Qihe originates from Dantian.
The sound of bamboo swords striking each other.
The two's extraordinary attack speed and incredible frequency of swinging swords make the viewer's sense of time distorted.
I thought they had been fighting for more than ten minutes.
But in fact, less than 3 minutes have passed.
As a warrior who has experienced hundreds of battles, Momoi Haruzang naturally knew that if the fight continued like this, he would definitely lose if his physical strength was not superior.
So, he found another way and began to use various tricky and difficult swordsmanship techniques.
The sword's edge, which seemed to be striking head-on, suddenly stabbed out like a snake emerging from its hole.
The figure that seemed to be retreating suddenly jumped up like a cracking string.
After changing the tactics, it was immediately effective.
For a time, Qingdeng was forced into danger by the unpredictable and wonderful moves.
However... Momoi Haruzang's advantage only lasted for a moment.
In a moment, with the blessing of his heaven-defying swordsmanship talent, his "ghost heart" understanding, and his extremely rich combat experience, Aomori quickly adapted to Momoi Haruzou's routine and took the initiative again.
Judging from the situation, Momoi Haruzo has fallen behind.
However, even so, he remained calm and composed.
Not only is his demeanor still graceful, but even the clothes on his body and the expression on his face are intact.
At this point, Qingdeng couldn't help but feel sincere admiration for the opponent in front of him.
He finally understood why everyone who had contact with Momoi Haruzang praised his taste and style.
The ability to still show off even when you are at a disadvantage... is indeed admirable.
At this time, a strange competitive spirit suddenly arose in Qingdeng's chest.
In an instant, he used his bamboo sword to open the tip of Momoi Haruzo's sword, then lowered his waist and gathered strength.
Then, he struck hard with his sword from the upper right to the lower left.
This cassock chop was done in one go.
Momoi Haruzo, who didn't dare to challenge him head-on, jumped back.
Qingdeng also stepped back to keep the distance between them.
While retreating, he turned his right wrist to hold the sword in a flower, changing from an overhand grip to an underhand grip. Then he imitated the action of sheathing a sword and put the bamboo sword into a "sheath" - pinned to his left waist and held in a ring.
In the left palm of the hand.
Steady your legs and feet, lower your lower body, and place your right hand lightly on the hilt of the sword in a naturally relaxed position - the standard Iai stance.
Seeing this, Momoi Haruzang raised his eyebrows involuntarily, with a look of surprise on his face.
"Your Majesty Nioh, the sword-drawing technique is a martial art that uses the curvature of the scabbard to produce a moment of explosive power. You don't have a scabbard and only hold the sword with your left palm. Can you really exert its due power?"
Qingdeng smiled meaningfully.
"If you think I'm bluffing, you can attack me! You're welcome!"
Momoi Haruzang smiled.
With the next breath, he took a long breath, exhaled all the turbid air in his lungs, then raised his bamboo sword and adopted the Blue Eyes pose.
At this moment, the air between the two was filled with a strong and sad smell.
"..."
"..."
Time seems to have frozen at this moment.
"Pa" - a sound. In this moment, time and air flow rapidly!
Two deafening loud explosions, one after another, dominated the eardrums of everyone present.
The first loud noise was the sound of Momoi Haruzo's footsteps.
He jumped towards Qingdeng with force that seemed to break the floor.
Accompanied by the momentum of the sprint, Qingyan's bamboo sword slashed down diagonally.
The second loud noise... was the sound of Aoden breaking Momoi Haruzo's bamboo sword.
At the same moment when Momoi Haruzo's bamboo sword fell, Aomori drew his sword with his backhand.
He drew his sword at a very tricky angle, and the blade slashed across the side of Momoi Haruzou's sword from bottom to top, and countless dust and bamboo shavings burst out.
While removing most of Momoi Haruzou's strength, it also destroyed its center of gravity.
Under the tug of the sword blade, Aomori dodged to the side of Momoi Haruzo.
However, Momoi Haruzo's body leaned half a step forward due to inertia.
The side of Momoi Haruzo's body and the side of the bamboo sword were completely exposed to Aomori's sword!
Knowing that something was wrong, Momoi Haruzo quickly adjusted his posture.
However... it's too late.
At the same time that the two figures overlapped, Qingdeng's drawn sword happened to be raised to the highest point in the air.
