Chapter 39 The Retreated Old Soldiers

Now it's a peaceful era, a harmonious society. Exchanges between martial artists are limited to sparring. Although bumps and bruises are inevitable when fists and feet fly, no one uses overly vicious moves. For example, the move Gu Fei just used is absolutely forbidden. If it lands, the opponent will be cut off from offspring. If the opponent's kung fu is only passed down within the family and they aren't married, it would mean the end of that martial art's lineage, a very serious consequence.

So, although Gu Fei knows moves like this, he has never used them, and has no practical experience with them. Bai Shi Jing Lun is also an insider and knows this situation well. That's why he was so impressed that Gu Fei could make the right decision in an instant to use such an unfamiliar move. The phrase "too lewd" was actually praising Gu Fei's kung fu, nothing else.

After taking that sword strike, the opponent's face showed embarrassment. He scurried to the side with a flame between his legs. Before he could put it out, it was already extinguished. After suffering two losses in a row, the man finally dared not be careless.

Gu Fei was also surprised. This person had taken two Dual Flame Flashes and was still full of energy. He was just a Fighter, and Gu Fei could tell from his movements that he had definitely added points to Agility. How could he withstand two Dual Flame Flashes? There was only one explanation: he was wearing flame-resistant equipment.

It seemed they really came to deal with him. Gu Fei thought, looking up to see Hong Chen Yi Xiao watching him from the top of the boulder. Beside him were Duan Shui Jian and another man he didn't recognize, both holding short crossbows, ready to strike at any moment.

Gu Fei was out of mana, unable to cast even one Dual Flame Flash, but his expression didn't change. He glanced at the three people above and then looked at his opponent, who was still holding his crotch. "What's your name?" Compared to the others, Gu Fei liked those who preferred close combat more.

The man regained his composure, his stance a little more relaxed. He said in a deep voice, "Kai Shan Fu (Mountain-Splitting Axe)."

Duan Shui Jian, Kai Shan Fu... these IDs sounded like a series. Gu Fei nodded. "Old Duan's friend?"

The man didn't hide anything. "Comrade-in-arms."

As expected! Gu Fei had suspected that these people were no ordinary players. The fact that they all used bows, regardless of their class, was the same as Duan Shui Jian: they were used to long-range attacks.

Looking at their ages, those in their early thirties were considered young. Most were around forty, some with graying temples. Gu Fei guessed they were a group of retired veterans. He couldn't believe that Hong Chen Yi Xiao had gathered such a group. Gu Fei couldn't help but look at him again, his expression lively. "You really put in the effort."

He glanced at the group. "One at a time or all at once?"

Bai Shi Jing Lun quickly said, "Don't be too cocky!"

"Not being cocky," Gu Fei said calmly. "There are four of them, one of whom we can ignore. There are two of us, two against three. Do you think that's being cocky?"

"I'm included?" Bai Shi Jing Lun was surprised.

Gu Fei was even more surprised. "Then why did you come after me?"

"I..." Bai Shi Jing Lun didn't answer immediately.

Kai Shan Fu laughed. "Young man, you're very confident!"

Gu Fei also laughed. "Old Kai, right? Come on, let's spar again."

"Alright!" Kai Shan Fu readily agreed. Hong Chen Yi Xiao waved his hand on the boulder, and a healing spell restored Kai Shan Fu's health. Gu Fei was depressed. "You even have healing? Then I'll heal too." He pulled out an apple and was about to take a bite when it exploded into pieces with a "pa" sound. Gu Fei looked at the archer he didn't recognize. "Is eating apples against the rules?"

The archer had shot the apple just as it was about to reach Gu Fei's mouth, showing exceptional marksmanship. But he was even more astonished by Gu Fei's composure. The arrow had flown right at him, but Gu Fei hadn't even flinched, indicating he knew the arrow was aimed at the apple in his hand, not him. That composure also showed that while facing Kai Shan Fu, Gu Fei hadn't let his guard down. At this distance, the arrow posed no threat.

