Chapter 25
Chapter 25
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: Even Strength Prevails (5)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Jin Gwang, who had been quietly watching Murong Bi, bowed his head slightly and shouted once more.
"Two!"
"Hah!"
The Flower Sword Squad members swung their real swords in unison. They paid no mind to Murong Bi standing right there beside them.
'Hmm?'
Murong Bi didn't feel offended by their attitude.
On the contrary, he thought it was rather impressive. Training was something you shouldn't hold back for anyone's sake, after all.
It was his own fault for interrupting in the heat of the moment.
'Their mindset is spot on, at least.'
Amidst it all, two squad members kept stealing glances at him.
Their eyes had a bit of a cheeky glint, but he admired how they quickly refocused on their training.
'Right, first I should figure out what kind of training they're doing. They seem to have some fighting spirit, at least.'
Murong Bi crossed his arms and watched the training intently with a serious expression.
How long had he been observing?
Murong Bi's solemn face gradually twisted into something bizarre.
Shrick! Shrick!
Every time their sharp real swords sliced through the air, an odd noise rang out.
Jin Gwang shouted again.
"Horizontal Sword Form, Twelve Linked Stances!"
The squad members lowered their stances and began swinging their swords left and right.
Their eyes were focused, beads of sweat glistening in the sunlight.
They looked utterly passionate. Some were even lost in their own swordplay, their expressions dazed and dreamy.
Murong Bi's jaw dropped.
'...What the hell are these guys doing?'
Was it okay to perform such rudimentary swordsmanship with faces full of reverence?
The Vertical Sword Form—moving from high to low, low to high—was bad enough, but the Horizontal Sword Form was downright unwatchable.
Of course, it was enough to handle third-rate thugs or random riffraff. One swordsman in particular looked strong and flexible.
But in the end, it was all the same slop. What good was strength and flexibility if you couldn't use it properly?
For starters, their downward strikes weren't even straight.
'They're swinging it like that? What if their wrist snaps!'
And it wasn't just that.
Shk!
Even the sound of thrusting into empty air carried a clumsy awkwardness.
The thrusting motion was sloppily off-kilter, loaded with unnecessary force instead of pinpoint precision.
In short, both slashes and thrusts were messed up.
'What kind of half-assed basics are these... Don't they even realize something's wrong?'
There were all sorts of martial arts in the world, including incredibly complex and profound techniques.
But no matter how intricate or mysterious a technique, it couldn't unleash its full power without solid fundamentals.
A sword was a weapon specialized for thrusting, but it could also slash depending on the situation. Thrusting and slashing were the basics—and the essence—of swordsmanship.
The Flower Sword Squad members lacked exactly those fundamentals.
"Hah!"
Murong Bi muttered despite himself.
"Couldn't even catch a single fly with that."
Jin Gwang's eyes twitched.
It was a whisper the training swordsmen couldn't hear—only Jin Gwang, who was leading them, caught it.
"Stop."
At Jin Gwang's low call, the swordsmen halted their movements.
Not in perfect unison, though. Their levels of immersion varied, making the stoppage chaotic.
Jin Gwang looked at Murong Bi and asked,
"Young master, is there something wrong with the Flower Sword Squad's training?"
It was even more absurd that he had to ask if he didn't know.
"Problem... Hahaha, a problem."
Still, there was no displeasure on Jin Gwang's face. Regardless of his inner thoughts, he seemed ready to accept any real issues pointed out.
Murong Bi let out a deep sigh.
"Could I learn how the Flower Sword Squad's daily training routine works?"
A few swordsmen furrowed their brows.
No matter how much they pretended otherwise, Murong Bi's face was full of disbelief. To the diligently training swordsmen, it was an expression that couldn't help but grate.
Jin Gwang replied in a curt voice.
"We rise at the start of Mao hour for a half shichen mountain run to warm up. After a half shichen of qi circulation, we eat breakfast and move into morning physical training. Post-lunch, we practice sword forms."
"Hmm?"
"After dinner, those not on patrol duty get personal training time, and once a month, we head into mountain survival training."
It seemed the day Murong Bi had woken up was precisely the squad's mountain training day.
Murong Bi nodded.
"Your stamina does look solid."
He meant it.
Unlike their sloppy, unfounded swordsmanship, their cardiopulmonary endurance was decent. No matter the art, without stamina to back it up, you couldn't execute it properly—they at least understood that much.
"But stamina isn't everything."
Jin Gwang's eyes deepened.
Hard to tell what he was thinking. He was the type who rarely showed his emotions.
"Do our sword forms have issues?"
"Yes."
The curt, almost bluntly honest answer made the swordsmen's faces harden openly.
"In what way?"
Hah, every damn part is a problem. It's all wrong!
Murong Bi was about to say as much but sighed again.
"Hard to explain."
Jin Gwang's expression didn't change, but the swordsmen's did.
Some snickered, others clicked their tongues softly. Expressions that said, 'Of course.'
Jin Gwang nodded.
"We'll resume training."
He seemed to think there was nothing more to hear from Murong Bi.
It was only natural. Considering the pathetic sight Murong Bi had shown over the years, treating him with basic courtesy was already fulfilling their duty.
"Prepare Vertical Sword Form again! After the first six stances, transition to the latter six of Horizontal Sword Form—keep that wrist strength firm!"
At that moment, Murong Bi spoke up.
"That won't do."
Jin Gwang glanced at Murong Bi once more.
Even with the troublemaking young master interrupting repeatedly, there was no sign of anger.
He showed no emotions at all. Perhaps he saw no point in wasting feelings on Murong Bi.
"Young master."
Jin Gwang bowed politely and said,
"Lately, with all sorts of matters, we haven't fully completed our assigned training. Forgive us, but we'll focus on our practice."
It was a polite way of saying, 'Cut the nonsense and leave.'
"Can't have that."
Jin Gwang's emotionless tone or the swordsmen's sullen attitudes weren't the issue.
Murong Bi pointed at one swordsman.
"You."
"...?"
"Hand over your sword."
Disbelief flashed across the swordsman's face.
Martial artists never carelessly handed their weapons to others. A weapon was like a second life.
Sure, Murong Bi was the eldest son of House Murong and thus their superior, but did they really have to give their sword to this weakling drunkard