Chapter 56: Custom Design

Next up was Lao He’s duel against Liuli. Wang Zhi was actually quite eager to see how Lao He would use a dagger to counter Liuli’s long blade.

After taking a short break, the two walked to the center. Lao He crouched slightly, ready to strike at any moment, while Liuli was fully focused and on guard.

Lao He made his move! He started with a few probing attacks. The two exchanged blows, each countering the other. So far, it seemed that Lao He was unable to break through Liuli’s blade techniques. If he couldn’t get close, he had no chance. Lao He waved his dagger skillfully, looking for an opening in Liuli’s defense as he blocked and countered attacks. The two remained locked in a deadlock. Over time, an opening was bound to appear.

Just as Liuli became engrossed in counterattacking, Lao He suddenly launched a fierce assault. Liuli immediately blocked, only to realize too late that it was a feint. Lao He abandoned the fake attack and swiftly closed the distance between them—he was now in close combat range! By the time Liuli reacted, it was already too late. Lao He had grabbed hold of Liuli’s body. The advantage of the long blade had now turned into a disadvantage. If Lao He had a real dagger in hand, he could have easily slit Liuli’s throat at this moment. However, with a long blade, such a move was impossible. All Liuli could do was watch as Lao He executed a takedown, pinning Liuli to the ground with his dagger pressed against his throat. This scene was almost identical to when Wang Zhi had been defeated earlier—the only difference was that Liuli had managed to hold out longer against Lao He.

It was worth noting that Liuli’s blade had never been drawn. This meant that his weapon was both heavier and less effective in attacking, giving Lao He less pressure. If it had been a real fight with live weapons, Lao He might not have survived Liuli’s counterattack.

Wang Zhi watched the duel closely and analyzed the techniques used. Next, it was Lao He’s turn to face Su Muying. Having already fought two rounds, Lao He could rest, but Su Muying had been watching from the sidelines, observing his techniques. This next battle didn’t seem favorable for Lao He.

“Uncle, have you rested enough? Watching them fight has made my hands itch,” Su Muying said eagerly as she stretched and warmed up.

“Come on then,” Lao He replied after catching his breath.

“Don’t push yourself too hard. If you lose, don’t use exhaustion as an excuse.”

“Heh, I won’t. Friendship first, competition second.”

The fight began! Wang Zhi watched as the two faced off in the center. Su Muying casually twirled her dagger, while Lao He stood with focused intensity. The contrast was stark—one was relaxed and confident, the other cautious and tense.

Suddenly, Su Muying sprang into action. The five-meter distance between them disappeared in an instant as she dashed toward Lao He, aiming for a critical strike. However, Lao He was prepared and deflected her attack with his own dagger. Missing her mark, Su Muying swiftly spun around to Lao He’s back and stabbed again. Lao He dodged once more and caught Su Muying’s wrist—using the same grappling move that had worked against Wang Zhi before.

Wang Zhi’s eyes narrowed. That move had been his downfall. But what happened next surprised him—Su Muying, instead of struggling, leapt up, wrapping her legs around Lao He’s neck. With a forceful twist, she threw Lao He off balance. Lao He had no choice but to release his grip and try to break free. Although his lower body was stable, having his neck locked nullified that advantage. He retaliated with an elbow strike to Su Muying’s waist.

Thud! Lao He’s strike landed, but Su Muying didn’t let go. Instead, she twisted her body and managed to fling Lao He to the ground. She landed as well but quickly got back up, grabbing her dagger and rushing toward Lao He, aiming for his chest.

Lao He pushed himself up just in time to block her downward thrust with both hands. He then kicked Su Muying away, using the momentum to flip backward and regain his stance.

“Not bad, Uncle. You’ve got some skills,” Su Muying commented, rubbing her waist where she had been hit.

“You… are strong too,” Lao He panted, rubbing his neck where he had been trapped moments ago.

From Wang Zhi’s perspective, both fighters had held back. Since this was just sparring, they were mindful not to use lethal techniques. For instance, Su Muying could have executed a more deadly move when she had Lao He in a lock, but she refrained out of consideration for the nature of the duel.

It had been an exciting fight.

“Alright, let’s stop here. The purpose of sparring is to identify our weaknesses and find ways to improve. Let’s get back to training,” Wang Zhi announced.

The five of them left the training room and resumed their drills. Their training mainly focused on physical conditioning, as most of their battles were against mindless zombies. Mastering too many techniques was often unnecessary—if a fight couldn’t be won, running was always an option. As long as one could keep moving, there was always a chance to escape.

While running on the treadmill, Wang Zhi thought about Jie Xi’s ghostly movements. When would he be able to move like that? As he pondered, he unconsciously increased the treadmill speed and kept running at full tilt. Eventually, exhaustion overtook him, and he collapsed onto the ground.

Lying there, gasping for air, he recalled Jie Xi’s imposing figure in her armor.

“Armor…”

A sudden realization struck him. Jie Xi’s armor was made of iron. That full suit of armor had to weigh at least fifty kilograms! She always wore it, even during training. Now it made sense to Wang Zhi—her armor wasn’t just for protection; it was also a form of weight training. If she was accustomed to carrying fifty kilograms of extra weight daily, wielding a massive sword with ease, and still moving freely, then the moment she took it off, her speed must have been almost supernatural!

Inspired, Wang Zhi decided to design his own training outfit. However, full armor would be too bulky and impractical. Instead, he thought of hiding iron plates inside regular workout clothes—keeping it discreet yet effective. By embedding iron plates into his shoes, pants, and shirt, he could add about thirty kilograms of weight. Except for sleeping, he would wear the suit at all times. Once he fully adapted, his strength and speed would greatly improve.

Excited by this idea, he gathered everyone and shared his plan. No one objected, so Wang Zhi immediately started drafting a design.

After training, they headed to the trading hall. Wang Zhi sketched his concept first.

Lao He examined it and suggested, “The steel plates in the shoes shouldn’t all be at the sole—it’ll mess with balance. Some should go on top as well.”

“This pants design isn’t practical. Won’t they just fall off? Add straps to secure the iron plates to the legs. Otherwise, all the weight will pull on the waist.”

“And why is the top so baggy? Make it form-fitting,” Su Muying added.

“Alright, how about this?” Wang Zhi revised the design and showed them again.

“Hmm… this is much better. You’re learning fast,” Su Muying nodded approvingly at the finalized design—a tight-fitting suit with reinforced shoes.

For color, Wang Zhi chose the most inconspicuous shade—black. He handed the design to the craftsmen, who took measurements for each of them. Wang Zhi requested that the total weight be around thirty kilograms, adjusted according to body size—Liuli, being smaller, would have around twenty kilograms, while the more muscular Lao He might carry thirty-five.