Sparring Practice

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

"Lin Qing, if you want to improve in a real fight, this is the place. Everyone sitting around here is a constable of the Soul-Calming Office and 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 eyes fixed on the platform ahead. The atmosphere was electric, cheers rising one after another. Heat surged through him too, and he wanted to go up and trade a few moves.

Yang Feng was right. Training behind closed doors alone would never improve his ability in a real fight. He had to get up there and face someone.

Before long, the two on the platform had decided the match. With a loud shout, one fighter sent his tall opponent on the left side of the ring flying with a punch. The man tumbled off the platform.

A layer of soft sand covered the ground around the ring. The man landed without a scratch, though dust coated him from head to toe and left him looking rather bedraggled.

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

Old Cao got up and patted the dirt from his clothes. "You, Chu, don't get smug. I wasn't at my best just now. I let you have that one!"

"Old Cao, your mouth's as stubborn as ever. Haha!" Chu Feng laughed even harder.

"I'm done for today. We'll fight again another day!" Old Cao tossed a tael of silver onto the platform and turned to leave.

Yu Qiuyu lowered his voice beside Lin Qing. "Everyone sparring here knows one another. 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, "Who else? Get up here!"

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

"A new face? Are you the 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? So even counting everything, you've studied martial arts for less than a year. How capable could you be? Better let someone else take your place." Chu Feng shook his head.

Sparring gave the best training when the opponents were evenly matched. Too large a gap in strength only got in the way.

As for the tael of silver, it was merely a little something to make the match interesting. Chu Feng did not care about it.

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

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

Chu Feng no longer refused. "Since Yu Qiuyu thinks so highly of you, let's have a match. Do you want to compete in fist techniques or Saber Art?

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

"Saber Art," Lin Qing said.

In a real fight, most people used a blade rather than their fists. After all, constables normally kept their weapons close whenever they went out.

"Saber Art it is. Two wooden blades!" Chu Feng turned and shouted.

Someone below the platform tossed two wooden blades up to him.

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

"This is sparring, so we stop once we've made our point. The aim is to hone our skills and improve our ability in a real fight. That's why we use wooden blades. Whoever drops theirs loses." Chu Feng twirled 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.

"Here I come!"

Chu Feng shouted, and Lin Qing moved at the same instant. He charged straight in with his blade raised. The two figures rapidly closed the distance and struck together.

Clack, clack, clack!

In an instant, the two circled the center of the platform, moving and striking as they went. Neither gained the upper hand.

Their styles differed greatly. Lin Qing's blade moved with greater grace. Each sweeping slash stirred a gust and left a faint afterimage. Chu Feng's technique was more straightforward, 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, it offered more varied moves and a greater boost to combat strength. The latter was easier to pick up, so most constables studied Clear Breeze Sword Art.

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

Yet in the blink of an eye, the two had already exchanged a dozen moves.

Not only had Lin Qing avoided defeat, his attacks grew fiercer and fiercer, forcing Chu Feng to retreat.

Then Lin Qing slashed and struck Chu Feng's right wrist. Chu Feng's hand jerked. Numbness shot through it, and his blade fell to the ground.

"A good 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 did you develop such powerful Saber Art at your age? No wonder Yu Qiuyu had so much confidence in you."

The people around them erupted in cheers.

"Excellent Saber Art!"

"That's Lone Swan Reflecting Shadow at Minor Mastery. Chu Feng's Clear Breeze Sword Art has reached Major Mastery, but the two arts are worlds apart in quality. It's no surprise Chu Feng lost."

"Impressive!"

"Until next time!" Chu Feng tossed down a tael of silver and leaped off the platform.

Lin Qing picked up the silver, replaying the fight over and over in his mind.

Practicing alone and fighting another person were two different things.

Before this, he had only crossed hands with Yang Feng twice. He had far too little fighting experience.

Now, after facing Chu Feng, he had spotted several problems with how he linked his moves.

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 mustache beside the ring.

"Yes!" Lin Qing replied.

"Next!" the old man called.

As soon as he spoke, another fighter stepped onto the platform. He was a short, stout man in his fifties from the Yin-Yang Bureau, a veteran constable who had served for twenty-three years and trained Clear Breeze Sword Art to Perfect Mastery.

The two launched into a fierce exchange, their changing blade techniques dazzling to watch.

After about thirty moves, Lin Qing's blade was knocked from his hand.

"A good match!" the older man said with a chuckle, lowering his blade.

Lin Qing set down 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 especially showed me a lot of problems," Lin Qing said with a smile.

"Good. Whenever you want someone to spar with in the future, come here," Yu Qiuyu said.

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

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

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

The next day.

The rain had stopped, and the sky had cleared. Early that 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 took root as he gradually absorbed them.