Chapter 449: Melee Training — The Use of the Changdao

"Come on, it's your turn."

The Warrior nodded excitedly, but then looked suspiciously at Jier's empty hands.

"I know what you're going to say. Why am I empty-handed, right?"

Jier scratched his head: "Actually, I don't have a spare blade here to use as a teaching tool. For melee weapons, I generally use my sword or that blue axe."

In fact, Jier did have one; he had once seized a fine Battle Knife at Bingxun Pass, but he didn't want to bring it out. After all, it was different from an axe. Axes were very common weapons; if he just pulled out an axe, others—especially the rest of the caravan—wouldn't necessarily find it strange, merely assuming it was Knight Jier's old weapon or a backup.

But not many people in the Saint Hors Kingdom used Changdao; people here were more accustomed to using Long Swords as melee weapons. Weapons like Changdao or Battle Knives were used more by the human Kingdoms further south, and rumor had it that the Elves preferred Changdao over Long Swords.

Because of the Elves, some Nobles in the Kingdom often wore a Changdao modeled after Elven styles as a ceremonial sidearm.

Facing this answer from Knight Jier, the Warrior felt a bit unlucky. What was he supposed to do now!

"It's fine, I can still teach with one blade. To be honest, I've only ever fought enemies who used Battle Knives, but I don't really use this type of weapon myself. When you learn, choose and discern for yourself; if you find something useful, learn it. If it's useless, or doesn't have much to do with how blade-type weapons are used, then don't use it. How about that?"

Facing Jier's words, the Warrior apologized repeatedly: "Whatever the Knight says is surely correct. It was my mistake to choose a Changdao as my weapon. I'm very troubled now, because if it breaks in battle, I don't know where I could find a new Changdao as a backup or replacement."

He hesitated for a moment and then said: "My Lord, how about I switch to a Long Sword instead?"

Jier waved his hand: "Just use it for now. Come, let me see your blade."

The Warrior handed over the Changdao in his hand. This blade was quite pitiful; it didn't have a proper scabbard, and the Warrior had simply wrapped the blade in a strip of cloth stained with suspicious blood and mended with rags.

Jier unwrapped the cloth and discovered that although the 'scabbard' was sloppy, the blade itself had been well-maintained by the Warrior. The blade was clean and bright, with slight dulling on the edge—proof of combat—but most of it had been well-honed and cared for.

He lightly wiped the edge of the Changdao with his gloved finger, finding the edge sturdy and sharp; a light rub left a scratch on Jier's hard cowhide glove.

"Well maintained," Jier praised. The Warrior immediately brought out several stones of different grit and chattered on about how he polished this Changdao.

Jier nodded and carefully examined the weapon.

The Changdao had no name; it was straight overall, single-edged, with the other side thickened. The tip had no curve, just a sharp point; clearly, it could also be used for thrusting.

The Changdao was quite long, at least longer than the Long Swords in the hands of the other Warriors, which could offer quite an advantage in battle.

The handguard of the blade was metal and relatively heavy, which effectively balanced the weight of the blade, allowing the Craftsman who forged it to place the center of gravity in a suitable position.

If the center of gravity is forward, the blade is for heavy cleaving; if it is backward, the blade is flexible for turning. If the center of gravity is in the middle, it is more balanced, suitable for Warriors of average martial skill.

Because the end of the Changdao's hilt lacked the counterweight ball found on typical Long Swords, the handguard of this weapon was made heavier to balance the center of gravity. As for the hilt of this Changdao, the tang was clamped by a piece of hardwood, then wrapped in animal hide and secured with thin cord.

Although the Warrior was diligent in maintaining the blade and edge, the hilt had never been disassembled once. One could clearly judge from the grime and bloodstains on the thin cord and animal hide that it hadn't been cleaned in a long time.

Seeing Knight Jier looking at the hilt, the Warrior immediately explained: "My Lord, I was afraid that if I took apart the binding cord, I wouldn't be able to tie it back, so I never disassembled it. It is a bit dirty here."

He scratched his head, but Jier didn't mind.

Taking the Changdao in his right hand, Jier swung it a few times, producing a sharp whistling sound. Then, gripping it with both hands to perform some cleaving, Jier found the blade was actually not bad.

He shook it left and right; although the blade was long, it didn't wobble much.

"Alright, this blade is okay. I suspect this wasn't custom-made by the Bandits themselves, but rather a weapon they looted and then used," Jier said. "So, shall we begin now?"

"Knight, I am ready," the Warrior said loudly after standing straight.

Jier nodded and began to explain: "The primary attack method for blade-type weapons is swinging and cleaving, especially against enemies without Armor; its combat effectiveness is more efficient than the common Long Sword. At the same time, because blade-type weapons are simpler in form than Long Swords, their combat style is also simple and direct."

