Chapter 4

  Liāng Liàngfēng said sternly: "General Sòng, who doesn't want a family with hundreds of children and thousands of grandchildren? But for the integrity of our national territory and the stability of our people, I, Liāng Liàngfēng, am willing to risk having no descendants."

  Song Zheyuan praised: "Indeed, it is a great righteousness, and it is worthy of being the number one figure in Beijing's martial arts world."

  Liáng Zhōngguó said: "Sòng Jūnzhǎng, can you agree?"

  Song Zheyuan shook his head and said: "China, how can the guns of our troops fall into the hands of ordinary people?"

  Li said with a frown: "Song Jun Chang, this is just a small matter for you."

  Song Zheyuan smiled and said: "Liáng Zhōngguó, actually I mean to let you join my 29th Army, so that when you become a soldier, you can hold a gun."

  Liáng Zhōngguó shook his head and said: "Song Jun Zhang, I don't want to join the army, because joining the army doesn't necessarily mean protecting one's home and country."

  "What's the meaning of this?"

  Li Jishen sighed: "Since the September 18th Incident, Japan has been pressing in on China step by step. The Nanjing government has been retreating step by step to Japan. How many days have those soldiers spent fighting against Japan? Even if they were fighting against Japan, Chiang Kai-shek was always holding them back, not allowing them to be fully engaged, and I don't want to listen to someone else's orders, I want to be the supreme commander."

  Song Zheyuan smiled and said: "Your ambition is not small, you want to take Chairman Chiang's position."

  Li Ang shook his head and said: "I don't want Chiang Kai-shek's position either, because Chiang Kai-shek has to consider the attitudes of Britain and the United States."

  "So what if you don't want to join the army? How will you serve your country?"

  Liáng Zhōngguó said: "Sòng Jūnzhǎng, it's not necessarily required to join the army in order to go onto the battlefield and kill enemies."

  "What do you want to do then?"

  "I want to be the big boss of bandits, I think being a bandit is like being in the army, you can go into battle and kill enemies, it's exhilarating and doesn't require putting up with other people's nonsense, and also don't have to care about what other countries think."

  Bandits are notorious for their evil deeds, and people despise them. When Liang Zhongguo expressed his admiration for this profession, even Liang Liangfeng was taken aback when he first heard that his son had such an unusual ambition, not to mention Song Zheyuan. Liang Liangfeng turned around, slammed the table, and shouted: "You wicked child, why can't you do something good? Why do you want to engage in such a shameful profession? Can you live up to the ancestors of the Liang family?"

  Li Chong said with a sigh: "Dad, even if the heroes of Liangshanbo are called bandits, they are not the same as ordinary bandits, their chivalry will be passed down for thousands of years."

  "Can this be the same? Those who are close to vermilion are red, those who are close to ink are black. You mix with those bandits, can you have good morals?"

  Li Chonggui said: "People are divided into good and bad, bandits are also very much so. If I were to become the leader of the bandits, I would naturally be able to make them change their ways."

  Liang Liangfeng snorted: "You still have the nerve."

  At this time, Cheng Changying held the tea tray and brought over the tea water. Hearing the quarrel between father and son, he said: "Children's dad, Zhong Er, Song Junlong is here, you also have the nerve to quarrel." After finishing speaking, he sent the tea water one by one to the tables where Song Zheyuan, Liang Liangfeng, and Liang Zhongguo were sitting. Then he sat down in the chair beside Liang Liangfeng.

  Song Zheyuan said "thank you" and then said: "Liang Zhongguo, I only want to say one thing, if you want to be a bandit to resist Japan, it will not have much effect."

  "I know, I understand that in this world there's no such good thing as having both money and a chastity arch, but I'd rather be the head of a bandit gang than be a teacher or a military leader."

  "Alright, birds have grown their feathers and I can no longer control them. As long as you don't become a traitor or sell out the country, it's fine."

  Li Chongguo smiled and said: "Thank you, Dad."

  Song Zheyuan said: "Liang Zhongguo, do you still want to play with guns?"

