Chapter 60: Baji Spear Technique

Observing Chen Fan's sincere and confident eyes, Zhang Ren had a sudden realization.

Indeed!

For the average person, mastering both marksmanship and swordsmanship simultaneously was a challenging feat. Zhang Ren himself acknowledged that while he had a decent grasp of marksmanship, his swordsmanship skills were at a novice level, lagging far behind the true masters of the art.

However, the youth before him was no ordinary individual.

In less than a day, he had learned Tai Chi, a feat that took others weeks, if not months. In less than three days, Chen Fan might even achieve proficiency in Tai Chi.

Given such talent, was it possible to learn two completely different weapons concurrently? Zhang Ren pondered this, cleared his throat, and said, "Chen Fan, have you truly made up your mind? Learning two weapons simultaneously is far more challenging than learning two martial arts forms simultaneously."

Chen Fan chuckled in response, "Don't worry, Uncle Zhang, I'll give it a try. If it becomes too much, I'll give up one of them."

"Very well," Zhang Ren said with a slight frown.

He couldn't shake the feeling that the phrase "Let me try" sounded strangely familiar.

Chen Fan, on the other hand, was filled with excitement. While others fretted over potential confusion, he possessed a martial arts panel. With its assistance, there was no need to be concerned. Furthermore, combining various martial arts characteristics was not beyond his capabilities.

"Uncle Zhang, should we start with the fundamentals for both marksmanship and swordsmanship? Once we have a solid foundation, we can delve into more advanced techniques," Chen Fan suggested, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.

He was confident that Zhang Ren had access to advanced martial arts that complemented basic marksmanship and swordsmanship. Perhaps even sword skills.

Zhang Ren glanced at him, his expression seemingly asking, "What are you talking about?"

"Of course, we must begin with the basics," Zhang Ren responded. When the topic shifted to martial arts, he immediately adopted his customary seriousness. "The fundamental movements for handling a spear include blocking, gripping, thrusting, chopping, parrying, and stabbing. For saber techniques, they comprise slashing, chopping, thrusting, twisting, and scraping. You must master these basics before advancing to actual spear and saber techniques."

"Understood, Uncle Zhang," Chen Fan replied. "I was merely curious about the names of the advanced marksmanship and swordsmanship techniques after mastering these basics."

"You're inquiring about their names?" Zhang Ren was taken aback.

Chen Fan nodded enthusiastically.

...

Zhang Ren scrutinized him for a moment, contemplating his response. If it had been Wang Ping or someone else asking, he might have chastised them for getting ahead of themselves. After all, how could they run before they could walk?

However, Chen Fan was different.

"The sword technique is Tai Chi Sword Technique, and the spear technique is Baji Spear Technique," he replied coldly.

Chen Fan's eyes widened at the revelation. The former sounded fairly standard, but the latter, Baji Spear Technique, exuded a sense of dominance.

Observing Zhang Ren's slightly reluctant expression, it became apparent that he was sharing something from his prized collection.

"Follow me," Zhang Ren directed, and they proceeded.

If this had been ten years ago, he wouldn't have even considered sharing the Baji spear technique, or even the Tai Chi sword technique, with anyone.

But the world had changed, and it was pointless to cling to such matters now. Chen Guodong had saved his life, and he had been a valuable companion over the years.

As long as Chen Fan was genuinely committed to learning, Zhang Ren harbored no regrets about imparting this knowledge.

However, that time hadn't come yet.

Returning to the storage shed, Chen Fan's gaze fell upon the bow with a 200-pound draw weight. He had initially planned to enhance his physical attributes first, strengthening his body to practice Basic Archery with that bow. However, it seemed he would have to postpone that plan.

"Give this a try," Zhang Ren instructed, tossing a wooden spear Chen Fan's way. It measured approximately two meters in length, featured a sharp tip, and a red tassel hung from the joint.

Chen Fan caught it and assessed its weight. "Uncle Zhang, it seems a bit light?"

"Light?" Zhang Ren raised an eyebrow. "This spear may have a wooden shaft, but it still weighs ten catties. Don't underestimate it just because you can draw a 100-pound bow. Handling such a lengthy weapon is no easy task. You'll understand once we start."

Chen Fan hesitated momentarily but maintained his stance: "Uncle Zhang, after a day, I feel my strength has significantly increased. This gun is lightweight, so I should switch to a heavier one."

Of course, he could comply with Zhang Ren's request, but that approach would make [Basic Marksmanship] upgrades painstakingly slow.

"How much do you require?" Zhang Ren seemed somewhat helpless.

Chen Fan contemplated for a moment. "Twenty catties."

Ordinary individuals manage with a ten-pound gun, eventually wielding it naturally. My strength attribute now sits at 35 points, over three times that of regular folks, making it appropriate to start with a 20-jin weight for hand practice.

Zhang Ren cast a glance at him, turned, extracted a long gun from the shelf, and tossed it over.

Chen Fan reached out, and upon gripping it, his palm sank; the weight was at least twenty catties, double that of his previous firearm.

The gun's length neared three meters, its black body exuding a chilling aura.

"Let's commence with marksmanship," Zhang Ren declared while stealing a glance at the nearby shelf where swords were displayed.

He harbored doubts about whether Chen Fan could continue to learn knife skills after acquiring marksmanship tonight.

The two ventured outside, and upon spotting the iron gun in Chen Fan's grasp, Chen Guodong, Wang Ping, and others displayed surprise.

"Xiaofan, are you joining marksmanship training?" Gao Yang asked in astonishment.

"I believe so," Chen Fan responded.

"But isn't Xiaofan already a skilled archer? His arrow accuracy is impeccable; is this really necessary?" Gao Yang remained puzzled.

"Old Gao, haven't you heard the saying? 'Don't put all your eggs in one basket.' What if, one day, he runs out of arrows? It's wise to pick up marksmanship at this point," someone explained.

"That's true. Did you know ancient archers excelled in close combat too? Regular folks couldn't stand a chance," another chimed in.

"It's Brother Fan's foresight," they all concurred.

Zhao Feng, Wang Ping, and others suddenly felt immense pressure.

"Goodness, Brother Fan is learning how to shoot. Is there any room for others to survive?" Wang Ping quipped, although he resolved to hone his marksmanship to back up Brother Fan when needed.

"Perhaps he's doing it to fill gaps," Zhao Feng speculated.

"Indeed, it's the right move. Relying solely on archery leaves you vulnerable if enemies get close. Without marksmanship, you can't engage in hand-to-hand combat," another concluded.

"Agreed... Brother Fan's archery is top-notch, but he's still expanding his skill set. We need to step up our game," they acknowledged.

"That's right, the people from Gujiazhai are relocating tomorrow, and Gu Ze, one of them, might be a formidable opponent. We must work hard," they exchanged determined words, feeling the mounting pressure.