Chapter 1

  Wang Leng sighed, "No way, I don't want to admit it, but I have no choice. This Taikai Shitōdan is a sharp and powerful elite unit, with extremely strong combat capabilities. Plus, they are equipped with advanced weapons and everyone has superb swordsmanship skills. Our troops can hardly win against the Taikai Shitōdan."

  Liáng Zhōngguó asked: "Is that Taizhuo Yousheng considered a formidable opponent in the Taikoujutsu school?"

  Wang Lengzhi explained: "The Taikai Corps has a total of over 30,000 people. After each battle, personnel and equipment are quickly replenished. Tang Zhuyi is the commander of the 32nd Regiment of the Taikai Corps, equivalent to our regimental commander. He is a master of Kyokushin Karate and Nitō Ichi-ryū, ranking third in the Taikai Corps' martial arts rankings."

  Liáng Zhōngguó thought back to when he met Dōji Susumu, who had a katana and wakizashi at his waist. Hearing Wang's words, it seemed that wasn't just for show - Dōji Susumu really did have skills. Liáng Zhōngguó lost to Dōji Susumu in hand-to-hand combat, but he wanted to compare their swordsmanship. If he won, he could regain some face, but this was only a thought. He and Dōji Susumu might not meet again, and he might also be unable to see the beautiful Nanchuan Sakura again. Thinking of this, Liáng Zhōngguó silently sighed in his heart.

  Xiao Zhen curiously asked: "County Magistrate Wang, who are the first and second?"

  Wang Lengci said with a scowl: "The top two people in the Taigong Swordsmanship are quite famous, and the second-ranked person is their brigade commander, named Kijikatsu Akane. I must introduce you to this Kijikatsu Akane, he is the master of Tōji Susumu, and it was him who taught Tōji Susumu karate and Nitō Ichiryū. His swordsmanship skills rank third in Japan, but at the same time, he is also a demon who delights in killing people. On his way to Japan, Kijikatsu Akane repeatedly ordered his soldiers to massacre our unarmed compatriots, including weak and helpless women and children, and personally killed thousands of innocent civilians."

  Everyone in the hall was Chinese, and upon hearing this, they all became enraged. Huang Xiangsu gritted her teeth and said, "Then why hasn't anyone killed him?"

  Wang Leng sighed and said: "Our team didn't annihilate the Taikou Corps, so he's still alive. However, someone did try to assassinate him before."

  Liáng Zhōngguó wā dào: "Wáng zhuān yuán, nǐ zhī dào shì nǎ wèi yīng xióng hǎo hàn ma?"

  Translation:

  "Commissioner Wang, do you know which hero is it?"

  Wang Leng shook his head and said, "I don't know. I only know that after the heroic good man failed to assassinate Jike Chi, he was beheaded by Jike Chi, had his four limbs cut off, his eyes dug out, his eardrums pierced, and his tongue cut off. This brave warrior bled to death."

  Huang Xiang's beautiful eyebrows furrowed deeply, and she scolded: "You're simply a beast!"

  "This son of a bitch will die at my hands sooner or later."

  Liang Liangfeng sneered: "You can't even beat Jiko Akedo's disciple, Toshizumi Susumu, and yet you dare to boast about going out to sea. Don't be so arrogant."

  Liáng Zhōngguó hummed: "I may not be able to beat Jikō Akatsuki and Tōji Suzuka now, but who can guarantee that I won't win against them in the future?"

  Wang Leng smiled and praised: "Successful people usually set a goal for themselves. China, since you have a goal, you will have a great opportunity to succeed in the future."

  Li Chong said with a smile: "Still, County Chief Wang will support people and won't pour cold water."

  Chang Langying said with a smile: "Zhong Er, your father poured cold water on you also for your own good, he doesn't want you to be too self-satisfied."

  Liang Liangfeng suddenly coughed and asked: "County Magistrate Wang, who is the most powerful person in the Taizhen Shifu Tuan?"

