After returning to his room, Fang Jie didn't go out again. He closed the window and practiced his first sword move several times. He practiced with his right hand first, then his left. Although this preparation wasn't used in the martial arts academy's exam, Fang Jie's cautious nature made him feel that if he kept his left-hand sword move well-hidden, it would one day save his life. This feeling might just be due to his anxiety about his future, but being prepared was never a bad thing.
The old cripple's signature sword move, made famous in his youth, was ruthless, but at his age, it was clearly no longer suitable. In fact, there was a cowardly side to Fang Jie's personality. Having practiced this sword move for so long, he himself hadn't noticed that hidden cowardice gradually disappearing.
People are always changing. While in Fan Gu, Fang Jie insisted on not killing.
But as soon as he left Fan Gu, he was forced to start killing.
His thinking also began to change from that of a purely modern person from his previous life; this adaptation to the environment could be considered progress. No one can easily transition from a peaceful, stable, and law-abiding world to one where killing is sometimes unavoidable and carries no consequences. If someone does, they must have been a vicious and ruthless individual in their past life.
Fang Jie's transformation took a long time, yet even so, he still felt a strong aversion to killing.
The broken sword the old cripple gave him was too short; more accurately, it was a sword that had been severed. Only a small portion of the original blade remained, the end cleanly cut by some sharp weapon. Fang Jie had tested it; the broken sword was both incredibly hard and sharp. Even a standard-issue horizontal sword crafted by the Sui Dynasty was quite good, but this broken sword could easily cut through it.
Therefore, Fang Jie was very curious: what kind of divine weapon had severed the old cripple's original weapon?
Although the broken sword was short, it perfectly suited his close-quarters, ruthless sword techniques. And Fang Jie's physique dictated that he would inevitably engage in close combat. Only those who can cultivate, and even those with very high levels of cultivation, can wield a sword. For example, the old man in the sapphire blue robe; his sword was both tangible and intangible.
Fang Jie practiced his swordsmanship, seeking only speed. Deception was the essence of his swordsmanship. Speed was its method. Only by mastering both deception and speed could the power of his swordsmanship be fully revealed.
After practicing, Fang Jie, drenched in sweat, sat cross-legged on the edge of the bed. He closed his eyes and began to feel his muscles. He was clearly dissatisfied with the current potential of his muscles—their ability to passively defend. He had never been one to enjoy passivity. He lacked the ability to counterattack.
Only by freely controlling his muscles could he truly unleash a portion of the potential of this powerful body. Cross-legged and with his eyes closed, Fang Jie tried to control his muscles through meditation. But it was easier said than done; concentrating all his mind without a single distraction was far from easy.
The more cautious and meticulous Fang Jie was, the harder it was for his mind to find peace.
He tried to make his muscles react even without external force. The idea was simple, but putting it into practice was incredibly difficult.
He initially thought of controlling his muscles through meditation. For example, if a water droplet landed on a certain part of his body, the corresponding muscles would harden to resist the force. This was passive; what Fang Jie wanted was active control—the ability to make his muscles change even without external force.
But he failed.
He meditated for a full hour, feeling he was completely focused, but he still couldn't control any particular muscle group. His body didn't move, and his muscles wouldn't obey.
After much thought, Fang Jie changed his approach, abandoning the attempt to control a specific muscle group. Instead, he focused on mentally manipulating all the muscles in his body. While controlling the whole body might seem more difficult than controlling a single point, it's actually much easier. Changing the entire body is less difficult than changing a part while keeping the overall structure largely unchanged.
Making one part harden while keeping the rest of the body still is difficult. But changing the entire body requires significantly less mental control.
But Fang Jie failed again. After it was completely dark, Fang Jie still couldn't freely change his physical state. When he remained still, his muscles were very relaxed. No matter how hard he tried to mentally manipulate his muscles, he couldn't succeed. Pure meditation hadn't given Fang Jie a way to control his muscles.
Only movement could change his muscles.
For example, clenching a fist would move the muscles in his arm. But if he didn't move, how could his muscles change?
Fang Jie was stuck in a rut, unable to extricate himself.
Qilin stood guard at the door, occasionally glancing back at the deep-thinking Fang Jie. He frowned slightly, unable to guess what Fang Jie was doing, but he knew Fang Jie must be facing a problem. This honest, burly man couldn't help Fang Jie; he could only stand by his side, doing his best.
No one could pass by him or get close to Fang Jie.
...
...
The next day, as the sun rose, Zhang Kuang was already waiting at Fang Jie's door. Yesterday, Professor Mo Wanwu made a bet with that student named Liu Shuang, which intrigued Fang Jie and Zhang Kuang. After all, it was a competition involving scouts, and both of them were top-notch scouts in the border army.
"How do you think today's competition will go?"
Zhang Kuang asked as they walked.
Fang Jie smiled and said, "It's simply a matter of Liu Shuang leading most of the students as one team, and the professor leading a smaller team. But the team with more students can't control their scouts. So, in a way, the professor has a huge advantage. This kind of competition is actually meaningless. I can't understand how a professor from the Martial Arts Academy could be so petty as to argue with a student who has no experience."
"I quite like that kind of personality," Zhang Kuang smiled and said, "It's very similar to our border army."
"Yes!"
Fang Jie nodded and said, "They're all genuine people, unlike others who are so pretentious."
Zhang Kuang hummed in agreement, then remained silent for a while, looking hesitant, clearly having something on his mind. Fang Jie chuckled and patted Zhang Kuang's shoulder, saying, "You seem to have something on your mind. Tell me, have you taken a fancy to some female student and want me to play matchmaker?"
