Chapter 11: Shangshan Che’s Sword Technique Talent Is Far From Ideal
After parting with Lili Zi, Shangshan Che simply wiped down his body, changed back into his school uniform, and returned to his seat.
Although he couldn’t practice swordsmanship at noon due to Kondo Hideya, the Kendo Club instructor, to be honest, Shangshan Che not only had no complaints about him but was instead grateful.
Because—
【Eternal World rift detected. You can now choose to enter the Eternal World for exploration.】
The moment he stepped onto the plastic track of the athletic field, such a prompt appeared before Shangshan Che’s eyes again.
In other words, he might no longer need to go to the four-star Edo Castle afterward to throw himself at minibosses.
Instead, he had a chance to explore a possibly existing low-star map.
Even if it wasn’t a suitable low-star map, it would still provide an extra option.
If not for being punished to run laps today, Shangshan Che, who had already decided on a school life of “Ki-Gong Technique in class, Kendo Hall after class” between those two points, wouldn’t know how long it would take before stepping onto the track.
Not only that, to make running laps easier, Shangshan Che further increased the proficiency of Ki-Gong Technique Fragment, and he could also apply some Ki-Gong Technique skills to his breathing while running.
【Your skill, Ki-Gong Technique Fragment proficiency +18!】
……
Japanese schools’ class traditions differ from next door; here they promote happy and relaxed education. Not only do classes start late in the morning, but they also end early in the afternoon, not to mention any evening self-study sessions lasting until nine or ten o’clock.
All to give students more time to participate in clubs.
And if one aims to do well on the college entrance exam to get into a good university, they have to pay out of pocket for after-school tutoring classes; it’s not very possible relying only on the scraps taught in school.
【Your skill, Ki-Gong Technique Fragment proficiency +12!】
When the bell rang signaling the end of class, Shangshan Che, who had grinded Ki-Gong Technique proficiency all afternoon, walked out of the classroom door.
Just as he was about to go find Lili Zi, he discovered the person in question was already standing outside waiting for him.
Classes had just ended, and Class F where Lili Zi was located was a full corridor’s distance from his own Class A.
“Ran over?”
“Made up some excuse and slipped out early. I’m the privileged class; you haven’t just learned this today, right?”
Their question and answer made Shangshan Che’s memories start surging.
Lili Zi, who won double championships at last year’s Kendo match “Jade Dragon Flag,” held a status in school even higher than ordinary teachers.
For high school students practicing Kendo, the Jade Dragon Flag is akin to Koshien in baseball.
Generally, competing teams select five people from the school Kendo Club to serve as vanguard, second vanguard, middle guard, vice general, and general respectively.
Tokugawa Ririko, who served as general, not only fiercely seized the individual championship.
She even accomplished the astonishing feat of “one versus five” in a desperate situation where all her teammates had fallen, leading Sakura Capital High School to win the team competition championship, showing great momentum to make the school famous nationwide.
If placed in a xianxia novel, Lili Zi would probably be the invincible prodigy who suppresses all her peers, making them unable to lift their heads.
For such a genius, the school cherishes her like a treasure in the palm of their hand, fearing she might melt; perhaps only Kondo, who directly instructs her sword technique, dares to give her attitude.
No wonder from this morning, Shangshan Che felt that the gazes from classmates around him were a bit strange.
A figure at the top of the school’s class pyramid like Lili Zi was actually walking together with him, a bottom-tier nobody who had nothing special except being handsome, liked two-dimensional things, and was quietly obscure.
This alone was enough to become gossip fodder.
Not to mention Lili Zi took him to the Kendo Club to wear dōgi, and in the afternoon, the two of them running laps together was seen by many people.
“Shangshan Jun, if you really want to practice sword, the first thing to do is Calm as Still Water.”
In the corridor, Lili Zi spoke calmly.
“Specifically, how to do it?”
Lili Zi instructed: “Let your heart reject external interference and maintain a state as calm as a lake surface.”
“Okay.”
Shangshan Che collected his mind; as he inhaled and exhaled, Ki-Gong Technique subconsciously operated. After his mind settled, he directly filtered out the surrounding whispers.
