It’s been two days since my arrival at Mount Hua. This place, as the internet reviews said, is truly beautiful.
The old man had yet to start my training. For now, he was educating me on martial arts and the history of combat in general.
However, at some point, he trailed off from the topic and started ranting about how swords were the greatest weapon of all.
“Throughout the countless eons of human existence, can you name mankind’s most remarkable invention?”
I furrowed my brow for a moment before replying with some reservations, “Fire?”
“Wrong!” The old man declared. “Our most remarkable invention has been weaponry! What good is fire if you don’t live to see the night to use it?!”
I found that statement flawed on many fundamental levels, but I kept my mouth shut like I was instructed to do at the start of the lecture.
Yes, I had been instructed to speak only when spoken to and pay close attention to whatever he says, or the consequences would be… dire.
“In the early stages of human history, blunt weapons were favored by our ancestors. But as our civilization evolved, we started leaning for sharp weapons. We started favoring technique over strength”
I guess that’s true until the era of firearms. But in this current age, firearms had been on a decline and the era of cold weapons had returned, completing the circle.
“And do you know what the greatest, most magnificent, and exceptional weapon ever created is, little one?”
I thought over the question for a few seconds before taking a guess, “The spear?”
The old man gave me a pitiful look and shook his head in somber denial. “I find your lack of intelligence concerning, little one.”
Huh?! I’m sorry, my lack of what?!
“It’s not the spear. The spear reigns as the general of all weapons because of how easy and quick it is to master. It doesn’t require extensive expertise, making it suitable to be taught to a large number of people inexperienced in combat during wartime.”
I squinted my eyes at his statement. What did he mean? Spears were quick and easy to master, my foot!
“I, myself, had completely mastered the art of spearmanship in under a year when I started learning it.”
…Alright, fine! So the old man was a genius!
I mean, sure, I could see his point. Teaching the use of a spear could indeed be quick. At its core, a basic spear only involved three movements – thrust, block, and parry.
However, achieving mastery in the spear was nearly as challenging as mastering any other weapon, maybe even more so! And no, I wasn’t being partial here!
Right, of course. The old man was a sword supremacist. Who would’ve guessed? Not me.
“Let me tell you the correct answer. The greatest weapon ever created is the sword! It’s hailed as the King Of All Weapons for several reasons. A sword can be employed in any position and offers a diverse range of attack options.”
Right, of course. The old man was a sword supremacist. Who would’ve guessed? Not me.
“Why do you think your master, who is renowned as a master of all weapons throughout the entire world, chooses to wield a sword? Because the way of the sword reigns supreme above all else!”
Rolling my eyes, I slipped my hand into my pocket and started staring out the window, ignoring the old man’s passionate speech about the king of weapons.
“And that’s not all, little one! Mastering the way of the sword also allows you to become very proficient in every other weapon because, in my belief, sword techniques were the first weapon arts to arise before every other weapon arts…”
Outside the window of the training hall, a group of young disciples dressed in red and black robes of Mount Hua were passing through.
Among them, a particular individual caught my attention. It was a young boy around the age of twelve or thirteen, with a head full of long black hair that fell down to his shoulders.
The boy wasn’t thin but he was extremely slender. He had a well-toned body with defined muscles but his stature was small.
He looked like someone who had recently recovered from malnourishment. Although I didn’t get a glimpse of the boy’s face, it felt like I had seen him somewhere before.
Hmm, strange.
“Little one,” at that moment, a voice called out to me from right in front of me.
My eyes widened as I swiftly turned my head in that direction. The old man’s imposing figure came into view, but before I could even utter a word…
<nullb><nulli>THWACK—!!
The old man thrust his palm into my ribs, and it felt as though I’d been struck by a speeding boulder.
“Khuuuak!”
The wind was knocked out of my lungs, causing me to buckle and crash down to my knees, mouth agape as I gasped in pain and shock.
My thoughts were scattered, but amid the chaos, I managed to recall the old man’s two rules. Speak only when spoken to and pay complete attention to whatever he was saying!
