446: Chapter 10 The Car Arrives at the Mountain Front with No Road (Part 1) 446: Chapter 10 The Car Arrives at the Mountain Front with No Road (Part 1) Morning, nine o’clock.
The smooth wooden floor was so shiny it reflected light, and the pristine white walls didn’t have a single stain.
Hanging opposite the entrance was a mystical piece of calligraphy, and below the bold splashes of ink spelling “Sword Zen Unity,” people clad in white training attire sat solemnly, so tense they didn’t even dare to breathe out loud.
This was the karate dojo “Unity,” a traditional training hall hidden within the steel forest of the city.
The sound of footsteps on the wooden floor was so light it was almost inaudible, and the figures shifting within the limited space cast a series of afterimages at the center of the dojo.
It was impossible to see the expressions of the combatants or even their specific moves with the naked eye; the silent battle seemed like a collective hallucination unfolding before everyone.
Only occasionally could you hear the metallic clang of a blade crossing another, so swift it seemed like an illusion.
Rina sat in the front row, not daring to even blink.
Sweat trickled down from her forehead, sliding past the corner of her eye.
The dojo’s air conditioning was actually functioning normally, but her sweat was due to the tension and anxiety.
The tension of watching the battle from not so far away and the anxiety of not being able to make out the details of the fight.
No sounds of weapon clashes were heard anymore, was it over?
Rina’s eyes widened as she forcibly sharpened her focus, as if on the battlefield.
Her intensified concentration slowed down the action before her eyes multiple times; finally, she saw it.
The white shadow backed against the wall was Sister Hua.
As her opponent took advantage of this to lunge forward, Sister Hua grabbed the hilt of her katana.
The decisive moment had come; it was Iaido!
The silver flash that slid out of the sheath consumed everyone’s field of vision in an instant, the strike as flawless as the Sun Wheel.
It was the fatal sword technique Rina had once experienced!
She gasped urgently, knowing she was too late, yet reflexively trying to speak out to stop it.
Someone was about to get killed—
A startling blast echoed, shaking all the glass in the dojo.
The spotless wall now bore a web of dense cracks like a spider’s web.
At the “web’s” center was a katana, its entire blade thrust into the wall, with only the tsuba and hilt protruding, fitting as seamlessly as a door handle!
Less than half a centimeter to the right of the hilt lay the unblemished neck of Sakura Dance.
The female ninja still held her sword-drawing stance, the glow of her katana draw having just dissipated, no blood upon the blade tip, no torn fabric in the air.
She had narrowly dodged the slash, turning the thrown katana into a counter-strike.
“Nice skill,” Sakura Dance sheathed her sword and bowed, “Worthy of the Qin family of the imperial capital, I still have much to learn.”
“You’ve been gracious,” the expressionless young woman replied, returning the courtesy empty-handed, “Sakura Dance-san’s Iaido is also very strong.”
Who won and who lost was clear at a glance.
Martial Artists of their Realm couldn’t possibly make mistakes; the sword embedded in the wall was proof of her ease, showing she had mercifully held back.
The onlooking ninjas were full of shock, but Rina’s surprise surpassed theirs by several times.
She remembered that Qin Qianbai usually used long-handled weapons, but now she had prevailed with a katana over Sister Hua’s martial arts.
Just how strong was this daughter of the Qin family?!
The audience rose together, bowing towards the center of the dojo: “Thank you for the lesson!”
Rina was about to go up for a chat when she heard another set of footsteps.
A man in blue, with long hair, brushed past her peripheral vision and strolled forward.
When had this man arrived?
The man in blue walked up to the crack-riddled wall, took a glance, and said with a smile, “There’s progress; good.”
He pulled out the katana with two fingers, and the entire wall immediately collapsed, the white dust forcing the onlookers to cover their noses and mouths.
The keen-eyed Rina noticed the well-forged katana broke into several pieces when pulled out, destroyed by the overwhelming force.
But in the blink of an eye, the sword was whole again.
The man in blue flicked his wrist, and the katana flew into the opposite wall like a bolt of lightning.
This time, the wall bore not a single crack.
“Practice more,” he said.
The man in blue left amidst the stares of those who saw him as something otherworldly.
“It’s been tough,” Rina handed water and towels to the two who had sparred, “Is that the legendary Ming Guest?”
“Yes, he’s my senior,” Qin Qianbai wiped the sweat off her face.
“That’s tough,” Rina said sympathetically, “Do you want to go shopping afterward?”
The young lady had only agreed halfway when she saw a distant gray figure.
Rina considerately said, “Go on, I’ll hang out with Qiluo and the others.”
Qin Qianbai rose and left, her steps as light as a dancing butterfly.
“The heart of a young girl~~~” the little witch watched her back, a mischievous smile on her face, “Sister Hua, what do you think?”
“That girl and I are alike,” said Sakura Dance.
Rina turned in shock, gesturing in front of her chest, then said definitively.
“No, definitely not alike.”
“Rina, you’re still like a child,” the female ninja said with a hint of exasperation in her eyes, “It’s about a way of living.”
Having such an uncle around, Miss Qin certainly faced immense pressure.
But the “way of living” Sister Hua spoke of must mean more than just that…
Rina pondered for a while before saying, “Not by choice?
Can you understand that with just one fight?”
“The will of a Martial Artist resides on the blade’s edge,” whispered Sakura Dance, “Once you’ve clashed blades, you understand what kind of person your opponent is.”
Good thing I’m not a full-fledged Martial Artist; otherwise, I’d be quite the oddball.
By the way, Sister Hua, do you want to come shopping with us?”
“Isn’t that quite a sudden change of topic?”
It’s a shame not to enjoy the big city when you’re here!” Rina pulled the ninja to her feet, “Since the Huojin God has asked you to stay, take this chance to experience ordinary life~”