Ch. 271..275: The Princess of Northern Land Chapter 271-275

Chapter 271: Chapter 271 Shocking (2)_1

The training ground of Shili Village was two miles away from the village itself, without occupying the village’s territory. Not only was there a training ground, but there was also a newly established school. The place was vast and the facilities were complete.

Before the day could fully break, a group of villagers had already begun their training with Jue Ming. Not far from them, in the small practice field, was a group of children. With Yu Shao’en, they also practiced martial arts, mainly the horse stance. It seemed many children had already adapted to this kind of training, none were complaining about being tired or in pain.

Chu Suifeng arrived with a group of guards and came to a halt on the training ground.

The villagers’ practice was somewhat unusual: they began with a few sets of fist techniques. Chu Suifeng and Si Jinhan, both versed in martial arts, stood by the sidelines observing carefully, their surprise mounting.

They knew Lin Ziyin was adept in close-quarters combat, but they hadn’t expected it to be this effective.

"What’s the use of those things?" asked a villager, gathering some training equipment after concluding his martial arts practice.

"Don’t underestimate this equipment. Its effects on physical training are significant," Lin Ziyin commented indifferently. "If the Prince and the third son remain skeptical, you can have your soldiers, who have no inner strength, spar against the villagers who’ve trained here."

Intrigued by this proposition of a contest, Si Jinhan agreed enthusiastically. "Fine, let’s do it. But a one-to-one contest is not fun. Why not field ten people each from your side and ours for a skirmish?"

Chu Suifeng nodded, giving tacit approval.

"Just training is no fun either, why doesn’t the third son add something to spice it up." Lin Ziyin proposed in a lighthearted manner.

"A scheming one, aren’t you? Why are you always after my silver, reluctant to put out your own?" Si Jinhan remarked, also in good spirits.

"Afraid, are you third son?" Lin Ziyin retorted with a slanted look.

"What? Me, afraid? Tell me, how much silver do you want?" To Si Jinhan, a little silver was nothing. Having teased Lin Ziyin, he readily agreed to part with some as a prize.

"Whether it’s the Prince’s men or our villagers, whoever wins should be rewarded with two taels of silver," announced Lin Ziyin, indifferent as ever.

Two taels of silver, Si Jinhan laughed off. Was she truly trying to outfox him over such measly sum?

"Alright, I agree," Si Jinhan said in a cheerful manner.

Many villagers had heard Lin Ziyin’s and Si Jinhan’s wager by now. The prospect of winning two taels of silver had many keen to participate.

Si Jinhan selected ten men from his guard crew. They were all big, muscular men with imposing stature; untiring in their regular military camp training.

Many villagers hesitated upon seeing the formidable opponents. They were casual practicers with limited experience. Could they win?

Lin Ziyin paid no mind to the buzz among the villagers and calmly surveyed the crowd.

"Stop the commotion, let’s hear what Ziyin has to say." Amidst the chaos, it was Lou Zheng who could bring order. At his shout, the clamor among the villagers instantly died down.

"Most of you haven’t trained for long, just over a month. As you can see, our opponents are professional soldiers, who spend most of their day training. This is quite unlike you," Lin Ziyin began, inciting nods of agreement from the villagers. They spent just over an hour training a day, with many only doing it begrudgingly. Without the multitude of rules set by the Lin family and their dire need of this employment, who would want to come over and train so early, especially after a long day’s work?

Chapter 272: Chapter 272 Shocking (3)_1

Lin Ziyin observed everyone’s attitudes. Without revealing her insights, she continued, "Anyone who stands against you is your enemy. What if one day the Tatars are here, or bandits come up? What’s the point of being scared? Is there anyone among you who dares to practice against them?"

The villagers looked at each other, but none of them spoke.

"I’ll give it a try." The first to speak was Wu Dayou.

Lin Ziyin nodded, "The first one."

"I’ll be the second." Lin Changshu also stepped forward. He was actually terrified, looking at the formidable appearance of the opponents, but he did not want to see his sister’s disappointed face, so he gritted his teeth and stepped up.

"I’m in too." Wu Dali also stood out.

"Let me try too." Bai Erzhuang chuckled as he stepped up, followed by Bai Dazhuang and Wu Erli. They were the first ones who began practicing with Lin Ziyin.

"Any more?" Lin Ziyin asked.

"Maybe I should try too, but I haven’t been training for long. I may not be good enough." A villager hesitated and stepped forward.

