Chapter 107: Sparring (Five More)
Chapter 107: Sparring (Five More)
"Mo Hua!" Bai Zisheng exclaimed happily, "Did you bring any snacks?"
"No..." Mo Hua replied.
"Then are you here to visit me?" Bai Zisheng asked, his excitement waning.
"Not really... I came to see Mister Zhuang," Mo Hua said truthfully.
Bai Zisheng's disappointment was evident.
"Have you finished your homework?" Mo Hua asked.
"Not yet, almost there, but I don't feel like doing it anymore," Bai Zisheng said, lying back down.
Mo Hua's eyes lit up. "So, you don't have anything to do right now, do you?"
"I guess not," Bai Zisheng nodded.
"Then let's spar!" Mo Hua suggested.
"Spar?" Bai Zisheng sat up excitedly, but then he looked at Mo Hua, who was at the fifth layer of Qi Refining with scarce spiritual energy and a slender build, and frowned. "What would we spar about?"
Mo Hua lowered his voice and said, "Let's spar in movement techniques."
Bai Zisheng lacked enthusiasm. "That sounds boring."
"If you're not interested, then forget it," Mo Hua turned to leave.
Bai Zisheng quickly got up and pulled Mo Hua back. "It's not boring, it's not boring. It's better than me lying here doing nothing."
Bai Zisheng thought for a moment and then asked, "But how do we compete in movement techniques? What would we even compare?"
Mo Hua took out a cheap jade pendant and tied it around his neck with a cloth strip. "I recently learned a movement technique for self-preservation. Try to snatch this jade pendant from me, and if you succeed, you win."
"Is there a prize?" Bai Zisheng asked.
Mo Hua hesitated. "I don't have many spirit stones."
Bai Zisheng waved his hand dismissively. "I don't care about spirit stones."
"Then if you win, I'll treat you to beef and a pot of Osmanthus wine," Mo Hua offered.
"Deal!" Bai Zisheng was delighted by the prospect of food, fun, and the chance to spar movement techniques. He thought for a moment and then added, "And a box of crabapple pastries for Zi Xi."
"Alright," Mo Hua agreed readily.
The two youths drew a boundary on the empty ground under the large elm tree and stood at opposite ends.
Mo Hua shouted "start," and Bai Zisheng's eyes narrowed. His white clothes billowed as he pounced like a tiger, moving with incredible speed.
Mo Hua's eyes widened, and he focused his qi, predicting Bai Zisheng's trajectory with his spiritual sense. He sidestepped lightly, avoiding Bai Zisheng's grasp. Then, with a gentle tap of his foot, he retreated three zhang away.
"Huh?"
Bai Zisheng was surprised. He had expected to catch Mo Hua easily, but Mo Hua had dodged him with a slight movement.
"Where did you learn that movement technique?" Bai Zisheng asked.
"A kind, unnamed uncle taught it to me as he passed by," Mo Hua replied.
Bai Zisheng was perplexed by the explanation and too lazy to inquire further, but his competitive spirit was ignited, and his eyes sparkled with enthusiasm.
"Watch out!"
Bai Zisheng pushed off the ground, his body flashing with faint golden spiritual energy. In the blink of an eye, he reappeared in front of Mo Hua, reaching out with his right hand to grab the jade pendant around Mo Hua's neck.
Mo Hua leaned back, and as he was about to fall, he used his spiritual energy to pull himself back, gliding lightly backward.
Bai Zisheng's hand grasped at thin air, and he spun around, pouncing at Mo Hua even faster.
Mo Hua hadn't completed his previous move, and his spiritual energy hadn't recovered yet. As he tried to change his movement technique, he realized he was too late. Bai Zisheng tackled him to the ground and snatched the jade pendant from his neck.
Bai Zisheng helped Mo Hua up, feeling a bit guilty. "I couldn't control my strength. Are you alright?"
Mo Hua rubbed his arm; it hurt a bit, but he was fine. "It's nothing. It's just a spar."
Bai Zisheng breathed a sigh of relief. Then, he couldn't help but shake the jade pendant in his hand, feeling proud. "Don't forget about the beef and pastries."
