Chapter 13 Chapter Twelve Different Sword Skill Showdown
When the golden blade presses against the chest
my favorite wildflower
Imprisoned in the crystal rocks that fell from Mount Shuo'an
——Copy of Shuo Guo's poems
"It's right here." Takahashi Ryuichiro led Kang Tetsu to the door of a room. "For the past few months, Tilia has lived here."
When Takahashi was about to knock on the door, Kang Zhefu held his wrist.
"Let me do it." Kang Zhefu's voice was low and trembling.
He stretched out his hand, but couldn't knock it down for a long time.He sighed, pressed the door lightly, and lowered his head.
"Gaoqiao, is Kaerta really the number one swordsman in Shuo Kingdom? What about you? If it were you, would you be sure to defeat him?"
Takahashi was silent.He didn't know how to answer.At this important moment, he didn't want to frustrate Kang Zhefu's will.
——Tilia.Only Tilia could inspire his confidence now.
"I don't know. He has a reason to kill you." Takahashi said heavily. "He loves Tilia, too."
A certain impulse surged in Kang Zhefu's body.He didn't knock on the door, just turned the handle.
There is no one in the elegant bedroom filled with light fragrance.
"She's not here. Zhefu—" Takahashi noticed that Kang Zhefu's eyes were completely focused on an oil painting in the room:
A muscular naked man with a pair of flame wings grew from his back and neck, soaring down from the top of a high snow mountain.The scars on the man's body were criss-crossed, and each scar was exactly the same as Kang Zhefu's.Men have no faces.
"She has been making this painting," Takahashi said. "She said she would not paint her face until she saw you again. She never doubted that you would not come, let alone doubted that you would not come."
Kang Zhefu closed his eyes, pressed his hand on his forehead, and suppressed the surging blood in his throat and chest.
"Where is she now?"
He has come.Tilia smelled him.
She wiped away her tears and stood up from the floor of the martial arts hall.
"Zeff is here! Teacher, I know he's here!"
The white-haired old man sat cross-legged in front of the short table, burying his head in a pile of old sword manuals and books.
"He's coming! It's getting closer and closer... It's already arrived at Gneez Dragon..." Tilia staggered towards the gate of the Martial Arts Hall with a dazed expression. "Zeff, where are you? Tell me! Tell me do you forgive me? Forgive me for lying to you? Tell me—"
The voice suddenly stopped.The crying stopped, not even half a sob.The Martial Arts Hall is as dead and silent as the universe.Tilia's dark green pupils froze on the door—even through the thick steel door, she saw the face she most wanted to see.
Her movements are slow and heavy like an astronaut who has left Earth.Slender hands exhausted every ounce of strength to pull the door open.
So she saw him.
He saw her too.
At this moment, the torrent of time freezes, and the world stagnates in a dead silence.Except for the thoughtful face in front of him, everything else on the third planet in the solar system is meaningless to this man and woman at this moment.
Shuoyue Island trembled and sank in the wrath of the gods; Watt's steam engine neighed like a healthy horse; the atomic bomb exploded a huge fungus cloud in Hiroshima; Armstrong stepped on the desolate land of the moon; the Berlin Wall collapsed... everything All the earth-shattering historical moments are no more important to Kang Zhefu and Tilia than this moment when their eyes met.
There was no passion in their eyes, and the strong love was sublimated into a strange tranquility—a tranquility that finally found the soul's refuge in each other's eyes.In the dimension of the soul, they were separated by 10,000 years and never separated; they were the first pair of men and women at the beginning of chaos, and they were also the last pair of lovers before the end of the world.
He lifted her petite body off the ground.She put her arms around his neck and shoulders.His heart beat tightly against hers.
"Forgive me?" She whispered next to his words.The warm breath blows against his sensitive ears.
Kang Zhefu nodded excitedly.
"Take me away."
Kang Zhefu's body instantly became stiff.Tilia in her arms couldn't hide this subtle change.
She held his face and looked at it carefully.He closed his eyes.
"Who scares you so much?...It's...Kalta!"
Kang Zhefu gently put her body down, stroked her soft black hair, but felt the tremor on the back of her neck with his fingers.
Kang Zhefu turned his head and looked at Gao Qiao for help.
Takahashi was silent for a while.Always say what you have to say.
"He's going to have a front-of-the-seat competition with Karta."
"No! It's not true—"
"Tiliya!" Kang Zhefu held her trembling shoulders tightly. "Calm down! This is the only way I can take you away."
Nestled against Kang Zhefu's broad chest that was as warm as a fire just now, Tilia suddenly felt as if she had plunged into a frozen lake in Antarctica again, and her already exquisite body seemed to shrink even smaller.Kang Zhefu's face seen through the tears became blurred and distant.
Kang Zhefu gently wiped away her tears.
"Don't be afraid. For you, I will defeat him."
"But..." Tilia's lips spit out a word she didn't want to say: "Kalta's sword has never been defeated."
Kang Zhefu showed a smile that calmed Tilia's heart.
"I don't have a sword either."
The eyes of Takahashi standing aside lit up.He stared at Kang Zhefu.
Takahashi Ryuichiro has never married a wife.Except for Shuokuo's great cause of revival, he devoted all his energy to his enthusiasm for kendo. For most of his life, he integrated Shuokuo's ancient sword skills and Japanese kendo, established himself as a first-class family, and became the first Japanese in history to dominate for two consecutive years when he was young. Swordsman.
In addition to the legendary figures in the ancient sword world of the ancient Shuo Kingdom: "Sword Master" Daozhen white hair, "Soul-Suppressing Family School" last descendant Soul-Suppressing Jing Li, "Thousand Hands" clan and illusion swordsmanship master Gangrou Qishasou, In addition to the descendants of "Rangshen General" crossing the sea, the generation of famous general "Wolf of Guannan" Mori Luodian, etc., the sword hero he admires most is the generation of Japanese sword masters, Kazuyoji fighting Yoshioka Kazumon alone, Miyamoto Musashi, the ancestor of "Niten First Class" who killed the "genius" Sasaki Kojiro with a wooden sword on Yanliu Island.
Musashi never married, and in his posthumous work "The Book of the Five Rings" he clarified that being infatuated with women is the biggest obstacle for swordsmen.Takahashi is a firm believer in this ascetic creed, believing that lust only weakens a man's passion for the sword.
But Kang Zhefu in front of him made Takahashi's belief collapse.
At this moment, Kang Zhefu was holding Tilia tenderly, his face full of affection.
But in Takahashi's eyes, he felt that Kang Zhefu's body had become very big, very big, and there seemed to be a layer of invincible aura covering his body.He had never seen such a tenaciousness in a man holding his lover—a tenacity that Takahashi had never experienced (even in the tiebreaker of the All Japan Championships).
Takahashi thought in surprise: Is this the power of love?
"Don't waste any more time." Takahashi put away his surprise and looked at his watch. "We only have forty minutes left to prepare. Zeff, you have to study the way to defeat Kartha."
"Would you like to demonstrate Kaerta's swordsmanship to me?" Kang Zhefu's eyes lit up.
Takahashi shook his head. "I'm in a different genre from him. Fortunately, I still have some research on his stunts. At this point, there are only two people in the world who can help you."
"Who else but you?..."
Takahashi silently pointed to the end of the martial arts hall.
Since entering the Martial Arts Hall, Kang Zhefu's attention was all on Tilia.He looked at the short table under the bookshelf in the direction of Takahashi's finger, only to find that there was a fourth person in the hall.
The white-haired old man had thrown away the ancient books at some point, and sat cross-legged facing this side, holding a Chinese sword in his left hand, and making a strange laugh.
"Teacher!" Kang Zhefu exclaimed. "It's Teacher Gu!"
In the dark room, Kartha has replaced the battle armor with the black robe that Bi tried.Facing the void, he assumed a preparatory stance for assassinating Daquina's stunt "one step at a time", with both hands holding the sword high above the top, and the tip of the sword pointed directly at the sky, like a tall and straight black mountain. He meditates.The image of Kang Zhefu gradually emerged in the dark void. It was that familiar feeling again.It was clearly the first time he met Kang Zhefu, but Kaerta's heart was filled with enthusiasm as if an old friend was reunited. He changed his stance, posing as a "yin sword" that seduces the enemy.The image of Kang Zhefu in front of him also moves accordingly, every bit of movement is the same as Karta's, just like the moon and the moon's shadow in the water reflect each other. Kartha was upset.He is angry.He was angry with himself: he couldn't arouse hatred for Kang Zhefu. The Chinese floating in the void in front of him was clearly the hateful man who killed Chaidelian and stole Tilia's heart. But it can't be done.He couldn't hate Kang Zhefu for coming.The intense tit-for-tat dialogue in the hall just now was all fake.He was actually eager to shake hands and hug Kang Zhefu. --why?why…… "Your sword pulse is messed up, Karta." Savud, who had been sitting silently cross-legged in the corner of the dark room, also noticed the fluctuations in Karta's mind. "You can't lose." Karta lowered his sword slowly. "The king knows what you are thinking." Savud's voice was devoid of any emotion. "I also feel the same way as you. If this king doesn't value him, he won't use you, the number one swordsman of Shuo Kingdom, to end his life." "Your Majesty...what should I do, Your Majesty?" The bewildered look in Karta's eyes was also the first time the regent Savud saw it.Kartha, a natural vanguard general, acts decisively and boldly, and is a cheerful man of Shuo Kingdom. With a set goal, he will go forward. He has been passionate about the art of war and swordsmanship and the ambition of revitalizing Shuo Kingdom for half his life. "Kalta," Savud finally spoke after pondering for a while. "There is an old Chinese saying: 'Make friends with those who are not as good as yourself.' That is to say: only those who are worthy of being your opponents are qualified to make friends with you." Savud stood up. "Conversely: the most admirable friend is also the most worthy enemy. Karta, turn your admiration for Kang Zhefu into a desire to swing a sword at him." Savud's words were like quicksilver, suddenly piercing through a crooked and blocked train of thought in Karta's mind.Waves rose from his pupils again.Breathing becomes cloudy.The limbs are slightly numb, because the blood is rushing to the internal organs.The scalp feels cool as the hair roots stand on end. The nervous structure of Kartha's whole body has changed.When he raised the sword again, it seemed as if the sword had turned into an extension of his flesh.
