Tresen Red Line Domination

"Huh?" Zhong Ming saw Oguruma and Excellent Suzhi waving their hands to cheer for him below Todaiji Temple.

This isn't a formal competition, it's just a process of rubbing knives together to make fire and then lighting the surrounding torches. There's no need to decide who wins or loses. Zhong Ming complained in his heart.

The sound of the huge crowds of tourists below came to his ears. The night wind blew gently through the hall, and the golden bells hanging on the beams swayed slightly in the wind, making crisp "ding-dong" sounds. Zhong Ming counted the number of times the bell rang in his mind, it should be almost eight o'clock.

"Ding Dong——"

"Ding Dong——"

When it rang for the eighth time, the monk on the nearby stairs poked his head out and said, "It's time to start. Zhong Sang, you just need to cooperate with Miss Qi Cao."

"I understand." Zhong Ming nodded. He had not rehearsed before and didn't know the process, so naturally he could only follow the flow.

At exactly eight o'clock, the monk at the bottom of Todaiji Temple had just finished telling the story of the Mizutori Festival and signaled the tourists to look up at the upper floors of Todaiji Temple.

"Today we have invited the legendary Umamusume Empress Chiku to participate in one of Japan's oldest Buddhist ceremonies. Please enjoy the sword dance, and don't forget to watch how the sparks are ignited later..."

As soon as Zhong Ming heard the monk's words, he saw the Qi slot in front of him step forward and approach Zhong Ming at the speed of lightning with an ancient martial arts technique of shrinking the earth. The sword body was fully exposed with a sharp and fierce aura pointing directly at Zhong Ming's chest.

Shrinking the earth is not a magic spell, but a step in ancient Japanese martial arts that involves lowering the body and moving forward quickly. To the opponent, it seems as if the body is moving up and down in the field of vision and then instantly appears in front of the eyes, a magical step that seems to shrink the earth. The Qi groove has obviously been practiced very well. The man is fast and the sword is also fast. In the blink of an eye, the tip of the sword has reached his chest. Although it has not been opened, it must not be very comfortable to be stabbed so hard.

In the blink of an eye, Zhong Ming stepped back with her left foot, grabbed the hilt of the sword with her palm, pulled the sword upwards to block the sword in the air groove, and slightly tilted her sword to the other side. Sparks appeared the moment the two iron objects rubbed against each other, and under the influence of the lamp oil on the sword body, the entire sword instantly caught fire.

To the tourists below, everything happened in an instant. The gas slot appeared in front of Zhong Ming in the blink of an eye, and then he drew his swords and collided with them at a speed they could not see. They heard a "sound" beside their ears, and flames exploded. The two swords instantly burned with flames.

"Oh!!"

The tourists' eyes widened in shock, and then they clapped their hands. They thought that the innovation these old antiques from Todaiji Temple talked about was two people gesturing at each other with knives and then kindly sprinkled sparks on the torches next to them and lit them. Although it looked boring, it was interesting at least, and it was worth the price of the ticket.

But I didn't expect such an explosive scene at the beginning. It seemed not too much to be aimed at killing people. The flashing of swords and shadows seemed to have only three words - a dead country!

The monk who was originally planning to watch the slow sword dance performance was suddenly dumbfounded. Wait...is this still something from the rehearsal? Wouldn't it be enough to just sprinkle sparks on the torch next to it in a friendly manner to successfully complete the task? Why does it look like the Qi Trough is serious?

The monk wanted to stop it immediately, but seeing so many tourists cheering around him, he had no choice but to follow the crowd and applaud.

Next year, I can raise the ticket price by 200 yen, the monk thought.

At this time, Zhong Ming, who was upstairs, glanced at the fire knife in his hand and didn't care about it anymore. Todaiji had done heat insulation treatment on the handle of the knife. The handle was guaranteed to be cool within ten minutes and would not hinder holding the knife. He only needed to cooperate with the air groove.

Is it true that the water-drawing ceremony is so intense?

