CALID Chapter 8

Martial Arts Competition

In fact, logically speaking, the position of the Tabai Army’s general should belong to General Wulang, Wu Shengliu.

He came from a poor family, being the youngest in his family. He couldn’t even afford to eat properly, so he joined the army. In the army for so many years, he was always known for his bravery, never losing in training or battles. Leading soldiers in warfare was even more fearless. Before he turned thirty, he had risen to the position of Commander, and he could see that he would soon be commanding a whole army, fulfilling his lifelong aspirations

Who would have known that a nobleman’s son from the southern capital would suddenly appear and be on par with him, becoming a Commander before the age of twenty. When General Xu, the Tabai Army’s general, died in battle, he entrusted the Tabai Army to this young fellow in front of tens of thousands of soldiers. Wu Shengliu thought that it must have been pressure from Duan Xu’s illustrious family that made General Xu make such a decision against his will.

He had endured it when facing a major enemy, but now that Liangzhou had been recovered, he had no good feelings towards Duan Xu, only hoping that he would return to the southern capital as soon as possible. After all, the blades and swords flew here at the border, which was not something that a pampered nobleman’s son could endure.

At this moment, Wu Shengliu stood in the courtyard of the prefectural mansion. When Meng Wan invited him to sit, he refused to sit down, just crossing his arms and scowling impatiently, “I still have to go back to train the soldiers. Speak quickly!”

Duan Xu walked into the courtyard with a handsome smile on his face, followed by the guard of the city, Han Xiaowei.

“These days, General Wulang has been busy training soldiers. It’s hard work,” Duan Xu said, as if he hadn’t seen Wu Shengliu’s grimace, patting him on the shoulder. He was half a head taller than Wu Shengliu, giving him a stronger presence.

Wu Shengliu felt even more frustrated.

Ignoring Wu Shengliu’s sulking, Duan Xu sat down directly and picked up the teacup on the table, smiling, “Now, Captain Meng, Captain Xia, Captain Han, and General Wulang are all here. In short, my people and General Wulang’s people are all here. Now that the army has settled down a bit, I want to appoint a captain as a Commander.”

Wu Shengliu put down his arms, looked at Meng Wan and Xia Qingsheng, his expression displeased, “Who does the General want to appoint? Xia Qingsheng?”

“Yes. What do you think, Commander?” Duan Xu remained calm.

Wu Shengliu was furious. Did Duan Shunxi really think that the Tabai Army belonged to him? It had only been a short while since Liangzhou was recovered, and he was already eager to plant his own people in the army?

He slammed the table, causing the teacups on it to jump. He angrily said, “Didn’t he Xia Qingsheng only fight a few battles in Tabai?”

“Four battles, killing over ten thousand enemies with three thousand cavalry, with no soldiers retreating despite casualties,” Duan Xu replied.

The Great Liang army had not fought a major battle for many years, and discipline had been lax. They often fled in resistance against the Danshi army, and the Tabai army was no exception in the early stages. After Duan Xu took command of the Tabai army, military law became extremely strict. Any soldier who retreated from battle was executed without mercy, and there were thousands of soldiers who died under military law. Recently, soldiers involved in bribery over cemetery allocations were all punished with forty strokes.

This statement hit Wu Shengliu hard. He shouted, “That’s because you gave him the most elite soldiers. Besides, the battles he fought were all under your command…”

Realizing that continuing would only praise Duan Xu, after all, it was indeed Duan Xu’s credit for retaking Liangzhou. Wu Shengliu stopped talking and said with his chin up, “I don’t agree. My brother Han has made great military achievements in the army for three years. I’ll be frank; General Duan, your original position as Commander should have belonged to my brother Han. Now that you’ve been promoted to general and want to promote someone else to Commander, I don’t agree!”

Duan Xu turned to look at Han Xiaowei. This scar-faced man, who was just over twenty years old, stood in the wind, as steady as a black stone. He smiled and said, “Han Lingqiu, are you convinced?”

