Chapter 4: Chapter Four: The Saber, Fearless

A violent storm struck, thunder booming, heavy rain pelting down like beans. Ning Ze grumbled about this damned weather; it was rare for rain to fall today, so the old man hadn't gone out hunting, and he gazed at the dark sky with a somewhat grave expression — though there was nothing to see, the air was permeated with a certain stifling pressure.

Ning Ze's buttocks had healed, and the three practiced in the courtyard; rain dripped into their eyes so they could barely keep them open, but Ning Ze kept watching the old man inside the house. The old man hid many secrets, and for so many years everyone had tacitly avoided them.

"The saber — weapon of tyrants, fearless and unafraid, only thus can one hack through brambles. Ancestors sought survival, contending for a sliver of life with the saber; therefore the saber also governs ferocity, accompanied by the great momentum of killing. The saber practitioner takes uprightness as his way, the Great Dao vast and bright, using the unorthodox as supplement, the keen edge and sharp point. The saber — if not drawn then already; once drawn, thunderbolts and ten thousand jun, tyrannically walking the world."

The old man stopped his pondering and spoke the saber art in a heavy tone. As his words fell, heavenly thunder exploded in the dark sky like a silver dragon; one couldn't tell if it was an illusion, but the old man seemed to have just split the heavens open with a keen blade.

Liu Lü'er and Wang Pangdun jumped in fright, while Ning Ze was stunned in place. He had been in this world for so long, and this was the first time he felt he had witnessed inhuman power. That saber art just now had, in the dark, split something open.

"Boom—" The rain grew heavier; where the sky had been torn open, rainwater poured down like the Milky Way flowing backward.

The old man carried a saber into the courtyard; Liu Lü'er and Wang Pangdun had already hidden inside the house, the heavy rain beating their eyelids so they couldn't open them. Ning Ze watched the old man solemnly; the old man said nothing.

The saber emerged, lightning flashed, the blade edge split the rain, water splashing onto Ning Ze's hair — a single strand fell. Another saber stroke, dark light without shadow, the rain unchanged, as if frozen; he sheathed the saber, thunder roared and lightning flashed, the rain scattering and exploding outward.

The saber art resonated with heaven and earth; heavenly thunder moved with the saber's emergence — a saber art of divine marvel. Ning Ze finally knew the old man's strength; for such strength to hunt in this small mountain village was simply a waste.

"These are the saber art's moves; now I'll teach you two blades. Remember that mental formula just now — never tell anyone. Today I pass the saber art to you; as for what comes after, I hope you'll have the chance to learn it yourself. These two moves should be enough for you. Remember: besides you, no one must know the saber art — not even Liu Lü'er and them."

Ning Ze's eyes widened: Are you blind? You taught them right in front of their faces, and now you tell me not to pass it on — do you take me for a monkey?

"In a couple of days, I must leave for a trip and will need some time to return. The world is about to fall into chaos; teaching you two saber moves, I don't know if it's right or wrong. I hope you— never mind; living well is stronger than anything." The old man couldn't get some words out; his tone was full of sorrow and uncertainty, his heart worrying over something.

"Old man, is this departure one you won't return from?" Ning Ze asked with a frown.

"Shouldn't be. This time I'm just going to Xia Yu City; these two days I'll teach you the saber art, no need to worry about me. Who am I, your old man? Within ten li and eight villages I'm invincible — how could anything happen to me?" The front half was still sorrowful; the back half was instantly ruined by the old man's improper deflection.

Ning Ze didn't want to probe further into what the old man was going to do. "What are these few saber moves called? Such formidable saber art — it must be a divine method passed down through the ages. Old man, you really didn't lie to me."

The old man scratched his head and didn't reply; curiosity surged up at once, and Ning Ze pestered him with questions. Afterward Ning Ze's worldview collapsed, his nerves disordered, and he muttered to himself, "First Blade, Second Blade…"

That's right — such an egg-painful name; these two saber moves are called First Blade, Second Blade.

Afterward, Ning Ze asked Liu Lü'er and Wang Pangdun; during the storm they had only seen the old man go out with a saber, thought he went hunting; the heavy rain concealed everything, even sound blocked by thunder. Ning Ze's estimation of the old man's strength rose several notches again.

Within two days, Ning Ze crazily chopped, hacked, and flicked — like a mad demon, because the old man stood behind him threatening him with the saber's spine. Liu Lü'er and Wang Pangdun wanted to laugh but dared not; they were also being drilled like madmen.

"What a pity — no time to properly teach you the saber art. The saber art's essentials have been passed to you; you look the part now, but in truth you don't even have the form. The saber art still requires actual combat to train."

Ning Ze curled his lip: I've only trained a few days — do you expect me to ascend to heaven in one step?

"Don't be unconvinced. According to records, someone comprehended First Blade and Second Blade in forty-nine days, his saber form possessing its spirit. Of course you needn't be discouraged; some people never obtain the method in a lifetime, blocked outside the gate, unable to enter the saber art's divine gate." The old man even glanced sideways at Ning Ze as he said this.

