Beginning with the Ubume Bird - Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Chapter 20 Main Frame of Combat Sword 24!
Editor: Larbre Studio

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In the Year of the Tiger, on the twenty-fourth of June, burial is to be avoided, and religious rituals should be performed.

Fuyi Building.

Judy and Red Ghost sat on the sofa in the private room, their gaze fixed on the weapon in Li Yan’s hand below.

Li Yan wielded the Octahedral Han Sword, 1.3 meters long and three fingers wide, with a blade that shimmered and a blood groove that was dark and grim. The sword had an air of severity to it, engraved with the eight large characters “气生万景环成屈龙”.

Zhang Mingyuan held the Lanmian Sou, measuring ninety centimeters long with a bowl as wide as four fingers plus. Iron wrapped both ends, and the middle was a spotted wooden shaft. The mouthpiece was shaped like a bird’s beak, slightly curved.

“Ah Hong, where did you get this sword? Can it be relied upon?”

Judy was somewhat uneasy.

“Chill, Judy, this is a private treasure of Taishuai, a sharp weapon that has seen blood. There won’t be any problem.”

The 1.3-meter Han Sword didn’t sound very long, but in the hands of Li Yan, it was clearly longer than one would imagine from a typical iron sword, creating a pronounced visual pressure.

Yu Shu was sitting among the crowd, her shiny black ponytail draped over her chest, listening to the whispers of the gamblers around her, mumbling to herself:

“The Han Sword is fierce, and it drains a lot of energy. He doesn’t seem like someone seeking death foolishly; could I really have misjudged him?”

Atop the white jade platform, the two men stood facing each other.

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Zhang Mingyuan took a deep breath. The people of Kowloon City might not have heard of the name Hejian Skinny Tiger, but it was as loud as thunder to him.

A Fleeting Glimpse showed a gap with Zhang Mingyuan’s ancient martial arts mastery at an astonishing 81%, which meant that Li Yan was surprised to hear that he had challenged him to a duel on the platform.

Yet, Zhang Mingyuan did not think he was certain to lose.

The young man bowed with his hands together, “Branch Gate Sect, Zhang Mingyuan.”

Li Yan examined the Han Sword in his hand and, upon hearing this, raised his head to reply, “Hejian, Li Yan.”

Zhang Mingyuan gripped the shaft of the Lanmian Sou with one hand, bent his legs slightly, and his footsteps made a hissing noise against the floor as he charged towards Li Yan like a hawk skimming the ground.

Li Yan flicked upwards with his hand, and the sword blade, like a whip of steel, shaved towards Zhang Mingyuan’s wrist. Zhang Mingyuan did not dodge or avoid, instead, he hooked the mouthpiece of his Lanmian Sou around the Han Sword’s blade and redirected the sword to the side. His body surged forward like an arrow released from a bow, aiming the blade on his Lanmian Sou at Li Yan’s sword-holding fingers!

“Got you!”

Zhang Mingyuan bellowed angrily.

Li Yan didn’t have time to retreat. He made a snap decision to loosen his grip on the hilt, leaned back, twisted on his tiptoes, and his right leg swung back, aiming his heel at Zhang Mingyuan’s head.

“Not good!”

Judy was so shocked to see Li Yan forced to drop the Han Sword in one move that her hand trembled, spilling her drink on her clothes without her noticing.

Zhang Mingyuan was overjoyed. He leaned back to avoid Li Yan’s right foot, waiting only for it to pass over him before he would close in without giving Li Yan any chance to catch his breath. But as he dodged Li Yan’s right foot, a sword edge unexpectedly flashed before him, targeting his neck!

What!

Almost instinctively, Zhang Mingyuan performed a backbend, narrowly avoiding a slashed throat but still sustaining a long cut from his neck to his chin.

Li Yan’s supporters saw clearly. As Li Yan let go of the hilt, he caught the falling Han Sword with his left hand while spinning mid-air. Using his right leg as cover, the Han Sword traced a large semi-circle, aiming to chop at Zhang Mingyuan’s neck.

Zhang Mingyuan could avoid Li Yan’s right leg, but not the 1.3 meters of the Octahedral Han Sword!

From Hejian, the Li family was unparalleled with spear and sword. The Main Frame of Combat Sword had twenty-four moves, and now he used the Hidden Moon stance!

