With the Blade-Chapter 53 - 50: A Powerful Opponent Is the Best Teacher

Chapter 53: Chapter 50: A Powerful Opponent Is the Best Teacher

Half an hour ago, Du Chengfeng was on horseback, hurrying back to Yang Fortress.

In theory, he wanted to stay in Jizhen, to engage in a battle of wits and courage with He Xiqing, to fight for three days and nights, but theory is just theory.

Even if his spirit still wanted to continue the fight, his body would eventually feel hunger.

The Evil Qi of weapons is not some miraculous Inner Power that could satisfy the physical exertions out of thin air. In fact, after experiencing that control of Evil Qi, the hunger in his stomach became even more apparent.

Therefore, when hungry, one must eat well.

Both he and the great saber in his hand thought so.

Earlier, while he was focused on slaughtering those grassland warriors, he forgot to search their corpses for some rations.

But it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Rations taken from corpses wouldn’t taste good anyway; it’s better to return to the small courtyard and cook a couple of dishes for a good meal, which could better replenish the nutrients and energy his body needed.

After eating and drinking well, sleeping soundly, he could continue his slaughters with a more vigorous posture the next day.

"Thinking this way, if He Xiqing really sent people to harass me, perhaps it would really be a trouble."

At this thought, Du Chengfeng suddenly realized that his current strategy was not without limitations.

Just like he could use the tactic of advancing and retreating with the enemy against He Xiqing’s warriors, if He Xiqing truly went all out to trail him, preventing him from eating or sleeping properly, then no matter how capable he was, he couldn’t last long under the unending harassment.

Without proper food and sleep, even the strongest would gradually weaken, even unable to lift a saber.

"... He Xiqing wouldn’t do such a thing, would he?"

On horseback, Du Chengfeng couldn’t help but look back, confirming that there was indeed no pursuers out to deprive him of rest and meal, he then looked down at the great saber in his hand.

"Therefore, living an honest life is the most important thing."

At this moment, he once again felt a mutual understanding with the heavy great saber in his hand.

Evidently, they both thought so.

That which sustains combat ability is often outside of battle itself.

In clothing, food, shelter, and transportation, in daily exercises, in those ordinary lives.

"Let’s go back and have a good meal, and tomorrow we’ll... hmm?"

The warhorse had just walked a short distance when Du Chengfeng suddenly paused.

Although he had confirmed earlier that there were no pursuers from the grasslands, at this moment, on the road to Yang Fortress, he saw several grassland nomads.

Rubbing his eyes, Du Chengfeng confirmed that he wasn’t mistaken.

Just like in the memory he felt while honing those curved saber knots, these Hu people light cavalry in simple leather armor, with curved sabers at their waists, formed simple formations in groups of three or five, appearing swift as the wind in perfect union with their horses.

"As expected! I knew He Xiqing had another trick up his sleeve!"

Du Chengfeng’s face immediately darkened.

Indeed, if he could think of ways to counter himself, wouldn’t that He Xiqing, stronger than him, be able to do the same?

He definitely could, that man named He Xiqing definitely could think of it; after all, according to the survivor who escaped from Jizhen City to Yang Fortress, He Xiqing had shattered the gates of Jizhen City by wielding a saber through the air—which means he had already reached that level before Du Chengfeng had realized how to master Evil Qi.

And this also meant that He Xiqing must have felt those things he had just realized.

"Is it simple nomadic harassment? Or using wounded soldiers’ cries for locating, followed by personal pursuit and kill?"

In just an instant, Du Chengfeng had thought of at least eight different ways that could wear him down to death.

This involuntarily made him grip the great saber in his hand tightly.

Originally, he thought he qualified to battle against He Xiqing after mastering Evil Qi, but as it turns out, this man revered as the War God by many grassland warriors was indeed a natural born monster.

Silently, he had already blocked his way with grassland nomads under his command; He Xiqing was indeed still He Xiqing.

On the contrary, he, after his breakthrough, somewhat arrogantly overlooked this mortal enemy.

Just moments ago, he even thought that He Xiqing wouldn’t do such a thing.

"To place hope on the opponent’s ignorance is really..."

On horseback, Du Chengfeng shook his head and laughed at himself.

Compared to those truly battle-hardened and fierce generals, he, an ordinary man without grand ambitions, was still far inferior.

However, it was still alright.

After all, quite often, a formidable foe turns out to be the best teacher.

"If it were you, what would you do?"

He Xiqing’s War-God-like image surfaced in his mind.

And Du Chengfeng was already charging forward.

What to do? That’s not something to think over. Those who wish him dead won’t give him the chance, nor will the frigid north wind in the northern desert give anyone any chance.

In the deep mountains of the northern desert, amidst the bone-chilling ice and snow, beneath the raised blades of the enemy, or caught at the death’s grip, is there even time to think?

No need, no need at all.

No need to think, no need to worry, only courage is required, only marching forward.

Only need to entrust everything to the blade in hand.

"Kill!"

The resplendent saber light instantly arose.

In the moment of morphological intertwining, the five grassland light cavalry on horseback were all cut in half.

Half of the bodies fell to the ground, the cut zones still radiating residual warmth.

Slaying five with one strike, Du Chengfeng did not halt his momentum, delivering another strike, which also dispatched three fleeing nomads who were trying to turn their horses around.

"Since we’ve already confronted, then let’s fight."

Jumping off the horse, after searching some provisions from the several nomads, Du Chengfeng, chewing on the bloodied hard biscuits, galloped on pursuing the chase.

The enemy’s refusal to grant him respite was undoubtedly the worst-case scenario, but to Du Chengfeng, looked at in reverse, it was the ordeal he must endure.

After all, this was a life-and-death duel, both parties would do whatever it took.

Be it He Xiqing.

Or himself.

"Is that how you do it?"

With another swing, four more grassland nomads fell, Du Chengfeng, galloping fast, suddenly stopped.

Only because he finally saw, in the distance, the imposing grassland army.

"You really are something, He Xiqing."

In this moment, Du Chengfeng couldn’t help but admire He Xiqing’s wisdom.

Even he did not anticipate that He Xiqing, silently all along, had ambushed such a large army behind!

"But don’t underestimate me either."

Saying so, Du Chengfeng had already opened the saddlebag at the side.

Slaying those soldiers under He Xiqing could make the Evil Qi of weapons even more abundant. So wouldn’t defeating those ambushed soldiers have the same effect?

"Perhaps I should thank you instead."

The ancient-patterned axe was pulled out from the saddlebag, the engravings on the axe began to exude a faint chill.

Like the bone-chilling northern wind.

"Are you hungry too?"

Holding the long-handled axe in his left hand, Du Chengfeng looked at the distant army.

"Known our hunger, delivering such a big meal... such hospitality."

Like some large feline preparing for a hunt, under the cover of night, Du Chengfeng, using the dim twilight as a cover, began to circle that approaching army cautiously.

"No rush, no rush."

Saying this, the sharp axe blade already swept across the necks of two grassland nomads.

The massive heads rolled to the ground, frost faintly forming at the severed necks.

"Yes, chewing slowly aids digestion."

As he swallowed the hard biscuit he had chewed for a long time, Du Chengfeng consoled the axe in his left hand.

"We chew slowly."