Jier held it with one hand and thrust forward, then stepped forward with both hands to thrust: "That is the Thrust. Your blade has a sharp tip, so it can be used for thrusting attacks. If it were a blade-type weapon mainly for cleaving, the tip might not be so sharp, and the curve of the tip might even follow the blade all the way to the hilt."

Subsequently, Jier quickly performed a single-handed straight cleave, then raised the blade with both hands over his head to build momentum and cleaved forward: "Then there is the Heavy Cleave. This is its most powerful move, but do not use it to strike hard against an enemy's Metal Armor or Metal Helmet. Depending on your strength, it might break because of it."

"I said before, try to use it against enemies without Armor, or whose Armor is not metal; only then can this weapon be effective. When you face an enemy wearing Metal Armor and equipped with a Shield, a Changdao of this level won't be of much use. At that time, I suggest you switch targets, or temporarily switch weapons to continue fighting."

The Warrior using the Changdao immediately acknowledged, though it was unclear if he had really taken it to heart.

"Secondly." Jier gripped the blade and quickly performed Diagonal Chops back and forth, both from top to bottom and bottom to top. The movements were fluid, and with every swing, Jier stepped forward, creating an aura of relentless pressure. The force was sufficient, and the attack range was expanded as a result.

Every swing of the blade produced a sharp whistling sound in the air, but when Jier really put some strength into it, he could feel the blade beginning to vibrate abnormally.

Because the speed and force were too great, a portion of the blade's vibration was transmitted to the hilt and perceived by Jier. This made him sigh, as Jier had already sensed where the limit of this Changdao lay.

At this moment, he suddenly had an impulse, because he also had a Battle Knife he had seized from a Bandit leader at Bingxun Pass. He wanted to try it, to test what the limit of that weapon was.

Would it be stronger than the one in his hand?

"Secondly, there is the Heavy Cleave. Be careful when using it; do not stand in one place to swing the blade, as that prevents you from utilizing the strength of your whole body. By taking a step forward, you can use part of the strength from your waist. The strength of a human waist far exceeds that of the arms; you must pay attention to this."

The Warrior nodded to show he understood, and mimicked Jier's swinging motion with his hands, stepping forward while swinging.

Jier continued: "Similar to other weapons, it can also perform horizontal slashes for wide-range attacks, which is also a means to force enemies back. Besides these basic combat moves, the difference between a blade and a Long Sword is that because it is only single-edged, its attack motions are simpler, faster, and more convenient. It is just a matter of constantly moving around the enemy and using various angles to cleave at the enemy's weak points."

Subsequently, Jier's movements were no longer mechanical; his footwork moved, his body became elusive, and the Changdao in his hand began to swing from different directions.

"Single-handed gripping is more flexible and fast. When dealing with unarmored enemies, there are more fighting styles you can use, and it is more skillful." Jier flicked his right hand, passing it over his head, causing the Changdao to quickly draw a circle near his head, building momentum to cleave toward the potential neck position of an enemy in front.

Then he turned in place, using the rotational force of his body to deliver a single-handed cleave.

The faster Jier turned, the more slashes he delivered. The blade reflected the light of the campfire, leaving behind eye-catching arcs of light in the air, causing the other Warriors still training nearby to notice, watching him intently.

Weier was somewhat surprised; he hadn't expected that Knight Jier, a Northerner from the Northwest Province of the Saint Hors Kingdom, could demonstrate the Changdao—a weapon more commonly used by the human Kingdoms in the south—so skillfully.

If one were to say he had been specifically taught this technique before, it didn't look like it. Because although Knight Jier appeared to have received a good education, he was clearly not a local Noble who would use a Changdao here, and he himself knew nothing about the news from the southern Kingdoms.

He didn't even know many of the basic common-sense facts from there.

In that case, it could only be that Knight Jier's talent in martial arts was at work? To be able to master a new weapon he had little understanding of to this level upon first contact?

Weier felt a bit jealous. He considered himself to have some talent in Sword Technique, but compared to Knight Jier, his couldn't be called talent; it could only be said that he had slightly mastered the use of the Long Sword.

Weier actually didn't know that Jier—that is, Zhao Ji—had simply lived in an era of an information wave in his previous life, where there was a vast amount of knowledge and information on the internet that affected the whole world, more than one could ever hope to see in a lifetime.

Jier's true talent was in shooting; he was exceptionally accurate. He didn't even need much practice to achieve skills and shooting results that even old Hunters who had used bows for years couldn't reach.

If he used this talent to join the Hunting God Church, he could at least become a Saint of the Hunting God Church, directly blessed by the deity. Unfortunately, Jier didn't practice archery or similar shooting much; he just treated it as an extra long-range attack method—it was fine if he had it, and it didn't matter if he didn't.

