Water Margin: The Tale of Li Erlang of Guankou

Killing intent is different from other things; it's a power accumulated from killing. Li Hanxiao knew this very well because he had interacted with many veterans in his previous life. Even without fighting, people with enough killing intent could make you feel uncomfortable within a certain distance.

Even Wang Yin, though a master, couldn't match the killing intent emanating from the person before him.

In short, the number of people killed was insufficient.

A person who exudes a powerful killing intent may not necessarily be a master, but the possibility of him being a master is extremely high, because such a person is purely fed with human blood. You don't know how many sword fights and dangerous situations he has experienced. Can someone who has been through bloodshed be a useless person?

If he were a useless person, he would never have survived.

"Oh my god, it's him!"

A bystander saw the man and exclaimed in surprise.

"Sir, do you know this person?"

Seeing this, Wang Yin quickly walked over and deliberately raised his voice, seemingly wanting Li Hanxiao to hear him and find out some details about the other party in advance so that he could know his enemy and himself.

The onlooker said, "This man is one of the four great swordsmen of Tokyo, named Ma Bian. It is said that he is a descendant of Ma Dai from the Later Han and Three Kingdoms period. He inherited Ma Mengqi's swordsmanship and his moves are as fast as lightning. He works as a guard at the Yuxiang Tower."

"This kind of person works as a pimp at the Imperial Fragrance Pavilion?"

Wang Yin thought to himself, "This is truly a waste of talent. With such ability, why would someone be a pimp? It's an extremely lowly profession."

"Turtle slave" was a derogatory term for men who performed menial tasks in brothels in olden times. When prostitutes with bound feet were called to accompany guests, male workers had to carry them to the brothel like turtles carrying stone tablets. These male workers who carried prostitutes back and forth were called "turtle slaves" or "big teapots".

However, he should be considered a pimp or servant kept by the Imperial Fragrance Pavilion. After all, brothels are places where all sorts of people mingle, and they need some security personnel.

"It is said that he was a murderer in his early years and was seriously injured. He was rescued by a courtesan who went out for a spring outing in the city. She also paid money for him to settle the lawsuit. In return, he became sworn siblings with the courtesan and became a guard at the Imperial Fragrance Pavilion."

After hearing this, Li Hanxiao understood the situation. It turned out that this guy had such a background. He must be Li Shishi's own support and power in Yuxiang Tower.

However, this technique is one of the five great sword techniques of ancient and modern times, on par with Liu Bei's Guying Method, Bian Zhuangzi's Fenjiao Method, Wang Ju's Qiluo Method, and Ma Mingwang's Lightning Method. It may not be easy to deal with.

However, Li Hanxiao also developed a fondness for talent because of this. If it was possible to beat him, build a relationship, and see if he could trick him into leaving!

But that can only be based on one premise: beating him and proving that you are stronger than him.

"please."

The man tossed over a wooden sword, which Li Hanxiao caught in mid-air. The swordsmanship had not been taught by Erlang Zhenjun, but there were quite a few sword techniques in Li Erlang's family martial arts, since the sword was still a primary weapon during the Qin Dynasty.

"Li Erlang from Guankou, I'd like to ask for your guidance!"

Li Hanxiao held his sword horizontally in front of him, adopting a "pointing out the landscape" stance.

"Ma Bian from Ji County, I have a question for you!"

Ma Bian's starting stance was "Extending Technique," with his left hand holding the sword horizontally between his chest and abdomen, somewhat reminiscent of Western fencing, while his right hand was raised high above his head in a palm strike upwards.

"Gentlemen, we'll use one incense stick as the time limit. If Young Master Li cannot defeat him within the time limit, he will be considered to have lost. If Young Master Li wins, or if the score remains tied after the incense burns out, Young Master Li will also be considered to have won."

Although the madam said that a draw would be enough for him, Li Hanxiao still wanted to try and see if he could win.

"Okay! Start!"

As the madam lit the incense with a tinderbox, Ma Bian flashed forward, his hand holding the sword still, while his body rammed into Li Hanxiao, looking like an angry rhinoceros.

At his speed, even a wooden sword could pierce a hole in Li Hanxiao.

Li Hanxiao understood that he had applied the impact force to the sword. No matter how he thrust and parried, he probably wouldn't be able to withstand it head-on. He could only use clever moves.

"brush!"

Li Hanxiao suddenly lunged forward, lying face down on the ground, holding a sword in one hand and supporting himself with the other. He bent his legs, lowered his center of gravity, and swung his sword several times from below, aiming straight for Ma Bian's lower body.

Since he held his sword at chest level without moving, Li Hanxiao dodged his attack position and used a low-level move called "The Monkey Picks the Peach".

Ma Bian had launched a fierce attack, but Li Hanxiao unexpectedly lowered his stance to dodge and counterattack. He tried to sheathe his sword, but it was too late.

