Exchange Blows (I)

"Heh heh."

Jia Yanyong chuckled as he looked at Lin Zheyu, his eyes full of ill intent.

Having been successfully ambushed by a scholar and nearly blinded had cost him face within the gang.

Over the past two days, those lousy friends of his often hovered around him, tossing out mocking remarks. Jia Yanyong found it deeply unpleasant.

Though he loved fighting and brawling, he did not have as many schemes as his older brother, Jia Yanming.

Jia Yanyong was almost excessively straightforward. After Lin Zheyu ambushed him, he straightforwardly did not speak ill of Lin Zheyu.

Whenever gangs descended into a chaotic brawl, he straightforwardly rushed forward first.

He believed that those who roamed the world should put loyalty above all else, willing to take a blade in the ribs for their brothers.

Even when his neck had been slashed and he had nearly lost his life because of it, Jia Yanyong had not thought it was any great matter.

But being caught off guard by a scholar's ambush, then mocked by his lousy friends for it, made him feel miserable.

"Fine!"

Lin Zheyu said as he looked at Jia Yanyong, who was eager to give it a try and seemed to wish he could beat him up right away.

Since he intended to join the Flying Rainbow Gang, it was time to settle the grudge between him and Jia Yanyong. There had never been any life-or-death enmity between them to begin with.

He was more than willing to settle their grievances through a fight.

"Haha, you've finally fallen into my hands."

"Let's see if I don't beat you senseless this time and win back the face I lost."

Jia Yanyong grinned at Lin Zheyu.

Anyone with eyes could see the ill intent in Jia Yanyong's gaze.

He rolled his neck and clenched his fists until they cracked, making even Lin Zheyu feel sorry for his knuckles.

"Since you've agreed, Jia Yanyong, accompany Mister Lin in a few exchanges. Stop at the right point, and don't hit too hard."

Xu Jingwu said.

In his view, although Lin Zheyu had practiced martial arts for some time, he would not be Jia Yanyong's match.

Jia Yanyong's strength had reached the initial Bone Forging Realm. Coupled with his broad, brawny build, he was extremely formidable. Even within the Flying Rainbow Gang, he counted as a skilled fighter.

"Don't worry, Gang Leader. I know."

Jia Yanyong said with a chuckle, clearly delighted.

"This place is too cramped to move around properly. Let's go to the back courtyard."

Lin Zheyu said.

He led Xu Jingwu and the others to the back courtyard of Bi Dan Teahouse.

Liang Song glanced at them from afar, then continued drinking by himself, staring blankly into space.

Upon arriving in the back courtyard, Lin Zheyu rolled up his sleeves and looked at Jia Yanyong opposite him.

Jia Yanyong stared at Lin Zheyu with a hostile expression. "No tricks or sneak attacks this time. Let's see what other skills you have!"

"Damn it, you made me lose face in front of Xie Jiang and Ning Hui. Let's see if I don't beat you so badly you can't get out of bed for days!"

"Ha! Take this!"

After saying that, Jia Yanyong shouted and charged at Lin Zheyu with a swinging fist.

He was tall and powerfully built. Seeing that ferocious punch, even bystanders could not help breaking into a cold sweat for Lin Zheyu.

"Gang Leader, will this really be all right?"

"If Mister Lin gets badly hurt, no one will be telling such wonderful stories anymore."

A man beside Xu Jingwu said.

Many members of the Flying Rainbow Gang were fans of Lin Zheyu's stories, and recently they had become addicted to listening to them.

"Don't worry. Jia Yanyong may be reckless, but he still knows some restraint. At most, Mister Lin will be bedridden for a few days." Xu Jingwu said with a smile.

His main reason for suggesting that Lin Zheyu Exchange Blows with Jia Yanyong was to let Jia Yanyong vent some steam.

"Huh!"

"Damn!"

"Whoa!"

Hearing the startled cries from the courtyard, Xu Jingwu could not help turning toward the two fighting men.

He had just been distracted, thinking about other matters.

In Xu Jingwu's eyes, Lin Zheyu was no match for Jia Yanyong at all. Whether in size or actual combat experience, Lin Zheyu fell far short.

Yet when he looked at the two men dueling, his gaze froze slightly.

Jia Yanyong's punch came surging in with savage force.

In his memory, Lin Zheyu was still that frail scholar who looked as though a gust of wind could knock him over.

Even if he had practiced martial arts for a month or so and had grown much sturdier, Jia Yanyong still did not take him seriously.

Watching Jia Yanyong's ferocious punch come at him, Lin Zheyu's lips curled slightly.

After a night of Master Liang feeding him moves and kicking him around all night, Lin Zheyu had gained some understanding of real combat.

He used the Golden Goose Skill beneath his feet and nimbly dodged Jia Yanyong's fist.

