Saber

"Elder Huang, I want a good saber," Jiang Yuan said respectfully to the little old man.

The little old man laughed and scolded, "Did your uncle tell you something? How else did you know the armory had just acquired a fine saber?"

"Ha?"

"Come." Old Man Huang tucked his wine gourd at his waist and called for Jiang Yuan to follow him.

Before long, they arrived at a vast warehouse.

Quite a few guards stood watch around the warehouse.

Clearly, this was one of the escort agency's important locations.

"Master Huang!" The two guards at the entrance both saluted when they saw Old Man Huang.

Old Man Huang waved his hand.

The old man surnamed Huang held no small position within the entire escort agency.

"Greetings, Young Escort Chief."

Jiang Yuan did not put on airs and returned the guards' salute.

The guards were somewhat flattered.

They found that the Young Escort Chief's temperament had become much gentler.

"This saber is called the Chen Saber. The Ban Family made it in imitation of the Guyue Family's Stellar War Saber. Though it is an imitation, its power surpasses the original by thirty percent!"

"The Chen Saber suits the escort agency's Tiger Roar Saber Technique. Take it and give it a try."

Old Man Huang lightly tossed the Chen Saber backward.

Old Man Huang looked as though he were tossing away a leaf, but when Jiang Yuan caught it, his hand sank, and he nearly failed to hold it steady.

This saber, which looked slender and sharp, actually weighed nearly a hundred jin.

Jiang Yuan examined the Chen Saber. Its entire body was pitch-black, with several blue specks scattered across the blade like stars in the night sky.

Jiang Yuan tried swinging it a few times. It felt excellent in his hand.

"This saber is among the finest of all sharp weapons. Take it and try it out. If it does not suit you, bring it back to me and exchange it for another."

Old Man Huang smacked his lips. At some point, the wine gourd at his waist had appeared in his hand, and a stream of wine poured into his mouth.

Jiang Yuan froze for a moment, then understood that Old Man Huang was granting him a special favor.

Ordinary escort agency disciples had no right to exchange their weapons, and they would not even get to meet Old Man Huang.

"Thank you, Elder."

Old Man Huang flashed his large yellow teeth, smiled, and walked away.

After returning to his own courtyard, Jiang Yuan opened the reward exchange.

[Reward Exchange]

Severing Gate Saber: Points *150

Exchange!

"Ah!"

Jiang Yuan suddenly clutched his head. The muscles throughout his body pulsed rhythmically as if they were breathing.

Jiang Yuan saw another version of himself painstakingly practicing saber techniques, gathering the strengths of a hundred schools, and finally creating a saber technique that belonged to him alone.

The passing years within it—day after day, year after year—had all been spent practicing the saber. Severing Gate Saber!

The muscles on Jiang Yuan's body began to change, as though he had truly practiced the saber for decades. The muscles in his hands suddenly became firm and solid, though they were hidden beneath his clothes and could not be seen.

He exhaled a breath of stale air, and Jiang Yuan regained his clarity.

The Chen Saber in his hand now seemed to have become a part of his body.

It seemed the exchange had granted him not only this saber technique, but also the Second Life's understanding of saber techniques.

Jiang Yuan flicked his hand upward, and the Chen Saber spun through the air before fluttering down into his hand like a butterfly entering a bed of flowers.

It was impossible to tell that it was a treasured saber weighing nearly a hundred jin.

Following the memories, Jiang Yuan began to execute the saber technique.

Severing Gate Saber was unleashed.

Although Jiang Yuan had never learned the escort agency's Tiger Roar Saber Technique, when he compared Severing Gate Saber with the escort agency's Phoenix Cry Sword Technique, Severing Gate Saber was somewhat inferior, but it was still an excellent saber technique.

"Wonderful!"

After executing a full set of saber forms, Jiang Yuan shouted and withdrew his power.

But at that moment, Jiang Yuan suddenly felt as though he had forgotten something...

Forget it. Anything he had forgotten could not have been important.

