Qin Tiexin spent almost all of these seven days in the camp. During the day, he forged iron and pondered Horse-Cutting Sickle, and slept on the floor next to Zhou Cang at night, so that he could get up and take care of him at night. Zhou Nan made rapid progress, and was able to complete simple quenching and polishing work independently. His hands gradually became as steady as a blacksmith's, but his strength was too small to swing the hammer.
That evening, Qin Tiexin had just finished forging a new version of the Horse-Cutting Sickle curved blade - this time the blade was three points thinner, and two weight-reducing grooves were carved out near the tenon, which were made according to the drawings drawn by Zhou Nan. He soaked the blade and was wiping it with a coarse cloth when the tent curtain was opened.
Shi Meng walked in.
His left arm was still wrapped with a cloth bandage, but he could already move it. The scar on his face appeared deeper under the firelight. He was followed by Zhao Ling, with a quiver slung across his body. The injury on his left shoulder seemed to be no serious problem.
"Coach." Qin Tiexin put down the cloth and stood up.
"Is the injury healed?" Shi Meng got straight to the point.
"Okay." Qin Tiexin moved his right shoulder - there was a cut made by Helian Zhen's knife, and now there is only a light pink new scar. "Where are the others?"
"Tu Dazhu can run and jump now, Li Shun has scabs on his leg, and Lin Feng said he can move at any time." Zhao Ling answered with a grin, "It's that kid Chen San who wants to go out and stretch his muscles."
Shi Meng nodded and looked at Qin Tiexin: "Tomorrow at Mao, on the school grounds. Restorative training first." He paused, "How are you doing with your sword training?"
Qin Tiexin was silent for a moment and said honestly, "I'm used to using my strength and I can't hold it back."
This was said in a confused manner, but Shi Meng understood it. He walked to the wall and picked up Edgeless leaning against the corner with both hands. Even though he had been prepared, it was still so heavy that he raised his eyebrows slightly. He weighed it and ran his fingers over the blade. "On the battlefield, being strong is a good thing. But being too strong can sometimes be a bad thing."
He handed the knife to Qin Tiexin: "Take it with you tomorrow and practice with me."
"Yes."
At nine o'clock the next day, it was just dawn, and there were already voices on the school grounds.
Team A There are ten people, except Shi Meng and Qin Tiexin, the other eight people are more or less wrapped with cloth belts, but they all stand upright. Tu Dazhu's round shield was replaced with a new one, which was thicker than the original one; Zhao Ling tried the strings of the new bow and nodded slightly; Lin Feng moved his wrists and ankles quietly, with clear eyes.
"The old rule is, run first." Shi Meng said in a hoarse voice, "Ten laps, no time, drink water and rest if you finish, and add five more laps if you can't finish."
There are three hundred steps in one circle of the school field, and ten circles are three miles. It is not easy for the soldiers who are just recovering from their injuries, but no one complained. The ten people lined up in two rows, and Qin Tiexin was naturally at the front of the first row and started running.
He ran steadily, with long strides and heavy landing. Every step was like being smashed into the soil. Tu Dazhu followed behind him, huffing and puffing, but did not miss a step. Zhao Ling ran briskly, while Lin Feng was like a leaf, and the sound of footsteps was almost inaudible.
After five laps, the injury on Li Shun's leg began to hurt and his speed slowed down. Chen San passed him and turned around and grinned. "Old Li, is that okay?"
"Get lost!" Li Shun gritted his teeth and followed.
Eight laps later, Tu Dazhu's face turned pale and sweat was pouring down. Qin Tiexin slowed down half a step and turned his head. "Okay?"
"Okay!" Tu Dazhu squeezed out the words through his teeth, but staggered at his feet. Qin Tiexin reached out and put a hand on his arm, and a steady force came. Tu Dazhu used the force to stabilize his body, and the two of them ran the last two laps side by side.
After running ten laps, everyone slumped on the edge of the school field, holding water bags and drinking heavily. Qin Tiexin drank the most. He drank a bag of water, went to the well to get a bucket, and poured it down from the beginning. The water droplets rolled down his knotted muscles.
"Rest for a quarter of an hour." Shi Meng sat on the wooden pier and looked at them, "Then practice sword practice."
A quarter of an hour later, in the middle of the school field.
Qin Tiexin holds Edgeless and faces a straw man tied to a wooden stake. The straw man is wearing a simple leather armor with a red circle drawn on his chest.
"Cut." Shi Meng said only one word.
Qin Tiexin Inhale, raise the knife, and chop down.
"Tsk-"
The straw man was split in half from the shoulders to the waist with a knife, and the grass clippings filled inside flew into the sky. The wooden stakes that tied the straw man were also cracked with a deep mark.
The strength was terrifying, but Shi Meng frowned.
"Come again." He pointed to the other straw man.
