Chapter 2: Reasons_3

```

In this era where martial arts are declining and firearms dominate, swordsmanship has completely degenerated into mere showmanship, a weapon's way that once focused on killing has turned into a performance for viewers. After all, no matter how strong your swordsmanship is, it cannot defeat a bullet.

However, this article on Basic Sword Technique Cultivation emphasizes one word: speed!

It is most important to concentrate all your strength in an instant when facing an enemy, and to thrust a sword from various angles, deciding the battle.

This is the pure Sword Art of Killing. According to Lin Sheng's estimates, unless facing a sharpshooter at long range, there is a chance to kill the enemy with a sword at close range!!

Each seemingly graceful posture, with a turn of footsteps, allows the Sword Art of Killing to strike the enemy from unimaginable angles. It is unpreventable and unstoppable. Indeed it is extraordinary.

It's probably also why, as a fundamental technique, it qualifies to be included in the "Sword Dao True Solution."

The text carefully explains how to exert force in various postures, to concentrate all your strength on the hand holding the sword and thrust it out in an instant.

All these belong to mere swordsmanship. Relying on energy as the foundation of force, it's exactly what Lin Fei is suited for practicing right now.

The subsequent content also mentioned that further cultivating this swordsmanship can strengthen the body. However, the swordsmanship has no name; it is simply called Basic Sword Technique.

The author probably didn't have the heart to leave a grand name because after reading the previous annotations, he felt this swordsmanship was only worthy of the word "basic."

Lin Fei stood up, feeling somewhat helpless. She was to practice swordsmanship, but where would she find the sword required? Online shopping wasn't popular yet in 2007. Customizing a martial arts longsword could be quite troublesome.

"Maybe I should take a stroll down the street."

Lin Fei vaguely remembered seeing a longsword hanging on the wall of a jewelry shop on the commercial street in the south of the city. She and a few classmates had admired it at the time.

"Mithril jewelry, it should be called Mithril Jewelry!" Lin Fei recalled the name of the shop.

"But in this era, that kind of longsword is definitely expensive, how can I get it? Or should I just find a wooden stick to practice with for now?"

After careful consideration, Lin Fei decided to go have a look first. Even if she couldn't afford it now, identifying the target meant she could have a chance in the future.

*********

*********

Ping City's commercial street, with its fine cobblestone pavements, has a bronze statue every few steps, featuring either a local celebrity or a red hero.

On the side of the street are black European-style gas lamp streetlights, reminiscent of that endlessly busy, carriage-filled Industrial Revolution-era London.

This commercial street is also the only pedestrian street in the city, which does not allow large vehicles. Those passing by on both sides are fashionably dressed young men and women.

In the sweltering summer, pedestrians on both sides are dressed very coolly. Many are directly in tank tops and shorts, revealing large areas of fair skin.

Colorful umbrellas move back and forth, and through the glass windows on the side of the road, you can see energetic sales associates in clothing stores actively attracting customers, non-stop promoting their store's highlights.

```

Lin Fei was dressed in the ordinary uniform of San Zhong High School, with its black and white colors that seemed especially drab. The white sports sneakers on his feet only made the ensemble look worse.

However, he seemed utterly indifferent to his attire. His eyes were somewhat vacant, and his feet twisted erratically now and then; occasionally he would suddenly stagger backward or spin to the left or right. His arms would tremble slightly, as if he was trying to assume a certain posture, but then he would forcibly suppress the motion.

After accidentally bumping into the third young couple, an apologetic Lin Fei finally stopped his somewhat mad behavior.

He was, after all, a martial arts enthusiast; otherwise, he wouldn't have found the "Sword Dao True Solution", a peerless secret manual, on Taobao.

In his past life, he had a bunch of such manuals, filling an entire box. Those were martial arts manuals collected from various channels. The money he spent on them amounted to tens of thousands each year.

Now that he had obtained a real cultivation manual of Sword Dao, with his level of passionate enthusiasm, how could he not become obsessed?

He had been on the bus, but got so carried away thinking about sword techniques that he missed his stop and had to walk all the way.

But as he walked, Lin Fei became so engrossed that he finally snapped out of it with some difficulty.

He looked carefully around and realized he had gone too far. He hurriedly turned back, only to see a familiar figure suddenly come into view.

A pair of charming and cute girls were walking toward him, laughing and eating ice cream. One of them was none other than his sister, Lin You.

Lin Fei stopped in his tracks, and as Lin You approached, he was just about to greet her, but she glanced at Lin Fei quickly, showing a trace of disgust in her eyes.

As they passed each other, Lin You completely disregarded Lin Fei, her own brother, without any concern.

Although he knew that his sister didn't think highly of him, he never expected she could be so indifferent face-to-face. No doubt, such behavior was extremely damaging to one's self-esteem.

Suddenly, Lin Fei also felt a trace of aversion toward this sister that he had always yearned for.

Having such an attractive and cute sister, who was excellent in her studies and sports abilities, would make anyone feel inferior and long to be closer to such wonderful things.

But this scene had completely cooled Lin Fei's heart. Not even maintaining basic politeness? Afraid of losing face in front of friends?

To not acknowledge her own brother, this kind of sister was truly annoying. No matter how beautiful or outstanding she was.

"Hey, hey, Xiao You, did you see that guy just now? He's wearing a uniform and sports shoes in such hot weather. He stared blankly when he saw you; he couldn't possibly have taken a liking to you, right?"

"How could that be? That guy must be crazy. There are lots of people like him on the streets."

"But when I passed him, I didn't dare take a breath. Usually, guys dressed like that have a really bad smell about them."

Their voices faded into the distance behind him, gradually drowned out by the clamor of the street crowd.

Lin Fei shook his head slightly, not expecting that the first encounter with his sister after rebirth would happen under such circumstances.

The familiar scent of his sister still lingered at his nose, but Lin Fei had already returned to his initial purpose—finding the accessory store named Mithril.