Under Takahashi Ryuichiro's explanation, Kang Zhefu finally understood the true face of Kaerta's "Crow Back Slash" that cut through Chen Changde's throat. "The Sakukuni kendo I'm learning is the 'flame-jumping style' characterized by strong strength and the 'senju style' which wins with extraordinary speed." Takahashi explained to Kang Zhefu in Chinese.Takahashi has been working on sorting out the ancient sword techniques of Shuo Kingdom for many years, and has also translated the classics of swordsmanship and military books. The four sat around the low table.Kang Zhefu looked at the teacher Gu Feng beside him.This legendary old man, who can be called the modern "Sword Master" of China, showed obsessive eyes and listened intently to Takahashi's explanation.In Kang Zhefu's eyes, he has become a stranger, not at all like Mr. Gu whom Kang Zhefu has admired like his biological father for twenty years. Takahashi explained everything to Kang Zhefu: About a year ago (that is, when Kang Zhefu thought his teacher had gone to the deep mountains to practice alone), Takahashi revealed the secret of Shuo Kingdom to Teacher Gu, and brought him to "Geniz "Dragon", a hall full of Shuo Kingdom's ancient sword records.Since then, Gu Feng has never left, and his daily life has been carefully taken care of - after Tilia came back, she even took care of her lover's enlightenment mentor personally. ——The ancient sword manual books that remain in our country are not complete, and there are many gaps that need to be filled with the rich knowledge of the teacher, so I invited him here. ——Do you also hope to use Mr. Gu to persuade me to join Shuo Kingdom? --good.It's a pity that it's too late now... I can't think of Da Kui... ——Teacher Gu can't leave here for the rest of his life, right? — did you see that?The teacher is very happy here.For him, Shuo Guo Kendo is a brand new world.If I were him, I would be willing to die here forever. Kang Zhefu didn't ask any more questions.So Takahashi began to talk about Karta's sword style. "...Kalta's school is more complicated than mine, but he mainly practiced 'Soul Requiem': a style that looks plain and simple on the outside, but uses subtle distance and rhythm changes to make the enemy have the illusion, so as to take advantage of the gap. The swordsmanship that wins with one sword. In the history of Shuo Kingdom, only one person has defeated this school, and the other can only draw with it." "This doesn't seem to be in line with the sword path of 'Hui Crow Slash'." "'Back to the Crow' is not a move of 'Suppressing the Soul', but a sword technique created by a great man in the late period of Gushuo Kingdom, which does not belong to any school." Kang Zhefu thought for a while. "So Dakui must have died under the 'Soul Rescue' sword technique. I once told Dakui the characteristics of 'Returning Crow Slash', he should be on guard." Takahashi nodded. "In addition to 'Returning the Crow', another special skill of Kaerta is the highest secret sword of 'Soul Rescue', 'One Heart and One Step'. Since I am not a member of 'Soul Rescue', I am not qualified to watch its secret scroll , I don’t know much about this sword move, I only know that its harbinger is to perform this hand-stretching posture at a long distance.” Takahashi stood up, holding a sword and making the pose of Kaerta with the sword raised straight above his head . "It is a little similar to the 'big upper section' stance of Japanese kendo, but the operation and changes of the actual sword moves are unknown." Tilia looked at Kang Zhefu worriedly. "So let's focus on deciphering the 'Crow Back Slash'." Takahashi took a deep breath, and demonstrated this sword skill of leaping and turning back with slow movements. ——It is indeed the move to kill Chen Changde, Kang Zhefu thought. "I have another question." Kang Zhefu said. "Why did you kill Chen Changde and Holmes with a sword?" "When Holmes wrote that book, his cancer was in the terminal stage. When "Legend of the Moon Kingdom" was published, he would not have survived more than six months," Takahashi said. "Holmes knew that his death was not far away. This Englishman who was fascinated by our country's civilization asked to die by the blade of our country's strongest swordsman. His Majesty Savud agreed and sent Kartha to Scotland. "We also did it as a cover-up - Holmes' book had just come out at the time. Gun crime was not popular in the UK. We succeeded in disguising it as a robbery." "Where's Chen Changde?" "Because it involves military affairs, Kartha has always been in charge of the work of contacting Chen Changde in our country as an admiral. It was Kartha's idea to use a sword: if he was carrying a gun, he would be easily spotted by Chen Changde. Besides, Kartha knew that there was a sword hanging in Chen Changde's room. The sword—that sword was given to him by Karta.” "After the blade was stained with blood, Kartha became more violent than before, and his fighting spirit gradually expanded." Tilia continued. "That's why he dared to disobey His Majesty's orders many times and kill you and Mr. Dakui..." Takahashi nodded. "The momentum and murderousness of the current Karta have reached an unprecedented high level..." "Zeff." Tilia suddenly felt a chill. "Didn't you swear...not to kill anyone again? This time..." The sword room was dead silent for quite a while. Kang Zhefu stroked Tilia's cold hand.He stared at the red scorpion tattoo on his arm. "Have you forgotten the reason for my oath? It was the rock on which my life was rebuilt. It is a terrible thing to take a life. I will not kill again. Not this time—" "But this is a life and death duel!" Takahashi exclaimed excitedly. "Zeff, you can't be stubborn—" "I understand!" Gu Feng, who had been sitting quietly by the side, suddenly jumped up. "I thought of it! I thought of cracking the sword move of 'Crow Back Slash'! Zhefu, watch carefully!" This is the first time Gu Feng has called his favorite disciple's name since the reunion—Kang Zhefu is glad that his teacher still remembers him . Gu Feng walked to an open place with the sword in his hand, regained his composure, and suddenly swung the sword with his wrist, his body whirled backwards, and the tip of the sword chased away in an arc full of geometric beauty. In the end, both the man and the sword turned into The straight line fully embodies the essence of Chinese swordsmanship "unity of body and sword". Kang Zhefu and Gao Qiao stared at Gu Feng's moves for a long time, speechless. ——After only one year of burying his head in the Shuo Kingdom sword manual, the seventy-five-year-old Gu Feng was able to develop such an astonishing advance in sword skills again in a short period of time! Kang Zhefu finally understood why his mentor became a little crazy: when a person thought he had reached the end of the world, and suddenly found that there was a new land ahead that had never been explored, the excitement was not something an aging heart could bear. "... Teacher Gu." It took a long time for Takahashi to speak. "This is indeed an excellent technique to crack the 'Returning Crow Slash', but... Zhefu doesn't have the same level of cultivation as your teacher...he can't use this technique at all..." The sound of the large steel door of the martial arts hall being pushed open interrupted Takahashi's speech.Ten men in ancient costumes carried various instruments and entered the hall one after another. "Is it time?..." Takahashi looked at the Japanese-made electronic watch in his hand again.The countdown is rapidly approaching zero. Tilia hugged Kangzhefu's arm tightly.The men in ancient clothes removed the short table in front of them at the same time. "Mr. Kang." A man spoke fluent Chinese, holding a set of white robes and said, "Please change the sword robes that were used in the competition before the seat." Kang Zhefu looked at Takahashi, then at Gu Feng, and finally at Tilia.The three closest people to him in the world are all here: one is the enlightenment mentor; the other is the benefactor who saved him from hell; the other is the woman he loves deeply. Kang Zhefu caressed Tilia's face.The eye waves of the four eyes communicate, conveying ideas that cannot be expressed in any language in the world.Tilia nodded in such a small way that only Kang Zhefu could see it, and slowly let go of his hand.