Finally, Jier stopped, only slightly out of breath. He looked left and right, and everyone was staring at him. Jier waved his hand: "Everyone continue your own training; there's no need to stare here. Every weapon has its own way of being used; no need to envy, and no need to force anything."

Only then did everyone go back to their own business.

The Shield Squad practiced attack and defense in pairs, the Archery Squad was still working hard on accurate night shooting, attempting to improve their accuracy in night combat. The few basic members of the Melee Squad already considered their combat stance to be solid and were incorporating the basic combat moves into their fighting habits.

As for the four Warriors who used swords, they found two more tree branches, divided into two groups, and used the branches to replace real swords for attack and weapon-parrying training. The two Warriors holding axes stood to the side, constantly raising their axes and cleaving down at the empty ground; it looked very much like they were chopping firewood?

"How is it?" Jier inverted the Changdao and handed it to the Warrior.

The Warrior changed from his previous steady image and gave a bitter smile: "Only now do I feel that I really know nothing about how to use this weapon; I'm like an infant."

Jier said indifferently: "Infants are good; they are not at all bound by past knowledge and can wholeheartedly learn new knowledge quickly. You must know that when a person already has a judgment in their mind about a matter or thing, it becomes very difficult for them to correctly perceive a thing again."

"Choose a combat style that belongs to you, either Heavy Cleave and heavy hacking, or fast, agile, and nimble movements," Jier suggested.

After thinking for a while, this Warrior made a decision: "I will still go with the agile combat method. Because you also said that this weapon is difficult to cause significant damage to enemies wearing armor, but it is easy to cause damage to enemies without armor. Then, Heavy Cleave and heavy hacking combat will be left to other Warriors who can break armor, while I will use light movement and agile moves to deal with unarmored or lightly protected enemies."

Jier patted this Warrior's shoulder with satisfaction: "I am very happy that you have made a correct decision. However, I still have one last piece of advice for you."

"Please speak, my lord," this Warrior bowed slightly.

Jier patted his own left forearm and suggested: "It is good that you pursue agile movements, but your defense must also keep up. You need a light shield, at least you must have a shield, right? Otherwise, how will you deal with stray arrows in battle or stones thrown by enemies? A light shield does not take up much weight, and at the same time, it can help you withstand one or two fatal attacks."

After he finished speaking, he took the small triangular Wooden Shield that was kept with Xueya Site and handed it to this Warrior: "Although it is just the simplest Wooden Shield, having one is better than having none! Take it, and hang it on your belt when you are not using it."

This Warrior took the shield, not knowing how to use it for a moment, so he had to hang it on his belt as Knight Jier said.

"Then practice, starting from the basic movements, and then gradually move toward the combat direction you have chosen. Gradually progress your footwork from taking one step to launch one attack, to agile displacement and agile blade swinging. At the same time, use the Changdao itself to perform blocks; you can also practice with those four Warrior partners over there who use Long Swords."

"I understand, Knight Jier." After this Warrior replied, he did not immediately go to find his companions for weapon blocking practice, but started from the basic movements Jier demonstrated, practicing the single-handed movements of the Changdao and the combat movements after switching to a two-handed grip.

"You two wait a moment, I will come to find you after I drink some water. You just stand there and wait for a while," Jier said to Weier and Aoni, and the two also waved in response, waiting for Knight Jier to rest for a while.

After all, he had spoken so many words in a row, and in between, he had continuously conducted several training drills, so the amount of exercise was not small.

"Come, Jier, drink some water!" Xueya Site walked over carrying a wooden Water bottle, and Jier did not stand on ceremony, taking it and gulping down the water into his stomach.

"This spring is really getting hotter day by day," Jier said, and began to take off the armor on his body piece by piece. He felt that the surrounding environment was still safe, as it was far from Babotali Valley and far from Yemei Town in the north, while it was still a few days' distance from Changmai Village in the south. In this surrounding area, as Priest Bata'er said, there had been no signs of Magic Beast activity for a long time, with only some common wild beasts and rare Monsters appearing.

It was still safe.

"I won't wear this Hard Cowhide Full-Coverage Armor anymore; for one, it's hot, and for another, it seems I don't need it," Jier said, walking toward his carriage. While walking, he dismantled the armor parts on his body, and after reaching the carriage, he moved a Wooden Box out from the carriage, which was a Wooden Box specially used for storing armor.

After Jier took off the armor and packed it into the box, he changed into a set of light, old clothes and turned to climb into the carriage. It looked like he was putting away the Wooden Box containing the armor, but in reality, he ran into the lady's dream again.

He could not wait to test the quality of the Battle Knife he had captured before.

Moreover, in the lady's dream, he could use his full strength to see to what extent he could perform now using a blade-type weapon.

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? (End of this chapter)