The old man towered over me while I remained on my knees as he clicked his tongue in sheer disappointment. “What did I tell you? You shouldn’t put your hands in your pockets, little one.”
“…”
Huh?! He hit me because my hands were in my pockets, not because I wasn’t paying attention to him?!
“A warrior must always be ready to defend their bodies and strike back,” the old man explained. “You couldn’t defend yourself right now because you were relaxed and your hands were in your pockets.”
After taking some deep breaths and forcefully subsiding my pain, I shot a fierce glare at the old man and yelled, “Yes, I wasn’t on guard because you were teaching me something—!!”
But before I could finish my sentence, the old man thrust his leg forward, slamming his knee into my chest.
<nullb><nulli>Thwack—!!!
“Thuuu!”
The force of the impact sent me flying back several meters as my body unceremoniously rolled across the wooden floor before coming to a stop.
“Arghh!” Groaning in pain, I gritted my teeth and struggled to stand back up. My furious gaze shifted to the old man, who was smiling in amusement.
“Remember the second rule? Don’t speak unless spoken to,” he said with a bright smile, seemingly enjoying himself.
“You <nullb>were speaking to me, old man!” I yelled and instantly summoned the Silver Flames beneath my clothes to begin healing my injuries.
Seeing my vigorous outburst and the faint silver glow under my black hoodie, the old man furrowed his brows in slight confusion.
“You know a self-healing spell? Nice,” he grinned. “Come on, let’s spar. Show me what else you have. No holds barred. Go all out.”
“….” For a moment, I was taken aback, but after a few seconds, a crooked grin spread across my face as I responded, “Fine, don’t mind if I do.”
As I uttered those words, a silver spear materialized in my hand from my dimensional ring.
<nulli>===
<nulli>Item: Spear (Relic) <nulli>Rank: Diamond
<nulli>Name: The Sun’s Grace
<nulli>Description: A long time ago, a knight was torn between following his duties or doing what was right. The Sun guided him with its loving grace and showed him the right path.
<nulli>The knight took the grace of the sun and requested his dwarven wife to craft a weapon using it.
<nulli>This spear, containing the grace of the guiding sun, grants its users the power to summon fire and fuel the flames with their willpower alone.
<nulli>The stronger the will of the wielder, the brighter and more immolating the flames of the spear would be.
<nulli>===
In an instant, the silver spear in my hand ignited with bright golden flames. Seeing this, the old man smirked and raised his bare hands, prepared to clash.
†
“Arghh! Aaaah! Aahahaaa!”
My cries of pain agonizingly echoed within the wooden walls of the training hall. I lay sprawled, limbs askew on the ground, devoid of the strength to move.
The old man continued to grin, standing a few steps away from me, seemingly quite pleased with himself.
What kind of sadistic monster was he?!
I had tried everything, I did! But I lost! The old man defeated me with his bare hands! Damn, it was so embarrassing!
Yet, what pained me more than my wounded pride were my broken bones. I was sure that I had broken a few ribs and, at the very least, fractured an arm.
Tears of pain streamed down my cheeks as the old man finally opened his mouth to speak, “You could’ve won if you’d used a sword.”
Shut up, shut up, shut up! 𝞸𝓋𝓵xt.𝚌𝑜𝑀
“I don’t think weapons are the problem here!” I cried out. “Why are you so damn swift and agile for someone your age?!”
The old man raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean by someone my age? I’m only a hundred and ninety-six years old. I am still young.”
“…..” I stared at the old man blankly before starting to cry again. “Arghaaa!”
“Okay, okay, little one! Stop crying!” The old man walked up to me and handed me a small vial filled with light blue liquid. “It’s a high-grade healing potion. Drink it and get up.”
“I won’t get up!” I protested.
“…” The old man sighed while suppressing a smile and said, “Don’t worry, I won’t bully— uh, spar with you anymore.”
Wait, did he say <nullb>bully?!
“I want you to accompany me to the Teleportation Gate,” he added. “We are going to pick up my great-granddaughter.”