Chapter 144

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Zhang Xiaohua hesitated for a moment, then took out his beloved little sword from his chest and handed it to Elder Yu.

Elder Yu took the sword, feeling its weight in his hand, and couldn’t help but frown. After examining the ordinary little sword carefully, he found nothing particularly special about it. He even infused it with his inner energy, hoping to uncover something, but unfortunately, he did not possess the ability to manifest sword qi like Li Jian. The small sword remained unresponsive, apart from its weight, it seemed to be just a toy.

Elder Yu shook his head and continued to inspect it from all angles without returning it to Zhang Xiaohua, hoping to find some mystery in it.

Zhang Xiaohua looked at Elder Yu eagerly and couldn’t help but ask: “Elder Yu, you’re not going to keep it, are you?”

Elder Yu glanced at Zhang Xiaohua and said with a smile: “Well, this toy is indeed quite impressive. It’s able to pierce even the Iron Shirt technique of the black-clad man. Of course, I’d like to keep it to play with.”

Zhang Xiaohua shrugged and said helplessly: “Since you like it, I really wanted to give it to you. Unfortunately, when I was rescued, I didn’t have anything to thank them with, so I gave away this little sword. Now even if I want to give it to you, I can’t.”

Elder Yu glared at Zhang Xiaohua and said: “Who are you trying to fool? Who would want this thing? Stop with the tricks. I don’t intend to keep your stuff.”

At this moment, Ou Yan also stepped forward and asked curiously: “Is this the thing that killed the black-clad man?”

He Tianshu also moved forward and said: “Yes, it’s this little sword. The wound should be similar to the black-clad elder’s throat. It was also given to me when I bought the steel sword.”

Ou Yan wanted to take a closer look at the little sword, but Elder Yu said: “Villa Owner should not handle it personally. Although this little sword looks like a toy, it’s quite heavy. Let me hold it, and you can examine it closely.”

Ou Yan complied, moving closer to the little sword and examining it with a frown. She was puzzled and said: “Although my physical abilities are limited and I cannot practice martial arts, I’ve read many books, yet I’ve never come across any records of a weapon like this.”

Elder Yu ran his fingers over the tip of the sword, even more surprised. “This little sword clearly doesn’t have a sharp edge. How could it penetrate the body?”

He Tianshu also said: “Yes, when I saw the wound on the black-clad man, I had the same thought. The sword was handed to Zhang Xiaohua by me, and I remember it didn’t have a sharp edge.”

Elder Yu thought for a moment and turned to Zhang Xiaohua. “Did you really use this little sword to kill the black-clad man?”

Zhang Xiaohua nodded helplessly again, confirming the answer.

Elder Yu tossed the little sword back to Zhang Xiaohua and said: “Here’s the thing. Zhang Xiaohua, you stab me with the sword, just like you did with the black-clad man.”

Everyone was shocked at this suggestion and said in unison: “This is not appropriate!”

Ou Yan said, “Elder Yu, why are you so insistent? We know this little sword was effective. There’s no need to test its power personally.”

Zhang Xiaohua also shook his head and said: “Elder Yu, aside from the fact that the current atmosphere is different from that time, I have long forgotten the exact sword moves I used. Moreover, if I accidentally hurt you, I really wouldn’t be able to bear the responsibility.”

He Tianshu also advised: “Elder Yu, with all due respect, the black-clad man’s martial skills might not be inferior to yours, but the Iron Shirt technique is indeed top-notch. Even Changge’s sword couldn’t penetrate it. Do you think you could let Changge stab your bare hands with a sword without getting hurt?”

Elder Yu thought for a moment and then smiled wryly. “The sword technique Zhang Xiaohua used was taught by me. I’m naturally pleased that it proved effective, but the power of this technique exceeds my expectations. I genuinely want to understand why.”

The others still shook their heads. At this moment, Qiu Tong interjected: “How about this, Elder Yu? Let Zhang Xiaohua perform the sword technique, but have him use only half of his strength. It shouldn’t cause any major harm, right?”

Except for Zhang Xiaohua, everyone else showed approving expressions.

To be honest, Zhang Xiaohua had never thought about demonstrating this sword technique to others. The angles of the technique were tricky, and the warm flow it produced wasn’t something he could control, it appeared as long as the speed was constant. Zhang Xiaohua had experienced the power of the technique himself and estimated that Elder Yu might not be able to handle it.