  ōrei Tsukamu said, "This person is the captain of the Takashi School, Nanakawa Sakuragi's father, Nanakawa Gen. He is more formidable than Giko Akatsuki. He is the second strongest in the world of swordsmanship, and the strongest martial artist in the Takashi School. His Judo and Kendo skills are so divine that they seem to be possessed by a god. It is said that under his hands, no one has ever survived three clashes with him, usually it's just one strike that decides victory or defeat."

  Xiao Zhen asked: "Can't that madman Jiko Akodo do this?"

  Wang Leng shook his head and said, "No, with Jike Chi's martial arts skills, he can definitely do this, but he likes to torture people. With one knife, he can kill someone, but he insists on using three or four knives and loves to watch people suffer."

  Liáng Zhōngguó's family and Xiāo Zhuàn, Huáng Xiāngsù had not met Jí Kēchì in person, but after hearing Wáng Lěngzhāi introduce him, they all felt extremely disgusted with him. If it could be said that they were relieved to see the other rì běn yú killed quickly, then for Jí Kēchì, it was kill and then kill again, before throwing his body into the wilderness.

  "Huang Xiangsu murmured: 'Director Wang, the top two swordsmen of Japan are all in the Taiko Corps, then where is the number one swordsman of Japan?'"

  Wang Lengxiao smiled and said, "I'm also very curious about this. I asked Song Zheyuan, the military commander, and he knew about it. He told me that the number one swordsman in Japan wasn't a soldier, but a Japanese ronin named Aoyagi Kiroku, who practiced the Yagyu Shinkage-ryu style of swordsmanship."

  Liáng Zhōngguó dào: "Nán Chuān Yuánzhòng hé Jí Kē Chì kěndìng dōu shā guò Zhōngguórén, bù zhī ā yǔ Jī Lóng kě zài shā guò wǒ tóngbāo?"

  Liāng Liàngfēng said: "Zhōng ér, why are you asking this?"

  "Father, you once said that those who are not morally upright cannot achieve the highest level of martial arts. Since A and Kiryuu are the top swordsmen in the world, I think they should be different from Nankou no Gen and Yoshikawa Akane."

  "Huang Xiangsu hummed: 'Brother Liang, no matter good or bad, all people are as black as crows under the sky.'"

  Liáng Zhōngguó opposed the way: "Xiāng Sù, I don't agree with you. I have always believed that the Japanese still have good people, but very few. After all, they have been indoctrinated with militarism and Bushido spirit, and they have been poisoned too deeply."

  Wang Leng thought for a moment and said: "A Yu and Ji Long seem to have never killed anyone, Song Jun didn't tell me about it."

  Xiao Zhan suddenly said: "Taiji Swordsmanship, one of the three major masters of Japanese swordsmanship, these things will eventually be solved by us Chinese."

  Wang Leng smiled and said, "You're so confident."

  Xiao Zhen smiled faintly and said: "We will have a battle with Xiao Ri sooner or later. If we don't even have this bit of confidence, what's the point of fighting?"

  Liáng Zhōngguó clapped his hands, and with a heroic air, said: "Xiāo Zhēn, you're absolutely right! If we want to win this war, we must have the determination to fight to the end. Otherwise, we'll definitely become slaves of the defeated nation. Defeating Taikōshi Corps and eliminating the three top swordsmen of Honjō Sword Style will be my responsibility!"

  Liang Liangfeng said coldly: "Before you do these things, go to the courtyard and squat in a horse stance for me."

  Liáng Zhōngguó felt as if a basin of cold water had been poured over his head, and he slumped down, saying: "Dad, I know." Then he said to Huáng Xiāngsù: "Xiāngsù, bring Xiǎo Zhēn into my room. You know where the medicinal wine is, don't you?"

  Huang Xiangsu nodded, and Liang Liangfeng frowned at Xiao Zhen: "Young man, are you injured?"

