章 39: Let This Old Man Have Some Peace
編集者: Atlas Studios
Qiu Tianhe sighed inwardly for a moment before saying coldly, "Raise the status of this saber technique by half a level? With just you?"
Ye Jingtang had written Zhe Yunli's name with a simple meaning: There is a silly girl who dragged her master's wife to the capital to die. Don't be stubborn, and quickly teach me the saber technique. He never expected Qiu Tianhe to have such a big imagination.
However, even though their thoughts were worlds apart, the matter was settled.
Seeing Qiu Tianhe relenting, Ye Jingtang said heroically, "Just me."
Qiu Tianhe stopped talking nonsense about this matter. He snorted coldly, slowly propped up his body, and held a chain. "Give me the saber."
As he spoke, he looked up at the entrance of the hole.
Shang Jianli knew the rules, so he didn't plan to learn secretly and left the basement.
Clang!
Ye Jingtang flicked his finger, and the Hornless Dragon Saber flew forward. Qiu Tianhe caught it steadily.
Qiu Tianhe, who had practiced the saber all his life, had not touched a saber for almost a year. After he held the saber hilt, a trace of nostalgia surged in his eyes, and his aura also changed. It was as if he had instantly transformed from an old man with half a foot in the grave to an indomitable pine tree standing between heaven and earth.
Whoosh, whoosh…
Amidst the sound of the iron chains shaking, Qiu Tianhe's feet moved, and his body followed the saber. His movements were smooth and unhurried.
Even though his body was extremely weak, one could still see the deep foundation contained in his footsteps and movements.
Whoosh, whoosh…
Qiu Tianhe's saber technique was very complicated. It was just one move, but it had numerous movements and postures. It was as if all the joints in his body were moving.
After the demonstration, Qiu Tianhe threw the saber to Ye Jingtang and said in a proud voice, "This saber technique is called 'Heaven Equaling'. It's derived from the meaning of 'unity of heaven and man'. The saber intent is completely different from that of the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade and Dragon Slaying Decree. It emphasizes the concept rather than the moves and focuses on 'going with the flow'. When mastered, the firmness is like a raging river, and the gentleness is like a butterfly… Butterfly…"
The impassioned voice faded, then died away.
Qiu Tianhe guided the junior like an otherworldly expert, but the junior in front of him didn't listen at all. He only took the saber and imitated Qiu Tianhe's previous actions.
Initially, Qiu Tianhe had thought that Ye Jingtang was a 'waste' who was too eager for quick success. He hadn't even figured out the 'saber intent' before he started to imitate the technique without capturing the spirit. The more one imitated it, the more one would go astray because the 'Heaven Equaling Saber' did not have fixed moves at all. It was all conception.
But soon, Qiu Tianhe's dissatisfied expression turned into bewilderment.
After practicing it twice, Ye Jingtang realized that there was something wrong with the saber technique taught by Qiu Tianhe. The route of qi circulation was erratic. At first glance, it looked right, but when he looked deeper, it was all wrong.
Ye Jingtang didn't dwell on this strange feeling. He believed in his own judgment more. If the teachings were wrong, he wouldn't follow them. He would carefully perceive how to execute this saber move and let the 'sense of the saber' lead the way.
"Huff… Puff…"
Apart from heavy breathing and the sound of the saber, the stone room was silent. Ye Jingtang held the saber in one hand and slowly repeated Qiu Tianhe's movements. Every time, it was different.
Qiu Tianhe's eyes were full of surprise. He didn't expect Ye Jingtang's comprehension ability to be so good. He wouldn't even need Qiu Tianhe's explanation to reach basic mastery and begin to feel the hidden mysteries of the move himself.
The Heaven Equaling Saber was not the strongest saber technique in the world, but it was the most difficult saber technique to learn.
This was because the Heaven Equaling Saber did not have high physical requirements for martial artists. Meanwhile, women and even weak men could not practice saber techniques like the Dragon Slaying Decree and the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade well.
