground!

The dark-faced leader steadied himself, looked up at Xu Zhibao, and his eyes were filled with shock:

"This is... the Xu family's Blood Burning Blade Technique?! Just what is your status in the Xu family? How do you even know this move?!"

Xu Zhibao sneered, his blade pointed directly at the dark-faced man, his tone filled with undisguised killing intent: "You don't need to worry about that. You just need to know that today it's either you or me who dies!"

Beneath the mask, the black-faced leader's expression had become extremely ugly.

He gritted his teeth and lunged forward again, and the two began fighting once more.

But this time, the situation has completely reversed.

With the aid of the secret technique, Xu Zhibao's speed and strength surpassed those of the black-faced leader. Every strike he made carried an overwhelming momentum, forcing the black-faced leader to barely parry and leaving him with no power to retaliate.

Just then, another uproar broke out nearby.

The dark-faced leader glanced around and saw that the courtyard was completely empty!

The followers he brought all dropped their weapons and ran towards the door.

He was all alone in the courtyard, facing Xu Zhibao and the menacing guards.

"Useless! A bunch of useless trash! Get back here!"

The black-faced leader was both shocked and furious, and couldn't help but shout sternly.

In that split second when he was distracted, Xu Zhibao seized the opportunity!

He ducked low, swung his sword horizontally, and the blade grazed the black-faced leader's arm.

With a hiss!

The black-faced leader was slashed open with a deep gash that exposed bone!

He cried out in pain, staggered, and knelt on one knee, his shirt instantly stained with blood.

Xu Zhibao, seizing the opportunity, strode forward, raised his long sword high, and aimed it at the neck of the black-faced leader, ready to slash him down!

Just as the blade was about to fall,

A silver blade of light flew from the side and struck Xu Zhibao's blade with a clang, deflecting his deadly attack!

The blade grazed the black-faced leader's ear, severing a few strands of hair, but failed to injure any vital organs.

Xu Zhibao turned his head sharply and saw a gray figure appear beside the black-clad leader at some point. He held a long knife in his hand, the blade gleaming coldly in the moonlight.

The person wore a gray mask, obscuring their face, but their eyes appeared exceptionally calm in the darkness.

It was Shen Chu who came to the rescue!

After deflecting Xu Zhibao's attack with a single strike, Shen Chu didn't linger. He immediately grabbed the black-faced leader by the collar, pulled him up from the ground, and whispered, "Go!"

Before the dark-faced leader could react to what was happening, Shen Chu dragged him backward.

Several yamen runners and guards had already blocked the courtyard gate.

But Shen Chu's target was not the courtyard gate. He led the black-faced leader back to the courtyard wall, flicked his wrist, pushed the black-faced leader over the wall, and then jumped onto the top of the wall himself.

He then stood on the wall, glanced back at Xu Zhibao in the courtyard,

The two looked at each other for a few moments.

Then Shen Chu leaped into the air and disappeared into the night.

"Don't run!"

Xu Zhibao roared and drew his knife to give chase.

But after taking only two steps, a sharp, stabbing pain shot through his chest.

The backlash from the Blood Burning Blade Technique has kicked in!

He groaned, bracing himself with his single sword to avoid falling.

But his forehead was already covered in a dense layer of cold sweat, and he was too weak to continue the pursuit.

They could only watch helplessly as the two figures disappeared into the darkness.

After catching his breath, Xu Zhibao slowly straightened up, his eyes filled with a hint of seriousness.

That person's timing, angle, and force were all incredibly precise and skillful.

That masked person is definitely not an ordinary member of the Red Lotus Cult!

He even had a feeling that the man's strike just now wasn't a full-force attack, otherwise he might not have been able to stand there unscathed.

"Officer Xu! Officer Xu!"

A trembling voice came from behind.

Xu Zhibao turned around and saw Li Chengwen peeking out half of his round head through the crack in the door, cautiously looking at the situation in the yard.

Seeing the mess and bloodstains on the ground, he turned pale. Then, seeing Xu Zhibao standing in the yard covered in blood, he was startled and rushed out to support him: "Are you alright?! Are you hurt?! Are you serious?!"

Xu Zhibao waved his hand, indicating that he was fine.

Seeing that he could still stand, Li Chengwen was slightly relieved. He then looked around the courtyard and asked somewhat blankly:

"What about those thieves? Did you chase them all away? I just heard ping-pong balls going off outside, it sounded really intense! It's a shame I didn't see it, I should have come out to help!"

Will you help me?

Don't think I don't know, you're inside the house with a stick propping up the door!

You'd be more like helping me with my meals!

Xu Zhibao glanced at him, his lips twitched slightly, but he didn't say anything.

One of the constables noticed something was amiss and handed over a long sword:

"Officer Xu, take a look, these are the knives these thieves used!"

Xu Zhibao looked down and his pupils contracted slightly.

This knife was a standard longsword forged by the Li family, and there was still blood on its blade.

Li Chengwen, however, was completely oblivious, still rambling on about how brave he had been and how much he wanted to help.