Chapter 1: Don’t I Understand Swordsmanship? Don’t I Understand Combat?

“Watch closely. This is how Huashan swordsmanship is used.”

Beside the pool beneath the Cliff of Reflection, Wang Jingyuan was brandishing a treasured sword clearly made by a master craftsman.

Golden Geese Crossing the Sky, Blue Pines Greeting Guests, White Rainbow Piercing the Sun—one by one, the most standard forms of Huashan swordsmanship were unfolded. His opponent, Yue Lingshan, who was feeding him moves, simply flicked her long sword and neatly took every one of his attacks.

Yue Lingshan’s delicate brows were tightly knit, her little face scrunched into a knot, as though she had just bitten into a very sour apricot.

What troubled her was not that Wang Jingyuan’s swordplay was mediocre. On the contrary, he had only recently begun learning; for someone so new to the sword to wield it this correctly was already most unusual.

Besides, the core of Huashan swordsmanship lay in directing the sword with inner force. Without the support of true energy, its power was greatly diminished.

What truly vexed her was that he did not use the forms in any proper sequence at all, causing the transitions between them to be stiff and awkward, with noticeable pauses.

And during those pauses, he would use his free hand to wave, flick, and make all sorts of meaningless gestures, making the flaws in his posture even more fatal.

And with all that, he still had the nerve to tell her, “This is how Huashan swordsmanship is used.”

Yue Lingshan stared at his hand as it swaggered before her again, then finally could not endure it any longer. She thrust out her sword and forced Wang Jingyuan back, ending the drill.

Watching him leap away and land steadily, Yue Lingshan said unhappily, “Little Junior Brother, why do you not use the sword forms in order? And what on earth are you doing with that hand of yours?”

Wang Jingyuan sheathed his sword and, picking his nose with complete indifference, asked, “Then according to you, how should this sword art be used?”

“Of course it should be White Clouds Emerging from the Gorge, Auspicious Phoenix Arriving…”

Still picking his nose, Wang Jingyuan went on, “Then Golden Geese Crossing the Sky and Blue Pines Greeting Guests, right?”

“You see? You know it too, don’t you?”

“That sequence is known by everyone in Huashan, of course I know it. Not only do I know it, the other four sects of the Five Mountain Sword Alliance know it too, and so do Shaolin and Wudang.

Because that order gives Huashan swordsmanship the smoothest possible flow from one movement to the next. When training, you use that sequence; in actual combat, you mostly use it too.

Only disciples who are extremely familiar with the sword art would break up the forms and adjust to the situation. Even then, they usually would not string together two moves whose transitions are terribly awkward.”

Little Junior Sister, if I followed a fixed sequence, I’m afraid you could catch me even with your eyes closed.

Unlike now, when you have to keep your eyes open to watch me.”

Yue Lingshan looked puzzled. “But like this, aren’t your openings even greater? In a real fight, wouldn’t you lose even faster? Also… I am your senior sister, so do not call me Little Junior Sister!”

“Where exactly are you little?” Wang Jingyuan muttered, looking her up and down at the sixteen- or seventeen-year-old little loli before him. His right hand once again settled on the sword hilt, and he glanced past Yue Lingshan’s shoulder.

“Huh? Master is coming.”

Hearing this, Yue Lingshan did not even turn around to look. Instead, she pointed her sword at Wang Jingyuan and said angrily, “You are at it again!”

Wang Jingyuan, who was simply taking his chances, did not care at all that Yue Lingshan had failed to take the bait. He drew his sword and leaped up into the air, once again using Golden Geese Crossing the Sky.

Yue Lingshan blocked it with ease, yet Wang Jingyuan still stubbornly made little movements with his other hand. This time, however, Yue Lingshan’s eyes widened in terror.

For Wang Jingyuan’s left hand was in a pinching gesture, poised to flick. The finger he had pinched was precisely the same one he had just used to pick his nose.

The finger flicked out, and Yue Lingshan did not even care whether anything had actually been sent flying. She shrieked and dodged aside, instantly losing her composure.

And Wang Jingyuan’s following Blue Pines Greeting Guests happened to knock the long sword from her hand.

[Huashan Swordsmanship proficiency +10]

Looking at the words that appeared before his eyes, Wang Jingyuan felt delighted.

He had saved himself another ten repetitions of sword practice. Satisfied, he nodded and sheathed his sword. Then he turned to Yue Lingshan, who was still shaken and glaring at him in outrage, and spread his hands.

“See? Just as I said. Follow the rules too strictly, and you’ll be read like a book, easily countered and strung into a full combo. But break the sequence, and you create obvious start-up and recovery windows, making yourself easy to interrupt.

A competent player has to learn how to slip in practical little tricks to cancel the start-up and recovery, or better yet, insert an attack command in between and raise the DPS.”

“Junior Brother, you’re talking nonsense again!” Yue Lingshan stamped her foot in fury. “You just bully me because I… I like being clean! If you were facing someone else, what use would this trick be?!”

Wang Jingyuan gave her a disdainful sidelong glance. “Tch. That was only practice. Do you know how expensive quicklime is these days? For such a good thing, if it is not used on a boss, then it should at least be used on an elite monster.

A wooden training dummy NPC like you is not worthy of this kind of premium goods. You should be clear about your place.”

Yue Lingshan did not understand any of the strange terms coming out of Wang Jingyuan’s mouth, but she had at least grasped one thing: he had originally intended to scatter quicklime powder?

That explained all those waving and flicking motions from earlier. Yue Lingshan was horrified. “You plan to use quicklime powder in battle?!”

Wang Jingyuan shook his head.

Yue Lingshan let out a small breath of relief.

But then Wang Jingyuan continued, “You need to broaden your horizons. Don’t box yourself in so tightly.

Besides quicklime, there are aphrodisiac poisons, poisoned hidden weapons, rusty cleavers, hammers smeared with filth, and plenty of other things you can use.”

Too astonished to speak properly, Yue Lingshan’s mouth hung slightly open. “Our Huashan School is a righteous orthodox sect!”

Wang Jingyuan still waved a hand carelessly. “No problem. Before I make a move, I’ll just say I’m from the Sun and Moon Divine Sect.”

Hearing such treasonous words, Yue Lingshan was even more shocked. “You! You still want to call yourself a member of the demonic sect?!”

“How is that new? When roaming the jianghu, one should always prepare a few alternate identities. As the saying goes, when killing and setting fires, it is Li Feiyu; when saving the suffering and delivering the distressed…”

Before Wang Jingyuan could finish, Yue Lingshan cut him off. “How can you be like this! I… I’m going to tell my father!”

With that, Yue Lingshan picked up the long sword from the ground and fled as though the wind were chasing her.

Wang Jingyuan shook his head behind her back. “Back then, when I killed a chicken in Riverwood, a whole pack of nosy locals hunted me down all the way. Even after I came back in a full suit of heavy plate armor, they still recognized me at a glance.

This game is truly hardcore. As long as you cover your face and keep quiet, nobody can identify you. Not making use of that mechanic is just idiotic.”

Having said that, Wang Jingyuan once again took up his long sword and resumed practicing Huashan swordsmanship, while at the same time recalling how it all had begun...