Han Xiaowei seemed surprised to be called out. He clasped his fists and bowed, neither expressing agreement nor disagreement, simply saying, “Lingqiu will obey the decision of the two gentlemen.”

Duan Xu stared at him for a moment, then turned to look at the spacious courtyard. In the midst of winter, the trees were barren, sparsely scattered around the edges of the courtyard, making this expansive space seem even larger. The ground of the courtyard was paved with blue bricks, and weapon racks stood on both sides. The former prefect of Liangzhou was also fond of martial arts.

“I heard that General Wulang is fond of martial arts and has never been defeated. Would you be willing to spar with me?” Duan Xu stood up, stretched his muscles and bones, and smiled at Wu Shengliu. “If I win, you’ll promote the person I recommend. If you win, you’ll promote the person you recommend. How about it?”

Wu Shengliu felt that this bet played right into his hands. He laughed heartily and said, “A man’s word is his bond, General. Don’t go back on your word.”

He was incredibly strong, and his martial arts skills were renowned in the Tabai Army. From the few battles they had fought together, Duan Xu seemed to know some kung fu, but noble-born youths were usually only skilled in superficial techniques.

Wu Shengliu took his weapon, a long knife, and proudly walked into the centre of the courtyard.

Watching this scene from the rooftop of the prefectural mansion, Chenying couldn’t help but worry.

“Why does General Brother want to fight that uncle? That uncle is much stronger and scarier-looking than General Brother. He looks like he can fight well. Brother is going to lose!”

Wearing the veil that Duan Xu had given them that day, covering most of her body, He Simu sat beside him. Between them on the rooftop was a plate of melon seeds. The two of them leaned against the roof of the prefectural mansion, munching on melon seeds and watching the show.

He Simu had cast a spell on the veil, making the wearer invisible to ordinary people. She herself had a hundred ways to conceal herself. Although she and Chenying were sitting on the roof, no one in the courtyard could see them.

She told Chenying that this was also a trick, and the easily deceived child believed it without question.

“Then General Wulang is going to lose,” He Simu said, munching on melon seeds leisurely.

Chenying turned his head in confusion and asked, “Why? General Wulang looks stronger.”

“His skull doesn’t look good.”

“…His skull?”

“Yeah, let me tell you, Chenying, when judging people, you have to start with the skull. Look at the back of his head, it’s flat, his forehead is flat, and the top of his head is not high, nowhere near as good as Duan Xu’s skull.”

“What does having a good-looking skull have to do with martial arts?” Chenying looked bewildered.

He Simu smiled and waved her hand. Chenying obediently leaned over, and she whispered mysteriously in his ear, making up nonsense, “People with good-looking skulls are lucky.”

Chenying nodded in confusion. “Oh, I see.”

“Wulang, please instruct me,” Duan Xu stood in the courtyard, politely bowing to Wu Shengliu.

Wu Shengliu returned the gesture perfunctorily, then lifted his long knife, assumed a stance, and glared fiercely, like a fierce tiger about to pounce.

Duan Xu stood still, holding the Broken Illusion Sword in his hand, but did not draw it from its sheath.

“Why don’t you draw your sword?” Wu Shengliu demanded.

“When it’s time to draw my sword, I will,” Duan Xu replied calmly.

“In that case, I won’t hold back!” Wu Shengliu’s words were barely out of his mouth when he swung his sword towards Duan Xu with a thunderous force, shouting, “Watch my blade!”

Duan Xu remained motionless until Wu Shengliu was only a step away from him, then he took a half step back with his right foot.

He Simu squinted her eyes.

There was a subtle change in the wind around Duan Xu. The loosely entwined threads of wind seemed to distort for a moment before returning to normal. With this half-step back, Duan Xu swiftly dodged Wu Shengliu’s blade, spun around, and appeared behind him in the blink of an eye.

With a swift knee strike to Wu Shengliu’s waist, Duan Xu instinctively leaned back as Wu Shengliu recoiled. Duan Xu then raised his hand to hold the sword hilt, while the other hand grasped the tip of the blade, pulling it back forcefully.

