Chapter 107: The Breaking Edge Technique

In ancient armies, there was often a special unit composed of warriors who dared to fight to the death, known as the Blade-Bearing Warriors. Among them were the fiercest and bravest called the Vanguard Warriors. These were the elite troops within an army—the sharpest blades in battle. When facing the enemy, their role was to charge forward fearlessly, setting an example for the rest of the soldiers, inspiring their morale and fighting spirit.

By the times of the Qin and Han dynasties, through the Northern and Southern dynasties, and into the flourishing Tang era, the army’s vanguard generals were often those invincible in battle. They were known to defeat hundreds, even thousands, of foes. Before clashes, each side would send out their champions to test strength. The side whose general triumphed would see a surge in morale, while the defeated side’s spirits would plummet.

Though talk of one man facing hundreds or thousands could be exaggerated, most of these warriors were indeed fierce and unmatched, leading their troops deep into enemy ranks, disrupting formations, and striking fear into the hearts of their foes. In short, every army needed a fearless warrior willing to fight to the death, to serve as a beacon for others, to bolster courage and ignite the will to fight.

At this moment, Chen Qingzhi was precisely that exemplar.

Under his command, the members of the Broadsword Squad surged with fighting spirit, throwing themselves recklessly into battle against the Japanese forces, locked in fierce combat with the enemy soldiers. Chen Qingzhi and Huzi moved through the Japanese lines like two razor-sharp blades, slashing relentlessly. Wherever they went, Japanese soldiers fell, none able to withstand their onslaught.

Seeing these two warriors’ invincibility and the heavy damage they inflicted, and lacking the numbers to encircle them, the Japanese had no choice but to abandon efforts to trap them and instead focused on surrounding other soldiers.

“We can’t beat those two, but we can take out the rest first. Then, when we circle back, even if they’re strong, they won’t stand a chance against hundreds of us,” thought the Japanese squad leader confidently. He rallied his troops to concentrate their attacks on the other Broadsword Squad members.

However, what the Japanese did not expect was that the once feeble-looking Chinese soldiers suddenly erupted with unmatched combat prowess. Previously, one Japanese soldier could hold his own against three to five fearless Chinese fighters; two back-to-back could easily handle a squad. But now, when tangled with the Broadsword Squad, the Japanese were shocked to find their enemies far more formidable than imagined.

The Japanese’s skill in bayonet fighting and arm strength were unmatched by the Chinese soldiers, often giving them the upper hand and making kills effortless. Yet now, in one-on-one duels with Broadsword Squad members, they found themselves not only losing the advantage but sometimes barely able to hold their ground.

The Broadsword Squad’s practiced technique—the Broken Edge Sword Method—was a refined fusion of classic blade arts from Ming dynasty general Qi Jiguang’s “Xinyou Sword Technique,” Cheng Zongyou’s “Selected Single Sword Techniques,” and Qing dynasty master Wu Shu’s “Single Sword Illustrations.” This included moves like the Head-Down Slash, Waist-Block Slash, Diagonal Chop, and Fierce Head Dance—simple, swift, and powerful strikes, broad and forceful, with tremendous momentum.

Especially designed to counter the Japanese bayonet fighting style, the Broken Edge Sword Method consistently exploited the enemy’s weaknesses, delivering deadly blows. Its core principle was captured in a mnemonic:

“Face the foe with a mighty slash of the Broken Edge sword,
Drop the hand, swing across to block at the waist.
With the wind’s aid, sweep like autumn leaves,
A thousand-pound sweep none can escape.
Stride forward, lift and strike like thunder’s rush,
Chain the moves, slash downward like willow’s bend.
Guard left and right with speed and skill,
Shift step, change form, thrust the blade.”

Every move targeted the Japanese’s vulnerabilities.

Just as one Broadsword Squad member finished off a Japanese soldier and barely caught his breath, another charging soldier appeared, bayonet gleaming and arm bulging with veins. “Chinese, die!” he snarled fiercely, stabbing forward with lightning speed. His fierce expression and the glint of his blade made him seem invincible.

Yet, the soldier faced this threat calmly, eyes locked on the Japanese’s arm, watching his movements. His right hand gripped the broad sword tightly, waiting for the enemy’s weakness to reveal itself before delivering a thunderous strike.

As the bayonet neared his chest, the Japanese soldier believed his strike was certain, mistaking the soldier’s stillness for fear. His face twisted into a bloodthirsty grin, and unconsciously, his grip loosened slightly.

Seizing the moment, the soldier’s practiced instincts took over. The moves of the Broken Edge Twelve Stances surfaced naturally in his mind, and he unleashed the opening strike.

The broad sword flashed out sharply, its tip angled to the left, exposing his abdomen to the attacker, his left foot planted firmly behind for power.

“Clang!”

The sound of metal clashing echoed as the broad sword struck the Japanese rifle, twisting it aside. The Japanese’s strike missed, his strength unsteady—caught between the loss of old force and the gain of new.

The soldier seized this chance, stomping his back foot, and with a sudden surge of power, rammed his right shoulder into the Japanese.

The enemy staggered, and in a flash, the soldier reversed the swing of his broad sword, slicing across the Japanese’s neck.

With a sharp cut, the Japanese fell to the ground.

Breathing deeply to steady himself, the soldier paused briefly before locking eyes on another Japanese and lunging forward again.

Such scenes unfolded repeatedly across the small battlefield. The Japanese, once proud of their bayonet skills, found their advantage nullified by the Broadsword Squad.

This left the Japanese at a disadvantage, their losses mounting rapidly.

The Japanese squad leader’s face twisted with shock. He could hardly believe his eyes.

Was this the weak Chinese army? How could they possibly best the Empire’s soldiers in bayonet combat? It was impossible!

His eyes widened, mouth agape in disbelief.

If this continued, soon they would all be cut down by the Chinese.

Anxious, the squad leader shouted, “Baka! Hold the line! Hold the line! Destroy them! We must not let the Chinese escape!”

Desperate to rally his troops, he urged them to hold their ground. But the Japanese had already lost their edge in close combat. With fewer numbers, they often faced two Broadsword Squad members at once. Meanwhile, Chen Qingzhi and Huzi darted left and right, constantly breaking the enemy’s formation, slashing down soldiers, throwing the Japanese ranks into chaos with no effective counterattack.

The Japanese formation crumbled little by little. Soon, the soldiers under the squad leader’s command could no longer hold.

The Chinese soldiers fought with growing delight, and as Chen Qingzhi saw the Japanese beginning to regroup, he shouted urgently, “The Japanese are rallying—don’t waste time lingering in battle! Press the breakout!”