Chapter 31 The Way of the Sword

Upon hearing this, Genzo’s gaze flickered slightly behind his glasses.

He gently stroked the bamboo sword at his waist, pondered for a moment, then smiled and said.

“An interesting proposal.”

“However, the dojo’s rule has always been that disciples decide for themselves whether to accept a challenge.”

Before his words faded, a cold snort suddenly came from the corner of the dojo.

Zoro slung the bamboo sword over his shoulder and strode forward.

“Master, let me face him.”

Huiye carefully sized up Zoro, noticing that the bandages wrapped around his palms were already stained with blood, yet he still tightly gripped the bamboo sword.

“You are Roronoa Zoro?”

Huiye asked with interest.

“I heard you aspire to become the world’s greatest Great Sword Master?”

“Hmph, so what if I am?”

Zoro bit another bamboo sword in his mouth, assuming a Three Sword Style stance.

“If you want to fight, hurry up.

Don’t delay my training.”

The disciples in the dojo stepped back one after another, forming a circle.

Nami quietly leaned close to Nojiko’s ear.

“This Moss-head doesn’t look easy to deal with.”

But Nojiko noticed a flicker of relief in Genzo’s eyes.

Huiye slowly walked to the side and picked up a training bamboo sword.

He did not attack immediately but suddenly asked.

“How many times do you swing your sword each day?”

Zoro was taken aback for a moment, then replied impatiently.

“At least two thousand times.

What, are we chatting now?”

“No, just confirming.”

Huiye’s lips curled slightly.

“Because from now on, I’ll make you remember every single strike from today.”

Before his words faded, his figure suddenly vanished from where he stood, leaving only an afterimage.

Zoro’s pupils contracted sharply, his three bamboo swords instinctively crossing to block.

“Crack!”

A crisp clashing sound echoed through the dojo.

Zoro felt a tremendous force surge through him, causing his entire body to slide backward several meters, leaving two deep marks on the wooden floor.

He gritted his teeth, a blazing fighting spirit igniting in his eyes.

“Interesting!”

Zoro began studying the way of the sword at the Isshin Dojo in the year 1509 of the Sea Calendar, and this year marked his eighth year of training.

His foundation in the way of the sword was far more solid than Huiye’s.

But perhaps because the Isshin Dojo was not wealthy, and they had to secretly fund the Revolutionary Army, their meals were not particularly good.

At this time, Zoro’s body was not particularly strong; neither his strength nor speed matched that of Huiye, who ate lavish meals daily and trained frantically.

Zoro steadied himself, fine beads of sweat forming at his temples.

He could feel the stinging pain in his palms, but the fighting spirit in his eyes burned even more fiercely.

“Again!”

He growled lowly, pushing off forcefully with his feet, his three bamboo swords slicing through the air in sharp arcs toward Huiye.

Huiye calmly sidestepped, the bamboo sword in his hand seeming to come alive, each block executed perfectly.

Their figures rapidly crisscrossed in the dojo, the sound of bamboo swords clashing like a dense rain of droplets.

The disciples held their breath, afraid to miss any thrilling moment.

“Your sword technique is strange.

It seems chaotic, yet every strike targets my vital points.”

Zoro said, panting heavily during a brief pause in the exchange.

Huiye smiled faintly.

“Surviving at sea is all about practicality.”

As he spoke, he suddenly changed his move, thrusting the bamboo sword at a tricky angle toward Zoro’s ribs.

Zoro hastily defended but was still forced back several steps.

Zoro’s breathing grew ragged, sweat trickling down his cheeks.

He stared intently at Huiye, a sense of unprecedented frustration rising in his heart.

This seemingly casual opponent wielded each strike with a sharp killing intent, as if honed by instinct on the brink of life and death.

“Your sword…

has no school.”

Zoro gritted out.

Huiye shook the bamboo sword lightly and smiled calmly.

“At sea, the sword that lets you survive is a good sword.”

Genzo stood to the side, his gaze thoughtful behind his glasses.

He saw that although Huiye’s sword technique was rough, it contained rich practical experience.

This wild swordsmanship was completely different from the disciplined way of the sword taught in the dojo.

“Zoro, pay attention to his rhythm.”

Genzo softly reminded.

Zoro took a deep breath, adjusting his breathing.

He suddenly changed tactics, no longer rushing to attack but focusing on defense, searching for an opening in Huiye’s movements.