Kai Shan Fu got into a fighting stance. "Let me see what you martial artists are really capable of."

Gu Fei was about to attack, but Bai Shi Jing Lun jumped out first. "Let me have a taste."

"Hey..." Before Gu Fei could say anything, Bai Shi Jing Lun had already attacked, throwing a punch.

The two were both Fighters with similar stats, their strength evenly matched. Unlike when Gu Fei fought, they didn't have to worry about holding back. Their fists and feet collided, creating a lively scene of punches and kicks.

Gu Fei knew this wasn't a martial arts competition. They were ambushed by a group of people in a life-or-death situation. It wasn't the time to leisurely watch the fight. Gongzi Elite Squad and Jian Nan You were struggling over there!

With Kai Shan Fu engaged by Bai Shi Jing Lun, Gu Fei immediately circled around the back of the boulder. But after a lap, he was frustrated. The boulder was smooth and regular, with no place to climb. Ye Xiaowu and the others must have used "flying hooks" or similar items to get up. He couldn't use Instant Shift, and with people occupying the top, he couldn't get up there. After circling back, he saw Bai Shi Jing Lun was already at a disadvantage.

Kai Shan Fu's fight with Gu Fei had only lasted two exchanges. Once, he used a Flying Swallow Slash from a high altitude with no roots under his feet, and the other time he was equally unstable, launching a high-level Whip Kick at an inopportune moment. Both moves had huge openings, and Gu Fei had exploited those openings, dealing clean damage.

It was obvious Kai Shan Fu hadn't taken Gu Fei seriously at first, launching those domineering moves with the intention of one-shotting him. After suffering those two losses, Kai Shan Fu's attitude finally changed. He realized that although this was a game and his opponent was a player, Gu Fei had real skill. So, he abandoned his playful attitude and became serious.

Kai Shan Fu's moves were fierce, emphasizing simplicity and practicality. Even more impressive was his fearless momentum, something ordinary martial artists like Gu Fei didn't possess. It was the kind of spirit forged on a real battlefield where life and death hung in the balance. Years of retirement hadn't dulled it, but it had gradually been hidden due to lack of use. Even during his fight with Gu Fei, it hadn't been revealed. But after realizing Gu Fei was a strong enemy who deserved his attention, that long-dormant temperament gradually emerged as he fought Bai Shi Jing Lun. By the time Gu Fei had circled the boulder, Kai Shan Fu seemed to have transformed.

Momentum doesn't make an attack stronger, but it affects the mentality, judgment, and other psychological aspects of both sides. The side with the upper hand acts without thinking, their moves flowing naturally, full of confidence. The side with insufficient momentum will hesitate, missing opportunities to win because of confusion.

Bai Shi Jing Lun was already being suppressed in terms of momentum. Before Gu Fei left, they had been exchanging blows, but after his return, Bai Shi Jing Lun was seven parts defense and three parts offense. He was already thinking of defending and countering. But if he was confident in defeating the opponent, why defend? Why not just beat them down with a few punches and kicks?

If it were someone like Han Jia Gongzi, Gu Fei would suspect some despicable plot, but Bai Shi Jing Lun was too simple. Gu Fei guessed he had decided he might not be able to win, so he adopted a defensive stance. Seeing Bai Shi Jing Lun's stance, Kai Shan Fu's momentum increased, and his confidence inflated. "Bang, bang, bang," left leg, right leg, left leg, Kai Shan Fu launched three consecutive high-level Whip Kicks. Bai Shi Jing Lun blocked with his right arm, then his left arm, then his left arm again, then his right arm, his fists almost hitting his head.

Kai Shan Fu reached out with his right hand, grabbing Bai Shi Jing Lun's throat. He then used his left hand to seize Bai Shi Jing Lun's arm and used the game skill "Body Slam," throwing Bai Shi Jing Lun into the air. While in the air, he twisted Bai Shi Jing Lun's arm and pinned him to the ground. Gu Fei sighed repeatedly. Such skillful capturing techniques, this guy was more professional than him and Bai Shi Jing Lun.