Qin Tiexin swung the knife again, this time he deliberately used less force. The blade passed across the straw man's neck, and his head rolled off.
"Stop." Shi Meng stood up and walked to him, "Which one of the two swords just now do you think is better?"
Qin Tiexin looked at the straw man that was split in half, and then at the one whose corpse was separated, and shook his head. "It's not good either."
"Why?"
"The first one is that the force is too strong. If it is used against a living person, the sword cannot be withdrawn with one strike, and the door on the flank will be wide open." Qin Tiexin said in a calm voice, "The second one is that the force is too deliberate. If it is an armored enemy, the sword cannot penetrate the neck armor, but will break the sword."
Shi Meng's eyes flashed with surprise. He didn't expect this silly boy to see it so clearly.
"Then how do you think it should be cut?" he asked.
Qin Tiexin was silent. He recalled that night when he was chasing Helian Zhen, and the last move was a last resort; he recalled that when facing the siege of Night Scouts, although Edgeless was fierce, his vital points were always dodged by those nimble Di People; he recalled Shi Meng's crisp, no-frills but deadly style of play on the battlefield.
"I don't know." He said honestly.
Shi Meng looked at him for a while, and then suddenly said, "The knife is an extension of your arm. It moves how you want it to move." He stretched out his right hand and made a virtual grasping gesture, "But the arm is connected to the body, the body is connected to the feet, and the feet are on the ground. The force starts from the ground, passes through the legs, waist, back, shoulders, and finally to the wrist, to the tip of the knife - this is a line."
He walked up to a straw man and casually pulled out an ordinary waist knife from the weapon rack. "Watch it."
As soon as the words fell, the sword flashed.
There was no gathering momentum, no shouting, and even no obvious movement of force. Shi Meng just took half a step forward, his waist seemed to be twisted but not twisted, and the knife in his hand was raised diagonally from bottom to top - it was the move he used to kill Night Scouts that day.
"Tsk!"
The leather armor on the straw man's waist cracked with the sound, and the blade penetrated three inches into the wood and stopped precisely at the heart. If it were a living person, this knife would be enough to cut open the abdominal cavity and break the intestines.
"The force of this knife starts from the right foot, passes through the right leg, right waist, twists and turns, and finally goes from the shoulder to the arm, to the wrist, and to the tip of the knife." Shi Meng put away the knife, "You try it."
Qin Tiexin Hold Edgeless tightly, imitate Shi Meng, take half a step, twist your waist, and swing the knife.
"Hu--"
The wind of the knife roared, and the force was still strong, but the trajectory was a little stiff. The blade struck the straw man's shoulder, and the whole straw man was brought backwards, and the wooden stake groaned under the weight.
"No." Shi Meng shook his head, "You are not swinging the knife, you are smashing it. The force is not transmitted through."
Qin Tiexin Don't be discouraged, take the knife back and try again.
Once, twice, three times...
The only sounds left on the school field were the wind of his swinging sword and the muffled sound of the blade hitting the straw man. The rest of the team members stopped training and gathered around to watch. Zhao Ling held the bow and whispered to Lin Feng, "Brother Tiexin is so powerful. If he could control it freely, he would scare so many people to death."
Lin Feng said nothing, but looked at every detail of Qin Tiexin's swing of the knife, his eyes thoughtful.
After practicing for half an hour, Qin Tiexin was sweating profusely, but his hand holding the knife became more and more stable. Shi Meng shouted to stop, "That's it for today. We will continue tomorrow."
At night, the moon hangs Central Heaven.
Qin Tiexin did not reply to Craftsmen's Camp. He mentioned Edgeless and came to the school grounds alone.
The cold moonlight shines on the empty sandy land, making it a silvery white. The footprints, knife marks, and arrow pits left by the training during the day are all clearly visible at this moment.
He walked up to an intact straw man and closed his eyes without immediately swinging the knife.
In my mind, pictures flashed frame by frame--
Night Scouts Movement Method dodges flexibly on horseback, as slippery as a loach;
Shi Meng's extremely concise steps when rushing forward, every step is stepped on the most important position;
Helian Zhen's riding posture during his final escape, the man and the horse are one, making it difficult to capture;
There is even the light-weight charm of Zhou Cang when the hammer falls in Craftsmen's Camp...
He opened his eyes and slowly raised Edgeless.
This time, he did not chop hard. Instead, like Shi Meng demonstrated during the day, he tried to transfer the power from the soles of his feet, through his legs, waist, and back, to his arms and then to the blade.
It's very slow, as slow as dragging a heavy object.
The blade drew an arc in the air and lightly touched the straw man's chest without even cutting the leather armor.
But he felt something different.
It was a sense of... penetration. It was as if the knife was no longer an external object, but an extended part of the arm, and the flow of power was no longer stagnant and had a direction.
