Chapter 71: Sparring Partner, Examination
“Brother Zhou, go practice your spear.”
Emerging from the meeting hall, Huyan Lei let out a long sigh and said to Zhou Yan.
“Alright!”
Both of them felt refreshed, the reason being that Fu’an had a discerning Boss and a good Head Escort.
“If someone is kind to me, I will be kind to them; if someone is not kind to me, I will treat them accordingly.”
Zhou Yan said this to Zhang Wangyue, not in the sense of a gang war between Fu’an Escort Agency and Changfeng Escort Agency, fighting for territory and business, resulting in bloodshed. He was expressing the idea of using martial arts to stop conflict.
The escort agency’s business must be done, but if Changfeng’s momentum is aggressive, then a strong counterattack is necessary.
A strong attitude and a forceful counterattack are, in times of chaos, a survival strategy. Conversely, if you take a step back, others will advance, and when there is no room to retreat, it is usually too late to fight for a way out.
Zhang Wangyue agreed with Zhou Yan’s suggestion, which finally made Huyan Lei feel at ease.
The two arrived at the Martial Field, where Yang Tiexin, Wang Kui, Shi Baichuan, and others were present. They were sitting around, drinking brick tea, and discussing matters of martial arts, as well as the examination for Yang Tiexin and his daughter.
The escort team heading to the Shu Region had already arranged for runners to return to the capital in advance. In a few days, the escort team led by Shi Xiangui would arrive, and the examination was scheduled for this period. Calculating the time, there were only a few days left.
The examination would involve experienced escorts from the escort agency engaging in sparring. Therefore, Wang Kui and Shi Baichuan were discussing the renowned techniques of the skilled escorts within the agency, so that Yang Tiexin and his daughter could be well-informed.
Mu Nianci saw Huyan Lei and Zhou Yan approaching and quickly got up to go to the side of the Martial Field. She brought over a teapot and porcelain bowls from the stove: “Escort Huyan, Escort Zhou, have some tea.”
“Thank you.”
Zhou Yan took the tea bowl and used his foot to hook a stone lock over, sitting on it.
Huyan Lei had already started talking, explaining the matter of Changfeng Escort Agency taking over Four Seas Escort Agency. Under the gloomy sky, the angry curses of Wang Kui and Shi Baichuan suddenly erupted.
“Brother Zhou, if the Boss agrees, and if Lei Luo from Four Seas comes with Helian Chuncheng, then fight them to the death. We old brothers will support you, so you don’t need to worry,” Shi Baichuan said.
“Certainly!” Zhou Yan smiled. He then changed the subject and said to Mu Nianci, “Escort Shi’s team is returning to the escort agency, and the examination will begin. If nothing unexpected happens, you will spar with an escort from Escort Shi’s side. Are you prepared?”
“Yes, Escort Wang and Escort Shi are discussing these matters.”
Huyan Lei said, “Brother Zhou’s martial arts routines have surpassed ours. Why don’t you spar with Miss Mu?”
What the escort said was true. Zhou Yan was proficient in Fist Techniques, and now he was skilled in Spear and Sword, and his Saberplay was also not bad. He had learned Five Tiger Severing Gate Saber from Wang Kui. During his time back at the escort agency, he would occasionally display surprisingly impressive Leg Techniques, making him the most suitable sparring partner.
Zhou Yan smiled and asked, “No problem. Brothers, who do you think is most likely to be the escort from Escort Shi’s side to examine Miss Mu?”
“Cui Qingshan!” Huyan Lei and the others said in unison.
“I think so too.” Zhou Yan got up, picked up the stone lock, and said to Mu Nianci, “Escort Cui’s weapon is an Iron Abacus. He uses it to swing and smash, specifically to lock weapons. I will use this stone lock as an abacus and spar a few moves with Miss Mu.”
“Great!” Mu Nianci was truly grateful to Zhou Yan and also excited. She stood up, adjusted her clothes, and took out an Iron Spear from the weapon rack.
Everyone cleared a space. Mu Nianci, now in the center of the Martial Field, dragged her long spear, its tip making a faint sound as it scraped across the smooth bluestone ground.
Zhou Yan held the stone lock, and the two were about ten feet apart.
“Escort Zhou, I will attack with my spear.”
“Good!”
Mu Nianci’s red attire suddenly shook. She held her long spear level, her Spear Edge moving forward in a straight line without the slightest tremor, using the “Middle Flat Spear.”
A month for the staff, a year for the saber, a lifetime for the spear; to master the spear requires years of hard work, like Huyan Lei, who has practiced the spear for twenty years without fail.
Mu Nianci had not been practicing the spear for a long time, but to have achieved such Skill indicated that her talent for learning the spear was outstanding.
“Good!” Huyan Lei shouted in praise.
Yang Tiexin was also quite pleased. His daughter’s achievements showed that her talent was indeed suited for practicing the spear.
