Iron Fist Stone Monkey

"Is the TV broken?" The fat owner of an old furniture store in the Arkham District raised his hand and smacked the television twice.

The static on the screen vanished, replaced by grainy black-and-white footage that looked like it had been recorded over a decade ago.

A group of people were fighting in the footage. Someone carrying a backpack passed by, only to run into police officers rushing over to stop the brawl.

The fighters scattered at once, but the passing backpacker was arrested. The scene changed to a photograph of Blackgate Prison, with two savage red words stamped across it: "Ten Years!"

Outside the old furniture store, a homeless man watched the scene on the television, took out a bottle from his pocket, and drank from it.

A large light-brown rat poked its head out of his arms. Apparently unable to stand the smell of alcohol, it fled as though running for its life.

Night, Gotham's Chinatown.

Completely unlike the cold Gothic and modern buildings elsewhere, Chinatown was livelier and filled with more everyday warmth.

Though it was called Chinatown, it was more like a little Asia, with small communities from several countries centered around Chinatown.

Miao Mu wore ordinary casual clothes and sunglasses as he headed toward a dumpling shop. It was in a rather secluded location, with a sign above the entrance reading "Zhou Family Dumpling Shop."

Several tables could be seen upon entering. The owner, busy at the stove, warmly greeted him when he saw a customer arrive. "Have a seat, sir! What would you like to eat?"

"No need. I'm looking for someone."

Miao Mu raised a hand and pointed toward a corner. But after speaking, the scent of meat-filled dumplings made him swallow involuntarily.

"Give me... two pounds of dumplings. Pork and scallion filling."

"Sure thing. Have a seat, they'll be ready in a moment!"

The owner smiled amiably. The rolling pin in his hand clacked as he flattened dumpling wrappers, wrapping dumplings and dropping them into the pot at the same time. He handled all the work alone.

Miao Mu walked over to the table against the wall. Chief Bullock, who had called him here, was eating a plate of dumplings with a bottle of whiskey in hand.

That unusual combination made Miao Mu curl his lip. "Come on, Boss Bullock. Aren't you getting a side dish?"

"This is enough. How have you been lately?"

Bullock smiled and took another swig from the bottle. He reeked of alcohol, and who knew how long it had been since he had changed clothes.

"Not bad. You didn't call me out just to chat, did you? I'm on duty tonight."

Miao Mu sat down, picked up a pair of chopsticks, and unceremoniously grabbed a dumpling from Bullock's plate before tossing it into his mouth.

"Did you see today's news? Another lunatic."

"I saw it. Nothing unusual. You know better than anyone what Gotham is like. How's Chief Gordon?"

Bullock shook his head. "Not good. He got transferred to the police training base to serve as an instructor for a bunch of green kids."

"You called me out..."

"I need a favor. I picked up a case, another mess Gordon dumped on me. I'm planning to borrow you for a few days."

"No time. We're investigating a case too. There was a homicide in our precinct last night, and it's still unsolved."

Miao Mu refused outright. He truly did not want to get involved with Gotham Police Department affairs. That place leaked worse than a sieve.

Besides, Nygma had already looked through the Gotham Police Department database regarding the case Bullock mentioned. Whoever touched it was bound to have bad luck.

The investigation involved gang boss Maroni and the Roman behind him, Falneko. Only Batman, that lunatic who wasn't afraid of death, would dare touch something like that. Gordon had even sent his wife and children away.

Before the investigation had even begun, he had been sent to the police training base.

Bullock said nothing after hearing Miao Mu's refusal. He merely nodded and drained the rest of the bottle in one go.

"You're paying."

After tossing out those words, Bullock staggered away. Trying to get anything done in a place full of mud was too difficult.

"Sir, he..." The owner carried over a plate of dumplings and looked at Bullock leaving.

"I'll pay for him. Put it on my bill."

Miao Mu took the dumplings and began eating with his chopsticks. While he was still weak and alone, he did not want to draw any attention to himself.

After finishing the dumplings and paying the bill, Miao Mu strolled down the street. He had never actually visited this part of Chinatown before.

He had another reason for coming here: to find Deadshot Norton's ex-wife and help him make up two months' worth of alimony. If he had not just been paid, Miao Mu would not have been willing to spend the money.

Although Nygma believed the man was dead, Miao Mu knew Deadshot's capabilities well. At worst, he was seriously injured. It would not be so easy for him to die. This was a good chance to build some rapport.

If someone ever put a price on his head someday, having that connection might keep him from getting his head blown off with one shot.