The name of the Martial Arts Hall is "Avenue Array Sword Hall", in memory of the "Sword Saint" who helped the third king of Shuo Kingdom's Mizhao Dynasty, Lu Qingwu, to restore his country. The founding father of the Ozhao Dynasty, Odu Jiaxuan, died in the thirteenth year of the Xuanshen calendar, and was succeeded by the cowardly prince Ooxiu.In the eighteenth year of Xuan Dynasty, Zongheng Glacier, who had the title of "General of Qianlong" (later called "General of Chaos God"), launched a mutiny and killed the king of Xiufang to stand on his own feet. At that time, the only son of King Xiufang, Yu Qingwu, was twenty years old and fled to the south of Guannan under the protection of the loyal imperial guards. He happened to meet the "Sword Master" Daozhen with white hair, and was able to pass on the "Daozhen Liu" thirty-seven sword fencing techniques. And the standard of double-edged sword and arm armor.Prince Wu Qingwu learned the magic method of using soldiers from the way of swordsmanship, reorganized the king's army and succeeded in the Northern Expedition. Since then, kendo has flourished in the south and north of Shuoguo Guan, and gradually hundreds of sects have been derived from the "Da Dao Zhenliu", competing for supremacy in Shuoguo sword circle for more than 400 years. The landscape of the "Avenue of Swords" has undergone major changes.A wall that was originally hung with a whole row of long swords slowly split to both sides, revealing a huge monitoring screen divided into thirty-two images of different sizes. The blue moon symbol in the center of the Jiantang floor gave off a strange light.The ceiling lowered two sets of instrument displays.Each group includes 15 rows of digital displays, each row has four digits plus two digits after the decimal point, and on the right is a pulse wave divided by blue lines into 400 small squares of 20 by 20 picture. On the right side of the sword hall, under the bookshelf of ancient sword manuals, five black leather drums of different sizes are neatly displayed. The drummer in a colorful robe beats out the blood-boiling battle music with strong and elegant movements. Behind the drummer, there are seven majestic men with shirtless shirts and bald heads, singing together the almost lost military song of Shuo Kingdom: Under the gaze of the strange bird-like mountain city of Jiezhou The swordsman in black armor rode his horse into the forest Isn't that Is it the sound of iron hooves kicking the ground? Under the huge wall lined with colorful military flags, the regent of Savud, dressed in silver embroidered royal clothes, sat solemnly on the luxurious throne intertwined with gold and black. The back of the throne is shaped like a pair of eagle wings that seem to vibrate soaring; the chair handles on both sides are carved with various ancient totems containing profound meanings; the four chair feet are carved in the shape of animal claws, and the claws are all inlaid with sapphires. Thirty-seven swordsmen wearing armor of different colors and shapes are lined up behind the Savud Seat, symbolizing the "Thirty-seven Swordsman Clan" who helped King Wu of the Qing Dynasty to restore himself more than 1,400 years ago. On the left of Savud is a row of deputy seats, attended by three aristocratic patriarchs of Shuo Kingdom and cabinet members of the "Prince Regent's Mansion" who are present in "Genizlong": The tall and fat "neifu" (Minister of Internal Affairs) Geshen Badou gave people a great sense of stability. A bald old man with a capable face, the "Treasurer" (Minister of Finance) Pacha Bangsiakar. There is also Menggang Povado who is the "Boshi" (chief of logistics of the military department)-Takahashi Ryuichiro. The rest of the more than ten cabinet ministers of the "Prince Regent's Mansion", including "Foreign Assistant" (Minister of Foreign Affairs), "General Staff" (Chief of Staff), "Banner Division" (Minister of Defense), "Chuanshou" (Minister of Communications) and other important ministers, Now they are all working outside the "Genitz Dragon". Tilia, Gu Feng, and the six "Pioneer Army" cronies of Karta stood behind the seats of the three important ministers, waiting for the first "competition before the seat" held in nearly ten years. The big steel door on the left is open.Kang Zhefu, who was wearing a pure white sword robe, walked into the center of the sword hall side by side with Karta, who was in a black robe, holding swords. The two didn't look at each other. After the door was closed, the air in the sword hall seemed to freeze suddenly.Sensitive people can even smell the nervous body odor shared by all the bodies in the room. Kaerta faced Savud, with his left hand holding a golden sword in its sheath, his right arm across his chest and saluting, shouting in Shuo language: "Chen Yuzhao, the vanguard general of the imperial guards of the dynasty, 'Zhenhunliu' 'Army swordsman Sogo Karta, by the order of His Majesty the Regent, will compete with Chinese swordsman Kang Zhefu in front of you." "Approved!" Savud's eyes turned to Kang Zhefu, who was fluttering in white. "Your Excellency is a swordsman from a foreign country, so you are exempt from the etiquette of our country." Savud still spoke Shuo language, and Kang Zhefu couldn't understand a single word.He wasn't going to say anything anyway. He pulled out the "Longquan Sword" that belonged to Gu Feng in his hand as an answer. In the reflection of the blade, Kang Zhefu stared at Tilia's worried eyes for the last time. Karta also drew his sword.The shape of the blade is the same as the sword that killed Chen Changde and Da Kui, and Kang Zhefu is familiar with every centimeter of the blade shape. Savud waved his left hand wearing the brass ring. The drummer slammed a large drum with a diameter of one meter. With the heart-shattering drumbeat, the whole sword hall suddenly started like a huge machine! The video cameras hidden in the sword room are all connected to electricity.Thirty-two screens on the front wall displayed images at the same time, shooting two swordsmen who were about to fight to the death from different angles and distances. The most central one is the largest No. 18 screen, looking down on Kangzhefu and Karta who are facing each other with swords from a high angle in the middle of the ceiling. The upper left and upper right corners are the No. 1 and No. 6 screens. The electronic tracking cameras used in American professional ball games are used to take close-up shots of the facial expressions of Kang Zhefu (No. 1 screen) and Karta (No. 6 screen). The two instruments hanging from the ceiling also started at the same time.The two pulse charts rhythmically flowed out one after another of heart wave groups.The one on the left shows Kangzhefu's electrocardiogram, and the one on the right shows Kartha's heartbeat. The jumping numbers on the left side of the electrocardiogram also began to change. The sword robes of Kang Zhefu and Karta are ordinary civilian clothes, but in fact, there are several sets of thin optical fiber wires hidden in the inner layer.They collect information from the sensors attached to their chests, backs, elbows, wrists, carotid arteries, and femoral arteries, and transmit them to the miniature radio wave transmitters on the belts of their robes, and then transmit them through the sending equipment. To the powerful receiver in the sword hall.After the information has been corrected by computer calculation, it will be displayed on the digital monitor above the training hall and the electrocardiogram, clearly showing the physical condition of the two swordsmen. The digital displays are divided into three groups.The first group shows the status of blood circulation in the swordsman's body, that is, heart rate and blood pressure level (including diastolic and systolic blood pressure). The second group has only one line of digital display, and the three English letters of MET are printed next to it.This is to show the sports energy consumption of the two swordsmen. MET is the equivalent unit of energy consumption. One MET is equivalent to the energy consumed when consuming 3.5 milliliters of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute under the basic state.This line of numbers shows the latest status of the two swordsmen's physical energy consumption every second. The third group of digital display is not activated. This is the true face of the "competition before the seat": when Kang Zhefu and Kartha faced each other with swords in front of the Regent's throne, their physical function status, every inch of muscle movement, and even every expression change on their faces were fully revealed Before Savud's eyes! Separated on both sides of the crescent moon symbol emitting light blue brilliance, this pair of rare men in the world finally confronted each other head-on. Kang Zhefu had a strange feeling. Many years ago on the Black Continent, he experienced countless life-and-death battles. In all kinds of situations where neither the enemy nor the enemy had a choice, he used all the best advantages and the most lethal weapons by all means to cruelly fight against the enemy. Put the opponent