The Match

As the carriage left Huangshi County and drew closer to Anning County, there were fewer and fewer refugees along the road.

Even the howls of the wolves, leopards, tigers, and panthers around them had dwindled to a few scattered cries.

The tension in everyone's hearts gradually eased.

At the last resting place, thirty li from Anning County,

Luo Houping glanced at the sky.

"We'll spend the night here. By tomorrow evening, we'll be back in Anning County."

Wang Youfang let out a breath of relief.

"Finally, we won't have to see those crazed refugees anymore. It's much better around here!"

Li Chuan neither agreed nor disagreed.

The others relaxed a little too, smiles appearing on their faces as they chatted and ate their dry rations.

Once they returned to Anning County tomorrow, the Bright Force fighters would each earn at least seven taels of silver for this trip.

That was more than two months' salary!

And they hadn't encountered any danger. It was well worth it.

Li Chuan had no interest in joining their boasting and banter, so he headed straight inside.

"Uncle Luo, are these shields durable?" he asked, chewing on a hard, dry biscuit.

Luo Houping tore off a chicken leg for him.

"Of course they are. These aren't ordinary wooden shields. See those vines and leather cords on them?

"They've all been soaked in a special solution, making them exceptionally tough.

"With enough strength, they can even block an attack from a Dark Force fighter."

Luo Houping sighed.

"Before, we tried to save a little effort and used ordinary wooden shields. But when we ran into that pride of lions, they couldn't hold up at all. More than a dozen people died or were injured, and all the horses bolted in fright."

Li Chuan sighed. "It was an accident. There was no way to avoid it."

After the two chatted for a while, a shout suddenly came from outside.

"Zhang Qiang, aren't you known as the Thunder-Striding Hand? Get out there and spar with him!"

"Let us see the famous Thunder-Striding Hand in action!"

Luo Houping explained with a smile,

"The nights can drag, so everyone often looks for something to do. But they're all rough fellows who practice martial arts. They can't sing or dance, so all they can do is throw a few punches."

"Why don't you go out and exchange a few moves too? You can see a variety of styles while you're at it. There are plenty of people here who've traveled far and wide—some use sabers, some use bows, and others use fists and palms."

Li Chuan thought it over. He really didn't know much about other styles, so it would be good to see them in action.

He followed Luo Houping out of the wooden hut and saw that several bonfires had already been lit outside.

Beside one of them, two people were sparring, trading punches and kicks in a lively bout.

The others had spread out around them to watch.

The Thunder-Striding Hand truly lived up to his name. He won with ease.

He was also the old hand who delivered the medicine, so he knew many people.

A large crowd cheered him on.

Luo Houping introduced him to everyone.

"This is Li Chuan, a talented disciple of Pine Wind Martial Hall. Zhang Qiang, spar with him."

At that, everyone turned to look at Li Chuan.

Since joining the medicine-delivery team, Li Chuan had rarely taken part in pointless socializing, usually practicing his stance on his own.

And the special treatment he received had made many people resent him.

Thunder-Striding Hand Zhang Qiang was one of them.

He curled his lip.

"Boss Luo, my palm technique isn't just fancy moves. What if I injure this talented Li fellow?"

Wang Youfang scoffed and spoke up for Li Chuan.

"If you ask me, you're the one who'll lose to him!"

Li Chuan said calmly,

"It's fine. Fists and feet have no eyes. If anything goes wrong, I'll take responsibility."

Zhang Qiang paused.

"You've got guts, I'll give you that. But I won't hold back."

Li Chuan said nothing more, simply stepping into a fighting stance.

Apart from sparring with people at the martial hall, he had almost never fought anyone head-on.

The only two times he had killed someone, he'd won by striking from ambush.

So Li Chuan wanted to find out what level his strength had really reached.

When the Thunder-Striding Hand saw Li Chuan standing motionless, he gradually lost patience.

The muscles in his thighs bulged. He stamped down and pushed off hard, shooting toward Li Chuan like an arrow loosed from its string.

His right palm was incredibly fast, even slicing through the air with a sharp whistle.

Across from him, Li Chuan still seemed not to have reacted.

As the broad palm was about to strike Li Chuan square in the face, everyone couldn't help holding their breath.

If that blow landed, he would need at least half a month to recover!

Unexpectedly, Li Chuan merely frowned.

In his eyes, this Thunder-Striding Hand seemed a little... weak?

Li Chuan shifted to the side and easily dodged the lethal palm strike.

The Thunder-Striding Hand looked shocked. He hadn't expected Li Chuan to be so fast.

His old strength had run out, and his new strength had yet to gather, leaving his chest wide open.

Li Chuan didn't let the opportunity slip. He immediately twisted his body around.

Then his left fist slammed into the Thunder-Striding Hand's chest like a cannonball.

"Crack!"

Bright Force erupted!

The Thunder-Striding Hand was sent flying in an instant. He skidded dozens of meters across the ground before finally coming to a stop.

He forced back the sweetness rising in his throat and said, humiliated,

"I admit I'm no match for you!"

But as soon as he finished speaking, he spat out a mouthful of blood.

The spectators fell utterly silent.

No one had expected Li Chuan to be so formidable, defeating the Thunder-Striding Hand with just one punch.

And he'd made it look effortless, like an old man playing with a child.

But no one else was close to Li Chuan, so only Wang Youfang cheered for him.

Li Chuan was a little dazed too. He looked at his fist.

I'm this strong?

That's right... My qi and blood are nearly full, and my Through-Arm Fist is close to Major Mastery.

Li Chuan went on to fight three more opponents in a row.

Some wielded sabers, some used swords, and one even used a bow.

Without exception, none of them lasted three moves against him.

After testing his strength and learning how the different styles were used, Li Chuan gave up his spot.

"Everyone's been delivering medicine for days, so you're not in the best shape. My wins were just luck." Li Chuan clasped his fists.

At last, his words drew a round of cheers.

Everyone knew he was only being polite, but they still felt much better for it.

The hostility and rejection in their eyes when they looked at Li Chuan were gone.

In their place were awe and respect.

After he stepped down, Wang Youfang hurried over, looking astonished.

"When you first delivered medicine, you were about as strong as me. How did you get this powerful in just a few months? Come on, tell me what medicine you took!"

Li Chuan replied evenly,

"I owe everything I've achieved today to my own hard work!"

Wang Youfang opened his mouth. Something about that didn't sound quite right, but he couldn't think of how to argue back.

As they chatted, the atmosphere around the bonfire gradually grew livelier.

Perhaps Li Chuan had warmed up the crowd. The people who went up afterward were more relaxed.

The bouts grew more and more exciting.

Luo Houping stood nearby with a calm expression, but a glint flashed in his eyes.

Wang Youfang suddenly began rubbing his fingers restlessly.

"A-Chuan, do you feel like it's getting quieter around us?"

"A little. It sounds like all the birds and beasts have disappeared. Why does this feel familiar?" Li Chuan furrowed his brow, trying to remember when he'd encountered something like this before.

Wang Youfang's expression turned grave.

"Only when there's a beast far stronger than them nearby do the other animals dare not make a sound."

Li Chuan's heart sank.

He remembered.

The first time he'd delivered medicine, when the White-Browed Ape, a beast on par with a Dark Force fighter, had appeared—

It had been just like this!

The next moment,

an ape's arm shot suddenly out from the bushes!