An uncle can bear it, an aunt cannot. Ning Ze's pride was high; he couldn't take provocation. He didn't necessarily have to surpass that pervert, but he absolutely couldn't fail to even enter the gate — after all, this young master is also supremely intelligent.

At the same time, Ning Ze also warned himself: this is a world of immortals and gods; anything is possible, fundamentally cannot be treated with common sense — no, with Earth's common sense. The old man's inhuman power had already shocked Ning Ze; what about the immortals outside? Right now he was no different from an ant.

This world is vast; talents unknown how many, but mediocre masses even more — like floating duckweed not knowing how vast heaven and earth, all ultimately perishing in heaven and earth.

Thinking of this, Ning Ze's gaze firmed; the saber chopped wooden stakes with cracking sounds. At this moment the youth harbored a dream, a dream no one knew.

The old man left, carrying several generations' worth of beast pelts along the mountain path; no one knew when he had left. The old ox was ridden away, so Ning Ze didn't have to herd cattle anymore; every day he practiced saber art in the courtyard. Liu Lü'er and Wang Pangdun freeloaded meals at his house daily — all three were big rice buckets.

Seven days later, even the landlord's house had no surplus grain — especially with three great Rice Kings here. Ning Ze was also dumbfounded; usually he didn't notice because the old man caught much game. Now the old man had been gone a long time, plus training made them eat more — no grain left, very awkward.

"Liu Lü'er, Pangdun, save us quick! The landlord's grain is eaten up — what do we do?" Ning Ze shouted.

Wang Pangdun went frantic; no grain meant death for him. "Ning Ge, I don't want to starve to death."

Liu Lü'er's face reddened a bit, embarrassed; she said in a fine voice: "Ai, these few days we ate a bit much. How about Pangdun and I bring some grain from home?" The last half was so quiet it could barely be heard; her and Pangdun's homes didn't have that much grain, and even if they did it wouldn't be enough for these three to squander.

Thus Ning Ze made a decision: he would go hunting. Liu Lü'er and Wang Pangdun wanted to stop him, but had the will without the power. Actually the three of them had long wanted to try hunting, bring back some food to prove themselves.

The three-person squad agreed and prepared to set out.

Summer sun blazing, yet the forest held a thread of coolness; sunlight couldn't shine directly in, the whole mountain forest looking somewhat dim. Distant beast roars, and nearby insects' rustling sounds. Liu Lü'er's eyes were fearful yet full of resolve; Wang Pangdun felt nothing — he only wanted to find food.

Ning Ze's skill high, courage great, he led the two deeper in; a bundle on his back, unknown what it held.

"We'll go first to the waterfall marked on the map — many wild beasts there."

The three sneaked to the waterfall; several beasts drinking water, quiet and peaceful, several beasts not disturbing each other. Wang Pangdun and Liu Lü'er had already readied their bows; Ning Ze interrupted their movement.

"Shh, wait. Observe first — using bows now easily startles the snake."

Patience brought reward: a spotted leopard attacked from the bushes. The several beasts seemed quietly drinking, but were actually very alert; the bushes just showed a bit of movement and they scattered fleeing in all directions. Before long they were chased deep into the forest — unknown if caught.

"Go, follow me. Watch the ground — check for insects and snakes."

The three carefully approached the river, observing surroundings. Ning Ze saw traces of the spotted leopard's pursuit; his expression turned somewhat grave. Originally he had overestimated these fierce beasts' strength; now it seemed still not enough. The spotted leopard's running had crushed riverbank pebbles to powder — this power was too strong.

Just with the three's strength, afraid it's not even enough to stuff teeth gaps; looks like we can only outwit.

"Good thing this young master has a clever plan. Liu Lü'er, Wang Pangdun — set traps as discussed before."

By the riverbank an extra water pit appeared, with a little water; the three hid in a nearby rock crevice.

The three waited bored; half a day before hearing movement. Good fellow — a small wild boar was thrashing by the water pit, struggling to stand up.

Bad — not enough knockout drug. The three looked at this fierce little wild boar. Ning Ze's heart turned bitter; no choice — the bundle only had three bottles of knockout drug, afraid it wouldn't be enough to knock out a big beast, all three bottles already poured into the water pit. Looks like this boar's constitution and resistance are strong; ordinary dosage can't knock it down.

The three had no choice but to shoot the live target with bows. Arrows flew true; the wounded boar, stimulated by blood, began to wake up. The three lacked strength; drawn arrows only sank an arrowhead into the boar. Arrows exhausted, the little boar still hadn't fallen — instead its ferocity grew.

"This won't do — we three fundamentally can't shoot it dead. If the drug wears off, this boar will surely take revenge. Pangdun, you and Liu Lü'er keep shooting; I'll take the saber and hack it."

"Ning Ge, why don't we just give up? Elders say a wounded but not dead boar is most ferocious — many hunters have been gored to death by boars." Liu Lü'er said anxiously.

"No — strike while it's sick, take its life." Ning Ze raised his saber and charged, leaping to chop at the boar's belly; the saber borrowed the momentum to cut into bone and flesh. The boar struggled desperately. A moment of tension — Ning Ze's saber got stuck in the boar's meat, couldn't be pulled out smoothly. Bad!!