Rebirth of a Star General: Chapter 57
THE KING OF ALL WEAPONS
Translator: Sylph
Editor: Elsa
The high platform in the arena with an open view was a good place for a tournament. It was where the chief instructor spoke on weekdays.
The new recruits gathered around the high platform, watching the two on the stage.
Jiang Jiao had already gotten his spear. He was tall and strong and was born valiant looking- probably because he has been practising martial arts since childhood. Hence, he looked different from the other new recruits. People felt at ease with him.
The person opposite to him was He Yan. Compared to him, He Yan was more like an undeveloped teenager: short, thin but with delicate and beautiful facial features. After such a long period of training and sunbathing, the teenager was tanned. However, he was still very fair in contrast to the other surrounding recruits. He stood there, not looking like a new recruit, but as a young master of a big family instead- gentle, handsome and lovely.
Jiang Jiao raised his long spear, “You first.”
Still quite considerate, He Yan smiled at him and said, “Then I won’t be courteous.”
She crossed the long spear in front of her body. Her eyes moved slightly as her body had already rushed forward.
Jiang Jiao’s face changed as he met her.
The two figures mingled together in an instant. The sound of ‘bang bang bang bang’ echoed. In a mere time span, they seemed to have fought a dozen moves before the two of them backed down a few steps in unison whilst staring at each other.
He Yan looked at Jiang Jiao with the same smile as before, while Jiang Jiao was unable to hide the shock in his eyes.
As soon as they fought, he knew that it was impossible for her to be a beginner in spear training. The moves she used against him were so dangerous that he could neither attack nor retreat.
It’s an even match!
He thought that he had already overestimated He Yan, but in the end, he had still underestimated her.
The recruits at the bottom didn’t understand. They simply felt that it wasn’t fun to watch He Yan and Jiang Jiao stop after making a few moves. They were dissatisfied and discussed amongst themselves, “What just happened? Who’s got the upper hand?”
“I just had a mouthful of water. What did I miss? Did you see anything?”
“No, I didn’t see anything.”
Under the arena, the instructors were staring at each other, speechless for a long while.
Du Mao looked at Liang Ping who waved his hand in a row, “I don’t know! Don’t ask me! He’s never shown that level of skill during his regular practice! I don’t know anything!”
The new recruits didn’t understand, but the instructors could clearly see that He Yan and Jiang Jiao were equal in terms of their skill. Jiang Jiao’s spear technique was complex and versatile, as flexible as a snake. Conversely, He Yan’s spear technique seemed simple and basic, but it had strength and could easily deflect Jiang Jiao’s spear.
“Liang Ping, you’ve really gained a good soldier.” An instructor sourly said.
Liang Ping’s heart was proud yet terrified. This He Yan was too secretive. If it wasn’t for Jiang Jiao’s initiative in competing with He Yan, he would’ve thought that He Yan was quite talented with the crossbow but only had average spearmanship.
On the stage, Jiang Jiao stared at He Yan and said, “Again!”
He Yan nodded.
This time, it was Jiang Jiao who struck first with his spear, and He Yan greeted him. The two spears were glued together, red tassels fluttering in the wind. Jiang Jiao’s spear was like a snake, each strike was dangerous and fast. It went straight to He Yan’s face, but she was able to turn her head slightly. And the spear blade swept away after brushing her cheek.
Jiang Jiao was beginning to get pensive. As menacing as a rainstorm, Jiang Jiao tried to find He Yan’s opening with each consecutive shot. Miraculously, He Yan was dexterous, and every time, she narrowly avoided it. The spear in his hand seemed to become an impregnable shield, blocking Jiang Jiao’s spear, rendering him unable to get any closer.
“Faster, faster! He was so close to beating him!”The audience of recruits were anxious.
“Why is He Yan only defending and not offending? Does he not know how to attack?”
As time passed, Jiang Jiao’s spear techniques were no longer supportive of such an intense attack. He stared at He Yan, wondering how that seemingly weak teenager could have such strength and endurance in his body. He wasn’t tired at all. The only thing he could see in him was focus….and such focus was frightening.
In a trance, the spear in Jiang Jiao’s hand was drawn into the air. His heart shook. And he only saw the teenager opposite to him reveal a smile. Jiang Jiao didn’t have time to react. The long spear in He Yan’s hand, defensive till now, suddenly stabbed him in the front. He hurriedly moved his spear to block and was stabbed off to the side.
He Yan started to attack.
“The spear is the king of all weapons. All weapons who meet the spear stand defeated.”
The young man’s voice was clear; not too loud yet not too quiet. The mountains were empty, and his voice vibrated enough to spread across the arena.
With a short stance, she avoided Jiang Jiao’s spear and stabbed Jiang Jiao’s face from bottom to top at a tricky angle.
“Descending spear style is used against the staff. Left and right floral styles are for finding openings.”
He Yan moved and turned the head of the spear and rushed forward again.
“Pair fighting style breaks swords, forks, shovels, double knives and short knives.”
Her arm seemed to have infinite strength. Blocking as she ran forward, stabbed Jiang Jiao left and right, leaving him unable to respond in time with a wretched look.
“The hook pounce method breaks the whip and the mace.”
She went forward again, the spear blade drove like a gust of wind in the rain, even more accurate and precise than Jiang Jiao’s attack on her just now. She directly seized Jiang Jiao’s every weakness by avoiding the fatal spots at seven inches at most.
“Hollow string style can break a dagger or a halberd.”
Jiang Jiao was forced to the edge of the arena. He was in a trance and only felt that the young man in front of him was like a soldier riding a horse on the battlefield. His fury was uncontrollable, as sharp and unstoppable as a bamboo. He was forced to retreat steadily and was defeated.
Jiang Jiao panicked. Suddenly, his foot slipped and he fell. His ears were filled with the screams of the new recruits off-stage. Jiang Jiao accepted that he had no way of retreating.
All at once, a hand pulled him up.
The spear pointed at his forehead, and there was no further advancement, the teenager looked thin and weak, but possessed great strength. He pulled him back onto the arena, withdrawing the long spear back to his side.
The wind blew away the heat of the party, leaving them with a feeling of coolness. The flag moved slightly with the wind as birds and insects chirped in the forest.
The young man stood upright, his voice still crisp without the trace of weariness or tiredness after the fight. Taking her time, she said, “People do not see the real power of spears, so they lose their faith in other weapons. If one finds a real spear, he would find all the other weapons as child’s play.”
Jiang Jiao was startled and looked at him for a long while. He gently said, “Have you read the Record of Arms?”
The Record of Arms has records of various spear and sword techniques. Jiang Jiao had read it because his family owned a martial arts school. His grandfather, his father, his brother and he had to read it. He had to read it as it was mandatory but felt that the book exaggerated too much and that no one would follow it. But here he is, facing this young man. He knew that he had failed his studies.
The young man tilted his head to look at him with a grin on his face, and said, “I have read a little bit, so I have some understanding of it.”
