Xu Shan lowered his head and looked at his palm. It was faintly red, and he knew how difficult it had been to take that punch.
If it had been anyone else, whether they could even withstand the Heart-Crushing Palm would have been questionable, let alone counterattack.
But Chen Mo's counterattack just now had been both precise and vicious!
Had he already figured out my moves beforehand, and prepared a counterattack strategy? he thought to himself.
If that's the case...
His thoughts stirred. He sprang forward like a fox or hare, swiftly closing in on Chen Mo before striking out with both palms. They surged like a raging tide, wave after wave.
This move was a variation of the Heart-Crushing Palm, one Xu Shan rarely used. He was certain Chen Mo wouldn't find it so easy to block this time.
Chen Mo looked at the "waves of palms" before him without panicking. The Wave-Intercepting Style was already taking shape in his hands.
The Wave-Intercepting Style from the Fuhu Fist was designed specifically to counter this sort of wild flurry of palms or punches. The key was finding the right moment.
Chen Mo repeatedly tapped the ground with his toes as he retreated swiftly, all the while keeping his eyes fixed on the surging palm force before him.
The moment the force slackened, even slightly, would be his chance to strike.
The two drew closer and closer, until the palm wind almost chilled his face.
"Looks like he's lost the ability to counterattack..." the spectators concluded one after another at the sight.
Wu Zhiai's expression was troubled as she clutched her skirt with both hands.
When the two were only inches apart, Xu Shan's advance faltered for an instant because the ground was slightly uneven.
In that instant, Chen Mo suddenly threw a punch.
First, he thrust out his left fist to meet the surging palm force, then sent his right fist crashing toward his opponent's throat.
The essence of the Fuhu Fist lay in seizing an opponent's weakness in the blink of an eye.
Chen Mo's insights into Mountain and Water Cultivation allowed him to bring the Fuhu Fist to its fullest potential.
Xu Shan was no ordinary opponent, either. The moment he saw the Wave-Intercepting Style coming, he immediately withdrew both palms and raised them to shield his throat.
Bang!
The force of the punch burst between his palms with a violent blast of energy.
Xu Shan took the full force of the punch and immediately stumbled backward.
This was the opening Chen Mo had been waiting for to bring his opponent down.
Thud, thud!
He strode forward twice, raised his right fist, and swiftly readied a Stone-Crushing Strike, smashing it toward Xu Shan's face.
The shift from defense to offense took only an instant!
Xu Shan's expression changed drastically. He tried to twist aside, but it was already too late. By the time he steadied himself, the force of the punch was right before his eyes.
Bang!
The punch struck Xu Shan in the face, sending him flying thirty feet like a bird with a broken wing. He crashed onto the stone-paved ground.
Three moves, not one more or one less!
The crowd erupted in a chorus of gasps. Among them were many family retainers and martial hall disciples.
Before, they had wondered whether they themselves could withstand Xu Shan's three moves.
Now, they wondered whether they could withstand Chen Mo's three moves.
"What was his name again? Chen Mo? How have I never heard of him...?"
"I heard he's a new disciple at Tianqing Martial Hall. He entered Ming Jin in half a month..."
"Half a month?"
The crowd buzzed with discussion about Chen Mo, this newcomer to the martial world.
Several men from the Zhao Family hurriedly helped Xu Shan to his feet. Part of his face had caved in, and he was covered in blood, but his injuries weren't the sort that couldn't heal.
Still, Chen Mo had thoroughly trampled the Zhao Family's pride underfoot today.
Wu Zhiai walked over to Chen Mo, unable to hide her delight. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine." Chen Mo gave a slight shake of his head.
Wu Zhiai turned to the crowd. "Everyone, today's spar between the Wu Family and the Zhao Family ends here. I hope the two families won't let this harm their relations."
It had been a long time since she had felt so vindicated.
In truth, the Wu Family felt the same. Even the family's gate seemed to shine a little brighter today.
By contrast, the Zhao Family quickly left amid the crowd's chatter. Xu Shan, supported by others, no longer looked so arrogant.
"Let's go sit in the reception hall," Wu Zhiai said to Chen Mo.
The two walked into the reception hall.
This was the first time Wu Zhiai had brought him to the reception hall. The last time, they had met in the courtyard.
Chen Mo looked around. Though the Wu Family had fallen into decline, it still had everything a family ought to have. Some parts simply looked neglected.
Wu Zhiai invited Chen Mo to sit. Wu Laoer poked his head out from nearby, but didn't dare show himself.
"Chen Mo."
Wu Zhiai spoke up. "You've helped the Wu Family—and me—once again. This time, I'll give you ten taels of silver as a reward!"
After giving it some thought, Chen Mo said, "Sister Ai, I have an unreasonable request. If you agree to it, I can do without the ten taels of silver."
Wu Zhiai raised her brows. "If it's something I can do, I'll certainly help."
"The Hansha Gang has its eye on me. I'm worried about my sister's safety, and I'd like her to stay with the Wu Family for a while."
Wu Zhiai fell silent for a moment. "That won't be a problem. I'll have someone make the arrangements shortly. And you should still take the ten taels of silver. A martial artist who's short on money isn't a true martial artist."
Chen Mo stood and clasped his hands in thanks.
But he knew this was, above all, a transaction.
He had helped the Wu Family defeat Xu Shan, and Wu Zhiai would help look after Chen Lan. If he hadn't defeated Xu Shan today, Wu Zhiai likely wouldn't have agreed so readily.
At that very moment, outside the Wu Family's gates,
two figures remained after the crowd had dispersed.
One was the man who had followed Chen Mo last night. The other was the Hansha Gang's vice-leader.
"Vice-Leader, Chen Mo really does have some skill."
The vice-leader lifted his shadowed face and began to think it over. "He was an unknown just half a month ago. Then he entered Ming Jin, killed our brother who was intercepting a caravan, and now he's defeated Xu Shan..."
He suddenly thought of something and muttered, "That Huang E who died at the Black Tiger Hall... I took part in the confrontation with the Black Tiger Hall, and I distinctly remember faint traces of fist wounds on Huang E's body. Could it be...?"
"You mean Chen Mo killed Huang E? Our Hansha Gang checked before, and no one had killed Huang E!"
The vice-leader lightly tapped his robe with his fingers as he thought it over. "Judging by the time of Huang E's death, Chen Mo had just entered Tianqing Martial Hall and hadn't reached Ming Jin yet. It makes perfect sense that he would have had a fight with Huang E."
"As far as this subordinate knows, Huang E was in charge of collecting tribute grain. He bullied Chen Mo before, so Chen Mo killed him."
At that, the vice-leader suddenly clenched his ten fingers, making a series of cracking sounds.
The black-clad subordinate asked, "Should we tell the Black Tiger Hall?"
A sinister glint flashed in the vice-leader's eyes. "Do you think the Black Tiger Hall truly cares whether a man like Huang E, who hadn't even reached Ming Jin, lives or dies? Keep quiet about this for now."
At the Wu Family's reception hall,
Wu Zhiai invited Chen Mo to stay for dinner, but he declined, saying he needed to hurry back to practice. Wu Zhiai readily agreed.
After Chen Mo left, Wu Zhiai walked to a side door beside the reception hall and suddenly yanked it open. Wu Laoer, who had been hiding behind it to eavesdrop, lost his support and stumbled to the floor.
Wu Zhiai raised her brows. "Second Brother, it's a good day today. Shall we celebrate with dinner together?"
Wu Laoer got to his feet, his expression shifting between dark and bright. He stammered, "I'll—I'll pass. You celebrate on your own."
With that, he fled with his tail between his legs.
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