Zhong Ming thought as he looked at Qi Cao who was running towards him with murderous intent.

Chapter 229 Is it all worth it?

"sulfuric acid!"

Facing Qi Cao's attack, Zhong Ming dodged sideways and retreated backwards. Every time the knife in his hand collided with the knife in Qi Cao's hand, a crisp steel collision sound was made and sparks were splashed. Under the influence of the lamp oil, the flame on the blade bloomed like fireworks every time it collided.

Is the Water-drawing Festival such a dangerous traditional Japanese event?

This tradition has been going on in Japan for 1270 years. Does Todaiji consume two monks per person every year to fight with swords? Zhong Ming thought, and Qicao looked so aggressive that he thought Qicao had some grudge against him, but when he went to the student union room to find her last week, Qicao was still eating his black-skinned watermelon happily. She was not the type to repay kindness with enmity. In other words, was this really a rehearsal for the Mizutori Festival?

Zhong Ming was somewhat grateful to Qicao for helping him train his excellent qualities. His impression of Qicao was that he was a slightly strict but kind-hearted person who would definitely not do anything like taking advantage of the opportunity to retaliate.

Qicao felt unhappy when she saw Zhong Ming in a trance. This guy really looked down on her. He dared to be in a trance now. She would knock him down soon. She raised her knife and made Zhong Ming take two steps back. Qicao narrowed her eyes, sheathed the knife, then quickly pulled it out and slashed at Zhong Ming.

Humph, Tenshin's inheritance of Katori Shinto's Iai swordsmanship, the Eight-Direction Sword.

You must have never practiced this before. This is a style that only very few people know about. In order to defeat you, I have been looking for the successor of this style to learn from for a long time!

Iai was a trick for assassination in Japan before, otherwise the sword would not be sheathed and then drawn out. This was a technique to make the target relax at a very close distance, and then to pull out the sword in an instant to kill. Later on, it gradually became a serious sword duel. Although there are not many techniques used in assassinations, the lightning-fast sword-drawing technique is still passed down intact today.

Take my knife! Qi Cao looked at his knife reaching Zhong Ming's chest and couldn't help but curl his lips in excitement. My knife seems to be a bit powerful. Let's take him to the hospital later. There's really nothing I can do.

As the knife got closer and closer to Zhong Ming, Qi Cao saw a surprised expression on his face. It didn't look like "Oh my god, I'm going to be chopped", but rather like he saw something new.

Under the sight of Qi Cao, Zhong Ming also held down the handle of his knife and slashed forward without sheathing it.

Eight-direction sword!

Two identical sword moves collided in Todaiji Temple, creating a large amount of sparks. The crisp sound of steel colliding resounded throughout the entire temple below, amazed the tourists below.

If the tourists were amazed, then the gas tank was stunned.

How could this guy do it?

"I haven't seen anyone use this trick for a long time. The second round was fought with this style..." Zhong Ming said with emotion.

The corner of his eyes twitched and his face became darker. It turned out that the person I was looking for was also defeated by you. How many people have you defeated, you bastard?

Qi Cao was just about to vent her anger when she saw from the corner of her eye that the monk below was waving at her vigorously, indicating that she could start lighting the torches around them.

She was puffing up her lips in anger. She hadn't knocked Zhong Ming down yet, and she didn't want to light the torch with the knives of the two of them.

Wait, got it!

Zhong Ming saw that Qi Cao tilted his head slightly towards him, indicating that he should go to the railing to fight. Zhong Ming naturally thought that this was the process of water sacrifice. After all, the torches should be lit.

Just as he reached the railing and hadn't taken a few more glances at the crowd below, Qicao attacked him with his knife again. Sparks flew where the blades collided. Zhong Ming moved his eyes and deflected the blade. The sparks and lamp oil on the blade splashed onto the torches, instantly igniting six torches. A sea of ​​fire instantly lit up the Todaiji Temple. As Zhong Ming and Qicao fought and moved, a row of torches would be lit every time their blades collided.

