Days Upon Days of Training is the 396th chapter of the Kingdom manga.
Summary
Ou Hon is able to cut Earl Shi's forearm. As the Earl retaliates, Ou Hon is able to push aside his spear and slash the Fire Dragon's cheek. The surrounding soldiers from the Gyoku Hou and Earl Shi Army are left in awe at the sight. Kan Jou wonders if Ou Hon could see through Earl Shi's spear technique.
Ban You realized that Ou Hon had managed to catch Earl Shi with his "form." Unlike Earl Shi whose techniques were self-taught through actual combat, Ou Hon was trained from the foundation up in the orthodox spear technique. And in that spear technique, there exist countless different "forms" to be used against their opponents. "Defense, counter, offense;" forms devised for different effects. And if, in combat, Ou Hon was able to utilize those forms...
Ou Hon revealed to Earl Shi the reason he would fall by his hand was because he let him observe his technique for too long. Which got negative responses from Earl Shi's men. One told him that those "forms" were nothing but theories that exist only of paper. And what use was swinging around a spear in a place that wasn't the battlefield?
Ban You knew that was right to properly utilize those "forms" in actual combat would require extraordinary amounts of training and experience. Especially when up against an opponent like Earl Shi, but that was exactly what Ou Hon was demonstrating. Ou Hon's days upon days of exercise and training had finally borne fruit. Thinking back Ban You realized he was the only one who knew, because Ou Sen had shown Ou Hon attention when he was first taking up the spear, from that day forward that Ou Hon's training began. And it was through that steady effort that he was now having the upper hand dueling Earl Shi. Ou Hon was to destroy one of the Earl's shoulder pads slitting his ear. On the Hi Shin Unit's front Shin and Gai Mou were going at it head-to-head. Back on Ou Hon's front Ou Hon was blocking Earl Shi's blows. Earl Shi's plan was to break through Ou Hon's form with just brute strength. Shou Taku saw that Ou Hon used up all his strength. Ou Hon told Earl Shi that he possessed a weakness, and that was the fact that he was a human being wh had rejected the notion of "living." Earl Shi then delivered Ou Hon more blows. Ou Hon recalled that the thing that felt off to him yesterday was due due to how he lacks the instinct of self-preservation. All humans, by nature, would protect their own vitals out of reflex. But Earl Shi, for whatever reason, that does not apply to him. The actual reason mattered not to Ou Hon, but against his ability to penetrate a single point, that would be a fatal weakness. If he was able to push inside by using his "form," make it through a walking corpse like him. As Ou Hon went to deliver the final blow Earl Shi deal a heavy blow to Ou Hon's shoulder. Ou Hon called Earl Shi a bastard, and not to try to block his path. Ou Hon delivered a crushing blow directly into Earl Shi's heart.
Characters
Qin
Qin
- Tou Army
- Gyoku Hou Unit
- Hi Shin Unit
- Shin
- Kyou Kai (cover)
- Ka Ryo Ten (cover)
- Unnamed others
- Ou Sen Army
- Ou Sen (flashback)
Wei
- Go Hou Mei Army
- Earl Shi Army
- Earl Shi
- Unnamed officers
- Unnamed members
- Gai Mou Army
- Gai Mou
- Unnamed members
- Earl Shi Army
Chapter Notes
- Ou Hon's attacks connect as he wounds Earl Shi and manages to see through Earl's spear technique.
- A flashback of Ou Hon's training regimen is shown.
- Ou Hon finds Earl Shi's weak point.
- Ou Hon pierced his spear trough Earl Shi's chest.