Chapter Nineteen: The Wooden Men Formation

As someone honed in the ways of the twenty-first century, Chen Qi quickly picked up the thread of conversation and replied, “This disciple is merely conveying the steward’s concern and harbors no partiality.”

The moment the words left his mouth, Chen Qi regretted it. Old Chi didn’t strike him as the type to fuss over such formalities; his own over-politeness might just earn him the old man’s displeasure.

But flattery was just too delightful. Chen Qi had already reaped plenty of benefits from several outer sect stewards, and had even managed to gain four elixirs from Sun Ruohai’s grandfather at no cost.

Sure enough, Old Chi’s expression grew even more severe. He spoke: “Very well. I’d like to see whether your skills as a menial disciple are half as good as your way with words.”

He then turned to the steward of the Trial Hall and said, “Take this boy to the Wooden Men Formation. I want to see his abilities for myself.”

Chen Qi caught a schadenfreude-laden glance from the steward, who then led the way out. Chen Qi hurried after him, glancing back—only to find that Old Chi had vanished from his reclining chair without a trace.

A jolt of shock ran through Chen Qi, though he dared not let it show, keeping his eyes downcast and demeanor meek, like a docile bride. No, more like a live-in son-in-law!

Soon, Chen Qi followed the steward to a clearing in the woods. In the center stood eight wooden figures, each wielding a different weapon, their craftsmanship so vivid they seemed almost alive.

Old Chi was already seated on a stone bench not far off, waiting. When he saw Chen Qi approach, he said, “These eight little gadgets were loot from my younger days. With nothing better to do, I left them here in the forest—perfect for you young ones to use in your trials.”

Seeing Chen Qi’s puzzled look, the steward explained, “Don’t underestimate these wooden men. Once they start moving, even ordinary outer disciples can hardly last long against them.”

Chen Qi then asked if he could take the initiative—could he attack the wooden men instead of just defending?

The steward was about to answer when Old Chi interrupted, “Boy, if you’ve got the guts, try breaking one. Do it, and I’ll reward you.”

Without giving Chen Qi time to digest this, Old Chi urged, “Alright, if you’re ready, enter the formation. Last for the time it takes half a stick of incense to burn, and you pass.”

With that, Chen Qi drew his long blade, excitement flashing in his eyes as he swung it through the air—he’d long wanted to test his level three basic sword technique.

Resisting the urge to ask the two elders if his blade was sharp enough, Chen Qi obediently stepped into the midst of the wooden men.

Chen Qi assumed a stance that allowed both offense and defense, just as his level three basic sword technique dictated, and called out, “This disciple is ready—please test me, Elder Chi.”

Old Chi said nothing more, activating the Wooden Men Formation. He watched Chen Qi with cool detachment, then lit a stick of incense and planted it upright in the ground.

From within the eight wooden men came the grinding of gears; they began to move. Each wielded a different weapon: saber, spear, sword, halberd, hammer, axe, fork, and whip—a dazzling array.

Suddenly, their eyes lit up, and a faint aura of menace washed over Chen Qi.

Rather than wait for the wooden men to surround him, Chen Qi charged first, slashing at the sword-wielding wooden man.

Clang!

The wooden man didn’t dodge or block, letting Chen Qi’s full-force slash land on its torso. Sparks flew from the blade, but the wooden man was unharmed.

At the same instant, the wooden sword in its hand accelerated, swinging toward Chen Qi’s head.

Caught in the follow-through of his own attack, Chen Qi had no time to dodge. He could only bring his left hand down hard on the wooden man’s sword arm to deflect the blow.

His hand struck something as hard as rock, pain blooming across his knuckles. Still, the force of his punch caused the wooden man’s sword arm to hesitate just enough for Chen Qi to withdraw his blade and retreat.

But already, a faint aura pressed upon him from behind—he glanced back to find himself surrounded.

Chen Qi hadn’t expected the wooden men—mere constructs—to coordinate with such instinct and skill. Nor had he expected that his full-force strike would fail to so much as chip a splinter from them.

Swish—

A rush of wind behind him—several wooden men attacked at once, while the sword-wielder pressed from the front.

Now that he’d seen the power of the wooden men, Chen Qi dared not take the blow head-on.

He twisted aside, dodging one attack, then crashed into a wooden man, using the rebound to avoid another strike. All the while, his long blade wasn’t idle; he parried the incoming sword, then used the momentum to drive the wooden sword into the spear-wielding figure behind.

With the spear-wielding wooden man knocked off balance, Chen Qi let out a long breath—he hadn’t expected the very first exchange to be so perilous.

Crack!

A dark blur flashed by. Chen Qi felt a sharp pain across his face and nearly stumbled to the ground.

It was the whip-wielding wooden man, launching a sneak attack just after the initial assault—a viciously timed strike.

This was what Chen Qi realized after taking the blow.

The wooden men wasted no time. The axe- and hammer-wielders trapped Chen Qi between them, their heavy weapons sweeping in with great force.

Through the gap between the two, Chen Qi could see the other six wooden men watching, poised to strike—especially that infernal whip-wielder.

Meanwhile, the incense stick had barely burned down at all!

The axe and hammer came at him—one from above, one from below, one from the front, one from behind—clearly intending to split him in two.

Relying on the agility of his basic footwork, Chen Qi leapt lightly into the air. His left foot landed on the upward-swinging axe, while his right kicked hard at the hammer, using it as a springboard to rise even higher. He then brought his left foot down with force onto the hammer-wielder’s face.

In the audience, the steward gave a low cheer at Chen Qi’s improvisation, and even Old Chi’s critical gaze softened a touch.

But while he was still airborne, the remaining wooden men lunged for his landing spot, weapons outstretched in eager anticipation.

The whip-wielder struck first, lashing out with its meter-and-a-half wooden whip at Chen Qi’s knee. If that blow landed, he’d be forced to his knees for sure.

Cursing the twisted mind of whoever designed these wooden men, Chen Qi watched as the others’ weapons swept toward him in waves, clearly intent on battering him out of the sky.

Landing was out of the question. Chen Qi unleashed a burst of blood energy, aiming directly at the wooden whip.

A surge of blood essence exploded forth, striking the furious whip and propelling him upward in a brilliant double jump!

Meanwhile, the redirected whip smashed into the charging spear-wielding wooden man, knocking it to the ground. The fallen wooden man blocked the others’ advance, causing a moment of confusion.

Chen Qi landed lightly behind the wooden men.

By now, the stick of incense had burned down by barely a sixth!