“First, steady your horse stance! Keep your head level, shoulders level, feet level, spear level! The spear tip, your nose tip, and your toe—these three points must form a straight line!”
“Yes…”
Zhao Yun and I assumed our stances as the Old Man paced back and forth between us, tapping us with the spear shaft whenever our posture faltered. He never went easy—the force was enough that you couldn’t just ignore it.
With spring in full bloom, there was no shortage of little bugs like mosquitoes and flies. Already drenched in sweat from exhaustion, if a bug landed on my back, the itch was unbearable, but I couldn’t scratch it. It was torture.
As a teacher, the Old Man was extremely responsible. Unless we made a mistake and he needed to correct us, he would stand right in front of us, just as motionless as we were.
Thinking about it, the Old Man’s image in my mind grew a bit more amiable.
“Hold it for another half an hour without moving! Otherwise, no dinner for you!!!”
I take it back. This Old Man is definitely a demon reincarnated.
Although we finally got to touch weapons, most of the time that followed was spent standing still in the spear-holding stance, or endlessly repeating motions like “thrust, stab, sweep.” It was mind-numbingly dull.
It wasn’t until a year later that we truly began practicing the Bai Niao Chao Feng Spear Technique.
We spent another half a year studying the Spear Technique. Today, the Old Man called Zhao Yun and me over, handed us each a wooden spear with the tip shaved off, and told us to spar.
Gripping my long spear, I looked at the frail girl before me and felt somewhat at ease. Even though I knew this girl would one day become a legendary warrior, right now she was still immature.
The fleeting brilliance she showed when she fought the Yezhu that day had never appeared again after the Old Man took her as a disciple. It seemed that at that time, Zhao Yun had entered some special state, but under normal circumstances, she was no different from any ordinary person—if anything, she was even weaker.
As for me, I had over thirty years of experience from my previous life, and this body I’d crossed into seemed to have decent potential, so I felt I was progressing quite quickly.
Zhao Yun hesitated as she took the long spear, set her stance before me, and said softly, “Master, Yun is coming now, okay?”
“Mm, come on.” I nodded, got into position, and replied with confidence.
“Hey!” Zhao Yun called out, stepping forward and thrusting her spear at me.
“Hmm?” Dodging her strike wasn’t difficult for me, but it still caught me off guard. The strength behind that thrust was nothing like what I expected from such a frail girl.
I frowned, flicked her spear aside with my own, spun, and swept my spear at her. Zhao Yun wasn’t flustered at all; she simply raised her spear vertically by her side, the shaft blocking my attack.
After blocking me, Zhao Yun’s slender body leapt gracefully, using the spear for support as she kicked at me from the side.
I lifted my left hand, used the butt of my spear to block her kick, and pushed her away with force. Then I thrust three times in quick succession, each one dodged deftly by Zhao Yun.
Was this really the same clumsy girl who used to trip on flat ground?
If I hadn’t seen with my own eyes how thin and awkward she used to be, I’d suspect she was faking it before. In just a few years, she’d changed so much—I didn’t know if it was the Old Man’s training or if this girl’s talent was simply off the charts.
Or maybe it was both.
I could hardly believe it, but the truth was right in front of me, and Zhao Yun wasn’t giving me any time to think.
After sweeping her spear to force me back, Zhao Yun switched from defense to offense, and I hurried to adjust my stance and counter her.
We exchanged shouts as we clashed, neither of us able to gain the upper hand—our skills were evenly matched.
Ahh… How should I put it? No wonder she’s destined to become a war god one day. That frail body, with the same training time as me—someone who at least had the advantage of an adult’s mind—could fight me to a draw.
As her Master, it looks like I really have to work harder.
“Very good, both of you did well.” The Old Man actually praised us for once—he must have truly been satisfied with our progress.
“Um… I think Master is even better.” Zhao Yun, overwhelmed by the Old Man’s praise, quickly shook her head and turned to me.
I knew she wasn’t being modest; she genuinely believed that. All I could do was smile wryly—this girl had no awareness of her own talent.
Although I was a little stung by how quickly Zhao Yun was catching up, when I remembered that she was the legendary Zhao Yun from history, all I could do was sigh helplessly.
I’m just an ordinary person who muddled through life in my previous world. I can’t possibly transmigrate here and instantly become someone even more amazing than Zhao Yun—that would be way too much like a wish-fulfillment story.
Sigh, but still, comparing myself to her up close, it does sting a little. But besides secretly pushing myself to work harder, there’s really nothing else I can do.
“Master, you worked hard!” Zhao Yun beamed as she handed me a towel to wipe my sweat.
Well, what can I say? My Junior Sister is just too adorable.
A few months ago, the Old Man began teaching us his Spear Technique, while the Bing Qiao Sisters started their sword training half a year ago.
In the days that followed, our lives were simple: training during the day, helping Mistress with flowers and crops when we had time, and doing chores at night. Life was peaceful and uneventful.
Since the Old Man and Mistress lived in seclusion deep in the mountains, saying they were dirt poor might be an exaggeration, but not by much.
They had a not-too-large wooden cabin that kept out the cold wind, rustic wooden furniture, and a few acres of vegetable gardens and flowers—that was the sum of their possessions.
The only things of real value were Mistress’s well-preserved collection of Cangshu and Zhujian.
Normally, they survived by farming. Any extra grain, the Old Man would carry to the nearby Chengzhen to sell for daily necessities. Life wasn’t easy, but it wasn’t unbearably hard either.
Most importantly, neither of them wanted more from life. It seemed a house, a field, and a meal were enough. Their relationship was harmonious, supporting each other in everything—truly admirable.
But now, with five more mouths to feed, the Old Man considered opening up new land. In the meantime, to improve our nutrition, he would occasionally hunt wild rabbits or Shan Zhu in the mountains to supplement our meals.
Early this morning, the Old Man woke Zhao Yun and me up.
As we sleepily changed clothes and reached for our spears, ready for training, the Old Man told us to put them down.
We looked at him in confusion and saw that he was holding a bow.
“No spear practice today. I’m taking you hunting. It’s time you learned how to use a bow and arrow.”
“Are we having meat?” My eyes lit up at once.
Zhao Yun, however, shrank back a couple of steps timidly. “Hunting? I’m scared…”
The Old Man and I both rolled our eyes—when we first met, you weren’t scared at all fighting a Yezhu.