Chapter Seventy-Nine: Learning the Art of the Blade

No matter if Tang Tian was a master archer or came from a criminal family, as long as she sided with him, Feng Xiaobao had all the confidence he needed.

Li Jinglong was deeply intrigued by Tang Tian and questioned her relentlessly, probing about her parents. It turned out Tang Tian’s father was none other than Tang Chang’an, the foremost warrior of their clan! With a name so audacious, Tang Chang’an was not just the greatest hero in the clan, but in all of Liangzhou—invincible in every fight, and even in the Tang Dynasty, he would have been a legend.

Her mother, on the other hand, was a concubine—the daughter of a teacher whom the Tang family had specially invited. Owing to her beauty, she was forcibly taken by Tang Chang’an and bore Tang Tian.

Tang Tian was blessed by fortune—she inherited her mother’s beauty and her father’s martial prowess (and not the other way around). Her maternal grandfather was a scholar, explaining her refined accent. She even had relatives in Chang’an City.

After her background was revealed, Tang Tian stole a glance at Feng Xiaobao, worried he might be scared off and abandon her.

To pursue her or not? Feng Xiaobao hesitated for only three seconds before deciding to continue. Tang Tian’s background was a blessing—the more powerful, the better. Otherwise, a certain princess might eliminate her.

The Princess of Gold was by no means as gentle as she appeared. She was, after all, a princess of the Great Tang, with deadly resources at her disposal. If Tang Tian were a delicate beauty of no consequence, at best she’d be sent away, at worst she’d vanish without a trace! But as the daughter of a powerful Liangzhou family, even the formidable princess might not be able to escape an arrow from afar.

With sufficient deterrence, Feng Xiaobao now divided his week between them, and to his surprise, all was peaceful—as if both the princess and Tang Tian tacitly accepted each other’s presence.

Who would have thought that by apprenticing under a master, he’d also learn so much about Tang Tian’s true background? (She had only ever mentioned her family traded horses.)

…

Formally becoming a disciple of the Golden Sabre King, Feng Xiaobao trained five times a week, learning swordsmanship from Li Jinglong.

He was taught the “Blood Battle Across the Realm” style of the Tang Sabre—a single-handed technique, simple in form but devastating in power, ideally suited for duels and military skirmishes.

It was subdivided into single-handed and double-handed techniques, as well as solo and group combat applications.

The massive “Breaking Formation Sabre” was designed for battlefield formations—the very essence of the Golden Sabre King’s teachings, a closely guarded secret passed only to direct disciples.

The style was complex, drawing on the best elements of various schools. The heavy sabre required not just mastery of technique, but of channeling force to break through enemy defenses, rotating the blade in endless cycles, unrelentingly pressuring the foe.

There were no written manuals—everything was passed down orally. Li Jinglong made it clear that these skills must not be lightly shared, and that a disciple’s character was paramount, lest innocent lives be harmed by misuse.

Then there was the Mo Dao technique.

The Mo Dao was a type of long-handled, two-handed blade, a larger version of the Han Dynasty’s horse-chopping sword, designed to counter cavalry. Its cutting power was immense, and in a charge, it was like a modern-day tank!

Li Jinglong once demonstrated the Mo Dao’s use, and he and Feng Xiaobao exchanged knowing, secretive smiles.

The Kunlun slave, A-Yi, looked on in confusion. Both Li Jinglong and Feng Xiaobao pointed at him, saying, “It’s you!”

A-Yi was speechless.

Besides him, one of Feng Xiaobao’s Twelve Arhats—a tall man named Wei Wentong—also wielded the Mo Dao.

Li Jinglong agreed to teach them because they were personal retainers of Feng Xiaobao, subject to his authority.

Both A-Yi and Wei Wentong were perceptive enough to realize this was a pivotal moment that could change their destinies.

Everyone trained with their blades, swinging and shouting, the air filled with the fierce wind of sabres.

…

Feng Xiaobao was busier than ever.

He had to study blade techniques, harden his body, practice horsemanship and archery, and hone his skills with both blade and bow.

Li Jinglong explained, “With single sabres, it’s all in the hands; with double sabres, it’s all in the footwork!”

Single-blade and double-blade styles demanded different killing methods—single blades relied on hand technique, dazzlingly intricate, while double blades required precise footwork, constant shifting of position, making full use of both weapons’ power.

Feng Xiaobao gripped a single blade in both hands, raised it high, then brought it down with force—a sweeping, all-encompassing motion, the blade’s arc swirling about him in a blur.

Next came double-blade training, where footwork was paramount—one could not misstep, and both blades had to be managed simultaneously, for offense or defense. Whether attacking or guarding with both blades, there was no room for error.

Lord Jinglong demanded perfection—Feng Xiaobao had to execute each move flawlessly, or he’d be struck with the flat of the blade, a stinging punishment.

But opportunities to strike were few, for Feng Xiaobao grasped the concepts with astonishing speed. Whenever a key point was explained, he’d master it in moments. His comprehension was extraordinary.

His grip, footwork, and force all met the highest standards—there was not the slightest error!

“This brat is a monster!” Li Jinglong cried out, using the very expletive Feng Xiaobao had once taught him.

In a single morning, master taught and student learned, progress was smooth and unimpeded, and by the end of the double-blade style, Li Jinglong was stunned: “You’ve finished already?”

When Li Jinglong and his other disciples first learned this set, even the fastest had needed a full week!

Calling Feng Xiaobao “not human” was to say he was superhuman. Feng Xiaobao mused that, with the reasoning of an adult and the memory of a youth, he could master anything with ease.

Thus, his top priority was learning. He devoted countless hours to the study of both the civil and martial arts, with particular emphasis on weapons mastery. Though naturally gifted, he trained from dawn till dusk, his perseverance astonishing those around him with his lightning-fast progress.

To a large extent, the princess, Tang Tian, Xuanqing, his masters, and friends all admired and believed in him precisely for this.

Who wouldn’t want to befriend someone so talented, so hungry for self-improvement, with limitless potential?

Even if he was knocked down, he would always rise again.

Thus, those with money lent to him, those with influence granted him favor; both the princess and Tang Tian—proud daughters of heaven—were aware of each other, but tacitly accepted the current arrangement. Even if they left him, they might never find anyone better, while he could easily win the heart of any beauty.

In fact, some noblewomen in the princess’s circle, hearing of Feng Xiaobao’s reputation, quietly asked her if she still wanted him; if not, they’d gladly take him off her hands!

She didn’t want to give him up, and after much inner conflict, decided to maintain the status quo.

Feng Xiaobao absorbed Li Jinglong’s blade techniques like a sponge, his movements precise and refined; soon, Li Jinglong no longer needed to teach, only to correct the occasional mistake.

But soon even those corrections were unnecessary—Feng Xiaobao’s skill with the blade rivaled, if not surpassed, his master’s!

During morning drills, he would demonstrate before the crowd, his swordplay as fluid and effortless as drifting clouds and flowing water—a display so dazzling it demoralized all other disciples: “He’s not human, he’s a genius!”

Tian Yaohan, the senior disciple of the second generation, was utterly convinced, silently grateful he had heeded Uncle Ke Wenlong’s advice to befriend Feng Xiaobao (who was one of the ten first-generation disciples), despite being older than him.

Han Jie, a second-generation disciple who had once dueled Feng Xiaobao, felt no shame in defeat and instead boasted, “I once fought Uncle Feng himself and received his guidance…”

Li Jinglong, beaming with pride, declared, “I have truly found a worthy disciple!”