Lin Zheyu seized Jia Yanyong's wrist in passing, then fiercely added force in the direction Jia Yanyong was charging, causing him to lose his balance and stagger forward.

Bang—

Lin Zheyu bent his elbow and slammed it violently into Jia Yanyong's back.

A tremendous force struck him. Jia Yanyong crashed face-first onto the ground, falling flat on his face.

The watching gang members were stunned.

Steward Wu was stunned as well.

Was this still the young man he knew, who had once been so thin he was nothing but skin and bones, so frail that a breeze could topple him?

How long had it even been? He could already effortlessly defeat someone as heavily built as Jia Yanyong. It was simply unbelievable.

"That doesn't count. I wasn't paying attention just now."

"Again!"

Jia Yanyong rose from the ground, his expression extremely ugly.

Being easily defeated in full view of everyone, and this time his opponent had not used any tricks or sneak attacks, made him feel utterly humiliated.

"Fine."

Lin Zheyu nodded.

He assumed the stance of the Wild Bull Fist, intending to use sheer strength to conquer Jia Yanyong while also displaying his ability to Xu Jingwu.

"Hmph!"

Jia Yanyong snorted coldly, enduring the pain in his back as he launched another attack.

He practiced the Black Fiend Fist. At advanced levels, its fists became incomparably fierce and powerful—one brush was enough to injure, one solid hit enough to kill.

Lin Zheyu activated his breathing technique and struck with the Wild Bull Fist.

After learning the breathing technique, the power of his fist techniques had more than doubled.

Once he became more proficient in the breathing technique and tempered his internal organs to become stronger, its power could even become three or four times what it had been before.

Bang

The two exchanged a punch, and a dull thud rang out.

Both Lin Zheyu and Jia Yanyong felt their arms go slightly numb and their bones ache faintly.

Their strength was evenly matched, and both were knocked back two steps.

A flash of shock crossed Jia Yanyong's eyes. "Such power... has this guy also reached the Bone Forging Realm?"

The Black Fiend Fist was fierce and powerful. There were few in the gang who could take one of his punches head-on.

Yet this fellow, who had looked so weak and frail to him, had actually endured it head-on and even knocked him back several steps.

"Again!"

Jia Yanyong shouted and pressed forward once more.

His attacks were broad and open, brimming with brute savagery, but they were also riddled with openings.

After Liang Song's instruction, Lin Zheyu easily spotted Jia Yanyong's flaws.

But he did not exploit them to defeat Jia Yanyong. He intended to rely on raw strength and thoroughly beat this straightforward fellow into submission.

After their previous clash, Lin Zheyu discovered that Jia Yanyong was not much stronger than he was.

Because of his larger build, the other man's strength was slightly greater, but only by a sliver.

Actual combat was not a contest of strength and speed, but of combat awareness and methods.

In that regard, Jia Yanyong was lacking by far more than a little. He possessed nothing but a body full of bravery and strength, knowing only how to crush others with brute force.

Bang

Bang bang bang

The sounds of fists striking flesh echoed through the courtyard. The Flying Rainbow Gang members, Steward Wu, and the waiters of Bi Dan Teahouse all looked at Lin Zheyu differently now.

They had never expected that the refined scholar, so full of scholarly spirit as he told tales of passion and bloodshed in the martial world upon the Storytelling Platform, possessed such formidable strength.

"Good, good, good!"

Watching Jia Yanyong and Lin Zheyu trade blow after blow, Xu Jingwu could not help saying "good" three times in succession.

Lin Zheyu actually possessed such talent in the martial path.

From the patterns of his fist technique, Xu Jingwu could tell that it was the widely circulated folk martial art known as the Wild Bull Fist.

As far as he knew, Lin Zheyu had practiced martial arts for less than two months, yet he had already brought the Wild Bull Fist to the proficient level. Such comprehension was truly astonishing.

If this boy truly had never come into contact with martial arts before, then talent and insight like this are worth cultivating. Xu Jingwu thought.

Bang—

Lin Zheyu raised an arm to block Jia Yanyong's punch aimed straight at his face, feeling a faint numbness in his arm.

He stepped forward with his right foot and kicked toward Jia Yanyong's knee.

Caught off guard, Jia Yanyong staggered, his center of gravity thrown off balance.

Lin Zheyu seized the chance and swiftly closed in.

Wild Bull Charge!

With a Wild Bull Charge, both fists shot out.

In his panic, Jia Yanyong chose to block the fist aimed at his face first.

Lin Zheyu's lips curled upward in a triumphant smile.

Bang—

His other fist smashed viciously into Jia Yanyong's abdomen.

"Hiss—"

Jia Yanyong felt his stomach cramp violently. His entire body curled up like a shrimp as he collapsed to the ground.