Zhou Yan seemed to ignore the incoming Spear Edge, quietly waiting.
At this moment, Mu Nianci’s wrist flicked, and her spear suddenly spun out a Spear Flower, her attack covering Zhou Yan’s chest, abdomen, shoulders, and neck.
Zhou Yan raised the stone lock in his hand. It fell in a flash of lightning, and with a “bang,” the spearhead was knocked aside. The Middle Flat Spear should have been rotating at a central point, but as Zhou Yan’s stone lock fell, it created a gap in the spear’s momentum. Without waiting for Mu Nianci to change her move, he advanced agilely, the stone lock smashing down again and again, inch by inch, striking the front, middle, and end of the Iron Spear.
Huyan Lei gasped. That day during the Competing for Escort at Four Seas Escort Agency, Brother Zhou had used a stone lock to disarm Lu An’s Iron Spear, displaying an astonishing ability to adapt to the situation. Now, he had come up with new tricks. If he were to face Brother Zhou, he wouldn’t know how to react either.
Mu Nianci began to panic. She heard a “hiss” as the stone lock, brushing against the spear shaft near the end, smashed towards her hand. She retreated in a panic and suddenly felt the spear lighten. Zhou Yan had already stopped his attack and retreated ten feet away.
Mu Nianci became dejected. If she were to face Cui Qingshan, as the escorts had said, wouldn’t she be utterly defeated?
Wang Kui, Yang Tiexin, and the others entered the field.
Huyan Lei said, “When Cui Qingshan attacks, it’s like this. Miss Mu, don’t be discouraged. This move can also be countered. When he smashes down, just let the spearhead touch the ground and execute a move called ‘Lighting a Lamp to See the Sword’ to stab his abdomen.”
Mu Nianci suddenly understood. It was indeed like that.
Zhou Yan’s voice chimed in, “‘Lighting a Lamp to See the Sword’ can indeed counter it. Cui Qingshan, in his haste to save himself, would likely use his abacus to lock your weapon. If you are quick-eyed and nimble-handed, twisting your wrist and turning the Iron Spear like a drill, he will have nothing to lock.”
“That’s right,” Huyan Lei said.
“But this requires being quick-eyed and nimble-handed, seizing a fleeting opportunity, and also possessing exceptional Arm Strength and wrist strength.”
“Indeed,” Huyan Lei mused. He had instructed Mu Nianci in spear techniques and knew that her weakness lay precisely here.
Wang Kui said, “Since Brother Zhou says so, does he already have a Masterstroke?”
Huyan Lei looked at Zhou Yan.
“Miss Mu, may I borrow your spear?”
Mu Nianci handed the spear to Zhou Yan.
Zhou Yan first adopted the posture of the Middle Flat Spear, then rapidly withdrew the spear while retreating. Holding the middle section of the spear with both hands, he spun his body. In an instant, the spearhead swung out in a magnificent, round arc, its Spear Edge like a Startling Swan’s saber strike.
This was precisely the spear Zhang Sanqiang had used in Xiangyang at the “Drunken Immortal Pavilion” to decapitate the Imperial City Guard’s Swift Runner.
Zhou Yan retracted the spear and said, “If this move is still not enough, then using the momentum of your body’s rotation to execute a ‘Returning Spear’ would be sufficient.”
“Brilliant!” Huyan Lei’s eyes lit up. He wanted to ask Zhou Yan how he knew such spear techniques, but remembering Zhang Wangyue’s advice not to pry into others’ fortunes, he forcibly held his tongue.
Mu Nianci came back to her senses, her face filled with joy and surprise, “Thank you, Escort Zhou.”
“You are too polite, Miss Mu.”
“Brother Zhou’s move was a Masterstroke achieved by chance,” Shi Baichuan said.
“How could I have such talent? I’ve been contemplating it for a month.” In reality, he said this to prevent Mu Nianci from feeling discouraged.
For the remaining time, Zhou Yan explained in detail to Mu Nianci the application of force between techniques, the coordination of Qi, and the movements of the body and steps. For Mu Nianci, who practiced “Free and Easy Journey” and excelled in Agility, this was not a problem.
Time had passed the afternoon sun.
The escort flags of Four Seas Escort Agency had all been replaced with the banners of Changfeng Escort Agency.
The escorts from Changfeng Escort Agency had prepared gifts for their visit.
Yin Kexi said to Helian Chuncheng, “Do you want Lei Luo to accompany us?”
The Young Master of Changfeng chuckled:
“Naturally, otherwise how can we test Fu’an’s bottom line?”
The scattered snow-like flakes began to fall again.
Helian Chuncheng, Yin Kexi, Lei Luo, and several others exited the Four Seas Escort Agency, whose plaque had already been removed, and boarded a horse carriage heading directly to Fu’an.
