Chapter Four Saber Techniques and Suspicion

After a night passed, as the rooster crowed loudly from the neighbor's house, Xiang Yang yawned and stretched, then patted his slightly numb face before getting up to wash.

This night was incredibly significant to Xiang Yang, no less than the day he was reborn. It was during this night that Xiang Yang, who had been filled with apprehension and fear, was no longer lost.

The appearance of the Wordless Book gave Xiang Yang the confidence to establish himself in this strange world. The tasks issued by the book filled him with purpose for a short time, preventing him from wasting his days without direction.

He opened the bolt, and a gust of cold wind hit him, causing the still groggy Xiang Yang to shiver instantly. He tightened the filial mourning clothes on his body, glanced at the still dim and dark sky, and then walked to the water vat in the courtyard to fetch water for washing. As he splashed water on his face, he surveyed his surroundings.

This was a small farmhouse courtyard. Weeds grew in the dark soil. The chicken coop and duck pen on the left were empty, clearly having not housed poultry for a long time, with only stone locks for arm strength training placed there. On the right was a well, with a wooden bucket and a thick hemp rope by the well, used for daily water fetching.

In the east of the courtyard was the mourning hall, which was also where the Xiang family received guests in the past, serving as the living room. On both sides were two more rooms, which were the residences of Xiang Da Niu and Xiang Yang.

Near Xiang Yang's room was the kitchen. Before Xiang Yang turned ten, Xiang Da Niu cooked for him. After he turned ten, this became Xiang Yang's domain. For breakfast, lunch, and dinner, although the food was simple, Xiang Yang, with his culinary talent, made it interesting.

The wooden fence hut on the right, far from Xiang Da Niu's room, was the outhouse. Its outer walls were covered with sandalwood shavings to eliminate odors and block sound, which was very effective.

"It's not bad, not bad at all. It's certainly not a case of having nothing but walls. At least compared to those predecessors who had to sleep on the streets immediately after transmigrating, this is already a comfortable level for me."

He wiped his face with the white cloth on his shoulder, then brushed his teeth with a willow branch dipped in salt water. Xiang Yang returned to the mourning hall, picked up the cold steamed buns left by Aunt Wu last night, and began to eat. Although they were cold and hard, they couldn't resist his empty stomach, and he quickly finished three large buns.

After eating, Xiang Yang smacked his lips, his eyes showing a hint of melancholy. He remembered that although his life was a bit plain before, at least he ate and drank well. Occasionally, he would go out for skewers, eat a bucket of KFC wings, and drink a soda – it was delightful. But now?

However, when Xiang Yang's gaze fell upon the Wild Goose Feather Saber leaning against the brick wall on the left, he no longer felt bitter. Swords and sabers, like guns and cannons, were the aspirations of men. To gallop on horseback, singing loudly, laughing at the world, and using the three feet of the saber in his hand to sweep away injustice and uphold righteousness – what man wouldn't want that?

And now, he had such an opportunity. Not to mention the countless divine skills and secret techniques waiting for him to cultivate in the future, this kind of life, compared to the desires of the palate, was what he truly wanted.

He extended his right leg, hooked his foot, and kicked. The Wild Goose Feather Saber by the wall was directly thrown to Xiang Yang's chest. He caught it with his left hand, and his right hand drew the saber smoothly. A crisp ringing sound echoed in the empty hall. To Xiang Yang's ears, it was so melodious and pleasant, even more beautiful than celestial music.

The long saber in his hand was different from the thick-backed official sabers of the An Yuan county yamen. The saber was three and a half feet long, with a slender blade and a smooth, flat edge. Just a light touch sent a chilling, prickling sensation along his spine. Even though Xiang Yang didn't understand sabers or martial arts, he could tell this was definitely a good saber.

In Xiang Yang's memory, the Wild Goose Feather Saber was a parting gift from the benefactor who promoted Xiang Da Niu. Since then, Xiang Da Niu had always worn it, treasuring it as a rare gem.

