Red Needle Technique, an extremely niche martial art.
Strictly speaking, this technique can hardly be called a martial art. After all, it doesn't focus on strengthening the tendons and bones, nor does it have any specific moves or routines. From its inception, it was a martial art specifically designed for women with relatively weak strength.
But this doesn't mean that this technique is as harmless as embroidery.
In fact, it is an extremely dangerous technique.
The so-called Red Needle, where red means blood, is a technique that aims for every strike to draw blood. It's all or nothing once you attack; you must have the mindset to put the enemy to death. Every cut aims at the vital points, seeking to quickly injure or even kill the enemy, to ensure one's absolute safety.
Because of this, what truly needs to be trained in this Red Needle Technique is not the strengthening of tendons and bones or move routines.
But rather the rote memorization of the body's vital points.
Where can you cut to make it bleed, what point to sever a tendon, what point to seriously injure the organs, what point to take a life. These are the core points of the Red Needle Technique. Of course, more importantly, if the strike doesn't hit, one must remember to retreat and create distance to prepare for the next attack.
When the Red Needle Technique is practiced to its extreme, even a randomly grabbed hairpin can become a sharp weapon for self-defense, drawing blood in a kill. Even a skilled martial artist can be caught off guard and be left bloody and unrecognizable from a series of close strikes.
It's really true what they say: "The longer the weapon, the stronger it is; the shorter it is, the more dangerous it becomes."
Perhaps this is also why the woman in memory relied on waiting for a longer period.
"Sigh..."
Thinking of this, Du Chengfeng couldn't help but sigh deeply.
No wonder the woman who ran the breakfast stand was so confident. Holding such a dangerous technique that could easily take lives, anyone would feel quite sure of their victory and full of courage—but it was precisely this overconfidence that got the woman into such trouble.
Once her wrist was caught, the most important aspect of the Red Needle Technique—maintaining distance—could not be executed. Barehanded, she couldn't access the blade that the technique required. Most critically, until the woman's husband was struck down by a single saber blow from Ximen Yuan, everyone thought this matter could be resolved by reporting to the authorities.
But it was this moment of hesitation that led to the woman who ran the breakfast stand losing everything.
"Truly..."
Du Chengfeng looked down at the kitchen knife in his hand.
Perhaps the memory from earlier still had a lingering effect, as he could vaguely sense the deep regret embedded in the knife.
Despite having martial skills, there was no chance to even display them, simply due to a single misstep, turning the couple's beautiful life into a mirage.
Leaving only a glaring red.
"Well."
Shaking his head, Du Chengfeng sheathed the sharpened kitchen knife back into his robe pocket.
In any case, this matter was already in the past. Watching this kind of scene late at night isn't good for keeping a healthy mindset—And it was at this moment Du Chengfeng realized another important issue, that not all deadly weapons necessarily turn someone into a bloodthirsty maniac. For instance, this newly sharpened kitchen knife, once he understood that memory, only left him feeling a bit depressed.
Feeling depressed, one naturally needs to think of something pleasant to cheer up a bit. At least this knife sharpening left him with the first piece of martial skill he could actually claim as his own.
Even though it was a martial art practiced by women and didn't have the miraculous inner strength that he desired, it could still be considered a systematized martial art.
"So, this martial art must be useful for me... right?"
Halfway through his sentence, Du Chengfeng noticed the heavy great saber placed next to him.
A full moon hanged in the sky, stars scattered all over.
One man, one saber, speechless in confrontation.
It was at this moment that Du Chengfeng realized, although the Red Needle Technique is extremely dangerous, it's specifically designed as a short blade technique—yet right now, his strongest weapon, the one he handles most comfortably, happens to be a large two-handed saber.
Such a heavy weapon, when it strikes, it's either death or severe injury, why would there be any need to focus on specific vital points?
"Hiss..."
Things were becoming quite a mouthful.
Du Chengfeng thought for a moment, then decisively left the small courtyard. As he looked around, sure enough, he found the Unlucky Curved Saber at the base of the wall.
This time, under the cover of night, Du Chengfeng took the curved saber out, found the old crooked tree where Carpenter Li had once buried a knife, dug a big pit on the ground, and buried the saber there.
After doing all this, back in the small courtyard, Du Chengfeng was still uneasy. So, he lit a fire near the door and crossed over it before washing his face and changing into clean clothes; only then did he feel relaxed and refreshed.
It's not like it was completely useless. Besides the formidable cut into the pig's flesh, he did gain another martial art he could show off. Although this martial art doesn't quite align with his entire current fighting style, it does mean that he now has the capability to rush into close combat to engage in melee.
When fighting, start with the great saber, then use the short blade to continuously attack and bleed once in close range. Once in close quarters, use Bok wrestling to control the opponent, while creating distance for the next opportunity... Thinking this way, his current setup doesn't seem too bad, does it?
"But, it's still not enough."
With this in mind, Du Chengfeng opened up his robe, taking out other knives from inside.
Plus the kitchen knife from earlier, there were seventeen knives hanging inside this robe. If he sharpened them carefully, perhaps there would be additional gains.
After the night, Du Chengfeng indeed reaped quite a few rewards.
Three Huaiyang dishes, two official cuisines, all the chef's unique skills, which could be used as specialties in a restaurant. A way to recognize wild animal tracks and a method to conceal presence from animals, each being the unique skills of two hunters. Two sets of intimidating rhetoric from Ji Town hooligans, learned so one could collect protection fees. Three knives from bandits, revealing which key checkpoints near Ji Town were suitable for robbery. Two short blades from merchants, further showing the most straightforward business war is just to stab the competitor to death.
And lastly, a melon-cutting knife, reminding him that selling melons too expensively might get him stabbed to death.
"...Just consider it an understanding of Ji Prefecture's folk customs."
With the sky gradually brightening, Du Chengfeng sighed, inserted the knives back into his clothing.
It figures, these knives are all everyday tools used by ordinary commoners; having some unique skills is already pretty good. To truly improve combat capability, one still needs to hone specialized weapons.
"Time to sleep."
After a night without sleep, Du Chengfeng finally felt some weariness.
But just as he packed his things preparing to lie back on the bed to try out the new bedding, someone knocked on the courtyard's gate.
"Who's there?"
Du Chengfeng found it strange, given that no one normally knocked on this courtyard door, not Carpenter Li, Yang Xuan, nor Yang Sanlang, who came to steal stuff. Everyone just walked in, treating the place as if it were their own home.
And now, there was knocking.
It must be a stranger.
"Did they knock on the wrong door?"
Thinking this, Du Chengfeng went out to open the door.
He didn't recognize the person at the door.
However, the sword hung at the other's waist immediately caught his attention.
Simply because the sword's evil qi was so intense that it was almost overflowing.