Minor Accomplishment, You Let Me Win!

This was bad!

Xie Yuan silently cursed. He had been practicing his saber art in the courtyard these past few days, and no one had said anything. When Qin Hai had guided him, he had not told him to specifically avoid others either.

The courtyard was full of escorts. Everyone was busy with their own work, and no one meddled in other people's business.

Yet somehow, an escort leader had appeared...

Xie Yuan braced himself, cupped his fists, and said:

"It was I who asked Head Zhao to advance me merit points so I could exchange them for the martial art first."

"Did you ask him to advance them to you, or did he take the initiative to advance them?"

The man's gaze seemed to see through everything as he said sternly:

"I've told Head Guard Zhao many times that this is against the rules."

Seeing that the man seemed intent on steering the matter toward Zhao Xingyang's violation of the rules, Xie Yuan ground his teeth and said:

"Head Guard Zhao cares for his subordinates. He wanted me to make good use of this free time to train, so that I could make greater contributions to the escort agency later. Teaching me the martial art in advance was also so I could render merit for the escort agency sooner."

The man repeatedly shook his head.

"Before Head Guard Zhao arrived, there was no such precedent. Without rules, there can be no square or circle. The escort agency is this large—if things are not handled according to the rules, everything will descend into chaos.

"Besides, the Galloping Wolf Saber Art is a Grade C martial art. What results could you possibly achieve by practicing on your own for a few days? Blindly training by yourself without an escort leader present to guide you might only do more harm than good."

Hearing the man target Zhao Xingyang at every turn, then looking at his appearance and age, Xie Yuan guessed which escort leader this was.

Lu Zhenyu—the man who, before Head Zhao, had been called the Chief Escort Leader's successor.

Workplace struggles, and the fish in the pond got caught in the disaster...

Xie Yuan grumbled inwardly, but his side had been chosen for him from the start.

Besides, though they had only met once, Zhao Xingyang had treated him well.

Xie Yuan cupped his fists again and said in a measured tone:

"Escort Leader Lu, although I've only practiced for a few days, it has still been enough for me to gain some insight."

"Some insight? You've only practiced for a few days, and you dare say such a thing?"

Lu Zhenyu shook his head, then suddenly called out:

"Pang Shan, step forward!"

"Yes, Head Lu!"

An escort standing by the corridor stepped out.

Lu Zhenyu pointed at Xie Yuan and said to Pang Shan:

"Exchange a few moves with this newcomer. Let's see whether he has truly gained any insight into his saber art."

"Fine!"

As Xie Yuan looked at the burly man standing before him, he too felt eager to try.

Saber arts were meant for actual combat, after all. He had practiced the saber for several days without fighting a real person. This was perfect.

Once Lu Zhenyu saw the two standing ready with their sabers, he stepped aside and shouted:

"Begin!"

Xie Yuan moved at the sound, drawing his saber and sweeping it horizontally at Pang Shan's throat. The attack was like a vicious wolf pouncing to bite, swift beyond compare!

So fast!

Pang Shan had not expected Xie Yuan's saber to be so quick. Somewhat flustered, he raised his saber to block.

With a clang, a powerful force knocked his saber aside. Seeing Xie Yuan's blade sweep at him again, Pang Shan could only roll along the ground to open the distance.

Seeing Pang Shan evade, Xie Yuan shifted his footwork and struck with a long-armed thrust. In the blink of an eye, his long saber had arrived again.

Pang Shan swung his saber in a circle, trying to knock Xie Yuan's blade aside. His vision blurred, and the saber tip was already at his throat.

He swallowed and said dejectedly:

"I concede."

Lu Zhenyu frowned and said in a low voice:

"You're a first-stage martial artist?"

"Yes."

As Xie Yuan nodded, he replayed their brief exchange in his mind.

Pang Shan's reaction had been a little slow. In truth, if he had followed up his first move with a chop, Pang Shan would not have escaped even by rolling away.

Mm, that would have been a better way to handle it.

Xie Yuan swiftly accumulated experience and nodded slightly.

Sure enough, actual combat brought faster improvement. In just this short while, his Galloping Wolf Saber Art had progressed.

