A Match (1)

"Heh-heh."

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

He'd been caught off guard by a scholar's sneak attack and nearly blinded. He'd lost face in the gang.

Over the past two days, those rotten friends of his had often wandered over to tease him, and Jia Yanyong felt awful about it.

Although he loved a good fight, he didn't scheme as much as his older brother, Jia Yanming.

Jia Yanyong was almost excessively straightforward. After Lin Zheyu ambushed him, he hadn't spoken ill of him.

When the gangs clashed, he'd charged in first, just as straightforwardly.

He believed that people who lived by the blade should put loyalty first and be willing to take a knife in the ribs for their brothers.

He'd had his neck slashed for it and nearly lost his life, but Jia Yanyong hadn't thought it was a big deal.

But being ambushed by a scholar and then mocked by his rotten friends for it—that made him feel awful.

"Fine!"

Lin Zheyu glanced at Jia Yanyong, who looked eager to take a swing at him right then and there, and agreed.

Since he planned to join the Flying Rainbow Gang, it was time to settle his grudge with Jia Yanyong. They didn't have any blood feud between them to begin with.

He was more than willing to settle things with a match.

"Haha! You've finally fallen into my hands."

"This time, I'll beat you good and win back the face I lost."

Jia Yanyong grinned at Lin Zheyu.

Anyone could see the ill intent in his eyes.

He rolled his neck and clenched his fists until they cracked. Lin Zheyu almost felt sorry for his knuckles.

"Since you've agreed, Jia Yanyong, spar with Mr. Lin for a few moves. Keep it friendly, and don't hit him too hard," Xu Jingwu said.

As far as he was concerned, Lin Zheyu had trained in martial arts for a while, but he wouldn't be Jia Yanyong's match.

Jia Yanyong had reached the early stage of the Bone Forging Realm. Add his burly, muscular build to that, and he was incredibly strong. He was considered a good fighter even within the Flying Rainbow Gang.

"Don't worry, Gang Leader. I know," Jia Yanyong said with a grin, looking quite pleased.

"It's too cramped in here to move around. Let's go to the courtyard," Lin Zheyu said.

He led Xu Jingwu and the others to the rear courtyard of the Bidan Tea House.

Liang Song glanced at them from a distance, then went back to sipping his wine and staring into space.

In the rear courtyard, Lin Zheyu rolled up his sleeves and faced Jia Yanyong.

Jia Yanyong glared at Lin Zheyu. "You can't use tricks and ambush me this time. Let's see what else you've got!"

"Damn it, you made me lose face in front of Xie Jiang and Ning Hui. I'll beat you so badly you won't be able to get out of bed for days!"

"Ha! Take this!" Jia Yanyong roared, then charged at Lin Zheyu with his fist raised.

He was a big man, and the force of his furious punch made the onlookers break into a sweat for Lin Zheyu.

"Gang Leader, is this really all right?"

"If Mr. Lin gets hurt, no one will tell us such exciting stories anymore," one of the men beside Xu Jingwu said.

"Don't worry. Jia Yanyong may be reckless, but he knows how to hold back. At worst, he'll leave Mr. Lin in bed for a few days," Xu Jingwu said with a smile.

He'd suggested a spar between Lin Zheyu and Jia Yanyong mainly to let Jia Yanyong vent his anger.

"Whoa!"

"Holy crap!"

"Wow!"

Hearing the gasps from the courtyard, Xu Jingwu looked toward the two fighters.

He'd been distracted, thinking about other things.

As far as Xu Jingwu was concerned, Lin Zheyu was no match for Jia Yanyong. He was far inferior in both size and combat experience.

But when he looked at the two men fighting, his eyes froze for a moment.

Jia Yanyong's punch came in like a storm.

In his mind, Lin Zheyu was still that frail scholar, as weak as a reed.

Even though he'd trained in martial arts for a month or two and had grown much sturdier, Jia Yanyong still didn't take him seriously.

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

After spending the whole night trading moves with Master Liang—and getting kicked by him all night—Lin Zheyu had gained some insight into actual combat.

He used the Golden Goose Technique to nimbly dodge Jia Yanyong's punch.