As Miao Mu followed the address toward Deadshot's ex-wife's home, a long-unheard notification suddenly sounded in his mind.

[Ding! Adventure Treasure—An obtainable item has been discovered!]

"Fuck! Where?!"

Miao Mu instantly perked up. He had wandered all over the place lately without receiving a single notification. He had not expected to find one here.

Having obtained treasures three times already, Miao Mu had built up some experience. Any treasure he could find was definitely ownerless, and it also possessed some special ability.

Just like the Wayne Ring, it was definitely no ordinary item, and no one even knew it existed.

Miao Mu stopped looking for the address and ran straight toward the place he felt drawn to. It was rather far away, nearly beyond Chinatown, on that long street.

Miao Mu jogged all the way there, then suddenly stopped in front of a shop. His gaze fixed on a stone monkey sitting on the windowsill.

The stone monkey was not large, only about the size of a book. It stood upright and was carved quite realistically. Its two clenched fists were not stone, but iron, with traces of inlaying on them.

The only problem was that the stone monkey statue was behind glass, inside the shop. Miao Mu looked up at the store sign.

"Millennium Pawnshop."

After blinking, Miao Mu walked straight inside. The shop was sparsely furnished. Directly ahead was a large counter and bulletproof glass windows like those in a bank.

A man in his early thirties sat behind them, wearing a traditional Chinese jacket and rubbing a hand warmer. He merely glanced at Miao Mu before losing interest.

More people came here to sell things than buy them, and more pawned items than redeemed them.

"A customer at the door is always welcome. What service do you need?"

The man behind the counter spoke into a microphone, his voice coming from a speaker outside.

Miao Mu looked around the shop, then walked directly to the window and picked up the stone monkey. The instant it touched his hand, its ability surfaced in his mind.

[Iron Fist Stone Monkey: Martial arts inheritance. Can learn Iron Monkey Fist. One punch, four forms; incomparably fierce. Can be placed to enter practice mode.]

In that instant, Miao Mu understood what Iron Monkey Fist was. One punch had four forms: a straight thrust, a forward jab, a heavy punch, and a powerful strike.

It unified the arm, shoulder, waist, and stance to gather the strength of the entire body. Its moves were even fiercer than Wing Chun Inch Punch, pursuing continuous attacks of ultimate explosive force and destructive power, with ever-increasing might.

But excessive rigidity led to breakage. The fierceness of the moves would also damage the body, so strong liquor was used to ease the violent energy within.

"Sir?" the man behind the counter called again.

Only then did Miao Mu come back to his senses. Clutching the Iron Fist Stone Monkey, he turned around and asked in a low voice, "How much is this?"

Even if he had to rob the place, Miao Mu would get his hands on it. Once the Iron Fist Stone Monkey statue was placed, practicing with it would be like receiving a master's instruction, with inspiration guiding every move and form.

"This... this belongs to our shop. It isn't for sale. Why not take a look at something else?" The man behind the counter glanced at the stone monkey statue and shook his head.

"I want this one. I'll pay you."

Miao Mu took out the salary packet he had just received from his pocket. Without even opening the envelope, he tore off the seal, pulled out a stack of cash, and tossed it onto the counter.

"You can refuse, but take a look at this!"

Miao Mu lifted his tracksuit jacket, revealing the police badge inside and the handgun at his waist. The man behind the counter instantly looked as though he had eaten shit.

Forcing a smile onto his face, the man said, "Help yourself. It's just a stone monkey. If you like it, take it."

"Where did this thing come from?"

Miao Mu took off his jacket, wrapped up the Iron Fist Stone Monkey, tied it into a bundle around his waist, and asked. He had noticed that every treasure he found had a story behind it, so he wanted to learn more.

"That thing? I really don't know. It was sitting on the windowsill when I moved in, and I never paid it any mind. Why?" The man behind the counter asked curiously, even beginning to suspect there was some secret he had failed to discover.

"Nothing. This thing is mine now. Watch."

Miao Mu suddenly raised his hand, his palm stabbing forward like a blade. He abruptly changed moves, bending the second joints of his fingers into a fierce spear thrust, then slightly clenched his fist and gathered force for a strike.

At the same time, Miao Mu shifted his stance and united his waist and stance. His entire arm shot forward like an enraged dragon. It all took less than two seconds.

One move, four changes. If it struck a person, it would land four heavy blows. The final strike in particular made the man behind the counter feel danger even through the bulletproof glass.