Aspirations

Chapter 156 Damascus Sword
"What is the blood on the sword?" Lian Ruohan was relieved seeing that there was no injury on Mantuo's body, and was very puzzled where the blood on Mantuo's sword came from.

"It's funny to say, it's a wolf." Man Tuo said, "I have fought against Yan Hao several times, and each time I won a small victory, but it's not because my martial arts are better than Yan Hao, but because Yan Hao didn't try his best. Furthermore, I have Xiao Wu to help me. It is not true that Yan Hao is ranked third, in my opinion, it is more appropriate for Yan Hao to be ranked fifth and sixth."

Xia Xiang thought for a while: "So, your martial arts is slightly inferior to Yan Hao, ranking No. 7, so there are three or four people before Yan Hao and after Master? Today's people are just one of them. ?”

"It should be, today's person is a woman." Man Tuo nodded slightly, "I chased all the way, and after chasing for several miles, I didn't see her whereabouts, so I knew that this person was at least better than me in lightness kung fu. When I was about to return, she suddenly appeared in front of me and blocked my way."

"Although it was dark and her face was covered with a black veil, I could still tell at a glance that she was a woman. She was not very old, holding a long sword like me, standing quietly under the moonlight , just like a phoenix-tailed bamboo." Mantuo recalled the situation at that time, and she still had lingering fears. She had practiced martial arts for many years, and she felt the chill for the first time when she fought against someone. "I asked who she was, but she didn't answer. , I fought with her. It was only after fighting that I realized that the opponent's martial arts were a bit weird."

eccentric?Xia Xiang and Lian Ruohan looked at each other, they didn't understand martial arts, although they were astonished, they didn't know what Man Tuo meant by weirdness.

Man Tuo saw the doubts of the two, and then said: "The so-called weirdness means that her martial arts are not the orthodox Central Plains martial arts, but very similar to the moves of the barbarians. The Central Plains martial arts pay attention to opening and closing freely. In the land of Hainan, martial arts are mostly light and dexterous, moving and jumping. Her martial arts methods are neither like opening and closing, nor moving and jumping. The antelope hangs its horns, and there is no trace to be found, making it hard to figure out."

Xia Xiang remained silent. Although he didn't see the opponent make a move with his own eyes, but from what Man Tuo said, this person should not come from the so-called barbarian land.Before the Han Dynasty, the barbarian lands mostly referred to the ethnic minorities around China. After the Tang Dynasty, the territory of Huaxia expanded, and many so-called barbarian lands belonged to China. The land in the north has become the territory of the Great Xia, and it is under the Putian that it is the land of the king; on the shore of the land, it is the land of the king.

The barbarians Manta mentioned should be the Hu Yi, the Hu people from the great land of Persia outside the northwest.Since the founding of Daxia, the national power has been strong and the world has surrendered. Many foreign envoys have come to pay tribute, and many foreign races have settled in Daxia and are unwilling to return to the country.The culture of the Chinese nation has evolved for thousands of years, and it was created in the Great Xia Dynasty. The Great Xia was far superior to the Han and Tang Dynasties in terms of territory, national strength and cultural prosperity.

"I fought with her for more than [-] moves, so I just made a feint, took a step back, and asked her why she approached Xia Xianzun, was she plotting something wrong? The other party said that she was entrusted by someone to take Xia Xianzun's life , because Xia Xianzun is a corrupt official and dog official who does all kinds of evil, and she wants to take the head of the dog official."

"There is no human head on the dog officer's neck, it should be a dog's head." Xia Xiang laughed at himself.

Lian Ruohan said indignantly: "Whether she is a fool or a blind person, if Xia Xianzun is a dog official for the fish and meat people, is there still a good official in Daxia? She is talking nonsense with her eyes open, she has martial arts, but she has no brains. What a shame!" Pathetically stupid."

Man Tuo was amused by Lian Ruohan's anger: "Miss Lian, don't be angry, she may have been deceived by others, or she may have been instructed by others to use other people's money to eliminate disasters, but whatever she says, Xia Xianzun is good anyway. The official is still a dog official, and the hearts of the people are like a mirror. I asked her again, if Xia Xianzun was a great good official, if she killed Xia Xianzun, would she kill the good official by mistake? But she said, no matter whether Xia Xianzun is a good official Officials are bad officials, just kill them, anyway, the good ones are not much better than the bad ones, they deserve to die!"

Lian Ruohan burst into laughter: "Why do you sound like a resentful woman who was abandoned by you all the time?"

Xia Xiang yelled at being wronged: "I will neither fish for the common people, nor molest women from good families, nor will I be merciless. I will never do such a thing as chaos and abandonment."