  "Of course."

  Song Zheyuan smiled and said, "Then let's make a deal."

  Li Chongzhong said with great interest: "I'm very interested."

  Changying scolded: "Zhong Er, can you do business? You're so reckless."

  Liáng Zhōngguó smiled calmly and said: "Mother, General Sòng is the commander of a whole army, how could he possibly do something deceitful? We just need to be at ease."

  Song Zheyuan smiled and said, "Still, Liang Zhongguo understands me."

  Liáng Liàngfēng said: "Please, General Sòng, speak clearly."

  Song Zheyuan smiled and said: "Does everyone know what is the biggest feature of my 29th Army?"

  Li Guochang hastened to say: "The 29th Army and other armies are different from the masses, each equipped with a big knife, everyone's knife skills are outstanding."

  Song Zheyuan sighed: "Yes, thinking back to the great victory at Xifengkou Pass, my 29th Army relied on everyone having a worn-out big knife, killing the little devils and making them abandon their helmets and armor, causing all the Japanese soldiers to wear iron neck rings."

  Liáng Zhōngguó's family waited for a while, seeing Sòng Zhéyuán still had no reaction, Liáng Zhōngguó couldn't help but cough and say: "General Sòng, then what?"

  Song Zheyuan came back to his senses and smiled: "So my 29th Army attaches great importance to knife skills, wants to refine the knife skills, Song certain knows that Liang's knife skills are superb, so I invite Liang to come to my 29th Army camp to teach Liang's ancestral knife skills to my soldiers, don't know if Liang can agree?"

  Liāng Liàngfēng said in surprise: "General Sòng, as far as I know, your army has already trained the 29th Army soldiers with knife skills by a master of knife."

  Song Zheyuan explained: "There is only one way to make progress in swordsmanship, and that is to learn from many schools and practice diligently. The Liang family's swordsmanship is unparalleled in Beiping, which is why I made this request."

  Liáng Liàngfēng said with relish: "Alright, anyway I've been idle recently. It's my honor to teach the 29th Army my Liáng family knife technique. In the future, if the 29th Army can use my Liáng family knife technique to fight against the devils and bring glory to my ancestors, that would be great! However, I have a request: whatever type of gun my son wants to play with, the 29th Army must provide him with that type of gun."

  Song Zheyuan readily agreed: "Alright."

  Liáng Zhōngguó said: "Sòng Jūnzhǎng, I won't agree to let my dad come and teach your 29th Army knife skills."

  "What's going on?"

  Li Chongguo said lightly, "I, Li Chongguo, have been studying the Li family sword since I was five years old. I am confident that I have made some small achievements and can handle teaching the 29th Army's knife methods. Why bother my father?"

  Changying scolded Liang Zhong again, saying: "Zhong'er, don't be arrogant and self-important."

  Li Chong said with a smile: "Mother, I will be the leader in the future. If I don't even have this bit of confidence, how can I command thousands of troops and horses later?"

  Song Zheyuan praised: "He has style."

  Liáng Zhōngguó said: "Let Song Junlang be the laughing stock."

  Song Zheyuan suddenly said: "Liang Zhongguo, since you are so confident in your knife skills, would you mind if I test whether you have real talent or not?"

  Liáng Zhōngguó qí dào: "Sòng jūn zhǎng yě lǐ jiàng wǔ yì?"

  Translation:

  Liang said, "Does Song Jun Zhang also understand martial arts?"

  Song Zheyuan said: "I understand a thing or two."

  Li said with a smile: "General Song, let's go to our courtyard and have a contest. We have all eighteen kinds of martial arts weapons there."

  Song Zheyuan stood up and said: "Please."

  Liáng Zhōngguó and Sòng Zhéyuán walked out of the great hall towards Xí Wǔ's courtyard, Liáng Liàngfēng and Chéng Chángyīng picked up their tea cups and also went out. Sòng Zhéyuán specifically instructed the 300 soldiers from the 29th Army standing at the door to go to the courtyard to watch and learn more, those 300 soldiers saw that the army commanders were all taking action, they were very curious about the outcome of the martial arts competition, and rushed to the courtyard in a hurry to form a circle and watch.

