Martial Dao: Peace by Force

Chapter 112: Chapter 94: Stealing Celestial Secret: Wangshan Sword Momentum

’This feeling... it’s exactly the same as when I touched those old objects containing the Stealing Celestial Secret!’

...

In a rustic courtyard, the ground was paved with gray bricks, and a thin layer of moss grew in the corners of the walls.

A white-haired old man in a green robe stood in the courtyard. His face was gaunt, and he held a longsword in his hand.

”A sword must be held steady!”

The old man’s voice wasn’t loud. It wasn’t a simple lecture; as he spoke, his wrist sank slightly, and he assumed a ready stance.

The sword in his hand seemed to have taken root, becoming one with his entire presence.

”Heavy swords train Power. The principle is that Strength originates from the ground, travels through the spine, flows into the arms and wrists, and finally condenses at the tip of the sword. Only by coordinating with the arms, waist, and even the muscles and bones of the entire body can you lift the heavy as if it were light, splitting mountains and sundering peaks.”

”Light swords train dexterity. The principle is that the body follows the sword, and the sword turns with the body, moving as easily as a finger on an arm, its transformations willed from the heart. The key points are nimble wrists, agile fingers, sharp eyes, and swift footwork.”

”Dull swords train stability, which is the greatest test of one’s temperament. Though the blade is dull, the Sword Intent must not be. What’s required is the condensation of Momentum, with Power held back but not released, controlled entirely by will.”

As his voice fell, the old man’s figure suddenly unfurled into motion.

His green robes moved with the wind.

It wasn’t some world-shaking, peerless Swordsmanship. It was more like the quintessential demonstration of an old sword master’s lifelong insights—an interpretation of the very Origin of Sword Momentum.

...

The mental image receded like the tide.

Wan Ze’s gaze refocused on the sword in his hand, which was covered in a layer of rust.

That brief moment of observation had stirred something deep within him, and his understanding of Sword Momentum felt as if a window he had never noticed before had been pushed open.

The sword in his hand trembled ever so slightly.

...

[Stealing Celestial Secret: Sword Momentum: Gazing at the Mountain]

...

A line of information appeared before his eyes.

Wan Ze knew this trip was a success.

”It seems this sword... is fated for you, young man?” Mr. Song, who had been observing from the side, broke into a smile, his tone becoming a bit more eager.

He just wanted to liquidate these useless old items as quickly as possible. Seeing that Wan Ze seemed to be paying special attention to this sword, he naturally wanted to push for a sale. ”Young man... have you practiced the sword before?”

”I haven’t formally studied it.” Wan Ze’s expression was calm. He slowly pushed the half-drawn sword back into its scabbard, then placed it back in its original spot with a clean, crisp motion.

Mr. Song’s eyelid twitched, a hint of disappointment in his heart.

He just wanted to get the money quickly.

Wan Ze ignored him and reached out again, lightly touching the small bronze toad statue... no reaction.

Then he brushed against the three rolled-up ancient paintings... still nothing.

’It seems only the sword held an opportunity this time.’

Tie Qingyang, who had been watching silently from the side, took it all in.

When Wan Ze was inspecting it earlier, he had noticed that although the Bronze Sword was corroded, its form was archaic, its spine was perfectly straight, and the decorations on its guard and pommel, though blurred, were by no means the work of a shoddy modern replica. It was certainly not a common sword.

’A pearl gathering dust, fallen into the hands of a Song Family descendant who neither recognized its value nor bothered to maintain it.’

Now, seeing that Wan Ze had inspected all the items but had given the sword the most prolonged attention, Tie Qingyang understood.

He decided to go with the flow and do him a favor.

So, he took a step forward, the same gentle smile on his face, and said to Mr. Song, ”Old Song, these remaining items of yours... I find them all quite interesting. How about this: I’ll take all of them. Give me a bundled price for the lot.”

Mr. Song was stunned for a moment, then his heart leaped with wild joy.

He had originally thought he’d be lucky to sell one or two pieces. He never expected Tie Qingyang to be so generous.

Suppressing his excitement, he struggled to maintain a calm facade, even deliberately pondering for a moment before saying with a smile, ”Mr. Tie, you’re an expert and a straightforward man. Since you like them all, then... why don’t you name a price? I absolutely trust you. I won’t haggle.”

Tie Qingyang chuckled inwardly. ’How could I not see through Mr. Song’s petty little scheme?’

However, the main point was to secure the sword for Wan Ze; the price was secondary.

He briefly estimated the actual value of the items and the other party’s desperate need for money, then gave a figure. ”In that case... let’s say fifteen thousand. Including these books.”

Fifteen thousand!