to death. However, it was the first time for him to face an enemy of comparable strength in an absolutely equal environment, with equal weapons and conditions. Karta holds the sword in both hands, and lifts the hilt carved with the face of a ferocious beast to the right side of his face, and the tip of the sword hangs down slightly, pointing at Kang Zhefu's abdomen.This is exactly the "diving fish" he first put on to lure the enemy a few months ago when he confronted Dakui. ——Just like the battle in Madrid, Kartha prepared to use one of his two secret swords at the beginning: "Crow Slash". The golden tsuba flashed stars on several of the monitor screens. Kartha's face was revealed on screen number six.A face without the slightest expression—neither happy nor angry, neither hated nor afraid, neither anxious nor arrogant. Takahashi looked up at the digital display.Karta's physical condition is extremely stable: heart rate is 61 beats per minute; blood pressure is normal, systolic blood pressure is 140 mm Hg/diastolic blood pressure is 83 mm Hg; the heart rhythm shown by the electrocardiogram is very average. Under Savud's enlightenment, Kartha has now turned into a sword-wielding machine without any emotion.Kang Zhefu in front of him is not even a person, but just a "target". Kang Zhefu did not pose any traditional swordsmanship, but just like gazing guard in the dark night of Africa during the mercenary period, his body leaned forward slightly like a cat, his legs were naturally separated, and the distance was equivalent to the width of his shoulders , the left hand is relaxed in front of the chest, and the right hand is holding the "Longquan Sword" like a sawtooth survival knife in the past, pointing diagonally at the center of Karta's eyebrows in a relaxed but not weak posture. Kang Zhefu's circulatory system is as stable as Kartha, but his heartbeat is slower, and the number shows that his heart rate is 54 beats per minute.Takahashi knew that this was the phenomenon caused by Kang Zhefu's use of Chinese breathing technique. ——Kang Zhefu has completely integrated the Chinese swordsmanship he has practiced for many years into the skills of actual combat in the army. Tilia stared nervously at the two electrocardiograms above. ——There are only two endings in the "pre-seat competition": one of the electrocardiograms first turns into a flat horizontal line, or both of them stop at the same time. Tilia concentrated on the one showing Kangzhefu's heartbeat.In her heart, she silently prayed to Shuo Kingdom's god of war "Eight Eagles Motian" and the god of peace "Ciyitian". Kang Zhefu frowned.Unexpectedly, Karta did not exude any anger.Kang Zhefu has always had a little chance of winning: as long as Kaerta gets angry, he will definitely expose his exploitable weakness. But Karta's restraint was far beyond his imagination. Kang Zhefu didn't even dare to move a finger.Kartha's backhand sword stance is full of voids—an allure as irresistible as a virgin's breast and lips.Kang Zhefu tried his best not to attack.Now attacking Karta's "submerged fish" stance is like a moth jumping into a raging fire-there is only one result: the back of the neck is cut by Karta's "Crow Back Slash". Karta patiently seduces Kang Zhefu. The two remained in a stalemate for fifteen minutes.If the real person is not right in front of the eyes, the onlookers will have the illusion that the images on the screens of the thirty-two monitors are all mirror images. This kind of stalemate is more energy-consuming than a fast and intense fight.The MET display numbers of the two have become double digits, which is equivalent to the energy consumption per minute when running more than six kilometers. Takahashi looked at Kaltana's "diving fish" posture, and silently prayed in his heart: "Don't... Zeff, don't lose patience..." The situation changed at this moment. Karta's heart rate rose to 72 beats per minute.This number made Savud frown for the first time. Kang Zhefu's heart rate dropped to 40 beats per minute. Karta saw Kangzhefu move. This is a movement invisible to the naked eye.Kang Zhefu's movements were slow to the limit of human beings, but he did move his body at a micro distance without interruption. ——It is the profound meaning of Chinese inner school swordsmanship: "moving without moving". Kaerta's "submerged fish" stance strategy is: to lure Kangzhefu to charge forward, and take the opportunity to stagger and jump back to Kangzhefu's side and rear, the most difficult position to defend, and issue a one-hit kill "Crow Back Slash" .This is a wonderful stance that looks passive but actually holds the initiative. The biggest key to this method of warfare is not when the sword is drawn, but to accurately grasp the timing of Kang Zhefu's forward charge before the sword is drawn, and transform from a passive in disguise to an active counterattack.The proper time is only for a moment, if it is too early, it will not be able to fully exert the maximum power of "Returning Crow Slash", if it is too late, one's body may be pierced by Kang Zhefu's sword first. But Kang Zhefu's movements were too slow - so slow that Kartha couldn't grasp the rhythm.Just like when the sun is setting, you can never tell exactly at what moment it just completely disappears below the horizon. Since Kaerta couldn't grasp the rhythm of Kang Zhefu's movement, he also couldn't find the right time to launch "Crow Back Slash"! "Okay!" Gu Feng who was standing behind Takahashi whispered. Kang Zhefu's heart rate continued to drop to 40 beats per minute. Sweat beads on Karta's forehead were shown up close on the No. 6 screen. Savud played with the copper ring expressionlessly.He didn't have a deep understanding of kendo, but he saw that Kartha was at a disadvantage at this moment. ——But he has absolute confidence in Karta. Tilia held her breath, looked at the huge screen on the wall for a while, and looked at the display above it for a while.She pulled Gu Feng's sleeve, biting her teeth so hard that her lower lip was bleeding. Kang Zhefu continued to push towards Kartha who was in a dilemma at the slowest speed. Kartha's heart rate rose to 82 beats per minute, indicating an increase in adrenaline in the body.The diastolic blood pressure in the arteries also rises to 101 as the heart rate accelerates, and the systolic blood pressure also rises to 158 because the adrenaline increases the stroke volume of the heart. His breathing became heavy.If Kang Zhefu's sword tip was closer to three inches, his "diving fish" stance would be self-defeating. Five minutes passed.Kang Zhefu's sword tip extended an inch and a half forward.The critical point of Kartha's frame collapse is gradually approaching.Time passed by every minute and every second, but he couldn't think of a way to respond. Every second that passed, Kangzhefu's odds of winning increased by one point, and Kartha fell further into defeat—— "Break!" Karta shouted. The heartbeats of both of them accelerated at the same moment. Kartha can't bear to lose without a fight. He drew out his sword and took a big step—whether this step set foot on the golden road of victory or fell into the abyss of eternal defeat. Of the thirty-two screens on the giant wall, twenty-six of them lost the figure of Karta. Only the camera on the No. 18 screen in the center can clearly shoot from the top: Karta's majestic body leaps up lightly, and flies around Kang Zhefu's left side in an arc like a swallow. "Back to the Crow"! Kang Zhefu's body was filled with blood in an instant.Heart rate soared to 80, blood pressure 145/97. Karta's figure in black disappeared from his eyes. ——Kalta's astonishing speed and stamina exceeded Kang Zhefu's estimate! Kang Zhefu told himself: — in the rear! In the blink of an eye, the sword skill that Mr. Gu Feng demonstrated to break the "Crow Back Slash" flashed in Kang Zhefu's mind. In a short moment, Kang Zhefu's mind was as clear as a mirror and still water.The body naturally imitated Gu Feng's movements—— ——Back—— Kang Zhefu's face disappeared from the No. 1 screen. ——Turn around—— Two fuzzy figures, black and white, meet on the screen of the mid-range lens No. 20.The blade reflects colorful glare. ——Backhand back sword—— Takahashi saw it—he never dreamed that Kang Zhefu could actually do this perfect movement of combining body and sword into one! On the display above the training hall, two rows of digital displays that were originally motionless were beating frantically. ——They indicate the swing speed of the two long swords. Screen No. 9 shows Karta's graceful "Crow Back Slash": a sharp sword light is drawn horizontally from the black robe fluttering. The brilliance radiating from Kang Zhefu's hands seemed to split the screen of No. 14. His swinging back thrust combines the essence of Gu Feng's lifelong sword skills, and the arc trajectory of the thrust just restrains the leaping movement of Karta's arc—— The bodies of the two swordsmen staggered apart. Tilia felt her heart stop. Savud's body rose slightly away from the throne. Gu Feng had a drunken expression on his face. Takahashi shook his head in disbelief. Karta landed safely on the ground, swiping his blade diagonally to the right. The blood spilled from the blade was clearly shown on the screen of number twenty-five. Kang Zhefu half-kneeled on the blue moon in the center of the sword hall, holding his sword to the ground.Crimson oozes from the back of the white robe, gradually expanding horizontally. "Why?" Takahashi looked up. The digital display is like iron: Kartha's "Crow Back Slash", the peak speed of swinging the sword reaches 252 kilometers per hour.