Sword Among Us
Sword Among Us - Chapter 19: Expert and Greenhorns

Chapter 19: Expert and Greenhorns

The feeling of danger rose in Happy, and he noticed that Luo Xiaotian’s speed had become even faster. What he used was a killing move that drained all the qi in its user’s body. Even though it was executed by a player who had not even entered Gate Realm, this skill, when used on a new player, would feel like a huge weight bearing down on them, and it could not be avoided!

Even Happy, after a long time of being under high pressure and pouring all of his attention on understanding Nine Palaces Eight Trigrams Sword, did not immediately connect what he saw to Blood Cycle Slash.

When he discovered that there was something abnormal about the situation, the brilliant blood-red light had already arrived right in front of him with loud, thunderous booms. He could not avoid it entirely with the current martial art he used…

It was the moment of life and death!

Happy basically did not think. He subconsciously employed Python Flip from Shaolin’s Long Fist. At the same time, his Noble Sword slipped out from his hand to execute a skill he had understood in his previous life!

He moved like the actors in action movies. He quickly flipped backwards, and the Noble Sword shot out from his hand like lightning. It crashed right into the aggressive attack that came from Luo Xiaotian’s Blood Cycle Slash, which aimed to kill him.

But no matter what, Luo Xiaotian had yet to enter Gate Realm. He could not yet control the secret technique with familiarity and ease. After all, it was a skill that required powerful qi to serve as its foundation. When Luo Xiaotian saw the sword flying toward him, he became alarmed and instantly lost his composure.

Clang!

The clear sound of metal clashing against metal could be heard. The Noble Sword was sent into the ground ten feet away from them, its saber buried approximately two feet into the ground.

Luo Xiaotian’s secret technique had missed its target. He was surprised and enraged by this. He bellowed in anger, “Your life is mine!”

With the remaining momentum from the secret technique, he charged at the spot in front of Happy, and blood shadows appeared again! He would like to see how Happy could possibly defend against his Blood Wheel Sword when unarmed!

Yet once Happy resolved the life-threatening danger with his flying sword, he quickly immersed himself in the fight once more. He began to move like a spinning top. His footsteps became even steadier, and his movements were even more agile than before. His momentum also became much more powerful than before.

Boom!

When faint blood shadows appeared in front of him, wind stirred up by a fist bypassed them and arrived at Luo Xiaotian’s side. Hidden within that wind was a shock that could cause tremors within people. The fierce blow rammed straight into Luo Xiaotian’s face, who had already drained himself of his qi and could not defend.

At the tenth realm, the lethality of Shaolin’s Long Fist did not lose out to normal ninth realm sword techniques executed with the Noble Sword. Before Luo Xiaotian could react to the momentum that Happy suddenly gained, a powerful force sent him flying.

Luo Xiaotian’s eyes went wide in shock while he was flying.

It was wind from a punch!

Even though it had not yet reached Wind Spirit Realm, which all grandmasters would obtain, the essence of the fist had been born, and it was a clear sign that Happy had reached the tenth realm with Shaolin’s Long Fist.

“Impossible!”

When Luo Xiaotian was flung into the distance, he had to force down a powerful dizziness. He quickly got to his feet once he landed on the ground and looked at the blue-robed boy. He was just in time to see Wu Hou unable to last even two blows in the boy’s hands. Just like him, Wu Hou was sent flying with a crash to his shoulder once Happy found his weakness.

But Wu Hou clearly ended up in a worse situation.

Once he suffered the vicious shoulder attack, he was pulled back by a Golden Dragon Stretches Claw. He could not use his sword techniques at all, since he had lost his balance, and he had to endure consecutive heavy blows on his person. Soon, he coughed up a mouthful of blood and fell sideways on the ground.

“Thank you for your guidance.”

The blue-robed boy did not continue attacking them. He cast an indifferent glance at the two people on the ground before he pulled out his Noble Sword and put it back in its sheath. Then, he returned to the government-made road and gradually went into the distance.

He left behind two men who suffered from many internal injuries. They looked at each other at a loss, and they felt great bitterness within them.

“He’s so good. He actually managed to reach the tenth realm with Shaolin’s Long Fist. At least we didn’t lose for no reason.”

Wu Hou also recognized Happy’s fist technique. He laughed bitterly. He no longer had the mood to seek guidance from the experts in Gusu City.