He could only leap up, lift his lower body, and dodge Li Hanxiao's swords that were attacking his lower body. He used the wooden sword in his left hand as a fulcrum in mid-air to support his body, and with the force, he did a somersault in mid-air to dodge.

While in mid-air, he didn't forget to launch a "lifting sword" attack on Li Hanxiao's back.

However, he was in the air and always in motion, so the move was not very accurate. Li Hanxiao blocked the move by pushing the wooden sword backward with a "Su Qin carrying the sword" move.

"This young master Li is a true polymath!"

After the two exchanged several blows, the onlookers were in an uproar. Most of these people were princes and noblemen, spoiled brats. They had seen Li Hanxiao break through three levels in a row and felt a bit like sour grapes, so they were just waiting to see him make a fool of himself in the fourth level.

Who knew that Li Hanxiao was actually a genius, and it seems he also has martial arts skills. If he manages to break through the fourth level, then he will be the one who gets drunk at the flower hill today!

They're so sour!

"Does anyone know which family this person belongs to in town?"

Some people inquired about Li Hanxiao's background, but no one knew the answer.

"Is he some outsider who's come to our Dongjing City? How can we let an outsider comb the courtesan's hair? Brother Ma, put your strength into it and take him down!"

It's unclear which spoiled brat uttered a sour remark, but it actually provoked a fierce reaction from the rest of the group of spoiled brats. In an instant, they all booed Li Hanxiao, who was actually likely to share a bed with Li Shishi, wishing he would die on the spot.

Hey! What are you saying?!

Wang Yin was furious and wanted to teach these outspoken and troublemaking playboys a lesson, but Wen Huanzhang held him back.

"These spoiled brats all come from wealthy families, and their fathers are kings and generals. If we beat them, we'll have a hard time getting away. Why get so worked up over the buzzing of these mosquitoes and flies?"

Wen Huanzhang's words were overheard by several spoiled young men nearby. Seeing that Wen Huanzhang was dressed as a scholar, they immediately surrounded him and questioned, "You thieving man and woman, who are you calling flies and mosquitoes!"

"As the ancients said, 'A true gentleman observes a game of chess without speaking.' The same applies to observing a contest. Even I, a country bumpkin, understand this principle. How can you people from the capital city of Tokyo not know the rules? Shouting and making such a racket, aren't you just like flies and mosquitoes? Don't you lower yourselves to the lowest level?"

Arguing with Wen Huanzhang was pointless; these guys had made a fool of themselves. Seeing Wang Yin nearby, they had no choice but to watch the sword fight obediently.

At this moment, the two swordsmen had already exchanged more than ten blows. Li Hanxiao realized the power of their "skill": the sword followed the fist, and they relied on each other.

In other words, when the opponent attacks, it's not just the sword that's attacking you. While the sword strikes swiftly, there's also the rapid shifting of footwork and body movements. And the hand that isn't holding the sword isn't idle either; it might be a fist, a palm, a finger, or a grappling technique, all looking for an opportunity to attack.

In other words, you not only have to deal with the sword, but also with his hand.

Li Hanxiao also noticed something amiss, because this "striking technique" swordsmanship changed too quickly. In addition to changing body movements to carry the sword, it mainly relied on the wrist to frantically change moves, while the arm holding the sword did not actually move much.

This situation makes it easy for others to exploit the opening to attack the wrist of the sword-wielding hand, but the attack of the free hand is equivalent to protecting the wrist's weakness, coordinating with the sword's movements at all times, whether for offense or defense.

This advantage in technique allowed Ma Bian's attacks to come like a storm, coming one after another. Li Hanxiao also swung his sword, creating a flurry of sword shadows, which he barely managed to block.

As the saying goes, "a prolonged defense will inevitably lead to defeat." Li Hanxiao had just repelled Ma Bian's palm strike with a single palm. In a direct clash of palms, Li Hanxiao was naturally not afraid of him. However, this palm strike left Li Hanxiao's chest and abdomen wide open, giving Ma Bian an opportunity.

Meanwhile, Ma Bian was using the move "Immortal Points the Way," his arm trembling as he extended his wooden sword, thrusting it straight into Li Hanxiao's face, penetrating directly to his center.

At this moment, the tip of the sword was less than two inches from Li Hanxiao's throat. Li Hanxiao didn't have time to withdraw his sword to defend. In desperation, he remembered the "Pursuit of Form and Interception of Meridians" technique from the Wudang swordsmanship of later generations. So instead of blocking Ma Bian's sword, he flicked his long sword upwards, and the sword pointed at Ma Bian's elbow, which was holding the sword.

In that instant, Ma Bian's expression changed drastically, and the sword that was about to pierce Li Hanxiao's throat suddenly stopped.

"Lost!"

Ma Bian's face turned deathly pale instantly. He dropped the wooden sword in his hand and admitted defeat.

"Huh? You were about to win, why are you admitting defeat?"

"Does this young master Li know any sorcery?"

