Chapter 8, Learning Martial Arts

Clang! The two blades collided, producing a burst of sparks

Outside the cell, a jailer approached, threw down a bamboo slip, and quickly left. A Guqi hurriedly picked it up to examine it

Wang Xuwen was greatly shocked upon hearing this. Harming others is not the same as being harmed; if one does not get hit while attacking, they will not be injured. However, being harmed is different; if the other party does not manage to hold back, it would be disastrous.

Damn, you are really too treacherous. If I hadn't blocked it this time, and your knife had gone up a few more centimeters, I would have been left without descendants.

"What a fine blade! Having served Prince Wang for many years, I have not received any rewards, while the general is truly fortunate." Huang Quan gazed at the ancient ingot knife in Wang Xu's hand, his eyes filled with envy.

Suddenly, I feel that Huang Quan's mind is too dull, unable to comprehend such a simple matter. The bodies of the imperial troops will be handled by the imperial troops themselves; why should we take action? Moreover, this place is only three miles from the imperial army's camp, and the cavalry can arrive in the blink of an eye. If they discover that we have killed over a thousand imperial soldiers, it will inevitably lead to another fierce battle. If only a thousand come out, it would be manageable, but what if five thousand come? Or ten thousand? That would mean putting ourselves at risk. Therefore, it is better to leave early. In the royal city, we have the support of the prince, so there is nothing to fear.

After Wang Xu returned to the city, he reported to the prince the truth about his order to kill one thousand soldiers of the heir. Since the truth cannot be concealed, it is better to confess openly than to be found out later. As Wang Xu expected, Zhou De did not blame him; instead, he praised Wang Xu for his decisiveness and boldness, arranging for him to stay in the Yulin Academy, living alongside the Yulin Army

The Royal City Prison

Zhou Yi was utterly speechless at this simple-minded fellow and couldn't help but curse: "You fool, do you think capturing Wang City is that easy? Let's not even mention the fifty thousand elite troops stationed at the border; within Wang City, the ancient Western garrison, the four yamen's forbidden troops, and the feathered troops together have thirty thousand soldiers. Moreover, the city walls of Wang City are tall and thick, and there is a moat that is two zhang wide; it will be impossible to take it within a month. Furthermore, in times of crisis for Wang City, do you think the citizens inside will not help? Will Hexi Prefecture, Qingyuan Prefecture, and the court not send troops for assistance?"

Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, Wang Xu immediately retreated three meters, creating distance between himself and Huang Quan

General, how should we dispose of the bodies of these official troops

In the future, think more critically when faced with issues

What are your plans after being released from prison, Young Master

After some thought, Aguqie continued, "I have only recently heard of Wang Xu. According to reports from our informants placed outside, this person has repeatedly saved the prince from peril. Yesterday, he was appointed as General of Jingliao by the prince in front of the palace; the matter of the black-clad rebels is mostly related to him as well"

Aguqie rolled his eyes and impatiently said, "What are we waiting for? If the heir would listen to me and forcefully capture the royal city while the prince is away from the palace, you would be the prince now, and we wouldn't be in this situation."

The two days passed in the blink of an eye; these two days were the most leisurely for Wang Xu. In the morning, he sought Huang Quan for martial arts guidance, and in the afternoon, he accompanied Zhou De to play chess. Of course, in this place, there was no concept of "chess" as it had not yet been discovered; it was Wang Xu who taught Zhou De to play games such as Go, Xiangqi, and Junqi, which delighted him so much that he immediately rewarded Wang Xu with a superb ancient ingot knife.

"Hmph, daring to oppose this young master, your first task after being released from prison is to kill him"

No

Who is Wang Xu?

What new intelligence do we have? Please share.

"Look at the knife." Huang Quan shouted in a low voice, horizontally holding the knife downward, the tip of the blade touching the ground, and suddenly slashing upward towards Wang Xu.

"This prince, the intelligence report states that the one thousand soldiers we dispatched to eliminate the men in black have all been annihilated, and it was a general named Wang Xu who led the operation to destroy them," said Aguqi.

Zhou Yi sat cross-legged on the mat, took a sip of tea, and said leisurely: "Conceal one's talents and bide one's time, waiting for the right opportunity"

In fact, Huang Quan did not teach Wang Xu any profound martial arts; Huang Quan himself did not possess any advanced skills either. Every morning, it was Wang Xu who wielded the sword to strike at Huang Quan, while Huang Quan defended himself. The techniques were freely improvised, allowing Wang Xu to attack as he pleased.

The ancient ding knife differs from the horizontal knife in that it lacks a blade rest; it consists only of the handle and the blade. Although it is referred to as a knife, both sides are sharpened, and the blade has a curvature, making it extremely thick and solid. Such an excellent knife has made Huang Quan and others envious beyond measure

"This operation has failed; do you know the reason behind it?" Zhou Yi asked again

I am aware of this; I had already received news of the black-clad assassins' rebellion before being captured. Upon learning of this matter, I immediately sent a message to the military camp to eliminate them; it is estimated that by now, none of the black-clad assassins have escaped unscathed.

In the dungeon, Zhou Yi and A Guqie were confined in the same cell; although it was called a cell, it was quite the opposite. The cell was large, at least the size of two ordinary cells, and the weeds on the ground had been thoroughly cleared away, replaced with a layer of red carpet. The cell was well-equipped with everything one could need: books, a desk, a bed, and calligraphy and paintings.

Originally, this move was quite easy to counter; Wang Xu only needed to hold the knife handle with one hand and the back of the knife with the other, then simply block downward. However, the unfortunate part was that the ancient ingot knife did not have a back.

Zhou Yi praised, saying: "Hmm, you did well. A killer who does not obey orders is not a good killer; they must be eliminated"

"General, you have been chopping at me for two days, yet you haven't even touched the hem of my clothes. Today, it is my turn to chop at you." Huang Quan held a knife in one hand, gently wiping it.

If you say it like that, then it really is precarious. "Aguche awkwardly scratched his head.

In a moment of panic, Wang Xu could only grasp the hilt of the sword with both hands and block downward. The horizontal sword measured three feet in length, and even if Wang Xu managed to deflect the advance of the sword, the three-foot-long blade would still strike his foot. With no other option, Wang Xu had to lift his right foot backward in a manner reminiscent of a dog urinating, barely managing to evade the blow

"Dispose of it, nonsense. Return to the city with me immediately." Wang Xu mounted his horse, urged it forward, and the warhorse galloped away, leaving no trace behind.

"Hey, I warn you, stay away from me." Huang Quan approached step by step, and Wang Xu was drenched in cold sweat, truly wanting to turn around and flee, but it was already too late. Huang Quan had swung his knife, employing a very direct and simple technique, without any embellishments

Within the inner courtyard of the Yulin Academy, there is a designated place for the Yulin Army to practice martial arts. Every morning, thousands of soldiers from the Yulin Army gather here for training. Today, as usual, the Yulin Army is practicing in the courtyard, while Wang Xu and Huang Quan step aside to begin their sparring.

Zhou Yi was extremely angry. The old man had finally managed to leave the palace, and such an opportunity was rare throughout the ages. If he could just kill him, the court would naturally grant him the title of King of Gu Xi. Yet, this golden opportunity was actually ruined by a young man, which was truly regrettable

At this moment, Wang Xu had no intention of speaking, fully focused on Huang Quan, attentively watching for his next attack.