Chapter 48: The Castrator

Chapter 48: The Castrator

Seeing Meng Yuan's unwavering determination, Ren Debiao couldn't help but recall the time when this man had carried Wolf One down the mountain, his strength nearly spent from the struggle.

Back then, he had shouldered Wolf One, trudging through the mud, falling on his buttocks numerous times, yet he gritted his teeth and endured until they reached the foot of the mountain, without uttering a word of plea or complaint.

It was around that time that Ren Debiao noticed Nie Shi no longer looked him in the eye and was reluctant to teach him anything.

"I've already reached the Eighth Rank, you're no match for me. Are you asking for humiliation?" Ren Debiao didn't want to appear weak, so he immediately clarified their respective strengths.

"You're blabbering, you've lost your courage!" Meng Yuan was very confident. His opponent had just entered the Eighth Rank, and the Gale Blade Technique's energy circulation method was still in the Lower Triple Thirty-Three Art. It hadn't reached the 'Eighth Rank Transformation' that Nie Shi had mentioned.

Upon hearing this, Ren Debiao felt as if his weakness had been exposed. He clenched his teeth and raised his sword.

Ren Debiao's figure moved swiftly, instantly closing in on Meng Yuan. His longsword slashed out, like a silver whip, diagonally chopping towards Meng Yuan.

This strike was incredibly fast, creating a sharp, piercing sound as it cut through the air.

Meng Yuan remained calm, lightly tapping his toes on the ground and taking a step back. When his opponent's momentum was spent, he then countered with his sword.

"Clang!" The two swords clashed, like a sudden spring thunder, startling birds in the distance.

After a brief exchange, they separated, and Ren Debiao, seizing the momentum, flipped his body and aimed for Meng Yuan's chest.

Meng Yuan raised his sword to block and counterattacked towards Ren Debiao's lower body.

The Gale Blade Technique emphasized speed, and as both of them executed it simultaneously, the fight became intense and hard to discern who had the upper hand. The flashing blades were a sight to behold.

All the students had learned this sword technique, and although they didn't understand the intricacies of energy circulation, they witnessed every strike from the two combatants as swift as the wind, their figures constantly shifting, captivating the onlookers.

As the duel continued, Meng Yuan realized that although his opponent had reached the Eighth Rank and knew the energy circulation method, he was still inferior to Meng Yuan in speed, strength, and reaction time.

Meng Yuan thought to himself that this was due to two reasons: firstly, he had tempered his body twice, and his Dantian's true energy was more abundant, with wider acupoints, allowing for smoother energy circulation. Secondly, his opponent seemed to have not yet grasped the principle of combining energy and strength, or the concept of merging intent with energy, perhaps due to insufficient guidance from Nie Shi.

At this moment, Ren Debiao also sensed something amiss. Although they were evenly matched, he always felt that his opponent was using him to hone his skills.

From the initial restraint to the full exertion of true energy in their swordplay, no matter how Ren Debiao performed, his opponent always kept up. His sword followed suit, and his strength and speed showed no signs of weakening. Ren Debiao couldn't even predict when his opponent would exhaust his true energy.

Ren Debiao furrowed his brows, determined to pretend it was a draw, but as he was about to sing a verse, he felt his opponent's strength increase, and the sword became even faster, leaving only an afterimage.

Blocking seven consecutive strikes, Ren Debiao was out of breath, unable to utter a word. He felt his opponent's strength was overwhelming, and his arms were already trembling with pain.

In a daze, Ren Debiao felt the hilt of the sword hammering into his back, causing his internal organs to shake.

Ren Debiao stumbled and fell to the ground. He felt that his opponent had held back in this strike.

Despite his defeat, Ren Debiao felt a sense of relief because his opponent seemed to have forgotten about deciding the victor and ending the duel, and he hadn't killed him.

As he was about to concede, Ren Debiao felt a piercing pain in his left arm.

He quickly turned to look, only to see Meng Yuan stepping on his left arm, which was already broken.

