But that was him later. The Ding Xiu of now is not the arrogant and domineering "Money-Giving Hermit" he later became; he is just a disciple of Ding Baiying.
However, Lu Xuan had already taken notice of him back in the capital. After all, the Embroidered Spring Blade was the pinnacle of martial arts. Although it was still somewhat immature, its swordsmanship was already showing signs of developing its own unique style. In terms of skill, it was definitely a promising talent.
"My lord." Run-ge came out, somewhat flattered.
"I remember you're quite skilled with a sword. Go give it a try."
"Yes, sir." Ding Xiu showed no fear on his face, but rather a noticeable excitement. He was the kind of person who naturally grew stronger when facing stronger opponents, even though his own master had been defeated. But this didn't bring him fear, only excitement.
Ding Xiu and Ding Baiying are not of the same style. Although Lu Xuan did not have in-depth knowledge of Ding Baiying's sect, he knew that Ding Baiying held a very high position within the sect, and that she and Lu Wenzhao were considered elders. Therefore, he acted with some restraint regarding his status.
Ding Xiu, however, was a scoundrel. He didn't care about manners or status. With a flick of his left hand, he threw out the scabbard of his longsword, aiming straight for Miyamoto Musashi's head.
Lu Xuan, watching from the side, almost burst out laughing. Miyamoto Musashi's charged sword draw slash had been broken just like that. Although it was from a scabbard, the attack was still incredibly powerful. Getting hit on the head wouldn't be a joke. Not to mention the extended Miao sword following behind the scabbard.
He slid sideways, avoiding the scabbard. But this slowed down his draw slash. This technique seemed to lack a countermeasure against thrown objects.
Ding Xiu unleashed a powerful slash, aiming straight for Miyamoto's head. Miyamoto's draw slash changed direction at the last second, instead slashing upwards. With a clang, the two swords clashed. Unexpectedly, it was Ding Xiu who was forced back.
The heavy Miao sword, when faced with a regular-sized katana, even with a downward slash, was actually deflected by its opponent. Ding Xiu himself was somewhat incredulous. This Japanese pirate was incredibly strong.
Lu Xuan's eyes narrowed slightly. This strike wasn't a simple matter of strength. Miyamoto Musashi wasn't some superhuman with extraordinary physical abilities like himself. Just now, his muscles and the sword in his hand moved in a brief, coordinated motion. He must have used some special technique to deflect Ding Xiu's blade.
This time, Lu Xuan finally began to take it seriously. In his previous life, he had almost endless resources and had even dreamed of becoming a martial arts master. However, after compiling various martial arts secrets from that era, he was dismayed to find that they were all just simple power-generating techniques, plus variations on ordinary moves. They were far inferior to the martial arts he had imagined.
Let alone internal energy cultivation or the light-footed skills of scaling walls and rooftops, even external martial arts like Iron Shirt and Iron Palm, which are commonplace in the world of martial arts, simply don't exist.
But things are different now. The secret technique Miyamoto Musashi just used, while most likely a sophisticated method of muscle activation and power generation, is the closest Lu Xuan has ever seen to a martial arts technique.
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Chapter 134 Let's Collect Some Money for Food First (Please Subscribe)
Ding Xiu took three steps back, the surprise on his face flashing by, replaced by an unprecedented excitement.
He swung his sword again, his Miao sword flashing and sweeping. Utilizing the advantage of the blade, he launched a fierce attack.
The clanging of blacksmithing echoed throughout the hall. Ding Xiu swung his windmill-like blade left and right in rapid succession. Miyamoto Musashi, however, remained as steady as a mountain, his katana precisely deflecting each of Ding Xiu's attacks.
The two seemed to have entered into a formulaic exchange. However, most of those present were experts. They could all see that Ding Xiu was constantly adjusting his angle during his attacks, striking from various angles. This was consuming a lot of his stamina. On the other hand, Miyamoto Musashi remained stationary, striving to deflect Ding Xiu's blade with minimal movement with each strike.
Tactically, Ding Xiu appears to be at a disadvantage. However, there's a common saying in combat: prolonged defense inevitably leads to defeat. Even if I attack you a hundred times and you block ninety-nine, it's all for naught. Because if you fail to block even one strike, I can kill you.
The two were locked in a stalemate, waiting for one to make a mistake first, or rather, for the other to lose their composure and change the pace.
Ding Xiu was, after all, still too young. Unable to gain the upper hand after a prolonged assault, he began to grow impatient. His footwork faltered slightly. In that instant, Miyamoto Musashi moved. This was his first proactive attack.
The rebound occurred again, and Ding Xiu's longsword was deflected. At the same time, Miyamoto Musashi pressed forward, his katana aimed straight for Ding Xiu's chest.
Ding Baiying, who was watching the fight, clenched her fist and almost cried out. However, Lu Xuan smiled slightly. He had better eyesight and saw that Ding Xiu was deliberately creating this opening.