“Indeed, we didn’t lose for no reason.”

Luo Xiaotian cast his companion a glance. He also felt the same way.

He originally had thought that Happy was just a newbie who only knew how to dress himself up and boast about his wealth. He did not expect that Happy had not just learned Wudang Sect’s Nine Palaces Eight Trigrams Sword, but had also understood every style of Blood Wheel Sword and Complete Reality Sword Technique.

He even had a fist technique he understood extensively. In fact, he could actually easily avoid Blood Cycle Slash. No wonder then that he had the courage to arrogantly practice a sword technique he just learned even though he was up against two enemies. He had thought nothing of them…

“We looked down on a hero of the world.”

“This person will be someone famous in the future!”

The two picked up their weapons and quietly put to memory the boy from Gusu City. They then walked to the courier station.

After the fight, they had realized that with their abilities, they did not have the power to do what they wanted in World of Martial Arts and had to train more. In the future, perhaps there would be a place for them in the game.

…

What they did not know was when Happy had bypassed them, he had made a decision.

All the people who were challenged in fights that occurred outside cities in World of Martial Arts had an advantage over their attackers in terms of the justice system in the game. They could fight back freely, and they could even kill their enemies.

It was especially so for the fight just then. Happy had fought against two alone, and won. He had also won as the weaker party. The appearance of the secret technique—Blood Cycle Slash—could receive the system’s automatic assessment. As long as he killed the other person, he might even obtain some additional rewards, and the level of his skills might even increase a little.

But Happy knew one thing very clearly after he had played the game for three years: It was easy to make enemies, but not easy to resolve grudges between them.

The young people who just joined the World of Martial Arts were always prideful and did things according to their sense of justice or the code of brotherhood. He had done the same in the past and offended a lot of people. He had also killed a lot of people, which was why he was set up during the Sword Among Us tournament and ambushed at the foot of Shaoshi Mountain.

Now that he could start from the beginning again, Happy did not intend to form grudges with other people because of minor things. After all, he did not suffer any losses when he had fought against the duo. Instead, they served as his sparring partners, and there was just no need for him to kill them or heavily damage their qi cultivation base.

He should be lenient whenever possible.

Once he left, Happy ran into an old acquaintance while he was on his way to a tavern—Li Shan.

His drunk figure that served as a walking ATM machine with silver on his person was very conspicuous. It was difficult for Happy to not recognize him…

He might have been drunk, but Li Shan was still alert. He looked at the blue-robed boy who walked toward him and immediately took note of him. Once Happy drew closer, fire instantly ignited in Li Shan’s eyes.

“It’s you, you brat! Get your butt over here!”

He hung his wineskin at his waist, drew his Refined Steel Sword, and chased after Happy. The posture he assumed made it seem as if he had just run into an absolutely irreconcilable enemy.

‘Haha!’

Happy laughed in his heart. Without another word, he turned tail and ran to lure Li Shan into a remote forest.

After an hour, some people on the government-made road saw a blue-robed boy walk out of a forest while gasping for air. He looked as if he had just gone through a fierce battle. Before they could wrap their heads around this matter, they saw a sword-wielding man covered in blood and with a dozen throwing knives sticking out of him run out of the forest while cursing through gritted teeth.

The spirit of gossip instantly burned like wildfire in the players who saw it. They discussed what they saw among themselves.

“Isn’t that Li Shan?”

“Looks like him…”

“Did that boy beat him up until he’s like this?”

“Who is he?”

“You don’t even know him? He often goes in and out of the Murong Clan. I heard that he has already become part of the Murong Clan…” said a “veteran” player of World of Martial Arts who seemed to be well-informed. He had a face full of envy when he spoke.

Enlightenment immediately showed up on everyone’s faces.

“He’s someone from Gusu City’s Murong Clan!”

As more players noticed the blue-robed boy with the Noble Sword beat up the rascals outside the city, the title “Blue-robed Noble Sword User”, which was the title attached to the eldest senior brother of Gusu City’s Murong Clan, spread like wildfire.

Happy, who was the person involved, did not know about this. He just ran about like the diligent boy he was to push his Nine Palaces Eight Trigrams Sword and Lancet Knife Throwing Technique to the ninth realm.