Chapter 62

Xuan Yuan gazed at the small thief carrying the bronze long halberd on his shoulder, gazing at the figure struggling down the rugged mountain road. Suddenly, he felt as though he had really mistaken the person.

The other party had rolled up his sleeves, carrying the bronze halberd as if it were a shoulder pole.

How could this be a warrior?

If Chen Ji were that person, even if he were weaker than the Giant Halberd Warrior, he could easily win with innate fighting instinct. But this one could only flee down the mountain in a sorry state…

If that person were here, facing an even stronger enemy, he would not run.

Even if a majestic large mountain blocked the way, he would move it.

And the current one would take a detour.

At this moment, Chen Ji was panting while carrying the bronze halberd.

He turned his head to scout, only to see the Giant Halberd Warrior running through the mountains. The black armor rubbed against itself, making rustling sounds, his red cloak fluttered backward, and his figure was as burly as a war chariot.

Chen Ji thought to himself, *This fierce general, is he only one level higher than me? Brother, you said one level higher, perhaps you meant the difference between the acquired realm and the innate realm?*

*No, no.*

*If Si Cao were here, where would I have the opportunity to carry the bronze halberd and run away?*

*It doesn't have to be the innate realm.*

The two people descended the mountain, one in front and one behind. Chen Ji carried the bronze halberd and ran slower and slower, panting more and more.

Xuan Yuan's gaze became more and more disappointed.

However, just at this moment, Chen Ji suddenly stopped panting, and his steps were no longer heavy.

Instead, he saw his gaze condense, and he suddenly turned around.

Chen Ji twisted his waist, turned his body, and lifted his hand, his movements fluid.

The bronze long halberd in his hand stabbed backward with a thunderous momentum.

This stab came at just the right time. As the Giant Halberd Warrior charged, it was as if he was welcoming the halberd tip to collide with himself. This huge collision force could not be blocked even by armor.

The hard black armor was pierced through by Chen Ji's halberd stab, entering the Giant Halberd Warrior's abdomen.

Chen Ji breathed a sigh of relief, but the corner of Xuan Yuan's mouth slightly curved upward, seemingly mocking: "Futile!"

The next moment, the Giant Halberd Warrior actually disregarded the injury to his abdomen. He grasped the bronze halberd's sharp blade with both hands, fearlessly pulling out the bronze halberd.

He saw him shake both hands slightly, and Chen Ji only felt a huge force transmit, making his hands numb. He involuntarily loosened his grip on the bronze halberd.

The Giant Halberd Warrior let the blood flow from his abdomen like a stream, raised the bronze long halberd high, and chopped down vertically again like Mount Tai pressing down.

From beginning to end, the Giant Halberd Warrior's expression showed no pain. He didn't even wrinkle his brow once, as if being stabbed through the abdomen was just an ordinary small matter.

"Hiss..."

Chen Ji woke up from the medical hall's small courtyard, panting greedily.

"Had a nightmare again?" the heir said curiously, "You've had several nightmares recently. You must have been scared by encountering bad people from time to time before."

As he spoke, the heir looked at Chen Ji's eyes.

This apprentice youth clearly wasn't looking at him, yet he felt his mind palpitate, as if a fierce beast was breathing nearby, spitting out thick bloody gas.

Liang Mao Er walked out of the kitchen carrying food dishes. There was boiled white porridge with sour and spicy cabbage and small salted vegetables, light and tasty.

He looked at Chen Ji: "Eat a meal first then sleep."

Chen Ji shook his head, slowly closing his eyes: "I'm not hungry now, thanks!"

The heir returned to his senses. He carefully sized up Chen Ji again, only to find that the other party was lying tired on a bamboo chair, nothing strange.

He must have seen incorrectly.

At this time, Chen Ji had already returned to the battlefield.

He saw that the Giant Halberd Warrior was standing intact on the green mountain peak, not making a move immediately.

Xuan Yuan sat on a large stone, looking at Chen Ji: "Did you learn a lesson?"