However, if he expressed this, he would definitely have offended Elder Yu. After only a few months of practice, how could he become so arrogantly self-assured?

Another issue was how to use only half of his strength, as suggested by Qiu Tong. Zhang Xiaohua’s left hand was already accustomed to the technique’s speed. As long as the speed was there, even if he used only half the strength, the warm flow would still appear, and the sword’s power would not be reduced. He wasn’t willing to take that risk.

Just as Zhang Xiaohua was about to shake his head in disagreement, he suddenly had a bright idea and said with a smile: “Alright, let’s go with Sister Qiu Tong’s suggestion. I’ll use half of my strength. Let’s see if you can handle this move. However, let’s agree on just this one move. If it doesn’t work, the other techniques are the same.”

Elder Yu smiled and said: “Alright, we’ll try this one move.”

With that, Elder Yu stepped out first, and everyone followed, leaving Zhang Xiaohua walking at the end with a bitter face.

In the center of the courtyard was a fairly wide path.

Elder Yu and Zhang Xiaohua stood facing each other. Zhang Xiaohua asked: “Elder Yu, are you ready? I’m about to begin.”

Elder Yu smiled and said: “Yes, go ahead. I’m ready to receive it.”

Zhang Xiaohua, still not quite at ease, asked again: “Elder Yu, are you sure you want me to start? Have you really thought it over?”

Elder Yu laughed and scolded: “You little rascal, just go ahead. This sword technique was taught by me. What do I have to fear? Just give it your best shot.”

Hearing this, Zhang Xiaohua switched the sword to his right hand and shouted, “Watch out!” With his right hand gripping the little sword, he performed the technique he had used to assassinate the black-clad elder that day, the sword darting towards Elder Yu’s throat from a tricky angle like a shooting star.

To be honest, this sword move was indeed impressive. He Tianshu, watching from the side, was somewhat astonished. He had rarely seen Zhang Xiaohua practice swordplay before, but today, seeing this technique, it was clear that Zhang Xiaohua had mastered it. The angles, strength, and precision were almost flawless, and he couldn’t help but feel a bit of anxiety for Elder Yu.

However, Elder Yu remained composed. After all, this sword technique was taught by him to Zhang Xiaohua. He was already familiar with the variations, the angle of the thrust, and the trajectory of the sword. Before the little sword even got close, his body naturally reacted.

As the little sword approached, Elder Yu simply reached out with his empty hand and grabbed Zhang Xiaohua’s wrist. If an enemy had grabbed his wrist at that moment, Zhang Xiaohua would certainly have struggled with his strength. But since this was just a test, he naturally stopped and looked at Elder Yu to see what he would do.

Elder Yu, looking a bit frustrated, said: “Is this the move you used to kill? It seems rather ordinary.”

Zhang Xiaohua replied: “It is indeed this move. I can confirm that.”

Elder Yu looked at the others. He Tianshu, having seen the event from a distance that night, couldn’t be certain. Ou Yan and Qiu Tong were preoccupied with the urgent situation and hadn’t paid attention to these details.

Seeing that the others couldn’t confirm it, Elder Yu released his grip and said: “Then try using other variations.”

Zhang Xiaohua, feeling helpless, took the little sword and performed all the variations he had learned with his right hand, but each time, Elder Yu’s single arm easily captured him.

Elder Yu was still unsatisfied and said: “What if you use your full strength?”

Everyone opposed this idea, but Zhang Xiaohua thought to himself: “If I use my right hand, I could probably use it even with full strength.”

Elder Yu, feeling vexed, said: “If you don’t use full strength, we won’t know the real power of this sword.”

He Tianshu laughed and said: “Isn’t that easy? Just test it on one of the big trees in the courtyard.”

Elder Yu chuckled and said: “Haha, He Tianshu is right. I’ve been overthinking it. Let’s go and try it on that big tree.”

In a corner of the courtyard was a tree as thick as two people hugging it. Elder Yu walked over to the tree and said to Ou Yan with a smile: “Villa Owner, how about we use this tree for the experiment?”

Ou Yan smiled and said: “Just be careful not to damage the tree too much.”

Elder Yu turned to Zhang Xiaohua and said: “Zhang Xiaohua, use all your strength to stab this big tree.”

Zhang Xiaohua grumbled inwardly: “This tree is a living thing too. How can you be so indifferent to protecting the environment? I usually avoid harming even flowers and plants while practicing. Yet, you’re instructing me to do something like this.”