After a brief silence, Lu Zhenyu said:

"Pang Shan has not yet become a martial artist. There's too much difference in your cultivation, so this match proves nothing. Chen Xiaolei, you come."

"Yes, Head Lu."

A tall, lean young man stepped forward with a saber and cupped his fists.

"Chen Xiaolei, Advanced Escort. Brother Xie, please."

He spun his saber in a flourish and immediately stepped forward with a chopping strike!

Xie Yuan nodded faintly. Chen Xiaolei's moves were indeed much faster than Pang Shan's.

He raised his saber in a diagonal slash, knocking aside the other man's chop, then swept horizontally in return.

Clang!

Chen Xiaolei raised his saber and steadily blocked the blow. Then he spun the long saber in his hand and sliced toward Xie Yuan's arm.

Xie Yuan withdrew his hand, refusing to yield. He pulled back his saber and pressed forward, trading attacks with Chen Xiaolei.

Both used fast sabers, meeting speed with speed. In an instant, they exchanged over ten moves, and the sound of clanging steel rang without end.

The escorts watching nearby gaped in shock.

"Is he really a newcomer? His saber moves are far too practiced!"

"He's actually fought Brother Lei for this long. Doesn't that mean he's at the level of an Advanced Escort too?"

"He was already a martial artist, and he trains hard with the saber. It's not surprising he's this good... though it's still pretty impressive."

Seeing his opponent's fierce moves, skilled footwork, and methodical technique, Xie Yuan's heart stirred slightly.

He suddenly launched a horizontal slash at Chen Xiaolei's throat. The strike was fast and fierce. Chen Xiaolei could not parry in time and directly performed an iron bridge, bending backward at the waist and narrowly dodging the sweeping blade.

Yet Xie Yuan had anticipated that move after seeing it used before. The horizontal slash had merely been a feint. When it reached above Chen Xiaolei's head, the blade paused, changed from horizontal to vertical, and stopped steadily before Chen Xiaolei's nose.

Chen Xiaolei felt as though even the fine hairs on his face were about to be sliced off. Sweat immediately broke out on his forehead, and he did not dare move an inch.

Lu Zhenyu's foot shifted almost imperceptibly. Only when he saw that Xie Yuan could hold steady did he stop again.

Xie Yuan withdrew his long saber, raised it, and cupped his fists.

"You let me win."

Chen Xiaolei let out a breath. His iron bridge stance collapsed, and he went limp as he fell backward.

"Amazing!"

"He actually predicted Chen Xiaolei's response. Pretty clever!"

"That face looks unfamiliar. Which escort team is he from... What? A newcomer?"

"Shouldn't a newcomer be panicking and flailing around like Xia Ji chopping eight ways? He can predict moves?"

The crowd watching burst into discussion.

The sound of clashing weapons had carried far away. Amid the constant clangs, more and more people came to the side courtyard to watch, and by now they had formed a circle around the field.

Galloping Wolf Saber Art - Entry Level: (457/500)

Xie Yuan was slightly excited. With a suitable opponent to practice moves against and verify his insights, the progress rose incredibly fast!

He could not help looking expectantly toward Lu Zhenyu.

Even the muscles on Lu Zhenyu's stern face could not help twitching.

He could naturally tell that over those two sparring matches, Xie Yuan's saber art had improved again!

After a moment of silence, he picked someone from the onlookers.

"Li Guo, you come."

"Huh? Head Lu, this... isn't this supposed to be sparring between escort brothers?"

Li Guo scratched his head in the crowd. But seeing that Lu Zhenyu did not seem to be joking—Head Lu never joked—he could only step onto the field with resignation.

It was one thing for an escort master to bully a newly arrived escort. Even if the newcomer looked capable, he had only just arrived.

Winning would bring no glory, while losing... that was impossible.

He cupped his fists, assumed his stance, and said rather casually:

"Li Guo, Beginner Escort Master. Little brother, please. If you feel it's about enough, just concede in time."

What answered him was the howl of saber wind.

"Good lad!"

Li Guo's words sounded half praise, half curse. He swiftly blocked Xie Yuan's slash with the back of his saber, then followed through with a strike like a fierce tiger poking out its head, stabbing toward Xie Yuan's chest and abdomen.