"No..."
"Then what is it?"
Fang Jie asked.
Zhang Kuang's face flushed slightly. He opened his mouth, but ultimately shook his head, saying, "Nothing."
"You consider me a friend?"
"Of course!"
"Then tell me!"
"Fang Jie... I'm too embarrassed to say it."
"Damn it!"
Fang Jie, seeing his awkwardness, couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "You don't actually have a crush on me, do you?!"
"Get lost!"
Zhang Kuang cursed, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Last night, I was chatting with Brother Mo, and we both had a headache... You know, we're both from the border army, our pay is already low, and this martial arts academy demands..." "Money, food, none of it is free... We both..."
"I understand!"
Fang Jie nodded, said "Wait for me," then turned and ran back to his room. He snatched some silver notes from Qilin's hand, and jogged back, laughing, "Look at my friend, he's too stingy. He controls all the money, and I have to beg him. When I was in Fan Gu, I did some small business in my spare time, so I have some spare money. You and Brother Mo can use this first, but of course, you have to pay him back."
If it weren't for those last four words, Zhang Kuang might not have accepted the silver notes Fang Jie offered.
"Not much, a few hundred taels."
Fang Jie scratched his head and said, "After arriving in the capital, I looked around for a long time and found that there wasn't a business that others couldn't do well. Making a fortune is difficult."
"You're a soldier, how can you do business?"
Zhang Kuang asked in surprise, "Wouldn't people laugh at me if word got out? A soldier doing business… that's not good."
"Do you want to starve or be ridiculed?"
"I…"
Zhang Kuang paused, then sighed, "Even a hero can be brought down by a single penny. If Brother Mo and I hadn't been spending extravagantly after arriving in the capital, the government's subsidies would have been enough. But you know Brother Mo's personality; when he goes out with others, he naturally won't let them pay. Before long, my money was all gone."
"I understand!"
Fang Jie nodded, "We're brothers, there's no need to be embarrassed to say it."
Zhang Kuang lowered his head, seemingly trying to hide what was in his eyes. Fang Jie, however, keenly sensed a hint of resentment and madness in Zhang Kuang's eyes, fleeting yet intensely intense. Fang Jie didn't dwell on it, assuming Zhang Kuang was simply embarrassed.
"Silver..."
Zhang Kuang sighed, muttering, "I've risked my life in the Northern Frontier for so many years, and the silver I've earned isn't even enough to eat."
Fang Jie patted his shoulder, unsure how to comfort him.
...
...
In the dense forest.
Zhuo Buyi's expression suddenly changed. He whispered to the others, "Someone's coming from behind, very fast."
After he finished speaking, the other three reacted immediately. The proprietress, Du Hongxian, gracefully leaped onto a large tree, using the dense foliage to conceal herself. Li Nan pulled the young man aside, and the two hid behind a large rock.
Zhuo Buyi remained motionless, standing there with his hands behind his back, watching the direction they had come from. They appeared to be hiding casually, but someone observing from a high vantage point would notice that the positions of the other hidden individuals and Zhuo Buyi were subtly strategic. Anyone approaching Zhuo Buyi would immediately be surrounded by the four of them.
The newcomer wasn't an enemy. When the blood-red Taoist robe came into Zhuo Buyi's view, he involuntarily breathed a sigh of relief, his expression relaxing.
It was Daoist Heli.
"Daoist Master, what brings you here?"
The young man, peeking out from behind the rock, asked curiously.
"Greetings, Your Highness."
Daoist Heli bowed slightly in greeting, then replied, "I chased after you all the way west, but found no trace. Later, I received a message by carrier pigeon that you had entered the mountains, so I rushed over immediately."
"We have enough manpower."
The young man smiled.
"I've come on His Majesty's orders, requesting Your Highness to return to Chang'an immediately,"
Daoist Heli said. "Huh? How did Father Emperor know?"
The young prince was taken aback, then shook his head. "I'm not going back. I absolutely won't return until I've caught that bald monk who dared to act so recklessly in Chang'an. What, do you think I'll hold you back, so you're using Father Emperor to pressure me?"
"Of course not. Although Your Highness is young, your talent is extraordinary. In the entire Sui Dynasty, there is no young person who can compare to Your Highness. But this matter is extremely dangerous. How could His Majesty let you take such a risk?"
"I'm not going back!"
The young prince stamped his foot. "You dare to capture me?"
"We wouldn't dare... but Your Highness must return."
The Crane Cry Taoist glanced back and said, "Because they've come to invite you."
The young prince looked into the distance and was immediately shocked: "The Imperial Guard?! Father Emperor actually sent these freaks to capture me!"
A few dozen meters away, twenty-odd soldiers in black armor stood quietly. They just stood there, yet they seemed to chill the surrounding air. Each soldier was like a long spear slightly raised. Even ninth-rank masters like Zhuo Buyi felt a slight tremor upon seeing these twenty-odd soldiers.
Martial Arts Academy.
Professor Mo Wanwu, looking at the assembled students, smiled and said, "If we're going to fight, let's make it real. We're setting off now, our target is the mountains north of Chang'an. Liu Shuang, take your thirty men. Fang Jie, Zhang Kuang, and I will go the other way, our destination being Crescent Lake in the mountains."
"Ah?"
Liu Shuang was taken aback: "Sir, only two people?"
"Yes."
Mo Wanwu slightly raised his chin and said, "Those two will be my scouts, and I will be their army!"