Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1130 The exhilarating martial arts competition in the training ground

He took the wooden gun from Ma Yue's hand, weighed it in his hand, and glanced at the children: "Watch carefully, this gun technique is not just for show, it's a skill that can protect people. When you strike, you have to be quick, like lightning striking down; when you retract the gun, you have to be steady, like a mountain rooted to the ground."

As soon as he finished speaking, he flicked his wrist, and the wooden spear whistled and twirled, the sound of the spear tip cutting through the air instantly silencing the children. Sunlight shone on the spear shaft, reflecting Ma Chao's tall figure, and also reflected in Ma Yue's bright eyes—so the "protection" his father spoke of wasn't just a lip service; it could truly manifest in such a swift spear thrust, protecting those behind him.

Ma Yue quietly took a half step back, making room for his father, but his little hand clenched even tighter. He thought that after his father finished teaching him, he would practice a hundred more times, and one day, he could be as good as his father at handling a gun, and protect his father and his friends.

Amid the children's exclamations of amazement, Ma Chao's spear flashed in the sunlight, and the belated cry of "Dad" was like a seed falling into the hearts of the father and son, quietly sprouting.

Taishi Ci had just stopped at the edge of the training ground when he saw Ma Chao leading the children in drills. He quickly stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "General, I just received a message from Mr. Lu Su that Generals Huang Gai and Cheng Pu have accepted the invitation and will arrive in Wu County early tomorrow morning."

Ma Chao paused in his wooden spear, turned his head to look at him, and a glint of light flashed in his eyes: "Oh? It's great that General Huang and General Cheng are willing to come."

Ma Chao hurled a wooden spear over, the shaft whistling past his shoulder before landing firmly in the open ground in front of him.

“Ziyi, you’ve come at the perfect time,” Ma Chao said, holding his wooden spear with the tip pointing diagonally at the ground, a hint of smugness in his eyes. “I just said I’d let the children see what’s what, and you’ve delivered yourself right to my doorstep. Come and spar with me for a bit.”

Taishi Ci was taken aback, and quickly pulled up the wooden spear from the ground. The shaft felt heavy in his hand. He knew that Ma Chao's martial arts were unfathomable. Today, seeing that the other party had a rare relaxed expression on his face, unlike his usual serious demeanor, he was puzzled, but dared not be negligent. He cupped his hands and said, "This humble general has made a fool of himself."

Before the words were even finished, Ma Chao had already moved. The wooden spear seemed to come alive in his hands, its tassel fluttering like a white butterfly, piercing straight for Taishi Ci's heart with a sharp whistling sound. Taishi Ci hurriedly raised his spear to block, and the two wooden spears collided with a crisp "crack." He felt a tremendous force surge through him, his arm went numb instantly, and the spear shaft almost slipped from his grasp.

"Bravo!" The children watched with wide eyes and couldn't help but cheer in unison. Ma Yue stood at the front, his little hands tightly gripping the hem of his clothes. His father's figure, holding a gun, moved gracefully in the sunlight, each move exuding the sharpness of countless hours of practice, a hundred times more powerful than he had imagined.

Taishi Ci was on high alert, his spear flashing like a woven tapestry to protect his body. But Ma Chao's spear was faster and more cunning; what appeared to be a straight thrust would suddenly change direction mid-strike, always attacking from unexpected angles. In just over ten rounds, Taishi Ci was forced to retreat repeatedly, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He knew Ma Chao must have held back, but even so, the pressure from the spear tip still made it hard for him to breathe.

"Gongjin, go and call Xu Huang and the others!" Ma Chao shouted towards the viewing platform as he fought, "Today, let the children see what real battlefield skills are!"

Zhou Yu smiled and agreed, then turned to relay the order. Meanwhile, Taishi Ci was already at a disadvantage. He desperately tried to parry with his spear, but Ma Chao flicked his wrist, the spear shaft sliding up his shaft and striking the tassel with a "snap"—the wooden spear flew out of his hand and landed with a clatter several feet away. Taishi Ci lost his balance, staggered back two steps, and nearly fell over.

Ma Chao sheathed his spear, reached out to help him up, and smiled even more broadly: "Ziyi, you flatter me."