【You have comprehended the Kendo Realm “Calm as Still Water”, Willpower +3】
Energized, Shangshan Che thought to himself whether this Kendo Realm was like white cabbage, breakthrough just by changing a thought.
When they reached the quiet ground floor, Shangshan Che suddenly noticed Lili Zi staring at him with the gaze of appraising a monster.
Shangshan Che: “Is there something dirty on my face?”
After two seconds of silence, Lili Zi asked: “Calm as Still Water… you achieved it?”
Shangshan Che puzzled: “Isn’t it just treating passersby’s words like farts? What’s so hard about that?”
After staring for a while, seeing he didn’t seem to be joking, Lili Zi turned her head away and pretended as if nothing happened: “Walk faster.”
Achieving Calm as Still Water in an instant…
“Although it’s indeed not very difficult.” Lili Zi took a deep breath, trying hard to keep a straight face, “But Shangshan Jun, you do have a bit more Kendo talent than ordinary people.”
Taking her words as truth, Shangshan Che cupped his hands: “Then afterward, I’ll be troubling Teacher Lili Zi a lot.”
Lili Zi didn’t speak.
After changing into dōgi, Lili Zi first rejected a bunch of invitations from club members for sparring guidance, then led Shangshan Che to the deepest part of the Kendo Hall.
After entering a small dojo and pulling shut the heavy wooden door, the originally noisy Kendo Hall after class instantly quieted down.
Lili Zi, with her hair tied in a high ponytail, stepped barefoot on the cool wooden floor: “This is the compartment used only when Teacher Kondo instructs me. Using it now to teach you sword technique is making good use of it, Shangshan Jun.”
She took a brand-new bamboo sword from the bag and solemnly handed it to Shangshan Che.
Shangshan Che received it with both hands: “Teacher Lili Zi, I’ll learn seriously.”
Lili Zi nodded noncommittally, then sat cross-legged and began explaining: “My sword technique school is Natural Reason School. Although I haven’t obtained the ‘Mastery Certificate’ proof yet, this is just sparring exchange between classmates, so it’s fine.”
What a disclaimer.
As Shangshan Che inwardly criticized, a prompt suddenly popped up before his eyes.
【Tokugawa Ririko is imparting to you the sword technique school·Natural Reason School…】
He perked up his spirit and listened attentively without any neglect.
“Unlike modern Kendo, we emphasize simplicity and practicality, flexibility and versatility rather than how to score in matches…”
After ten-odd minutes of explanation, Lili Zi stood up: “Come, first learn how to stand and grip the sword.”
【You have learned Sword Technique·Natural Reason School.】
【Natural Reason School（Beginner 0/200）】
【Effect: None】
Good grief, he’d already learned the sword technique but it was still in “Beginner” state, and just the Beginner proficiency required twice as much as after Ki-Gong Technique entered Beginner.
Could only say, as expected of a proper sword technique school; it wasn’t something a mere Ki-Gong Technique Fragment could compare to.
Two and a half hours later.
【After arduous training, your skill, Natural Reason School proficiency +1!】
Shangshan Che, drenched in sweat, set down the bamboo sword and stared at the almost unchanged progress bar in contemplation.
“Shangshan Jun, your sword technique talent seems not very ideal.”
Lili Zi leaned on her sword with a straight face, but her tone was gloating, quite sarcastic.
“But don’t be too disappointed.” She squatted down and patted Shangshan Che’s shoulder, her tone caring, “Shangshan Jun, talent is something you can’t force.”
She looked at the silent Shangshan Che for a bit, then toned down and added comfortingly: “Moreover, your breathing rhythm technique is pretty good.”
A curious little head poked out from the edge of Shangshan Che’s vision: “Teach me?”
“Don’t rush, I will.”
Shangshan Che stared at that glaring “1” for a while, then started rummaging through the storage bag, finally stopping his gaze upon seeing the remaining two portions of brightly glowing 【Soul Incense Ash】.
He said:
“Let me quiet down for a bit first, sort out my thoughts.”
