135. The Spear and the Sword

Du Ruo also wanted to see how much combat effectiveness modern martial artists still possessed.

"Ding!"

As the three of them walked outside, Du Ruo’s phone received a message. He glanced at it; it was from Yang Chenguang.

"Two foreigners arrived at the homestay two days ago. One is a Japanese, the other is blond."

"Received."

Du Ruo replied briefly. He roughly understood the situation and didn't take it too much to heart. They probably knew he had discovered them and would likely come knocking before long.

"Master Du, your arsenal is quite comprehensive."

Yang Huaming picked up a long sword from the weapon rack, tested it with his finger, and confirmed it was unsharpened before speaking to Du Ruo.

"Yes, I have broad interests. I have dabbled in most types of weapons."

Du Ruo nodded, not being particularly humble.

"Then you’ll have to show us a trick later. Your use of fists in place of a spear last time truly amazed me for a long time."

Shi Dong also picked up a long spear, shook it, and spoke to Du Ruo.

"Easily done. Is there enough space here, or do you need me to move these things?"

Du Ruo looked around. His training area was quite cluttered, with various weapons displayed or standing on racks, along with human-shaped targets, bronze figures, sandbags, plum blossom stakes, and more, occupying quite a bit of room.

"No need, there’s enough space to maneuver. Old Yang, are you ready?"

Shi Dong smiled, walked to the path in the middle of the courtyard, assumed a horse stance, and leveled his spear at Yang Huaming.

"Bring it on. Let’s agree first: whoever loses today pays for dinner."

Yang Huaming stood opposite Shi Dong in a bow stance, holding his sword in one hand and forming a sword finger with the other.

"No problem."

Shi Dong nodded and turned serious.

Du Ruo stood between the two, flicking his wrist imperceptibly to catch the dragon tail in his hand.

The atmosphere immediately grew quiet. Shi Dong and Yang Huaming stood about five meters apart. Neither made the first move, standing silently, eyes locked intently on one another.

"Creak... Du..."

Just as they were deadlocked, the window on the second floor of the tavern next door pushed open. Xiang Yuanyuan poked her head out, about to call for Du Ruo, but she stopped the moment she uttered the first syllable, captivated by the two in the courtyard. Almost simultaneously with her voice, the two men in the arena moved.

"Whoosh!"

Both acted at once. Shi Dong’s movement was simple: a lunge, thrusting the long spear forward directly toward Yang Huaming’s shoulder.

Clearly, Shi Dong was holding back. According to classical military spear techniques, this thrust would have been aimed at the face, throat, or heart. Since it was a friendly spar, Shi Dong avoided the vital points. However, one should not assume that an unsharpened weapon causes no harm; military spear arts were created for killing. Even a wooden pole can kill if it strikes a vital spot.

Yang Huaming acted in kind, sidestepping, lunging forward, and thrusting his long sword ahead.

The bow-stance sword thrust looked similar to modern fencing, though Yang Huaming was using a traditional long sword.

Shi Dong’s spear had a longer range, and it was clear that Yang Huaming was very familiar with Shi Dong and was on guard; he might even have rehearsed how to counter this move countless times in his mind.

Thus, Yang Huaming held the advantage in the first exchange. He dodged the spear, but because he was wielding a long sword, he couldn't reach Shi Dong even with his arm extended. After dodging, he didn't stop, continuing to thrust forward.

This was essentially bullying Shi Dong for only practicing that one move.

However, such a bow-stance thrust has a weakness. Usually, after a lunge, one must retreat, because the bow stance is an offensive step. This means one can only thrust once; any subsequent thrusts lack speed and power unless one retreats to build momentum.

Yang Huaming clearly underestimated Shi Dong. Shi Dong’s nearly thirty years of spear practice were not in vain. After his first thrust was dodged, he immediately retracted the spear. Capitalizing on the moment Yang Huaming’s sword speed slowed, Shi Dong retreated, maintaining his distance advantage, and thrust the spear again.

Shi Dong’s spearwork was faster, with every strike aimed at Yang Huaming’s path of advance. Crucially, Shi Dong wasn't using full strength; he would thrust halfway, forcing Yang Huaming to retreat or dodge, then retract and reset.

Yang Huaming was visibly flustered. He had intended to dodge the first strike and close the distance, rendering the long spear useless, which would have guaranteed him a win.

But in reality, he underestimated the terror of someone who had spent thirty years practicing only one move. Shi Dong moved in and out with ease, straight in and straight out, his thrusts and retractions incredibly swift. Aside from the first move where Yang Huaming nearly got inside, he couldn't break through the rain of spear strikes, unable to get within three meters.

