Sword Among Us c1-1268

by Black Swordsman Online

  "Alright, Young Zhuzi, give this customer another two pounds of Red Daughter [1]. Dear customer, I will calculate the price. Your bill is a total of…" The shopkeeper was about to give the man the bill when the man cut in.

  "Don't need to make any calculations. It's a total of one hundred taels of silver crumbs. I'm here for the monthly tribute."

  The man did not bring out any money. Instead, he extended his hand to the shopkeeper, who was now as pale as a sheet of paper, and looked down on him. His words had been spoken in a very straightforward and forceful manner.

  "Ah… This is… you are…"

  The shopkeeper was an honest man, and he did not understand what the huge man meant. From his shock, he even began to stutter.

  "I forgot to tell you. My name is Li Shan, and this tavern of yours has to pay a monthly tribute. I showed you respect by eating your stuff just now. Hurry up and give me the money. I still have to go to the next place to collect its tribute."

  The drunk man, Li Shan, no longer looked drunk. His face grew fierce, like he was a rascal.

  "Li-Li Shan…"

  Li Shan's face darkened!

  "What now? Are you looking down on me?" A white sword made of refined steel appeared out of nowhere, and he placed it horizontally before the shopkeeper and the waiter without another word.

  When they saw that the shopkeeper and the waiter were about to have their blood spilled in the tavern, the people sitting by the tables next to Li Shan's could no longer continue watching.

  "Stop!"

  A young man slammed his hand against the table and stood up!

  His three companions, who were two boys and a girl, also stood up with surprise and delight on their faces. There was also righteous indignation mixed into that. They glared at Li Shan and moved, quickly forming a square formation to surround him.

  In truth, the moment Li Shan drew his sword, they had received an unexpected notification!

  [Will you receive a low-level World of Martial Arts quest: Encountering Injustice? Help the shopkeeper defeat Villain Li Shan, and you will complete the quest! Villain Li Shan, a local rascal. Qi Realm: None.]

  In truth, the players had heard rumors about this a few days ago. It was said that a rascal was throwing his weight around the taverns on the government-made roads outside Gusu City. He came twice every day to collect protection money from innocent, middle-aged shopkeepers, and all the players who were near the area could trigger the quest to deal with him!

  What had attracted the group of players the most was that once they completed this quest, they would receive the shopkeeper's gratitude and get ten Jinchuang Ointments. If they could kill Villain Li Shan, their reward would be even greater. Not only would they be able to get Li Shan's Refined Steel Sword—a weapon that cost more than five hundred taels of silver crumbs—they could even get one hundred taels of silver crumbs—which was the protection money Li Shan collected—and a sword manual.

  Refined steel weapons were highly valuable, and coupled with the other rewards, it was enough to attract all the newbies. The three boys and the girl had deliberately rushed to a tavern on this side of the city and waited for more than an hour to see Li Shan act violently.

  At that moment, the four of them did not hesitate to take the quest.

  "Oh, you even have someone come forward to help you?"

  Villain Li Shan looked down upon the four youngsters who only held normal iron swords and sabers in their hands. He shoved the shopkeeper and the waiter away. "Are you thinking about relying on your numbers?"

  Before even finishing his speech, he executed Split Mount Hua and swung his sword down on the young man in the lead, making the latter unable to say the righteous speech he had scripted in his head.

  The youth hastily brought up his sword to block the attack.

  Despite being drunk, Villain Li Shan was still abnormally agile. With his mighty arm strength, he delivered a slash that the young man could barely hold against. He staggered, and then was kicked away by a Pierce-the-heart Kick, which resulted in him nearly crashing into another young customer.

  Happy swiftly shot out from his seat.

  Bang!

  Happy tossed away the wine cup in his hand, but he was not angry. He did not help the four chivalrous people handle Li Shan. He searched for another clean table and sat down before continuing to drink as if nothing had happened.

  In truth, the system had also given him the notification, but he did not take the quest.

