A Small Accident

Slightly tilting his head, Zhang Ruofeng let the flying knife whiz past his ear. Ignoring the cut on his cheek, he took another step forward. The distance between them was now only one step. Xin Mu had no time to throw her fourth flying knife and could only hold it in her hand, slashing horizontally towards Zhang Ruofeng's chest. Zhang Ruofeng lightly blocked her wrist, using a subtle force to strike the inside of her wrist with the back of his hand. Even though Xin Mu was wearing a protective bracer, she cried out in pain and dropped the flying knife. Zhang Ruofeng didn't stop, reaching out his right hand and pressing it against Xin Mu's neck. He felt the smooth, cool skin of her neck, even in the midst of their intense movement, which made him hesitate for a second before gently applying pressure to restrain her.

"That's enough," Zhang Ruofeng immediately released Xin Mu's neck and took a step back, declaring the end of their sparring session. Although it lasted less than 10 seconds, Xin Mu had already lost.

"Well, I basically never used knives when I was a hoodlum," Zhang Ruofeng said, looking at Xin Mu's unconvinced expression. "But I did have some people around me who used knives, and some of them were quite skilled in dagger combat, so I'm not particularly afraid of blades myself."

"Yes, we both know each other's stats. Your agility and dexterity are two levels higher than mine, so you can't stand still and fight me. You especially can't choose to go head-to-head with me when I rush at you. You should know that my endurance and strength are far superior to yours. A head-on collision will only hurt yourself, not me," Zhang Ruofeng explained. As he spoke, he ran to pull out the daggers stuck in several tree trunks. However, Zhang Ruofeng found that the slightly sharpened tips of the wooden daggers had chipped when they pierced the tree trunks. If he had taken a hit from one, it wouldn't have been pleasant.

"We're in this forest outside the city right now. You can imagine these trees as me blocking you. How would you use these obstacles to harm me, your enemy, and how would you disengage and retreat when I get close? These are all things we need to train," Zhang Ruofeng continued to explain, returning the flying knives to Xin Mu. It was around the time the goddess usually visited nearby farms to buy flowers, and Zhang Ruofeng and Xin Mu happened to have nothing else to do. While helping out after leaving the city, they conducted practical training in a quiet forest by the West Gate. Zhang Ruofeng realized he couldn't always stand in front of Xin Mu; sometimes she would have to face enemies alone, and her weaknesses in close combat were quite apparent. Therefore, their main focus today was to train Xin Mu's close-quarters combat skills.

"Run?" Xin Mu asked, but Zhang Ruofeng shook his head slightly.

"While retreating is necessary, constantly retreating will make you lose your ability to counterattack. So, retreating is basically just a feint. Your goal is still to eliminate the enemy in front of you," Zhang Ruofeng patiently continued. "The monsters in the dungeons in this world are unreasonable. If you run too far and can't deal with the enemy ahead, and new enemies appear behind you, you'll be trapped."

After speaking, Zhang Ruofeng made a backward jumping motion. Then, while Xin Mu was confused, he suddenly leaped hard to the right and mimicked throwing a flying knife. He then bent his body backward, placed his palms on the ground, and flipped over, landing on his feet. It would have been quite cool, but Zhang Ruofeng lost his balance and sat down on the ground, only managing an awkward smile.

"Pfft." Xin Mu knew Zhang Ruofeng's fighting style: no frills, no wasted movements, every action aimed at achieving a kill. He had never practiced somersaults, and the result was him sitting on the ground like this.

"Well, since you've studied dance, you're probably much more proficient at this than I am. Even I, who never does somersaults, can now perform a mid-air somersault with the help of my abilities. You should have no problem," Zhang Ruofeng said, scratching his head with slight embarrassment. Xin Mu nodded obediently. Having never fought before, she indeed lacked these adaptable techniques in her mind.

"Yes, even if I force you into close combat where you can't retreat, you can't hold back. Your speed is significantly faster than mine, and you're using a lightweight weapon like a dagger, so you should aim for my weak points, like the heart and eyes. Even monsters would instinctively protect these areas. Then, you can use your speed advantage to attack other areas or create distance to maximize your advantage," Zhang Ruofeng demonstrated two moves. The first was a sweeping motion towards Xin Mu's eyes. Even though she knew Zhang Ruofeng would never hurt her, seeing him move to strike her eyes, Xin Mu instinctively raised her hand to block. Zhang Ruofeng stopped just before touching her forehead and then quickly threw a punch towards Xin Mu's chest, aiming for the heart. At this moment, Xin Mu flashed a mischievous smile, puffing out her chest as if she knew Zhang Ruofeng would make such a move. Zhang Ruofeng hadn't expected Xin Mu to anticipate his demonstration of a heart-threatening strike, nor did he expect her to not defend or retreat but instead push her chest forward. Even if he immediately retracted his force, his fist still made contact with Xin Mu's chest.

This was something neither of them had anticipated. Even Xin Mu, who had intended to tease Zhang Ruofeng, hadn't expected this outcome. Both of them froze slightly, their faces flushing red. Zhang Ruofeng quickly withdrew his hand, and they shared an awkward laugh. Although Zhang Ruofeng felt a slight pang in his chest, he had become accustomed to such pain through his experiences in this world.

"Sorry," Zhang Ruofeng said, sheepishly scratching his head. Xin Mu, her face slightly red, shook her head. After all, it was her sudden whim of a prank that led to Zhang Ruofeng touching her chest. Although she was the one at a disadvantage, Zhang Ruofeng definitely didn't intend to take advantage of her, and judging by his reaction, it seemed like Zhang Ruofeng was the one who suffered more, which made Xin Mu feel a little deflated.

"Well, consider this a preemptive strike. We'll continue training later, and there will likely be more physical contact," Zhang Ruofeng said, seeing Xin Mu's expression and knowing he had upset her. He quickly offered the excuse he had thought of. Xin Mu agreed with his reasoning and silently took a few steps back, assuming an attacking stance.

"Then I'll continue," Zhang Ruofeng said, seeing that Xin Mu wasn't dwelling on the matter and putting his other emotions aside, preparing to attack again.

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