Two
The air surged from the mouth of the gun like a fierce tiger, flowing out from its ears, the roar resembling that of a tiger. The dual eyes on the tiger's head, inlaid with black gold, flashed like lightning. The swordsman's "Tiger Stride" completely collapsed; his sword was drawn halfway, yet his hand had already lost the strength to draw it fully. There was no room left to dodge or retreat.
The almost certain victory of the thrust fell completely flat as the opponent suddenly bowed their head. The swordsman found his blade passing through empty air, involuntarily sweeping it across, but it merely flashed in the air. All his openings were laid bare.
"Stubborn!" the father scolded softly
The father was momentarily speechless
Absurd! The father exclaimed in a low voice, "Your malicious nature remains unchanged; you will inevitably bring harm upon yourself. You are only twelve years old, yet you harbor such a strong desire to kill. During the martial arts competition, one should not be distracted, but seeing the birds can stir the heart; this is common among young people. Yet all you have in your heart is the word 'kill.' The sage said that the most important aspect of self-cultivation is to follow one's natural disposition; at your age, will you not grow up to become a monster?"
What if your marksmanship is inferior to that of the enemy? What if you fail to kill him? The displeasure of the father resurfaced, yet he restrained himself from showing it on his face
He also had some doubts; the eldest son indeed possessed extraordinary talent in marksmanship. If there were anyone who could truly control that ominous gun, it would only be him
The father, still seething with anger, stepped forward to snatch the ancient sword from his eldest son's hand. He turned to take his youngest son away, but suddenly heard his eldest muttering behind him, as if in a low voice: "You are merely a gold zhu, thrown away; what can you use to save me now?"
The gunman turned sideways and bent down, assuming a "cat-like" posture, as four fingers slowly glided over the gun's body before tightening suddenly
He held the fierce tiger's roar spear in his arms, covering his wrist, as a trickle of blood slid down from the leather wrist guard, revealing that his wrist was indeed injured. He cast a disdainful glance at the coin on the ground, then looked at the middle-aged man beside him, tightly pursing his lips
"I am afraid I might hurt Chang Ye." The boy with black eyes glanced at his younger brother, "I won't hurt him. If I stab a little deeper with that shot, I can naturally control it."
He released his grip, and drops of blood from the leather wrist guard fell onto the grass. Gritting his teeth, he tore off the wrist guard, revealing a layer of iron beneath. When he pried open the iron layer, he found a layer of short, blunt spikes inside. Those blunt spikes pierced into his wrist; the wounds were not deep, but the pain was chilling.
The gaze of the sword bearer changed slightly. In an instant, he quickly glanced at the parrot, feeling a chill in his heart, and immediately withdrew his gaze
You! You are being unreasonable! Clearly, it was your weapon that slipped from your hand first!" The sword-wielding youth had light brown eyes, was delicate and charming. Coming back to his senses, he curled his lips slightly and pointed vigorously at his opponent, "It is you who lost!"
The child with brown eyes fell silent, only able to let out a resentful hum before turning away. The gun was knocked down by a middle-aged man nearby using a gold zhu. The gold zhu of the Great Yin is heavy in hand, and when fired at close range, it is no less than a weapon. Given the strength and speed of the gun wielded by the boy with black eyes, the boy with brown eyes had no chance to counterattack.
But a moment is already enough, the roar of the fierce tiger comes rushing at me. The gunman fired the only shot in that brief moment, without any recoil or change, just a direct thrust.
Falling alongside the long spear was a waxy golden coin. The spear wielder suddenly attempted to retreat, for he had lost his weapon and was completely exposed before his opponent. However, the sword wielder did not grant him this opportunity; with great joy, he forcefully pushed off the ground and drew his sword from its sheath
The sound of the ancient sword clanging against the stone pavement was incessant. The wielder of the spear suddenly stepped back, his toes lifting the fallen ancient sword. The heavy spear could not be raised, so he turned sideways and flipped to grasp it in his hand. Both weapons now lay in his possession, and this time he cast a cold glance at his opponent. His eyes, glinting with a cold light in the sunlight, upon closer inspection, were as dark as ink.
