Chapter 31 Practicing martial arts truly makes one worthy of being a citizen of Northern Zhou.

The front room of Zhilan Hall is where patients are received. Passing through the front pharmacy, you will find the small courtyard hidden in the back.

The courtyard is indeed not very big, but it is enough for simple martial arts practice.

Just as Zhao Liangxu had guessed, Lu Xuan was indeed the adjutant who had draped the clothes over her shoulders.

If Lu Xuan, who returned victorious from the battlefield that day, still retained the sharpness he had gained from fighting and killing enemies, now that he has been in the capital for a while, he has long since hidden that sharpness.

If you ignore the scar on his cheek, Lu Xuan looks like a strong young man.

His uniquely composed demeanor among the young men of the capital even made his appearance stand out.

He was well aware of who he was teaching, so when he entered the courtyard, he politely bowed to Zhao Liangxu.

"Princess Zhao, it's been a long time."

Zhao Liangxu felt that among Zhou Feng's subordinates, only Lu Xuan was someone she could get along with normally; the rest had already been dragged into the list of "idiots" by Zhao Liangxu amidst her ridicule.

Therefore, she treated Lu Xuan like a true master who was going to teach her, and she showed him a great deal of courtesy.

"Just tell me my name, Vice General Lu."

However, she still had some doubts: "Since Vice General Lu knew it was me, why did he still choose to teach me?"

"General Zhou is probably unaware of this matter?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Xuan hurriedly said, "General Zhou truly knew nothing of this matter. I only mentioned it because Lord Zeng mentioned it, and since I happened to have nothing to do recently, I..."

He observed Zhao Liangxu's expression; he had indeed been surprised when he learned that it was Zhao Liangxu who was looking for a martial arts master.

In the past, Lu Xuan served under Zhou Feng and almost always accompanied him on the battlefield, rushing around in the war. He rarely returned to the capital. It was only now that he had made meritorious contributions and returned in triumph that he was able to stay in the capital for a while longer.

He was quite surprised that he had coincidentally saved Zhao Liangxu, the princess of the enemy country, that day.

Yes, their military achievement was destroying the Northern Zhou, so Zhao Liangxu was naturally considered a princess of an enemy state.

On that day, bloodstains and filth covered Zhao Liangxu's entire body, and her face was hidden behind her straw-like hair, making her look emaciated.

But those eyes were surprisingly bright, unlike those of a refugee who had suffered from war and wandered the wilderness.

The eyes of those fleeing famine are like stagnant water.

Her eyes, however, blazed with a fiery energy.

Therefore, when he heard it was her, he felt that if Zhao Liangxu had a relationship with Lady Qiu and Lord Zeng, and if Zhao Liangxu was skilled in martial arts, then it would be reasonable.

"If General Zhou finds out about this, wouldn't he cause you trouble?"

Zhao Liangxu's voice interrupted Lu Xuan's thoughts.

Based on her limited impression of Zhou Feng, if he knew that his deputy had been communicating with Zhao Liangxu, who knows what he would think.

Either they're here to cause trouble, or they want to use her for something.

However, Lu Xuan's skills were a very valuable asset to her, and it would be best if she could seize them.

"No, General, how could you accuse me of targeting you over such a small matter?"

Clearly, Lu Xuan had great faith in Zhou Feng.

"I will not tell General Zhou, Princess Zhao, please rest assured." He still did not change his form of address.

Zhao Liangxu stopped pressuring and focused all her attention on Lu Xuan's guidance.

On the first day, they tested Zhao Liangxu's physical strength and skills.

Zhao Liangxu had recovered a lot, but her body had never been exercised before, and she soon became breathless.

Qiu Cheng would come to check on her in her spare time. She glanced at Zhao Liangxu's forehead, which was covered in a thin layer of sweat, and instructed, "Deputy General Lu should still pay attention to Liangxu's health. She has only recently recovered, so we should proceed step by step."

Seeing that Zhao Liangxu was not in good physical condition, Lu Xuan had a headache.

This was more difficult than he had originally anticipated.

"Princess Zhao, start with a lower intensity each day. You can increase the intensity later once you get used to it. You can also practice some skills in the next few days."

Lu Xuan then taught Zhao Liangxu the most basic things they needed to know: the weaknesses of a person.

"When fighting, whether unarmed or armed, the aim must be to strike vital points. The battlefield is ever-changing, so the goal is to finish off the opponent or incapacitate them with the swiftest movements. The neck, chest, and forehead are often protected by armor, but there is one area that is difficult to defend against..."

When Lu Xuan talked about his strengths, he became very engrossed, and even made some fighting gestures with his hands.

Zhao Liangxu listened attentively.

Lu Xuan then remembered that Zhao Liangxu was a woman, and such bloody and ruthless battlefield fighting techniques seemed unsuitable for her.

He paused for a moment, drawing a puzzled look from Zhao Liangxu.

He pursed his lips, struggling for a moment as Zhao Liangxu's slightly widened eyes urged him on.

Before he could decide to continue, Zhao Liangxu spoke up: "It's about eyes, right? Armor can never block vision. If the accuracy is high enough, is it possible to shoot an arrow through the eyes and kill a head?"

Lu Xuan opened his mouth, momentarily stunned by Zhao Liangxu's unwavering and undisguised words.

She didn't seem to find these things terrifying.

"It is indeed the eyes, but it is difficult for a person to accurately shoot into the enemy's eyes from a distance. This is mostly used in close combat, where armor becomes a burden and the eyes become the most obvious weakness."

