A Good-for-Nothing

166. A Practical Training Session (2)

Translator: Dragon Rider

Xiang Hailou inclined his head in contentment, his rugged face wearing little expression.

“I’m responsible for teaching you some elementary offensive moves, and I’ll also take you to perform some tasks. Whether or not you have any previous experience will not be taken into account. I cannot guarantee all of you will come to no harm, and I certainly won’t help any of you pass the test through the back door or give any of you any special treatment.”

Xiang Hailou’s eyes raked all their faces and then rested on them at large.

“Now if none of you have any queries, come with me to the training ground.”

All eighteen trainees had been bored stiff after listening to Zu Zhichong’s long-winded speech for such a long time. The words had hardly left Xiang Hailou when everybody took up their weapons of their own accord and followed in Xiang Hailou’s wake. Zu Zhichong forsaken by his students stood helplessly on the platform, cutting a lonesome and despondent figure.

He Zheng and Lin Zhuo were bringing up the rear, their fellow trainees walking in front.

After a week, He Zheng and Lin Zhuo were now on pretty good terms. He gave Lin Zhuo a nudge on the arm, and the latter confusedly turned to look at him.

“Do you know anything about the third action group? Why have I barely heard anybody talk about it?”

Wei Cheng was walking very slowly and joined the two of them.

Lin Zhuo was wearing a pair of black-rimmed spectacles, which made him appear even more mild and harmless. He pushed his spectacles back on and said, “The third action group is independent of the first and the second groups. Unlike members of the other two groups who have some privileges, the third action group are more like ‘worker ants’.”

Being like ‘worker ants’ meant that their workload was even heavier than that of any of the other two action groups. They did the hardest job and got the lowest pay.

“Do you still remember I once told you that the written examination of STTP used to precede the interview, but afterwards the rules were changed on a particular person’s account?”

He Zheng flicked an odd look at Lin Zhuo and asked, “Was that person Xiang Hailou, by any chance?”

“Yeah.” Lin Zhuo nodded honestly, gazing at Xiang Hailou’s back with a hint of admiration in his eyes. “Xiang Hailou failed the written examination twice, but he is very powerful – on a par with the other two group leaders, actually – so it was inappropriate to assign him to the first or the second group. Eventually, Xiang Hailou requested to set up a third action group. All people recruited to his group are talents that are somewhat special in some ways.”

He briefly paused and then continued, “Group Leader Zhang seldom shows up in SMB. The reason why he was recalled was probably because the second group had been sent to the south-west and the headquarter was short-handed.”

He Zheng stroked his chin. So this was what it was about.

While talking, they had arrived at the training ground on the rooftop.

Xiang Hailou swiped his entry card. The holographic simulation was a fairly enjoyable view.

After the trainees formed up, Xiang Hailou instructed them to draw their weapons. His own weapon was also a sword, a very thin-bladed one, which was utterly out of tune with its owner.

Kang Ba asked, “Group Leader Xiang, are we here to learn sword-moves from you? I don’t use a sword.”

Xiang Hailou said, “You’re supposed to learn moves through self-study, which is part of the basic training. I’m not going to waste my time on that.”

All trainees were astonished at this reply. He wasn’t teaching them any moves? Then what was the purpose of this training course?

Soon Xiang Hailou gave an explanation which dissolved their confusion.

“All weapons – swords, sabers, whips, halberds, even Gu (a legendary venomous insect, or a poison made with poisonous insect, worm or beetle) and Fu (Fu is a piece of rectangular paper on which magical figures are drawn by Chinese Taoist priests to invoke or expel spirits and bring good or ill fortune) – are weapons first because of their own offensiveness, but more importantly, because the one who wields a weapon can increase its offensiveness.

In this session, I’ll teach you how to maximize your weapons’ offensiveness.

“Sword ranks first among all weapons. It takes energy between heaven and earth, essence of the sun and the moon, and numerous hammering and tempering to forge a decent sword. Swordcraft is my strong point, so later I’m going to make a demonstration with my sword, but I want you to remember this – it’s not moves but how to communicate with your weapon that you’re supposed to learn, and it doesn’t matter what kind of weapon you use, for this principle is universal.

Weapons and magic tools have their own spirits. Though confined to their respective vessels, they do exist. If you manage to master the required skills and bring the spirit in your weapon into play, you’ll find yourself getting twice the result with half the effort in your future cultivation and you’ll be able to wield your weapon with much greater facility.”

For all the eighteen trainees, this was the first time that they heard about this theory. Everyone of them had a thoughtful look on their face, having only a hazy notion. Even Chen Qianlin who was always haughty looked slightly puzzled.

Seeing the expression on their faces, Xiang Hailou holding his sword walked up to a tree and stopped about three paces away from them. At first He Zheng was confused as to why he kept a distance away from them, but when Xiang Hailou began to make his move, He Zheng came to understand.

“I’ll give you a demonstration.”

They all believed that Xiang Hailou was going to display a whole set of sword-moves to them, but the next second, all of them were dumbstruck.

Xiang Hailou mobilized his internal energy with his will. The sword was still in his hand, but sword-light had burst out and smashed a boulder on the side to pieces!

Shock waves of energy rippled outwards from the sword towards trainees nearby, some of whom subconsciously backed away several paces.

He was so powerful. A moment ago, most of the trainees hadn’t really held this obscure group leader of the third action group in high regard, but now they were gaping at him as though he were some kind of god.

Even Chen Qianlin wore a fairly earnest look on his face.

Xiang Hailou was impassive. “Some of you are from large sects and must have learned that when making a move, you’re supposed to gather your Qi first and then will it to move the way you want. The more powerful a cultivator is, the less time he or she needs to gather their Qi. Sect Leader Zu of the Qingwei Sect is capable of performing Fu-craft without reciting the incantation.

Qi follows your will, and your will communicates with your weapon. That was why just now the sword-light did my bidding without me giving a sword strike. You get it?”

All trainees bobbed their heads like chickens pecking at rice.

Xiang Hailou wasn’t sure whether or not they really understood, but since they’d nodded in the affirmative, he skillfully did a swordplay routine and then sheathed his sword. “All right. Now draw your weapons, gather your Qi, will it into the weapons, and try communicating with them. If you have a query, feel free to ask.”