Eight Extremities Fist

"Go! Hit him! Beat him to death with your fists!"

"Zhu He!"

"Kill him!"

"Beat this beggar to death! Beat this worthless trash to death!"

"Damn it! Why does this dead beggar only know how to run? Are you even a man? Charge in and fight! You coward! You chicken! You piece of trash!"

"Hurry up and die! Don't hold up my money!"

"..."

Up in the spectator stands.

Everyone's faces were flushed red as they roared without end, their eyes bloodshot like gamblers with their blood surging to their heads, howling incessantly.

"Huff... huff..."

At this moment.

Zhu He's breathing had clearly grown much heavier. He had already vaguely sensed that something was wrong, because Xu Qing was far too good at dodging. After fighting for so long, Zhu He had not even touched the corner of Xu Qing's clothes.

"Kid, if you've got guts, stop running."

Zhu He raised his head and shouted.

"Fine."

Xu Qing smiled.

"Die!"

With an angry roar.

Zhu He gathered his strength once more and charged at Xu Qing at top speed, his sandbag-sized fist smashing straight toward Xu Qing's face.

The result was—

Xu Qing bent his knees and crouched down, effortlessly dodging Zhu He's blow. Zhu He's fist swept over Xu Qing's head.

Bang!

The next moment.

Xu Qing struck. Though he had never practiced real martial arts, he still gathered all the strength in his body and drove both fists into Zhu He's abdomen.

"Ahhh!!!"

Zhu He let out a miserable scream, his entire face turning red. He felt a considerable force strike him, nearly breaking his ribs.

Thud!

Zhu He clutched his chest tightly with both hands, his face full of agony, even his expression twisted. He had collapsed into a seated crouch on the ground and could not get back up at all.

"What?!"

"Impossible! Impossible!!!"

"Zhu He! Get up! Get the hell up!"

"Rigged! This has to be rigged!"

"..."

The spectators roared.

One had to know.

Zhu He was huge and muscular, while Xu Qing looked like nothing more than a skinny little beggar. The gap between them could not have been more obvious.

Logically speaking.

Zhu He should have been able to knock Xu Qing down with one punch, but the result was the complete opposite. Xu Qing had knocked down Black Heart Hand Zhu He with a single punch, leaving everyone dumbfounded and utterly shocked.

However.

No one believed it. They thought it was impossible, thought this was a shady scheme by the underground black-fist arena to swindle their money, and immediately began protesting.

"Ahhh!!!"

Zhu He roared again. He still wanted to fight.

Bang!

Xu Qing kicked him, sending him rolling several times across the ground. He could no longer get up, had lost his fighting ability, and lost the match.

"Contestant Number Two, Xu Qing, wins!"

Very quickly.

After recovering from his shock, Yu Chen walked over with a beaming smile and announced the result of the match.

"Rigged! Rigged! Rigged!!!"

"Give us our money back! Give us our money back! Give us our money back!!!"

"..."

The crowd shouted furiously in unison.

"Impudence!"

Boom!

With a tremendous crash.

Fan Yanbin leaped into the air and landed on the ring. One stomp of his foot blasted a deep pit into the ring floor, cracks spreading out like a spiderweb.

"You seem to have forgotten the rules of underground black-fist fighting. Once a bet has been placed, when has there ever been any talk of refunds? If you want to blame someone, blame your own poor judgment."

Fan Yanbin shouted in a deep voice.

"Gulp..."

"..."

At once.

The entire venue fell silent.

Clearly.

Fan Yanbin's formidable Martial Force had intimidated everyone present. Moreover, the underground black-fist arena had the protection of the Azure Hawk Martial Arts School's Senior Disciple Brother behind it, so none of them dared cause trouble.

"However."

At this moment.

Fan Yanbin changed his tone. He glanced at Xu Qing and said, "In order to safeguard the reputation of our underground black-fist arena, and to let everyone know that every match here is a genuine life-and-death struggle, and that we never make money through fixed fights."

