However, in actual combat, the Qi family sword was not very effective against Japanese swords. The reason was simple: he had limited funds. The quality of the sword was too poor, the blade was too thin, and the steel was even worse, making it simply unable to compete with the Japanese swords of that time.
The Qi Family Army was able to win because of its seamless teamwork and iron discipline. This was something that no other Ming army possessed.
Japanese swords of this era had indeed surpassed those of the Ming Dynasty in every way. They had begun to be exported to the Ming Dynasty and became sought-after items among the Ming officials and nobles. Unfortunately, these fine swords that flowed into the Ming Dynasty were ultimately left unused and never saw action on the battlefield.
Lu Xuan was no weakling among those Ming soldiers. Naturally, he wouldn't be intimidated by such shouts. He raised the Sun and Moon sword in his hand.
A scene filled with explicit, R-rated images appeared. Accompanied by two thuds as they landed, a group of Japanese pirates were so startled by the sight before them that they all took a step back in unison.
"I really thought you guys were fearless!"
Lu Xuan sneered and suddenly shouted at the group of terrified Japanese pirates.
"Drink..." Lu Xuan's voice came from deep within his dantian, like a thunderclap from a clear sky. With a clang, a Japanese pirate, in his panic, was even so frightened by Lu Xuan that he dropped his katana.
"Useless." Lu Xuan's body disappeared from the spot again, leaving behind countless severed limbs and broken arms.
A deafening clang resounded. The violent clash of metal even made the surrounding Japanese pirates dizzy. Lu Xuan was also slightly startled. A giant katana had actually blocked Lu Xuan's Sun and Moon sword strike.
It was a strange man, over two meters tall, with a distorted face, resembling a beastman from a fantasy world. He was grinning, with some kind of meat residue hanging from his teeth.
This thing is clearly some kind of deformed offspring, lacking intelligence. But it possesses superhuman strength, making it suitable for charging into battle. In some unofficial histories, there are even stories of people specifically breeding these creatures for use in battlefield charges. To ordinary soldiers, this thing is practically a strategic deterrent. But for Lu Xuan, it can only annoy him.
The burly man's katana was about 1.6 meters long. This type of katana is generally called a nodachi or Ōdachi. It was used for slashing during a charge or as a substitute for a lance. He was taller than most Japanese people at that time. The blade was noticeably thickened, indicating it was a weapon specifically crafted for this monster.
The monster grinned, its strength suddenly increasing. The nodachi pressed down towards Lu Xuan's neck. Although it wasn't highly intelligent, its combat instincts and experience were excellent. It even knew to hold back some of its strength before suddenly increasing it again. With its feints and real attacks combined, it was nothing short of a terrifying killing machine.
This time, however, it miscalculated. The blade pressed forward, but after going in one centimeter, it couldn't be pushed any further.
He strained with both hands, puzzled. Something was wrong. Before, he could split a person in two with just a little force. Why couldn't he press it down this time?
Lu Xuan slowly straightened up, and with a slow but firm motion, the Sun and Moon in his hand pressed down on the deformed, muscular man.
The blade slowly sliced through the burly man's skin, then penetrated deeper and deeper. Fat, muscle, bone...
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Chapter 130 Let's kill them all (Please subscribe)
Beneath the surface, dozens of vertical fins were swimming around the ship. Those were sharks, attracted by the strong smell of blood.
On the deck, the deformed giant, over two meters tall, was cleaved in two by Lu Xuan's Sun and Moon Blade. This guy was the only being he had encountered in both worlds who could briefly hold his own against him in terms of strength. But it was only a brief stalemate. Lu Xuan of the Ming Dynasty world had once again enhanced his physical abilities. Every aspect of his power had truly reached the pinnacle of human capabilities.
At his level, numbers were no longer of much significance to him. Before him, these fearless Japanese pirates were like a group of children wielding sticks. No matter how sharp their knives were, they couldn't intimidate Lu Xuan, either mentally or physically. With a casual wave of his hand, he could fell a whole swarm.