  Before Villain Li Shan even attacked, Happy had sized him up in secret, and the conclusion he came to was that he could not fight against him with brute strength.

  Li Shan might have drunk a lot of wine and stank of alcohol, but his right arm remained extraordinarily steady when holding the Refined Steel Sword. There were thick calluses on his purlicue, which meant that he was a martial artist who had practiced for a long period of time and had reached a certain degree of skill. Based on this alone, not only would his Arm Strength be much higher than Happy's, his skills with the sword might also be quite high.

  While the system said that he was a normal local rascal who had no qi realm, this did not mean that he did not have qi or was not strong. He might be just one step away from Gate Realm, which was not uncommon in World of Martial Arts!

  More importantly, however, Happy knew the local rascal's strength setting very well.

  There were plenty of quests such as this in the city, but the names for the quests were different. Even though Li Shan's name might seem to have been carelessly given without any thought placed in it, the rascal's strength was right below Gate Realm. He was also in possession of a martial art that was at least at the ninth realm. The rumors about the rascal dropping his Refined Steel Sword and manual were real and were indeed good rewards, but how many people could kill a martial artist who was just one step away from Gate Realm?

  Hence, Happy did not speak. He swiftly made up his mind and refused to accept the quest, which was why trouble did not come for him, and he did not attract Li Shan's attention.

  Unlike him, the four enthusiastic and high-spirited youngsters only realized that something was off the moment they attacked!

  Li Shan's sword strikes might have been very steady, but they were also filled with violence. He used his hands and feet at the same time he attacked to kill and wound in the most efficient manner. With three sword strikes, he sent the three boys and girl flying, and he even beat up the two other players who had also taken up the quest but had not managed to attack to the point that they could only cry bitterly.

  "Attack him together!"

  The six players retreated until they stood together, and one of them came up with an idea.

  The others nodded simultaneously. Then, they attacked from two different directions! This time, they decided to use their advantage in numbers to forcefully take down Li Shan.

  Happy continued drinking wine while shaking his head repeatedly.

  'What are they thinking? Do they really think Villain Li Shan is a stupid wild beast?'

  With a shocking and terrifying roar, Li Shan jumped back, easily avoiding the brunt of the six people's united attack. It threw them into chaos, and he immediately turned his head around to crush them!

  The six people failed in their quest, and they even had all their possessions stripped away by Li Shan. After that, they could only leave in anger…

  The pitiful shopkeeper had no choice but to pay the protection money to send away the fiend.

  Li Shan returned to his drunken state and was about to leave with the money in his pocket when the sound of the air roaring rose from behind him. The man came to an abrupt stop and drew his weapon again. His eyes, which were not fully open, burned in anger as he glared at the boy in front of him.

  "Who are you?"

  When he saw that Villain Li Shan was tipsy and could not even hold his sword steadily, the boy smiled faintly and flung the hero's headband [2] from his c.h.e.s.t behind himself.

  "Pardon
me, I'm here to rob you."

  Translator's Note:

  [1] Red Daughter: Chinese wine.

  [2] Hero's headband: So I did some research for , and the only thing that showed up was the white piece of cloth placed over the faces of heroes in China, which is definitely NOT what is used here. So I believe that what is referred here is the martial arts headbands, but since the word means hero, I kept it as hero's headband. An image: https://www.birthdayinabox.com/pages/karate-party-ideas-games-martial-arts-headband-craft

  Chapter 12 - A Small Trick to Practice Martial Arts

  Up until then, there hadn't been many players who could truly go up against local ruffians in World of Martial Arts. They were only starting to acc.u.mulate the experience of real battles and the understanding of their techniques.

  However, there were few players who had the courage to try and acc.u.mulate this experience and understanding. Hence, their knowledge of the intelligent NPCs who were smarter than wild wolves and fierce beasts was not high.

  In this regard, there might be no one who could compare to Happy!

