Chapter 11: The Decisive Battle in the State of Wei — Section 3: The Veteran's Ultimate Skill

Section Three: The Veteran's Special Skill

"Can't even handle a single old man, leaving it to me!" The seated brawler struck the girl's pressure point, picked up his long saber, and stood up to join the fray. Just as he was about to step in, Bu Jingxian grabbed his raised arm.

"What..." The ruffian's outburst was cut short by the excruciating pain shooting through his arm. Outside, snowflakes drifted through the air, yet cold sweat broke out across the brawler's face in an instant.

Everyone in the hall heard a crisp cracking sound, followed by Bu Jingxian releasing his grip. The ruffian's long saber dropped to the floor, and he crouched down, wincing in agony.

Seeing this, the two men who had been flanking the old man roared and charged forward with their sabers raised, only for Bu Jingxian to catch both of their wrists mid-air. Two more crisp cracks echoed as their armbones were crushed to powder by immense force. Screaming in agony, they rolled onto the ground. Showing no mercy, Bu Jingxian ruthlessly stomped on the left arms of all three men, shattering their bones.

"Killing you would bring trouble to the innkeeper. Since your arms are only used for committing crimes, they might as well be crippled. Now get lost!"

With that, Bu Jingxian delivered a swift kick to each of the three men, sending them sliding across the floor toward the inn's entrance.

The leader of the ruffians, enduring the intense pain, glared hatefully at Bu Jingxian and spat, "If you've got guts, leave your name!"

"It makes no difference whether I leave it or not. With your skills, don't even dream of getting revenge on me in this lifetime. Get out of here."

The three men endured their pain and dragged themselves up against the doorframe, but they couldn't manage to open the inn's door. At that moment, the waiter hurried over, a smug smile on his face. "You three blind bastards, daring to cause trouble here! Who for dozens of miles around doesn't know the prowess of our innkeeper's benefactor, Uncle Jiang? If it were a decade ago, the likes of you three bastards would have been hacked to pieces by Uncle Jiang in two or three strokes. Scram—!"

With a shove, he opened the door and delivered a swift kick to the rear of each of the three men, sending them flying out of the inn and face-first into the snow outside. He spat after them, slammed the door shut, and turned back to address the patrons with a proud grin. "I suppose none of you believed Uncle Jiang's words earlier, did you? Twenty years ago, when our innkeeper's family was ambushed by bandits, over a hundred men were driven off by Uncle Jiang single-handedly! Out of gratitude for saving his entire household, our innkeeper opened this place and has served Uncle Jiang like a father ever since. If Uncle Jiang were ten years younger, these three wouldn't even have stood a chance..."

The diners in the hall broke into cheers and applause, praising Uncle Jiang's formidable skills while also hailing Bu Jingxian as a young hero.

"Waiter, put this young hero's food and wine on my tab. Now, I'm just a merchant—I don't know the first thing about crossing swords, but I'm not entirely devoid of a conscience. Since the young hero has the skill to punish scoundrels, the least I can do is treat him to a meal to express my gratitude!"

Immediately, two other tables of merchants chimed in, insisting on treating as well. Amidst the friendly bickering, they had the waiter add more wine and dishes for Bu Jingxian.

"In that case, it would be ungracious of me to refuse. My thanks to you all." Bu Jingxian bowed in gratitude to the crowd, then stepped forward to release the young girl's sealed pressure points. Seeing that she was about to drop to her knees in thanks, he quickly guided her toward Uncle Jiang instead. "Uncle Jiang is your true benefactor. I merely relied on my youth and physical strength. Uncle Jiang could easily have handled those three scoundrels himself; my stepping in only saved him a bit of trouble."

Following his advice, the girl hurried over to Uncle Jiang, dropped to her knees in kowtow, and was gently helped back up.

Only then did Bu Jingxian invite Uncle Jiang to share a table and drink with him.

"It is rare for a young man to possess such skill, and rarer still to have a chivalrous heart."

"Compared to Uncle Jiang, my little tricks are nothing at all." Bu Jingxian raised his cup in a toast. Uncle Jiang downed three cups in a row, growing more and more spirited.

"Ah, I'm just old now, my body isn't as nimble as it used to be, and my old war wounds act up frequently. My legs are sluggish too. Otherwise, those three punks—humph—would have been beaten flat by this old man long ago! Back in the day when I followed General Li Kuang, out of tens of thousands of elite soldiers, I was among the very best fighters..."

