Chapter 58: Great Progress and Full of Vigor
Chapter 58: Chapter 58: Great Progress and Full of Vigor
"Master Qin, you flatter me. I’ve only just started."
Xie Yuan said humbly.
Qin Hai punched him lightly on the arm again and chuckled.
"I feel like you’re showing off! Mastering the basics in a single day, what more do you want? Did you plan to reach perfection in one day, too? Give us old-timers a break!
"Come on! I’m starving. Let’s eat first."
Xie Yuan looked up at the sky and realized that without him noticing, it was already past noon.
With one teaching earnestly and the other improving rapidly, half a day had flown by.
When they arrived at the Escort Agency’s large dining hall, the aroma of food made Xie Yuan’s stomach roar.
He got three large bowls of rice in a row, each topped with glistening, fatty pork. He wolfed it all down before the emptiness in his stomach was finally appeased.
’One tael of silver for room and board... for food like this, the Escort Agency must be subsidizing a lot. This has to be just a symbolic fee.’
’Hmm, a dining hall this big must burn through a lot of firewood every day, right?’
Xie Yuan mused to himself, then asked Qin Hai:
"Master Qin, does everyone at the Escort Agency use sabers?"
"Not necessarily. It’s just that saber techniques are easy to pick up. Most people haven’t trained with weapons much before they get here, so they all start with the saber. Anyway, nearly half of the people in the martial world use sabers, so it doesn’t hurt to learn a few moves.
"Once your cultivation is higher, you can choose another weapon. That’s fine, too. For example, our Boss Zhao uses a spear. But hey, if you want to stand out, you need the strength to back it up."
Qin Hai said indistinctly while shoveling food into his mouth.
Xie Yuan nodded silently, then suddenly asked:
"Does anyone at the Escort Agency use axes? Do we have any axe technique manuals?"
"Axes? There are a few guys who use them, all brawny types. What, you still want to play around with an axe?"
"I was just asking."
Xie Yuan said noncommittally.
Although saber techniques were pretty cool and had a certain heroic flair, Xie Yuan had grown attached to his axe. Plus, it felt very natural in his hands.
Besides, his Chopping Wood ability seemed different from his other skills, capable of producing incredibly powerful killing moves. Xie Yuan wasn’t ready to give up the axe.
’I’m an old woodcutter. I can’t forget my roots.’
Of course, you could never have too many skills. As Qin Hai had said, knowing a few saber moves wouldn’t hurt. If he had enough energy, Xie Yuan even thought it would be feasible to master all eighteen types of weapons and become a weapons master.
"Heh, if you want to use an axe, you’ll have to accumulate contribution points to exchange for the manual. I remember we have one; the Chief Escort collected it a while back. Hmm, the Escort Agency only issues standard-issue long sabers. If you want an axe or a better saber, you can use silver or contribution points to have one forged at the blacksmith’s next door—
"Of course, if you can use silver, I suggest you use silver. Contribution points are never enough. Most people who join the Escort Agency already have some training, but the quality of their cultivation methods varies greatly. A good cultivation method is the foundation of your practice, so it’s usually the first thing everyone exchanges for. For example, your Iron Cloth Shirt is still a bit basic. The Escort Agency has many methods with much better results. You should consider exchanging for one sooner rather than later."
Xie Yuan nodded gratefully. This was a veteran’s guide, well worth listening to.
"Hmm, speaking of which, is the reason you picked up the saber so quickly related to you Chopping Wood for all those years?"
Qin Hai’s chopsticks paused as he was picking up some food, struck by a sudden thought.
"Slicing with a saber, chopping with an axe... they actually have something in common. Of course, all weapons share some similarities, but those two seem even closer."
Xie Yuan was taken aback. He hadn’t thought of it that way.
Then, his eyes lit up slightly. ’It seems he’s right!’
The saber’s vertical chops, horizontal slashes, and diagonal uppercuts were similar to axe techniques; the classic "three axe strokes" followed this same pattern.
Only moves like thrusts and stabs were different from axe techniques.
This was especially true for the vertical chop. Besides differences in center of gravity and range, everything else was more or less the same. And chopping was his foundational skill, one he couldn’t be more familiar with.
A warmth spread through Xie Yuan’s heart. He originally thought his rapid progress was purely because he had unlocked something, but now he realized there was a synergy with his old craft.
’If I think about it and ponder it more carefully, could my progress be even faster?’
