Book 13: Chapter 141????w???????.?o?
Lady Bai had the skills to singlehandedly settle the problem Valley of Yearning was facing. Unfortunately, that was asking too much of her during her pregnancy. The martial arts discipline she practiced and her mindset were connected. Therefore, pregnancy impacted her ability to bring out its maximum potential. Even if Hong Jiu wasn’t aware of this fact, nothing would change considering how much Bai Zhiqing doted on his wife.
Hong Jiu held his hands up in salute and expressed, “Congratulations.”
Bai Zhiqing was startled when he felt the sincerity. However, he then sighed. “You don’t seem to have realised that this means you shoulder more now. Or have I misjudged and that you not only have recovered but also still have a hidden ace you’re waiting to reveal?”
“Hahaha, I wish. Worst comes to worst, I will bite the dust. You think they scare me?”
Bai Zhiqing had a good think before he bobbed his head. “I can’t turn a blind, either, not after you congratulated me. We’ll have to think of something. By the way, that was a really clever way to buy three days’ time. You reminded me of your shifu’s guile.”
“It would be unfair if I took all the credit. He is just stupid and too cowardly to act when he should. Had they marched us down, we would have been totally at their mercy. While your clansmen could have stopped the minions, Vivianite and the two what’s-their-faces guys would have been too much for them. No matter how it started, it would have been our eventual loss purely from fatigue. Hai Yecha fell for my attempt to buy time because he wanted to win in dominating fashion.”
“Only a victory would afford us more time. A loss would have only bought us another three days. We suffered a lot in our campaign against Fiends’ Genesis, and that was because of Hai Yecha’s ploys. He’s not really strong, but he definitely is smart. He didn’t accept your suggestion to give you three days; he’s using three days to mobilise his forces here. He wants to trap us in to avoid any possible mistakes when he comes for us the second time. His forces are only our first problem. More than likely, he will be transporting machinery to overcome our advantage on the mountain. In the event that he does lose to us, he’ll likely come up with some excuse to launch catapults or something of the sort at us.”
“You make very valid points. We cannot be too cautious of that old fox.”
Fiends’ Genesis used to be the overlord of the waterways, so there was no chance they’d resurface without fearsome weapons and machinery when they were making sure the world knew they were back. If there was anything odd, it was odd for Bai Zhiqing to speak as though he had seen their equipment when he only met Hai Yecha once recently.
“I have a way of dealing with their heavy weapons, and there’s no need to fear he does not keep his word. Our primary concern is the three matches. Do you have any plan?”
“Well, somewhat. I am just not sure it will work. What about you, Third Brother Bai?”
Bai Zhiqing shook his head. “No matter who he is, he is not without weakness. Do not compete with skill. Man uses the skills. Compete with the man. That is what your shifu said. If he hasn’t told you, I am telling you now.”
“It certainly sounds like something he would say. That is a fine strategy.”
“I knew you’d get it. I couldn’t comprehend even a fraction of it when I first heard it. Isn’t it obvious man can use martial arts? People fight, not disciplines. What else would you be competing against? It took me years to finally understand what he meant. You’ve proven you’re a true Mount Daluo disciple. My internal energy has been compromised, so I’m unlikely to be of any help in the three matches. At best, I will only last one match. You will have to be the main player.”
“I am aware. Do not worry, Third Brother.”
“I shall tell you their strengths and weaknesses.”
Hong Jiu held Bai Zhiqing’s martial arts evaluations in high regard, so he was happy to lend an ear.
“Mount Wu’s two demons have established themselves as real threats for decades through their brutal fighting style. The only people on our side who can match them are you, me and Miss Wen. Other disciples have virtually no chance. What makes the duo most formidable is their combined style, which isn’t to say that they are weak alone. Darkcloud is slippery, but it’s rumoured that his penchant for chasing kills often puts him in trouble. Squall has a bad habit of underestimating his opponents. An opportunity will present itself if we can leverage these bad habits against them.”
Hong Jiu flashed a corner of his teeth. “One is a tunnel-visioned murderer, while the other is careless. I am amazed they are still alive and even have that whatever nickname. The pugilistic world must be getting soft.”
In saying that, not everyone could analyse his opponents as precisely as Bai Zhiqing.
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“The most troublesome foe is the last competitor, the one with the big blade – Vivianite. He wasted quite a bit of energy trying to sneak attack my wife. I struggle to evaluate him accurately. He most likely was putting on a façade for us to be careless so that he has better chances the second time around. Be it in wits or combat, he is a foe not to be taken lightly. Not only are we going to have to spend the next three days brainstorming a counter against him, but we’ll need to be wary of him sneaking in to assassinate someone, too. Assassination is his specialty, and he has no reason to respect the pugilistic world’s unwritten rules.”
“I will prioritise him,” coldly stated Hong Jiu.
“Mm. I don’t think there’s anyone else who can defeat him. I heard you already fought him. How did it go?”
“We only had one exchange. He dropped me in one swing. From what I could tell, he was holding back. I cannot understand how his discipline works. By the time he initiates his attack, there is no viable escape route.”
“From what Fang Xiaoyu told me, you have his manual?”
“Ah, yes, Xiaoyu did recite the manual.”
“In that case, we do have a starting point.” Bai Zhiqing set his jug down, went to the door and loudly ordered, “Fetch me my broadsword.” He then looked back at Hong Jiu and explained, “It’s only natural for you to be confused if you don’t understand how broadswords work. I shall teach you the basics of broadswordplay. When you fight him again, you can catch him by surprise with broadsword techniques.”
The person at the door came back with a chest on his back. He politely set down the chest and took out a shiny, yet plain, broadsword. Bai Zhiqing took it off the person and placed his free hand on the blade. Even though he didn’t imbue it with any energy, the temperature in the room began to drop.
“You don’t have a broadsword, so use mine for the fight. This broadsword is called ‘Hunt’.”