这是使用近似职业网球赛中计算发球速度的仪器计量出来的，数字非常准确。 而康哲夫的刺击，时速也达250公里，相信已经是人类的极限。 两组数字虽然相近，喀尔塔的速度甚至微高于康哲夫，但是： 1.双方交剑时以康哲夫身体为核心弧转，故此康哲夫是沿着一个假想的“内圈”出剑，而喀尔塔的斩击则在外围； 2.康哲夫的刺剑轨迹，弧度比喀尔塔的斩击为小。 综合而言，康哲夫的剑招所运行的距离，短于喀尔塔的“回鸦斩”；既然双方速度相约，这便出现一个连小学生也能计算得出的答案： 康哲夫的剑绝对应比喀尔塔的剑更快命中目标！ “为什么？”高桥不断自问。 全场只有三个人能解答这个问题。 顾枫摇头叹息。“哲夫。这是妇人之仁……” 媞莉亚躲在顾枫的身躯背后。她不忍再看。她不敢想象接下去将要发生的事情。 喀尔塔以毫无感情的眼神俯视康哲夫。 “为什么？”喀尔塔的声音仿佛由电子合成器发出。“你刚才的突刺本来可以先一步贯穿我的咽喉或下颚。” 数码显示出康哲夫因失血而动脉血压开始下降。 脸色苍白的康哲夫抬头。他大半的气魄和精力都已耗费在刚才运动量达到34MET的一剑之中。那一剑已是他剑技生涯上一次再难超越的顶峰。如今背肌受创，康哲夫连用力挥剑也不能。 十八号大屏幕不断以慢镜头重播刚才交剑的情景。闪跃的剑光一次又一次映在康哲夫勉强的笑脸上。 “我发誓不再杀人。” 喀尔塔心弦为之一震。他立时警觉到这丝情感的波动有多危险。 “武者有五敌：恐惧之心、执著之心、傲慢之心、爱恶之心、仁慈之心……” 喀尔塔缓缓倒退向后，以朔语念出古朔国“大道阵流”秘诀《阵抄》的名言。 “……生死之别，判于冷刃，毛发不容……”喀尔塔一步一步拉开了和康哲夫的距离，最后双手举剑过顶，剑尖直指向天。 他已准备使出“镇魂流”最高秘剑：“一心一步”。 喀尔塔的剑与身体化为一座纹风不动的峭拔尖山，凝视康哲夫的明澄眼瞳中卷起千顷巨浪，波涛旋转吞吐不断。 心率每分钟58次；血压138/80；心律节奏均衡。 喀尔塔已恢复最佳的战斗状态。 显示康哲夫心脉状态的数字却不断跳动变化，状况极不稳定。他勉力站起来，竟也消耗了3.2MET的能量。 康哲夫终于了解为什么喀尔塔的“一心一步”是几近不败的剑技：它是超越了个人肉体的剑法，是以山和海般宏大的精神力凌驾一切的“心剑”。 喀尔塔的剑犹如凯旋的军旗高举。 康哲夫的剑软弱地歪斜指向喀尔塔胸口。 高桥垂目。The outcome is set. 萨武德摄政王兴味索然地闭起眼睛。他只等待听见喀尔塔的剑贯穿康哲夫咽喉的声音。 康哲夫把剑垂下来，不再理会面前如狮子般的“朔国第一剑豪”。他别过头寻找媞莉亚的脸庞。 躲在顾枫身后的媞莉亚感觉到康哲夫穿透而来的目光。她趋前。 康哲夫因为失血而感到少许晕眩。眼前媞莉亚这张混含复杂感情的脸，和记忆中母亲的样子交织融合在一起。 一股潜意识驱使下，喀尔塔也随着康哲夫的视线看了媞莉亚一眼。 他看见了：媞莉亚投给康哲夫的深情眼神是他从未见过的。喀尔塔原本平静无波的情绪受到激烈的冲击。 一把飘渺的声音自喀尔塔体内的小宇宙深处响起。是媞莉亚哭泣的声音，自悠远处渐渐传来，最初细不可闻，慢慢每一声抽咽都如在耳边。 喀尔塔的心电图呈现不规则的波律。 他回忆起来：两年多前媞莉亚从东京的艺术学院首次回到“格尼兹龙”。喀尔塔不敢相信，眼前这个浑身绽放出鲜活生命力的美丽女人，就是他十三岁时最讨厌的那个小邻居。 为了得到媞莉亚那明澄的灵魂，他立刻抛弃了嘉蔓那个世间难得的尤物。 二十九岁的生命中，喀尔塔从未得不到他想得到的东西。媞莉亚却投进了中国人的怀抱……甚至连嘉蔓也一样——她也为康哲夫而倾倒…… 喀尔塔再度凝视前方这个再不是对手的对手。 ——就是这个男人吗？他凭什么令媞莉亚心折？他有哪一点比我强？ ... “你想得到的东西太多了。”媞莉亚的话再次在喀尔塔的荡漾心湖中浮现。 “我发誓不再杀人。”康哲夫的话则像寒风，令喀尔塔的心湖结成冰霜。 媞莉亚的哭声渐渐远去。 喀尔塔的“一心一步”架式开始摇晃。 萨武德察觉出一丝不对劲。他扬眉，睁开眼睛。 喀尔塔的心率加快，恢复为正常的每分钟70次。 高桥原本绝望的眼神亮起希望的光华。 顾枫微笑。 喀尔塔瞳内的汹涌浪涛渐渐停竭了。他闭起眼睛。 他的双臂慢慢垂下来，尖山般的架式崩倒。 媞莉亚惊奇地用手掩着嘴巴。she weeps. 康哲夫平静地看着喀尔塔，似乎已透视这个朔国豪杰的心。 喀尔塔睁目。刚才比试时眼中那层不属于人类的白霜消融无踪，恢复了过去如熊熊烈火的眼神。 康哲夫想象得到喀尔塔在一千多年前新月形岛屿的草原上策马横剑的雄姿。 喀尔塔右手五指放松。 黄金锷朔国宝剑坠落“大道阵剑堂”中央地板上。柄首的兽脸雕刻发出惊怖的吼叫。 回响震撼剑堂内每一个人。
萨武德摄政王独自回到自己的王府办公厅。他没有亮灯。自我囚禁在暗无天日的“格尼兹龙”太久了，他不必眼睛也熟知办公厅内的一切。办公厅就是他指掌的延伸。 安坐在皮革大椅上，萨武德扫视排列在巨大办公桌上的电脑仪器。 右面的屏幕显现纽约华尔街股市瞬息万变的起伏。多年来，朔国旗下企业的许多重大投资决定，都在这面二十四小时展示、分析世界金融状况屏幕前作出。 萨武德按动一个开关。投影机开动，在办公桌正中央、距离摄政王眼前三尺处的空中，以立体全息技术投射出一个影象细致的地球。 凝在空中的蓝色球体可作全方位三百六十度旋转。萨武德在操纵键盘上按了一列指令。地球上的大陆等高线和海洋深处随即显现。 电脑鼠标在桌面上移动。地球转到了北美洲东岸。萨武德按下鼠标上的键钮，把这一部分图像在眼前放大。 输入一列指令后，图像以光点显现出朔族人口在此地区的分布状况。只要再细加搜寻，萨武德可以从中抽取任何一名朔国居民的详尽档案资料。 萨武德安坐在皮椅上，便能把整个朔国遗族的经济、政治、军事、教育操纵掌中。 萨武德后仰倚在皮椅上。透过半透明的地球立体像、他凝视对面墙壁上挂着的一幅硕大古画：一幅描述“玄照大帝二世”清武王平定“冰川之乱”的功绩图。 真的能够复国吗？萨武德对此从不怀疑。 但如今萦绕他心头的疑问却是： ——复国后又如何？ 萨武德知道是谁令他生平第一次生起这样的疑惑。 他凝视停留在半空中，缓缓地倾斜自转的蓝色地球。即令把这一切操之在手，但未能把“康哲夫”这个名字加入朔国人口资料库里，萨武德感到一股无由的遗憾。
游览船从曼克顿南端的巴特里公园开出，在灿烂的夏日下航向自由岛。 康哲夫把媞莉亚拥在怀里，一起站在游览船露天甲板的栏杆前，享受海风吹送而来的自由空气。 他们透过墨镜，仰视手持火炬的优雅女神。媞莉亚一刻也不肯离开康哲夫，但又怕拥抱得太紧会弄痛他背项的剑伤。她想了一想，把双掌贴在康哲夫长满胡子的脸颊上。 “好痒啊。” 康哲夫吻吻她的掌心。 “你还没有告诉我：喀尔塔最后跟你说什么？” “他说：我没有败。” “就是这样？” 康哲夫微笑不语，仰头观赏越来越接近的自由神像。他从未感觉纽约市像今天如此美丽。 “媞莉亚交给你。”喀尔塔的耳语再次在康哲夫耳畔响起。“你是唯一能够给她幸福的男人。” 一个既可畏又可敬的剑士啊，康哲夫想。 游览船破浪向前。康哲夫把视线降下来瞧着大海，他想到那个千年前沉沦在太平洋海底的朔岛古国，又想到那群难以理解的朔国遗民。 ——掌握一国一邦的权力，真的比拥抱心爱的人还要快乐吗？ 媞莉亚的发丝随海风飘扬，轻拂康哲夫的脸。 这无疑就是最令他释怀的答案。
In the dark room, Kartha has replaced the battle armor with the black robe that Bi tried.Facing the void, he assumed a preparatory stance for assassinating Daquina's stunt "one step at a time", with both hands holding the sword high above the top, and the tip of the sword pointed directly at the sky, like a tall and straight black mountain. He meditates.The image of Kang Zhefu gradually emerged in the dark void. It was that familiar feeling again.It was clearly the first time he met Kang Zhefu, but Kaerta's heart was filled with enthusiasm as if an old friend was reunited. He changed his stance, posing as a "yin sword" that seduces the enemy.The image of Kang Zhefu in front of him also moves accordingly, every bit of movement is the same as Karta's, just like the moon and the moon's shadow in the water reflect each other. Kartha was upset.He is angry.He was angry with himself: he couldn't arouse hatred for Kang Zhefu. The Chinese floating in the void in front of him was clearly the hateful man who killed Chaidelian and stole Tilia's heart. But it can't be done.He couldn't hate Kang Zhefu for coming.The intense tit-for-tat dialogue in the hall just now was all fake.He was actually eager to shake hands and hug Kang Zhefu. --why?why…… "Your sword pulse is messed up, Karta." Savud, who had been sitting silently cross-legged in the corner of the dark room, also noticed the fluctuations in Karta's mind. "You can't lose." Karta lowered his sword slowly. "The king knows what you are thinking." Savud's voice was devoid of any emotion. "I also feel the same way as you. If this king doesn't value him, he won't use you, the number one swordsman of Shuo Kingdom, to end his life." "Your Majesty...what should I do, Your Majesty?" The bewildered look in Karta's eyes was also the first time the regent Savud saw it.Kartha, a natural vanguard general, acts decisively and boldly, and is a cheerful man of Shuo Kingdom. With a set goal, he will go forward. He has been passionate about the art of war and swordsmanship and the ambition of revitalizing Shuo Kingdom for half his life. "Kalta," Savud finally spoke after pondering for a while. "There is an old Chinese saying: 'Make friends with those who are not as good as yourself.' That is to say: only those who are worthy of being your opponents are qualified to make friends with you." Savud stood up. "Conversely: the most admirable friend is also the most worthy enemy. Karta, turn your admiration for Kang Zhefu into a desire to swing a sword at him." Savud's words were like quicksilver, suddenly piercing through a crooked and blocked train of thought in Karta's mind.Waves rose from his pupils again.Breathing becomes cloudy.The limbs are slightly numb, because the blood is rushing to the internal organs.The scalp feels cool as the hair roots stand on end. The nervous structure of Kartha's whole body has changed.When he raised the sword again, it seemed as if the sword had turned into an extension of his flesh.
Under Takahashi Ryuichiro's explanation, Kang Zhefu finally understood the true face of Kaerta's "Crow Back Slash" that cut through Chen Changde's throat. "The Sakukuni kendo I'm learning is the 'flame-jumping style' characterized by strong strength and the 'senju style' which wins with extraordinary speed." Takahashi explained to Kang Zhefu in Chinese.Takahashi has been working on sorting out the ancient sword techniques of Shuo Kingdom for many years, and has also translated the classics of swordsmanship and military books. The four sat around the low table.Kang Zhefu looked at the teacher Gu Feng beside him.This legendary old man, who can be called the modern "Sword Master" of China, showed obsessive eyes and listened intently to Takahashi's explanation.In Kang Zhefu's eyes, he has become a stranger, not at all like Mr. Gu whom Kang Zhefu has admired like his biological father for twenty years. Takahashi explained everything to Kang Zhefu: About a year ago (that is, when Kang Zhefu thought his teacher had gone to the deep mountains to practice alone), Takahashi revealed the secret of Shuo Kingdom to Teacher Gu, and brought him to "Geniz "Dragon", a hall full of Shuo Kingdom's ancient sword records.Since then, Gu Feng has never left, and his daily life has been carefully taken care of - after Tilia came back, she even took care of her lover's enlightenment mentor personally. ——The ancient sword manual books that remain in our country are not complete, and there are many gaps that need to be filled with the rich knowledge of the teacher, so I invited him here. ——Do you also hope to use Mr. Gu to persuade me to join Shuo Kingdom? --good.It's a pity that it's too late now... I can't think of Da Kui... ——Teacher Gu can't leave here for the rest of his life, right? — did you see that?The teacher is very happy here.For him, Shuo Guo Kendo is a brand new world.If I were him, I would be willing to die here forever. Kang Zhefu didn't ask any more questions.So Takahashi began to talk about Karta's sword style. "...Kalta's school is more complicated than mine, but he mainly practiced 'Soul Requiem': a style that looks plain and simple on the outside, but uses subtle distance and rhythm changes to make the enemy have the illusion, so as to take advantage of the gap. The swordsmanship that wins with one sword. In the history of Shuo Kingdom, only one person has defeated this school, and the other can only draw with it." "This doesn't seem to be in line with the sword path of 'Hui Crow Slash'." "'Back to the Crow' is not a move of 'Suppressing the Soul', but a sword technique created by a great man in the late period of Gushuo Kingdom, which does not belong