"Therefore."

"A match will be held tomorrow. Today's winner, Xu Qing, will face another fighter from our underground black-fist arena—Pang De."

"Pang De?!"

"That guy?"

"Hiss..."

"I heard Pang De has genuinely trained in martial arts! And his methods are incredibly cruel. In every match, he tortures his opponents to death."

"Yeah! Yeah!"

"Besides."

"Pang De has basically never lost a match. His win rate has reached ninety-nine percent. This Xu Qing is probably doomed to die tomorrow."

"He deserves it if he dies! He made us lose so much money!"

"Exactly! Exactly!"

"..."

The spectators erupted into noise, all discussing the matter animatedly. Their expressions grew excited, and Fan Yanbin had soothed their emotions.

"Fan Yanbin, you..."

Yu Chen's expression, however, turned somewhat ugly. Xu Qing had, after all, been discovered by him, and today's match had earned quite a bit of money.

"I'm cleaning up your mess. Don't fail to appreciate kindness."

Fan Yanbin said indifferently.

"Huff..."

Yu Chen took a deep breath. He had not expected things to turn out this way. Looking at Xu Qing, a trace of apology appeared on his face.

From the beginning.

Yu Chen had only wanted Xu Qing to fill in for one match. He had not expected Xu Qing to be so capable, actually defeating Zhu He and causing such a massive upset.

Now.

In order to preserve the underground black-fist arena's reputation, Fan Yanbin intended to make Xu Qing fight Pang De.

One had to know.

Pang De's strength was not something Zhu He could compare to.

Tomorrow's match was entirely a narrow escape from death for Xu Qing.

"Fan Yanbin, Xu Qing was personally sent here by Lord Huo Yi."

Yu Chen said this.

"Don't use Lord Huo Yi to pressure me."

Fan Yanbin said.

However.

Whether he fought or not.

Xu Qing had no right to agree or refuse.

At dusk.

Inside one of the underground black-fist arena's rooms.

"Xu Qing, I'm truly sorry. I never thought things would turn out this way."

Yu Chen sighed and took a money pouch from his robes, placing it before Xu Qing. "This is the money you earned today. Take it."

"Thank you!"

Xu Qing nodded and put away the money pouch. Opening it to take a look, he found no less than five taels of silver inside. A look of surprise appeared on his face. "That much?"

"Mm."

Yu Chen said, "You're a newcomer who just arrived, and a beggar at that. Not a single spectator thought highly of you. Every one of them bet on Black Heart Hand Zhu He."

"The result was obvious."

"This time, the underground black-fist arena made a fortune, filling its bowls and pots to the brim. Normally, with your status as a newcomer, you could only receive ten copper coins for fighting one match. But this time, we earned far too much. Even with your small share, you still received a full five taels of silver."

"Thank you."

Xu Qing put away the five taels of silver.

This way.

He had gathered half of the ten taels of silver at once.

"What a pity."

Yu Chen remarked, "If you could defeat Pang De tomorrow, the money you could earn would be at least ten times what you made today."

"Ahem, ahem..."

Yu Chen coughed lightly and waved his hand. "I was thinking too much."

"I want to know Pang De's exact strength. Can you tell me about it? Since tomorrow's match cannot be refused at all, it would still be good to understand my opponent's strength as much as possible."

Xu Qing said.

"All right."

Yu Chen nodded. "First, you need to understand one thing. To practice martial arts, the most basic requirement is sufficient physical fitness."

"If your physical fitness is lacking, you can slowly train it up and consume all kinds of medicinal tonics."

"And also."

"The methods of practicing martial arts are divided into: fighting methods, training methods, and Fundamental Methods."

"Pang De was born with a physique beyond that of ordinary people. Unfortunately, he's a little slow in the head. Although he mastered a fighting method, he never mastered a training method."

"But even so, relying on his exceptional physique and the fighting method Bear Pounce Hand, Pang De is virtually without equal in the entire underground black-fist arena."