Soon enough, he stretched out his left hand, grasped the bottom of the hilt of the sword with his left palm, turned his wrists, and the sword turned half a circle, and the tip of the sword that was originally pointing downwards became upwards - a reverse grip.
The bamboo sword becomes an upright grip!
Buzz!
The sword edge slashed down with the force of a hanging river! It hit the side of Momoi Haruzo's bamboo sword without any hesitation.
Bamboo swords are different from knives.
The blade and back of the knife can withstand a lot of force vertically, but are much more vulnerable to the forces that hit the knife surface from the side.
On the other hand, the bamboo sword has no distinction between the blade and the back.
It is a cylinder.
It can be said that the whole sword is the blade, and it is also the sword surface or the sword back.
However, if a very bad posture and position are used to withstand huge pressure, the bamboo sword will also be at risk of breaking.
As for Momoi Haruzo's bamboo sword... it happens to be in a very bad position right now.
Judging from the sound of the wind breaking, Qingdeng's attack really used strength.
Bang!
The two bamboo swords collided heavily.
The next moment, there was only a "snap" sound, and Momoi Haruzo's bamboo sword broke into two pieces.
The severed blade flew high into the air, then drew a weak parabola and landed on the ground not far away.
Qingdeng's attack was exactly Rakshasa's move.
At the beginning, Rakshasa used this move to cut off Aonto's Echizen Tsutama and Kanashige.
With his "ghost heart" and his talent for swordsmanship a hundred times that of ordinary people, Qingden secretly learned this move from Rakshasa.
Although he was still a little unskilled, fortunately, he did not lose his skill in this battle, and he successfully broke Momoi Haruzo's bamboo sword.
Momoi Haruzo blinked and looked at the half-cut blade left in his hand in surprise.
The reality of defeat did not cast any gloom on his expression.
"……pretty!"
Momoi Haruzang straightened up, showed a bright smile, and announced loudly with a magnanimous expression:
"I lost!"
As his voice fell, a cold mechanical sound without any emotion came into Qingdeng's mind as expected:
[Ding! Talent scanned]
[Successfully copied talent: "Heirloom hair and childlike appearance +5"]
[Introduction to talent: not easy to look old]
——Auxiliary talent...
Qingdeng divided talents into two categories.
One is the "combat-type talents" that are helpful in combat, such as "Nine Bulls and Two Tigers" and "Speed +5".
The second is the "auxiliary talents" that are beneficial to life. Typical representatives are "Yingwei Cry", "Drunkard +2", and the newly acquired "Hero-haired Childhood +5".
Of course, this classification is relatively rough.
After all, there are many talents that can be regarded as both "combat talents" and "auxiliary talents". For example, "Concentration of God" and "Left and Right Fighting".
Although Qingdeng felt a little regretful that he could not copy the talent that he wanted most at the moment, which is to enhance physical functions, but this talent that indirectly enhances appearance is not bad at all.
Who would think that his appearance is not good enough? Especially for a Qingnobo who aspires to be the beauties of Sanako, Kinoshita Mai, and Souji's level.
From the beginning of the battle between the two to the defeat of Momoi Haruzang, only a little over 5 minutes had passed...
In just 5 minutes, the world-famous "Momoi of the Sea" was defeated...
Faced with this fact before their eyes, the apprentices at the Academy had different expressions.
Some are surprised, some are emotional, or some are hesitant.
But what's more, is the increasingly surging fighting spirit.
I saw quite a few people, as if they had fleas, sometimes shrugging, sometimes moving their feet, as if they were ready to jump up at any moment.
When Qingdeng saw this, he couldn't help but feel funny:
——Obviously it is a swordsmanship school known for its elegance, but they are all like apprentices of the current class, each one more warlike than the other...
After feeling angry, Qing Deng leaned his sword on the ground and looked around at the people around him.
"Don't you want to fight me? Now, go ahead!"
——I want to have a good time.
Qingdeng silently added the second half in his mind.
As soon as these words came out, the whole place suddenly boiled.
"Your Excellency Niou, please enlighten me!"
"I am the second seat of the Shigakukan, Haruyo Yoshikawa!"
"His Majesty Niou! Please give me your advice!"
The apprentices stood up aggressively, like bamboo shoots springing up after the rain.
Such a scene brought a faint smile to Qingdeng's lips.
He flipped his right wrist and switched the bamboo sword that was originally leaning on the ground back to the front grip.