The opponent wielding the sword is acutely aware of the power of the gun, maintaining an extreme level of caution. He slowly shifts his position, the ancient sword measuring two feet and seven inches remains sheathed and motionless, yet the hand gripping the hilt continuously changes its posture, making it impossible to discern his intent to attack. Among the countless footprints he leaves behind, a large and orderly circle gradually takes shape; this is the "Tiger's Step" of the "Sword of Great Qi," a buildup of energy before the explosion
Both parties were surprisingly young; the one wielding a gun was around 12 or 13 years old, but was quite tall, while the one wielding a sword was merely about 11 or 12 years old.
The father turned to the eldest son, his expression growing stern again, "Do you know why I had to take away your gun?"
Beneath the ancient maple tree, only the boy with black eyes remained in the emptiness. It seemed as though he did not notice the departure of his father and younger brother, silently facing the sunlight. Only when the figures of his father and brother vanished into the distance, and no one could see him anymore, did he slowly sit down.
The boy with black eyes was completely unconcerned about his father's anger, merely gripping his own wrist, "As long as my wrist is uninjured, I can show you! I could have controlled that kind of gunfire long ago!"
The middle-aged man waved his hand and said, "You have won. I naturally know the outcome of winning and losing. You have practiced shooting for two more years than your younger brother, and what you have trained in is the fierce and easily mastered Poison Dragon style. There is nothing to be happy about in winning; it is losing that should not be the case"
It is indeed a lethal thrust
The parrot startled and took flight, its dark golden cold gleam piercing through the afternoon sunlight. A fallen leaf was split in two by the blade, the edge of the sword pointing directly at the chest of the sword wielder
He bit the cloth strap and silently bound himself, while a few still green maple leaves gently fell above his head. He looked up, and in a daze, he suddenly turned into a stone statue
"Can you hold it?" The father, furious to the point of laughter, said, "Wild child, wild child, I will teach you marksmanship. After all these years, have you ever seen you put down your gun? You only know how to stab recklessly. If I don't knock your gun away, you will end up stabbing your own brother!"
The Fierce Tiger Howling Tooth Spear, this is its legendary name. A weapon honed by countless bloodshed, its steel, length, and center of gravity are all flawless, capable of easily piercing through three layers of iron armor with a single thrust. Among the myriad clans of the Nine Provinces, only the design of humanity, combined with the unparalleled casting techniques of the river networks, can condense such profound lethality from a piece of stubborn iron
A sharp whistle sounded, followed by a "poof" as the long spear fell to the ground
I can also hold it!" The child with brown eyes shouted defiantly, "If you can hold it, can’t I hold it too?
A roar came from the ground, and the opponent, with his head lowered, spun on one leg as an axis. Then, he kicked up with his leg, striking the wrist of the sword bearer. A tremendous force sent the ancient sword soaring into the sky, and the sword bearer also lost his balance, landing with a thud on the ground
But that sword from Chang Ye, if I do not kick it away, can he control it
"You? Forget it," the black-eyed youth replied coldly, "I don't care whether you can hold on or not. With your swordsmanship, you can't hurt me. If my father doesn't save me, I don't want him to save me either"
Then I have lost, even with all my efforts I cannot defeat him, and even if I hold back I still cannot win
"Impudent!" the father shouted, "The bond of brotherhood is as strong as flesh and blood; I regard you and your brother as equals. Only someone with such a malicious disposition as yours would be so mean-spirited. What have you inherited of the Ji family's values?"
