Book 14: Chapter 76
Slimeball Among Slimeballs Among Slimeballs (Part 12)
A branch might’ve been harmless in the hands of someone untrained, but an advanced martial artist could easily have split jade with a thin branch. Even in the scenario that Bai Yumo wasn’t Bronze Mask, the internal energy potency she displayed prior was proof that taking a swing from her was unwise. In addition to her attack, there was also Che Gulu’s next punch incoming.
Tang Ye slipped away through the only opening, so the cannon-ball of a bunch would’ve landed on Bai Yumo. Che Gulu couldn’t pull a punch he had released, but Bai Yumo could change the trajectory of her movements at will, so she torqued sideways to let the punch go past her torso and continue on to Tang Ye’s head. In turn, Tang Ye was caught in a pincer.
One on one, the odds weren’t in Tang Ye’s favour, let alone fighting both of them at once, but he had a brain. He flicked at their wrists with both hands. The slight burning sensation bought enough time for him to roll out of the way. However, Bai Yumo pressed the attack immediately after her short stutter, leaving three rows of split earth with a single swing of her branch.
Virtually no one at Valley of Yearning could detail Bai Yumo’s skills, just as they couldn’t tell you anything about Lady Bai’s background. Her eldest uncle had praised her for being a prodigy at broadswords, but none of the disciples dared to train with her, so they only knew as much as Tang Ye did, which was – she had extremely potent internal energy and fought in a very straightforward style.
Bai Yumo didn’t waste a drop of true qi, and, in spite of her movements looking clumsy, Tang Ye couldn’t spot a single opening to exploit. She might’ve been inexperienced in combat, but that didn’t imply she was defenceless. Thanks to her learning from the unmatched broadsworder in the world from a young age, she had oceans and mountains of knowledge; she could spot openings based purely on instinct. In just their few exchanges, Tang Ye deemed her tougher than Che Gulu. If it weren’t for her lack of experience, Song Chi would’ve been beneath her.
Bai Yumo never did anything outside of the basic chop, slash, sweep and stabs, but all of them were connected to Yearning Broadswordplay, something which Tang Ye couldn’t wrap his head around. Outsiders frequently misunderstood the complexity of Yearning Broadswordplay. While “Yearning” was in the name, it could’ve been any other feeling for the reason that it was practically a placeholder. Like a lovesick man, Bai Sanlang attacked similarly to an endless avalanche. Since she was straightforward and did little in terms of thinking, Bai Yumo’s attacks were simple. Though different in style, it was still Yearning Broadswordplay. She didn’t need thirty attacks to beat Tang Ye one way or another – if he was pre-Huzhou Tang Ye.
Tang Ye retreated several steps, making all of Bai Yumo’s swings hit thin air.
“Strange,” remarked Bai Yumo, noticing how effortless Tang Ye gave her the slip.
Offence wasn’t the only thing he gleaned from Ancient King’s training method. Ming Feizhen didn’t pass on his five sword techniques to expand Tang Ye’s already vast array of offensive options or to level him up. Ming Feizhen wanted to empower Tang Ye with another chance of survival.
What Ming Feizhen gave Tang Ye was the equivalent of the sentient Spring Wind Rainy Night Art conscious that he planted in Shen Yiren that saved her in Huzhou. Ming Feizhen could’ve just taught Tang Ye martial arts to save time and effort if it weren’t for his condition. Ming Feizhen’s decision proved right because Tang Ye had to fall back on it already. That being said, not everything unfolded according to Ming Feizhen’s predictions.
It should’ve been expected that Tang Ye spent day and night mulling over the knowledge Ming Feizhen shared. Ming Feizhen never expected Tang Ye to have an epiphany of some sort and learn any impressive martial art. Ming Feizhen classified Ancient King as a culmination of internal disciplines’ combat methods, not a fighting discipline. If he was the one who received the “secret manual”, the first he would’ve done wouldn’t have been researching it but cursing. For Tang Ye, in contrast, it was the door to a new world.
Ancient King’s method of accumulating everything into one concept was the perfect remedy for Tang Ye’s mishmash of disciplines, but he was able to get even more out of it. Mayhap it never occurred to Ming Feizhen that the five sword techniques in Ancient King weren’t just a method of accumulating everything into a single concept, but the method of fighting itself was a clever martial arts discipline. It shouldn’t have been surprising considering the five sword techniques he invented were the synthesis of over a hundred internal disciplines.