The movement was swift and decisive, like a fleeting shadow.

Wu Shengliu’s long knife clattered to the ground.

If the Broken Illusion Sword had been drawn at that moment, it wouldn’t have been the knife that fell to the ground, but Wu Shengliu’s head.

After a moment of silence, Duan Xu released Wu Shengliu, who was coughing violently and holding his neck.

“My apologies for the rudeness,” Duan Xu said with a smile and a fist salute. His breathing was steady, and the lethal move hadn’t cost him much effort.

He Simu had a mouthful of melon seeds, but she had just remembered to bite down on them.

Chenying stood up in shock, nearly losing his balance. He Simu reached out to grab him, her eyes fixed on Duan Xu in the courtyard.

Once Chenying regained his balance, he rubbed his eyes, then rubbed them again, hardly believing what he had just witnessed. “What just happened? I… I didn’t see anything clearly, but General Brother won?”

Indeed, it was difficult for ordinary eyes to see clearly.

He Simu casually smiled and said, “What happened? What just happened was like a six-year-old child trying to pick a fight, only to be knocked down by an adult with a slap.”

The disparity between Wu Shengliu and Duan Xu was too great, not in terms of Wu Shengliu’s proud strength, but in reaction, speed, and strategy.

And experience.

This young general must have killed many people.

More than Wu Shengliu had ever killed.

Wu Shengliu, at this moment, was also in disbelief. He sat on the ground, panting heavily and clutching his neck, his eyes slowly turning towards Duan Xu, who should have been soft-skinned and weak. He struggled to say, “How… How is this possible…”

“Wu Shengliu, you thought all the high-born youths from the capital were just idlers. You’ve seen many idlers where we come from, but…” Duan Xu bent down, pulling Wu Shengliu up from the ground, and smiled, “I’m not one of them.”

As Wu Shengliu steadied himself on the ground, his gaze towards Duan Xu changed. Although he still held onto a bit of defiance, there was also a hint of curiosity.

Duan Xu returned the Broken Illusion Sword to his waist and said, “I know you’ve never accepted me. Despite that, you’ve never challenged me on the battlefield because you understand the severity of the situation. You know the importance of discipline. You may have disagreed with my disciplinary measures because you care for the soldiers and think I’m too harsh. But Wu Shengliu, you also understand the vast gap between us and the elite forces of Danzhi. If discipline is not strict, we’ll only perish faster.”

Wu Shengliu’s face flushed with embarrassment and anger. After a moment of silence, he gritted his teeth and said, “Fine, you won. No need for so many words. I lost, I’ll learn from Commander Xia in the future.”

With a half-hearted salute towards Xia Qingsheng, he rubbed his neck and said, “I’ll have no objections whenever you decide to announce this matter, General. I’ll support Commander Xia. If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.”

This was the most polite thing he had said since Duan Xu entered. After all, he still referred to himself as “I.”

Han Lingqiu glanced at Duan Xu and followed Wu Shengliu in bidding farewell with his sword.

Duan Xu watched their departing figures with his arms crossed and sighed, “Wu Shengliu is indeed straightforward. But with his temper, if he goes to the capital, he might end up with nothing left but bones.”

The sunlight was bright, and the afternoon sun was warm and gentle. Chenying looked at Duan Xu, who was smiling in the sunshine, and whispered, “General Brother is amazing.”

He Simu rested her chin on her hand, smiling as she said, “Not only does he have a good head, but he also has a good physique. Impressive.”

Chenying then touched his own head and earnestly asked He Simu, “Miss, what about my head? Is my head good?”

He Simu smiled and gently tapped Chenying’s forehead, saying, “Your head is well-rounded, you’re a promising child.”

Suddenly, Meng Wan wondered aloud from under the eaves, “Is it raining melon seeds from the sky?”

He Simu chuckled and picked up Chenying before running off silently.