He put away the knife and swung it out again.
Still slow, but the trajectory is smoother than before.
Just like this, under the moonlight, he repeated the simplest basic movements over and over again: upward chop, downward chop, diagonal lift, and sweep. There were no moves, only the most primitive force and trajectory.
Sometimes, he would stop and imitate Night Scouts's dodge movements in his memory, turning sideways, ducking, and retreating; sometimes, he would imitate Shi Meng's sudden advance, stepping forward, twisting his waist and shoulders.
Sweat slipped from his forehead and dripped into the sand. He didn't realize it, just immersed in this slow "review". Every time he swung the sword, it was like fighting the opponent in his memory again; every adjustment was like making up for the shortcomings in the battle at that time.
On the sentry tower in the distance, the soldiers on night duty yawned. Occasionally they glanced at the figure practicing swordsmanship alone on the school field, shook their heads, muttered "What a madman", and turned back.
Qin Tiexin practiced until late at night, until his arms were sore and his breath was heavy, and then he put away the knife. He walked to the well, fetched water to rinse his head and face, and sat on the edge of the well to rest.
The moonlight shone on the dark blade of Edgeless, casting a faint cold light.
He stretched out his finger and wiped the blade.
The dull blade was still there, but it seemed to have new life in his hands.
Three days later, the restorative training ended. Team A received a new mission: Team A was seventy miles west of Xinyang Pass, and there were horse thieves in the Black Wind Ridge area recently, plundering passing caravans and border residents. According to reports, this group of horse thieves numbered about twenty or thirty people, and the leaders were very skilled and familiar with the terrain. They used the mountains to escape several times of encirclement and suppression.
Mission requirements: Ten people from Team A, traveling lightly and simply, sneak into Black Wind Ridge, find out the location of the thief's den and set up defenses. If there is a chance, they can try to capture the leader of the thief.
"Remember, we are going for reconnaissance, not for a strong attack." Shi Meng warned before setting off, "But if you are in danger, you don't have to hold back."
"Understood!"
The ten people put on half-old leather armor, and Qin Tiexin also put on the leather armor he had just arrived with, and brought three days of dry food with him, and only brought the weapons he knew best. Qin Tiexin naturally carried on his back. Edgeless, wrapped the blade of the sword with a coarse cloth. Zhao Ling checked the quiver, Lin Feng brought the flying claw and rope, and Tu Dazhu carried his new shield and held a big axe.
Black Wind Ridge The terrain is steep, mostly steep slopes and dense forests. Team A lurked day and night, and it took him two full days to reach the vicinity of the thief's den - it was a natural cave halfway up the mountain, with a lookout post at the entrance and hidden stakes on the trail at the foot of the mountain.
Shi Meng arranges a team of two to carry out scattered reconnaissance. Qin Tiexin and Tu Dazhu work together to take charge of the east mountain road.
On the early morning of the third day, an accident happened.
Qin Tiexin and Tu Dazhu were lurking behind a bush, observing the horse thieves coming and going on the mountain road. Suddenly, a sharp bird call came from the distance - it was the alarm signal sent by Zhao Ling.
Almost at the same time, the sound of rapid horse hooves came from the other end of the mountain road!
Three cavalrymen rushed out of the forest. The man on the horse was masked in black and holding a scimitar. He was galloping in the direction of Qin Tiexin and the others! Looking at the posture, it seemed as if he had discovered something and was rushing towards them!
"Discovered!" Tu Dazhu growled, raising his shield in front of him.
Qin Tiexin instantly judged the situation: the terrain here was narrow, with steep slopes on both sides, and there was no way to retreat. The three cavalry were charging in a formation, very fast. If they were allowed to charge close, they would be crushed by the momentum of the horses.
You can't retreat, you can only welcome!
He suddenly jumped out of the bushes, Edgeless unsheathed!
"Tu Dazhu, protect my left side!"
"Okay!"
The first rider has arrived! The horse thief lowered his body and slashed diagonally with his scimitar. With the momentum of the horse, the sound of the blade cutting through the air was harsh!
Qin Tiexin didn't force it. The Night Scouts dodge he imitated on the school field that night flashed through his mind. He took a half-step diagonally to the right, and at the same time Edgeless lifted up from the bottom up - not to chop a person, but to chop a horse!
The blade slashed across the front leg of the horse, causing the horse to neigh miserably, kneel down and fall forward, and the thief on the horse screamed and fell forward. Qin Tiexin didn't even look at it, kicked off his feet, and rushed towards the second rider!
The horse thief on the second horse was obviously on guard. Seeing this, he yanked the reins. The horseman stood up and stepped down hard on Qin Tiexin with his two front hooves! If this step was firm, it would be enough to crush the sternum!
In the flash of lightning, Qin Tiexin remembered Shi Meng's words: Power starts from the ground.