to any school." Kang Zhefu thought for a while. "So Dakui must have died under the 'Soul Rescue' sword technique. I once told Dakui the characteristics of 'Returning Crow Slash', he should be on guard." Takahashi nodded. "In addition to 'Returning the Crow', another special skill of Kaerta is the highest secret sword of 'Soul Rescue', 'One Heart and One Step'. Since I am not a member of 'Soul Rescue', I am not qualified to watch its secret scroll , I don’t know much about this sword move, I only know that its harbinger is to perform this hand-stretching posture at a long distance.” Takahashi stood up, holding a sword and making the pose of Kaerta with the sword raised straight above his head . "It is a little similar to the 'big upper section' stance of Japanese kendo, but the operation and changes of the actual sword moves are unknown." Tilia looked at Kang Zhefu worriedly. "So let's focus on deciphering the 'Crow Back Slash'." Takahashi took a deep breath, and demonstrated this sword skill of leaping and turning back with slow movements. ——It is indeed the move to kill Chen Changde, Kang Zhefu thought. "I have another question." Kang Zhefu said. "Why did you kill Chen Changde and Holmes with a sword?" "When Holmes wrote that book, his cancer was in the terminal stage. When "Legend of the Moon Kingdom" was published, he would not have survived more than six months," Takahashi said. "Holmes knew that his death was not far away. This Englishman who was fascinated by our country's civilization asked to die by the blade of our country's strongest swordsman. His Majesty Savud agreed and sent Kartha to Scotland. "We also did it as a cover-up - Holmes' book had just come out at the time. Gun crime was not popular in the UK. We succeeded in disguising it as a robbery." "Where's Chen Changde?" "Because it involves military affairs, Kartha has always been in charge of the work of contacting Chen Changde in our country as an admiral. It was Kartha's idea to use a sword: if he was carrying a gun, he would be easily spotted by Chen Changde. Besides, Kartha knew that there was a sword hanging in Chen Changde's room. The sword—that sword was given to him by Karta.” "After the blade was stained with blood, Kartha became more violent than before, and his fighting spirit gradually expanded." Tilia continued. "That's why he dared to disobey His Majesty's orders many times and kill you and Mr. Dakui..." Takahashi nodded. "The momentum and murderousness of the current Karta have reached an unprecedented high level..." "Zeff." Tilia suddenly felt a chill. "Didn't you swear...not to kill anyone again? This time..." The sword room was dead silent for quite a while. Kang Zhefu stroked Tilia's cold hand.He stared at the red scorpion tattoo on his arm. "Have you forgotten the reason for my oath? It was the rock on which my life was rebuilt. It is a terrible thing to take a life. I will not kill again. Not this time—" "But this is a life and death duel!" Takahashi exclaimed excitedly. "Zeff, you can't be stubborn—" "I understand!" Gu Feng, who had been sitting quietly by the side, suddenly jumped up. "I thought of it! I thought of cracking the sword move of 'Crow Back Slash'! Zhefu, watch carefully!" This is the first time Gu Feng has called his favorite disciple's name since the reunion—Kang Zhefu is glad that his teacher still remembers him . Gu Feng walked to an open place with the sword in his hand, regained his composure, and suddenly swung the sword with his wrist, his body whirled backwards, and the tip of the sword chased away in an arc full of geometric beauty. In the end, both the man and the sword turned into The straight line fully embodies the essence of Chinese swordsmanship "unity of body and sword". Kang Zhefu and Gao Qiao stared at Gu Feng's moves for a long time, speechless. ——After only one year of burying his head in the Shuo Kingdom sword manual, the seventy-five-year-old Gu Feng was able to develop such an astonishing advance in sword skills again in a short period of time! Kang Zhefu finally understood why his mentor became a little crazy: when a person thought he had reached the end of the world, and suddenly found that there was a new land ahead that had never been explored, the excitement was not something an aging heart could bear. "... Teacher Gu." It took a long time for Takahashi to speak. "This is indeed an excellent technique to crack the 'Returning Crow Slash', but... Zhefu doesn't have the same level of cultivation as your teacher...he can't use this technique at all..." The sound of the large steel door of the martial arts hall being pushed open interrupted Takahashi's speech.Ten men in ancient costumes carried various instruments and entered the hall one after another. "Is it time?..." Takahashi looked at the Japanese-made electronic watch in his hand again.The countdown is rapidly approaching zero. Tilia hugged Kangzhefu's arm tightly.The men in ancient clothes removed the short table in front of them at the same time. "Mr. Kang." A man spoke fluent Chinese, holding a set of white robes and said, "Please change the sword robes that were used in the competition before the seat." Kang Zhefu looked at Takahashi, then at Gu Feng, and finally at Tilia.The three closest people to him in the world are all here: one is the enlightenment mentor; the other is the benefactor who saved him from hell; the other is the woman he loves deeply. Kang Zhefu caressed Tilia's face.The eye waves of the four eyes communicate, conveying ideas that cannot be expressed in any language in the world.Tilia nodded in such a small way that only Kang Zhefu could see it, and slowly let go of his hand.
The name of the Martial Arts Hall is "Avenue Array Sword Hall", in memory of the "Sword Saint" who helped the third king of Shuo Kingdom's Mizhao Dynasty, Lu Qingwu, to restore his country. The founding father of the Ozhao Dynasty, Odu Jiaxuan, died in the thirteenth year of the Xuanshen calendar, and was succeeded by the cowardly prince Ooxiu.In the eighteenth year of Xuan Dynasty, Zongheng Glacier, who had the title of "General of Qianlong" (later called "General of Chaos God"), launched a mutiny and killed the king of Xiufang to stand on his own feet. At that time, the only son of King Xiufang, Yu Qingwu, was twenty years old and fled to the south of Guannan under the protection of the loyal imperial guards. He happened to meet the "Sword Master" Daozhen with white hair, and was able to pass on the "Daozhen Liu" thirty-seven sword fencing techniques. And the standard of double-edged sword and arm armor.Prince Wu Qingwu learned the magic method of using soldiers from the way of swordsmanship, reorganized the king's army and succeeded in the Northern Expedition. Since then, kendo has flourished in the south and north of Shuoguo Guan, and gradually hundreds of sects have been derived from the "Da Dao Zhenliu", competing for supremacy in Shuoguo sword circle for more than 400 years. The landscape of the "Avenue of Swords" has undergone major changes.A wall that was originally hung with a whole row of long swords slowly split to both sides, revealing a huge monitoring screen divided into thirty-two images of different sizes. The blue moon symbol in the center of the Jiantang floor gave off a strange light.The ceiling lowered two sets of instrument displays.Each group includes 15 rows of digital displays, each row has four digits plus two digits after the decimal point, and on the right is a pulse wave divided by blue lines into 400 small squares of 20 by 20 picture. On the right side of the sword hall, under the bookshelf of ancient sword manuals, five black leather drums of different sizes are neatly displayed. The drummer in a colorful robe beats out the blood-boiling battle music with strong and elegant movements. Behind the drummer, there are seven majestic men with shirtless shirts and bald heads, singing together the almost lost military song of Shuo Kingdom: Under the gaze of the strange bird-like mountain city of Jiezhou The swordsman in black armor rode his horse into the forest Isn't that Is it the sound of iron hooves kicking the ground? Under the huge wall lined with colorful military flags, the regent of Savud, dressed in silver embroidered royal clothes, sat solemnly on the luxurious throne intertwined with gold and black. The back of the throne is shaped like a pair of eagle wings that seem to vibrate soaring; the chair handles on both sides are carved with various ancient totems containing profound meanings; the four chair feet are carved in the shape of animal claws, and the claws are all inlaid with sapphires. Thirty-seven swordsmen wearing armor of different colors and shapes are lined up behind the Savud Seat, symbolizing the "Thirty-seven Swordsman Clan" who helped King Wu of the Qing Dynasty to restore himself more than 1,400 years ago. On the left of Savud is a row of deputy seats, attended by three aristocratic patriarchs of Shuo Kingdom and cabinet members of the "Prince Regent's Mansion" who are present in "Genizlong": The tall and fat "neifu" (Minister of Internal Affairs) Geshen Badou gave people a great sense of stability. A