Zhang Xiaohua walked up to the big tree and, using the same variation of the technique with all his strength, thrust the sword into the tree. Zhang Xiaohua’s single-arm strength of five hundred jin wasn’t for show, and with a “thud”, the sword penetrated the tree by three to four inches.

Although the result was impressive, Elder Yu was still unsatisfied. A sharp sword tip would have caused similar damage, but Changge’s sword tip hadn’t breached the black-clad elder’s Iron Shirt.

So, Elder Yu took the little sword from Zhang Xiaohua and tried it himself. He gripped the sword firmly and thrust it into the tree with force. With a “thud”, the sword penetrated the tree by a length equal to the sword tip, showing no significant difference from an ordinary iron rod.

Elder Yu withdrew the sword and looked at the shallow dent in the tree, remaining silent. He turned to Zhang Xiaohua and said: “Zhang Xiaohua, your strength is considerable. I didn’t drive it in as deep as you did.”

Zhang Xiaohua smiled widely and said: “Not at all, Elder Yu. I’m still young.”

After several unsuccessful attempts, the group concluded that Zhang Xiaohua’s success in killing the black-clad elder was due to the elder’s carelessness.

They believed that the black-clad elder, seeing Zhang Xiaohua’s sword, which looked like a thick iron rod, didn’t pay it much attention and thought Zhang Xiaohua didn’t know martial arts, so he didn’t use much effort to block it, only using his palm. By the time he realized Zhang Xiaohua’s extraordinary strength, it was too late. The black-clad elder’s throat was probably the weak spot in the Iron Shirt, making it susceptible to injury. Zhang Xiaohua’s sword hit the vital spot, breaking through the Iron Shirt.

After much discussion, this was the conclusion the group reached, and everyone accepted it as the truth. Why? Just look at the black-clad elder’s expression of dying with regret, and you’ll understand.

Carelessness can be fatal.

Details determine success or failure.

With the conclusion reached, the discussion on this topic ended. Everyone returned to the main hall. Elder Yu returned the little sword to Zhang Xiaohua, who carefully hid it in his bosom and made sure to sit a considerable distance away from Elder Yu.

After some more idle chatter, Zhang Xiaohua suddenly remembered something and asked Ou Yan: “Sister Ou, I have a question for you.”

Ou Yan, intrigued, said: “What is it, Xiaohua? Feel free to ask.”

“Um, is there any kind of compensation for traveling far away?” Zhang Xiaohua asked hesitantly: “Or, is there any subsidy for food and lodging during the time I was away from you after being injured?”

Ou Yan was startled and exchanged a glance with Qiu Tong before saying: “Xiaohua, what do you mean by that? Can you be a bit clearer?”

Zhang Xiaohua blushed and explained the situation about how Head Escort Luo asked Zhang Xiaohu for living expenses, causing Ou Yan’s face to turn pale with anger. Just as Ou Yan was about to speak, Qiu Tong interrupted: “Miss, please don’t be angry. I’ll handle this. I’ll visit the escort agency and speak with Fourth Master Wen to clarify things.”

Ou Yan took a deep breath and said: “Alright, I trust you to handle it.”

Then she smiled at Zhang Xiaohua and said: “Xiaohua, don’t worry about this. We’ll take care of it.”

Zhang Xiaohua sighed with relief and said: “My second brother’s salary isn’t much. If he has to cover my food and lodging expenses, this trip would end up being a loss.”

Wow~ He had actually forgotten about the pile of money pouches?!

Upon hearing this, Ou Yan remembered something and said to Zhang Xiaohua: “Xiaohua, please wait a moment.”

She then went out and returned shortly with a small wooden box, which she handed to Zhang Xiaohua, saying: “Xiaohua, this was prepared for you a while ago. Now that you’re back, it’s yours.”

Zhang Xiaohua was stunned. After hesitating for a moment, he took the box and opened it. Suddenly, he became a duplicate of Zhang Xiaohua the previous night. He asked in surprise: “Sister Ou, so many silver notes? Are these for me?”

Seeing Zhang Xiaohua’s astonishment, everyone laughed. Qiu Tong explained: “This is your compensation for your death. It was personally allocated by our esteemed leader, Sect Master Ou of the Piaomiao Sect. Originally, it was three hundred taels, but Sect Master Ou thought it was too little and increased it to five thousand taels. Our Miss also thought it wasn’t enough and added another five thousand taels from the villa, making it a round number for your family.”

