After Chen Xiao had repeated those pitiful three moves six times, Gao Ben felt much more at ease!
It seems this kid really only has this much skill!
On the seventh time, Chen Xiao twisted his body and pressed himself against him again, shouting, "Head of the skull!"
Gao Ben had by now gotten used to Chen Xiaodi's "words are always followed," and he was not afraid of the opponent's loose and uncoordinated attack. Hearing Chen Xiaodi's shout, he raised his sword and blocked upwards.
Who knew that while Chen Xiao was yelling "skull top," he simultaneously raised his left foot and kicked Gao Ben hard in the crotch!
His footwork was swift and fierce, many times faster than the previous six!
Gao Ben's expression changed drastically. He thrust his buttocks backward with all his might, barely managing to dodge. However, his obese body stiffened as he desperately thrust his buttocks backward, causing him to sway involuntarily.
Chen Xiao laughed heartily, and although his left foot missed its mark, he followed the momentum and landed heavily on the ground!
"Awooo!!!"
Gao Ben's fat face suddenly contorted, his facial muscles trembling uncontrollably. Chen Xiao's left foot had already firmly stepped on his right foot, and his backward thrusting motion did not evade Chen Xiao's trampling...
With a crack, the sound of bones breaking, Gao Ben jumped up abruptly, dropping his knife and instinctively reaching for his feet. While he was doing this, Chen Xiao smiled and flicked his left finger at Gao Ben's groin…
Bang!
Everyone was stunned!
Seeing that Takamoto Itto, a swordsman of the Yuukun-ryu school, had his right foot crushed by Chen Xiao, just like the previous guy Miyazawa, and was lying on the spot clutching his crotch, his body curled up in a ball, tears and snot streaming down his face from the pain, he was trembling and rolling around in the courtyard like a fat shrimp...
Chen Xiao had already stepped back a few paces with a smile, bowed, and stood up straight with an expression of openness and selflessness, as upright and dignified as a gentle breeze and bright moon: "Thank you for your kind offer!"
He was so defensive, as if he wasn't the one who had just used underhanded tactics.
After clasping his hands in greeting, Chen Xiao turned to look at Nishihira Kojiro standing in the inner hall, smiling, but with a strange glint in his eyes. He blinked and asked, "Next, is it your turn?" Seeing Takamoto lying there clutching his crotch and screaming like a pig being slaughtered, and then looking at the slightly shy, warm smile on Chen Xiao's face, Nishihira Kojiro suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.
Chapter 195 of the main text: [The Name-Slaying Pill]
The chilly feeling came with Chen Xiao's strange gaze. Nishihira Kojiro silently walked off the field, his expression still solemn, but his eyes couldn't help but linger on Chen Xiao's fingers for a few more seconds.
A fight is inevitable. However, the group came today with high hopes, believing that none of the second-generation swordsmen of the Shangchen family could rival them. With a heavyweight like Prince Boren present, they were originally determined to thoroughly humiliate the Shangchen family.
Unexpectedly, after two duels, the two renowned swordsmen suffered such a humiliating defeat. As Takamoto lay on the ground clutching his crotch and screaming like a pig being slaughtered, a thought flashed through Nishihira Kojiro's mind:
Gao Ben is finished too.
I fear that after returning home today, Miyazawa and Takamoto, having suffered such a humiliating defeat at the hands of a twenty-year-old Chinese boy, will never be able to hold their heads high in the Japanese martial arts world again.
Even more humiliating is that these two will not only lose their status as great swordsmen in the future—judging from the strength of this ruthless and cunning Chinese boy's attack, they probably won't even be able to be men anymore.
Nishihira Kojiro felt a growing sense of dread towards Chen Xiao. He had initially perceived Chen Xiao as being no more than twenty years old. So young, and with all this talk of an inner disciple, he figured even if Chen Xiao held a high position, his skills couldn't be that remarkable. Even if Chen Xiao deliberately brandished the rattan cane—General Tian had once swept through Japan with a single cane, a fact Nishihira Kojiro knew—but even if this young man truly was a descendant of that Chinese martial god, how profound could his skills be at such a young age?
However, after two consecutive matches, Nishihira Kojiro finally began to take Chen Xiao seriously, no longer daring to be complacent, and completely regarding Chen Xiao as a "formidable opponent".
Bo Ren's expression, however, was rather unpleasant.
Today's challenge to the Shangchen family was originally intended to be supported by Bo Ren behind the scenes—he is a royal prince, a hidden heir apparent. However, due to a certain special reason, he has always been at odds with Takeuchi Fumiyama.
Although he was a prince, Takeuchi Fumio was the Grand Master of Imperial Swordsmanship and the Crown Prince's swordsmanship teacher, holding a very high position. He had to maintain a respectful attitude towards Takeuchi Fumio on a daily basis. In turn, Takeuchi Fumio had no reason to bow down to a third-generation member of the Imperial Family like him.
Furthermore, Takeuchi Bunzan is a legitimate Imperial Kendo master, responsible for instructing Imperial disciples and having a say in their performance. He also has influence over the Imperial Household Agency and even the Emperor. If he truly wanted to make things difficult for Hirohito, he could simply say a few unfavorable things about him, such as that Hirohito was impatient or narrow-minded while learning Kendo, which would certainly have some impact on him.