The tourists below were becoming more and more fascinated. They thought the traditional festival of Todaiji Temple must be boring, but it was so exciting. It was like two ancient swordsmen fighting in modern times. Of course, the most important thing is that one of them is Qi Tan. The number of fans on various platforms combined can support a country's star horse racing girl. Look how handsome she is!

There were sounds of people taking photos all around, while Akasaka Misato was happily watching the competition while drinking a can of beer she bought from a vending machine. Mi Yu, who was watching from the side, couldn't help but ask worriedly, "Is Mr. Zhong Ming okay?"

That looks like a real knife. It's very dangerous, right?

If you get hit by Vice President Qi Trough, you will definitely get hurt.

"It's okay, it's okay. Zhong Ming will control the strength." Akasaka Misato waved her hand.

"That's right." Excellent quality also nodded.

"Huh?" Mi Yu was stunned for a moment. This was not the question I was asking.

"Just watch it with peace of mind. He must be very happy to perform with a knife in front of so many people. In the past, it was already great to have a double-digit audience." Akasaka Misako laughed.

Mi Yu had not seen Zhong Ming's performance in the Yae Invincible Dojo, otherwise she would not have asked such a question. She focused her attention on the scene above Todaiji Temple and said, "It seems that Mr. Zhong Ming is at a disadvantage?"

I was completely led by him!

Qi Cao felt like his feet were not his own and he was forced to follow Zhong Ming's figure. After a while, half a circle of torches were lit. From downstairs, it seemed that Todaiji Temple was surrounded by fire dragons.

"hateful!"

Qi Cao muttered to herself, it seemed that Zhong Ming was still a little stronger than her, but it didn't matter, she still had one last killer move, the Shinto-ryu's Ultimate Iai, which even the successor she found hadn't learned yet. She practiced hard for half a month and found that she was indeed a talented genius, and finally she had mastered it, so she was waiting to give Zhong Ming a surprise.

"Take that, Cloud Cutting Sword!"

Qi Cao slashed at Zhong Ming with lightning speed, with great momentum and all her strength used on the knife, but she did not notice that there was a tatami under her feet. She accidentally stepped on the tatami with too much force and her body tilted and her center of gravity shifted, crashing into the railing. Qi Cao also reacted and quickly kicked again to avoid the railing, but she fell out of the railing and fell out of Todaiji Temple.

isn't it?

Qicao looked at the height below and thought that even if the horse girl fell down, she would at least break a leg. She felt panic and fear in her heart, but the next moment a hand grabbed her palm. Qicao turned around and found that it was Zhong Ming.

"Idiot, I will take you away!" Qi Cao shouted hurriedly, and had no time to think about the resentment in his heart.

Zhong Ming grabbed the arm of the air tank through the railing and found that the downward momentum had appeared. If he pulled it up with force, the air tank's arm would inevitably be dislocated. He stepped on the railing and jumped down.

"Eh?" Qicao's eyes were dull. You idiot, didn't I tell you that you would be taken away by me?

Forget it, it was my fault that I caused him to fall from the building. I am a horse racing girl and my physical fitness is better than that of ordinary people. I will just hold Zhong Ming's back and land on the ground, although I will definitely be paralyzed on one side. Qi Cao gritted her teeth, but still hugged Zhong Ming into her arms.

At this time, she heard Zhong Ming shouting to her in the night wind: "The torches haven't all burned yet."

It's already this hour, and you're still thinking about the torch, is that your father? She was so angry that she lost all her manners. If it weren't for the wind rushing in as soon as she opened her mouth, she would have been unable to speak. Her image would have been shattered.

Zhong Ming lowered his head and took the knife from Qi Cao's hand. He twisted his body in the air and threw the fire knife in his hand like a dart, passing through the row of torches that had not yet been lit, and instantly lit up the next half circle of torches. A raging fire dragon suddenly burned beside the railing of Todaiji Temple, sparks kept flying, and it ignited half of the night sky.

