As someone who had never been exposed to swordsmanship, he found the move to be completely unfamiliar, yet it seemed to have a certain flair associated with the mortal world. After twirling his longsword into a flourish, Xiao Buli hurried over to apologize to the old master.
It was actually his first time comparing skills with another swordsman, and although it almost ended in disaster, he couldn't deny that it was quite thrilling. No wonder so many people enjoyed wielding blades against each other.
After taking a sip of tea, the old master seemed to have recovered his strength. He still supported his somewhat crumbling waist with one hand and shook his head, "I'm too old; these arms and legs aren't as agile as they used to be," he said, pointing at Xiao Buli who stood beside him with a guilty face, "But you, young man, are not being honest. Given your posture, you must have at least a few years of practice. How can you claim you've never learned?"
Xiao Buli couldn't help but give a wry smile. He was just as puzzled – even more so than the old man – as to why he seemed so experienced. Perhaps the old man simply felt he was partially dishonest, yet still there could be a pretext for lying, but what about himself? He knew his own limitations all too well. He had never practiced martial arts, and due to his gaming habits, his physical condition was even worse than others.
"Indeed," Xiao Buli thought to himself in confusion, "Why does it feel like I've actually practiced before?" He didn't refute the old man's remarks. Could it be that he was a natural-born martial arts prodigy? Recalling his movements, he felt an aura of mystery surround him. Could it be that swordsmanship, not gaming, was his true talent?
Mr. Bang, witnessing the bizarre conversation between the elderly and the young man, stepped forward to help Xiao Buli out, "Old master, I've known Xiao for so many years and I can assure you he has no martial arts background. Really, not to mention swordsmanship, I used to help him in fights. Otherwise, he would have been chopped up long ago."
The old man rubbed his waist, and his question wasn't out of a true belief that Xiao Buli was lying. From the initial panic to the slowly emerging skill, he could see that the young man likely wasn't lying. After all, lies need a purpose. Why tell such a lie to a stranger? And just to embarrass himself in front of his grandson? After hearing his grandson's explanation, he was almost entirely convinced.
"So you're saying you're self-taught?" The tone of the old master softened as he came to believe Xiao Buli. "The swordsmanship moves you used are simple and straightforward, without much sophistication, but extremely concise. They would be far more useful in actual combat than those flashy spells. To think you were able to execute them effortlessly – by that account, you really might be a rare martial arts talent." By attributing genius to him, he made his own defeat seem less awkward.
"Huh?" Xiao Buli was stunned by those words. Am I a genius? Could it actually be true? Turns out I am a martial arts genius? I've truly been on the wrong path before. But on second thought, his genius in swordsmanship was rather useless in the modern world. Unless he could dodge bullets like in Hacker Empire, it wasn't particularly useful.
Even though he thought this way, his expression remained unchanged. Seeing this, the old master couldn't help but feel surprised. His grandson's friend seemed to be quite shrewd for his age, which didn't quite fit his youthful appearance. However, the old master's years of experience told him that Xiao Buli didn't value swordsmanship as much as he did. The old man said, "Indeed, swordsmanship as a combat skill doesn't hold much practical value these days, but it's excellent for strengthening the body and cultivating one's character. Enhancing your physical capabilities is not just about having the ability to protect yourself, but also greatly boosts one's self-confidence and courage. That's why I insist that you should practice swordsmanship."
The last part of his speech was addressed to Mr. Bang, who thought to himself that his grandfather was mistaken; martial arts were still useful in a fight. Nevertheless, he dared not say it out loud and instead nodded emphatically at Xiao Buli, looking very serious.
To this, the old master seemed pleased.
Listening, Xiao Buli nodded slightly. There was sense in the old master's words, and besides, having multiple abilities couldn't hurt. Practicing more in the future would surely be beneficial, so he lowered his stance somewhat.
"Of course, if you want to advance further, I could teach you some basic beginners' techniques," the old master offered, surprising Mr. Bang. His high-principled grandfather, combined with the renown of the Gu family, rarely found anyone worthy of his attention. Now, it seemed he wanted to grow closer to Xiao Buli. But Mr. Bang knew that before this morning, Xiao Buli's life revolved around gaming. Getting him to learn swordsmanship would be a tough sell. Besides, he knew Xiao Buli well: although he always appeared indifferent, he was actually quite proud on the inside. Mr. Bang was worried that these two might start another disagreement over becoming disciples.
Stealing a glance, Xiao Buli indeed showed no reaction to the old man's proposal, just standing there, lost in thought. The old master didn't rush him, simply picking up his tea cup to sip. Time seemed to freeze in that moment.
Actually, Xiao Buli wasn't struggling as much as it seemed on the surface at the moment, nor was he about to have a showdown with his grandfather to the death as Mr. Bang thought. Right now, his mind was pondering one thing: could his natural talent for swordsmanship really be a gift from the heavens? Why did it feel somewhat unreal? Although he had explained it away as genius before, hearing the old man speak so highly of him made him start to doubt it himself.