Mo Hua smiled at his childlike behavior. "Don't worry, I'll bring them to you tomorrow."
"Mm-hmm," Bai Zisheng nodded repeatedly, then added, "Do you want to play some more? No, I mean... spar some more!"
Bai Zisheng corrected himself. Sparring in magical techniques was a serious matter, not just playing around.
After a few evasive maneuvers with the Flowing Water Step, Mo Hua realized that his current movement technique was no match for Bai Zisheng's.
Moreover, Bai Zisheng's realm was significantly higher than his.
Mo Hua couldn't help but sigh.
Noticing Mo Hua's disappointment, Bai Zisheng said, "I'll suppress my cultivation and compete with you on equal terms."
Mo Hua hesitated, "Is that really okay?"
"Of course," Bai Zisheng asserted. "If we're sparring, it should be fair. Relying solely on cultivation level is like bullying. Moreover, we're testing our movement techniques, so it's even more important not to depend on cultivation; otherwise, it loses its meaning."
Mo Hua nodded in agreement. "Alright, but I need to rest for a bit first."
As Mo Hua rubbed his arms, he looked at Bai Zisheng and asked, "Are you a body cultivator, Zisheng?"
Bai Zisheng scowled, "You should call me Big Brother!"
Mo Hua rolled his eyes at him.
Bai Zisheng, left with no choice, whispered, "I plan to become a body cultivator and practice martial arts. But this is a secret I can't share with outsiders. I've only told Zi Xi about it; I haven't even mentioned it to Xue Yi."
Mo Hua was speechless. With your telltale face, it's a wonder Xue Yi doesn't already know...
"I've heard that some geniuses from certain families can cultivate both their spirit and body. Why don't you do that?" Mo Hua asked quietly.
Bai Zisheng scoffed, "What's the point of dual cultivation? It's neither here nor there. True satisfaction comes from the purity and directness of body cultivation! With sheer physical might, I can crush ten opponents and shatter a thousand techniques. Who cares about dual or single cultivation? If anyone dares to provoke me, I'll break their noses with a single punch!"
Mo Hua couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy. He, too, wanted to shatter a thousand techniques with a single punch.
If he had Bai Zisheng's strength, he would have definitely broken Qian Xing's nose when he was causing trouble.
Alas, it could only remain a fantasy...
After Mo Hua rested, he sparred with Bai Zisheng a few more times, but this time, Bai Zisheng suppressed his cultivation to the fifth layer of Qi Refining.
The results were vastly different.
Even though Bai Zisheng's techniques and movement skills were of high caliber, the lack of cultivation support slowed him down considerably.
Mo Hua's spiritual sense could now clearly predict and keep up with his movements.
Most of Bai Zisheng's moves could be foreseen by Mo Hua's spiritual sense, allowing him to dodge with the Flowing Water Step. Occasionally, Bai Zisheng would throw a particularly tricky strike, catching Mo Hua off guard and forcing him to concede.
They agreed to determine the winner based on the best of twenty rounds. If Bai Zisheng managed to grab the jade pendant, he would win, and if Mo Hua could prevent him from doing so, he would be declared the victor.
By the time evening fell, they had fought to a near draw, with Bai Zisheng holding a slight edge.
Bai Zisheng thoroughly enjoyed the spar, and Mo Hua gained a deeper understanding of the Flowing Water Step.
Eager to continue, Bai Zisheng was reluctantly reminded by Bai Zixi about their unfinished homework. Like a bucket of cold water, the reminder doused his enthusiasm, and he had no choice but to call it a day. He still needed to finish his homework before nightfall.
After bidding farewell to the brothers, Mo Hua promised to bring wine, meat, and crabapple pastries the next day, much to Bai Zisheng's insistence.
Under the old elm tree, their every move was observed by the old puppet, Gui Lao, from the bamboo pavilion.
As Mo Hua's figure disappeared into the distance, Gui Lao's gaze lingered, a thoughtful expression on his face. "The Zhang family's Flowing Water Step, huh..."
(End of Chapter)
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