Chen Ji was silent. Xuan Yuan laughed: "This world is absolutely not just you who dares to be fierce to yourself. Those who can charge and kill on the battlefield, which one isn't a fierce warrior who has crawled out of a pile of dead people? Facing a fierce warrior like the Giant Halberd Warrior, relying only on contention and bravery is useless. We've seen many fierce people."

"You must learn to abandon all fancy ideas and master true killing skills."

Chen Ji pondered.

True killing skills?

Xuan Yuan said calmly: "You let me teach you sword seed entrance, but you don't even have ordinary killing and fighting spirit. Giving you sword seed entrance is like putting a sharp sword that can cut hair into a child's hand. It can not only hurt people, but also hurt yourself."

Chen Ji nodded: "Start, come again."

Xuan Yuan said: "This time, you cannot run down this mountaintop. If you run, I will not teach you sword seed entrance."

Chen Ji was puzzled: "But in killing, if you can't beat them, running away is also a wise choice!"

"You are much cleverer than before, but although cleverness is a good thing, people cannot only be clever." Xuan Yuan laughed coldly: "But this world always has mountains you can never bypass. At that time, you need some fighting spirit and courage."

Xuan Yuan walked to the Giant Halberd Warrior's side, pointing at the area below the Giant Halberd Warrior's ribs: "Human body has thirty-six death acupoints, especially the sun acupoint, qi gate acupoint, wind pool acupoint, dan zhong acupoint..."

He pointed out the death acupoints one by one for Chen Ji to see. "If your long halberd stab position had shifted one more inch to the left just now, the Giant Halberd Warrior, even with immense strength, would not be able to use it. This is the difference between having killing skills and not having killing skills. Additionally, that halberd you used when you turned your head just now, although good-looking, was useless. Killing people doesn't need to be good-looking."

Chen Ji took a deep breath: "Understood."

He didn't know how many killings Xuan Yuan had experienced, he only knew that this was the best teacher he could encounter.

The Giant Halberd Warrior no longer waited, waving his bronze long halberd to attack.

Chen Ji no longer evaded either, only turning and moving on this mountain peak, seeking a killing method.

He tightly stared at the direction the bronze long halberd chopped down, tilting his body slightly to the right. Then he saw the bronze halberd brush past his face, chopping down one inch outside his nose tip.

Xuan Yuan's eyes lit up.

However, before he could praise, he saw the Giant Halberd Warrior flip his wrist, and the crescent blade of the bronze halberd turned, cutting into Chen Ji's abdomen.

This bronze halberd was like a living thing in the Giant Halberd Warrior's hand. It was clearly a heavy weapon, yet it became extremely treacherous in the Giant Halberd Warrior's hand.

When Chen Ji came to the green mountain again, Xuan Yuan's face sank: "You clearly dodged very well just now, why didn't you anticipate the opponent might have other means after dodging? Killing is like playing chess, you also need to think ten steps ahead for the next step. With the same strength, whoever can anticipate the enemy first can win."

Chen Ji nodded seriously: "Understood, come again!"

He killed from morning to noon, and then from noon to evening, never winning once, yet killing more and more seriously, killing more and more excitedly.

He didn't count how many times he died, only that the more he died, the rougher his fighting method became, and also more direct.

It was as if a steel blank was sent into a furnace fire for remolding, and then forged into shape with a heavy hammer time after time, forging out all impurities.

Chen Ji suddenly realized that this kind of forged skill had no routine, no need to perform for anyone to see, and was closer to the essence of killing skills.

Xuan Yuan watched Chen Ji kill time after time, as if tirelessly.

This youth didn't have that person's fighting instinct, but he had the exact same fighting spirit.

Obstinate, mad demon!

"Now you're finally a bit like you!"

In the evening, Chen Ji opened his eyes in the small courtyard of Taiping Medical Hall.

Xuan Yuan commanded him to rest for half an hour. He slowly breathed a sigh of relief, as if returning from purgatory to the lively human world.

This time, he had killed with the Giant Halberd Warrior for one incense stick of time, a tough battle to call, and when he woke up, he was already extremely tired.

