Sharpening The Knife Doesn’t Delay The Cutting of Vegetables With The Bow[eSports]: Chapter 98

98. “Surprise!”

Shi Yan glanced at the sword lying beside him. When he looked back at Chen Xingran, his gaze had completely changed.

He cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Chen Xingran and said, “I underestimated you… Thank you for your guidance.”

For someone of Shi Yan’s age and experience to thank an eighteen-year-old boy for his guidance might seem laughable. However, Shi Yan felt no embarrassment.

In the martial arts world, the accomplished are respected first. Although Chen Xingran was young, his mastery of the sword was profound and had reached a state of perfection. This sparring session was more of a lesson given by Chen Xingran than a mere exchange of skills. Shi Yan admitted he was outmatched and sincerely accepted his inferiority.

However, to achieve such mastery at such a young age was beyond extraordinary. It wasn’t just innate talent; it was the mark of a once-in-a-century martial arts prodigy. Shi Yan felt both admiration and regret, saying, “With your martial arts talent, it’s a pity for you to be a professional player. If you focused on martial arts…”

He trailed off, then laughed self-deprecatingly, “Sorry, just forget I said that.”

In today’s world, traditional martial arts were a niche interest, while esports was a globally popular competitive sport. The scale and commercial value of esports far surpassed that of martial arts. Suggesting that someone give up a promising career as a professional player to pursue martial arts was almost like ruining their future.

Chen Xingran smiled and said nothing.

He had already walked the path of martial arts in his previous life, paying a great price and gaining as much as he lost. Living anew in this vast world, he actually wanted to explore more new things.

“My God…”

Ta Xue, holding his phone, was so excited that his face turned red. His voice trembled like an old woman’s, and he stammered, “That… that wasn’t just me dreaming, was it?”

The scene that had just unfolded nearly made his jaw drop. The deadly serious combat in reality, filled with peril and lethal intent, made him want to close his eyes in fear of witnessing an injury or worse. Yet, he couldn’t help but watch, afraid to miss any detail.

Seeing two martial arts masters engage in a real sword fight was a rare opportunity. Although he loved collecting swords, he had seldom seen actual martial artists in action. The duel between Chen Xingran and Shi Yan was a thousand times more thrilling than any staged sword fight he’d ever seen.

“That was amazing, truly amazing.”

“It felt like I was watching a battle from a game, but it was happening in real life! And it felt completely different from the game.”

“I used to think the 0% motion correction was just hype… dbq ¹, I was wrong.”

“+1, that fight was something you couldn’t even script.”

“I’ve been converted, damn, this was the first time I saw real-life combat more exciting than a game.”

“This time I truly have nothing to say, F*cking awesome, that’s it.”

“Any brothers know where I can learn traditional martial arts? I want to sign up.”

“I want to learn too… take me with you.”

Ta Xue was already a top streamer on the Star River platform, and this rare outdoor stream attracted a large audience. The unexpected battle caused a surge in viewership, and the chat exploded with comments. Every detail of the fight and Chen Xingran’s moves were dissected and discussed. The viewers were in awe, practically worshipping him.

“A bet is a bet,” Shi Yan conceded. “As promised, you can choose any sword in this room, and it’s yours.”

Chen Xingran was tempted. He particularly liked the Tang sword named Long Ying from earlier, but he knew asking for it would be too much. He had known the outcome of the fight before it began, and demanding Long Ying would be overstepping.

So, he simply glanced around and picked a random, ordinary Tang sword.

Shi Yan was a bit surprised. He could tell that Chen Xingran had a fondness for Long Ying. In fact, if Chen Xingran had asked for it, Shi Yan might have considered selling it to him. A sword of Long Ying’s caliber deserved a worthy owner. However, Chen Xingran’s restraint and humility earned Shi Yan’s respect.

Shi Yan’s regard for the young man grew, and he offered to show them around. Everyone agreed, and Ta Xue also enjoyed the special treatment, touring Shi Yan’s prized creations.

Chen Xingran, being knowledgeable in the art of forging, engaged in lively discussions with Shi Yan. He shared insights from his past life’s forging experiences, earning Shi Yan’s admiration.

The two hit it off immediately, with Shi Yan considering Chen Xingran a kindred spirit. They were soon chatting enthusiastically, arms over each other’s shoulders. Meanwhile, Ta Xue and Yang Yunche were left to the side, bewildered by the technical jargon about forging materials, techniques, and sword structures.