The Heaven Equaling Saber had a wider audience and was powerful. But the price was naturally that it was extremely difficult to master. It tested the martial artists' comprehension and was even a little 'metaphysical'. Slow-witted people might spend their entire lives learning it without reaching basic mastery.
Ye Jingtang could comprehend the knack so quickly, so it was only a matter of time before he reached basic mastery. In Qiu Tianhe's opinion, it would take at most three months… Months…
Before Qiu Tianhe could even think further, he was stunned by the scene in front of him.
Ye Jingtang held the saber in one hand and practiced more than ten times before suddenly stopping and becoming motionless.
The flames of the oil lamps on the wall were straight, and the saber in Ye Jingtang's hand was as quiet as a lonely lamp.
As his breathing caused the flames to sway slightly, the saber in his hand trembled accordingly.
Qiu Tianhe was astonished. After a moment of silence, he shook his wrist lightly.
Clatter!
An ear-piercing sound of metal rubbing against metal resounded in the dungeon.
Qiu Tianhe, whose body smelled of Soft Bone Fragrance and had less than 10% of his martial arts skills left, merely raised his right hand slightly, and the heavy iron chain on his wrist instantly tightened, turning into a steel whip that lashed toward Ye Jingtang.
But before Qiu Tianhe made his move, Ye Jingtang made his move.
Swoosh!
A saber light flashed in the dungeon, bringing with it a gust that instantly blew out the candles on the wall.
As soon as Qiu Tianhe lashed out with the iron chain, a silver light pierced through the loop of one of the links and stopped the iron chain that was about to strike. The tip of the blade also stopped at the place where Qiu Tianhe exerted strength with his elbow. It pierced through the prisoner's clothes, but it didn't hurt his flesh at all.
Clatter!
The chain lost its strength and fell to the ground again. The movement stopped abruptly, and the light dimmed.
Crack!
Ye Jingtang slowly sheathed his saber, took out a matchstick from his waist, and walked toward the oil lamps. He praised, "Wonderful saber technique. If the enemy does not move, I will not move. If the enemy moves, I will move first. By sensing the subtle changes of the opponent, I can counterattack in advance and always be one step ahead. The senior who created this saber technique is likely an extraordinary person with ordinary physical conditions but unprecedented comprehension…"
There was no response in the stone room.
Qiu Tianhe's eyes were incredulous. After a while, he asked, "Why do you know the Heaven Equaling Saber?"
"Hmm?" While lighting the oil lamps, Ye Jingtang turned around and saw Qiu Tianhe staring at him in a daze. He blinked. "Didn't you just teach it, Hero Qiu?"
"I just taught…" Qiu Tianhe almost said the same thing to Luo Ning.
After he saw Ye Jingtang's Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade last time, his evaluation of him was already very high. Finally, he returned to his senses, nodded slightly, and waved his right hand. "Go out and let this old man have some peace."
"Could I have misunderstood?"
"That's right. When my master took me in, he told me that practice depends on the individual. Go back and practice yourself. If there's nothing important, don't disturb my peace in the future."
"The Heaven Equaling Saber only has this move?"
"The Heaven Equaling Saber seeks conception and intent, and it can be considered an internal martial arts. It's a single saber move, but it's ever-changing and amorphous. Furthermore, the more one learns it, the more wondrous it becomes. You've just seen the tip of the iceberg. Don't underestimate this saber technique. When you practice it for a long time, you will understand the domineering aspect of this move."
Ye Jingtang felt that the Heaven Equaling Saber was indeed profound. Although he initially thought that it was not as powerful as the saber technique taught by his foster father, there were a few more orders of magnitude to it, and it had great potential. He needed to study and comprehend it diligently.
With this in mind, Ye Jingtang cupped his hands and bowed. "Thank you for your generosity in teaching, Hero Qiu. If there's anything I don't understand in the future, I hope you can give me some pointers. I'll take my leave first."
"Sigh…" Qiu Tianhe thought, It's good that you don't give me pointers in the future. How could I give you pointers?
But these words were too damaging to the Grandmaster's dignity, so he didn't say anything. In the end, he just leaned against the wall to shut himself in…
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