Chen Ji lifted his head, only to see the heir, She Deng Ke, Liang Gou Er, and Liu Qu Xing pushing Pai Gow at the meal table.

White Carp County Princess and Liang Mao Er were standing at the side watching.

Liu Qu Xing had a pile of copper coins in front of him, and also a silver peanut he had won from the heir.

White Carp County Princess looked at Chen Ji, and said in surprise: "Ah, you're awake. Are you hungry, do you want to eat something?"

Chen Ji smiled: "Why isn't County Princess playing with them?"

White Carp shook her head: "I don't gamble, and my father doesn't allow gambling either."

"Ah? Isn't the heir gambling?"

White Carp smiled: "It doesn't matter, I'll just report him later!"

Chen Ji: "......, truly deep brother and sister affection."

He felt a wave of hunger, but before he could say anything, he heard several Jianghu people shouting outside the door: "Heir, heir, get ready to go to White Clothes Alley."

The heir's eyes lit up: "Today is the day Liu Head from Qin Huai River comes to Lu City. I heard this Liu Head is a master of poetry, books, qin, and chess, and her person is also as beautiful as a fairy general. We must go and see."

Liang Gou Er clapped his hands and cheered. He hadn't drunk wine for several days, and the wine bugs in his belly were making noise.

However, White Carp County Princess poured a basin of cold water: "Chen Ji is still injured. If everyone goes, who will take care of him? Brother, you keep saying you want to be friends with him. Treating friends like this, is this still human?"

The heir scratched his head, a bit difficult.

Liu Su, even in Jinling on the Qin Huai River, deserved the top card. Today she was coming to Lu City for the ribbon-cutting of White Clothes Alley's new embroidered building. How could they miss it?

Liang Gou Er said in a low voice: "Heir, how about we go, and leave Mao Er and the princess at the medical hall."

The heir was a bit difficult: "The money is with White Carp!"

Liang Gou Er: ......

Chen Ji: ......

Indeed, White Carp was the true gold master.

So the heir took her wherever he went.

The small courtyard quieted down, and everyone also lost the mood to push Pai Gow.

For a time, everyone was thinking of countermeasures.

Only Chen Ji was recuperating his energy, preparing to continue entering the battlefield and killing.

At this time, Liang Gou Er, who was at the side, gave an idea: "Heir, wouldn't it be good if we took Chen Ji with us and took care of him?"

Chen Ji: "......, I have injuries on my body, I can't go!"

The heir looked at Liang Gou Er: "Right, he has injuries on his body, and the injuries are on his chest and leg. He can't even be carried on the back."

Liang Gou Er, who was willing to do anything for wine, immediately patted his chest: "Mao Er and I will lift his bamboo chair and go. After we finish drinking the wine and watch, the two of us will lift him back again."

Chen Ji: "You're really a talent, you son of a... As long as you can drink wine, you can do anything."

The next moment, Liang Gou Er greeted Liang Mao Er, and they lifted the bamboo chair towards the door, as if lifting a bamboo sedan.

Chen Ji sat up on the shaking bamboo chair: "Let go, I don't want to go."

Liang Gou Er paid no mind: "It's not up to you now, follow us. If you want to sleep, just lie directly on the bamboo chair and sleep, don't worry, we won't let you fall. That's White Clothes Alley, that's Liu Head, are you a man? Not interested in this kind of thing?"

Chen Ji was helpless: "I still have injuries on my body."

The heir followed beside the bamboo chair and said: "Seeing Liu Head's face is not easy, you must have a poem to hand up. If Liu Head approves, then she will let people in. Have you written any new poems these two days? I'll buy them."

Chen Ji quieted down. Now he still had ninety-four taels of silver hidden in the brick gap under the bed. At most, he could buy three ginsengs and light six more furnace fires.

But if he wanted to kill Si Cao, he was afraid it was far from enough.

Chen Ji was silent for a moment: "Just casually get a few lines, maybe they can be used."

White Carp County Princess's eyes lit up, "Go, go to White Clothes Alley."