Xie Yuan immediately put down his chopsticks, left Qin Hai behind, and said:
"Master Qin, take your time. I’m going back to practice."
Qin Hai, who was in the middle of shoveling a mouthful of rice, stared blankly as Xie Yuan ran off. He shook his head and said:
"What a martial arts fanatic! Heh, no wonder Boss Zhao took a liking to him."
Xie Yuan returned to his small courtyard and excitedly took out the long saber to practice some moves. Then he put it down, took out his own axe, and began swinging it casually.
"There really are many similarities. By comparing the saber techniques to my familiar axe-wielding skills, many of the details become self-evident."
The stone from another mountain can be used to polish one’s own jade. In other words, all paths lead to the same truth.
Feeling that he had come to an understanding, Xie Yuan practiced his saber with even more vigor.
「Several days later.」
[Rushing Wolf Saber Skill - Initiate: (404/500)]
Xie Yuan looked at the numbers before him, a satisfied expression on his face.
’My progress has soared!’
Ever since realizing the connection between the saber and the axe, his saber training had progressed by leaps and bounds. For many parts that were unfamiliar or confusing, he could often find an analogy by comparing them to his extremely familiar axe skills, leading to new insights.
By now, his Rushing Wolf Saber Skill had become increasingly refined. His chopping moves, in particular, were as swift as rushing thunder and as ferocious as a wolf’s attack—incredibly powerful.
And as his progress increased, his mastery of the basic saber moves gradually improved. Thrusts, stabs, and slices were now all fluid and well-practiced. There was no trace of the awkwardness of someone who had only been learning for a few days.
However, besides this epiphany, his rapid progress was also due to his diligent practice.
From morning to night, as long as he had the strength, Xie Yuan was out here swinging his saber.
When he got hungry, he would go to the dining hall and eat several extra bowls of rice. When he was tired, he would return to his room to practice body-nourishing exercises or rest quietly. In the mornings and evenings, he would practice his Iron Cloth Shirt Pile Skill.
With his internal breath circulating and his Blood Qi abundant, Xie Yuan had remarkable stamina.
Every day, every moment, Xie Yuan was immersed in the sense of accomplishment that came from growing stronger, bit by bit.
’To be able to eat and sleep well, with no threats, and just focus on training... what kind of blessed life is this?’
’Only students think school is a bad thing.’
But this immersive training was only temporary. The Escort Agency didn’t support idlers. As good as this place was, Xie Yuan still had to prove he was qualified to stay here.
The more he practiced now, the safer he would be when he eventually went out on a job.
The fact that the Escort Agency was so large was a testament to how unsafe the roads were.
Xie Yuan lived in a shared courtyard where many of the Escort Agency’s guards resided. In the middle was a large open space with stone locks, stone weights, plum blossom poles, and other training equipment.
These past few days, Xie Yuan had spent almost all his time in this training yard, and the guards in the courtyard had all noticed the new face.
The well-informed ones knew this was the guy who had gotten into the Escort Agency through the Vajra Sect. The less-informed ones at least recognized his face.
At that moment, a few guards were sitting under the covered walkway, watching Xie Yuan practice his saber.
"This new guy is a real workhorse."
"Damn, I hate try-hards."
"I thought I worked hard enough, but after seeing this guy, I realize it’s not enough."
"Me too, but I always lose motivation after practicing for half a day with no progress. This guy trains from morning till night. It’s like he’s pumped full of adrenaline or something."
"Maybe it’s just new-recruit excitement..."
After the last person spoke, he realized no one was responding. Instead, they had all quickly shut up and straightened their postures.
He quickly turned his head and saw a tall, stern-faced man walking over.
The guard tensed up like his colleagues and called out a loud greeting:
"Greetings, Mr. Lu!"
More greetings of "Mr. Lu" rang out one after another.
The man nodded, then looked over at Xie Yuan, who had been startled by the commotion. He sized him up and called out:
"You the new guy? What’s your name?"
Xie Yuan retracted his saber and bowed.
"Yes, sir! My name is Xie Yuan. I just joined the Escort Agency and I’m working under Boss Zhao."
The man nodded, walked over quickly, and stopped in front of Xie Yuan with his hands clasped behind his back.
He was a head taller than Xie Yuan. His ramrod-straight posture, like a javelin, blocked the sun and cast a shadow that enveloped Xie Yuan.
"You’re very diligent in your martial arts practice. Very good! Full of spirit!
"However, you just joined the Escort Agency, so why are you practicing the Rushing Wolf Saber Skill?"