"Liang Zi, you’re big. You can do it." Lou Zheng spoke approvingly.

No more villagers stepped forward!

Si Jinhan glanced at her, mocking, "Little girl, no one came out. Why don’t you try yourself?"

"If you insist, then count me in too." Lin Ziyin responded calmly.

"You’re insane." Zige stepped up, trying to dissuade her as Guo Huiniang turned pale. Both of them had never witnessed Lin Ziyin engaged in actual combat, so observing the soldiers, who looked imposing like a tower of iron, and comparing them to Lin Ziyin’s petite figure, it was impossible for them not to worry.

"The remaining two, you’re up." Lin Ziyin pointed at Fang Cao and the one from the Shuanzhu family.

"Me?" The one from the Shuanzhu family seemed scared.

However, Lin Ziyin didn’t give her a chance to back away and stepped forward herself, "Divide into two groups, each side should have five people. In the first round, our side will be Brother Dayou, Bai Erzhuang, Brother Dali, and my brother."

"Quick to decide." Si Jinhan praised her jovially, then promptly selected his five soldiers.

"Whichever side manages to land three strikes on the opponent will be victorious. Actions that can cause injury to the opponent are prohibited." Chu Suifeng announced the rules of the competition with a cold voice.

Villagers naturally retreated to outside the arena, making space in the middle.

"Let’s get started." Wu Dayou said to his opponent, his face solemn.

"Just use what I taught you." Lin Ziyin spoke calmly, then her body began to move.

She was the only woman on the field, and her opponent was a tall and dark man.

Seeing her petite and delicate figure, and realizing she was a woman, the man didn’t take her seriously.

However, he had not expected Lin Ziyin to act suddenly. Seeing her approach, he became somewhat defensive.

Lin Ziyin’s moves were strategic, she swiftly grabbed her opponent’s wrist, then to everyone’s astonishment, she performed a spectacular move that dazzled all onlookers.

"Snap." She used her opponent’s own momentum, felling the robust man with a shoulder throw.

The burly man was stunned as he was effortlessly tossed down by her.

"Capture Hand." Zige exclaimed in excitement. Her concern was for the three relatives in the field, but she was most worried about Lin Ziyin. It turned out that the most impressive was Lin Ziyin.

"Again." The big man felt utterly humiliated but he didn’t think Lin Ziyin was formidable, rather he felt it was his negligence that had allowed her to catch him off guard.

But no matter how cautious he became, it didn’t help. Lin Ziyin had practiced countless times in modern times. Even when she wanted to laze around, her stepmother and sister would send people to bother her from time to time, so she had no choice but to learn the Self-Defense Art.

Chapter 273: Chapter 273 Shocking (4)_1

Shaolin small Capture Hand, seventy-two Capture Hand, Sanda, Judo, including Muay Thai, Jeet Kune Do, under the pressure of good friends, even if they could not compare with good friends, they were still considered experts.

"Ah." Si Jinhan sighed and shook his head as he looked at the bruised soldiers on the ground.

Chu Suifeng, however, was watching very seriously, his eyes still full of unhidden astonishment and shock.

"I’ve lost." The soldier on the ground felt ashamed. He had trained in the barracks for so long, but he didn’t expect to be defeated by a woman at the end.

The victory on Lin Ziyin’s side boosted the morale of the remaining four. Initially, when facing the strong enemy, Lin Changshu and others were somewhat terrified. But with the example right in front of them, they completely let go of their worries.

"Good hit." Seeing Wu Dayou slide along the enemy’s crotch, some people couldn’t help laughing. However, Wu Dayou, who was fighting in the field, didn’t find it humiliating. He remembered Lin Ziyin’s words, asserting that as long as one stands on the opposite side, the other party is the enemy, and victory is the supreme command.

"Sorry." With swift timing, after sliding to the back, Wu Dayou directly kicked hard at the enemy’s back.

The opponent immediately fell to the ground and couldn’t get up, but Wu Dayou had already stood up first with a "carp straightening" and directly stepped on the opponent’s back.

Victory!

The one who had the toughest fight was Wu Dali, probably meeting the toughest among the soldiers.

That muscular physique like iron bumps gives people a headache just looking at it.

"Stand up, don’t fall." Lou Zheng saw everyone else winning decisively, only his son was struggling, his face had been hit, he suddenly became angry. Zhang Shi and Yu Shi couldn’t bear to watch out of pity.

"Don’t just defend, you need to think of how to attack. Have you forgotten how we train on normal days?" Wu Dayou was cheering him from the side.