In a martial arts match, Kai Shan Fu would have already won. But this was a PK in a game. If there was no white light, it wasn't over. Kai Shan Fu clearly wasn't there for exercise, so he was about to beat Bai Shi Jing Lun to death. Gu Fei rushed over, hearing the sound of wind behind him. Duan Shui Jian and the archer on top had been watching closely and launched arrows. Gu Fei smiled and dodged aside. The arrows they shot flew towards Kai Shan Fu like shooting stars.

"Despicable!" Duan Shui Jian and the other man cried out. They had seen Gu Fei go to help and fired arrows to stop him, not expecting Gu Fei was using them to relieve the siege by attacking the base of the boulder.

Gu Fei couldn't run as fast as arrows.

Gu Fei couldn't attack as fiercely as the damage those two could deal with their arrows.

The two angrily opened fire on Gu Fei. Gu Fei dodged left and right, not getting hit by a single arrow. They were using coordinated crossfire, but Gu Fei dodged them all with a playful smile. The archer finally couldn't take it anymore. He was a famous sharpshooter in the army, the record holder for shooting accuracy. His ID in the game was Sniper God. Now, he couldn't hit a target twenty meters away. He was frustrated. He exploded, slamming his short crossbow on the ground and cursing, "What a fucking broken game, what a fucking broken crossbow? I can make a better one myself."

Ye Xiaowu looked embarrassed. Gu Fei saw everything clearly below and breathed a sigh of relief. The ease on his face was all an act. The crossfire was well-coordinated, and Gu Fei had to be fully focused to barely avoid them. In fact, Gu Fei had been hit by an arrow, but he had immediately turned gracefully and pulled it out, so the two hadn't seen it and assumed he hadn't been hit. Duan Shui Jian was fine, having been deeply impressed by Gu Fei's skills, and he wasn't overly confident in his own shooting. But his friend, Sniper God, had finally reached his limit. He didn't think Gu Fei was that awesome, he just thought the bows and arrows in this game were useless. If he had a gun, he would have headshot Gu Fei one hundred and eighty times.

Kai Shan Fu had been forced to give way by the arrows from his own people. Bai Shi Jing Lun wasn't a dog who would stay down after being beaten. He took the opportunity to flip over and fight again, but the situation remained the same. Gu Fei scolded him for not improving and rushed over to replace him, pointing at the three on top of the boulder. "Go take them down."

"What were you doing just now?" Bai Shi Jing Lun was still gossiping!

Gu Fei's face darkened. "Went behind the rock to take a leak."

"..."

Kai Shan Fu had become confident after his fight with Bai Shi Jing Lun. Seeing Gu Fei replace him, he didn't mind. He smiled and said, "You martial artists have too many routines, too many complicated changes, focusing on technique. The combat and grappling techniques we learned in the military were made for practical combat, simple and direct, more effective. I'm not as good at performance as you are, but in real combat, you're no match."

"What should we do then? Surrender?" Gu Fei laughed.

Kai Shan Fu laughed. "It seems you're still not convinced. I have to admit I underestimated you earlier, and you took advantage of it. But I won't now. Although your class in this game is Mage, I think your skills are above that Fighter from before, right?"

"Definitely. He's only as good as I was ten years ago," Gu Fei said.

"Damn it!" Bai Shi Jing Lun, who was trying to climb the boulder, didn't forget to give Gu Fei the middle finger.

"Come on!" Gu Fei took the initiative, putting away his Dark Night Flowing Light Sword and throwing a punch at Kai Shan Fu.

"Not even using a weapon? You're really confident. Speaking of swords, I really don't know how to use them. They're too troublesome to carry, they should be obsolete," Kai Shan Fu said.

"That's old news, they've been obsolete for years," Gu Fei said. Kai Shan Fu was thinking from a battlefield perspective, but from that perspective, swords had never been widely used on the battlefield. Swords were more of a symbol of status, never a main weapon in war.