"Although the original Wild Goose Feather Saber was sharp, it never had this kind of texture. It must be that Uncle Li spent days refining it with precious iron essence in the furnace to achieve such a miraculous effect. This gift is too heavy."

Xiang Yang flicked the back of the saber with his index finger, feeling touched. Uncle Li was just an ordinary blacksmith. To recast the Wild Goose Feather Saber to this extent was the result of his painstaking efforts. Money is precious, but it's not as heavy as this profound affection.

Seeing that the sky was still early and there was still some time before others came to pay respects to Xiang Da Niu, Xiang Yang's interest was piqued. He took the Wild Goose Feather Saber and began to practice in the small courtyard.

Most people practice saber techniques haphazardly, using arm strength, swinging left and right, up and down, and basically just hacking. There are no other moves.

But Xiang Yang's saber practice was different. He used his waist and abdomen for power, his wrists were flexible, his posture was upright, and his stance was stable. It looked quite professional. More importantly, besides chopping, Xiang Yang's saber techniques included basic moves like diagonal lifts, straight thrusts, horizontal blocks, and flat cuts.

This set of saber techniques was naturally passed down by Xiang Da Niu and was also a gift from the county magistrate back then. Its name was unknown, but it contained some basic principles of saber training, covering the eight basic methods of saber: sweeping, chopping, parrying, cutting, slicing, deflecting, slashing, and thrusting. For a farmer who couldn't recognize a single character, it was just enough. If it were any more complex, Xiang Da Niu probably wouldn't have been able to practice it.

As he practiced, Xiang Yang realized he had underestimated this body. It was by no means a weak youth. On the contrary, this body had been honed by Xiang Da Niu since childhood, and its basic skills were quite solid, allowing Xiang Yang to not start from scratch.

"Indeed, my basic saber skills come from my father, and my father has practiced this set of saber techniques for over ten years. His mastery is even greater than mine, and his strength is even more astonishing.

Let alone killing two insignificant mountain bandits, with the sharpness of the Wild Goose Feather Saber, he could have killed eight or ten more. How could he have been so easily killed? It must have been Hu Qiang who did it, no doubt."

Xiang Yang did not possess innate divine strength, nor did he cultivate internal energy. He used pure physical strength to execute the basic saber techniques. In just a few minutes, he was already a bit out of breath, and fine sweat appeared on his forehead. He slowly sheathed the saber, stood in place, pressed his lower abdomen, and slowly inhaled and exhaled, calming his agitated blood qi, his eyes filled with unyielding frost.

Apart from the three leaders, Black Wind Mountain Stronghold was composed of a group of ordinary mountain folk. They might have been stronger due to farm work, but they had never systematically practiced martial arts.

Xiang Da Niu, however, was different. Although the saber technique given to him by the county magistrate back then was very basic and crude, it was still a martial art. Xiang Da Niu had practiced diligently for over ten years. When fighting against mountain bandits who relied solely on brute force, it was almost impossible for him to be killed. Only a strong person like Hu Qiang, who possessed innate divine strength, could overcome skill with brute force.

"Hu Qiang was just the knife that killed, but the one wielding the knife was someone else. This person must have been very familiar with my father, which is why they could use a knife to kill someone. Perhaps this person was even colluding with Hu Qiang himself, otherwise, just sending some mountain bandits wouldn't have been able to kill my father."

Sheathing the saber, Xiang Yang stood in the center of the courtyard, lost in thought, motionless for a long time. In fact, he already had suspicions about the three tasks the Wordless Book had given him last night. This morning, familiarizing himself with the body's strength and saber techniques further confirmed his suspicions.

Since his beloved wife died in childbirth, Xiang Da Niu had devoted himself to raising Xiang Yang. He rarely offended anyone, and he didn't even know many people. Furthermore, few knew about Xiang Da Niu's strength.

"The An Yuan County Magistrate, Captain Wang, and the dozen or so constables who worked with my father could all be the murderers. I have some leads."

Thinking this, Xiang Yang didn't feel troubled. Having a target range was much better than searching for a needle in a haystack.