Mr. Song’s heart skipped a beat, and he almost let his delight show on his face.

In this day and age, an ordinary worker’s monthly salary was only two or three hundred yuan. Fifteen thousand was enough for him to settle down in a new place and even live extravagantly for a good while.

This far exceeded his expectations.

He nodded quickly and said with a laugh, ”Okay! Great! We’ll do as Mr. Tie says! These books, and these old items, they’re all yours! I don’t practice martial arts, so keeping them is useless. They were wasted on my father, too. In your hands, they’ve found their rightful home!”

Hearing this, Tie Qingyang just smiled faintly, noncommittally.

He had his reasons for paying, of course.

But there was no need to explain them to this descendant of the Song Family.

...

After getting in the car, they quickly drove away from the old district.

Inside the car, Tie Qingyang only kept the three paintings.

”Younger Brother Wan, I’ll keep the paintings to appreciate. The rest... it’s all yours. That sword is of good quality.” Tie Qingyang smiled and added, ”I see you seem to have some interest in swords? Coincidentally, when I was traveling through Guandong in my early years, the art I started out with was a form of Swordsmanship, though I later received guidance from an expert and switched to practicing Fist and Palm Technique.”

”No wonder I felt a trace of Swordsmanship in your moves when we crossed hands last time, elder brother,” Wan Ze said with a smile.

Tie Qingyang didn’t hold back. ”My Swordsmanship is called the Horizontal Sword Technique. Its grade... isn’t that high, but it’s very practical, especially for building a foundation. If you’re curious and want to learn about it, I can show it to you. But, younger brother...”

”Let your elder brother offer some unsolicited advice. It might not be pleasant to hear, but you might as well listen. The path of the Martial Dao values specialization. The potential of the Dragon Eagle Secret Martial Arts is undeniable; Director Situ becoming a Martial Arts Grandmaster of Force Cultivation with it is clear proof. In my years of traveling far and wide, I’ve seen many talented young people who were ultimately ruined by biting off more than they could chew. A person’s time, energy, and comprehension are ultimately limited. If you try to dabble in everything, you often end up mediocre in all of it. Once you’ve chosen a path, you must settle your heart and dig deep.”

This advice was actually quite profound for their shallow acquaintance. In the past, given Tie Qingyang’s cautious nature, he would never have said such a thing so easily.

But after interacting with Wan Ze, he admired his composure and potential. He also had a gut feeling, which made him afraid that Wan Ze might go astray.

”I understand. I know what I’m doing.” Wan Ze heard the concern in his words, smiled, and didn’t explain further.

Hearing this, Tie Qingyang said no more. He smiled and changed the subject. ”Good, then. Perfect timing to come over to my place for a bit. The Sword Manual is in the study. We can also have a simple lunch together and you can try my chef’s cooking.”

”Then I’ll take you up on that offer.” Wan Ze didn’t stand on ceremony.

Twenty minutes later, the car pulled up in front of a manor-style mansion in the eastern part of the city.

In the second-floor study, Tie Qingyang took a thin, yellowed booklet from a locked rosewood box and handed it to Wan Ze.

Three words were written on the cover in inky, cursive script.

Horizontal Sword Technique!

”This Horizontal Sword Technique follows the path of the heavy sword,” Tie Qingyang explained from the side. ”It doesn’t pursue complicated moves like those flashy Swordsmanship styles. Instead, it builds upon the fundamental actions of Basic Swordsmanship—chopping, thrusting, raising, and swiping—to heavily reinforce the concepts of blocking and counter-attacking. The Core sword form derived from this revolves around the word ’horizontal,’ emphasizing breaking skill with crudeness and controlling the enemy with stability. That’s why in my early years, I often used defense as my offense, first establishing an invincible position before seeking an opportunity to defeat the enemy.”

’Horizontal Sword blocks, heavy sword stabilizes Momentum...’ Wan Ze murmured to himself as he opened the booklet.

It was filled with illustrations and text. The depicted movements were simple and powerful, and the annotations Tie Qingyang had written in the margins in his younger days got straight to the point. It was indeed a form of Swordsmanship with a solid foundation.

It also emphasized practical combat.

Wan Ze mulled it over.

His own Basic Swordsmanship was already mastered to the Special Level, just one step away from the Ultimate level.

Regardless of the grade of the Basic Swordsmanship from school, at the very least, Wan Ze’s foundation in Swordsmanship could be said to be rock-solid.

Right now, for him, there was no harm in learning another skill.

His gaze shifted downward.

New content appeared in the data frame.

...

[Illustrated Guide: Horizontal Sword Technique]

[Skill Beginner Level Mastery Condition: Perform Horizontal Sword 10 times]

...