Xiahou

Li's All-You-Can-Eat Hot Pot.

Steam billowed from the bubbling copper pot. The broth, simmered from fish bones and shrimp heads, churned with generous slices of lamb, squid, raw shrimp, dace balls, and oysters. Vegetables went into the pot, and as soon as they were cooked, someone quickly fished them out.

"Excuse me, coming through!"

Fish Head Xu carried five or six plates of fish and vegetables in each hand. Calling out to the people coming and going, he carefully made his way toward a seat by the window facing the street.

"That's enough, Brother Xu. There's already plenty."

When Xiahou Wu saw Fish Head Xu return to the table yet again, he quickly stood to help take the plates of food and set them down. Then he invited Fish Head Xu to sit. "Brother Xu, please sit. You're being so generous that I'm starting to feel embarrassed as your guest."

"We're sharing a table and a meal. It's a rare bit of luck for us to meet."

Fish Head Xu wiped the sweat from his forehead, then turned and grinned at Xiahou Wu. He pointed to Yang Chu, who had barely stopped eating since they arrived. "I'm going to get a few more plates. With Chu-zai here, there's no need to worry about leftovers."

Xiahou Wu glanced at Yang Chu, who seemed rooted to the spot beside the table and had been eating nonstop ever since they entered the all-you-can-eat hot pot restaurant. He also noticed several employees by the counter pointing toward them and whispering. Following Fish Head Xu, he smiled and said, "Then I'll come with you, Brother Xu."

They returned with four or five plates of vegetables and meat each. Two of the plates Fish Head Xu had brought earlier were already empty, but this time they didn't get up again. They sat down together and started cooking meat and vegetables in the pot.

This was already their fifth round. After briefly blanching a few leaves of greens, Fish Head Xu leisurely began sipping his tea.

Xiahou Wu ate a few more plates of meat and vegetables, then let out a soft breath and put down his chopsticks.

"Have some tea. The biluochun they serve here is excellent." Fish Head Xu picked up the teapot and poured Xiahou Wu a cup.

"Thank you."

Xiahou Wu nodded his thanks, then looked across at Yang Chu, who kept putting anything cooked into the pot straight into his mouth. A smile appeared on his face. "Yang Chu, you have quite an appetite."

Ever since they entered the all-you-can-eat hot pot restaurant, Yang Chu had only left the table once, when he went to get a huge pile of meat and vegetables. After that, he'd just kept eating.

Even though Xiahou Wu considered himself a martial artist with a hearty appetite, he hadn't eaten even a quarter as much as Yang Chu.

"Don't be so formal. Just call him Chu-zai. His stomach's bottomless, which is why we came to an all-you-can-eat hot pot place." Fish Head Xu shrugged. Yang Chu's appetite no longer surprised him.

As for what the owner and employees thought of them, Fish Head Xu couldn't be bothered to care. He'd paid for four seats, so he felt he'd been more than fair.

"You can call me Chu-zai."

Yang Chu looked up briefly and said this, but his chopsticks never stopped moving.

"Chu... I think I'll just call you Ah Chu..."

Xiahou Wu paused slightly as he watched Yang Chu lower his head and go back to cooking meat. That seemingly reserved, harmless smile remained on his face.

From these two encounters, Xiahou Wu could tell that Fish Head Xu was a warm-hearted man who didn't have much of a scheming nature. But Yang Chu was harder for him to read.

If Yang Chu had trained in martial arts, there was no trace of it in his movements. Anyone who practiced martial arts, no matter which style they followed, would show some signs of the years of physical conditioning they'd endured.

Yang Chu was also remarkably observant. The day they shared a ride, he'd recognized Xiahou Wu as a martial artist at a glance. And today, after Xiahou Wu defeated Shark Yan in a match, Yang Chu had come after him with a certain look and bearing—

Xiahou Wu knew them well. They were the signs of a burning passion for martial arts.

After the two of them finished a pot of tea, Yang Chu cleared every last bit of food from the table and finally put down his chopsticks.