"Fighting methods, training methods, Fundamental Methods."

Xu Qing pondered for a moment, then asked, "What are the differences between these three?"

"Simply put."

Yu Chen answered Xu Qing's question. "Fighting methods are moves, training methods temper the body, and as for Fundamental Methods, I don't know much about them."

"So that's how it is."

Xu Qing nodded. "I roughly understand now."

"I actually have a fighting method here."

At this moment.

Yu Chen looked at Xu Qing, recalling Xu Qing's performance in the ring. In addition, Xu Qing had been personally sent by Lord Huo Yi, and there was also that faint trace of guilt deep in Yu Chen's heart.

In the end.

Yu Chen took out a dusty gray book from his robes.

"Hmm?!"

Involuntarily.

Xu Qing looked at Yu Chen in surprise, then his gaze fell upon the dusty gray book in Yu Chen's hand. "This..."

"This fighting method is called Eight Extremities Fist. I obtained it during an accident some time ago. Unfortunately, I have no talent for martial arts. After practicing for a long time, not only did I fail to master it, I even damaged my body."

Yu Chen said, "I had no choice but to give up."

"Sigh..."

Yu Chen sighed, looking somewhat melancholy. "Many people think practicing martial arts is the only way out for ordinary people, but they do not know that even this path depends on talent!"

"Those with talent practice martial arts as though aided by the gods. All kinds of fighting methods and training methods come readily to hand, and they can master them with ease."

"As for those without talent, even if they train through the coldest days of winter and the hottest days of summer, it is useless. Perhaps a year of your training cannot compare to one day of theirs."

"..."

Xu Qing remained silent.

"Of course."

Yu Chen continued, "Although my talent for martial arts is extremely poor, I do have some talent for business. I handle nearly all the business of the underground black-fist arena."

"This Eight Extremities Fist is my investment in you."

"If Pang De beats you to death tomorrow, that is your fate. But if you do not die, and you master the Eight Extremities Fist I gave you, that is also your fate."

"If you die, I will take the Eight Extremities Fist back. If you do not die, then you will have to repay me someday."

"Take it."

Yu Chen placed the Eight Extremities Fist manual before Xu Qing.

"Alright."

Xu Qing took a deep breath and accepted the Eight Extremities Fist manual. "I will remember what happened today. If I ever make something of myself, I will never forget today's kindness."

"Easy, easy."

Yu Chen revealed the smile of a shady merchant. "The lowest price for a combat manual is one hundred taels of silver. You already owe me one hundred taels. Here is the IOU—please sign it and press your fingerprint."

As he spoke.

Yu Chen took out an IOU he had prepared long ago.

"Uh..."

Xu Qing was somewhat speechless.

However.

Xu Qing still signed the IOU.

"I never expected it! A beggar like you can write!"

Yu Chen looked surprised. "As expected, you are no ordinary beggar."

"Right."

Yu Chen solemnly put away the IOU, then said, "Starting today, you can live here. I suppose you have nowhere else to go, so just stay here."

"Alright."

Xu Qing nodded.

After that.

Yu Chen left.

Only Xu Qing remained in the room.

"Record."

Holding the Eight Extremities Fist manual in his hand, Xu Qing willed it, connecting his consciousness to the Omni-Codex. With a flash of silver light from the Omni-Codex, the Eight Extremities Fist was recorded.

Eight Extremities Fist LV1: 0/10 (This was a forceful and vigorous close-range boxing style. Its movements were swift, plain and unadorned, while its power was immensely fierce, extending through the fingertips.)

"Good."

Xu Qing's expression brightened with excitement.

Buzz!

The next moment.

Xu Qing's entire body shuddered. After the recording was complete, the words on the manual before him seemed to come alive. Every character transformed into tiny figures and poured into Xu Qing's mind out of thin air.

In a daze.

Xu Qing felt as though he had entered an unfamiliar, mysterious space. Within that space, he endlessly practiced the Eight Extremities Fist, gradually mastering it completely.