  With three years of experience from all the things he had gone through in the game, he had certain advantages in the game now that it had only just been launched, though they were not advantages that were worthy to be spoken of.

  Yet they were quite practical, and he also had some ingenious strategies he could use.

  Villain Li Shan's true strength was about the level of a martial artist in Gate Realm, and his weapon was of pretty good quality. Only players who had truly reached Gate Realm would be able to fight against him.

  Once a player successfully defeated Li Shan, the quest would be completed. A quest such as this would then not be triggered by them ever again. Even if the player did run into some local rascals, the NPCs would just run away, since they would be on the lookout for the player.

  A powerful player from Happy's previous life had known that he would never be able to fight against the rascals once he completed the quest, so he deliberately tried to hunt one down after rejecting the quest.

  Because of it, something amazing was revealed!

  Later on, many smart new players treated Li Shan post-quest as an ATM machine. They would take away his one hundred taels of silver crumbs and his Refined Steel Sword.

  There were also a handful of people who would intentionally seek out rascals by lurking in remote alleys to force them to be their free sparring partner so they could train their normal martial arts!

  Happy had also been enlightened by a friend later on and used the drunk rascals who only had half their strength to practice and master many of the martial arts he had gained later in the game. The drunk rascals' strength was rated as high-tier, but they would not kill anyone, so they were much gentler compared to the bandits, robbers, rapists, and other criminals of that level.

  Of course, Happy did not wish for this secret to be known by others. Once he attracted Li Shan's attention, he swiftly brought the enraged Li Shan to a deserted wilderness.

  "You want to run?"

  Li Shan was unable to contain his rage after he was looked down upon and provoked by a boy. With the money in his pocket, he chased after him.

  There were a few other players on the government-made road. When they saw the chase, curiosity appeared on their faces… but Happy looked young, just like a child, which made it clear that he was a player who had just joined the game a few days ago. Hence, they did not pay too much attention to him. They just watched the two people disappear and continued on their way.

  Soon, Happy led Li Shan into a forest some distance away and looked around. When he saw that there were no people around them, he was no longer afraid of being found.

  The moment he stopped, Li Shan's enraged roars reached him from behind him.

  "Brat! I'm going to rip your bones from your body!"

  "Perfect timing!"

  Happy turned around and kicked the ground with a Boy Worshipping Guanyin. Then, he struck Li Shan's bosom at an even faster speed.

  Bang!

  The NPC did not have time to defend. Happy's palm strike struck Li Shan's c.h.e.s.t dead center.

  'So tough!'

  Happy was stunned. Even though he was prepared for it, he was still shocked by the huge rebound from Li Shan's body. It would indeed be difficult for a new player without qi to go up against a martial artist who was nearly in Gate Realm.

  If Happy had struck him with Shaolin's Long Fist at the sixth realm, it would have felt no different from scratching an itch for Li Shan!

  Happy did not wait for the rascal to counterattack. He turned around, and since Li Shan was still tipsy and not in his tip-top shape, Happy swiftly moved behind him. With Warrior Monk's Hand Flip, he struck Li Shan again, making the NPC lose his balance and fall forward.

  He then delivered two consecutive strikes on the fallen man. Against the Ferocious Wild Wolves, it would have been very difficult to increase the level of his Shaolin's Long Fist with two strikes, but at that moment, the progress bar jumped twice and rushed straight to Level 68.

  Happy knew that once Li Shan got a firm footing, the battle would become exceptionally difficult. Hence, he decided not to be merciful. He closed in on the man in just a few steps and used Golden Dragon Stretches Claws.

  Nimble Cat Hunts Mouse! Overthrow Rivers and Seas! Boy Hugs Zither! T-Step Elbow Snatch!

  The entire set that could suppress an enemy and deal a lot of damage was continuously delivered on Li Shan's joints. The series of violent attacks were similar to a mighty storm that landed on the rascal.

  "HAH!"

