CH 5

Chapter 5: Late novice benefits

“Lo, loving mother… sword?”

Shen Tang was stupefied, was it really the sword and not a thread?

The second part was even more surprising in that it was about “striking at her leaving son” !*

This “loving mother” was really toxic.

If the first part was still comprehensible—no matter how good-tempered a loving mother could be, she still could lose her temper when her son starts to cause her trouble. Otherwise, from where “Filial children come from strict upbringing” would come from—but the following sentence simply shocked her deeply!

[Eighteen blows per second, the sword strikes critically].

Shen Tang's first reaction was to guess - 

Was the “son” dead? 

Can this kind of improper and awful literature seriously be a key to her victory?

She began to doubt her intuition.

The head of the guards, who was forcibly thrown off from his horse, also began to feel the absurdity of this situation— unexpectedly, he was forcibly thrown off his horse by a little more than a ten-year-old prisoner!

At this time, he started to show his true murderous intent.

If he doesn't kill this Gong traitor today, then in the future it will definitely bring him trouble!

To uphold the “immovable like a mountain, moving like a thunder”* standard, he suddenly accumulated strength in his arm and retracted the tip of the halberd, then with lightning speed stabbed out again, aiming at Shen Tang’s left eye.

Who knew - 

The anticipated incident of halberd piercing through the skull did not happen. On the way, he encountered a resistance that almost numbed the web between the thumb and forefinger of his hand.

Clang!

The tip of the halberd and the body of the sword offset each other. It was an ancient sword with a simple and inelegant shape, but a sharp blade. It appeared with a faint sound of dragons singing and tigers roaring.

And the person holding the sword was truly Shen Tang!   

After witnessing this scene, the pupils of the chief official trembled slightly.

The two of them reached a stalemate.

This also gave Shen Tang a breather.

She didn’t know if she should use this short time to complain about “the loving mother sword” that unexpectedly really changed into a sword or to pity herself for receiving the blade with her bare hands—being a master painter who adores her job, for her, the hand was absolutely more important than her brain!

Just now, controlled by rage, she unexpectedly used her precious right hand to receive the sharp blade with her bare hands.

Fortunately, she didn't injure her muscles and bones. Otherwise, if she wouldn’t be able to take the brush for the rest of her life, then what would be left for her?

And this person in front of her who had hurt her right hand -

Shen Tang's pupils became cold.

Today, let this “loving mother” carefully teach this overage boy well!

Just as the two of them were at a stalemate, Shen Tang made a wrong step. The sharp sword blade brushed against the halberd, and the distance between them instantly narrowed.

At the same time, she also whispered the last deranged sentence -

[Eighteen blows per second, the sword strikes critically].

In the instant she took out the sword, an invisible, powerful force converged from her pubic region to her right hand. It not only made the heavy sword in her hand feel as light as a feather but also increased her speed. Now, every time she took out the sword, it left an afterimage.

It was deserving of the sentence “sword strikes critically”.

Originally there was only one sword, but at this time 18 of them appeared. Each of them headed directly for a vital point.

The sword shadow and sword light intertwined into a web.

Reasonably, this could turn the skull of the guard into a hedgehog, but this world was so ignorant of martial ethics, not to mention science - 

The guard crossed his arms. He used wrist protectors made of ferrous metal to forcibly resist 18 swords.

He came out unscathed!

No, can’t say unscathed.

At least she managed to poke at the bun on the top of his head.

After noticing this, Shen Tang almost started shouting insults. 

Can this world still be better?

If 3rd-grade Zanniao was already this problematic, then wouldn't the 20th-grade Chehou from his place soar straight to the heavens?

The expression of the head of guards became more focused and dignified.

He waited for Shen Tang to slow down, looking for the opportunity to make a move, then punched, leaving a red shadow. Shen Tang promptly dodged, and the shadow of his fist smashed a big hole in the ground.

Sand arose, blocking her line of sight.

When she could see clearly again, she found one sharp broadsword coming straight at her face.

She had no choice but to resist with a horizontal slash. She slightly bent her knees under immense pressure, and her center of gravity sank. She forcibly took on this blow.