The crowd came to the outside of the door, where a crowd of Jianghu people was already waiting.

One by one, they had long swords and long knives hanging from their waists.

When they saw Liang Gou Er and Liang Mao Er lifting Chen Ji, their faces suddenly showed surprise, and they whispered to each other: "Who is so imposing that he actually makes Liang Gou Er and Liang Mao Er lift a sedan chair together?"

Chen Ji hurriedly smiled awkwardly: "It has nothing to do with me. I didn't want to go because I have an injury on my leg, but Brother Liang Gou Er insisted on bringing me to White Clothes Alley to broaden my horizons. I didn't ask him to lift a sedan chair."

The crowd then relaxed.

All the way, more than ten people were lively and laughing.

The heir wasn't like an heir, but more like a prodigal who ate meat and drank wine in the Jianghu.

Chen Ji sat on the bamboo chair, and from time to time passers-by would cast their gaze at the bamboo chair.

His face wasn't thick enough, so he simply closed his eyes and sank back into the battlefield, returning to the killing.

He felt as if he was about to touch some threshold.

The Giant Halberd Warrior was not invincible either.

In front of White Clothes Alley's embroidered building, flower baskets filled the area, extending for several hundred meters, even occupying other families' courtyards.

On the broad terrace of the embroidered building's second floor, red silk was hung on the wooden railings, looking especially festive.

The east owner of the embroidered building was named Zhang Chang, an unknown small figure, but someone said he was once a servant in the second house of the Hu Di Xu family. This made everyone have to look up to him.

The Xu family, the Xu family of the cabinet first assistant Xu Gong.

Aristocratic families would not touch the voices of White Clothes Alley, Red Clothes Alley, and Qin Huai River, as their reputation was not good.

But privately, they all had their respective white gloves.

Everyone knew who was behind Zhang Chang, and everyone had a tacit understanding.

So as soon as the embroidered building opened for business, not only did Liu family's Liu Ming Xian come to support, but also many young masters of aristocratic families brought their literati friends.

Some came to see Liu Head, and some came to help the Xu family's business.

Each had their own thoughts.

In front of the embroidered building's door, two girls wearing plain white ru skirts and draped with white marten fur stood beautifully in the cool autumn wind, their faces full of smiles as they said to the guests outside the door: "Various lords, young masters, our embroidered building is widely welcoming guests tonight. The first floor has many elegant seats, spacious and bright. But if you want to go to the second floor to see our girl, you must have a presentable poetic talent. If our girl likes it, one poem can bring three people together. There is a table and case, brush and ink in front of the door, please do so."

A young scholar immediately took a pen at the table and case, quickly wrote a poem, and handed it to the two girls.

One of the girls took the xuan paper and ran upstairs, and in a moment, she ran back, smiling charmingly: "Young Master, our Liu Head said your poem is not good."

This Liu Head actually didn't give any face, saying not good was just not good.

Not half willing to be euphemistic.

That young scholar's face turned red with shame, and he lowered his head and drilled into the crowd.

After this attempt, those whose bellies had no real substance immediately had the intention to retreat.

Outside the door, Liang Gou Er and other Jianghu people muttered, everyone whispering, not knowing how to enter this embroidered building.

Some said to flip in, some said to kill in, not one proper method. At this time, the heir beat the retreat drum, and said in a low voice: "White Carp, we only have half a poem, can it be done?"

White Carp thought for a moment: "If she knows goods, this half sentence can be worth hundreds of other people's poems, it definitely can!"

Liang Gou Er came over and said: "But one poem can only bring three people, and we have twelve people!"

After saying that, the heir and White Carp County Princess together looked at the sleeping Chen Ji on the bamboo chair.

"Chen Ji, wake up!"

No matter how the heir called, Chen Ji did not wake up.

The heir was almost anxious to death, but there was no way. If there was no poem, how could they go in?

At this time, White Carp thought for a moment, took out a gold melon seed from her small purse, and stuffed it into Chen Ji's hand.

Chen Ji opened his eyes: "Got it!"

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