"bring it on!"
Give a majestic attack to your opponent who is full of momentum.
…
…
Edo, one of the "Three Great Fields" training hall——
"His Majesty Niou, long time no see."
An old, kind smile unfolded in Qingdeng's field of vision.
A wry smile appeared on Qingdeng's cheeks.
"Mr. Saito, if others call me 'Nioh-dono', that's fine. You, the old man, also call me 'Nioh-dono'... Doesn't that mean you are trying to offend me?"
Saito Yakuro's words "Long time no see"...are really right.
The last time the two met could be traced back to the red and white battle between the Trial Guard Hall and Xuanwu Temple 2 years ago... That is, Qingdeng and Souji cooperated with each other and used their respective ultimate moves-"Liu Guang" and "Liu Guang".
"Ping Qingyan Sandan Su", the difficult victory over Chiba Michizaburo.
Taking advantage of the "Swordsmanship Competition" held by the lord of the Aizu Domain, Saito Yakuro first met Aoto.
Developing "power" at the age of only 18... Aoto's feat aroused the strong interest of Yakuro Saito.
Therefore, when he heard that the Imperial Guard Hall and Xuanwu Temple were about to start a red-white battle, and that Qingden would also participate, he rushed to watch the battle with great interest.
At that time, he also brought with him the head of the dojo school under his command, a vassal scholar of the Choshu domain named "Katsura Kogoro".
Time has passed and Katsura Kogoro has left Edo and returned to his hometown, and there has been no news from him.
On the other hand, Saito Yakuro remains the same, especially his eyes, which are still full of energy and have no signs of aging.
Qingneng finally discovered that people like Boss Kiryu, Mr. Makimura, and Saito Yakuro, who are old-hearted and strangely energetic, all have one thing in common - their eyes are bright, as if they have something.
The everlasting candle flame resides deep in their eyes.
The vast majority of the elderly...especially in an era where diet is not perfect, medical care is underdeveloped, and hygiene concepts are lacking, and people can call themselves "old men" at the age of 40. When people get older, there will always be an extra glimmer in their eyes.
A nice way of saying it is "happy and knowing one's fate", but a bad way of saying it means "losing momentum".
To be honest, Aoto respects and at the same time envies Saito Yakuro's attitude towards life.
He hopes that when he gets old, he can be as capable as Saito Yakuro.
In terms of age, Yakuro Saito, who is 65 years old this year, is one of the oldest great swordsmen still alive in Edo.
Among the three top names of the "Three Great Halls" - "Chiba of Technique" Chiba Eijiro, "Saito of Power" Yakuro Saito, and "Momoi of Position" Haruzo Momoi - this is the only one among them.
The old man is the most legendary.
In the tenth year of Kansei (1798), Yakuro Saito was born into a poor country scholar's family in Yuezhong.
When he was 13 years old, he worked in an oil workshop.
When I was 15 years old, I don't know which nerve in my brain was twitching. I suddenly wanted to be a great scholar, so I ran away from home resolutely. I helped people carry luggage to earn food. After a long journey, I finally reached Edo.
He went to serve as a servant at the home of the minister Noshi Yuzhicheng, working during the day and studying at night.
Nose Yunosei was impressed by Saito Yakuro's diligence and helped him learn swordsmanship.
In this way, Saito Yakuro's life has undergone earth-shaking changes.
I only learned swordplay when I was nearly 20 years old, and I had never been exposed to martial arts before... Anyone with a little common sense knows that it is too late to start practicing martial arts at this age.
However... it only took him a few years to become the famous dojo of Shinto Mu-Nen-ryu: the master of the fencing hall.
In the ninth year of civil affairs (1826), he opened his own dojo, the military training hall.
There are many swordsmen whose swordsmanship is enough to rule the roost, but whose talents in other aspects are mediocre and indifferent.
Yakuro is completely different. He is hard-working and hard-working, and he is also very smart in business management.
Starting from scratch, he relied on his outstanding business skills to make the training hall bigger and stronger at a rapid pace, making it one of the three strongest dojos in Edo.
After the "Black Ship Incident" broke out, he deeply realized: "In today's world, what is needed is no longer swords, but cannons!"
Therefore, he resolutely handed over the training hall to his eldest son, Saito Shintaro.