Bu Jingxian listened patiently. When Uncle Jiang's recollection of past glories was drawing to a close, he seized the opportunity and said, "Earlier today, I witnessed Uncle Jiang's extraordinary skill. Although this junior has long since taken a master, I couldn't help but feel the urge to ask for guidance. I wonder if Uncle Jiang might bestow a few pointers upon me?"

"Call it what you will, but back when this old man was young, though I fancied myself a hero, I never took a master or learned formal martial arts. I simply picked up some battlefield saber techniques while serving under General Li Kuang. I have no skill in teaching others, but if the young hero thinks well of the little tricks I figured out on my own, this old man is more than happy to share!"

Bu Jingxian struck while the iron was hot, pouring another drink and inquiring about the anomalies he had observed during the fight. Uncle Jiang held nothing back, explaining and teaching him in meticulous detail.

"...This is a technique I figured out amidst the chaos of battle. As long as you remain calm, relaxed, and hold onto that sliver of tranquil clarity amidst the blur, you can draw a strange kind of power from within your body... You ask about deflecting blades? Think about it—when you tense your arm, don't the muscles shift and bulge? ... That's right. If someone slashes at you with a saber, the moment the blade touches your leather armor, you feel it. All you need to do is concentrate your strength into your muscles, using that sudden expansion of muscle mass to deflect the force of their weapon sideways from an angle. Even if they hit you square-on, the blow gets deflected to the side. Back then, this old man cheated death countless times with this very trick... Another time, an enemy slashed across my back—a blow that should have nearly cut me in two. I used this ultimate move to block it, and in the end, it only scraped a layer of skin and flesh off my back..."

The blocking technique Uncle Jiang had forged on the battlefield sounded simple, but because Bu Jingxian was someone who had long endured attacks, he understood it at a single hint. However, that method of completely absorbing an attack through artificially expanded physical power and discharging the opponent's force outside the body was something he could not master instantly. Bu Jingxian faintly sensed that the mental guidance method involved bore some resemblance to the secrets of directing internal energy, and he silently engraved Uncle Jiang's every word into his heart.

As Uncle Jiang continued to drink and eat meat, intoxication gradually crept over him. Seeing this, Bu Jingxian promptly called the waiter over to help the old man to a resting place, leaving behind a fifty-liang silver ingot. "Today, I have benefited immensely from Uncle Jiang's guidance. Consider this silver as tuition for my learning. I must trouble you, waiter, to hand this to Uncle Jiang after he sleeps off his wine."

To top it off, he tossed a handful of loose silver to the waiter as a tip for running the errand. Figuring that the entire hall of diners was watching, the waiter wouldn't dare pocket it for himself even if he had the inclination.

Sensing that he had lingered too long and fearing pursuit by the men of the Wei State, Bu Jingxian bade farewell to the patrons and departed in a hurry.

Hardly had he stepped out of the inn when he heard the faint sound of hoofbeats approaching from the distance. He hurriedly vaulted into the saddle, cracked his whip, and spurred his horse into a gallop.

They had barely traveled two miles out of the village when the sound of hoofbeats behind him grew steadily closer. Bu Jingxian's mount was of ordinary breed with poor endurance, while the pursuers clearly rode superior steeds. In fine weather, the horse could manage another dozen miles, but amidst the freezing ice and snow, the animal's stamina drained rapidly. Those two miles had depleted most of its strength, and it ran slower and slower.

Just as Bu Jingxian was about to abandon the mount and forge ahead on foot through the wilderness, he spotted a pink oiled-paper umbrella in the distance, carried by a petite figure approaching slowly along the end of the road. He quickly composed himself, maintaining an air of nonchalance as he urged his horse forward, fearing that abandoning the beast immediately would arouse suspicion in the umbrella's owner. After all, Wu Fei was a disciple of the Sword Peak Sect and would undoubtedly aid the State of Wei.

The fluttering snowflakes fell upon the oiled-paper umbrella, accumulating until the weight became too great, at which point the umbrella would gently spin, flinging the snow away. Wu Fei walked very slowly, while Bu Jingxian rode at a swift pace.

Moments later, as they brushed past one another, Bu Jingxian's galloping horse suddenly let out a shrill whinny, reared its legs, and came to an abrupt, screeching halt. Taken completely by surprise, Bu Jingxian nearly lost his seat.

Once the horse came to a standstill, it refused to take another step forward, no matter how Bu Jingxian urged it.