"Anything else? What other vital points are there?"

Zhao Liangxu studied diligently and tirelessly.

"besides......"

Lu Xuan shared his combat experience, which he had learned through actual combat, with Zhao Liangxu. This was not a secret that could not be told, and besides, skills could not be learned by simply talking about them.

He wasn't worried at all that Zhao Liangxu had learned everything; if she could learn even a little, she would be able to protect herself.

Zhao Liangxu felt exceptionally pleased. She would definitely remember these things and then strive to put them into practice.

When she returned to the An residence, she was exhausted.

There wasn't actually much physical training, but her body was too weak before.

After a quick wash, she fell asleep immediately.

When she woke up the next day, sure enough, she was extremely sore all over.

This is the aftereffect of suddenly starting to exercise after a period of inactivity.

Zhao Liangxu forced herself to get up. Of course, she wouldn't stay in bed to recuperate; she was now very interested in practicing martial arts.

For the next two weeks, Zhao Liangxu went to Zhilan Hall every day.

Lu Xuan kept an eye on Zhao Liangxu's level of fatigue and gradually increased the intensity of the exercise.

Perhaps it was the foundation of the Northern Zhou people that came into play at this time, and Zhao Liangxu adapted very well.

But what surprised Lu Xuan was not this matter, but Zhao Liangxu's application of technique.

Considering that Zhao Liangxu was a woman, Lu Xuan did not teach her those movement techniques that required brute force, but rather mostly some skillful techniques.

Zhao Liangxu learned very quickly. She could almost perfectly replicate any move that Lu Xuan had demonstrated once. Even Lu Xuan was secretly surprised by the precision and ruthlessness of Zhao Liangxu's movements.

So ruthless.

Unlike the gentle and delicate women of the Southern Zhou Dynasty.

In the simple sparring sessions, Lu Xuan won easily most of the time. No matter how skilled Zhao Liangxu was, she had only been practicing for half a month. Lu Xuan was very confident in his abilities honed over decades.

But as time went on, Lu Xuan found it somewhat troublesome.

He still won more often than he lost, but Zhao Liangxu's movements became increasingly skillful, and Lu Xuan was alarmed by Zhao Liangxu's ability to adapt.

Rapid progress is a good thing, and Zhao Liangxu especially remembered what Lu Xuan said about striking the key points.

She not only replicated some of the techniques Lu Xuan used, but in their daily sparring sessions, she behaved like a snake.

Waiting for the right moment to strike, eyes fixed on the prey.

Zhao Liangxu's physical strength and endurance have improved, but they are still far from being considered qualified.

In their sparring match, Lu Xuan was still able to win easily, but he always felt that something was amiss.

Since his movements have become more and more skillful, and he has been deliberately holding back, Zhao Liangxu should have made some progress in the sparring, for example, occasionally gaining the upper hand.

But she didn't change at all.

Even today.

Lu Xuan had thought that he could use his right hand to block and deflect the force as usual to make Zhao Liangxu lose her balance, but this time he miscalculated.

After releasing the force, Zhao Liangxu took advantage of the momentum to exert force forward. She raised her left hand and pointed it directly at her neck. Lu Xuan already knew what was going on and leaned to one side.

But at that moment, Zhao Liangxu twisted her waist, kicking her right leg hard, and then smoothly changed the gesture of her left hand to five fingers together, easily flicking it.

Lu Xuan lost his balance, and Zhao Liangxu used her hands and feet to make him fall in the direction he had originally dodged.

Lu Xuan fell to the ground.

"Vice General Lu, you flatter me."

Zhao Liangxu's pale red lips curved into a victorious smile, the gentle sunlight shielding her from the glare.

Lu Xuan felt that Zhao Liangxu was more dazzling than the sun at this moment.

He patted his leg, stood up, and asked, "You... you were holding back your strength all along?"

That kick just now was really powerful, unlike the soft kicks of the past.

"Just as Vice General Lu taught us, we must always conceal ourselves on the battlefield."

“I never said that was what I was going to hide, and this isn’t a battlefield.” He was still amazed by Zhao Liangxu’s way of thinking.

How did you know I would shift my force to the left?

Zhao Liangxu stretched without any hesitation and replied, "Of course I observed it. When you were dodging the threat to your neck, you would inevitably have a moment of relaxation. Although this is difficult to catch, it is indeed a good opportunity to strike. I have always had a very strong ability to observe."

She said this in a nonchalant manner, completely unlike her cold and stern expression just moments before.

He had just sensed the killing intent in Zhao Liangxu's fingertips, and thus had no choice but to dodge to the side.

She was indeed different from the women of the Southern Zhou Dynasty.

Lu Xuan stared with his eyes open for a long time without blinking, until his eyes were a little sore, before he lowered his head to hide the emotions in his eyes: "Princess Zhao is indeed worthy of her Northern Zhou origins; her skills and ideas are quite remarkable."

Zhao Liangxu was somewhat surprised, but said with a hint of joking, "Vice General Lu's description of my background sounds like he's making fun of me."

Lu Xuan was startled to realize that he was talking nonsense.

Mentioning the Northern Zhou in this way would surely evoke feelings of melancholy and sorrow in Zhao Liangxu.

He felt a little apologetic, but Zhao Liangxu waved her hand to indicate that it was nothing.

Zhao Liangxu didn't care about these things, and this thought arose in Lu Xuan's mind.

She was indeed a different kind of woman.

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Author's note: I forgot to set a timer for today's drafts, *cries*