Chapter 101: "A Person of Importance"

Zhang Xuan watched the other man's fierce onslaught and could easily guess what was going through his opponent's mind. Zhang Xuan himself had considered adopting a strategy of attrition—slowly drawing out the fight until the other revealed an opening, then defeating him in a single decisive blow. After all, no matter how valiant a person might be, he was still human, and humans grew tired, especially after enduring two grueling battles. Yet, contrary to his usual methods, Zhang Xuan now responded with equal ferocity.

“Master, what do you think Xiao Xuanzi is up to?” Yang Zaixing asked, watching the two men exchange savage blows, each aiming for the other's vitals. One careless move, and one of them could be maimed or worse. “If he’d just drawn things out, he would have surely won. But now he’s fighting so aggressively—this isn’t the Xiao Xuanzi I know. The Zhang Xuan I know will do anything to win; if a problem can be solved with patience, he would never choose brute force.”

“I have no idea what Xiao Xuanzi is thinking either,” Old Man Tong replied, equally puzzled. He knew Zhang Xuan always had his own plans, but as for what those plans were, Tong could not say. It seemed he had never truly seen through Zhang Xuan’s thoughts.

In truth, Zhang Xuan wasn’t thinking too much. He simply wanted to see what would happen if he fought with all his might, without any complicated schemes—just a straightforward contest.

After exchanging forty or fifty blows, Zhang Xuan leapt to the edge of the arena, gasping for breath. He raised his aching arm at his opponent, waved his hand in surrender, and walked toward Old Man Tong and the others, leaving the martial artist standing across from him with a look of surprise. The martial artist let out a chuckle and lifted his own sore arm, clearly finding it difficult to even grip his halberd now.

“Xiao Xuanzi, you still have strength left—why did you yield?” Yang Zaixing asked, astonished. He knew Zhang Xuan’s limits well, and it didn’t seem Zhang Xuan was truly spent. “You seem so different today from the person I remember.”

“Do I still have strength? I can barely walk. What strength do I have left?” Zhang Xuan replied with a laugh. “A loss is a loss, big brother, second brother. Sorry I couldn’t avenge you this time. But revenge for a gentleman can wait ten years. Let’s go back and train diligently. Next time, we’ll fight him for three hundred rounds. If one of us isn’t enough, the three of us together will overwhelm him. If that’s still not enough, we’ll call in reinforcements and keep fighting until he yields!”

Zhang Xuan knew he could have lasted many more moves, but honestly, his opponent could barely endure the ferocious pace any longer. In the end, the man’s limbs could no longer keep up with his mind, and several obvious openings had appeared; Zhang Xuan had tried to seize them but they were resolved. Considering how much his opponent had already expended, getting this far was impressive. Zhang Xuan’s surrender left nothing to be ashamed of.

“Xiao Xuanzi, if you’d used the attrition tactic just now, victory would have been yours. You’ve done it before, claiming it’s a highly effective strategy. Why abandon it today?” Yuwen Chengdu asked. They had been discussing this very topic, puzzled by Zhang Xuan’s uncharacteristic performance.

“Didn’t use attrition? Second brother, that’s just one of many tactics in my arsenal. With so many strategies at my disposal, there’s no need to stick to one path. One must try different things, for only practice brings true understanding. Today my approach was all-out offense—no hesitation, just fight. I wanted to win through sheer force. Though the result wasn’t ideal, what mattered was the attempt! If you never try, how will you know what’s possible?”

Zhang Xuan hadn’t really thought it through so deeply. Since his opponent was fighting so fiercely, he decided to respond in kind. Perhaps this would be a one-time opportunity. But seeing his second brother so curious, Zhang Xuan offered this explanation. Whether Yuwen Chengdu and the others believed him was no longer his concern.

Neither Yuwen Chengdu nor Yang Zaixing pressed the matter further, but they pondered Zhang Xuan’s words. Even Old Man Tong was lost in thought, considering what Zhang Xuan had said.

Watching their reactions, Zhang Xuan covered his mouth to stifle a laugh. He had been rambling, yet they were still finding meaning in his words. The scene reminded him of a lyric: “Some careless words unravel my doubts; a sudden impulse makes me keep seeking. I pay extra attention to your every move. As long as my heart is true, I have nothing to regret.”

As Zhang Xuan hummed the tune of “True to My Heart,” the martial artist approached their group.

“I am Lu Bu, styled Fengxian. May I ask how you gentlemen are addressed?”