Name: Zhang Menglong
Wuxia Name: "The Blade Without Technique"
Employed by: Eight Lucky Sparrows
Age: 41
Gender: Male
Fighting Style & Philosophy:
Zhang Menglong utilizes the art of the Dugu Nine Swords, a fighting style that, as its name suggests revolves around the usage of swords.
His philosophy in fighting turns away from anything that speaks of 'natural talent/genius'. He believes that to achieve anything one must put in hard work first, for even natural genius is nothing compared to one who has put in more effort - He believes that even a diamond will remain rough and ugly until it is polished.
For the first twenty years of his life, Zhang Menglong walked the plains using a plain longsword - This was to train the basics of his swordsmanship, building a foundation so strong that it will be unshakable and unforgettable no matter what other skills he learns plainly due to the long time he has spent training with it.
For the next ten years, until he was thirty he used a flexible blade, one that would coil and spring against another and it's tip snapped back and forth, forever unpredictable when it came to thrusts. Through this, Menglong learnt to control every part of the blade - He eliminated unnecessary movements, instead directing the efforts to increasing the accuracy of his strikes.
After the flexible blade, Menglong trained using a heavy metal claymore. This was to increase the power behind his strikes, as he used this sword that was usually held with two hands in one, training by striking against waves and repelling rocks underneath waterfalls.
And finally, the Pinnacle of Hard Work - The Pinnacle of his Swordsmanship's training begins at this point. From the age of forty onwards, he will use no sword. The training over these years have given him a more than adequate grasp over his stores of internal energy. The Pinnacle of Swordsmanship, that the art he follows states that one must refine his internal energy, his
chi to the point where he does not require a sword to cut. This will be the hardest phase of his training, but Menglong shows no sign in giving up.
History:
Zhang Menglong was born to a family of martial arts practitioners, who opened up a school and became quite famous in the region of Hebei. However, unlike his many brothers and sisters whom had much skill in martial arts, some who became regarded as geniuses, Menglong showed no talent or even an inclination of martial arts at all. He was clumsy as a child, failing to master the intricate balancing skills and breathing methods his clan's martial arts branched off from and he was cast aside as a hopeless case. In the eyes of his parents, he was considered a bastard. He was treated like an outsider, often 'missed out' when the time for dinner came. All this time Menglong trained quietly, using a cheap longsword of average quality he purchased from the town with money he saved up. He practiced basic strokes, thrusts and trained his stamina, slowly, but surely. He failed many times, falling down when trying to perform a few of the more complicated moves but he got up and he tried again.
One day, his father caught him practicing with the sword - Instead of complimenting his efforts, his father threw him out of the house. He called him a traitor to the family (the clan's style focused on palm and fist strikes) and his name was struck from their will and the family records. With his tears held back and his fist clenched Menglong walked away - This home had never been a home at all for him, so he wasn't going to cry for them. He turned his back on his family and he ventured the lands, meeting many martial artists on his way. He made friends and rivals, but never enemies - He was never one for enemies.
Stumbling upon the tomb of the master swordsman, nicknamed "Demonic Sword" Dugu Xiubai, Menglong perused the literary works regarding his sword style in the cave. Realizing that the first part of his training was similar to what the carvings spoke of, Menglong followed its instructions and he dug up the next sword - The one that coiled and sprung, as a flexible as a whip and he left the cave, to continue his training. With every ten years that came and went, Menglong changed his sword, and it was halfway through his training using the Heavy Claymore, when he heard of his family's downfall.
Apparently, someone had challenged the school and the school had been beaten badly. His father had died from the shock and most of his siblings, those that hadn't been killed during their journeys through the dangerous world of martial arts had been beaten soundly - Some of them had been said to not be able to practice martial arts again, as their chi center had been destroyed.
Menglong, hearing this atrocity returned home to meet the challenger in combat, and the duel went on for hours, the both of them striking back and forth, exchanging wounds with no side about to give ground. Only when the clock struck midnight did Menglong see an opening, and he thrust. The blade went right through his opponent's chest, the heavy blade tearing through flesh, bone and organ - An instant kill.
Although his family had been avenged, Menglong realized that he had challenged the man to a duel not because he wanted to protect his family's honour. He just wanted to prove that hard work amounted to more than whatever natural talent could bring you, and he had just killed to prove a point.
Present:
Menglong currently lives life like a beggar in Hudong, although he does have a respectable amount of money stashed away in the banks. He works for the Eight Lucky Sparrows, helping to make tea and carrying the baskets of tea leaves to and fro the teahouse whenever he is not working on his 'swordless style'.
Appearance:
Character Relation: None as of now.
Note: Seeing as Menglong is starting on his final phase of training and he is restricting himself to not use a sword in combat, his skill level will be equal to everyone here. Unless someone pisses him off enough to make him pick up a sword.