"Let's go, Chu-zai. If we don't leave, the owner's going to chase us out with a broom." When Yang Chu had finished, Fish Head Xu stood and glanced at a short, plump, middle-aged woman behind the counter. He grinned at Yang Chu.

Xiahou Wu smiled too, picked up the large backpack from beside his seat, and stood.

Yang Chu wiped his mouth with a tissue and followed them out. He hadn't paid the slightest attention to the stares around them the entire time.

"Were you raised by a starving ghost or something? I've run this place for years and never seen anyone eat that much!"

As soon as the three of them left, the short, plump owner behind the counter burst into a furious tirade. Then she saw the employees snickering among themselves, which made her even angrier. "Why are you all standing around? Playing zombies? Get out there and restock!"

Thinking about it made the plump owner wince. Earlier, when Fish Head Xu said they had big appetites and bought four seats for the three of them, she'd thought to herself that they were fools and that she'd make a profit.

But now it was obvious she'd taken a huge loss.

After leaving Li's All-You-Can-Eat Hot Pot, they went to the nearby Kowloon Park, which was still under construction.

Xiahou Wu tossed his oversized backpack aside and turned to Yang Chu. "Ah Chu, you were the one who wanted to find me, weren't you?"

"No, we just wanted to meet a master like you." Seeing this, Fish Head Xu tried to cut in with a joke again.

"Don't worry, Brother Xu. It's not what you think."

This time, Yang Chu didn't step away. He gently rested his left hand on Fish Head Xu's shoulder and guided him to the side.

"R-really?" Fish Head Xu turned to ask Yang Chu, still uncertain.

Yang Chu nodded lightly, looked at Xiahou Wu, and suddenly spread his arms, adopting the opening stance of the burly man he'd fought.

"I wanted to ask you: what style was that?"

"Hm?"

Xiahou Wu saw Yang Chu's stance and reflexively raised an arm. But Yang Chu made no other moves, and instead asked him a question. Xiahou Wu furrowed his brows. "Anything else?"

At Xiahou Wu's words, Yang Chu shifted back and forth, demonstrating several moves the burly man had used. Yang Chu didn't look particularly strong, but the movements he made gave the impression of immense, mountain-like force.

"That's Mongolian Wrestling."

Xiahou Wu watched Yang Chu's movements, his eyes suddenly lighting up. "It's also called Boke. It's a form of unarmed close-quarters combat used on foot in ancient battlefields. It emphasizes being hard to break through and difficult to throw, with a stable stance, and uses a variety of throws and takedowns. Manchu Buku evolved from Mongolian Wrestling, and many schools of wrestling have borrowed from it to improve their own techniques."

"Mongolian Wrestling?"

Yang Chu straightened up. He thought of the burly man he'd encountered. The man had a round face, narrow eyes, and a massive build—he really did look like a traditional Mongol.

"You really do know your stuff."

Yang Chu's gaze returned to Xiahou Wu, a glint in his eyes. "It seems you've studied martial arts—or kung fu—in depth."

"Since I began training, I've made a point of mastering everything from striking and grappling to internal styles and weapons."

The reserved, humble smile Xiahou Wu had worn earlier was gone. His words and bearing now radiated confidence.

"Then how would you counter Mongolian Wrestling, or wrestling in general?" Yang Chu asked, rather curious.

"There's no single answer." Xiahou Wu shook his head gently. "It's hard to say that one style or technique is truly superior to another. Counters aren't absolute either; it all depends on the person. But..."

The same spark that had shone in Xiahou Wu's eyes during his match with Shark Yan on United Road returned. "If I were countering it, I'd consider my opponent's build and strength, their experience in a fight, how well they'd mastered their techniques, and the timing—"

As he spoke, Xiahou Wu began demonstrating.

