Practical Sparring

Yu Qiuyu led Lin Qing to the west side of the raised platform, where rows of wooden chairs stood. Spectators tired from watching could rest there.

"Lin Qing, if you want to improve in a real fight, this is the place. The people sitting around here are all Constables from the Soul-Calming Office. Every one of them is a Martial Artist, though their strength varies. Come here to spar every seven days, and within three months, your fighting ability will improve enormously!" Yu Qiuyu said quietly.

Lin Qing nodded, his gaze fixed on the platform ahead. The atmosphere was electric, with cheers rising one after another. Heat stirred in his chest too. He wanted to get up there and trade a few moves.

Yang Feng was right. Training behind closed doors alone would not improve his ability in a real fight. He had to step onto the platform and face someone.

Before long, the two fighters on the platform had settled the match. With a shout, one landed a punch that sent his tall opponent on the left side of the ring flying off the platform.

A layer of soft sand surrounded the ring. The man landed without the slightest injury, though dust covered him from head to toe, leaving him looking rather bedraggled.

"Old Cao, hahaha, I won!" The victor on the platform was a dark-skinned man in a blue short jacket. He burst into hearty laughter.

The man who had fallen got up and brushed the dirt from his clothes. "Chu, don't get smug. I wasn't at my best just now. I let you have that one!"

"Old Cao, that mouth of yours is as stubborn as ever. Haha." Chu Feng laughed even harder.

"I'm done for today. We'll fight again another time!" Old Cao tossed a tael of silver onto the platform, then turned and left.

Yu Qiuyu lowered his voice beside Lin Qing. "Everyone who spars here knows each other. Chu Feng and Old Cao are both from the Netherworld Pacification Bureau.

"If you win when you go up, you'll get a tael of silver. That's always been the rule."

Lin Qing nodded. On the platform, Chu Feng called out again, "Anyone else? Come on up!"

After a moment's thought, Lin Qing stepped onto the platform. Dozens of gazes converged on him at once.

"A new face? Are you a new Corpse Collector?" Chu Feng asked with a smile. He had noticed Lin Qing earlier, since Yu Qiuyu often came here to spar and knew many of those present.

Lin Qing nodded. "My name is Lin Qing. I joined the Corpse Collection Team two months ago."

"Two months? Then even counting generously, you've studied martial arts for less than a year. What could you do? Better let someone else take your place." Chu Feng shook his head.

Sparring offered the best training when both sides were evenly matched. Too great a difference in strength would only make it less useful.

As for the tael of silver, it was merely a little wager to add some excitement. He did not care about it.

"Chu Feng, who are you looking down on? I think you're about to take a spectacular tumble," Yu Qiuyu called from below the platform.

Lin Qing cupped his hands. "I know my fighting ability is lacking. I came here to gain experience. Please instruct me, senior."

Chu Feng did not refuse again. "Since Yu Qiuyu thinks so highly of you, let's have a match. Do you want to compete with fists or blades?

"We have rules here. If we compete with fists, we can only use Eight Strikes of the Spirit Snake. If we compete with blades, we can only use Clear Breeze Sword Art or Lone Swan Reflecting Shadow."

"Blades, then," Lin Qing said.

In a real fight, most people used blades rather than fists. After all, Constables normally carried their blades whenever they went out.

"Blades it is. Bring us two!" Chu Feng turned and shouted.

Someone below the platform tossed up two wooden blades.

Chu Feng stepped forward, picked them up, and tossed one to Lin Qing.

"This is sparring, so we stop before anyone gets hurt. The point is to hone our skills and improve in a real fight. That's why we use wooden blades. Whoever drops theirs loses." Chu Feng flourished his blade as he patiently explained.

"All right. Let's begin." Lin Qing gripped his blade with both hands, his body tensing slightly as he readied himself.

"Watch my blade!"