Seizing the opening, Lin Zheyu grabbed Jia Yanyong's wrist and gave his forward momentum a sharp tug. Jia Yanyong lost his balance and staggered forward.

Thud—

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

A tremendous force struck him, sending Jia Yanyong pitching face-first to the ground.

The gang members watching were stunned.

Steward Wu was stunned too.

Was this really the same skinny, frail young man he'd known—the one who'd been little more than skin and bones?

How long had it been? He could now beat someone as burly as Jia Yanyong with ease. It was incredible.

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

"Again!"

Jia Yanyong got back to his feet, his face dark with fury.

Being beaten with ease in front of everyone, without the other man using tricks or a sneak attack this time, left him humiliated.

"Fine," Lin Zheyu said with a nod.

He settled into the stance of the Bull Fist, intending to win Jia Yanyong over with sheer strength and show Xu Jingwu what he could do.

"Hmph!"

Jia Yanyong snorted, gritted his teeth against the pain in his back, and attacked again.

He practiced the Black Fiend Fist. At its highest level, the fists were so fierce that even a graze could injure you, and a direct hit could kill.

Lin Zheyu circulated the Breathing Method and struck with the Bull Fist.

After learning the Breathing Method, the power of his punches had more than doubled.

Once he'd mastered the method further and strengthened his internal organs, their power could even increase three or four times over.

Thud!

Their fists collided with a muffled sound.

Lin Zheyu and Jia Yanyong both felt a slight numbness in their arms and a dull ache in their bones.

Their strength was about equal, and both were knocked back two steps.

A flicker of shock crossed Jia Yanyong's eyes. "That's some strength. Has this guy reached the Bone Forging Realm too?"

The Black Fiend Fist was fierce and powerful. Few in the gang could take a direct hit from him.

Yet this man, whom he'd thought was as frail as a reed, had not only met his punch head-on but had driven him back several steps.

"Again!" Jia Yanyong roared, pressing forward once more.

His attacks were broad and forceful, full of reckless vigor, but riddled with openings.

After Liang Song's instruction, Lin Zheyu could spot Jia Yanyong's weaknesses with ease.

But he didn't exploit them to beat him. He planned to use his strength alone to thoroughly subdue the straightforward fellow.

From their last clash, Lin Zheyu had realized that Jia Yanyong wasn't much stronger than he was.

Because of his larger build, his opponent had a slight advantage in strength—but only a slight one.

A fight wasn't decided by strength and speed, but by combat awareness and technique.

In those areas, Jia Yanyong was far behind. He had courage and strength to spare, but all he knew was how to overwhelm people with brute force.

Thud!

Bam, bam, bam!

The thuds of fist against flesh echoed through the courtyard. The Flying Rainbow Gang members, Steward Wu, and the Bidan Tea House waiters all looked at Lin Zheyu differently.

They'd never expected that the refined scholar who spoke with such literary flair and recounted tales of martial heroism from the storyteller's platform would possess such formidable strength.

"Good! Good! Good!" Xu Jingwu exclaimed three times as he watched Jia Yanyong and Lin Zheyu trade blow after blow.

Lin Zheyu was remarkably talented in martial arts.

From his fighting style, Xu Jingwu could tell he was using the widely practiced Bull Fist.

As far as he knew, Lin Zheyu had been training for less than two months, yet he'd already mastered the Bull Fist. His aptitude was astonishing.

If this kid truly had no martial arts experience before, then that kind of talent is worth cultivating, Xu Jingwu thought.

Thud—

Lin Zheyu raised his arm to block Jia Yanyong's punch aimed straight at his face. His arm went slightly numb.

He stepped forward with his right foot and kicked Jia Yanyong in the knee.

Caught off guard, Jia Yanyong staggered, his balance thrown off.

Lin Zheyu seized the moment and rushed in.

Bull Charge!

He launched the Bull Charge, driving both fists forward.

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

Lin Zheyu's lips curled into a triumphant smile.

Thud—

His other fist slammed into Jia Yanyong's abdomen.

"Hss—"

Jia Yanyong felt his stomach seize. He doubled over like a shrimp and collapsed to the ground.