Zhang Xiaohua looked at the silver notes, blinking and saying: “I never imagined I would be worth so much money. This pile of silver is taller and heavier than I am!”

Everyone laughed and said: “That’s for sure!”

Zhang Xiaohua thought for a moment, closed the wooden box, and handed it back to Ou Yan, saying: “Sister Ou, you’ve been so kind to me. In my heart, you are just like my Big Sister Qianqian. I would naturally stand up for you in danger, just like saving my own family. Moreover, I’m fine now and didn’t really ‘sacrifice’ myself, so I can’t accept this money.”

Ou Yan was surprised by Zhang Xiaohua’s behavior and asked in disbelief: “Xiaohua, this is ten thousand taels of silver. Are you really not going to accept it?”

Zhang Xiaohua smiled and said: “Sister Ou, to be honest, not to mention ten thousand taels of silver, I haven’t even seen one hundred taels of silver before. But this is the compensation money you gave me. If I were really dead, it might have gone to my family, but since I’m alive and well, I naturally can’t accept it.”

Ou Yan thought for a moment and said: “Well, since you saved my life, to be honest, my life is very valuable, far exceeding the value of this silver. Let these banknotes be my token of thanks to you. How about that?”

Zhang Xiaohua still refused, saying: “Sister Ou, didn’t I just say that saving you is like saving my own family? Do you think my own family would give me silver?”

One wanted to give, the other refused to accept, and they went back and forth for a while. Eventually, Zhang Xiaohua opened the small wooden box again and said: “Sister Ou, let’s do this. I accept your kindness.”

Saying this, he took out a one-hundred-tael silver note from the box, put it in his pocket, and then said: “The value of this one hundred taels of silver in my heart is the same as ten thousand taels in Sister Ou’s heart. By accepting this one hundred taels, I’m accepting the ten thousand taels you meant. Is that alright?”

Ou Yan’s eyes lit up when she heard this. Smiling, she said: “Xiaohua, you really have a lot of clever ideas. Alright, since that’s the case, I won’t insist anymore. But remember, you just said you regard me as your family, so from now on, I should also regard you as family. I hope you really will see me as your sister in the future.”

Zhang Xiaohua was very pleased to hear this and said: “Sister Ou, having you as my elder sister is really something I couldn’t ask for more.”

After heaving this, Ou Yan rolled her eyes and smiled: “As long as you know. Sister will not treat you badly in the future.”

Then she said to Qiu Tong: “Tell the accountant at the villa later that Xiaohua’s monthly salary should be…”

Ou Yan thought for a moment but didn’t specify a number. Qiu Tong knew that Ou Yan wasn’t familiar with the villa’s salary distribution, and smiling said: “Miss, you don’t need to worry about this. Since Xiaohua is at our villa now, he won’t be lacking in silver. I suggest giving him three taels of silver each month. After all, his food, clothing, and necessities are all provided by the villa, so this amount should be sufficient. Too much wouldn’t be good.”

When Zhang Xiaohua heard that his monthly salary had increased tenfold, he was naturally overjoyed, grinning from ear to ear. Seeing Zhang Xiaohua’s happiness, Ou Yan had no objections and agreed. She then said to Zhang Xiaohua: “Xiaohua, what do you want to do at the villa in the future? Let Qiu Tong arrange it for you.”

Zhang Xiaohua thought for a moment and said: “I’d still like to follow Captain He. Firstly, I can learn martial arts. Secondly, I can learn about how to grow medicinal plants, and I can also help sister solve some problems.”

Ou Yan smiled and said: “Is Xiaohua still considering things for his elder sister? Then, do as you wish.”

She then said to He Tianshu: “In the future, please continue to take good care of Xiaohua. Don’t impose too many restrictions on his activities. If he wants to read, let him read. If he wants to practice martial arts, let him practice. What do you think?”

He Tianshu smiled and said: “I will follow the master’s instructions. Zhang Xiaohua is a good child and doesn’t need much supervision from me.”

Elder Yu also smiled and said: “Zhang Xiaohua is indeed very diligent in his martial arts practice. He is quite impressive.”

The praise made Zhang Xiaohua feel a bit uncomfortable. He scratched his head and said: “Am I really that good? I never realized it before.”

Just then, his stomach made a loud rumbling sound.

Zhang Xiaohua’s face turned red again as he said: “Sister Ou, we’ve been talking all morning. Is there still breakfast left? I haven’t had the villa’s food for a long time, and I really miss it.”

Everyone laughed.