Inner and Outer Styles

After the meal, the two of them did not rush to spar.

At Li Hui's request, they went for a walk first to aid digestion.

The two strolled leisurely around the station. Of course, Tian Tian followed behind them.

Tian Tian kept some distance from them, pretending to be out for a stroll as well, but how could Li Hui not know what she was thinking?

Still, he did not mind and let her tag along.

Along the way, Li Hui kept telling Lin Yuan about his glorious exploits, such as fighting three to five drug dealers alone and subduing knife-wielding criminals bare-handed.

By around half past one in the afternoon, there was hardly anyone left in the station.

Only then did the two of them stop in a shady clearing.

Lin Yuan and Li Hui stood facing each other, about four or five meters apart.

"Officer Li, please advise me."

"Remember, stop once one of us gains the upper hand."

As soon as he finished speaking, the two of them simultaneously assumed their starting stances.

Lin Yuan practiced internal martial arts, while Li Hui practiced external martial arts.

Internal martial arts focused on using stillness to control motion and striking after the opponent moved, whereas external martial arts were the exact opposite. They emphasized direct attacks, using speed to overcome slowness and motion to suppress stillness.

Thus, Lin Yuan assumed a standard defensive stance, with almost no opening to be found anywhere on his body.

Li Hui, meanwhile, was poised to strike. His eyes were like an eagle's, fixed intently on Lin Yuan's every movement.

Although the two had yet to exchange blows, the tense atmosphere had already spread through the surroundings, leaving Tian Tian, who was secretly watching nearby, afraid to draw a single deep breath.

Suddenly, an autumn breeze swept in, sending fallen leaves swirling across the ground.

At that moment, Li Hui erupted into action.

He moved as fast as lightning, his iron fists shooting toward Lin Yuan's upper and middle lines in an extremely fierce attack.

This was Hand Waving Like a Pipa from Arhat Fist.

As the force of the punches rushed toward him, Lin Yuan was not afraid. Instead, he thought, Good.

He lowered his shoulders and elbows, sank his wrists, drew in his chest, and shifted almost his entire weight onto his left leg.

This move was the first half of Catching Sparrow's Tail. It allowed him to evade the punch aimed at his face.

The second half, however, targeted Li Hui's middle-line punch—the punch from his right hand aimed at Lin Yuan's chest.

Lin Yuan pressed both palms against Li Hui's right wrist and elbow. As he raised his body from its lowered position, he was about to deliver a shoulder strike.

Seeing this, Li Hui hurriedly withdrew his fist and retreated.

Although he retreated, it was not a defeated retreat. There was still an advance hidden within it.

Lin Yuan did not press his advantage. Instead, he responded to every change without changing himself, because he also wanted to see what techniques this Arhat Fist contained.

Seeing this, Li Hui realized that Lin Yuan was looking down on him. A spark of anger rose in his heart, and he let out a furious shout.

He stepped forward, his attack now three times fiercer than before.

Li Hui clenched his left fist and drove it straight toward Lin Yuan's face. The move was simple, direct, and brutal.

Lin Yuan's body was light and nimble. He merely shifted one step to the left and dodged it.

But Li Hui's move was not limited to a single attack. It consisted of three consecutive strikes, known as Cloud Top Three Charges.

Arhat Fist consisted of eighteen forms, and Cloud Top Three Charges was precisely Li Hui's signature technique.

One fist came in, followed by another.

Li Hui's right fist reached Lin Yuan's face in an instant, and Lin Yuan immediately raised his left hand to block it.

But in doing so, Lin Yuan exposed an opening at his chest.

Li Hui laughed and immediately punched with his left hand, aiming straight for Lin Yuan's middle line.

Just as he thought he had succeeded, the hand Lin Yuan had been using to block suddenly twisted around and pressed down, directly seizing Li Hui's right hand. He then twisted it outward and casually pulled it forward.

Li Hui's entire body nearly lost its balance.

They said that power came from the ground. Without balance, power lost its foundation, and the force behind his left punch instantly vanished.

Not only that, his whole body tilted forward, and he looked ready to fall flat on the ground.

Li Hui reacted quickly. He stopped using his left hand to attack Lin Yuan, changing his fist into a palm and bracing it against the ground.

Although this resolved the danger, it also left him at Lin Yuan's mercy.

But Li Hui had extremely rich practical combat experience and immediately thought of a solution.

He had lost the use of his hands, but he still had his legs.

Thus, he launched a Sweeping Leg, attacking Lin Yuan's lower line.

"Your reactions are pretty quick." Lin Yuan smiled.

Rather than use his other hand to attack Li Hui's face, Lin Yuan chose to use his leg against Li Hui's leg and test their respective leg techniques.

The two began attacking each other with their legs.

Li Hui kicked again and again, while Lin Yuan countered each move as it came.

When Li Hui applied force, Lin Yuan redirected it. When Li Hui gathered power, Lin Yuan disrupted him. He borrowed Li Hui's force to strike back, using four ounces to deflect a thousand pounds.

Before long, Li Hui was drenched in sweat and gasping for breath.

After more than ten exchanges, he collapsed onto the ground and waved his hand.

"I quit, I quit."

Lin Yuan was still thoroughly engrossed, but seeing Li Hui like this, he could not very well continue.

"You were too kind."

Lin Yuan extended a hand and helped him up from the ground and into a nearby chair.

After Li Hui caught his breath, he looked at Lin Yuan as though he were some kind of freak.

"You really only started practicing six years ago?"

"Otherwise, why would I lie to you? I only came into contact with Tai Chi six years ago."

Lin Yuan did not dare say that he had practiced for less than a month.

"Damn, for crying out loud..." Li Hui could not help swearing. "Comparing people really is infuriating. So all those twenty-plus years I spent practicing Arhat Fist went straight into a dog's belly?"

"Tell me honestly, how much strength did you use just now?"

"Seventy percent."

"Really?"

Lin Yuan revealed a slightly guilty smile, but still insisted, "Seventy percent."

"Forget it, forget it. I'm nearly fifty years old, so there's no need to argue with you over this. I really am getting old. The saying that one should fear the young and vigorous when it comes to martial arts is absolutely true."

"Indeed. If you were my age, I might not be your match."

"You don't have to comfort me, kid. I'm not so fragile that I can't accept losing. I'm old, but my judgment is still sound. Even when I was young and strong, I probably still wouldn't have been your match. But speaking of which, are internal martial arts really that powerful?"

"Between internal and external martial arts, there has never been a definitive answer as to which is superior. They each have their specialties. Internal martial arts have their advantages, and external martial arts have their strengths."

"However, at Officer Li's age, I would suggest practicing internal martial arts to nourish your body and strengthen your health. It should be more effective than drinking goji berry water every day."

Li Hui could not help laughing. "You really are insulting me in a roundabout way, aren't you? But from the sound of it, do you want to teach me?"

"Teach is too strong a word. You can find information online these days. At most, I can give you a few pointers. Of course, if you don't mind, teach me a few moves of your Arhat Fist."

Li Hui finally understood. "So that's why you were being so helpful. You had your eye on my Arhat Fist."

"Fine, it's a deal!"

"When?"

"Are you really that impatient?"

Looking at him, Li Hui now vaguely understood why he had lost to Lin Yuan.

In reality, though, his imagination was completely unnecessary.

"Seven tomorrow morning. Come to the station."

"OK!"