Strongest Soldier King

Luo Zheng's expression turned solemn as he pondered carefully. At that moment, Elder Chang halted the movement of the military dagger on his finger, and a ray of sunlight shone in from outside the window, falling precisely on the dagger. It reflected a beam of light which caused a blinding flash before Luo Zheng's eyes. Luo Zheng, caught off guard, quickly spoke, "The Finger Knife floats uncertainly, leaving no trace to follow, and moreover, the knife's flash can dazzle the eyes, creating an opportunity for a lethal strike."

"What else?" Elder Chang asked eagerly, his eyes lit up with intense fervor as he gazed at Luo Zheng, as if he had discovered some rare treasure.

"What else?" Luo Zheng mused again, as Elder Chang waited patiently. After a while, Luo Zheng saw the military dagger on Elder Chang's finger and couldn't help but chuckle, saying, "Unlike the Right and Left Hand Knife Skill, the Finger Knife relies solely on the strength of the fingers. When the arm is restrained, the fingers can still flexibly control the blade for an attack. In contrast, the Right and Left Hand Knife Skill cannot be executed when the arms are bound."

"Good, you are indeed a natural at wielding knives. I'm so glad I didn't misjudge you," exclaimed Elder Chang joyously, as he looked at the bewildered expression on Luo Zheng's face and continued excitedly, "The Finger Knife Skill isn't something that can be learned overnight. You need to start by mastering the Right and Left Hand Knife Skill first before you can learn the Finger Knife." As he spoke, he began demonstrating with the knife.

"When gripping the knife, lay the handle diagonally across the open palm, with the thumb and the index finger close to the guard, and the middle finger wrapping around the middle portion of the handle. This grip allows for the knife to rotate in all directions, controlled by the coordination of the index and middle fingers, along with the wrist movement, directing the tip of the knife. When the right hand grips the knife with the palm facing upward, it can stab to either side; likewise, when the palm faces downward, it can stab in any direction. Whether the palm faces up or down, stabs can be carried out. Once the knife makes contact with the body, all fingers should grip the handle tightly," Elder Chang explained while demonstrating.

"Next up is the attacking stance. Extending the knife far from your body's center of gravity is dangerous; those fighting scenes commonly seen in movies are nonsensical. Such methods would easily lead to losing the knife. The correct stance is to let your right arm hang down naturally, holding the knife at the right leg's outer side, with the left arm and hand in a defensive or deflective posture, providing conditions for the right hand to chop and stab. The left hand can be used to distract the opponent by moving it in front of their eyes or throwing something at them, or by feigning sudden attack movements. The knees should be slightly bent, keeping balance in harmony with body movement and protecting the rib and throat area. When changing postures in combat, keep the knife hidden behind the right leg until the moment you cut or stab your enemy," Elder Chang said while demonstrating the pose. Seeing that Luo Zheng understood, he continued teaching.

"For frontal attacks, the throat, abdomen, heart, wrists, forearms, and legs are primary targets. During backhand attacks, the kidneys, carotid artery on the side of the neck, throat, arteries beneath the collarbone, and the area below the fifth vertebral spinous process are the main attack points. The strikes must be steady, accurate, and ruthless, with varying techniques and no set rules. More importantly, one must conceal the motive, not allowing the opponent to detect your strike's direction," Elder Chang said seriously.

"If your wrist is grabbed by the opponent during an attack," Elder Chang said while gesturing for Luo Zheng to grab his own wrist, which was aimed at his forehead, "watch closely."

Luo Zheng was taken aback and saw Elder Chang's fingers moving with exceptional agility. In that moment, the reverse-grip dagger seemed to come to life, eerily spinning around to become a Right-hand Blade, advancing toward his eye sockets under the control of Elder Chang's fingers. Had Elder Chang not given a warning and refrained from using lethal force, Luo Zheng's eyes would have been blinded. Shocked, he then eagerly asked, "Brother Chang, is this the Finger Knife Skill?"

"Correct, the essence of the Finger Knife is surprise, agility, and concealment. Once you have mastered the Right and Left Hand Knife Skill, I will teach you this. You have been splitting firewood for over a month, which has sharpened your eyesight and arm control. Furthermore, since you have a solid foundation, you will not take long to learn. A month at most should suffice," Elder Chang said proudly. He had always been confident in his Finger Knife Skill. Many a fierce bandit had perished under his Finger Knife, and now that he had a successor, Elder Chang was truly elated.

"Thank you, Brother Chang," Luo Zheng said gratefully.

In the following days, Elder Chang taught Luo Zheng the attacking moves and accompanying footwork of the Right and Left Hand Knife Skill with earnest guidance. One taught with dedication, and the other learned with precision. Time slipped by unnoticed, and after dinner, Elder Liu dragged Luo Zheng to practice hard energy expulsion. This time, Elder Liu did not let Luo Zheng take blows passively; instead, he returned the hits, and during the spar, Elder Liu instructed Luo Zheng in the technique of acupoint striking.

Luo Zheng knew that this was a lethal skill; he had already memorized the 36 vital acupoints and knew many striking methods, but he lacked practical experience. Elder Liu taught Luo Zheng hard energy control before this deadly skill to enhance Luo Zheng's endurance when taking hits, making the learning twice as effective. Without solid hard energy control, acupoint striking would have been impossible to effectively learn.

Thanks to the meticulous teachings of two masters, along with Luo Zheng's own determination to excel, he made significant progress. A month later, not only had he mastered Elder Liu's acupoint striking technique, but he had also learned Elder Chang's Finger Knife Skill, greatly increasing his combat prowess. Only his proficiency with the sniper rifle had fallen behind over the past two months.

Recognizing this, Elder Liu and Elder Chang prepared a large pot of mutton and brought out some treasured old liquor, celebrating Luo Zheng's 'graduation.' After the three of them had eaten and drunk their fill, Luo Zheng was brought by the two elders to the back hill. With a puzzled look on his face, Luo Zheng watched as Elder Liu and Elder Chang poured out three large bowls of white liquor, laid out some food, and lit incense candles. The two men knelt without hesitation, though they did not ask Luo Zheng to join them. Elder Liu said in a solemn voice, "Brothers, today is the day we commemorate your passing. The team leader couldn't come due to a mission but will make it up to you later. Elder Chang and I have come to visit you first."

Upon hearing this, Luo Zheng realized there was a small, slightly raised mound of earth in front of him, resembling a grave but not as large. Surprised, he listened as Elder Chang said, "Brothers, Elder Liu and I have successors for our unique skills now. We believe that he will have the opportunity to avenge you in the future. May your spirits in heaven bless him. This man behind me is our successor, Luo Zheng, a fine young man."

Understanding the situation, Luo Zheng realized that Elder Chang and Elder Liu were honoring their fallen comrades, something he had occasionally heard the two mention and knew roughly about. Without hesitation, Luo Zheng knelt down, feeling that these heroes deserved his respect and vowed, "To the elder brothers whom I've never met, I swear here that if given the chance, I will avenge your deaths. Please rest assured."

"Did you hear that? Now, let's drink," Elder Liu said mournfully, lifting the bowl and pouring the liquor onto the ground.

Soldiers harbor their hatred in their hearts. After too many partings and deaths, their tears have dried, bearing the pain silently within, waiting for the opportunity to scream out loud, tearing their enemies to shreds, instead of displaying any pretense of weakness.

After the memorial, Luo Zheng couldn't help but quietly ask, "Brother Chang, Brother Liu, who is the enemy?"