Taishi Ci gripped his numb wrist, his face burning, but he still managed a smile: "Your Majesty's spear technique is divine; this humble general concedes defeat." He secretly clicked his tongue in amazement. This King Liang was clearly in a very good mood today. Those few spear thrusts just now seemed fierce, but in fact, they left room for maneuver at every turn, showing both power and not making him too embarrassed.

"Great! Great marksmanship!" The children's cheers were deafening. Wu Niu jumped up and down and shouted, "Uncle is amazing! Even more amazing than the God of War!" Gan Xiang also forgot his restraint and clapped his little hands vigorously, his eyes full of excitement.

Ma Yue gazed at his father's tall figure, then at the wooden spear that had been deflected into the air, a blush rising on his face. The sight of the spear flashing past, his father's composure as he sheathed the spear, and Taishi Ci's words, "I concede defeat," all resonated within him like drumbeats. He realized his father's prowess wasn't just a legend; it was a real skill demonstrated on the tip of a spear.

As they were talking, Xu Huang, Pang De and the others quickly arrived. Seeing the scene on the training ground, they all understood what was happening and grabbed the wooden spears from the weapon rack, eager to get started.

"Brother, are you in high spirits?" Pound chuckled and cupped his hands in greeting. "Then you'd better count me in!"

Zhang Xiu held his spear, the tip pointing diagonally at the ground, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit. Xu Huang, however, dawdled, thinking to himself: I've never seen someone rush in to get beaten up.

Seeing this, Ma Chao laughed loudly and said, "Gongming, what's wrong? Trying to slack off again?"

Xu Huang stiffened his neck and hurriedly waved his hands, "No, no!" Saying that, he scurried to the weapon rack, picked up a large axe, and the heavy axe blade gleamed coldly in the sunlight. He shouted, "Your Majesty, be careful, I'm coming!" Before he finished speaking, the large axe whistled through the air and cleaved down at Ma Chao.

Zhang Xiu's spear moved with the sound, its tip like a serpent emerging from its hole, aiming straight for Ma Chao's ribs; Pang De's broadsword, wielding a fierce blade, cleaved straight for Ma Chao's shoulder. In an instant, Xu Huang's axe was heavy and powerful, Zhang Xiu's spear was as swift as lightning, and Pang De's sword was strong and forceful. The three weapons wove together an impenetrable net, enveloping Ma Chao.

Ma Chao, however, remained calm and composed. With a flick of his spear, the shaft moved like a serpent, first parrying Xu Huang's great axe, then using the momentum to spin and avoid Zhang Xiu's spear tip. At the same time, he flicked the end of his spear, precisely striking the back of Pang De's blade, deflecting his attack. The clanging of metal against metal filled the air as the four men exchanged blows, their axe flashes, spear glints, and blade gleams weaving together. The surrounding children watched with bated breath, their eyes glued to the screen.

In the midst of the fierce battle, Ma Chao noticed that Ma Yue and Sun Shao and other children were watching the battle intently. He shouted loudly, "Children, watch carefully! This move, 'The spear shaft wraps around the wrist,' is a clever way to deflect force!" As he spoke, he wrapped his spear around his armpit, deftly dodging Xu Huang's axe, and then thrust it at Zhang Xiu's spear tip, forcing him to retreat repeatedly.

"And there's this move, 'Surprising Beauty Piercing the Willow,' which is specifically designed to break close-quarters encirclement attacks!" As soon as Ma Chao finished speaking, his body suddenly sank down, and his spear swept out along the ground, simultaneously dodging Pang De's horizontal slash. The tip of the spear grazed the ground, leaving a trail of sparks, and went straight for the three men's lower bodies.

Xu Huang, Zhang Xiu, and Pang De grew increasingly alarmed as the fight progressed. They realized that Ma Chao's spear technique, seemingly casual, was actually exquisite in every move, always managing to deflect attacks at the last possible moment, and even explaining the techniques to the children with ease. Ma Yue clenched his little fists, his face flushed red, silently memorizing the names of the moves, his eyes overflowing with admiration. Zhou Yin also forgot his usual restraint, joining the other children in cheering and shouting. The shouts and the clanging of weapons on the training ground mingled together, creating a lively and chaotic atmosphere.

After more than a hundred rounds of fierce fighting, Xu Huang was the first to exhaust himself. His great axe was struck by Ma Chao's spear, the handle flying out of his hand and crashing to the ground with a thud. He gasped for breath, wiped his sweat, and said with a wry smile, "Your Majesty's spear technique is too superb. I concede defeat!"