The commotion here had attracted the children from the village. They stood by the field and kept cheering for the villagers.

"Dad, beat him." Wu Xin anxiously cheered for his father.

"Dad, don’t be afraid." Five-year-old Wu Baolian also followed in yelling.

Wu Dali was hit several times on the face and abdomen, causing severe pain. Hearing his children’s voices, his mind suddenly cleared, and he remembered Lin Ziyin’s words: only those brutes would think of killing when faced with strong enemies. The real masters not only have awesome skills but another formidable weapon which is their brains.

When a person calms down, they can better observe the opponent’s actions. As the opponent attacked, Wu Dali seized his wrist and gave it a strenuous pull, a "crack" sound was heard.

"Ah." The soldier who was as strong as a black tower suddenly uttered a muffled pain cry.

The soldier across showed an angry expression, saying that no harm should occur, but the villagers dared to use dirty tactics.

"Sorry." Wu Dayou, bearing his own pain, grabbed the soldier’s hanging arm and pushed it up, "crack". The arm remained undamaged.

It turned out to be a dislocation.

"Good job, I admit defeat." The opponent was not upset, but looked at him with respectful eyes.

"In the first round, the villagers won." Si Jinhan lost on this side, but he was not upset, the soldiers selected today were all ordinary soldiers, and he wanted to see through their actual combat, whether Lin Ziyin’s close combat is effective.

The fact explains that the effect was significant.

But Si Jinhan did not give Lin Ziyin a chance to be arrogant, "On the battlefield, it’s not all about bare-handed fighting."

"Even the best weapon depends on the user’s strength. Close combat, not only has bare-handed techniques but also the sets of weapon combat. However, the road needs to be taken step by step. Without solid basic skills, even if you learn the routines, the power can’t be exerted." Lin Ziyin answered. The cold weapon combat practiced in military schools was summarized after many years of actual combat, and its practical effect was top-notch. Although these moves may look brutal, in the face of danger, they are the safest methods.

Chapter 274: Chapter 274 Shocking (5)_1

Si Jinhan was delighted when he heard that there were also moves for weapon fighting.

The first round had ended, and the second round was about to begin.

The second round was not as smooth as the first one. The people brought by Chu Suifeng were not elite soldiers, but they had undergone formal training in the military. Not long after the second round started, the sturdy Liang Zi was the first to be eliminated.

"Hey young man, you’ve only grown in height but not in intellect," someone teased Liang Zi.

Liang Zi blushed and felt humiliated when he looked at Fang Cao and Shuanzhu’s family still gritting their teeth and persisting on the field. He was even worse than two women.

"I’m sorry," then, a member of Shuanzhu’s family was also eliminated. The disparity in strength between men and women was quite evident.

With two villagers were consecutively eliminated, the other villagers, who were putting on airs, all fell silent.

More attention was actually focused on Fang Cao.

Fang Cao was petite, yet her opponent was burly.

Since Fang Cao could not reach his upper body, she directly attacked his lower part. The big silly guy wanted to catch her, but as soon as he reached out, she executed her Capture Hand technique. The little girl was very fierce. Not only were her hands always busy, but her feet were kicking and hooking with certain finesse.

Even if the opponent was big, under such circumstances, he was merely made to go round in circles by her.

The results of the second round were three victories and two losses.

It can be said that the training Lin Ziyin had given to Lin Changshu and the others over the past six months had been effective.

"Fang Cao, impressive." The victorious Fang Cao became a heroine in the eyes of the women and was immediately surrounded by a group of women when she came off the field. If Lin Ziyin’s victory was expected, Fang Cao’s win had shown the women their worth.

You should know that Fang Cao defeated the soldiers brought by King Ling today!

Fang Cao being petite was not a problem, they were all used to heavy farm work, as long as they practiced diligently, they could surely do it. The safety of the Northern Land was not guaranteed. If all of their family members knew some life-saving skills, they would not be afraid if something happened in the future.

"Do you know why you lost?" Lin Ziyin asked Shuanzhu’s family indifferently.

Shuanzhu’s family blushed and replied softly, "Master, I will practice hard in the future."

"It’s not because your movements are rusty, you lost to yourself," Lin Ziyin said lightly.

All the women listened quietly, "If they were real enemies, you’d already be dead. When compared with the safety and life of your family, you chose to protect your modest reputation. No matter how long you train, it will be useless."

"Master, I know I was wrong." Shuanzhu’s family, afraid of angering her, quickly apologized.

