Chapter 35: The Broadsword Is Becoming Hard to Control

Moreover, he had other reasons. Yesterday, he had witnessed Tang Shen just beginning to learn the basic sword techniques. For someone who only started practicing the way of the sword, how could he possibly unleash sword energy the very next day? No matter how high one’s talent, without accumulation in swordsmanship, it was impossible to manifest sword energy so quickly—a feat that simply could not exist.

Yet that flash of white light had been entirely real. What was it, then?

Geng Shirou was puzzled. He rose and looked down, only then realizing that he was drenched in sweat. The first rays of morning sunlight fell upon him, bringing a touch of warmth. But more than that, he felt a surging heat within his body, his whole being brimming with strength.

This sensation—it was as if he had undergone a thorough and invigorating warm-up. Not only did he feel no fatigue, but his entire body was relaxed and comfortable.

How could this be possible?

He hadn't performed any strenuous warm-up movements. The stronger one’s capabilities, the longer it usually took to reach peak physical and mental condition. But he had merely assumed a posture, holding still the entire time.

That simple posture had such a powerful effect? He even vaguely sensed that behind this elementary movement lay some greater, hidden benefit.

Earlier, when Tang Shen had explained, he hadn’t felt anything special. After all, it was only a single movement, albeit one with many details to attend to. In his view, to build a strong foundation, one needed relentless training: physical conditioning, resistance training, strength building, grinding away over time to make incremental progress. There was no substitute for intense practice.

Yet today, it was as if his deeply held beliefs had been shaken.

“No, I need to calm myself,” Geng Shirou realized his mind was in turmoil and quickly composed himself.

He had come with his daughter mainly to see for himself whether Tang Shen was deceiving her or truly possessed skill. He would never allow his daughter to be fooled, especially by someone of such meager strength.

But now... it seemed even his decades-old convictions were being challenged.

If he were to describe this feeling, it was like being suddenly and thoroughly bested in the most humiliating way.

Such a comparison suited real life perfectly.

After Tang Shen’s long cry, he felt utterly relaxed, as if he were soaking in a hot spring, his heart beating powerfully. He could distinctly sense a wave of energy rising from the soles of his feet, traveling up his waist and back.

Wonderful!

At this moment, his physical constitution was far superior to what it had been in his previous life.

He hadn’t expected that squatting in horse stance again would feel so completely different, as if he had undergone a transformation.

His entire body felt as if he had taken a bath fully clothed, and the legs were so soaked that the wooden stake beneath his feet was slick with moisture. Even the earth below had grown damp.

Looking at the rising sun, Tang Shen was astonished to find that he had been in horse stance for over an hour. In his previous life, after years of practice, the longest he could manage was half an hour.

It was true—having a strong body was extraordinary.

His consciousness returned, and he immediately noticed his legs were already stiff, trembling slightly from reaching their limit. He straightened, his thighs cracking audibly.

With a leap, he landed on the ground and moved about casually; the stiffness quickly vanished, replaced by a warmth that enveloped his body like a furnace—very comfortable.

Looking up, he saw Kuina was still persevering, though her posture had already become distorted.

Her whole body trembled like a sieve, yet she gritted her teeth and refused to give up, sweating even more than he had.

But for her first time squatting, to last so long made Tang Shen quite satisfied.

She had clearly reached her limit, yet stubbornly persisted. This young girl’s resilience was not weaker than any man’s—perhaps even stronger.

“All right, come down now,” Tang Shen called out gently, his voice softened.

His words seemed to act as a switch, or rather, as Kuina’s final thread of resolve. As soon as he spoke, she collapsed from the wooden stake and fell straight down.

Geng Shirou, still watching from a distance, instinctively wanted to rush forward.

But someone closer was faster, catching Kuina’s sweat-soaked body in their arms.

Tang Shen held her light frame—she weighed barely seventy or eighty pounds—but no matter how he measured, he could not fathom the weight of determination and pressure hidden in this frail, youthful body.

“Silly girl, if you can’t hold on, you should come down and rest. Why push yourself so hard?” Tang Shen said, a note of tenderness in his voice.

Kuina twisted her small head, her sweat-drenched face squeezing out a smile.

“Master, you’re so weak yet managed to hold out this long. Of course I can’t let myself lose to you.”

Tang Shen was speechless.

In that instant, it was as if an arrow thicker than the wooden stake pierced his chest.

Damn it, do you believe I’ll just flip the table right now! (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻

Do you believe I’ll throw you to the ground and spank you hard right now!

Usually, I can’t beat you, but right now you can’t beat me.

Tang Shen’s face twitched twice. Looking at her little face covered in sweat, he couldn’t bring himself to drop her, no matter how much he wanted to. After all, he had taken on such a straightforward disciple.

Though she spoke the truth, couldn’t she be a bit more tactful?

He was her master! He had his own dignity, didn’t he?

How could she say such things, making it hard for him to maintain his authority?

He gently placed Kuina on the ground, then began massaging her thighs, stimulating acupoints and relaxing her stiff muscles.

Kuina’s pale cheeks immediately flushed red, her small body trembling uncontrollably beneath Tang Shen’s seemingly magical hands.

“I’m a girl... mm...” Kuina, though young, understood such things. But Tang Shen’s hands worked like magic; as he pressed each spot, a soreness and pain followed, then a sensation as if she were submerged in a hot spring.

Feeling returned to her legs, and her body grew hot as a furnace—not just her face, but her whole body blushed, pores expelling sweat, along with impurities and accumulated lactic acid beneath her skin.

So infuriating!

Geng Shirou was furious!

His daughter was cradled in another man’s arms, and now that man’s hands were roaming her legs. He wanted to rush over and beat Tang Shen up.

At the moment Kuina was caught by Tang Shen, he had the sensation that his daughter was being taken away, his beloved girl drifting farther from him.

So infuriating! Yet he had to watch quietly—making it even worse.

He appeared calm, watching Tang Shen and Kuina from afar, but inside his emotions surged, feeling as if he could barely restrain himself from drawing his blade.

He felt a strong impulse to pull out his sword and cut Tang Shen down.