  It was a pity for the drunk Li Shan, who was still lethargic despite his enraged state. From the moment he lost the initiative, he was continuously moved about while his vision remained blurry. He did not have a chance to stabilize himself. The movements of his limbs were restrained, and his weapon had also been struck away. He could not bring out his real strength at all.

  "Very good."

  Once Li Shan dropped his Refined Steel Sword, Happy's smile grew even wider.

  Yet even without his weapon, Li Shan was a powerful enemy who could not be ignored. It did not matter that he only had half of his previous strength.

  However, since his lethality was reduced, Happy could use his Shaolin's Long Fist without fear.

  His rage at that moment reached the level at which he was about to explode.

  Even though there was still a slight misty look in his eyes, the humiliation just then had been deeply engraved in his heart. The boy before him had actually managed to torment him with attacks that completely suppressed him.

  This sort of thing had never happened before!

  "Damn you, you brat, I won't let you go until I cripple you!"

  With an enraged roar, Li Shan spread open his arms and threw caution to the wind. He pounced on Happy in an overbearing manner, and his fleshy palms swiftly turned black. They were now as hard as steel. The first time they crossed fists after that, Happy felt an unmatched strength crash into him.

  "Iron Palm!"

  Happy was surprised again.

  He had thought that once Li Shan lost his Refined Steel Sword, he would become much easier to handle in close-quarters combat. He had not expected that Li Shan's Iron Palm would have already reached the ninth realm. His palm was black, which meant that he had already reached the state at which he could turn his palm into a sword. He was already near the peak of Grandmaster Realm.

  Against Li Shan, who could use the Iron Palm, Happy felt like he was fighting against two weapons when he could only use Shaolin's Long Fist, which was also a close-quarters combat skill. Each blow he received gave him a bruise, and he had an incredibly difficult time blocking the rascal's attacks. He also felt pain when he got hit.

  'I made a mistake,' Happy grumbled in his heart, but he showed no signs of fear on his face.

  So what if Li Shan could use a ninth realm Iron Palm?

  In the path of martial arts, either the enemy was stronger,
or you were stronger. Someone would always have to be weaker. However, victory was never gained based purely on strength, but on intelligence.

  If Li Shan were strong… then so be it! Breeze Passes Through Mist!

  Happy activated Complete Reality Qi Cultivation Technique, and his aura changed. It withdrew into him, and he drifted from place to place. He changed his tactic to dodging and moving about. He no longer faced Li Shan head on but instead changed to drifting around the large man. He avoided the brunt of his opponent's attacks and struck the enemy's weak points.

  Li Shan was unable to adapt to the change.

  If there was anyone watching from the sidelines, they would be able to tell that the boy had started to move in circles around Li Shan. He moved incredibly quickly, and every time Li Shan attacked with force, he would miss. When he lost his momentum, Happy immediately seized the chance to attack, striking him so many times that the NPC staggered backwards.

  "You stinking brat! All you can do is dodge! If you have the guts, fight me head on! Come on!"

  Li Shan could not give voice to his misery, and he just roared endlessly!

  As he spoke, a few of his punches missed. He was so angry that he nearly vomited blood.

  But if the user ran into a person who did not want to fight against them head on, it made things difficult…

  Li Shan felt like his punches landed on cotton. His powerful blows could not hit anything solid. Instead, he even brought suffering upon himself.

  Happy completely ignored Li Shan's crazed roars and continued moving about while avoiding a head on fight. He occasionally seized chances to hit him, angering Li Shan so much that he screamed and raged even louder, but he could do nothing about it.

  As the two of them fought, Happy's Shaolin's Long Fist swiftly reached a breakthrough and went up to Level 70, which meant that he entered the eighth realm. The wind stirred up by his fists was gradually accompanied by louder and heavier booms, but Happy was too immersed in the fight to notice it. He didn't see that the level of his Shaolin's Long Fist continued to rise, and that the speed at which the progress bar filled up did not seem to have decreased...