Jiang Yuan turned his attention back to the saber technique.

This clean, decisive style of saber technique was absent from the Phoenix Cry Sword Technique in Jiang Yuan's memories.

He placed the Chen Saber into a saber case he had prepared earlier and carried it on his back. The Chen Saber was too heavy, so a saber case suited it better. Moreover, this saber case had also been made by Old Man Huang. Its design was unique, making it even faster to draw a heavy saber like the Chen Saber than from an ordinary sheath.

Jiang Yuan practiced alone in the courtyard for a long while. Now that he had broken through to the Late Qi and Blood Stage, he had automatically left the Zhenyuan Martial Hall and become an Escort Hand of the Zhenyuan Escort Agency.

Night soon fell once more.

Jiang Yuan saw his uncle again.

Only during dinner could Jiang Yuan see the busy Wenzhao.

Before Jiang Yuan could speak, Wenzhao said first, "Yuan, you have broken through to the Late Qi and Blood Stage. According to the escort agency's rules, you are now an Escort Hand."

"You now have the qualifications to formally escort shipments..."

The two continued chatting as they ate.

However, Wenzhao did all the talking while Jiang Yuan listened.

Instructor Tan had already explained most matters concerning escorting shipments. What Wenzhao spoke of now were details that could easily be overlooked, as well as many of his own personal experiences.

"Generally speaking, escorting shipments does not bring much danger. Though I promised your mother I would take good care of you, I do not want you to become a flower raised in a greenhouse... You used to be somewhat lax, but your uncle has seen your recent efforts. Cultivate diligently..."

Jiang Yuan smiled. "Don't worry, Uncle."

"Wear this properly. If you encounter any trouble, this thing can save your life!"

Wenzhao smiled as well and handed over a blue-green Jade Stone. Unlike a polished jade pendant, it was somewhat rough and unrefined.

Jiang Yuan solemnly tucked the Jade Stone into his robes. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Uncle, I've found that I am quite interested in saber techniques, while my talent for sword techniques is not very high. Could you teach me the Tiger Roar Saber Technique?"

To his surprise, Wenzhao's expression turned stern. "Yuan, the greatest taboo in martial cultivation is changing paths in the middle of battle. Once you choose a road, you must keep walking it. How can you chase three things in the morning and four in the evening?"

Jiang Yuan was stunned. He had not expected Wenzhao to react this way. In his memories, Wenzhao had always been a very open-minded person.

"Uncle..."

Though the Tiger Roar Saber Technique was not essential now, he possessed the Second Life's attainments in saber techniques. If he cultivated the Tiger Roar Saber Technique, he would surely advance by leaps and bounds. Would it not be a pity not to use that advantage?

"Did you take a saber from the armory?"

"Mhm!"

Wenzhao's expression did not change. After thinking for a moment, he rose and went to the study. He pulled a booklet from the bookshelf and tossed it to Jiang Yuan.

"It seems you truly have the resolve. This time, I will allow you to change your cultivation path. But remember this: a person's energy is limited. Do not learn broadly but master nothing, and do not chase three things in the morning and four in the evening! If there is anything you do not understand about saber techniques, you may ask those instructors."

As Wenzhao cautioned him, joy rose in Jiang Yuan's heart.

He put away the Tiger Roar Saber Technique.

After chatting with Wenzhao for a little longer, he returned to the side room.

"Tiger Roar Saber Technique..."

Jiang Yuan flipped through the small saber technique booklet.

Ask the instructors?

That would work, but with his Second Life's attainments in saber techniques, he could also study it on his own.

Jiang Yuan opened the booklet and began studying it carefully.

The booklet was filled with methods for cultivating the saber technique, and there were also many annotations along the margins.

One glance at the handwriting was enough to tell that Wenzhao had written it.

Every note was placed at a crucial point, and each one left Jiang Yuan suddenly enlightened.

A new saber technique steadily took shape in his mind, while the original Severing Gate Saber Technique also began to flow more smoothly.