Deducing Swordplay, The Nine-Fingered Divine Beggar

Lu Chen and Huang Rong were only slightly tipsy from the celebration feast, but Li Mochou was completely drunk.

Lu Chen and Huang Rong had no choice but to open a small courtyard suite at the inn and stay there for the time being.

That night, Li Mochou went to bed early. Lu Chen, carrying his Profound Iron Heavy Sword, practiced his swordplay in the courtyard. Huang Rong sat under the eaves, resting her chin on her hand, smiling as she watched him practice.

After practicing the Heavy Sword Swordplay a few times and then practicing "Half-Move Sword One" for a while, Lu Chen, covered in sweat, sat down next to Rong'er to rest.

Huang Rong handed him a handkerchief and asked,

"Why are you still keeping that sword?"

Lu Chen took the handkerchief, wiped his sweat, and said,

"You mean that broken sword?"

Huang Rong nodded:

"Yeah, it's just an ordinary steel sword. It's not worth anything and it's broken. Why keep it?"

"That was the first real sword of my life."

Lu Chen looked at Huang Rong with a smile:

"And you bought it for me, Rong'er. I also used it to make my first kill in front of Senior Huang, which allowed Senior Huang to permit Rong'er and me to travel the martial world together. A sword of such great significance, no matter how ordinary, I wouldn't discard it."

Hearing him say this, Huang Rong felt a warmth in her heart, but on her face, she feigned indifference:

"Just an ordinary steel sword. I don't even care about it, and you're talking about it like a rare treasure. But fine, have it your way..."

Despite her words, the corners of her lips couldn't help but curl up, and her eyes curved into crescent moons.

The next day, the three of them did not leave Xiangyang. They first spent half a day exploring Xiangyang city, then went to Longzhong's Wolonggang to visit Prime Minister Zhuge's former dwelling and farming land, only returning to the city in the evening.

That night, the three of them ordered another table at the inn. This time, Li Mochou didn't get drunk. She only drank until she felt a slight bit of tipsiness, her cheeks slightly flushed, and then stopped.

After eating their fill and returning to the courtyard suite, they rested for a bit to digest. Huang Rong suggested that Li Mochou and Lu Chen spar in swordplay. Li Mochou also wanted to personally experience Lu Chen's powerful swordplay that had defeated the Beggar Gang's Nine-Bag Elder, so she readily agreed.

Lu Chen and Huang Rong had the same idea: they wanted to see if they could learn Li Mochou's Ancient Tomb Sect Swordplay through sparring, just like how he had learned the Heavy Sword Swordplay.

The two of them each picked up a practice wooden sword and began sparring in the courtyard.

After a few exchanges, Lu Chen had a clear understanding of Li Mochou's abilities.

Her swordplay was much stronger than Rong'er's, who was too unfocused and wanted to learn and practice everything.

Her internal energy was about the same as Rong'er's, who hadn't been very diligent in practicing internal energy but had luckily eaten snake meat which greatly increased her cultivation. However, compared to Lu Chen, her internal energy was far weaker.

But even without relying on internal energy, just comparing swordplay, he could easily defeat Li Mochou in at most twenty moves—

He contemplated the Sword Intent imprints daily, meticulously studying sword principles. His understanding of the Sword Dao was improving every day. The ordinary Maiden of Yue Swordplay had gained new vitality in his hands, and the already exquisite Falling Blossom Swordplay had become even more fierce.

With his current swordplay, if he were to spar with Huang Yaoshi again, and if the old master Huang suppressed his internal energy to be equal to his and only used swordplay, Lu Chen felt that he could conservatively estimate lasting two to three hundred moves.

And this level of swordplay was far beyond the reach of Li Mochou, who had not inherited the Ancient Tomb Sect's highest secret technique, the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra Swordplay, and was new to the martial world.

Of course, Lu Chen was sparring with Li Mochou to study the Sword Dao, so he naturally wouldn't defeat her too quickly. Not only did he suppress his internal energy to be equal to hers, but he also only used thirty percent of his swordplay skill. For a time, he fought Li Mochou to a standstill.

Li Mochou's Ancient Tomb swordplay was elegant and swift, like a sword dance.

Lu Chen's Falling Blossom Swordplay was also graceful and magnificent, his posture free and easy.

Their bodies moved like rabbits and falcons, darting and shifting across the courtyard, exchanging sword moves rapidly. It looked like they were dancing together, a truly spectacular and beautiful scene that made Huang Rong beam with delight, clapping her hands and cheering from time to time.

Li Mochou displayed everything she had learned in her life, fighting with great enjoyment.

Of course, she knew Lu Chen wasn't using his full strength, but she didn't feel any dissatisfaction about it. Instead, she felt it was an excellent opportunity for improvement.