"When you encounter such situations in the future, first think of your child. What kind of life will a child have without a mother?" Lin Ziyin wasn’t angry but hoped that all the women present would slowly change their thinking. "I know you don’t agree with my views, but I still hope you can understand, you are innocent if you do not steal, force, cheat, or scheme against others. Your so-called innocence is worthless to me. If I have to choose between innocence and life, I would definitely choose life."

"I was wrong, Master." Shuanzhu’s family member’s eyes reddened. Since her husband was harmed by the Tatars, she had been shouldering so much pressure while raising her child.

There were many disputes around the house of a widow. She was really afraid of tarnishing the name of her deceased husband. The words Lin Ziyin said and the things she encouraged her to do today made her understand that there was another way of life.

"Master, I will remember your words today." With tears in her eyes, she bowed respectfully to Lin Ziyin.

Chapter 275: Chapter 275 Shocking (6)_1

"Remember, no matter what happens, you must always look after yourself and your family first. Whatever outsiders say or do, you can ignore." Lin Ziyin nodded in agreement.

Chu Suifeng and Si Jinhan watched her earnestly instructing others, but they didn’t interrupt. Even so, everything Lin Ziyin did and said that day had profoundly shocked them.

Surviving in the Northern Land is not easy at all. If all the common people were as robust and unprejudiced as Lin Ziyin, life wouldn’t be as hard as it is. Moreover, they wouldn’t have to fear the Tatars’ harassments.

After all, when the Tatars invade, they usually scatter into small teams. If everyone could defend themselves, they could strike back at the Tatars.

"In the future, train diligently with them." Chu Suifeng commanded coldly.

The soldiers who came over all acknowledged the order respectfully. Initially, they came with a dismissive attitude, thinking that a young peasant girl couldn’t have great ideas. However, the competition opened their eyes.

There are indeed always greater people out there!

"Those who won get two taels of silver, come and collect." Si Jinhan kept his promise, and quickly had his followers prepare the silver.

Wu Dali and others who had won the silver were overjoyed, while the villagers looked on with envy. This competition indeed ignited most people’s passion for martial arts training.

The children who had witnessed the event were stunned and talked about it for many days.

After more than an hour, the villagers dispersed voluntarily. Some women went back to prepare breakfast, and then the whole family would start their work. Working for the Lin family was great as they had fixed working hours. According to what Lin Ziyin said, four hours of work per day was enough.

Such excellent conditions and such a good employer were hard to find not only in Feng City but also in the entire Daqin.

The villagers dispersed in small groups. Those who had won the silver were surrounded by villagers and treated like heroes.

"Ziyin." Zige, along with Guo Huiniang, waited for Lin Ziyin to return. Wu Dali and the rest, whose faces were bruised, were chattering enthusiastically, presumably waiting for the siblings to return as well.

"You go home first, I’ll be there in a bit." said Lin Ziyin.

Lin Zige glanced worriedly over at Chu Suifeng. Wu Dayou came over and called her away.

Once the training ground was left with only Chu Suifeng’s men and Lin Ziyin, Chu Suifeng finally spoke, "Choose a weapon, this prince will spar with you."

Lin Ziyin looked at him without saying a word.

"This prince will not use inner strength." Chu Suifeng added, "How about a stick, covered with white ash, for half an hour?"

Lin Ziyin understood his intentions and nodded in agreement. If she didn’t display genuine skills, Chu Suifeng would probably not be satisfied.

She also didn’t want to beat around the bush. If a fight was inevitable, then so be it. She certainly wasn’t afraid.

A soldier placed some lime around the training ground. Lin Ziyin took a stick from Si Jinhan and assumed a defensive stance.

Her pose seemed casual and laid-back.

"Prince, this girl’s too arrogant. Don’t hold back." Si Jinhan watch from the sideline, adding fuel to the fire.

Chu Suifeng certainly wouldn’t hold back, aiming to gauge Lin Ziyin’s true ability. Upon seeing her defensive stance, he lifted his stick and made a diagonal strike. Lin Ziyin dodged swiftly, brushing aside the attack while simultaneously swinging her own stick towards Chu Suifeng’s lower body.

Not bad for a little girl! Si Jinhan watched with interest.

The soldiers watched with bated breath. If someone had previously told them that a young peasant girl could spar with the prince, they would have doubted their sanity. Who was the prince? The Prince of Ling was Asura of the Northern Land, and how many in the world could match him?