"Wrestlers tend to have a low stance and a stable center of gravity, but most haven't learned to block or parry. That's their weakness, and you need to take advantage of it. If they're stronger than me, I can use hit-and-run tactics and attack their lower body—step on their feet, kick their wrists, strike their knees. But my kicks have to be quick and clean, so they can't grab my limbs. I could also use grappling: if they reach to seize me, I can pull their hair, strike their wrists, bend their fingers, jab their eyes, or kick their groin. Or I could use the ground-fighting techniques of a grappling style, entangling them while attacking their lower-body weak points and dragging them down. But the best way is to counter wrestling with wrestling, then combine it with kicks, strikes, trips, locks, rolls, and throws."

At last, Xiahou Wu stopped demonstrating and looked at Yang Chu. "When you get down to it, it still comes down to a person's physique, skill, experience, and mindset in combat.

"As the saying goes: first courage, second strength, third skill. Courage means mindset—you must be bold when facing an enemy, without fear or hesitation. Strength means both raw power and finesse. There's no need to say much about skill. The saying 'kung fu' refers to time, technique, and ability, all honed through practice. It's simply a matter of becoming proficient."

Yang Chu stood quietly after hearing Xiahou Wu's explanation, as if digesting what he'd said.

After a long while, he finally spoke. Rather than say whether Xiahou Wu's advice was useful, he abruptly asked, "Who are you challenging next, and when? I want to watch."

"How do you know I'm going to challenge anyone else?" Xiahou Wu's brows lifted slightly. His eyes fixed on Yang Chu, sharp as blades.

"Shark Yan's boxing gym opened today, and you went there to challenge him. Just like he said, you're trying to make a name for yourself."

Yang Chu made no attempt to hide his thoughts and spoke bluntly. "And if you're skilled in striking, grappling, internal styles, and weapons, but only used your fists when you fought Shark Yan today, it's because he's a boxing champion. So your next challenge will be—someone who uses kicks? I remember Brother Xu telling me there's also a King of Northern Legs on Hong Kong Island."

"Heh..."

Xiahou Wu suddenly laughed. The faint, blade-like force radiating from him disappeared at once. Rather than answer Yang Chu directly, he turned to Fish Head Xu and said with a smile, "Brother Xu, could you give me your phone number? I'll treat you to tea sometime."

"Sure! You don't know how quiet Chu-zai usually is. He hardly says a word."

Fish Head Xu excitedly rushed over and gave Xiahou Wu his home phone number.

"Thanks for showing me around, Brother Xu and Ah Chu. I have something to take care of, so I should be going."

Xiahou Wu repeated himself, walked over to pick up the oversized backpack from the ground, then turned and smiled at Yang Chu before heading toward the park exit.

He didn't walk quickly, though, and they could hear him murmuring softly, "...First comes the fist, then the leg, then grappling; internal arts and weapons unite as one... Shoulder joins hip, elbow joins knee, hand joins foot. Grappling is dead, locking is alive. Once grappling is mastered, one can move on to weapons. Weapons are extensions of the hands and feet. That's what it means for a person and their weapon to become one... Heart joins intent, intent joins breath, breath joins strength. Yin within and yang without, the inner and outer united as one..."

"Wow, he really is a master! What's that saying again? He looks like a gentle lady, but when he strikes, he's a fierce tiger. Tsk, tsk..."

Fish Head Xu watched Xiahou Wu's retreating figure and clicked his tongue in admiration. Then he noticed Yang Chu looking at him and yelped, "I didn't come up with that! When I first got into the martial arts business, I heard the old masters say it. That's what a true expert is like."

As he spoke, Fish Head Xu looked at Yang Chu. "So, Chu-zai, where to now? You're not thinking of going to Shark Yan's boxing gym to learn boxing, are you?"

"Let's go to the library."

Yang Chu's gaze seemed to drift, as if his thoughts were still occupied by something.

Fish Head Xu was used to seeing Yang Chu like this. He nodded. "Good idea. I'll drop you at the library, then go check out the Big Brother production crew and see if that new stuntman is as good as you."