The three bamboo swords in his hands shifted flexibly, forming an impenetrable defense.

A flicker of appreciation appeared in Huiye’s eyes.

He deliberately left an opening, luring Zoro to strike.

Zoro indeed took the bait, unleashing all three swords straight at Huiye’s center.

However, Huiye was prepared.

With a flash of movement, his bamboo sword struck like a venomous snake toward Zoro’s throat.

“Stop!”

Genzo suddenly called out.

The bamboo sword halted just inches from Zoro’s throat.

Zoro’s eyes widened, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

“The match is decided.”

Genzo walked forward and patted Zoro’s shoulder.

“You did well, but there’s still a gap in experience.”

Huiye put away his bamboo sword and nodded slightly.

“I concede.”

Zoro clenched his fists, unwilling to accept it.

“I can still fight!”

Genzo shook his head.

“The way of the sword is not about stubbornness.

Learning to accept defeat is also a form of growth.”

Huiye looked at Genzo and said seriously.

“Now, can we discuss our transaction?”

Genzo pondered for a moment, then finally nodded.

“Follow me.”

The two arrived at the tea room in the dojo’s backyard.

Genzo poured a cup of clear tea for Huiye and said slowly.

“To unleash a Flying Slash, it lies in the unity of heart and sword.”

“I can guide you, but whether you can break through depends on yourself.”

Huiye picked up the teacup and said solemnly.

“Thank you.”

Huiye stayed at the Isshin Dojo for three months.

During this time, the two Sisters, Nami and Nojiko, also received guidance from Genzo.

Unlike Huiye, who had self-studied the way of the sword for over two years and already developed his own style,

the two of them had only just begun learning the way of the sword and had not yet formed their own styles.

So Genzo’s guidance for them focused more on basic training and imparting the philosophy of the way of the sword.

Striving to lay a solid foundation for them.

As for Huiye, Genzo could only guide him on how to fill in the gaps in his foundation and how to integrate the wild swordsmanship from practical combat with orthodox sword techniques.

Three months later, Huiye finally filled in the gaps in his foundation and seamlessly integrated wild swordsmanship with orthodox sword techniques.

His sword technique was no longer chaotic but combined sharp killing intent with the steady depth of the way of the sword.

At that moment, he finally grasped the true essence of the Flying Slash.

The morning mist enveloped the Isshin Dojo.

Huiye stood in the center of the courtyard, slowly closing his eyes.

He felt the flow of the wind, the bamboo sword trembling slightly in his hand as if merging with his breath.

“The sword is the heart, the heart is the sword.”

He murmured softly, then suddenly swung the sword!

An invisible sword aura shot through the air, cleanly splitting a distant bamboo target in two, the cut as smooth as a mirror.

“Success!”

Zoro stood not far away, his eyes flashing with shock and unwillingness.

He clenched his fists, vowing silently in his heart.

“Someday, I will master this power too!”

Genzo nodded with relief, his gaze deep and gentle behind his glasses.

“Huiye, your talent is astonishing.”

Huiye put away his bamboo sword, turned, and bowed deeply to Genzo.

“Thanks to your guidance.”

Genzo smiled faintly and patted his shoulder.

“The path of the way of the sword is endless.

I hope you continue to refine yourself.”

Having learned the Flying Slash, Huiye did not plan to stay here any longer.

He turned to look at Nami and Nojiko.

Before he could speak, Nami spoke up.

“When are we leaving?”

“Aren’t you planning to stay here and learn the way of the sword?”

“Of course not.

Wherever you go, we go.

Didn’t we agree on that long ago?”

Genzo watched the three of them with a smile.

“Nojiko has a calm and steady personality, attentive and focused.”

“She shows great talent in the way of the sword.”

“Nami has a lively personality, clever and quirky, unable to immerse her mind fully in the way of the sword.”

“She can learn sword techniques but will find it difficult to achieve great success.”

“I have taught you the basics of the way of the sword.

From now on, the path is yours to walk.”

Nojiko nodded solemnly in thanks, while Nami playfully stuck out her tongue.

The three packed their simple belongings and bid farewell to the Isshin Dojo under the morning sun.

Genzo stood at the dojo entrance, watching them depart.

Zoro, meanwhile, silently swung his sword in a nearby bamboo grove, sweat soaking through his clothes.

Those few chests of treasure were forcibly given away by Huiye.

A transaction is a transaction, he said.