"Xiao," Mr. Bang had somehow moved next to Xiao Buli without notice, extending a hand to gently pull him back to reality. Could you just give a response already? Speaking of the old man, he had finished his cup of tea, but if he were to put down the cup now, it would seem like too much time had passed. One would think the old man should be unable to save face and would have left in a huff by now. However, it was rare for the old man to find someone who could exchange a few moves with him, and he didn't want to give up so easily, so he kept holding the empty teacup in one hand, pretending to drink the air filled with the scent of tea, stubbornly enduring it. Mr. Bang felt tired just looking at his grandfather's arm, but he couldn't point it out, because where would that leave the old man's pride? That's why he shifted over and nudged Xiao Buli, calling out softly to him.
"Oh," Xiao Buli came back from his reverie, and regardless, this was a good thing, wasn't it? He offered Mr. Bang an apologetic smile. Xiao Buli then casually clasped his fists together, "In that case, I shall formally become a disciple under the old master today, Master above…"
The old man's arm was numb from holding it up, and when he heard this, he hurried over to help, "No need to mention it, no need for ceremonies. If it's possible, let's just be friends despite the age difference, and spar whenever we have time."
Mr. Bang, standing beside them, was petrified. You two are going to be buddies despite the age gap? Does that mean I'll have to start calling you 'grandpa' now?
Xiao Buli quickly thanked him, saying things like he didn't dare to aspire so high, and they both got a bit too wordy for their own good. Eventually, they cleared some space and began going through their motions in the old man's small garden practice area.
With the intent to teach fully, the old man didn't hold back. He explained each move brilliantly and precisely. One was earnest in passing on the knowledge, the other quick in learning. By noon, they were exchanging blows and their swordsmanship flourished on the field. Poor Mr. Bang was on the side, sipping tea and crunching on seeds, yawning to the heavens.
Speaking of Xiao Buli, as he exchanged moves with the old man, he was somewhat amazed. Swordsmanship was indeed not simple. Compared to his previous instinctual attacks and defenses, the old man's understanding of swordsmanship was undoubtedly a hundred times stronger. A simple move had light and shadow, truth and feint, advancement and escape. The so-called 'advance to attack, retreat to defend,' where a skillful swordsman's every move hid the threat of death, yet was not mere brute force. His previous instincts now seemed rather rough and unsophisticated.
Xiao Buli's comprehension also amazed the old man. He seemed naturally cut out for swordsmanship. Xiao Buli could almost immediately learn and see through the techniques taught to him. Even the more obscure moves became proficient after some practice, and he brought out their nuances vividly. He was very good at integrating different elements, quickly grasping the subsequent moves within a few sword technique patterns. Occasionally, a stroke of his sword would leave the old man marveling like a divine work of art. Before long, Xiao Buli's level of swordsmanship had greatly improved and was even faintly on par with the old man himself, although, of course, this was also because the old man's own swordsmanship wasn't particularly outstanding – but still, it was a valuable foundation that benefited Xiao Buli a lot.
With repeated urging from the butler and Mr. Bang, the young and the old reluctantly put down their swords and went into the house to eat. Undoubtedly, there was no respite at the dining table either, as they discussed the intricacies of sword techniques back and forth. Mr. Bang, it seemed, was just there for the ride, and finally, in despair, he invoked a family heirloom teaching that his grandfather often instructed their younger generation with: "No talking while eating, no talking while sleeping." The two of them burst into laughter at this and stopped their conversation. However, occasionally when picking up food, their chopsticks would clash and they would not stop until they had parried a few times. A wave of brotherly sentiment filled the room, blinding Mr. Bang with its intensity.
After lunch was over and another hour of practice in the afternoon, since it was the weekend, the Gu family had a rule to return home for a family meal. One after another, the Gu family's descendants sped back in luxury cars. They gradually entered the garden to meet the old man, and only then did the two begrudgingly put down their longswords. The old man went to the front hall to chat and instructed Mr. Bang to make sure to take good care of this young friend and insisted that Xiao Buli stay for dinner.
Mr. Bang thought to himself, well, now you've made a friend.
Seeing it was getting late and after the old man left, Xiao Buli said his goodbyes to Mr. Bang, wanting to leave. Dinner and the like, Xiao Buli knew it was just going to be awkward for him to attend with such a family. Mr. Bang knew all too well, but, even though he could guess that his grandfather would blame him for Xiao Buli's absence at dinner, he reluctantly agreed and had the butler arrange for a driver.
Mr. Bang still felt a bit apologetic, "Hey, I'm really sorry, big brother. My grandpa can be really stubborn and is used to being the head of the family, a bit overbearing at times. It must have been tiring to spend the day entertaining him." Mr. Bang didn't believe anyone would genuinely enjoy learning swordsmanship, especially Xiao Buli, whom he thought was just humoring an old man for his sake.
Xiao Buli caught the meaning behind his words but didn't bother explaining too much, just dismissing it with a carefree laugh. Mr. Bang watched him leave the Gu family mansion, and then he returned, scratching his head as he tried to figure out how to explain to his grandfather that his new 'toy' had run away.