  Xiao Zhen smiled and said: "It's nothing, just that my stomach was kicked by Tang Zhiyuan, I'll be fine after applying some medicinal wine."

  Liang Liangfeng sighed: "It's all because of those puppies that they implicated you."

  Xiao Zhen hastily said: "This has nothing to do with China, if you want to blame someone, blame Tang Zhiyu."

  Liang Liangfeng did not respond, and instead scolded his son angrily: "What are you still standing there for? Don't you go practice your horse stance!"

  Liáng Zhōngguó grumbled and nodded, then went to the courtyard to assume a horse stance. Huáng Xiāngsù led Xiāo Zhēn to Liáng Zhōngguó's room. As they walked, the man asked: "Xiāngsù, doesn't Zhōngguó get along with his father?"

  "Who said that China didn't make mistakes or say wrong things? When they did, the two of them would be like wearing the same pants, but only when China made a mistake or said something wrong would Uncle Leung scold Brother Leung severely."

  Xiao Zhen nodded and seemed to understand Huang Xiangsu's meaning. Like this, the two entered Liang Zhongguo's room, Huang Xiangsu found the medicinal wine and handed it to Xiao Zhen, letting Xiao Zhen rub himself well.

  In the hall, Liang Liangfeng and Cheng Changying were greeting Wang Lengzhai and chatting with him.

  In the courtyard, Liang Zhongguo closed his eyes and squatted in a horse stance, his mind constantly flashing back to the beautiful face and pleasant voice of Nanagawa Sakurako, the Japanese beauty he had met on the street earlier. The aftertaste was truly endless, and she was also very kind. When she saw Liang Zhongguo and Douzhi Suzuyoshi arguing, she tried to avoid conflict by persuading Douzhi Suzuyoshi to take a step back. Her gentle and beautiful demeanor was in stark contrast to Douzhi Suzuyoshi's barbaric nature. Suddenly, Liang Zhongguo had a fanciful thought: If... if he could marry her as his wife, that would be wonderful! He would definitely be the luckiest man alive, and it would not be a waste of his life. At the same time, Liang Zhongguo felt hatred towards Douzhi Suzuyoshi for being able to hold her hand, walk with her on the street, laugh and talk with her, and for being her fiancé. Thinking about this, Liang Zhongguo began to feel downhearted: "Liang Zhongguo, you should stop dreaming of such unrealistic things. The relationship between China and Japan is currently strained, and your parents would never agree to marry her into the family. Even if they were open-minded, it's still a big question whether Nanagawa Sakurako would look at you favorably. You might as well give up on this idea."

  After being disheartened, Liang Zhongguo regained his composure and thought about the Eight Trigrams Palm that Lian Qian had taught him not long ago. He replayed in his mind the moves of the Eight Trigrams Palm that Lian Qian had demonstrated in the alley, muttering to himself as he recited the incantation related to the Eight Trigrams Palm.

  Heavy snow fell, and the snowflakes kept falling on Liang Zhongguo's head and shoulders. From time to time, there was also a cold wind blowing, icy and piercing to the bone. Liang Zhongguo had already been enchanted by the Bagua Palm and didn't feel any of this at all, reaching a state of selflessness. Liang Zhongguo's feet were gradually buried deeper and deeper in the heavy snow.

  An hour later, Huang Kai, Liang Zhongguo's teacher, came to the Zhen Shen Wu Guan and saw Liang Zhongguo alone in the courtyard with his eyes closed, continuously spouting words from his mouth. He was squatting in a horse stance, feeling strange, thinking that Liang Zhongguo was practicing some special martial arts, so he didn't disturb him and went straight to the main hall to ask Liang Liangfeng what was going on. Liang Liangfeng then repeated what his son Liang Zhongguo had said to Huang Kai.

  Huang Kai was so angry that he almost burst his lungs and kept saying "I'm ashamed" to Liang Liangfeng.