Chapter 7: Three Moves
A “complete wolf pelt” could be used to make a decent coat. When Happy brought back all his gains from the day to Gusu City, he received forty taels of silver from the tailor shop. For a newcomer, forty taels of silver could buy a decent set of clothes, or even two basic martial arts books or a long sword or short blade to make himself look more like a martial artist! But Happy had no such plans. With the silver in hand, he left the city at full speed and headed toward the Purple Bamboo Forest in the eastern suburbs.
Dozens of adult wild wolves took up Happy’s entire day, but they also contributed significantly. Besides the forty taels of silver, they helped him raise the level of his “Shaolin Long Fist” from the first level to the sixth—equivalent to 53.8 levels today. However, as its lethality increased, it became difficult to keep the wolf pelts intact. By the end, Happy didn’t even feel like picking them up and let them dry and disintegrate on their own.
The progression of martial arts skills followed the same pattern: the stronger the opponent, the faster the improvement when mind and body were united. By the time he reached the sixth level, it became hard for adult wild wolves to further enhance his Shaolin Long Fist skills. Only then did Happy leave the western suburbs to fulfill his promise left behind.
“Heh, you really came.”
There were fewer onlookers outside the Purple Bamboo Forest this time than last, but among them were still some determined newcomers who wanted to join the forest’s master. Upon seeing the child dressed as a Murong family servant, they all showed surprise. With their limited insight, they naturally couldn’t tell the difference between today’s Happy and the one from before.
“Go ahead.”
Inside the pavilion, at the forest master’s signal, the Sword Slave stepped forward with his sword, blocking Happy’s path, his eyes filled with disdain and mockery. “Last time, it was my mistake to use the second move. This time, I won’t give you another chance.”
Knowing the child before him was sent by the Murong family to test him, the Sword Slave clearly wasn’t as friendly as before.
Happy didn’t bother to talk much. He clasped his hands together and said, “Please teach me!”
Since the other party wanted to get rid of him quickly, why not prove his efforts over the past two days? Although the gap in strength between them was huge, he believed he still had a chance to survive with three moves.
The woman in the pavilion had stopped playing the zither. With curious eyes, she glanced toward the forest outside.
The players around also found it extremely exciting and stopped to watch—after being in “Jianghu” for so long, they had never seen an official duel between an NPC and a player.
“Experience my Crazy Rod Technique!”
Although the Sword Slave shouted such words, the long sword in his arms remained still. Instead, he boldly launched a single-handed attack, aiming straight at the boy’s chest…
Though he knew the opponent came from the Murong family and must have received guidance from a master, he didn’t believe that a child just starting to learn martial arts could achieve much in just a few days.
The first move was indeed fierce in appearance, but it still held back, not using his full strength.
Being underestimated didn’t make him happy or angry!
When the opponent exerted force, he shifted his body sideways, narrowly avoiding it and thus dodging the first attack.
Such a subtle, swift motion, carried with a sense of calmness, made the overconfident Sword Slave look comically failed after his attack missed.
“Two moves left.”
“Dare you!”
Angered by being mocked by a child, the Sword Slave flew into a rage.
Whoosh!
The sword in his arms shot into the air. He released it, formed claws with his hands, and moved swiftly, closing in on Happy in an instant—leaving no chance for Happy to avoid.
He didn’t avoid!
Allowing the opponent to grab his shoulder, Happy seized the moment of the opponent’s distraction, suddenly using the “Python Dragon Flip” technique. Twisting his shoulder, he quickly removed the pressure from his shoulder and struck the Sword Slave’s chest, using the force to fly several meters away.
Both the man and the sword landed at the same time!
“Just one more move left.”
“Good!”
Before Happy could finish speaking, the Sword Slave suddenly laughed instead of getting angry and shouted, “What a brilliant Python Dragon Flip! What a clever boy! Good! I admit defeat wholeheartedly!”
At that moment, he fully understood Happy’s strategy.
With the first move, he took advantage of his own underestimation, moving lightly to avoid the attack, thus seemingly accepting the strike while hiding the fact that he was practicing the “Shaolin Long Fist.” Then, at the critical moment, he used the “Python Dragon Flip” to break free and prepare for the second move! No matter the outcome of the third move, Happy would have counted three successful defenses, meaning the Murong family would win this bet.
Although losing to a child was frustrating, being played by a clever and perceptive kid was also a valuable lesson in life! The Sword Slave wasn’t petty nor did he break promises. He went back into the woods, fetched a piece of deep purple bamboo, handed it to Happy, and also gave him a secret manual:
“Kid, it seems you’ve only been learning martial arts for a short time. If you can’t stay in the Murong family, come to my master here. I’m giving you this technique. Though the full version of this technique comes from a prestigious school, it’s still an ordinary, lower-tier technique. Given your aptitude, it might be a disservice… Here, practice it whenever you have time…”
Glancing quickly at the few words in the manual, Happy’s heart trembled slightly. He then took a deep breath and thanked him.
“Thank you for your generous gift! I haven’t yet asked for the names of your master and elder brother.”
An ordinary sword slave generously gave away the “Seven Stars Sword Art” — a top-tier martial art of the Quanzhen Sect. It included advanced mental techniques as well as forty-nine exquisite sword moves. Though not considered a peerless martial art, it was enough to elevate a player to the ranks of a top expert.
This gift was no small thing!
“There’s no need to ask for names. Take this token. If you wish to leave the Murong family, go to the Tianchi Sword Sect; they will treat you well.”
With that, the sword slave turned and left.
Although Happy still had doubts, he knew staying any longer wouldn’t yield answers. With a mix of trepidation and excitement, he left with the secret manual and the purple bamboo, returning to the Murong family.
“A sword slave… Tianchi Sword Sect?”
Miss Murong had been waiting there early. After seeing the token Happy handed over, she pondered for a moment before tossing it back to him. “It’s a rather famous sect, and they’re quite generous. Seven Stars Sword Art, huh? Do they think our Murong family lacks advanced martial arts? How dare they poach our family’s members right in Gusu City?”
“Happy!”
“Yes!”
Happy never interrupted Miss Murong, though he was overjoyed inside, hoping she would, in her anger, teach him the “Dou Zuan Xing Yi” technique right away.
“From now on, you are a member of our Murong family. Hmph, you don’t need to learn their Quanzhen techniques either. Since they gave you the Seven Stars Sword Art, I’ll give you this instead. I’ll also teach you our family’s ‘Wandering Dragon Step.’ Once you’ve gained a certain level of knowledge in various martial arts, report to the family head, and he’ll teach you the ‘Dou Zuan Xing Yi’ technique.”
“Thank you, Miss, for your guidance!”