Zhong Ming looked at the ground getting closer and closer, then he inserted the knife into the wall of Todaiji Temple and twisted it hard. Thanks to the fact that the knife had not been opened, it was still very stiff and could be used like a whole piece of iron.

After sliding on the wall for more than ten meters, Zhong Ming landed on one knee with Qi Cao to cushion the force of falling, and Qi Cao also staggered twice and stood on the ground. Before she could react, applause from tourists broke out around her.

Did they think it was still a performance of the Water Festival? Qi Cao was stunned for a moment, and quickly looked at Zhong Ming next to him. He looked completely fine, patted his body and stood up.

How powerful is this guy? Qi Cao was depressed, but after being saved by Zhong Ming, he temporarily had no intention of sparring with him. He stammered and turned his head to him and said, "Thank you for saving me."

"Eh? Isn't the rehearsal supposed to be conducted like this?" Zhong Ming was stunned when he heard Qi Cao's words. It turned out that he was wrong. Instead of throwing a knife to light the torch, two knives were thrown out?

Qi Cao's veins jumped when she heard this. It's already this hour and you're still thinking about the water sacrifice. Don't you have the word danger in your mind? She looked at Zhong Ming speechlessly, sighed, opened her arms and hugged Zhong Ming tightly, and said, "Yes, that's what the rehearsal was like. The last line was this - Thank you for saving me, I'm so grateful, hero!"

Qi Cao felt the temperature of Zhong Ming's body and thought that this guy was in good health and must have exercised a lot. She turned to look at the tourists. There were already many people who wanted to take photos with her and get her autograph. Qi Cao thought for a moment and turned back to Zhong Ming and asked, "Hey, what kind of clothes do you like to wear?"

The clothes this guy is wearing are all cheap stuff that cost only a few hundred yen. They are so ugly and totally unworthy of the Central Tresen brand.

Seeing Zhong Ming stunned for a moment and thinking, he curled his lips and said angrily: "Forget it, I'll just watch it myself."

Just think of it as her thank you gift and choose him some nice and comfortable clothes.

Seeing that she had entered business mode and took photos with fans with a smile, Zhong Ming also walked to the other side, where Xiao Limao and the others were waving and waiting for him.

While taking photos with fans, Qi Cao secretly glanced at Zhong Ming who was playing with Oguruma and a few other horse girls, and frowned slightly. How could this guy still smile so happily?

"Um, Her Majesty?" The female fan standing next to the gas tank frowned at the gas tank, thinking that she was unhappy, and said nervously.

"Oh, sorry, we can take pictures now." Qicao came back to his senses and quickly smiled at the camera. In the photo taken with a "click", Qicao's eyes were looking somewhere outside the photo, very absorbed, as if he was thinking about something.

The monk of Todaiji Temple nodded immediately when he saw such a lively scene. Then he looked up and saw a long knife scratch on Todaiji Temple, and tears immediately flowed down his face.

Although the water sacrifice was successful, a huge hole was cut in the thousand-year-old temple. Was it all worth it?

"Master?" The disciple next to him came up and asked worriedly.

"It's okay. As expected, the ticket price will be 50 yen higher next year." The monk sighed.

"..."

Chapter 230 Daily Crown, the competition begins!

"Teacher, this is my country!"

Excellent Quality said excitedly to Zhong Ming who was leaning against the Beetle, although she didn't understand the crackling sword skills just now, she had only one thought in her mind: my teacher is so awesome!

See? He swung the knife directly to create fire, and he could even fly over rooftops and walls!

"It's okay. There are stalls around. Why don't you go buy some food or have some fun?" Zhong Ming smiled modestly and said to them. Now that the Mingwang Team is rich, there is no need for the ghosts of the horse racing festival to come back and collect protection fees. In recent days, the festival stall owners in the Tokyo metropolitan area have grown lushly again like leeks.

