Yang Ge jumped onto the bow, his face red and ears steaming, brandishing his sword and bellowing loudly.
The eight men on the small sampan all looked at him in astonishment, seemingly not understanding why this stubborn man, who had been uncompromising just moments ago, would suddenly undergo such a dramatic change in attitude.
But soon, the eight men came to an abrupt realization and fell silent.
The only possible explanation for this stubborn man’s sudden shift in behavior was the "reasoning" Ma Liu had spoken of just before.
Did that "reasoning" make sense?
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Of course, it made sense.
At least they all thought their reasoning was sound.
But was that reasoning important?
Of course not!
Even Li Jincheng, the youngest and most hot-blooded among them, had never taken such reasoning to heart.
Children are the ones who bother with reasoning.
Did Lianhuan Fort dominate the Jianghuai waterways because their reasoning was superior?
Of course not!
It was because the fort had hard fists, sharp blades, and plenty of underlings!
Even the porters on the docks, bearing heavy loads, could understand such simple reasoning.
That stubborn man had become a commander of the Imperial Embroidered Guards, so how could he not understand?
Yet, what they had seriously presented as terms of negotiation, matter-of-factly laid out on the table, was disregarded by the other party.
Instead, it was the things they themselves took lightly that were earnestly considered significant by the other party.
Clearly understanding, yet still persuaded by such trivial matters...
What kind of state of mind was this?
They didn’t quite understand.
Subconsciously, they thought he was somewhat foolish.
Yet, deep down, they also held some admiration.
Some people are just like that.
You may not be able to understand them, nor wish to become them...
But you will find yourself admiring them involuntarily.
Because what they adhere to...
...reflects the true nature of things.
...
"Come on!"
Yang Ge slammed the blade of his ox-tail saber on the bow, causing a loud "clang" and furiously shouted, "Will you come at me one by one, or will you attack all at once, I, Yang Erlang, will take you all on!"
The eight men on the small sampan looked at each other and finally, it was Li Jincheng who gave Ma Liu a push, prompting Ma Liu to speak again, "Lord Yang jests, you are a forthright and noble gentleman, and we at Lianhuan Fort are not a shameless rabble!"
"Since Lord Yang is willing to give Lianhuan Fort face, let me have the honor of testing Lord Yang’s profound skills!"
"We shall limit the bout to ten moves, and if Lord Yang is superior, five thousand taels of silver will be presented to you with both hands from Lianhuan Fort!"
"If I, by some chance, win by a single move, we kindly ask Lord Yang to send someone back to Suzhou to change the plaque above the charity hall to ’This charity hall was generously funded by Lianhuan Fort’!"
"What do you say, Lord Yang?"
Yang Ge responded loudly, "A man’s word is his bond, spit is the nail, regardless of winning or losing, I, Yang Erlang, will personally present a silk banner to Lianhuan Fort in my own name!"
"Take your silver back, I love wealth, but I take it with principle!"
"As for whether the plaque of the Suzhou charity hall can be changed, that will depend on your own skill!"
Ma Liu gave a hearty fist salute and laughed heartily, "Such magnanimity! Regardless of winning or losing, I, Ma Liu, would like to befriend Lord Yang!"
"Friend?"
Yang Ge sneered, "When Lianhuan Fort has wiped its ass clean, then come and make friends with me, Yang Erlang!"
Ma Liu took no offense, but instead bowed formally and said, "It’s a deal!"
Yang Ge held his sword and saluted with his fist, "It’s a deal!"
Ma Liu reached out, and a large man dressed in black behind him grabbed a steel saber and threw it to him, which Ma Liu caught with one hand, casually swinging it in a flourish, "Lord Yang has come from afar and is our guest, after you!"
Yang Ge pointed his sword at him, "Be careful, my hands are heavy, I’ve learned only to strike, not yet to retract!"
Ma Liu confidently chuckled, "Lord Yang, feel free to make your move, if I can’t withstand even ten of your strikes, then it is my lack of skill, and I, Ma Liu, accept my fate!"
He, Ma Jichang, known as "The White Stripe in the Waves," had been dominating Jianghuai for many years, and was not one to gain a reputation undeservedly!
Yang Ge nodded, "Then here I come!"
Ma Liu took a defensive stance with his saber.
Yang Ge leaped into the air, delivering a powerful Mount Hua cleaver.
In an instant, the bright saber light cascaded like a waterfall, illuminating the eyes of countless onlookers.
Ma Liu was greatly shaken at the sight and, without time to think, he stomped on the deck and leaped up, roaring, "Fubo Sword Skill!"
Saber light crisscrossed as a surge of energy as formidable as Yang Ge’s soared into the sky.
"Boom!"
The two blades met, and the residual force lifted sprays of water several yards high on the surface of the river, the turbulent waves pushing the small sampan a few yards backwards behind Ma Liu.
Amidst the heavy downpour of spray, the two combatants plummeted downward, slapped their soles against the surface of the river, and soared up again, clashing with their sabers.
Yang Ge wielded his saber with both hands, his momentum as fierce as a hungry tiger descending a mountain, each strike faster, more ferocious, and more violent than the last, accompanied by a wicked wind.
After matching Yang Ge with over a dozen rapid blows, Ma Liu’s hands began to numb, his inner Qi in turmoil, he hastily retreated and changed his tactics, smoothly transforming his aggressive movements into a dense network of saber strikes, hoping to manage the exchange with his seasoned combat experience to survive these ten blows.
"A net?"
Yang Ge, unable to break through his saber net with several strikes, could not vent the rising anger inside him and, in a fit of rage, he raised his saber high, "A net can catch carp, but can it catch sharks... peeling through frost and dew, break for me!"
With a downward slash, he released a flood of robust Inner Qi, manifesting as sharp as ice, slicing through the air and plummeting down.
Seeing the bright saber light that seemed to pierce through the clouds and envelop him, Ma Liu felt a tingling on his scalp.
Suddenly, he dared not hold back any longer, gripped the hilt with both hands, and roared with all his might, "Rise!"