  The martial arts courtyard had three weapon racks, with various weapons on them. Liang Zhongguo and Song Zheyuan took down two large knives from the weapon rack, stood ten steps apart, and faced each other in a standoff.

  Liáng Zhōngguó said: "Sòng Jūnzhǎng, you make a move."

  Song Zheyuan smiled faintly and said, "You make the first move."

  Li Chongzhong smiled and said: "Then I'd rather obey than show respect."

  As soon as he finished speaking, Liang Zhongguo's two feet rushed forward quickly, and the big knife in his hand danced towards Song Zheyuan. At this time, it was snowing heavily, and Liang Zhongguo's knife cut through the snowflakes and slashed directly at Song Zheyuan's head. Song Zheyuan's heart skipped a beat, he could see that Liang Zhongguo's knife skills were those of a master, and he secretly praised Liang Zhongguo for his skill. As he thought this, the big knife in his hand also began to move, and Song Zheyuan swung it at an angle towards Liang Zhongguo's knife. "Clang" The two knives clashed together, and neither could gain the upper hand. Liang Zhongguo took a step back with his right foot, and Song Zheyuan thought he was trying to compete with him in terms of strength, so he secretly increased his effort. But what Song Zheyuan didn't know was that he had fallen into Liang Zhongguo's trap. Liang Zhongguo had deliberately made him think this way, and now he was delighted. He shifted his body to the left, and his feet followed suit. Song Zheyuan couldn't help but lean forward, and Liang Zhongguo took advantage of the opportunity to separate their knives. With a flick of his wrist, Liang Zhongguo's knife was about to strike Song Zheyuan's neck from behind. But Song Zheyuan was no ordinary person either. Without even turning his head, he relied solely on the wind generated by Liang Zhongguo's knife to sense its trajectory, and with a swift motion, he raised his own knife to block it, foiling Liang Zhongguo's plan.

  Liáng Zhōngguó let out a loud shout, originally holding the knife with one hand, he switched to holding it with both hands, using the back of the knife to fiercely strike Song Zheyuan's blade three times. Each time he struck, Song Zheyuan's leg would tremble, but he managed to withstand the three blows. Liáng Zhōngguó had thought that Song Zheyuan, being a middle-aged man, wouldn't have as much strength as himself in his youth, but Liáng Zhōngguó greatly underestimated Song Zheyuan's willpower, who withstood the three blows. Liáng Zhōngguó originally wanted to come at him with a fourth blow, but Song Zheyuan wouldn't give him another chance, he retreated backwards with his head lowered, and Liáng Zhōngguó's fourth blow landed empty. Song Zheyuan dodged Liáng Zhōngguó's move, seeing that Liáng Zhōngguó was wide open, he laughed and said: "Zhōngguó, you lost." Before the words were even out, Song Zheyuan also used the back of his knife to strike Liáng Zhōngguó.

  Liáng Zhōngguó smiled slyly and said, "Song Jun Zhang, you've underestimated me too much." Before he had even finished speaking, Liáng Zhōngguó quickly turned around with a speed that Song Zhe Yuan had not anticipated, using the "National Hatred Family Enmity" move from the Liáng family knife method to seal off Song Zhe Yuan's attack.

  Song Zheyuan exclaimed: "Young man, how can your speed be so fast?"

  Li said with a sigh: "Song Jun Chang, this move I just made took me a whole month to master."

  Song Zheyuan smiled and said: "I'm really unlucky, just when I was about to win you, how come I happened to bump into your skilled moves."

  Liáng Zhōngguó burst out laughing: "Song Military Commander, what's even more unfortunate is that you're going to lose to me right in front of the soldiers of your 29th Army."

  Song Zheyuan was not angry but delighted, saying: "Then I'll see how you can defeat me."

  Li Chongzhong laughed and said: "Song Jun Zhang, you take a good look."

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