"No need. We've already had so much fun in Tokyo." Excellent Suzhi put her hands behind her and shook her head. If Zhong Ming said he wanted to go with her, she would definitely take the lead and have a good time. Otherwise, it would be boring.

Zhong Ming did not force it. All the tourists below Todaiji Temple went to the air tank to take photos and get autographs. Seeing her sweating profusely as she signed one autograph, three more came to take photos with her. Zhong Ming felt that being too famous also had its disadvantages. However, because everyone went to the air tank, there were not many people below Todaiji Temple.

"Crash."

The torches on the railings were carrying torches, so as they burned they also rained fire downwards. Zhong Ming stretched out his hand and waited for the burning torch to fall into his hand, but by the time it had burned out, his palms felt slightly hot, but it was still bearable.

"How is it, Tuolei, do you feel that the evil spirit has been exorcised?" Brand New Glory poked its head out from behind him and asked in a dog-like manner.

"No, the demon of failure is still behind me and has not disappeared." Zhong Ming said.

"There is such a thing!" Xin Xin Guanghui frowned and walked out from behind Zhong Ming as if nothing had happened. He reached out to grab the falling torch, but as soon as he grabbed it, he felt a sharp pain in the palm of his hand.

“So hot!!”

Oguruma and Fujimasa March also walked into the rain of torches. The torches fell like fireflies, emitting warm light. After landing on their clothes, they turned into burnt debris after a while. When the night wind blew, they turned into powder and disappeared.

"How do you feel?" Zhong Ming smiled at them.

"It's very beautiful, that's all." Little Chestnut Hat thought for a moment and said.

"It's a bit warm, right?" Fujimasa said with a smile.

"After all, it's just a legend. There are no evil spirits in the world." Zhong Ming shrugged. Although he had just played the role of a ghost and scared the horse racing girls in Central Tresen half a month ago, Pipa Chenguang also lay in the infirmary for several afternoons.

"Teacher, I brought some holy water from the temple. Would you like to drink some?" You Xiuzhi and Mi Yu came over with thermos cups and waved.

Is it the water for worshipping the Buddha? Zhong Ming thought that since he had participated in the water-taking ceremony, he might as well try all the traditional customs. However, he hesitated when he looked at the water in the thermos cup and repeatedly asked Excellent Quality whether the water was clean. He drank it only after she patted her chest and confirmed the answer.

"Hmm..." Zhong Ming pondered. He felt that the Bodhisattva's water was not that delicious. It was just like tap water.

He turned his head and saw Excellent Suzhi drinking water rapidly. It seemed that she wanted to recover from her injury as soon as possible so that she could play in the game. As soon as she finished drinking, she looked up and sighed.

"Wow, so many torches!" Excellent Quality said excitedly as he looked up at the rain of fire in the sky. The torches were light and burning with flames, and at first glance they looked like paper boat lanterns floating in the night sky.

Mi Yu also looked up, her face slightly flushed with excitement.

Zhong Ming and the horse racing girls all looked up at the rain of torches with smiles on their faces. Suddenly, they heard the sound of a camera next to them. They turned around and found that it was Akasaka Misako who was taking pictures of them with a camera.

"Nice photos, Fujii's camera is really high-end..." Akasaka Misato said happily, turning her hand and placing the photos in front of them.

Akasaka Misako's photography skills are really good. Several people in the photo are looking up at the torches and fire rain. With Zhong Ming as the center, the other five horse girls are also included. What a pity... If there were only Zhong Ming and another horse girl, it would be a perfect couple photo. Now there are five people and it doesn't look like a couple photo at all. Instead, they look like a loving family.

Brand New Glory and Excellent Quality ran over to see how the photo was taken. Fujimasa March and Mi Yu were still catching the torches in the air. Zhong Ming watched for a while and then walked to the chair next to him to rest for a while. After all, he had just played an exhibition match with Qi Cao and had lost some physical strength.

As soon as he sat down, he saw Xiao Limao sitting next to him and asked, "Do you still need to train in the next few days?"