Man Tuo looked at Xia Xiang with complicated eyes, and then said: "I asked who entrusted her, if someone paid her to kill Xia Xianzun, I would pay three times for her to kill the money." But she said that she promises to be loyal when entrusted by others, and she will not go back on what she promises just because someone pays more. I asked who she was, but she stopped answering and stabbed me three times. Fierce and deadly. I know that only a desperate fight can make the opponent retreat, so I didn't hesitate and used the most powerful killing move."

Xia Xiang was startled. From his impression, since he knew Mantuo, even when fighting with others, Mantuo was calm and unhurried. She had never seen her use her full strength. It can be seen that the opponent she met this time was indeed difficult.

Man Tuo's face became serious: "Not only is she very good at swordsmanship, but also her lightness kung fu is superior to mine, and she can also use throwing knives just like me. I fought with her for more than half an hour, and we were tied , she stopped suddenly and advised me to leave Xia Xianzun, otherwise it would be a pity that I was too good at martial arts, and I was too lazy to listen to her ramblings, so I raised my hand and threw a throwing knife, but she turned around and ran away after blocking the flying with her sword."

"Don't chase after you if you run away, don't chase after the poor." Although Mantuo has returned safely now, Xia Xiang still couldn't help worrying about her at that time.

"I don't want to chase, but I can't if I don't chase, she is running back." Mantuo took another sip of water before saying, "I was worried that if she returned the same way, it would be bad for Xia Xianzun, so I chased after her. She fired three throwing knives in a row, but she dodged all of them. She was very good at lightness, and after a few breaths, the distance between me and me became farther and farther. After that, she threw the long sword in her hand. Fortunately, she dodged the flying knife, but not the long sword..."

"Is she injured?" Lian Ruohan asked in surprise.

"No." Mantuo shook his head, "After the long sword flew out, she managed to dodge, but had to slow down and was chased by me. In her rage, she killed me, not only did the sword Fa Ruhong flew out several throwing knives one after another. I dodged most of them, but I couldn't dodge one..."

"Are you injured?" Lian Ruohan was startled, and looked up and down Mantuo, "Where is the injury? Let me see."

"I'm fine, a little injury, it doesn't matter." Man Tuo waved his hand and continued, "Although I was stabbed, I was not seriously injured. I used the ultimate move - the Immortal Fourteen Swords. The Immortal Fourteen Swords Mobilize the strength of the whole body, and perform fourteen sword moves in one breath, without stopping for a moment in between, it must be done in one breath, like flowing clouds and flowing water, or rising like clouds and fog."

Although Xia Xiang didn't see it with his own eyes, he yearned for it: "If in the early morning, under the morning sun, in the forest where the morning mist is just rising, Lady Mantuo is flying like a flying sky, casting the fourteen swords of an immortal. "

"You don't care about Miss Mantuo's injury, you only know that you are thinking wildly, which really failed Miss Mantuo's sincerity." Lian Ruohan gave Xia Xiang a big white eye in dissatisfaction.

Xia Xiang smiled embarrassingly: "Young lady taught you the right thing. But I have just secretly inspected Miss Mantuo's injuries, and there is nothing serious."

"Ah? Where is Miss Mantuo's injury? Why didn't I see it?"

"Don't interrupt Miss Mantuo, let her finish." Xia Xiang gave Lian Ruohan a dissatisfied look.

Mantuo coughed softly: "The Immortal Fourteen Swords is a unique move taught to me by my master, and I can't use it easily. Once I use it, it will exhaust the whole body's energy, and it will take seven days to recover. But in order to stop her, I can't take care of it." A lot. Master said, looking at the whole Great Xia, there are only a handful of people who can complete fourteen moves under the fourteen swords of the immortal. I originally wanted to end her life within fourteen moves to prevent her from doing evil again. She didn't want to use three moves, she exclaimed, she recognized Immortal Fourteen Swords, and asked me who I am from Lin Shangxian."

"I didn't answer her. I just slashed one sword after another, determined to put her to death. She finally couldn't stand it anymore, turned around and fled. Before leaving, she said, wait for me to come back, and I will come to you again. If you really Disciple of Lin Shangxian, I advise you not to follow Xia Xiang, a dog official, and insult your master's name." Man Tuo's eyes showed doubts, "She should know the master, but the master never mentioned to me that she knew a Master Hu Yi. After she left, I couldn't hold back. Once the Immortal Fourteen Swords were used, I had to finish them all in one breath before I could stop. The last sword was a sword flying into the sky. I flew out with one sword and cut off a small tree The tree, with its momentum undiminished, crucified a passing wolf."

