9 Story 2 - Garden Ch 4

The Gardener and Long Chen faced off.

"Taste the Hua Sect's eight strikes. First strike!"

The first strike of the Hua Sect was a horizontal slash imbued with Qi. The attack was what all disciples could learn if they had enough points. Long Chen knew all eight strikes due to his connections and Senior brother in the inner sect.

The iron sword slashed at the Gardener, but he quickly knocked the blade up, deflecting the attack.

Seeing how easily his blade parried, Long Chen was now pissed.

"Fine, then taste the second and third strike."

Long Chen lept as the Gardener and unleashed two slashes forming an X. The only difference between attacks was one started from top to bottom down and reversed for the other.

"A thorn pierces the enemy."

As everyone thought he was saying nonsense, the Gardner lunged forward, blocking each of Long Chen's with a stab. The tip of his copper sword sparked as it blocked both strikes.

Long Chen was prideful but realized the man in front of him was too powerful. He looked at his men and yelled out.

"Men, cast the 4th strike with me, taste our Cross Strike."

The fourth attack was meant for group battles. It allows a group of people to channel their Qi into one spell.

All of their Qi manifested in a blue hue and gathered on Long Chen's blade. He slashed at the Gardener blasting him back.

"A leaf floats in the wind."

Catching the attack with his copper sword, he twisted the blade as he flew it back. This move allowed him to disperse all of the Qi.

The attack did do some harm to his arm. The Gardener's cultivation level was only 5 Condensation Qi, and he couldn't handle the powerful Qi slash. Blood dripped down his arm, but the Gardener's expression never changed.

"I'm tired of your lame plant phrases. Taste the 5th strike."

Long Chen lept into the air and brought down his blade. His edge, still infused with some of his men's Qi, caused the wind to stir.

"Till the earth, plant the flower."

An upward strike caused the blades to blow both backward.

Long Chen was trying to catch his breath. The old man was getting on his nerves. Why was this garden maintainer fighting him over Lee Shun? Long Chen wondered.

"Forget 6 and 7. I'm tired of wasting time." Long Chen charged forward, sticking his blade out. "Final strike. Piercing strike."

Watching the idiot come toward him, the Gardener gathered the last bit of his Qi into the tip of his blade.

"If you keep playing with roses, you will get pricked. Thorn piercer."

The two stabbing swords clashed, and something unexpected happened. An explosion rang out.

Upon the smoke clearing, Long Chen's sword was gone. In the last attack, it exploded when it met the Gardener's sword.

The Gardener put away his sword and walked towards Lee Shun. Lee Shun couldn't believe his eyes. Even on the brink of unconsciousness, Lee Shun's watched the entire fight unfold. Now he was at his limit and passed out.

"Don't worry, new guy. I will patch you."

The Gardener picked up the boy and walked off with him.

"You listen here, scum. You will pay for this. My big brother won't let you off for this," yelled Long Chen.

The man and boy ignored them as they headed off.

Lee Shun patched the gut wound, but it took many days to heal. The Dragon Weed salve in the bandages helped him heal faster. On the third day, Lee Shun awoke and made his way up the pass.

At the top, he saw Luo Ning waiting for him.

"You should be healing after that wound."

"I know, but I wanted to thank Gardener for saving me again," replied lee Shun.

Seeing his sincerity, Luo Ning smiled. "No need to work today since he already saw to the Dragon Weed this morning. Come join me for some tea."

Lee Shun felt like he had died and gone to heaven. He was about to have tea with the Flower of Hua Sect.

She mixed the herbs and made the pot. She poured Lee Shun a cup and looked at the busy Gardener working hard.

"You know he is more impressive than any of us in the inner sect."

"What do you mean?" asked Lee Shun as he took the cup of tea.

"The Gardener wasn't born with Qi organ or dantian. He has an artificial one and has a lousy talent for Qi cultivation."

"Then how is he so strong for an outer disciple?"

"Let me tell you a story the past inner disciples who looked after the garden told me." Luo Ning said as she sipped the tea and smiled.