I won! he said softly, his voice hoarse in a manner not befitting his age
I won," the child with black eyes repeated in a low voice, "my gun did not slip from my hand by itself
At that moment, his speed in drawing the sword was as swift as lightning, with not a single superfluous movement. His martial arts were not weak; it was just that under the terrifying threat of his opponent's gun, it felt as if his throat had been seized, rendering him unable to exert his skills. However, the opponent had already lost his weapon. He thrust his ancient sword diagonally, targeting the opponent's shoulder, making the most of the sword's length. Moreover, he retained some strength in his hand; if the opponent leaned to the side, he would immediately swing horizontally, ensuring at least a cut to the chest.
The middle-aged arbitrator took a slight step back, seemingly overwhelmed by the impending unrest that was about to shatter this tranquility
"Obstinate and unyielding, obstinate and unyielding!" The father finally lost his patience, unwilling to say another word. He stood up, took the hand of his young child, and left without looking back
Still that slightly hoarse voice, cold and devoid of emotion, yet suddenly a pang of bitterness and acidity surged in the father's heart. He turned his head and saw his eldest son tilting his head and craning his neck towards the sunlight, as if he had said nothing at all. Those two long eyebrows, as black as ink and pointing like swords to the edge of his forehead, suddenly reminded him of that woman in the imperial capital
This is not a test of skill, but a duel; you all must give it your all. Those who exit the circle shall be defeated, those who lose their weapons shall be defeated, begin!
The middle-aged man let out a low grunt as he tossed the coins in his hand into the air, and with a "ding" sound, they fell onto the stone pavement in the garden, causing the air beneath the ancient maple tree to seem to suddenly grow cold
A modest gentleman should be grounded in steadfastness, experiencing few joys and sorrows, and engaging in deep contemplation. The father gently advised the brown-eyed youth, quoting the teachings of the ancients, urging his son not to weep easily
The parakeet with emerald feathers and a yellow tail perched between the gun and the sword, chirping and awkwardly turning its head, staring with a pair of round, jet-black eyes, looking around. This domesticated bird lacks the sharpness of wild fowl, is completely unafraid of humans, and remains oblivious to the extreme unease hidden within the calmness.
Drink!
Father! At this moment, the boy with brown eyes recalled the danger of the gunshot he had just experienced, feeling a chill in his heart. He felt wronged after being told by his father that he had lost the duel, and tears began to well up in his eyes.
The sound of chirping, chirp, chirp, suddenly broke the silence
The father's heart suddenly softened as he glanced at his eldest son, "Without saying anything else, your previous shot had too many mistakes and violated the taboos of warfare. Even with the Poison Dragon stance, one should not be overly aggressive. If your first strike fails, the opening will surely be exposed; how can you evade the enemy's counterattack?"
It was a long spear measuring seven feet and seven inches, with a black blade that shimmered with a faint dark golden hue under the sunlight, resembling ancient bronze stars. There were no ornate tassels on the spear; a twisted chi-hu (a mythical creature) coiled around the neck of the spear, and the nine-inch spear tip resembled a half-length sword. Refined wrought iron wrapped around the front of the spear for nearly two feet and five inches, with the remaining portion revealing the purple sandalwood color of the spear shaft. This was a spear of unique design, heavy and solemn, as if it were a tranquil tiger. Refined wrought iron wrapped around the front of the spear for nearly two feet and five inches, with the remaining portion revealing the purple sandalwood color of the spear shaft. This was a spear of unique design, heavy and solemn, as if it were a tranquil tiger.
If that shot could kill the enemy, he would not have had any chance to counterattack
I do not know what a sage is. The black-eyed youth coldly looked at his father and said, My younger brother has studied, but I have not; my younger brother is destined for high positions, but I cannot; even if I go to battle, my younger brother will sit in the military tent while I go to the front lines to fight. Can a sage save me? Has a sage ever been on the battlefield? If he had, he would have been killed long ago.
The boy with black eyes remained silent, and the garden fell silent all at once. The boy with brown eyes tugged at his father's belt and shrank behind him, making a face at his older brother