"It's really dangerous." Lian Ruohan was terrified, and then looked Mantuo up and down a few times, "Where is Miss Mantuo injured? Does it matter?"

Xia Xiang pushed Lian Ruohan away, and pulled out a small knife shaped like a hairpin from Mantuo's head: "Ms. Lian didn't realize that the knife that Mantuo's lady stabbed was on her head? Fortunately, it only hurt her hair, not Injured flesh... Hey, Damascus knife!"

The knife in Xia Xiang's hand was the same shape and size as a hairpin, but it was very curved, like a crescent moon.The blade is covered with various patterns, like flowing clouds and flowing water, which is very beautiful.

"What is a Damascus knife?" Mantuo couldn't help being very surprised when he heard the term Damascus knife for the first time.

"Damascus knives come from Persia." Lian Ruohan knew a thing or two about Damascus knives. She was surprised by Xia Xiang's profound knowledge. "Xia Xianzun has seen Damascus knives before?"

"This is the first time I saw it." Xia Xiang smiled subtly, "Many books have recorded it, and my husband also told me that Damascus knives are made of Uzi steel, with casting patterns all over them, usually machetes, Damascus knives The unique smelting technology and forging method have always been the technical secrets of the Persians and are not known to the outside world. The characteristic of Damascus knives is that the veins are like silk weaves, dazzling luster, and extremely sharp.”

While speaking, Xia Xiang gently slashed the knife across the table, and a scratch more than half an inch deep was immediately visible on the table.

"Damascus knives are extremely expensive, and most people can't afford them, let alone throw away throwing knives." Xia Xiang handed the knife to Lian Ruohan. It is above the iron... It is said that the Utz steel used in Damascus is second only to the steel refined from the boulders that fell from the sky."

Lian Ruohan took the knife in his hand, looked at it for a few times, and was full of praise: "What a beautiful pattern, like the clouds in the sky, and like the ripples on the water."

"Could it be that she is Fang Shiniang, one of the top ten masters of the Great Xia?" Xia Xiang said thoughtfully, "Fang Shiniang is called the chasing soul sound, which should mean that her martial arts wins with femininity, and she follows her like a shadow, chasing souls and life. However, according to Mrs. Mantuo, this person's martial arts is strong. Besides, Fang Shiniang is the name of a Daxia, so it is possible that there is another woman among the top ten masters besides Mrs. Mantuo and Fang Shiniang. ?”

"Stupid." After sharing the bed with Xia Xiang last night but not sleeping together, Lian Ruohan became closer to Xia Xiang a lot, and she no longer respected and alienated Xia Xiang as before, but More casual and intimate, "The top ten masters of the Great Xia are talking about the masters of the Great Xia, and Lady Mantuo's opponent is a Persian, so they cannot be included in the top ten masters of the Great Xia."

"That's right, why did I neglect this point?" Xia Xiang chuckled, "Miss Mantuo is also tired, so let's go to rest."

Man Tuo nodded, showing a slightly uneasy expression: "She knows that I won't recover my skills within seven days, Xia Xianzun must be careful in these few days."

"Don't be afraid, Xiao Wu should be back. With him here, if we send some more people, I think she won't dare to act rashly. Lady Lian, you go to rest with Lady Mantuo first, I still have some business to deal with."

After Lian Ruohan and Man Tuo left, Liu'er came in to serve Xia Xiang. After Xia Xiang finished washing, he just sat down when Cao Shujun and Cao Shuli came.

Xia Xiang briefly told the two about what happened last night, and the two were stunned. They didn't bother to talk to Xia Xiang right now, and rushed to visit Mrs. Mantuo.

After breakfast, Ma Zhanguo and Ding Ke came to Guanxin Pavilion to invite Xia Xiang to the county government.Accompanied by the two, Xia Xiang walked out of Guanxin Pavilion and walked towards the county government.

In Zhending City in the early morning, there is the sound of cocks crowing and dogs barking, and there is a little smoke from the kitchen. Although there is already the chill of early winter, it is still full of peace.Xia Xiang walked along the Hutuo River with his hands behind his back, and saw the shops on both sides of the river opened one after another, and the small merchants and hawkers also started to get busy. Those who set up stalls set up stalls, and those who hawked hawked goods. It was a scene full of vitality and prosperity.

Passing by an inn, there was a wooden sign at the door, and it was written "For long-term stay at the cowman's house, only fifty cash is accepted".Ma Zhanguo saw that Xia Xiang's gaze stayed on the wooden sign for a moment, and hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Xia Xianzun, this is the inn opened by Niu Yuanwai. It is said to be an inn, but it is actually a bed and breakfast. There are no fewer than a hundred homestays.”

(End of this chapter)