bald old man with a capable face, the "Treasurer" (Minister of Finance) Pacha Bangsiakar. There is also Menggang Povado who is the "Boshi" (chief of logistics of the military department)-Takahashi Ryuichiro. The rest of the more than ten cabinet ministers of the "Prince Regent's Mansion", including "Foreign Assistant" (Minister of Foreign Affairs), "General Staff" (Chief of Staff), "Banner Division" (Minister of Defense), "Chuanshou" (Minister of Communications) and other important ministers, Now they are all working outside the "Genitz Dragon". Tilia, Gu Feng, and the six "Pioneer Army" cronies of Karta stood behind the seats of the three important ministers, waiting for the first "competition before the seat" held in nearly ten years. The big steel door on the left is open.Kang Zhefu, who was wearing a pure white sword robe, walked into the center of the sword hall side by side with Karta, who was in a black robe, holding swords. The two didn't look at each other. After the door was closed, the air in the sword hall seemed to freeze suddenly.Sensitive people can even smell the nervous body odor shared by all the bodies in the room. Kaerta faced Savud, with his left hand holding a golden sword in its sheath, his right arm across his chest and saluting, shouting in Shuo language: "Chen Yuzhao, the vanguard general of the imperial guards of the dynasty, 'Zhenhunliu' 'Army swordsman Sogo Karta, by the order of His Majesty the Regent, will compete with Chinese swordsman Kang Zhefu in front of you." "Approved!" Savud's eyes turned to Kang Zhefu, who was fluttering in white. "Your Excellency is a swordsman from a foreign country, so you are exempt from the etiquette of our country." Savud still spoke Shuo language, and Kang Zhefu couldn't understand a single word.He wasn't going to say anything anyway. He pulled out the "Longquan Sword" that belonged to Gu Feng in his hand as an answer. In the reflection of the blade, Kang Zhefu stared at Tilia's worried eyes for the last time. Karta also drew his sword.The shape of the blade is the same as the sword that killed Chen Changde and Da Kui, and Kang Zhefu is familiar with every centimeter of the blade shape. Savud waved his left hand wearing the brass ring. The drummer slammed a large drum with a diameter of one meter. With the heart-shattering drumbeat, the whole sword hall suddenly started like a huge machine! The video cameras hidden in the sword room are all connected to electricity.Thirty-two screens on the front wall displayed images at the same time, shooting two swordsmen who were about to fight to the death from different angles and distances. The most central one is the largest No. 18 screen, looking down on Kangzhefu and Karta who are facing each other with swords from a high angle in the middle of the ceiling. The upper left and upper right corners are the No. 1 and No. 6 screens. The electronic tracking cameras used in American professional ball games are used to take close-up shots of the facial expressions of Kang Zhefu (No. 1 screen) and Karta (No. 6 screen). The two instruments hanging from the ceiling also started at the same time.The two pulse charts rhythmically flowed out one after another of heart wave groups.The one on the left shows Kangzhefu's electrocardiogram, and the one on the right shows Kartha's heartbeat. The jumping numbers on the left side of the electrocardiogram also began to change. The sword robes of Kang Zhefu and Karta are ordinary civilian clothes, but in fact, there are several sets of thin optical fiber wires hidden in the inner layer.They collect information from the sensors attached to their chests, backs, elbows, wrists, carotid arteries, and femoral arteries, and transmit them to the miniature radio wave transmitters on the belts of their robes, and then transmit them through the sending equipment. To the powerful receiver in the sword hall.After the information has been corrected by computer calculation, it will be displayed on the digital monitor above the training hall and the electrocardiogram, clearly showing the physical condition of the two swordsmen. The digital displays are divided into three groups.The first group shows the status of blood circulation in the swordsman's body, that is, heart rate and blood pressure level (including diastolic and systolic blood pressure). The second group has only one line of digital display, and the three English letters of MET are printed next to it.This is to show the sports energy consumption of the two swordsmen. MET is the equivalent unit of energy consumption. One MET is equivalent to the energy consumed when consuming 3.5 milliliters of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute under the basic state.This line of numbers shows the latest status of the two swordsmen's physical energy consumption every second. The third group of digital display is not activated. This is the true face of the "competition before the seat": when Kang Zhefu and Kartha faced each other with swords in front of the Regent's throne, their physical function status, every inch of muscle movement, and even every expression change on their faces were fully revealed Before Savud's eyes! Separated on both sides of the crescent moon symbol emitting light blue brilliance, this pair of rare men in the world finally confronted each other head-on. Kang Zhefu had a strange feeling. Many years ago on the Black Continent, he experienced countless life-and-death battles. In all kinds of situations where neither the enemy nor the enemy had a choice, he used all the best advantages and the most lethal weapons by all means to cruelly fight against the enemy. Put the opponent to death. However, it was the first time for him to face an enemy of comparable strength in an absolutely equal environment, with equal weapons and conditions. Karta holds the sword in both hands, and lifts the hilt carved with the face of a ferocious beast to the right side of his face, and the tip of the sword hangs down slightly, pointing at Kang Zhefu's abdomen.This is exactly the "diving fish" he first put on to lure the enemy a few months ago when he confronted Dakui. ——Just like the battle in Madrid, Kartha prepared to use one of his two secret swords at the beginning: "Crow Slash". The golden tsuba flashed stars on several of the monitor screens. Kartha's face was revealed on screen number six.A face without the slightest expression—neither happy nor angry, neither hated nor afraid, neither anxious nor arrogant. Takahashi looked up at the digital display.Karta's physical condition is extremely stable: heart rate is 61 beats per minute; blood pressure is normal, systolic blood pressure is 140 mm Hg/diastolic blood pressure is 83 mm Hg; the heart rhythm shown by the electrocardiogram is very average. Under Savud's enlightenment, Kartha has now turned into a sword-wielding machine without any emotion.Kang Zhefu in front of him is not even a person, but just a "target". Kang Zhefu did not pose any traditional swordsmanship, but just like gazing guard in the dark night of Africa during the mercenary period, his body leaned forward slightly like a cat, his legs were naturally separated, and the distance was equivalent to the width of his shoulders , the left hand is relaxed in front of the chest, and the right hand is holding the "Longquan Sword" like a sawtooth survival knife in the past, pointing diagonally at the center of Karta's eyebrows in a relaxed but not weak posture. Kang Zhefu's circulatory system is as stable as Kartha, but his heartbeat is slower, and the number shows that his heart rate is 54 beats per minute.Takahashi knew that this was the phenomenon caused by Kang Zhefu's use of Chinese breathing technique. ——Kang Zhefu has completely integrated the Chinese swordsmanship he has practiced for many years into the skills of actual combat in the army. Tilia stared nervously at the two electrocardiograms above. ——There are only two endings in the "pre-seat competition": one of the electrocardiograms first turns into a flat horizontal line, or both of them stop at the same time. Tilia concentrated on the one showing Kangzhefu's heartbeat.In her heart, she silently prayed to Shuo Kingdom's god of war "Eight Eagles Motian" and the god of peace "Ciyitian". Kang Zhefu frowned.Unexpectedly, Karta did not exude any anger.Kang Zhefu has always had a little chance of winning: as long as Kaerta gets angry, he will definitely expose his exploitable weakness. But Karta's restraint was far beyond his imagination. Kang Zhefu didn't even dare to move a finger.Kartha's backhand sword stance is full of voids—an allure as irresistible as a virgin's breast and lips.Kang Zhefu tried his best not to attack.Now attacking Karta's "submerged fish" stance is like a moth jumping into a raging fire-there is only one result: the back of the neck is cut by Karta's "Crow Back Slash". Karta patiently seduces Kang Zhefu. The two remained in a stalemate for fifteen minutes.If the real person is not right in front of the eyes, the onlookers will have the illusion that the images on the screens of the thirty-two monitors are all mirror images. This kind of stalemate is