Kai Shan Fu blocked Gu Fei's punch, but Gu Fei's hand retracted with a "whoosh." Kai Shan Fu swung and missed, shaking his head helplessly, unimpressed by the excessive feints and flourishes in Gu Fei's kung fu. He then saw Gu Fei take a small step behind his left foot with his right foot, and his left foot rose from the ground in an extremely swift side kick. Kai Shan Fu was startled and quickly retreated, but Gu Fei's left foot had only risen halfway and was already landing. His left hand reached out and swiped in front of Kai Shan Fu's eyes, while his right fist, hidden below, rose up and landed a fierce uppercut on Kai Shan Fu's jaw.

Gu Fei was weak, so the punch didn't do much damage. He retreated immediately after the strike, but Kai Shan Fu stood there dumbfounded. Gu Fei smiled. "Does it feel familiar?"

"This..." Kai Shan Fu was quite knowledgeable about combat. Although there were some changes in Gu Fei's attack after the step, he could recognize it at a glance.

"It's the side kick and uppercut commonly used in your fighting techniques, right?" Gu Fei asked.

"Indeed..." Kai Shan Fu nodded.

"There's a question I don't know if you've ever thought about."

"What question?"

"Airplanes, cannons, guns, ammunition, these weapons are all researched and manufactured. But what about your combat techniques? Where do they come from? The old Twenty-Movement Enemy Capture Fist, and now the more widely used Sixteen-Movement Enemy Capture Fist, how did this evolution come about?" Gu Fei asked.

Kai Shan Fu was stunned.

"It's us, brother. We're like scientists and researchers in the field of combat. Otherwise, you think these combat routines just fell from the sky?" Gu Fei said.

"There's another point," Gu Fei continued. "You have another misconception."

"What?"

"The combat techniques you've mastered are simple and direct, without too many complicated changes, not because simple and direct is more effective in combat. It's just because simple and direct is easier to master. Because you don't have time. Obligatory soldiers serve for two years, volunteers serve for three, adding up to only five years. That's not enough time to practice kung fu, let alone learn everything else you need to know," Gu Fei said.

"You think that guy over there isn't really your opponent?" Gu Fei pointed at Bai Shi Jing Lun. "In terms of combat skill, he's actually above you. He just doesn't have your experience. After all, although we practice martial arts, we've never even seriously injured anyone. For combat techniques that seek to destroy, this deficiency has a significant impact. You say our kung fu isn't practical? That's not right. But if you say we don't have real combat experience, that's very true. Of course, by real combat experience, I mean combat with the purpose of killing."

Kai Shan Fu was shocked. "Do you have that kind of experience?"

Gu Fei was even more shocked. "Don't joke around, killing someone will cost you your life."

Kai Shan Fu smiled. "So, you also lack combat experience."

Gu Fei smiled. "Lack is lack, but we're on completely different levels. The difference in experience can be ignored. If I wasn't weak, I would have beaten you down already."

Kai Shan Fu said, "Since you know that your lack of strength is a huge disadvantage, how do you plan to beat me? After all, this is still a game. You can hit me, but you can't really hurt me."

"That's why I said so much to you," Gu Fei said.

"What?"

"When I went behind the rock, I secretly put a few grapes in my mouth. I ate them while talking to you, and they've finally been digested," Gu Fei said. "Actually, I'm a Mage. I don't need strength, I need mana."

"Damn it!" Kai Shan Fu realized he had been tricked. Duan Shui Jian, Sniper God, and the others on the boulder spat blood when they heard the news. Gu Fei had called Bai Shi Jing Lun over not to kill them, but to distract them so they couldn't interfere with Gu Fei's grape digestion.

"Fire resistance mage, huh? You're done for." Gu Fei raised his left hand, and a ball of lightning gradually condensed in his palm.

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Vote, vote, continue to call for votes. Five hundred votes is my eternal goal, I must not disappear like the lightning in Gu Fei's palm after showing off enough!