This strange behavior instantly set Bu Jingxian on high alert. He noticed that Wu Fei was standing by the roadside, quietly watching him with calm eyes.

Feigning composure, he dismounted, grabbed the reins, and tried to lead the animal away, but the horse remained planted like a statue, unwilling to advance even half a pace. Frustrated to the point of wanting to drag the beast forward by brute force, Bu Jingxian instead forced a casual smile, as if only just recognizing Wu Fei. "Ah, it's the chivalrous heroine Wu Fei! I never expected to cross paths here." With a helpless sigh, he added, "This horse is truly bizarre. It was just fed and rested."

Wu Fei cupped her fists in a return salute, then said evenly, "The horse's path is blocked by internal Qi. Every time it tries to step, its four hooves suffer a piercing pain. Naturally, it refuses to move."

Only then did Bu Jingxian realize that Wu Fei had meddled. Feigning incomprehension, he asked, "Why is the heroine blocking my way?"

"Why are you being pursued?"

Understanding now that Wu Fei must have heard the pounding hoofbeats of the pursuers from afar, Bu Jingxian quickly replied, "I've always been fond of meddling in other people's business, and I offended a prominent figure back in Bianyuan City. Hence, I'm fleeing for my life."

"Just who on earth are you?" Wu Fei's voice was calm, but Bu Jingxian could sense that she was already preparing to make a move. Just as he opened his mouth to explain, she continued, "Those pursuing you are unmistakably the Dragon Whirlwind Cavalry of the State of Wei. There are no officials in Bianyuan City important enough to warrant deploying them, and right now, all the Dragon Whirlwind Cavalry are stationed at the frontline encampments. The moment you spotted me from afar, you spurred your horse into a frantic dash, clearly intending to abandon the beast. You're being hunted down, yet you act completely unconcerned—all to avoid arousing my suspicions."

Only then did Bu Jingxian realize how perceptive and acutely observant Wu Fei truly was. Knowing that further explanations would be futile, he instantly spun on his heel, thrusting both palms against the horse to send it hurtling toward her like a projectile, and turned to flee.

The horse, propelled by immense force, flew straight at Wu Fei, but she channeled her internal energy to catch it, guiding it in a half-circle around her before setting it gently down by the roadside, unharmed. Unflustered, Wu Fei wore a gentle expression as she reached out to stroke the horse's head, soothing its panic with a soft murmur, "Don't be afraid, with me here no one will hurt you. Go find a quiet place to rest."

Having said this, Wu Fei finally unleashed her lightness skill and gave chase to Bu Jingxian.

Bu Jingxian used the recoil from shoving the horse to leap backward, fleeing straight into the snow-covered mountain forest. He knew Wu Fei's lightness skill was formidable; sticking to the open road meant he would never escape her pursuit, and engaging her in a direct frontal clash offered little hope of victory. Bursting into the woodland, he sank knee-deep into the snowdrifts. Channeling his energy, he blasted a mound of snow aside, vaulted up into a tree, and concealed himself behind the trunk, holding his breath and calming his mind.

Tracking his footprints, Wu Fei entered the forest. Seeing the trail suddenly vanish amidst a large expanse of collapsed snow and ice, she assumed Bu Jingxian had burrowed beneath the snow to travel. Pausing beside a tree, she carefully examined the traces of the collapsed snow to discern the true direction of his escape.

Just as she was looking, she abruptly sensed a murderous intent erupting from directly above her, plummeting toward her at blinding speed. She instantly channeled power into her feet, soaring upward while spinning around to throw a palm strike.

At this moment, Bu Jingxian's Soul Scripture cultivation was at the eleventh tier: base physical power 1,200, boosted by 100% from the Soul Scripture, with an additional 200% energy field amplification from the 10th tier of the Soul Scripture, bringing his total physical power to 3,600. (The Soul Scripture doubles lethality and damage resistance; the Hundred Battles talent multiplies natural stamina recovery speed by tenfold, while doubling lethality and damage resistance; the Undying talent triples damage resistance and multiplies natural stamina recovery speed by tenfold.) His actual effective physical power was 6,000, internal energy 100, spirit 10, perception 8. His actual effective combat power was 1.22, and his absolute combat power was 9.76.

Wu Fei's physical power was 100, internal energy 5,000, spirit 10, perception 6. Her combat power was 9,000, and her absolute combat power was 54,000.