Her combat talent was also extremely strong. Through the "evenly matched" sparring with Lu Chen, her understanding of practical combat deepened. Even though Ancient Tomb swordplay inherently lacked killing power, she gradually figured out ways to use swordplay to defeat her opponents.

Many moves were meant to be withdrawn the moment they touched, and it didn't matter if they lacked killing power. Ancient Tomb swordplay was swift enough. Other sword styles might be fierce and sharp, but in one instant, they could only inflict one wound on the enemy. My sword style is light and airy, but in two instants, it can inflict three wounds on the enemy.

And my Movement Technique is also very strong. I can utilize the advantage of my Movement Technique. If one strike misses, or even ten strikes miss, I don't need to be anxious. Relying on my Movement Technique, I prioritize ensuring my own safety and patiently engage in a war of attrition.

As long as I continue to diligently refine and improve along the path of "lightness and speed", as long as my movement is light and swift enough, my long sword sharp enough, and my moves fast enough, I can accumulate small injuries into large ones, and even cause the enemy to slowly bleed to death.

And in the future, I can also study some powerful killing moves that are sufficient to deliver a decisive blow, compensating for the lack of killing power. Of course, this is not something that can be achieved in a short time.

Li Mochou gained a lot, and Lu Chen also felt greatly benefited.

This sparring match confirmed his earlier guess after mastering the Heavy Sword Swordplay:

He had the "Sword Intent imprint" and a deep understanding of sword principles. He could observe the profound mysteries of various sword arts from a high vantage point and deduce their essence.

Even without the internal cultivation method, just by observing the sword moves and feeling the feedback of the opponent's force during the collision of their swords, he could slowly reverse-engineer and deduce the internal cultivation method.

However, this method required a long time.

The more profound the swordplay, the more difficult it was to reverse-engineer and deduce purely based on sword moves and force feedback.

For a complex and ever-changing sword style like Ancient Tomb swordplay, let alone one sparring match, even ten or a hundred matches might not be enough.

Of course, this was also because Lu Chen's current understanding of sword principles was not deep enough.

When he gradually unlocked the layers of the "Sword Intent of Extermination of Immortals" in the future and obtained more Sword Intent imprints like "Sword Two" and "Sword Three", touching upon more and deeper sword principles, his comprehension of the Sword Dao would inevitably become higher and higher.

He believed that one day, any sword art in the low-martial world, no matter how profound and exquisite, would hold no secrets in his eyes. Whether it was the moves or the internal cultivation method, they would all be laid bare, and even easily obtainable.

However, for now, he should honestly continue to spar and patiently dissect and deduce.

Lu Chen and Li Mochou sparred for an hour, stopping only when Li Mochou's clothes were soaked with sweat and her energy was nearly depleted.

"I can't go on! If we keep fighting, I'll collapse..."

Li Mochou's cheeks were flushed, her legs weak, her forehead covered in fine sweat, and her chest heaved constantly.

Lu Chen, on the other hand, felt like he had only just warmed up. Let alone sweating or having a flushed face, even his breathing rhythm hadn't changed at all.

"Sister Mochou, your stamina is a bit lacking, you know."

Huang Rong said with a playful smile:

"You need to practice more in the future. Hmm, practice with my Brother Lu Chen twice every day, and in a month, I guarantee your stamina will greatly increase and your skills will advance significantly."

Lu Chen secretly gave Rong'er a thumbs up, and smiled as he said to Li Mochou:

"Today's sparring session truly benefited me greatly. Miss Li, if you are willing, how about we do two sessions like this every day from now on?"

Although Li Mochou was close to collapsing from exhaustion, she felt that she had made rapid progress and gained a lot from today's spar. She immediately agreed without hesitation:

"No problem, two sessions every day, it's settled!"

As soon as she finished speaking, a low, rough male voice sounded:

"Both of you young ones have decent skills. I never expected to see the swordplay of two old acquaintances when I came here today..."

Hearing this voice, Lu Chen's heart stirred. With his current skill level, there were probably not many people in the world who could evade his senses and approach this close without him noticing. Plus, he had just killed Elder Peng at the Hanshui Gang Main Headquarters the day before yesterday...

Following the sound, he saw a beggar sitting on the top of the guest wall, who looked like he was only in his forties.

The beggar had a rectangular face, a slight beard under his chin, large hands and feet, and was wearing clothes covered in patches. He carried a green bamboo staff as green as jade and a large vermilion gourd on his back.

Lu Chen's eyes were sharp, and he noticed that the beggar's right index finger was severed at the root, leaving him with only four fingers.

Looking at the beggar's red gourd, green bamboo staff, and the Movement Technique that Lu Chen couldn't even detect, a well-known title was already on the tip of his tongue—

One of the Five Greats of the World, the "Northern Beggar", the Nine-Fingered Divine Beggar, Hong Qi!

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