Not to be outdone, Pang De swung his sword fiercely, but Ma Chao saw through his opening. His spear darted out like a serpent, its tip precisely striking the back of Pang De's sword, numbing his hand and sending his blade flying. Before Pang De could regain his footing, Ma Chao's spear was already at his throat, its cool tip forcing him to remain motionless. "I surrender," Pang De muttered, his eyes filled with admiration.

In the end, only Zhang Xiu remained. He watched the two men fall, then looked at Ma Chao's steady posture, put away his spear, and cupped his hands: "Your Majesty is valiant, I am ashamed to admit my inferiority."

Ma Chao sheathed his spear, the tip pointing diagonally at the ground, and said loudly, "You three are too kind." He then threw his head back and laughed, the sound of which made the leaves on the trees around the training ground rustle.

As soon as Dian Wei stepped into the training ground, his imposing figure stood there like an iron tower, clutching two iron halberds in his hands. The dark halberds gleamed coldly. Upon seeing Ma Chao, he asked in a deep voice, "Did the King summon me here to practice?"

Seeing that he looked ready to wield an iron halberd at any moment, Ma Chao laughed loudly, "Exactly! You've come at the perfect time. Come and fight me for three hundred rounds, and let the children see what real hard kung fu is!"

Dian Wei frowned and asked earnestly, "Really?"

"Of course it's a real fight!" Ma Chao's eyes sharpened, revealing a edge honed on the battlefield. "No need to hold back!"

“Alright!” Dian Wei replied in a deep voice, glancing at the wooden spear in Ma Chao’s hand, and said bluntly, “Your wooden spear is no match for it, get your Tiger Head Golden Spear instead! I’ll use an iron halberd, so you won’t say I’m bullying you.”

The guards quickly brought over the tiger-headed, gold-plated spear. The shaft gleamed with a cold, sharp light, and the tiger head inlaid on the spearhead was menacingly prominent. Ma Chao gripped the shaft and said in a deep voice, "Come on!"

Dian Wei didn't stand on ceremony. He swung his two iron halberds with a whoosh, aiming straight for Ma Chao's face with tremendous force. The halberd strike was so fast and fierce that the wind seemed to tear through the air, causing the surrounding children to gasp and cover their mouths. Ma Chao, however, remained calm. He simply held his spear horizontally and took the blow head-on with a clang, the impact making the spear hum and cracking the bluestone slab beneath his feet.

"Excellent!" Xu Huang and the other generals were so excited that they couldn't help but cheer.

The two then engaged in combat. Dian Wei's twin iron halberds weighed over a hundred pounds, and every move was a hard chop and smash, as if he wanted to smash his opponent to the ground with a single blow; Ma Chao's spear technique, however, combined strength and flexibility, sometimes like an angry dragon emerging from the sea, the spear tip piercing the air with a sharp sound, and sometimes like a gentle breeze swaying a willow, the spear shaft winding around the iron halberds, always managing to avoid heavy blows at the last second.

Fifty rounds later, the two moved like lightning, the sound of iron halberds clashing with golden spears making people's eardrums tingle. The dust in the center of the training ground was kicked up and flew everywhere, making it impossible to see the two figures. Only the sound of metal clashing could be heard incessantly.

Ma Yue clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white, his eyes fixed on the arena—he had never seen his father fight with such a desperate style; every clash of spears and halberds felt like a blow to his heart. Sun Shao, Wu Niu, and the other children were also stunned, their mouths agape, speechless, even forgetting to breathe.

After more than a hundred rounds, Ma Chao saw that Dian Wei's strength had not diminished at all, and nodded to himself: This simpleton's brute strength is indeed well-deserved. He stopped fighting head-on, and his spear technique suddenly changed. His body was as agile as an ape, and the tip of his spear moved left and right, specifically looking for gaps in the iron halberds. Although Dian Wei's double iron halberds were fierce, they could not keep up with the pace. The veins on his forehead throbbed, and beads of sweat fell like broken beads.

After two hundred rounds, Dian Wei's movements had noticeably slowed, and the force of his halberd had weakened; several times he was nearly struck on the shoulder by the spear tip. Xu Huang, watching from the side, was alarmed and couldn't help but shout, "General Dian, hold on!"