“Wudang Sword?”

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Yu Shu took a sip from a small wine jar, speaking with evident interest.

Zhang Mingyuan wiped the blood trickling down his neck but refrained from rashly attacking again, instead he slowly paced around Li Yan.

Li Yan was in no hurry, switching the Octahedral Han Sword to his right hand, his eyes fixated on Zhang Mingyuan’s footwork. Blood dripped slowly down the blade of the Octahedral Han Sword, and within moments, the edge of the sword was as white as snow.

Li Yan’s eyes lit up, “Good sword!”

No sooner had the word “sword” hit the ground than Zhang Mingyuan pivoted and charged at him again! Li Yan sprang forward with a light kick off the ground, flicking his wrist and sending his long sword from below upwards towards Zhang Mingyuan’s crotch.

Zhang Mingyuan, holding the smoking pipe, met Li Yan’s blade with the bowl, and launched into the air! The inch-long kick from his probing foot aimed at Li Yan’s neck was something even Li Yan hadn’t anticipated, and Zhang Mingyuan managed to land a hit!

With his feet locked around Li Yan’s neck in mid-air, Zhang Mingyuan twisted at the waist, his legs erupting with power like a flash flood, Lanmian Sou’s straight-piped mouthpiece aiming directly for Li Yan’s eyes!

Suddenly, Zhang Mingyuan let out a muffled grunt, his legs went soft, and he fell to the ground, immediately rolling to stand up with blood pouring from his right ankle.

Li Yan retracted his sword with a flick of his wrist, the sharp weapon like an extension of his arm. Just moments before, Lanmian Sou was less than a foot away from his eyeball, yet he showed no fear. Looking at the pale-faced young man, Li Yan said, “You are no match for me. Step down and concede, or else don’t blame me for what happens.”

Grinding his teeth, Zhang Mingyuan stood up, “Not by much.”

Li Yan narrowed his eyes and gestured to Zhang Mingyuan with a crook of his hand.

Zhang Ming stood his ground, with dark ripples swirling in his eyes.

“A Fleeting Glimpse, activate!”

“You have chosen to use A Fleeting Glimpse on your target.”

“Target locked: Li Yan. This lock can be removed at any time.”

“Unfortunately, you have not discovered the weakness of your opponent. If the target remains in the state of A Fleeting Glimpse for a prolonged period, it will increase the chances of you discerning their weakness.”

You have obtained the following information:

Name: Li Yan

Status: None

Talent: Ancient Martial Arts 81%/100%

Skills: None (Li Yan has not purchased A Fleeting Glimpse; He Andong used it last time by directly spending Yan Fu points.)

Threat Level: Deep Red

Remark: As a newcomer facing the event of Yan Fu for the first time, this man has not experienced the power of Yan Fu. Trust me, this is your only chance.

Li Yan attacked swiftly; the longer A Fleeting Glimpse lasted, the higher the probability grew of finding the target’s weakness. He hadn’t discovered any weakness when facing He Andong, but Li Yan didn’t want to try it for himself.

The Han Sword clashed with the tobacco pipe; the dark ripples in Zhang Mingyuan’s eyes became more intense, his hand wielding Lanmian Sou flickering like lightning. At the same time, he raised his right knee, the Emperor Lifting Leg embedded in his probing foot kicked towards Li Yan’s calves.

Li Yan’s Han Sword came slashing down, repelling Zhang Mingyuan’s leg, while Zhang Mingyuan, under the state of A Fleeting Glimpse, seized on Li Yan’s moment of new weakness, and with a raised hand, Lanmian Sou’s beak-shaped mouthpiece aimed for Li Yan’s neck!

This was it…

Li Yan sighed inwardly, having used A Fleeting Glimpse himself and understood this skill, which was categorized as of normal quality.

For a person with no fighting experience, after using A Fleeting Glimpse, they would feel as though the opponent’s movements were extremely slow, with even the slightest details visible.

But for individuals skilled in combat like Li Yan and Zhang Mingyuan, A Fleeting Glimpse would quicken their reaction speed, allowing them to respond more smoothly, an extraordinary effect. Not to mention, the Zhang Mingyuan from before, facing Li Yan’s sword, didn’t have such visual acuity and reflexes.