A scream of agony echoed across the training ground, and Ren Debiao broke into a cold sweat, rolling on the ground.

"The sword's shadow shuttles, light and shadow intertwine. The blade dances, supporting the heavens and the earth."

Swift as a shooting star chasing the sun and moon, and fast as lightning across the vast sky." Meng Yuan retracted his kick, "Brother Ren, the problem with the Gale Blade Technique is not about mastering it, but about bullying the weak and harming fellow warriors."

Without waiting for Ren Debiao's response, Meng Yuan sheathed his sword and turned to the other students, saying, "Master Nie taught us skills not for showboating or seeking laughter, but to protect the Empress Dowager in the future. Friendly sparring is acceptable, but we must never turn against each other, harm our neighbors, or cause mutual destruction!"

The students stared at Meng Yuan in a daze, then glanced at the injured Ren Debiao, remaining silent for a moment.

"Did everyone understand?" Meng Yuan asked.

"Yes!" they all shouted in unison.

Meng Yuan stepped forward to examine Wu Changsheng and Iron Ox's injuries. Seeing the wounds, he instructed, "Zhang Qing and Song Laoheshui, take Brother Ren back to his residence. Wu Changsheng, go outside and invite a physician."

"But..." Wu Changsheng had forgotten about his own injured arm. He glanced at the writhing Ren Debiao and asked in a low voice, "Brother Meng, should we send him directly to the clinic?"

"It's just a broken bone. A warrior's body will heal in a couple of months. Just go outside and invite a good physician," Meng Yuan emphasized, pressing down on his sword hilt. "Don't let Brother Ren suffer. Find a virtuous and skilled doctor!"

"Yes!" Wu Changsheng immediately followed the instructions and left.

Zhang Qing and Song Laoheshui also lifted Ren Debiao and carried him outside.

"Hu Qian and Iron Ox, follow me," Meng Yuan said, heading towards the training ground exit.

Hu Qian and Iron Ox hurriedly caught up with him.

As they walked, a rare glimmer of thought appeared in Iron Ox's eyes. He leaned close to Meng Yuan's ear, afraid that Hu Qian would hear, and whispered, "Brother, shouldn't we find Elder Jiang and Jiang Tang first? Aren't we supposed to bring them along when we run?"

"Iron Ox! I heard that!" Hu Qian slapped Iron Ox's back and pulled Meng Yuan aside. "Where are we going? I can go find my mother; she still has some influence with the Empress Dowager."

Meng Yuan sternly criticized, "Why are you two always thinking of taking the crooked path? Why can't you be straightforward? The Empress Dowager wants us to learn martial arts, not to rely on connections and favors." He continued earnestly, "I've injured someone, and I should take responsibility and accept punishment! I'm going to find Xun Mei! If I had found a willow switch, I would have certainly atoned for my mistake!"

Hu Qian opened her mouth in surprise. She realized that although Meng Yuan exuded righteousness, he seemed accustomed to taking responsibility for his actions.

Moreover, he claimed to be accepting punishment, but his demeanor resembled a casual visit to a neighbor!

"Each person should take responsibility for their actions. I understand your anger towards this person, but I'm the one who caused the injury. You two just need to tell Xun Mei the truth and bear witness for me," Meng Yuan said.

Hu Qian grabbed Iron Ox and quietly asked, "What did your brother do before?"

"A castrator! He specialized in castration!" Iron Ox responded, not knowing how to be subtle, and directly stated the fact.

"So that's the case." Hu Qian truly understood, "To castrate others, you must first grasp their advantage. This advantage is their principle. By taking away their advantage and using it for himself, others lose their principle and advantage, making his advantage and principle even greater."

Hu Qian pulled Meng Yuan and asked, "Is that so?"

Meng Yuan didn't know how castrating a beast could lead to such insights, but seeing the expectant expression on Hu Qian's face, he could only respond, "Seeing the big picture and understanding the details, well done!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end