He stepped heavily on the ground with his right foot, twisted his waist, and the power of his whole body exploded from the soles of his feet, passing through his legs, waist, back, shoulders, and reaching his arms. Edgeless swept out from left to right--
It's not a chop, it's a smash! The blade, with its terrifying weight and speed, hit the horse's chest hard!
"Bang!!!"
The sound was as muffled as a drum! The tall horse staggered two steps sideways due to the blow, neighed and fell to the ground, with the horse thief on its back pinned beneath it!
The third rider has arrived! The horse thief saw his two companions being instantly defeated, with a fierce look in his eyes. He didn't slow down and stabbed Qin Tiexin straight in the face with his scimitar!
This sword is fast, ruthless, and accurate, and with the speed of the horse, it is almost impossible to avoid it!
Tu Dazhu raised his shield and tried to block it, but the distance was half a step away!
Qin Tiexin has just knocked over the second horse, the old strength has been exhausted, the new strength has not yet been generated, the blade is still hanging on the periphery, and there is no time to fight back!
A moment of life and death!
His mind went blank, but his body reacted instinctively - it was muscle memory formed from countless nightly reviews.
He didn't retreat, didn't block, or even try to dodge the knife that stabbed his face.
He just followed the trajectory of the blade swinging back in the "Mountain Collapse" style, twisted his waist in the opposite direction, and turned his right wrist inward at a strange angle. The heavy blade of Edgeless actually drew a very small and extremely fast arc under impossible circumstances, and lifted up from the bottom up!
It looks like she's sheathing her sword, but it's actually a sure kill!
"Tsk--!"
The blade cut into the horse's belly, swept upwards, passed through the horse's waist and ribs, and finally broke out from the shoulder blade!
Blood splashes like a waterfall!
The third rider, with man and horse, rushed three steps past Qin Tiexin, and then fell to the ground. The horse thief's upper body was almost cut open, his internal organs slipped out, and he died on the spot.
The whole process takes less than ten breaths.
All three knights were destroyed.
Tu Dazhu held up the shield and stared blankly at the people and horse corpses on the ground. Then he looked at Qin Tiexin, opened his mouth, but said nothing.
Qin Tiexin stood on the spot, panting slightly. Edgeless Saber's tip hung to the ground, and blood slowly dripped down the dull blade and seeped into the soil.
He lowered his head and looked at the knife, then looked up at the other Team A members who came after hearing the sound in the distance.
Shi Meng was the first to rush forward, glanced at the battlefield, and his eyes fell on Qin Tiexin, a trace of surprise flashed in his eyes.
Zhao Ling arrived second. Looking at the horse whose sternum was smashed, he took a deep breath. "Brother Tiexin, you..."
Lin Feng squatted down and inspected the wound on the waist of the third corpse. The incision was smooth but the bone was deeply visible. It was cut open from a very tricky angle. He looked up at Qin Tiexin, his eyes thoughtful.
Qin Tiexin said nothing. He walked to the first horse corpse - the one whose legs he cut off. He squatted down and touched the broken part of the horse's leg with his fingers, then walked to the second horse corpse, looked at the smashed sternum, and finally stopped next to the third corpse.
Three horse thieves, three swords.
Cut off the horse's leg with one knife, breaking its momentum.
Hit the horse's body with a knife, destroying its mobility.
Kill him with one knife and kill him.
Simple, crude and effective.
He stood up and wiped off the blood on the knife. Under the moonlight, Edgeless was as dark as before, but he felt that the knife finally began to "listen" to his words.
On the way back to the camp, Zhao Ling came close to Qin Tiexin and winked. "Brother Tiexin, it's okay! Not only has the appetite improved, but also the knife skills have improved? Those three times are enough!"
Qin Tiexin shook his head. "It hasn't taken shape yet, it's just a prototype."
"The prototype is so powerful, how can it be done once it's formed?" Chen San also came over, "Can you teach me how to do it, brothers?"
Qin Tiexin thought for a while and said seriously, "The first blow, from top to bottom, Armor Piercing smashed the shield, called 'Mountain Collapse'."
"The second strike, sweeping across thousands of troops and suppressing the range, is called 'Sever the Flow'."
"The third blow..." He paused and looked at the Edgeless in his hand, "It looked like he was holding back the knife, but in fact he was killing him in reverse. It was called 'Return to Stillness'."
His voice was not high, but it was particularly clear in the silent mountain forest.
Shi Meng was walking in the front. Hearing the words, he paused slightly but did not look back.
Lin Feng walked at the end. When he heard the word "Return to Stillness", he raised his eyebrows slightly.
The moonlight passed through the forest leaves and fell on the ten people. Qin Tiexin held the knife, and the blade reflected the cold light.
He thought silently in his heart:
Mountain Collapse, Sever the Flow, Return to Stillness.
It's called these three styles.