The loud clang of swords could make people have auditory hallucinations. 

The leader of the guards: “I underestimated you!”  

He was aggressively closing on her.

After a one-round fight, the two sides were exhausted however, he still didn't take down the prisoner.   

Shen Tang was already heavily breathing, and a thin layer of sweat appeared on her forehead unknowingly.

It was widely recognized that the 3rd-rank Zanniao was 2 or 3 times more powerful than the low-grade Gongshi. The head of guards brandished his sword with full strength. He was in a hurry to split her in half. Because of that, she suspected that her arm was already on the verge of becoming useless.

The great pain, caused her mood to be far from good. 

“Humph! Clearly, I overestimated you too much” 

No means no, why actually bother to say anything “I on the contrary overestimated you” …

Show off!

“But, only to this point—“

The head of guards was unaffected by Shen Tang's provocation, and he put away his anger. He quickly dragged the blade however, it stopped a foot before the latter. His thick eyebrows curled up. 

A loud shout reverberated through the empty space.

“Who are you? Come out!”

Shen Tang was frightened, her back turned cold. 

Someone was in the vicinity?

Just at this time, a magnetic deep male voice entered her ears.

She just heard, as this person unhurriedly say: “Those who have the ambition to help the world should hide their inner aspiration; the teeth are hard but are the first to be lost, and the tongue is soft but remains until death. The soft can overcome the hard, the weak can overcome the strong”.*

After listening to it, the face of the guard turned ashen.

The words dropped and a black and white calligraphy painting unfolded under Shen Tang's feet. The characters flew out, and one by one entered her body.

In one moment she completely restored her energy! 

Her arms stopped hurting and her breathing calmed down. Her strength came back. 

No, she had even more energy!

She had a premonition, if she tried to strike once again, then it wouldn't be only 18 swords that would appear, but 36! 

This was obviously a friend!

Was it a late novice benefit for transmigrators?

After noticing that Shen Tang's breath stabilized, the head of guards cursed in his mind.

He nearly ground his teeth into molars.

“Hindering official business is a crime deserving of death!”

Man ridiculed: “Then I won't hinder you in punishing a person and look at it from here?”

The head of guards remained unresigned: “Gong clan had done many wrongdoings, but you associate with this Gong traitor. Are you not afraid of stirring trouble for yourself?

“Why Gong clan was ruined, you know better than I. Who is the traitor, is still unknown”.

The head of guards understood that he had no chance, but he was still in a tangle. He was afraid, that what he had to face now was the joined forces of Shen Tang and the man in the dark. He could lose his life like that! He had no alternative but to hang down his blade and withdraw in front of Shen Tang. He retreated several feet and then unwillingly left on his horse.

Nearly at the same time, the calligraphy under Shen Tang's feet scattered.

Following the disappearance, Shen Tang who had just recently acquired new energy resumed her state from before.

Shen Tang “...”

Wasn’t the limit time of this buff too short?

The crisis was resolved. She sat on the ground adjusting her breath. She looked unbelievingly at her own hands - unexpectedly, she was able to survive the opening of hell and survive until the novice protection period arrived. She was even able to keep her small life…

One is bound for good fortune after surviving the calamity! 

While wiping the hot sweat, Shen Tang conveniently looked at the meagre silhouette of a young man with blue lips walking out from behind the trees.

She promptly got up to face him and express her thanks “Many thanks mister for saving my life”.

The young man looked at Shen Tang. He narrowed his eyes sizing her up for a moment, then said indifferently: “No need. It was because he discovered my tracks first and shouted. You are the male successor of the Gong clan, I don’t want to save you, but kill you”.

Shen Tang “...”

The smile on her lips gradually froze.

*The poem “Song of the Parting Son”（《游子吟》唐 孟郊）, written by Tang Dynasty poet Meng Jiao, is among the classic poems about a mother's selfless love.  It’s a modified version.

*《孙子·军争》 Sun Tzu - “The Art of War”, Military Contention

* 避祸卷五 “Avoiding misfortune” vol. 5 - 《权谋残卷》张居正  “Classic of tactics” Zhang Juzheng.