Stymied

The Way is the rule.

When manifested in the external world, it becomes the laws of nature and the Principle of the universe.

When it manifests in the microcosm of a person's being, it becomes their code of conduct and their thought processes.

Such a broad concept obviously cannot be encompassed by the ability to wield a sword.

That's why Shen Shuibi was so angry, as a true Dao Pursuer.

In her view, the art of swordsmanship was merely a technique, not something to be praised. Seeing Jing Yan claim to be the Sword Way made her even angrier than Li Qi touching her hair.

Therefore, we must slap her in the face! Tear away all her swords! Let her understand the weight of the word 'Tao'!

"Her swordsmanship is too focused on the details, with too many flaws, a total of 1,562!" Shen Shuibi spread out on the cloth and then drew on it with a charcoal pencil.

Li Qi was stunned.

Wow, the rabbit is so serious!

What he didn't expect was that Shen Shuibi was actually good at painting. With just a few strokes, she depicted the sword moves in a very realistic way. When viewed in sequence, it even seemed to have the dynamism of an animation.

The different weaknesses and flaws in different actions are marked with small dots.

Shen Shuibi explained to Li Qi, "Look, her sword moves seem exquisite, but in reality, she focuses too much on the details, with strong branches and weak trunks, and her internal energy is chaotic. It's just a complete show. She says she has reached the realm of subtlety, but in reality, she has nothing but subtlety. She can be pushed over with a single push."

"The so-called 'knowing its coming and going' means knowing the rise and fall, the waxing and waning of Qi; the 'knowing the timing' means knowing when Qi can be obtained! Now I'll tell you about the changes in the flow of Qi when she uses her swordsmanship, the rise and fall of Qi. If you grasp this, you can make her face swell with just two punches!" Shen Shuibi said aggressively and with great interest.

Li Qi looked at the rabbit.

She was so excited...

Forget it, I'll still learn it; after all, it's a good thing.

Li Qi studied until late at night.

The next morning, even Shopkeeper Jing came over to see what was going on.

It seems... the Jing family really wants to see Jing Yan get her comeuppance.

Li Qi inwardly criticized Sister Jing's popularity, then took his long knife and walked into the crowd.

The place where the oxcarts were parked and rested was arranged in a circle, like a small arena made up of human walls. A group of people, some of whom were guards from the Martial Affairs Hall, some were merchants, laborers, accountants and other odd jobs from other halls, and some were managers, such as Shopkeeper Jing. They were all gathered together, full of interest.

All that's missing is a handful of sunflower seeds in his hands.

Li Qi always felt like he was being made a fool of.

Do these people not have any entertainment activities usually?

"Go, Li Qi!" A group of laborers cheered Li Qi on from behind.

Some women were more reserved; they hid in the back, whispering among themselves, but their gazes were anything but reserved. They looked Li Qi up and down, as if trying to see through him and find out who dared to cause trouble for that Tiger Woman.

When Shopkeeper Jing saw Li Qi, he walked up to him with a smile, "Brave Li is indeed both wise and brave. He actually came up with such a way to deal with Steward Jing. This is much more effective than directly asking to spar. He is indeed a person who ventures out into the world on his own!"

Li Qi was bewildered.

Well, that's what everyone thinks, so let's leave it at that.

But will Jing Yan get angry about this? Her own family members are coming to support outsiders?

Li Qi wanted to leave, so he walked into the circle formed by the crowd.

Shen Shuibi was also outside, her hands clasped in front of her chest, looking at Li Qi with confidence and great anticipation.

She wasn't worried at all. She had completely grasped Jing Yan's sword moves, and with her superior understanding, she was absolutely certain she wouldn't make a mistake!

Li Qi walked out with everyone's gaze on his shoulders.

However, to his surprise, Jing Yan was not affected at all.

On the contrary, when this older woman arrived, she actually apologized to Li Qi first.

"Your name is Li Qi, right? Then I'll just call you by your name." Jing Yan stepped forward and said first, "Li Qi, I was a bit anxious yesterday and attacked your little sister. Fortunately, you stopped me in time and no one was hurt. It was my fault, and I hope you can forgive me." She said to Li Qi.

Li Qi was surprised by the other party's politeness and immediately cupped his hands in response. "It was my younger sister who spoke without thinking first. It is only natural that my elder sister would be anxious when her skills were criticized. There is really no need to apologize for it."

"Wait a minute, I only apologized for rushing to help, I didn't say she was right." Jing Yan stopped Li Qi from saying anything more.

"We'll settle her matter after I win," she said, drawing a new longsword, a fine sword forged from refined steel.

It seems that she herself does not possess a ninth-grade sword, otherwise she would not have chosen such an ordinary, unranked good sword when she knew that Li Qi had an advantage in weaponry.

Looking at the way she held her sword, Li Qi could almost feel her pride, just like the sword itself, pointing straight to the sky.

He really is... a reclusive and eccentric person.

However, after sighing, Li Qi drew his long sword and made a strange gesture.

Despite the sighs, the fight still had to go on.

"This isn't the posture for using a knife," Jing Yan frowned.

"This is the stance for breaking a sword," Li Qi explained.

Then, the two fell silent. Jing Yan raised her hand and vanished in an instant!

"Whoosh!" The sound of a sharp sword cutting through the air, a powerful energy swirled around Li Qi's sword, as if trying to tear it away!

Li Qi's original stance was completely disrupted, and his posture became crooked and unsteady as the sudden whistling sound threw him off balance.

Holy crap! They said I could fight however I wanted, but I got completely destroyed right from the start by using brute force!

Li Qi was pulled by a tremendous force and almost fell over, but the long sword was already piercing through!

The rolling Sword Qi stung Li Qi's face, making him feel as if he were a goat and the swordsman Jing Yan was a tiger hunting its prey!

Li Qi has only been practicing for a little over a month, and his experience and skills are far from sufficient.

Fortunately, he immediately unleashed the power of the Carp Flowing Intent, temporarily doubling his strength, and forcibly stabilized his body in an instant. With a clang, his longsword blocked the sword.

However, this sword strike was only the beginning.

Jing Yan's speed suddenly exploded, and her already extremely fast sword speed became like a raging storm.

Even though he was facing a swordsman with only a sword in his hand, Li Qi felt as if he were being riddled with bullets from a machine gun. The sword tip was like a bullet, constantly thrusting and stabbing, with dozens of swords attacking him every second!

Li Qi only managed to resist for two or three seconds by relying on his physical strength and reaction ability before he had to unleash the Carp Flowing Intent again, retreating several meters away to avoid a direct confrontation.

The two bursts of Carp Flowing Intent in a short period of time made Li Qi's heart pound, and the scenery before him was tinged with red.

Among the five internal organs, the negative consequences of the heart not being tempered are beginning to appear.

His heart simply couldn't support the massive amount of Qi and Blood his liver provided; whenever a battle started, it would be operating beyond its capacity.