In just over ten breaths, Lu Xuan had emptied a ship of more than thirty Japanese pirates. The rest jumped into the sea. They preferred to face sharks underwater rather than Lu Xuan again.
In fact, at this moment, on Lu Xuan's ship, Ding Baiying and the others had only just begun to fight the enemy. A dozen or so men had cut a large number of ropes. However, another ship still managed to close in. The two ships were now tightly packed together. A group of warriors with incredibly ugly, crescent-shaped shaved heads were yelling and shouting as they jumped aboard for boarding action.
This time, however, they didn't encounter the Ming soldiers who would run away at the sight of them. Instead, they met a group of proud and arrogant martial arts masters.
The first dozen or so samurai to board were immediately cut down. However, they bought time for the samurai behind them. Three ships successfully approached Lu Xuan's vessel. A dense swarm of nearly a hundred Japanese pirates began climbing and leaping onto the ships.
The narrow deck was suddenly crammed with people. Everyone was too cramped to move freely. Taking advantage of their numbers, the Japanese pirates began to shrink the space available to the guards.
Ding Baiying found herself struggling to wield her Qi Family Blade, her movements becoming somewhat hesitant. At that moment, she remembered her commander-in-chief. Without a word, he had leaped onto the enemy ship from a distance of over ten meters. She hadn't even had time to provide support before being surrounded. If Lu Xuan died here, they would be forced to wander the world, or perhaps even perish here alongside him.
But as soon as she looked up, she froze. She suddenly realized that Lu Xuan was standing on the railing beside her, several lifeless Japanese pirates lying at his feet. He was smiling at them, his lips moving slightly. Ding Baiying vaguely saw that the lip movements were...
Do you need help?
At this moment, Ding Baiying, and even the others, noticed that no Japanese pirates were rushing up the gap on Lu Xuan's side. Everyone quickly retreated to Lu Xuan's side, protecting him in the center. However, they also realized that this general didn't seem to need their protection.
Lu Xuan jumped down from the railing and stood at the very front of the group. He gently touched the deck with the Sun and Moon sword in his hand. With both hands on the hilt of his sword, he stood between the two groups.
At least twenty corpses lay scattered on the deck, many more having been hacked to pieces and thrown into the sea. Counting his men, each of them had probably killed more than three Japanese pirates.
"Well done."
"My lord, these are no ordinary Japanese pirates," Ding Baiying warned.
"It's obvious. The knives they're carrying are all top-quality. Remember to put them away later. Japanese swords are in high demand right now."
"Yes, sir."
The two men's unreserved conversation caused a stir among the Japanese pirates opposite them. They then realized something was amiss. Three warships from another angle were not attacking from the other side as planned. They couldn't see what was happening on the other side, only vaguely discern that the ships seemed to be drifting aimlessly.
Ding Baiying and the others also noticed. It seemed that no Japanese pirates were following Lu Xuan, which meant... She couldn't quite believe it, but the facts were undeniable.
After a moment of preparation, the Japanese pirates opposite him stepped forward empty-handed.
"General Lu, we are here only for money. If you hand over that one million taels, we will leave..."
"A Han Chinese?" Lu Xuan tilted his head, sizing him up. His clothes were clean and tidy, and his speech was calm; he wasn't the kind of Han Chinese who had been kidnapped. This made Lu Xuan's gaze turn dangerous.
"...General Lu's martial arts are unparalleled, but even he couldn't possibly defeat these hundred elite soldiers. Perhaps..."
The man tried to persuade him further, but Lu Xuan had already lost interest.
"It seems I'm right. That's a real shame. If you weren't Han Chinese, perhaps there would still be room for negotiation today. I could consider sending you to Liaodong to do hard labor for ten years, and then die in the mines. But that's not possible now... Well, it's not impossible. You translate my request for them."
"Please speak," the lackey replied, but for some reason, a strange unease suddenly arose in his heart.
“Tell your masters that as long as they kill you, I will give them that million.”
"..." Cold sweat instantly broke out on the man's face. He instinctively wanted to say something. But at that moment, a samurai behind him suddenly kicked him in the back of the knee, causing him to fall to his knees.