Tracking

"Cheng Hu, go test him. See if he's all show and no substance."

Wei Zhongxing instructed Cheng Hu.

Xiao Wang had mastered the form of the Tiger Guard Fist, but there was still a gap between mastering it and having real combat ability. Only through constant sparring could he bridge that divide.

"Master, why me again? Can't you send Second Brother?"

"Go when I tell you to go. Why so much nonsense? Hurry up."

Xiao Wang stood in the courtyard and cupped his fists to Cheng Hu. "Sorry to trouble you, Eldest Brother."

"It's nothing, Junior Brother. It's not your fault. Come on."

Xiao Wang knew Cheng Hu had likewise mastered the form of the Tiger Guard Fist. He figured that was probably why his master had chosen Cheng Hu as his opponent.

"Then, Eldest Brother, forgive my offense."

As Xiao Wang spoke, he assumed a stance and prepared to attack.

"Wait, wait, wait. Junior Brother, how about another bet?"

"Sure. How much?"

Cheng Hu looked at Xiao Wang and smiled. "Junior Brother, you seem very confident this time. How about 1,000 federal credits?"

"Deal. Eldest Brother really is saving up for a wife."

Xiao Wang readily agreed. He could tell Cheng Hu was determined to win. After all, Cheng Hu had mastered the form of the Tiger Guard Fist more than two years ago, while Xiao Wang had only just done so.

"Don't joke around, Junior Brother. Take this!"

Once the wager was set, Cheng Hu stopped holding back and launched the first attack. Unlike their previous sparring matches, he showed no mercy this time.

He knew Xiao Wang's current strength could not be underestimated, so he opened with a heavy, powerful punch aimed straight at Xiao Wang's face.

It was incredibly fast and looked ferocious. Combined with Cheng Hu's towering build, the move was downright intimidating.

Xiao Wang did not dare underestimate him either. He stepped back, lowered his center of gravity, tensed every muscle in his body, regulated his breathing, and fixed his eyes on Cheng Hu's incoming fist.

Cheng Hu's fist arrived in an instant. Xiao Wang clenched his right hand and rapidly gathered strength. Just as Cheng Hu's fist was about to reach his face, Xiao Wang suddenly twisted sideways, and the punch swept past the tip of his nose.

Xiao Wang gave a cold smile. "Eldest Brother, you'd better be careful."

The moment he finished speaking, his already-charged fist shot toward Cheng Hu's abdomen. His waist and back drove the strike forward with savage momentum, tremendous speed, and immense force.

Cheng Hu was startled. He immediately pulled back his fist and crossed both arms over his abdomen, trying to block Xiao Wang's blow.

The fist crashed forward.

Fist met fist.

Boom!

A dull impact rang out.

Pain suddenly appeared on Cheng Hu's previously calm face.

He had expected Xiao Wang's punch to be stronger than before, but he had never imagined it would be this much stronger.

When Xiao Wang's fist struck his hands over his abdomen, Cheng Hu had not cared much at first. He thought he had blocked it.

But in the next instant, the dense follow-through force within Xiao Wang's punch kept surging forward without end.

The breathing technique's lingering force was dense and sustained.

The force passed through his arms and reached his abdomen, making his broad midsection feel as though the skin of his stomach had been smashed flush against his back. It felt as if he had been punched straight through.

Then, the force transmitted from his abdomen threw Cheng Hu's whole body off balance, sending him stumbling backward.

Xiao Wang's attack did not stop. After throwing that punch, he surged forward, striking again and again in rapid succession. Cheng Hu could only defend passively.

After dozens of punches, Xiao Wang planted one hand on the ground and lashed out with both legs, one kick striking Cheng Hu's face and the other his abdomen.

Boom! Boom!

Under the two heavy kicks, Cheng Hu staggered back several steps and fell to the ground.

Xiao Wang drew back as if to stop.

"Eldest Brother, you let me win."

Cheng Hu climbed to his feet and looked at Xiao Wang with a smile. He was not angry in the slightest. "Junior Brother, your talent truly is remarkable. I lost."

He then took out 1,000 federal credits and handed them to Xiao Wang. "A bet is a bet."

"Thank you, Eldest Brother."

Wei Zhongxing and Linghu Ke, who had been watching from the side, both revealed looks of surprise.

Linghu Ke in particular said, "Junior Brother, with your talent, it probably won't be long before you surpass me."

He was currently at the "spirit" stage of the Tiger Guard Fist. At Xiao Wang's pace of reaching the form stage in ten days, he would likely reach the spirit stage in three or four months at most.

"Second Brother, you flatter me. I'm still far from that." Xiao Wang then turned to Wei Zhongxing and asked, "Master, are there still any problems with my technique?"

"After mastering the form, only you can sense whether there are problems. What outsiders see as flaws or changes in form may instead be progress toward spirit. After form, do not become bound by form. What outsiders see is merely the surface. Only you can feel how you exert force. Do you understand?"

Xiao Wang listened carefully and nodded. "I understand."

"Alright, that's enough for today."

After that, the four master and disciples washed up and went to sleep.

Early the next morning, Xiao Wang still went to school for half a day of academic classes before heading directly to stake out the area near the Patrol Bureau.

He changed to a new position again today and kept shifting locations over the next several hours.

Jeeps entered and exited through the gates of the Patrol Bureau, but Xiao Wang never saw the jeep with the license plate Mount Yuan A4834.

That's strange. It hasn't appeared for days. Something's wrong. Could it have been transferred to the inner city ahead of schedule?

Xiao Wang felt that something was off.

However, he did not relax his vigilance and continued watching closely.

Time flew by, and night quickly fell. This time, though, Xiao Wang did not leave right away. Instead, he chose to keep waiting from the shadows at a street corner.

The street vendors had all packed up. Nights in the outer city of Mount Yuan City were full of unknown dangers, and ordinary people almost never went out unless absolutely necessary.

The lights on the distant inner city walls had already come on, illuminating several nearby blocks. Searchlights swept back and forth, occasionally passing over the shadowed areas.

Xiao Wang pulled his hood over his head and changed his position every few minutes.

Fortunately, he was now positioned across from the main gates of the Patrol Bureau, where there were hardly any of the unsavory people who prowled about at night looking for opportunities.

Second by second, time passed. People and vehicles often entered and exited, but Xiao Wang did not know Hu Guangzhong, so he focused almost entirely on the vehicles. He carefully inspected every license plate, yet found nothing.

Until roughly two hours later, another jeep finally drove out from inside the compound. Xiao Wang raised his eyes and saw the license plate: Mount Yuan A4834.

Xiao Wang's eyes flickered. Rather than hurrying after it, he tucked himself deeper into the shadows.

The more critical the moment, the calmer he had to be.

Only after the vehicle had left the gates and driven some distance down the street to the left did Xiao Wang push off with his feet and run after it.

The outer city's streets were riddled with potholes. Only newly paved roads like Resistance Avenue were in somewhat better condition.

The uneven road prevented the vehicle from moving very quickly. Xiao Wang kept to the shadows along the roadside, speeding up and slowing down from time to time, doing his best to avoid appearing in the jeep's rearview mirror.

Whenever it passed through more secluded blocks, the people who had been wandering on both sides of the road promptly retreated into the shadows after seeing the jeep.

That was the deterrent power of the Patrol Bureau.

Xiao Wang continued following it.

About ten minutes later, the vehicle stopped in front of a relatively new-looking five-story building.

Xiao Wang stopped in the shadows some distance away. He listened as the engine shut off, then saw the jeep door open and a man step out.