"Thanks, Brother Xu!"

Yang Chu lightly patted Fish Head Xu on the shoulder and headed for the park exit.

A taxi slowly pulled to a stop on a coastal road at Victoria Bay.

Xiahou Wu took his large backpack from the trunk, then turned and walked over to a white Accord that had been parked by the roadside for quite some time.

"If you're not here in another ten minutes, I'm leaving."

A well-dressed man in a hat stood by the white car, a cigar in his mouth and a cane in his hand. As Xiahou Wu approached, he looked displeased.

"Sorry for the wait."

Xiahou Wu carried his oversized backpack to the middle-aged man with the cane. He gazed out at Victoria Bay and spoke calmly.

"Forget it. I won't hold it against you. I got some fresh air and enjoyed the sea breeze."

Seeing Xiahou Wu's unruffled expression, the man with the cane seemed about to lose his temper, but held back. As if trying to make conversation, he asked, "How's Ah Ying?"

"She wasn't keen on me coming to Hong Kong Island."

Xiahou Wu gazed at the ships on Victoria Bay and the rows of high-rises on the opposite shore. His voice remained calm.

"Ah Ying takes after Master."

The impeccably dressed middle-aged man shook his head, then turned to Xiahou Wu. "By the way, did things go smoothly today?"

After asking, the man with the cane gave a wry laugh and answered his own question. "I can tell just by looking at you. Against you, what do the Macao and Hong Kong champions amount to? If you'd agree to fight one match for me, you could earn enough to build ten Unity Sects in Foshan."

Xiahou Wu continued gazing into the distance, showing no reaction to the man's words.

"All right, I'm short on time. I won't keep talking."

Seeing Xiahou Wu like this, the man with the cane looked helpless. He turned and walked to the driver's side of the Accord, then tapped on the window.

The driver inside immediately handed him a document envelope.

"What you asked for."

The man with the cane returned to Xiahou Wu and tossed him the envelope. "These should be the real top fighters on Hong Kong Island, at least for now. It took me a long time to gather everything."

Xiahou Wu took the envelope from the impeccably dressed middle-aged man. He didn't open it right away and continued gazing at the distant sea.

"After this favor, we're even."

When Xiahou Wu said nothing, the man with the cane continued on his own. "I'll contact some media outlets and newspapers to report on you. It won't be a big campaign, but it'll be enough to build your reputation. The envelope also contains information on senior police officials. Once you're famous enough, you'll have the standing to get in touch with them."

After that, the man with the cane ignored Xiahou Wu, opened the car door, and climbed inside.

"Drive!"

The white Accord drove off along the road, leaving Xiahou Wu alone by the sea.

"Brother Xin, was that the guy you met the one who beat Shark Yan this morning? Why didn't you recruit him?"

After the car had been driving for a while, the driver, one of Brother Xin's men, asked in confusion.

Their line of work involved underground boxing matches and semi-public fighting events. There was no reason to let someone who could beat a Hong Kong and Macao champion slip through their fingers so easily.

"Recruit him?"

The man with the cane, seated in the back, snorted. "That'd be asking for trouble."

"But, Brother Xin, wasn't he going to use those files to challenge people? If we could turn it into a boxing event..."

The driver clearly didn't understand. He'd handled those files earlier and had seen what was in them. Taking into account that Xiahou Wu had beaten Shark Yan that morning, he could guess that the information was meant to help Xiahou Wu find opponents.

A match between fighters at this level, if turned into a boxing event, would bring in unimaginable profits.

"Forget it. We're not on the same path. We can't afford to provoke him."

Thinking back to the files he'd collected, which included Hong Kong Island police recruitment requirements for martial arts and combat instructors, the man with the cane had a rough idea of the path Xiahou Wu intended to take.

Whether in a sigh or with regret, he murmured, "Someone like him, with great martial arts, skill, and ambition—if he'd been born in another era, or in a martial arts novel, he'd have become the leader of the martial world and the greatest under heaven."