Xie Yuan's eyes lit up. This opponent was far stronger than the previous two!

He focused completely, fixing his gaze on his opponent's movements. His long saber danced as he brought out everything he had gained over the past few days.

Watching the two men leap and dart across the field, their saber light flashing as they battled, the others were immediately astonished.

What a fast saber, what swift footwork!

This Xie Yuan was only now giving it his all!

He had actually been holding back just now?

Lu Zhenyu's expression did not change, but waves rose in his heart.

Xie Yuan felt the forceful, fierce saber moves of his opponent bring far heavier pressure than the previous two had. A trace of excitement rose within him.

Only such an expert counted as true tempering!

Li Guo, facing him, was even more shocked. Though he had thought Xie Yuan's saber moves were good when watching from the sidelines, only after taking the field did he realize how formidable Xie Yuan's saber art was. He actually could not defeat him!

Before so many people, he, an escort master, could not overcome an escort who had only just entered the trade!

Li Guo's heart tightened, and his saber moves became three parts faster.

The pressure on Xie Yuan immediately grew heavier. He could only attack three parts and defend seven, then attack two parts and defend eight, until he was defending without attacking at all.

His opponent's attacks rolled on like a tide, unending and relentless.

But Xie Yuan gritted his teeth and kept swinging his saber. No matter how the tide crashed against him, he stood as immovable as a mountain.

Second by second, time passed. Li Guo had attacked for so long without success that impatience gradually rose in his heart.

His cultivation was inferior, his saber technique unpolished—he was relying only on the strength of his saber art...

Yet Li Guo had already stopped holding back. Under his full-force assault, Xie Yuan's defense was not merely watertight; he even seemed to be growing increasingly at ease!

Galloping Wolf Saber Art - Entry Level: (478/500)

Galloping Wolf Saber Art - Entry Level: (485/500)

Galloping Wolf Saber Art - Entry Level: (496/500)

Under Li Guo's fierce assault, Xie Yuan was like raw ore beneath a hammer. After being forged through a thousand blows, his sharp edges gradually emerged.

Suddenly, he sent out a strike like an antelope hanging its horns, utterly beyond Li Guo's expectations. Li Guo could only retreat sharply.

Several cries of alarm rang out from the sidelines.

"Holy shit, that strike?"

"No way, is this guy going to counterattack now?"

"That's fucking incredible!"

"No, don't you all think it's already absurd that a newcomer has fought an escort master for this long?"

"There's something even more absurd—he's already fought two matches, and he doesn't seem tired at all!"

Lu Zhenyu stood at the edge of the field, listening to the heated discussion around him. His poker face remained expressionless, and no one knew what he was thinking.

Seeing that Xie Yuan's breathing remained steady, Li Guo was struck with alarm. How was his opponent becoming braver the longer they fought?

He could not drag this out any longer.

Gritting his teeth, he gripped his saber with both hands and unleashed a full-force horizontal slash. The blade drove forward, leaving not the slightest room to spare!

Seeing this all-out attack, Xie Yuan's eyes narrowed. He raised his saber high, and his Inner Breath began surging wildly.

The timing was about right.

He brought his saber down. Accompanied by the savage howl of a wolf, the blade descended with the force of Mount Tai, cleaving toward Li Guo!

Galloping Wolf Saber Art - Minor Accomplishment: (1/1000)

This strike had reached Minor Accomplishment!

Seeing the chop, far more powerful than before, Li Guo's face turned pale, and a bad feeling rose in his heart.

But an arrow loosed from the bow could not turn back. He could only grit his teeth, summon his last scrap of strength, and raise his saber to meet it!

The two sabers collided.

A piercing clang rang out, its echo lingering long after.

Then came the crack of shattering.

Under the silent gaze of everyone present—

Li Guo's saber broke.

Xie Yuan sheathed his saber, cupped his fists, and nodded lightly.

"You let me win."

Tomorrow's update will be close to midnight. It'll be Tuesday again, so to those who've read this far, I'm asking for tomorrow's follow-up reading—reading within twenty-four hours of the update. You don't need to stay up late; you can read it during the day on Wednesday.

New books need care. Many thanks, many thanks~