Therefore, Bo Ren usually doesn't dare to easily provoke Takeuchi Bunzan.
The relationship between the two sides remained deadlocked, so Bo Ren found another kendo teacher and did not join the Shang Chen family.
I'm here today to vent my anger—Nishihira Kojiro's swordsmanship has improved dramatically recently, and he's said to be confident he can defeat the Kamitatsu family's Jingu Heihachiro. How could I miss such an opportunity? If I defeat the Kamitatsu family, will that old man Takeuchi still dare to be arrogant in front of me? Moreover, even if the Kamitatsu family suffers a loss in this kind of competition between second-generation masters, Takeuchi Bunzan wouldn't dare to retaliate openly. Otherwise, others would think that he, Takeuchi Bunzan, was deliberately seeking revenge.
Unexpectedly, the two highly anticipated masters suffered defeats one after another, and in such a humiliating manner. What was originally planned as a sensational victory immediately vanished.
The Shangchen family has already won two matches in a row. So even if Nishihei Kojiro wins the third match, the Shangchen family will have two wins and one loss out of three matches, which isn't shameful. Even if Nishihei defeats Chen Xiao in the final match, the sensationalism of that victory will be gone, making it as meaningless as a chicken bone.
In other words... if even Xiping loses, then Boren feels he will lose face big time!
He had eagerly led his men to challenge the emperor, and if he lost three matches in a row, he would become a laughing stock among the royal family members and would be even less able to hold his head up in front of that old man Takeuchi... For Prince Hirohito, who was proud and arrogant and had already begun to have some ambitions for the future throne, how could he possibly lose?
Thinking of this, he actually stood up from his seat with a nervous expression, looked at Nishihira Kojiro who had already walked down into the courtyard, nodded, and solemnly said loudly, "Master Nishihira, I wish you long-lasting success in your martial arts!"
For a prince to personally rise and encourage Nishihira Kojiro at this moment is already a great act of deference.
west Ping immediately felt a sense of gravity, knowing full well that he absolutely could not afford to lose this battle! He slowly turned around and bowed deeply to Bo Ren.
What was originally a sure defeat turned into an unbeatable situation for the Shangchen family thanks to Chen Xiao's intervention. Even if Chen Xiao lost the third match, the Shangchen family would still have won two out of three battles, so overall they had already passed the test.
Nishihira Kojiro raised his hand to one of his disciples outside the courtyard, and immediately someone ran over with small steps, handed him a samurai sword with a black scabbard, knelt down in front of Nishihira Kojiro, held the sword with both hands, then respectfully kowtowed before turning and leaving.
With a sword in hand, Nishihira Kojiro suddenly became more energetic! His originally short and thin frame underwent a complete transformation once he grasped the sword. His entire being radiated sharpness, and even with his eyes open, he still stood there seemingly casually, his feet neither too far to the side, yet he exuded the aura of a grandmaster! Chen Xiao, observing this, was also moved: Nishihira Kojiro's skill was indeed the strongest among these three, and judging from his aura alone, he was indeed far superior to Kamiya Heihachiro of the Kamishin family!
Nishihira Kojiro's fingers gently stroked the scabbard, which was black and looked like sharkskin, but it was rough and old, clearly indicating that it was a sword that had been around for quite some time.
Nishihira Kojiro gently drew his sword. His movements were meticulous and slow. Such a slow sword-drawing action seemed to lack any momentum, yet it gave people an oppressive feeling of Mount Tai pressing down on them. As the sword was drawn, a ray of cold light immediately shone on his face, making his eyes even sharper.
The sword is thin and sharp, with a long and narrow blade and a sharp edge. It is clearly a fine sword that can cut a hair in two. The faint green tinge above the blood groove adds a touch of coldness.
Nishihira Kojiro extended three fingers of his left hand, gently stroking the blade before flicking it. The sword hummed softly. Then, the head of the Hidden Moon School, looking up at Chen Xiao, slowly spoke in slightly broken Chinese, his voice deep and resonant: "This is my sword. It was given to me by my teacher when I was twenty-five, when I had achieved some mastery of swordsmanship. I know that Chinese swordsmen have an old saying: 'The sword is my life, the sword dies, the life dies.' I have always admired this motto of Chinese swordsmen, so since I received this sword at twenty-five, for all these years, whether eating or sleeping, I have never been without it!" He spoke very slowly, as if addressing Chen Xiao, yet also as if speaking to himself.
Chen Xiao remained silent, but a sense of unease crept into his heart. This Nishihira Kojiro was clearly far more skilled in swordsmanship than the previous two; he wouldn't be so easy to deal with. Judging from his words, he was clearly a true master swordsman.
"This sword is made of ordinary fine steel. In terms of craftsmanship and materials, although it is of good quality, it is not a first-class sword. In terms of reputation, it cannot compare with the famous blades of other schools that have been passed down for hundreds of years! Not to mention it is not comparable to the Chrysanthemum Leaf Embroidery of the Shangchen family."
Kojiro Nishihira remained unhurried. His fingers gently traced the blade, his movements tender and delicate, like a lover's. His gaze softened as he continued, "But to me, it is the best sword! I believe that a renowned blade is not judged by the sword itself, but by the person wielding it! I have named this sword 'Zanmeimaru'."