"Could it be that the two of them planned this beforehand, putting on an act to fool us?"

"Why did you drop your sword after just a light touch on the elbow?"

The onlookers were in an uproar, no one understood. In their view, Ma Bian would have won if his sword had moved an inch further, so why did he abandon his sword and admit defeat?

Wang Yin, however, understood Li Hanxiao's swordsmanship and considered it exquisite; he could see its subtleties.

This "Pursuit of Form and Interception of Meridians" is the highest level of swordsmanship among the "Four Swords of Wudang": it involves discerning the opponent's attack movements and even their consciousness, and then striking first from behind to intercept the opponent's limbs that are attacking from a clever angle, such as the wrist or arm holding the sword, to block their attack, or even make the opponent's limbs move onto the sword's edge on their own. This is what is known as "Pursuit of Form and Interception of Meridians".

Although Ma Bian was supposed to point his sword at Li Hanxiao's throat immediately, Li Hanxiao struck Ma Bian's elbow with the tip of his sword first.

If this were a real sword, Ma Bian's elbow would have been pierced by Li Hanxiao when they were still an inch apart. So how could he possibly attack Li Hanxiao?

If the injury were to occur elsewhere, the person might be able to grit their teeth and endure the blow. However, if the elbow is pierced, the joint will dislocate, and the body will lose control of the forearm. Even if Ma Bian wanted to stab again, he would be powerless to do so.

Moreover, Li Hanxiao only touched Ma Bian's elbow lightly with the tip of his wooden sword, without actually hurting him, but just to let them know that he had already lost.

Ma Bian wasn't stupid. He understood the secret behind this move and knew that Li Hanxiao was holding back, so he decisively abandoned his sword and admitted defeat.

When the madam saw Ma Bian abandon his sword and admit defeat, she stood there dumbfounded, her face ashen, as if Li Hanxiao had ruined some important matter for her. She didn't even blink for a long time.

"Hey, have you figured out these four levels yet?"

"Nonsense, if this isn't broken, how could it be broken?"

"Has this madam gone mad?"

Amidst the shouts of the crowd, the madam finally came to her senses. Her face was so pale and green that it looked like it was about to drip water. In just a short while, she was covered in sweat.

"This...this is truly unexpected...Young Master Li has won this round...Young Master Li has broken through four levels, truly a young hero. The one who will be combing my courtesan's hair tonight is...is...alas, never mind...it is Young Master Li!"

Li Hanxiao ignored the madam's extremely reluctant words, instead cupping his fists at Ma Bian and saying, "Your technique is indeed as renowned as it is, swift as lightning, and well-rounded in both offense and defense."

"I am ashamed to admit that I cannot compare to Young Master Li's divine skill. His last move was truly a stroke of genius, leaving me completely convinced!"

Ma Bian bowed in return, completely convinced of his defeat and without a trace of resentment.

"Young master, please come up to the third floor to see my courtesan!"

The madam invited Li Hanxiao upstairs, but Li Hanxiao ignored her. Instead, he spoke to Ma Bian with an extremely regretful expression and tone, "Brother Ma, I have something to tell you. If your swordsmanship were used for the righteous path, it could turn the rotten into the miraculous, a gift from heaven. However, you linger in brothels and surrounded by women, wasting your days. You should know that indulgence and laziness prevent you from cultivating your spirit, and recklessness and impetuosity prevent you from cultivating your character. Such wastefulness is hardly what a man should be. As the ancient master Zhu Fuyan once said, 'A true man, if he cannot live on the five tripods of food, he should die cooked in the five tripods. He has not lived in vain.' A true man's three-foot sword should not only protect the peace of brothels, but also protect the world. If you have the ambition in the future, you can come to me at any time, and I will protect our country together."

After saying this with a smile, Li Han ignored the thoughtful Ma Bian and turned to the madam, saying, "Madam, my purpose in coming to break these four barriers is simply because Madam Li said that no man in the world can break these four barriers, which makes people look down on us men. I have no intention of arranging a marriage with the courtesan. I will take my leave now!"

After Li Hanxiao finished speaking, leaving the madam stunned, he called Wang Yin and Wen Huanzhang, and went downstairs to continue drinking. He ordered the bartender to bring more hot wine, and they drank, sang, and chatted freely.

It wasn't that Li Hanxiao was indifferent to women; rather, he understood that after this incident, he would likely become famous in the capital today, having already caused a lot of unnecessary trouble, which would make his future actions more difficult.

If he were to get involved with Li Shishi again, half the men in the capital would become his mortal enemies, which is really not advisable!

Watching Li Hanxiao leave with the two men from the third floor, Li Shishi couldn't help but pout and mutter to herself, "There really is such an upright man in the world? Humph, I think he's never seen my face. If he had, I don't believe he would be so indifferent. Now that he's broken through four barriers, it's a stroke of luck. If I don't see him this time... what would I say... I'll go and talk to him myself..."