Chu Feng shouted and Lin Qing moved at the same instant. They charged straight toward each other, closed the distance in a flash, and struck together.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

In an instant, they circled the center of the platform, striking as they moved. For a time, neither gained the upper hand.

Their styles differed greatly. Lin Qing's blade was more fluid, built around sweeping cuts. Each forward slash stirred a gust of wind, with faint afterimages trailing behind it. Chu Feng's blade work was plainer, with more thrusts and fewer variations.

That was the difference between Lone Swan Reflecting Shadow and Clear Breeze Sword Art. The former was harder to learn, but once mastered, its moves were more varied and it improved combat strength more dramatically. The latter was easier to learn, which was why the vast majority of Constables studied Clear Breeze Sword Art.

Below the platform, many had heard that Lin Qing was new and had studied martial arts for less than a year. They had looked down on him, expecting Chu Feng to defeat him easily.

Yet in the blink of an eye, the two had exchanged more than ten moves.

Not only had Lin Qing avoided defeat, but his blade grew fiercer with every exchange, forcing Chu Feng back again and again.

At one point, Lin Qing slashed and struck Chu Feng squarely on the right wrist. Chu Feng's hand jerked. A wave of numbness ran through it, and his blade fell to the ground.

"Thank you for the match!" Lin Qing lowered his blade, slowly breathed out, and cupped his hands.

Chu Feng stared at him in surprise. "The younger generation is formidable. How can you wield a blade so well at your age? No wonder Yu Qiuyu had so much confidence in you."

The onlookers erupted in cheers.

"Great blade work!"

"That's Lone Swan Reflecting Shadow at Minor Mastery. Chu Feng's Clear Breeze Sword Art may be at Major Mastery, but the difference in quality between the two arts is too great. It's no surprise he lost."

"Impressive."

"Next time, we fight again!" Chu Feng tossed down a tael of silver and leaped off the platform.

Lin Qing picked up the silver as the fight replayed over and over in his mind.

Practicing alone and fighting someone were two different things.

Before this, he had only fought Yang Feng twice. He had far too little experience in real combat.

Now that he had faced Chu Feng, he had noticed quite a few problems with how he linked his moves together.

Only by sparring and honing myself again and again can I improve quickly in a real fight.

"Brother Lin, would you like to continue?" asked an elderly man with a thin mustache beside the platform.

"Yes!" Lin Qing replied.

"Next!" the old man called.

As soon as he spoke, another man stepped onto the platform. He was a short, stout man in his fifties from the Yin-Yang Bureau. A veteran Constable with twenty-three years of service, he had trained Clear Breeze Sword Art to Perfect Mastery.

The two launched into a fierce exchange, their shifting blade moves dazzling to watch.

After around thirty moves, a strike sent Lin Qing's blade flying.

"Thank you for the match!" The older man lowered his blade with a chuckle.

Lin Qing left a tael of silver and leaped off the platform, feeling invigorated from head to toe.

"How was it?" Yu Qiuyu came over.

"Excellent. That last match in particular showed me a lot of problems," Lin Qing said with a smile.

"Good. Whenever you want someone to practice against, this is the place to come," Yu Qiuyu said.

Back at the Corpse Collectors' courtyard, Lin Qing intended to practice his blade work a little longer and reinforce what he had learned from sparring.

But just as he took up his blade and settled into position, heavy rain began to fall.

He had no choice but to put his blade away and return to his room.

The next day.

The rain had stopped, and the sky had cleared. Early in the morning, Lin Qing stepped outside. The Martial Arts Arena was filled with the fresh scent of earth.

He found an open spot and stood still. With a thought, the Rebirth Record appeared, and he equipped Lone Swan Reflecting Shadow at Perfect Mastery.

In an instant, the art's level on the panel changed to Limit-Breaking.

A wealth of techniques surfaced in his mind, and his understanding of the art deepened rapidly. The insights he had gained in yesterday's fights also took root as he gradually absorbed them.