He bought another 3,000 tsubo (9,918 square meters) of land in Yoyogi, practiced building forts with his disciples, and enthusiastically opened up new businesses. At this time, he was almost 60 years old.
The older people are, the more likely they are to have inertia of thinking and the harder it is to accept new things.
At that time, the vast majority of people - including today's liberals - felt that Westerners were uncivilized barbarians and that battleships and cannons were incompetent. As long as the spirit of the warrior was implemented, there was no enemy that could not be defeated.
Living in such an environment, as an old man whose neck is almost covered with dirt, Saito Yakuro can keenly see that the sword style has become obsolete, and he does not hesitate to abandon the martial arts and career for which he has devoted most of his life.
, changing to a new track that I have never set foot on before... I am deeply impressed by my open-mindedness and broad-mindedness.
What is even more admirable is that after learning unfamiliar science, engineering and modern military science at such an advanced age, he was able to develop this new career successfully!
In Yoyogi, you can hear Saito Yakuro leading his disciples every day to learn, drill and use cannon with great results.
It is reported that the shogunate will next prepare to build a fort for the defense of Edo Bay at Shinagawa Odaiba, and will appoint Saito Yakuro to be responsible for the task of surveying and supervision.
From swordsmanship to artillery, from the sword hall to the gun range... He is more like an industrialist with broad vision and energy than a samurai.
When preparing to establish an artillery force in the future, the training hall will be a good "talent market"... Qingdeng thought to himself.
The Shinsengumi's current starting capital is only a mere 3,000 taels of gold.
Japan currently does not have the industrial capabilities to produce advanced firearms, nor does it have the educational capabilities to train modern military personnel.
If you want to buy guns and train soldiers, you can only turn to Westerners.
In this case, being exploited and ripped off is a sure thing.
Unless there are at least two zeros after 3,000 taels of gold, establishing a modern military force is simply a fantasy.
Although it is a pity, the establishment of a modern army can only be slowly prepared when we have money in the future.
Under the leadership of Saito Yakuro, many apprentices in the training hall are valuable talents who are versatile... It would be a pity not to make more use of such a "talent market".
Although the friendship between Aoto and Saito Yakuro is not very deep, fortunately, the two of them have a good impression of each other, which can be regarded as laying a good foundation for future cooperation.
In terms of status, Yakuro Saito is already a retired person who "has no ears to hear what is going on outside the window and only wants to run away."
However, after hearing that Qingteng would visit the training hall today, he appeared at the dojo for the first time in a long time.
His son, Shintaro Saito, who is also the current owner of the training hall, respectfully accompanies him.
"His Majesty Niou."
Saito Yakuro asked with a kind face:
"I am a retired foolish old man, and I shouldn't get involved in the complex affairs of the dojo, but... I still give you a chance - do you want to challenge me first, or the dog first?"
Qingdeng replied without thinking:
"If possible... I would like to challenge the famous 'Saito of Power' first!"
Saito Yakuro nodded calmly.
"Okay, then let's... get started!"
After saying that, Yakuro Saito picked up the bamboo sword by his leg and stood up slowly.
"Grateful."
Qingdeng jumped back and opened the door.
There were no formalities such as announcing names, performing squatting ceremonies, etc., and the battle began suddenly.
The moment he grasped the bamboo sword tightly and assumed a fighting stance, Saito Yakuro's face showed a strong and sad look.
The charitable face disappeared.
The kind expression disappeared.
Only a pair of sharp eyes that have been tempered for thousands of years are left!
He shouted and ran over in one breath, his feet scraping against the floor as if gliding.
The bamboo sword in the middle rose diagonally upward, then fell heavily, drawing a thrilling arc in the air, heading straight for Qingden's face!
Qingden stepped firmly on his back foot, exerted force on his waist, used his feet to carry his waist, and used his belt to carry his arms, he faced Saito Yakuro's bamboo sword and struck back fiercely.
Snapped!!
Click, click.
The two bamboo swords burst out with conspicuous cracks at the same time!
*******
*******
I felt a little uncomfortable last night, so I went to bed early. After sleeping for most of the day, although I felt better, I still felt heavy.
Although the situation is not good, I still work hard to update and publish it again before daytime... Isn’t it too much to ask for monthly votes? (Tears Leopard Head)
Please give me a monthly ticket! Please give me a recommendation vote! (Leopard Head Cries)
This chapter has been completed!