As expected, the instant Ding Xiu's sword was deflected, he suddenly rebounded along with the momentum of the blade. A backward movement created distance between him and Miyamoto Musashi. Simultaneously, he sheathed his sword and thrust back. This slight difference in distance resulted in a subtle outcome: Miyamoto Musashi's thrust failed to pierce Ding Xiu's chest. At the same time, Ding Xiu's long sword also returned. This Miao sword was about fifteen centimeters longer than Miyamoto Musashi's katana. For the heart, seven centimeters is a fatal length, let alone fifteen.
A smug smile appeared on Ding Xiu's face. His blade was undoubtedly faster. But the next second, a piercing metallic scraping sound rang out. Everyone saw Ding Xiu's long blade fly up and embed itself in the same pillar as Ding Baiying's short blade.
Miyamoto Musashi's sword was already at Ding Xiu's neck. Ignoring Ding Xiu's grim expression, Miyamoto Musashi sheathed his sword and silently walked back to the Japanese side. This disregard only fueled Ding Xiu's rage.
"Alright, Ding Xiu, you may leave." Lu Xuan dismissed Ding Xiu.
Ding Xiu's performance had exceeded his expectations. His skills and responsiveness were top-notch. The only problem was his lack of experience; he had too little experience fighting against a master like Miyamoto Musashi.
In the brief moment of their duel, Ding Xiu thought he had the victory assured. Little did he know, as Miyamoto Musashi charged forward, he had already drawn his own wakizashi. His right katana thrust forward, while his left wakizashi blocked Ding Xiu's longsword. This caused the katana to graze Ding Xiu's shoulder. Although it tore his clothes, the wakizashi cushioned the impact, preventing any real damage.
Miyamoto Musashi, however, calmly changed his attack, slashing at Ding Xiu's right hand that was holding the sword. This forced Ding Xiu to drop his sword. Miyamoto did not kill him, but merely deflected Ding Xiu's longsword with a backhand.
This series of responses was incredibly swift and decisive. The situation unfolded in a flash, with numerous twists and turns, but ultimately Miyamoto Musashi proved to be the superior strategist.
"Clap clap clap... Impressive, impressive... This must be the legendary Niten Ichi-ryu style." Lu Xuan said while clapping.
A hint of surprise flashed across Miyamoto Musashi's face. His Niten Ichi-ryu style had only recently appeared, and although it had already made a name for itself in Japan, it shouldn't have spread far and wide in Ming China yet. How could this general know about it?
Lu Xuan only learned about the so-called Niten Ichi-ryu from various legends about Miyamoto Musashi. After all, Niten Ichi-ryu is the only dual-sword style that is acknowledged to have existed in the Japanese swordsmanship world.
Yes, despite the numerous scenes of dual-wielding katana and katana in Japanese anime and movies, true dual-wielding has never existed in reality. Even Miyamoto Musashi's dual-wielding style was likely only acknowledged out of respect for his status as a swordsman.
Dual-wielding demands extremely high levels of physical fitness and coordination. So high that almost no one can meet even the basic requirements.
Furthermore, even Miyamoto Musashi's dual-wielding style involves using a katana and a wakizashi. Only someone with Lu Xuan's physique could handle dual-wielding katanas.
At this moment, the Japanese official in charge spoke up.
"General, your men are all very brave. But our Japanese samurai are clearly stronger. Aren't you going to make a move? Or do you want your men to take turns attacking, and wait until Miyamoto Musashi is exhausted before you make your move?"
This little devil was afraid that Lu Xuan would cheat and resort to a war of attrition. Therefore, he preemptively spoke up to provoke Lu Xuan.
"Hmm, now that you mention it, it reminds me. I really can pull off a tag team fight. Lu Wenzhao, go outside and call over two hundred elites. Let them take turns sparring with this great swordsman. Or, how about three hundred? Just in case it's not enough, so we don't have to call more."
Miyamoto Musashi: "..."
Fortunately, Lu Xuan ultimately didn't do that. It wasn't out of pride, but because he estimated that if it really came down to a war of attrition, Miyamoto Musashi would use lethal force. On the battlefield, soldiers dying was acceptable to Lu Xuan; it was their fate. But dying in this kind of duel was rather pointless.
"Alright, let's leave this bet at that for now. Since you've all come from afar, I should at least show you the proper hospitality. I've prepared a small banquet for that purpose. I hope you'll all do me the honor. This swordsman, Miyamoto, can also take this opportunity to rest. After all, he's fought two matches and has already expended a lot of energy. The next match will be postponed until the afternoon. I will personally take action then."
The envoy instinctively sensed something was amiss. However, Miyamoto Musashi genuinely needed rest. According to the deserters, General Lu's fighting prowess might be even greater than that of the man and woman.
"Alright, then we'll respectfully comply." The Japanese soldier uttered another proverb. His fluency was almost unbelievable for a Japanese person.