The longer they fought, the more difficult it became for Yang Huaming to parry. He couldn't even use his sword to deflect the spear.

Shi Dong’s spear was like a venomous snake, and his control of distance was precise. He never overextended. Between advancing and retreating, every strike forced Yang Huaming to make a choice: be struck or be forced to dodge.

Du Ruo stood to the side, seeing it clearly. In truth, from the moment Yang Huaming failed to get within three meters of Shi Dong, he was destined to lose. Sure enough, after a few more thrusts, Shi Dong lunged forward and tapped the spear against Yang Huaming’s shoulder. However, Shi Dong’s control of force was excellent; he retracted the spear immediately after contact. The outcome was decided.

"Clap, clap, clap..."

Before Du Ruo could speak, applause drifted from outside the courtyard. The three turned simultaneously to look.

"Great spearwork. Your country is truly full of hidden talent. I intended to come looking for Boss Du, but I didn't expect to witness such a brilliant duel."

Outside the courtyard stood two men. The speaker was a middle-aged man, clapping as he spoke. He looked no different from an ordinary person, except for a bamboo sword tucked at his waist. Standing behind him was an acquaintance of Du Ruo: the blond man who had fought the Mantis Boxing master, Wang Lang.

Clearly, this middle-aged man was the Japanese person Yang Chenguang had mentioned. His Mandarin was unexpectedly standard; had Yang Chenguang not told him the man was Japanese, Du Ruo might have mistaken him for a local.

"It seems Director Shi is the more skilled one. Looks like you’ll be treating us to dinner today, Brother Yang."

Du Ruo ignored the two men outside and turned to Yang Huaming and Shi Dong.

"Sigh, I’ve simulated how to break his spear in my head many times, but I still underestimated Old Shi. Only when you're facing it do you realize how fast his spear truly is. I lost, fair and square. It seems I should learn from Old Shi and simplify the complex. I’ve learned so many sword styles, yet in the end, I couldn't even make a move."

Yang Huaming admitted his defeat with a smile, recognizing his own shortcomings.

In truth, many people think, "It's just a spear; dodge it, get close, and use the sword to win," or "Just deflect the spear and close the distance."

Thinking or watching is easy, but only when facing a long spear does one realize what it feels like to have a weapon two meters away reach your face in the blink of an eye. An ordinary person simply cannot react in time.

Therefore, the engagement between the two had actually only lasted a few seconds, ending without their weapons ever even clashing.

"Master Du, Old Yang and I just arrived. This person seems to be looking for you. Should we step aside?"

Shi Dong didn't gloat over his victory; he simply smiled and looked at the two men outside the gate.

"No need to step aside. Pardon me, wait a moment; we can continue our chat later."

Du Ruo nodded at them, then walked two steps toward the gate and spoke:

"Do you two have some business?"

Du Ruo knew they had been spying, so his tone wasn't particularly friendly.

"Boss Du, you were the better player last time. I mentioned you to this friend of mine, and he became quite interested. So we came specifically to pay a visit—mainly because my friend wishes to spar with you."

The blond man was actually quite polite. After suffering a loss at Du Ruo’s hands, he had mentioned it to his Japanese instructor, who became quite intrigued and insisted on coming along to help him "reclaim his honor."

"Boss Du, I am Inoue Sanshiro. I have come all the way from the United States, hoping to exchange pointers with you regarding weapons."

Inoue Sanshiro bowed deeply across the courtyard, his words polite but his eyes burning with intensity as he looked at Du Ruo.

In reality, they had arrived yesterday. He had originally intended to observe Du Ruo for a few more days, having found videos of Du Ruo’s training online. He wanted to watch up close to formulate a plan. He hadn't expected that by simply focusing his gaze on Du Ruo today, he would be discovered. Left with no choice, he had to come down and ask for a spar.

He was also filled with excitement. Du Ruo’s skill seemed far greater than what the blond man had described. At the very least, being able to detect him from such a distance was something he had never heard of even while training in dojos back in Japan. He hoped to spar with Du Ruo to see if he could gain something—and perhaps learn something, which was why he was being so polite.

In the United States, he was the blond man’s coach. The blond man had a powerful physique and was formidable in unarmed combat, but when it came to weapons, he could utterly crush the blond man. That was where his confidence lay.

He just hadn't expected to see such a brilliant duel between Shi Dong and Yang Huaming the moment he came down.

"I dislike people from Japan."

After hearing the man’s words, Du Ruo stared calmly at Inoue Sanshiro. His words were blunt, even harsh. However, just as Inoue frowned, thinking Du Ruo was going to refuse, Du Ruo spoke again:

"So, a spar is fine, but if you don't have the skills to back it up, don't blame me if you get hurt."