The viewers in the live stream were equally fascinated. This was a rare glimpse into a field they rarely encountered. Witnessing a real sword fight piqued their interest, even if they didn’t fully understand the conversations. The interaction with top-tier professional players like Chen Xingran and Yang Yunche brought more traffic to Ta Xue’s stream, making it a rewarding day for him.

Time flew by as they chatted and toured. By evening, everyone felt they had barely scratched the surface.

Remembering his mission, Yang Yunche declined Shi Yan’s warm invitation to stay for dinner. Before leaving, he told Chen Xingran, “Wait for me at the entrance. I need to talk to Shi Yan for a bit.”

Chen Xingran nodded obediently and went to wait at the parking lot.

Ta Xue also needed to leave and joined Chen Xingran outside. Seizing the rare opportunity to be alone with his idol, Ta Xue excitedly started a conversation.

“Your name sounds familiar,” Chen Xingran said, a bit slow on the uptake. “Have we played together before?”

“God Xingran, you remember?” Ta Xue was both surprised and thrilled. “We ran into each other a few times in solo queue when you first started streaming, but you always beat me,” he laughed.

Ta Xue was a true fan. He knew all of Chen Xingran’s achievements and could recount them in detail. His enthusiastic praise made Chen Xingran chuckle, and they naturally exchanged contact information, planning to team up and practice swordplay in the future.

The viewers saw Ta Xue’s excited expression and teased him in the chat.

“Ta Xue, the venerable star chaser, succeeds, and all rejoice!”

“Ahhh, I also want to get in touch with Ranbao. Jealousy is transforming me!”

“It seems like Chen Xingran still doesn’t know that Ta Xue is his number one fan, hahaha!”

“Hahaha, Ta Xue, you’re such a coward. Just confess your love boldly!”

“Isn’t Yun God still inside? Be careful, he might come out with a knife and start slashing people.”

“No worries, let Yun God use his transcendent knife technique to give you a top-notch massage and loosen your muscles.”

“Hahaha, you guys are hilarious!”

After bidding farewell to Ta Xue, Yang Yunche emerged from Shi Yan’s courtyard holding a long wooden box, the spoils promised to Chen Xingran.

“Let’s go,” Yang Yunche said softly, seeing Chen Xingran obediently waiting by the car, feeling unusually tender-hearted.

“Mm.”

This trip left Chen Xingran thoroughly satisfied, evident in his visibly joyful mood on the way back. He even hummed a quirky tune, not knowing where he picked it up from.

“Why so cheerful?” Yang Yunche asked with a smile.

Chen Xingran squinted, humming in agreement, pretending to be reserved. “Just okay.”

Seeing Chen Xingran’s blatant happiness, Yang Yunche’s mood brightened as well. When fighting, Chen Xingran was cold and ruthless, like a terrifying god of death. But in private, he was surprisingly soft, especially now. The slight upturn of his lips resembled a squirrel successfully stealing a pinecone, excessively adorable, almost too much for Yang Yunche to handle.

Driving back along the same route they came, T City was a distance away from the capital. Following Fu Zhou’s instructions, Yang Yunche tried to delay their return as much as possible, giving Fu Zhou and the others ample time. They drove slowly, occasionally stopping to admire the scenery with Chen Xingran.

“Swoosh—”

Chen Xingran effortlessly flicked a dart, accurately hitting a balloon which burst with a pop. Yang Yunche burst into laughter while the vendor wore a troubled expression.

They won another giant plush toy as a prize. Yang Yunche joked as he carried it, “Didn’t expect your long-range skills to be lacking. But your accuracy with darts is surprisingly good.”

Chen Xingran raised an eyebrow. “Of course.”

In his past life, he had experience with throwing knives, unlike bows, arrows, or bird guns. Throwing knives relied on body and wrist strength rather than the weapon’s design. Hence, Chen Xingran’s accuracy with darts was decent.

It was a pity that there were no throwing knives or darts in his destiny. Otherwise, Chen Xingran could have a friendly competition with Yang Yunche.

As they passed by street stalls in the city, they also bought some roasted sweet potatoes and sausages to eat. They hadn’t had a proper meal all day, but wandering around and snacking filled them up. Yang Yunche also enjoyed the rare opportunity to spend time alone with Chen Xingran, feeling delighted throughout the day.

Although Chen Xingran found it a bit strange, he simply thought Yang Yunche had been cooped up in the base for too long. He wasn’t very old himself, so joining Yang Yunche in exploring and enjoying themselves was quite enjoyable.

When the two returned to the ZMD base, it was already late, and the base was eerily quiet. Even the main ZMD building had its lights off, appearing pitch-black from the outside, almost blending with the darkness of the night.