more energy-consuming than a fast and intense fight.The MET display numbers of the two have become double digits, which is equivalent to the energy consumption per minute when running more than six kilometers. Takahashi looked at Kaltana's "diving fish" posture, and silently prayed in his heart: "Don't... Zeff, don't lose patience..." The situation changed at this moment. Karta's heart rate rose to 72 beats per minute.This number made Savud frown for the first time. Kang Zhefu's heart rate dropped to 40 beats per minute. Karta saw Kangzhefu move. This is a movement invisible to the naked eye.Kang Zhefu's movements were slow to the limit of human beings, but he did move his body at a micro distance without interruption. ——It is the profound meaning of Chinese inner school swordsmanship: "moving without moving". Kaerta's "submerged fish" stance strategy is: to lure Kangzhefu to charge forward, and take the opportunity to stagger and jump back to Kangzhefu's side and rear, the most difficult position to defend, and issue a one-hit kill "Crow Back Slash" .This is a wonderful stance that looks passive but actually holds the initiative. The biggest key to this method of warfare is not when the sword is drawn, but to accurately grasp the timing of Kang Zhefu's forward charge before the sword is drawn, and transform from a passive in disguise to an active counterattack.The proper time is only for a moment, if it is too early, it will not be able to fully exert the maximum power of "Returning Crow Slash", if it is too late, one's body may be pierced by Kang Zhefu's sword first. But Kang Zhefu's movements were too slow - so slow that Kartha couldn't grasp the rhythm.Just like when the sun is setting, you can never tell exactly at what moment it just completely disappears below the horizon. Since Kaerta couldn't grasp the rhythm of Kang Zhefu's movement, he also couldn't find the right time to launch "Crow Back Slash"! "Okay!" Gu Feng who was standing behind Takahashi whispered. Kang Zhefu's heart rate continued to drop to 40 beats per minute. Sweat beads on Karta's forehead were shown up close on the No. 6 screen. Savud played with the copper ring expressionlessly.He didn't have a deep understanding of kendo, but he saw that Kartha was at a disadvantage at this moment. ——But he has absolute confidence in Karta. Tilia held her breath, looked at the huge screen on the wall for a while, and looked at the display above it for a while.She pulled Gu Feng's sleeve, biting her teeth so hard that her lower lip was bleeding. Kang Zhefu continued to push towards Kartha who was in a dilemma at the slowest speed. Kartha's heart rate rose to 82 beats per minute, indicating an increase in adrenaline in the body.The diastolic blood pressure in the arteries also rises to 101 as the heart rate accelerates, and the systolic blood pressure also rises to 158 because the adrenaline increases the stroke volume of the heart. His breathing became heavy.If Kang Zhefu's sword tip was closer to three inches, his "diving fish" stance would be self-defeating. Five minutes passed.Kang Zhefu's sword tip extended an inch and a half forward.The critical point of Kartha's frame collapse is gradually approaching.Time passed by every minute and every second, but he couldn't think of a way to respond. Every second that passed, Kangzhefu's odds of winning increased by one point, and Kartha fell further into defeat—— "Break!" Karta shouted. The heartbeats of both of them accelerated at the same moment. Kartha can't bear to lose without a fight. He drew out his sword and took a big step—whether this step set foot on the golden road of victory or fell into the abyss of eternal defeat. Of the thirty-two screens on the giant wall, twenty-six of them lost the figure of Karta. Only the camera on the No. 18 screen in the center can clearly shoot from the top: Karta's majestic body leaps up lightly, and flies around Kang Zhefu's left side in an arc like a swallow. "Back to the Crow"! Kang Zhefu's body was filled with blood in an instant.Heart rate soared to 80, blood pressure 145/97. Karta's figure in black disappeared from his eyes. ——Kalta's astonishing speed and stamina exceeded Kang Zhefu's estimate! Kang Zhefu told himself: — in the rear! In the blink of an eye, the sword skill that Mr. Gu Feng demonstrated to break the "Crow Back Slash" flashed in Kang Zhefu's mind. In a short moment, Kang Zhefu's mind was as clear as a mirror and still water.The body naturally imitated Gu Feng's movements—— ——Back—— Kang Zhefu's face disappeared from the No. 1 screen. ——Turn around—— Two fuzzy figures, black and white, meet on the screen of the mid-range lens No. 20.The blade reflects colorful glare. ——Backhand back sword—— Takahashi saw it—he never dreamed that Kang Zhefu could actually do this perfect movement of combining body and sword into one! On the display above the training hall, two rows of digital displays that were originally motionless were beating frantically. ——They indicate the swing speed of the two long swords. Screen No. 9 shows Karta's graceful "Crow Back Slash": a sharp sword light is drawn horizontally from the black robe fluttering. The brilliance radiating from Kang Zhefu's hands seemed to split the screen of No. 14. His swinging back thrust combines the essence of Gu Feng's lifelong sword skills, and the arc trajectory of the thrust just restrains the leaping movement of Karta's arc—— The bodies of the two swordsmen staggered apart. Tilia felt her heart stop. Savud's body rose slightly away from the throne. Gu Feng had a drunken expression on his face. Takahashi shook his head in disbelief. Karta landed safely on the ground, swiping his blade diagonally to the right. The blood spilled from the blade was clearly shown on the screen of number twenty-five. Kang Zhefu half-kneeled on the blue moon in the center of the sword hall, holding his sword to the ground.Crimson oozes from the back of the white robe, gradually expanding horizontally. "Why?" Takahashi looked up. The digital display is like iron: Kartha's "Crow Back Slash", the peak speed of swinging the sword reaches 252 kilometers per hour.这是使用近似职业网球赛中计算发球速度的仪器计量出来的，数字非常准确。 而康哲夫的刺击，时速也达250公里，相信已经是人类的极限。 两组数字虽然相近，喀尔塔的速度甚至微高于康哲夫，但是： 1.双方交剑时以康哲夫身体为核心弧转，故此康哲夫是沿着一个假想的“内圈”出剑，而喀尔塔的斩击则在外围； 2.康哲夫的刺剑轨迹，弧度比喀尔塔的斩击为小。 综合而言，康哲夫的剑招所运行的距离，短于喀尔塔的“回鸦斩”；既然双方速度相约，这便出现一个连小学生也能计算得出的答案： 康哲夫的剑绝对应比喀尔塔的剑更快命中目标！ “为什么？”高桥不断自问。 全场只有三个人能解答这个问题。 顾枫摇头叹息。“哲夫。这是妇人之仁……” 媞莉亚躲在顾枫的身躯背后。她不忍再看。她不敢想象接下去将要发生的事情。 喀尔塔以毫无感情的眼神俯视康哲夫。 “为什么？”喀尔塔的声音仿佛由电子合成器发出。“你刚才的突刺本来可以先一步贯穿我的咽喉或下颚。” 数码显示出康哲夫因失血而动脉血压开始下降。 脸色苍白的康哲夫抬头。他大半的气魄和精力都已耗费在刚才运动量达到34MET的一剑之中。那一剑已是他剑技生涯上一次再难超越的顶峰。如今背肌受创，康哲夫连用力挥剑也不能。 十八号大屏幕不断以慢镜头重播刚才交剑的情景。闪跃的剑光一次又一次映在康哲夫勉强的笑脸上。 “我发誓不再杀人。” 喀尔塔心弦为之一震。他立时警觉到这丝情感的波动有多危险。 “武者有五敌：恐惧之心、执著之心、傲慢之心、爱恶之心、仁慈之心……” 喀尔塔缓缓倒退向后，以朔语念出古朔国“大道阵流”秘诀《阵抄》的名言。 “……生死之别，判于冷刃，毛发不容……”喀尔塔一步一步拉开了和康哲夫的距离，最后双手举剑过顶，剑尖直指向天。 他已准备使出“镇魂流”最高秘剑：“一心一步”。 喀尔塔的剑与身体化为一座纹风不动的峭拔尖山，凝视康哲夫的明澄眼瞳中卷起千顷巨浪，波涛旋转吞吐不断。 心率每分钟58次；血压138/80；心律节奏均衡。 喀尔塔已恢复最佳的战斗状态。 显示康哲夫心脉状态的数字却不断跳动变化，状况极不稳定。他勉力站起来，竟也消耗了3.2MET的能量。 康哲夫终于了解为什么喀尔塔的“一心一步”是几近不败的剑技：它是超越了个人肉体的剑法，是以山和海般宏大的精神力凌驾一切的“心剑”。 喀尔塔的剑犹如凯旋的军旗高举。 康哲夫的剑软弱地歪斜指向喀尔塔胸口。 高桥垂目。The outcome is set. 萨武德摄政王兴味索然地闭起眼睛。他只等待听见喀尔塔的剑贯穿康哲夫咽喉的声音。 康哲夫把剑垂下来，不再理会面前如狮子般的“朔国第一剑豪”。他别过头寻找媞莉亚的脸庞。 躲在顾枫身后的媞莉亚感觉到康哲夫穿透而来的目光。她趋前。 康哲夫因为失血而感到少许晕眩。眼前媞莉亚这张混含复杂感情的脸，和记忆中母亲的样子交织融合在一起。 一股潜意识驱使下，喀尔塔也随着康哲夫的视线看了媞莉亚一眼。 他看见了：媞莉亚投给康哲夫的深情眼神是他从未见过的。喀尔塔原本平静无波的情绪受到激烈的冲击。 一把飘渺的声音自喀尔塔体内的小宇宙深处响起。是媞莉亚哭泣的声音，自悠远处渐渐传来，最初细不可闻，慢慢每一声抽咽都如在耳边。 喀尔塔的心电图呈现不规则的波律。 他回忆起来：两年多前媞莉亚从东京的艺术学院首次回到“格尼兹龙”。喀尔塔不敢相信，眼前这个浑身绽放出鲜活生命力的美丽女人，就是他十三岁时最讨厌的那个小邻居。 为了得到媞莉亚那明澄的灵魂，他立刻抛弃了嘉蔓那个世间难得的尤物。 二十九岁的生命中，喀尔塔从未得不到他想得到的东西。媞莉亚却投进了中国人的怀抱……甚至连嘉蔓也一样——她也为康哲夫而倾倒…… 喀尔塔再度凝视前方这个再不是对手的对手。 ——就是这个男人吗？他凭什么令媞莉亚心折？他有哪一点比我强？ ... “你想得到的东西太多了。”媞莉亚的话再次在喀尔塔的荡漾心湖中浮现。 “我发誓不再杀人。”康哲夫的话则像寒风，令喀尔塔的心湖结成冰霜。 媞莉亚的哭声渐渐远去。 喀尔塔的“一心一步”架式开始摇晃。 萨武德察觉出一丝不对劲。他扬眉，睁开眼睛。 喀尔塔的心率加快，恢复为正常的每分钟70次。 高桥原本绝望的眼神亮起希望的光华。 顾枫微笑。 喀尔塔瞳内的汹涌浪涛渐渐停竭了。他闭起眼睛。 他的双臂慢慢垂下来，尖山般的架式崩倒。 媞莉亚惊奇地用手掩着嘴巴。she weeps. 康哲夫平静地看着喀尔塔，似乎已透视这个朔国豪杰的心。 喀尔塔睁目。刚才比试时眼中那层不属于人类的白霜消融无踪，恢复了过去如熊熊烈火的眼神。 康哲夫想象得到喀尔塔在一千多年前新月形岛屿的草原上策马横剑的雄姿。 喀尔塔右手五指放松。 黄金锷朔国宝剑坠落“大道阵剑堂”中央地板上。柄首的兽脸雕刻发出惊怖的吼叫。 回响震撼剑堂内每一个人。
萨武德摄政王独自回到自己的王府办公厅。他没有亮灯。自我囚禁在暗无天日的“格尼兹龙”太久了，他不必眼睛也熟知办公厅内的一切。办公厅就是他指掌的延伸。 安坐在皮革大椅上，萨武德扫视排列在巨大办公桌上的电脑仪器。 右面的屏幕显现纽约华尔街股市瞬息万变的起伏。多年来，朔国旗下企业的许多重大投资决定，都在这面二十四小时展示、分析世界金融状况屏幕前作出。 萨武德按动一个开关。投影机开动，在办公桌正中央、距离摄政王眼前三尺处的空中，以立体全息技术投射出一个影象细致的地球。 凝在空中的蓝色球体可作全方位三百六十度旋转。萨武德在操纵键盘上按了一列指令。地球上的大陆等高线和海洋深处随即显现。 电脑鼠标在桌面上移动。地球转到了北美洲东岸。萨武德按下鼠标上的键钮，把这一部分图像在眼前放大。 输入一列指令后，图像以光点显现出朔族人口在此地区的分布状况。只要再细加搜寻，萨武德可以从中抽取任何一名朔国居民的详尽档案资料。 萨武德安坐在皮椅上，便能把整个朔国遗族的经济、政治、军事、教育操纵掌中。 萨武德后仰倚在皮椅上。透过半透明的地球立体像、他凝视对面墙壁上挂着的一幅硕大古画：一幅描述“玄照大帝二世”清武王平定“冰川之乱”的功绩图。 真的能够复国吗？萨武德对此从不怀疑。 但如今萦绕他心头的疑问却是： ——复国后又如何？ 萨武德知道是谁令他生平第一次生起这样的疑惑。 他凝视停留在半空中，缓缓地倾斜自转的蓝色地球。即令把这一切操之在手，但未能把“康哲夫”这个名字加入朔国人口资料库里，萨武德感到一股无由的遗憾。
游览船从曼克顿南端的巴特里公园开出，在灿烂的夏日下航向自由岛。 康哲夫把媞莉亚拥在怀里，一起站在游览船露天甲板的栏杆前，享受海风吹送而来的自由空气。 他们透过墨镜，仰视手持火炬的优雅女神。媞莉亚一刻也不肯离开康哲夫，但又怕拥抱得太紧会弄痛他背项的剑伤。她想了一想，把双掌贴在康哲夫长满胡子的脸颊上。 “好痒啊。” 康哲夫吻吻她的掌心。 “你还没有告诉我：喀尔塔最后跟你说什么？” “他说：我没有败。” “就是这样？” 康哲夫微笑不语，仰头观赏越来越接近的自由神像。他从未感觉纽约市像今天如此美丽。 “媞莉亚交给你。”喀尔塔的耳语再次在康哲夫耳畔响起。“你是唯一能够给她幸福的男人。” 一个既可畏又可敬的剑士啊，康哲夫想。 游览船破浪向前。康哲夫把视线降下来瞧着大海，他想到那个千年前沉沦在太平洋海底的朔岛古国，又想到那群难以理解的朔国遗民。 ——掌握一国一邦的权力，真的比拥抱心爱的人还要快乐吗？ 媞莉亚的发丝随海风飘扬，轻拂康哲夫的脸。 这无疑就是最令他释怀的答案。