QingYu: A Wuxia Tale (Going Through Reediting)

A Mad Bull in the Fence

(Qing's POV)

Five hours later...

My soldiers are groaning in various pain around me.

After taking some time to rest after lunch and giving my soldiers enough time to stretch and warm their bodies up I started teaching them hand to hand close combat.

By demostrating various ways to put their opponents in the ground, using them as props of course.

This one in front of me is my tenth opponent of the afternoon. He looked resigned to his fate and just stood their bravely. I give him points for not running away after seeing what happened to soldiers who came before him.

I sent the last one in a stretcher to the infirmary. He tried begging me to have mercy on him. So I made it quick and dislocated his shoulder fast. I will visit him later.

Expectators lined up outside wooden fence of the practice ground to see Captain Wang demolish his own troops. But this is good for my soldiers, they are learning first hand what hand to hand combat is like.

And as a bonus, I am expending my angry energy so I might be in the good mood later.

A win win situation for them if you ask me.

I raise my hand to beckon the soldier to attack me. He sighed and look back at Mei who stood with us in the circle ground and serving as a buffer. Mei's job is to stop me when he sees that I am close to killing our own soldiers.

"Look at me!" I shouted at the soldier who jumped in fright. "Didn't you listen to the first rule of hand to hand combat? Never take your eyes off your opponent. That way you can read his moves and maybe anticipate his next attack! Didn't you listen?!"

"I did Sir!" the resigned soldier said and focused on me again. I raise my hand and beckon him again. "Now either attack me or I will come to you. Hint, choose the first option, it would hurt less."

The soldier nodded and charge at me. I anticipated his attack. His waist bent, his arms wide and his head down. He will try to tackle my waist to push me down.

I let him hug my middle and push me. I dug my feet to the ground, hold my stand and give him a hard blow on his back. Something crack, the expectator groan in symphathy, the soldier moan in pain and I raise my knee to kick him off me.

The soldier fell to the ground coughing and waving his hand to ask for rest.

I put my hands on my waist. I removed my top uniform before the lesson and my torso is exposed to the breeze, cooling my sweat but not my anger. I look at the soldiers watching the match.

"Did you see the mistake he made? Even before he attacked, I already know that he will lose. Why? He chose the wrong move. Hugging the middle of the opponest should be followed by you trying to lift him off the ground to throw him. If your opponent is larger and heavier than you, that move is just stupidity. If you are fighting someone taller than you, aim low to bring him down to..."

I stopped in mid sentence when I saw a figure a few yards away.

Dayu...

He is standing in front of a soldier who is talking. That soldier raise his arm and put a hand on Dayu's hair.

I saw red!

I moved, fast. Ran and jump over the fence, like a raging bull escaping. Soldiers moved to give me a way. I sprint to get to where Dayu and the soldier are standing and seize the soldier's raised wrist in a crashing hold. The soldier looked surprised at my sudden appearance then scared when he saw my angry face.

I pulled the soldier's arm up to get his face closer to mine and snarled at face, "Where do you think you are putting your hand into?" My teeth are gnashing together in anger.

I threw the soldiers wrist away. I finally recognized him, this soldier is under Captain Wei's command.

I gave the soldier a stare filled with promise of pain in his future if he repeat this again. Then I turn to Dayu who looked shocked at well.

"You! Come here!" I seize his arm in a gripping hold and drag him.

We turn and I saw Captain Wei who gave me a worried look.

"Qing ah..." he called my name. He is allowed because we are comrades and we trained together. He is also a friend but not as close to me as Jiang.

I shook my head, "Hide your soldier from me until I calm down. Please," I advised him before I resume dragging Dayu away from that scene.

I dragged him towards the nearest building with walls and door that I saw.

The armory...

I threw him inside the building, Dayu staggering and almost falling down but he kept his balance in the end.

I entered after him then slam the door shut and took a sword to anchor at the door. Bolting us from the inside.