“Are Luo Baibai and the others sleeping so early?” Chen Xingran was somewhat surprised.

Yang Yunche coughed. “Maybe they’re tired from training. Let’s not worry about them and go in.”

“Wait.”

Chen Xingran had just taken a step forward when he suddenly halted, furrowing his brow. His ears twitched, picking up faint rustling sounds coming from inside the main building, as if someone were moving around quietly.

Something’s not right.

Yang Yunche’s expression stiffened as he watched Chen Xingran’s increasingly serious demeanor, thinking he had discovered something. “What’s wrong…?”

“There’s movement inside.”

Chen Xingran frowned and listened for a moment before affirming, “There’s an intruder in the base.”

Yang Yunche tensed up upon hearing the first half of the sentence but nearly burst out laughing after the second half.

However, Chen Xingran was dead serious. “The lights in the base are off at this hour, which is unusual, and there are strange footsteps and noises inside… Oh no, Luo Baibai and the others might be in danger!”

“… What?”

What kind of logic was this?

Yang Yunche’s expression cracked.

Chen Xingran gestured towards him. “Give me Shi Yan’s knife.”

Rescuing people was urgent; this couldn’t be delayed. After calling out, seeing Yang Yunche’s inaction, he turned back and urged, “Hurry, or it might be too late.”

Where would Yang Yunche dare to give it to him? If he really took out the knife, Luo Baibai might rush out, yelling “Surprise!” and end up getting slashed by Chen Xingran, leading to ZMD losing a key member.

He coughed nervously. “You’re overthinking it. ZMD’s security isn’t that weak. Don’t worry, nothing will happen.”

“… Really?”

Chen Xingran still felt somewhat uneasy.

Yang Yunche forced a smile. “Maybe Luo Baibai woke up in the middle of the night to get water. Don’t scare yourself. Just a few minutes ago, Fu Zhou messaged me asking if I had arrived at the base.”

Seeing Chen Xingran hesitate, Yang Yunche quickly added, “Don’t think too much. Let’s go inside.”

Since Yang Yunche said so, Chen Xingran could only agree. He didn’t go to get the knife. However, when he entered the door, he still stood in front of Yang Yunche, his muscles tensed. This way, even if someone attacked, he could respond immediately.

As Chen Xingran stepped through the main entrance of the building and was about to turn on the lights, suddenly, with a “whoosh,” the room was instantly illuminated, followed by a “bang,” the sound of firecrackers exploding.

Various dangerous scenarios flashed through Chen Xingran’s mind, keeping his nerves taut. The sudden bright light and the explosion in his ears made him jump, and then a dark figure leaped out beside him.

Luo Baibai: “Ran Bao! Surpri…”

Before he could finish the English word, he saw the youth next to him move like lightning, extending his hand. The next moment, everything spun, and Luo Baibai found himself pinned to the ground by Chen Xingran’s single hand.

“… se?”

Luo Baibai, baffled, lay pinned to the ground. A second later, he began to howl like a pig being slaughtered, “Ow, hurts, hurts, hurts!! My hand is going to break!!”

Fu Zhou and Xiao Nan, who had just stood up from behind the sofa, had their smiles frozen on their faces: “…”

TN:

It’s my birthday! Double updates as my gift to you guys, Enjoy~ Although for this novel it’s a bit bittersweet🥲.

If you're enjoying the story don't forget to support the author! You can also support me on KOFI for site maintenance, raws purchase or as an energy boost~ 

 

AFFILIATE AD

Want to develop your career or work on a new hobby but don't have the financial resources? Check out these courses encompassing all aspects and topics. Want to build your own website or app, but don't even know what <!DOCTYPE> is, how about these IT Courses. Don't want to keep waiting for slow translators to update? 别担心！中文课程来拯救你了! Did you just become a Teacher and have NO idea what the f*ck you're doing? Early Childhood Education For Dummies 101 is in session! Lied on your CV that you can work under pressure but are now hiding in the bathroom playing ostrich? You still have to come up for air anyways so how about taking a Self Development course to manage stress and improve mental health. Whatever you're interested in, at the click of a button. And the best thing it's all for free! And...you can get an accredited certificate! START LEARNING BEFORE YOU'RE TOO OLD TO RETAIN ANYTHING OR GET FIRED FROM YOUR JOB! Or if you are fired, Build A New Resume to reel in the next one~

 

 

Translator Notes

1. Stands for 对不起 (duìbùqǐ), which means “sorry” in Chinese.[↩]