No matter how much Ancient King simplified Ming Feizhen’s collective knowledge, the same questions as every technique remained: how was one supposed to use the “what”? When were they supposed to use the “what”? When were they meant to use the “what” to corner the opponent? Ancient King’s answer to the “when” was, to counter.
Tang Ye’s innate talent and his experience in “shortcut” methods were the reasons he was able to see what others would never have seen in Ancient King. In saying that, had Ming Feizhen not lost all his internal energy, he would’ve imparted the five techniques using an assortment of energies, making it too difficult for even Tang Ye to have learnt as much as he did. Ming Feizhen wanted to pass on how to “synthesise” everything, while Tang Ye learnt “how” to use it. Accordingly, Tang Ye inherited more than what he was taught.
Aside from getting hit and imitating the usage method, Tang Ye kept wondering if it was truly impossible to dodge the five attacks. When he concentrated on just dodging the ever-evolving techniques, he started to discern a vague footwork pattern. Tang Ye subsequently mulled over it. If there truly existed footwork that could dodge the five techniques, then there weren’t many people left in the world who could hit him. He only ever performed the footwork in his mind. His comprehension of Ancient King reached new heights after he defeated Tang Za, consequently increasing the resolution of the footwork in his mind. Under the pressure of Che Gulu’s sneak attack, evasion was his best option, making it the first time he utilised the footwork, and it was as sensational as he imagined.
Bai Yumo had no clue where to attack next after Tang Ye utilised the footwork. Tang Ye once assumed that he would be akin to a flame in the wind whilst employing the footwork. He gave it the temporary name “Hazy Steps” to illustrate the difficulty in understanding it. Upon finally using it, however, it dawned on him that it far surpassed his imagination. When using it, he was virtually the shadow of a disorganised fireball in the wind. That was why Bai Yumo questioned if her eyes were dysfunctional.
“What the hell is that footwork?!” exclaimed Che Gulu. He knew Tang Ye outwitted him when he missed, compelling him to wait for another opportunity, but he couldn’t make heads and tails of Tang Ye’s movements. Had he not been exposed to Confucianism for an extensive period, he would’ve yelled, “How dare a demon run amok in broad daylight?!”
Tang Ye had gotten used to the five sword techniques, but he didn’t realise they were constantly evolving. To any spectator, they resembled countless ever-changing afterimages. That being the case, the same approach needed to be adopted in order to avoid them.
Faced with uncertainty in combat, Bai Yumo and Che Gulu vigilantly disengaged. As soon as Tang Ye came to a stop, he felt as though his qihai would explode, limbs would fall off and the world was rotating as fast as desert winds. If it weren’t for the fact that there were two opponents still present, he would’ve gasped blood. The world was black for a while before Tang Ye could see and hear properly again, but his limbs still felt detached. He breathed as softly as he could to hide the fact from his opponents. Luckily for him, his facial expressions were usually so minimal that it was hard to notice anything different.
Upon checking himself, Tang Ye discovered he had expended over 60% of his internal energy, an amount that exceeded even the most advanced technique in his repertoire. Evidently, the footwork was reserved for those who had a huge volume of internal energy; anyone without enough would just be committing suicide.
It was a double-edged sword. While Tang Ye was concerned and lost an immense amount of fuel, he didn’t notice that his two foes were so fearful that they didn’t dare to get close.
Considering how elusive Tang Ye was just a moment ago, Bai Yumo and Che Gulu had every reason to be worried that three Bai Yumos plus Che Gulu would still be assassinated without knowing how. They assumed he was holding back the entire time since he was capable of unilaterally dominating them. Little did they know the assumed-knightly young man was actually exhausted.
Once his true qi flow returned to homeostasis, Tang Ye caught on to the assumptions his competitors made. “Both of you are incredibly skilled. This one has always looked up to your teachers and respected your skills. This is but a mere competition; there is no need to risk our lives and make enemies. How about we take turns crossing the finish line? No matter who finishes in first place, this one is happy to finish second. Should he go back on his word, he will suffer for eternity!”
Bai Yumo and Che Gulu exchanged contact; both could see the respect in each other’s eyes. They simultaneously offered a cupped-fist salute and conveyed, “Thank you, Brother Tang.”
Tang Ye wagged his hand. “This one is only doing what he should!”