Chapter 30: Ambushed

“Hmm!?”

Suddenly, Chen Qing’s brow furrowed slightly, and his footsteps faltered.

Having undergone his second breakthrough, his five senses were now extremely acute; he could hear even the slightest movement within a distance of five yards with absolute clarity.

The nights were inherently unsafe, often plagued by desperate criminals who robbed passersby before murdering them brutally—such occurrences were commonplace.

"Meow~!"

Just then, a stray cat darted out from atop the eaves, followed by a roof tile sliding to the ground.

*Clatter!*

With a crisp sound, the tile shattered upon impact.

In that split second, a dark shadow lunged directly at him. A fierce, sharp wind accompanied the attack, striking toward him with ruthless ferocity.

Grappling arts!

Grappling is an exceptionally profound martial art specialized in attacking the joints, acupoints, and vital weaknesses of the human body. It consists of many different schools, all of which include techniques such as groin kicks, arm parries, wrist grabs, small entanglements, large entanglements, lamp-lifting, sheep-leading, leg wrapping, wrist rolling, and arm breaking.

It is primarily divided into three combat styles: bone-grabbing, tendon-grabbing, and vein-grabbing. The core principle is to use cleverness to overcome clumsiness and softness to overcome hardness.

With a single grappling twist, tendons and veins can be severed, and limbs can be torn apart.

The former leader of the Cao Gang, the largest gang in Gaolin County, had once integrated these grappling techniques into a renowned and fearsome style known as the "Tendon-Splitting and Bone-Breaking Hand."

With a move of 'Spiritual Ape Escaping the Earth,' Chen Qing directly evaded the grappling strike.

The attacker's moves were exceptionally fierce, the offensive coming in waves. His five fingers formed claws like five steel spears, locking toward Chen Qing's throat.

*Whoosh! Whoosh!*

The air whistled with a piercing sound.

Chen Qing’s frame paused momentarily, then his arm and spine exerted force simultaneously. While evading the fierce claw, he slammed his body heavily into the attacker.

*Bang!*

This move, 'Spiritual Ape Offering Longevity,' was exquisitely executed; not only did it evade the opponent's offensive, but it also served as a counterattack.

Chen Qing let out a muffled grunt, using the momentum of the collision to slide half a step backward to dissipate the recoil.

His eyes were as sharp as an eagle's, instantly locking onto the assailant.

It was a short, stocky man dressed in black night-traveling clothes, his face covered by a black cloth, leaving only a pair of eyes gleaming with cruelty and greed visible.

The opponent clearly had not expected Chen Qing's reaction to be so swift or his transitions so seamless. Upon impact, his chest throbbed with intense pain, and his breath momentarily caught.

"Am I running into an ambush!?"

Chen Qing’s heart stirred, and his brow darkened.

"Tough nut! Attack together!" the stocky man growled.

Before his voice had even faded, two other gusts of wind lunged out from the darkness like venomous snakes!

On the left, a tall, thin figure swept low across the ground. A flash of cold light appeared in his hand—a short blade about a foot long, silently thrusting toward Chen Qing's flank.

This thrust was insidious and tricky, delivered at a lethal angle, clearly intended to cripple Chen Qing's mobility.

On the right, a relatively sturdy figure charged out like a wild bull. His arm muscles were knotted and bulging, bringing a heavy wind as he delivered a powerful 'Double Peak Piercing Ears' strike.

Two fists the size of clay pots slammed toward Chen Qing's left and right temples! If this hit landed true, even an iron head would be split open.

Three of them!

Just as Chen Qing suspected, this was a coordinated gang operation, and their teamwork was seamless, marking them as habitual offenders.

The three formed a lethal web, instantly enveloping Chen Qing.

In a flash of lightning, Chen Qing’s left foot slammed down onto a piece of broken tile on the ground. The tile shot out with a sharp whistling sound, aimed directly at the face of the tall, thin man on the left.

Simultaneously, instead of retreating, his body surged forward. Meeting the stocky man's dual fists, his spine arched and snapped like a great dragon. His upper body reclined backward at an incredible angle, narrowly avoiding the heavy punches aimed at his temples.

"Puff—!"

Though the broken tile was small, it moved with extreme speed under Chen Qing's kick.

The tall, thin man clearly hadn't expected it; in his haste, he had to abandon his thrust and raise the short blade to guard his chest.

*Clang—!*

The tile shattered instantly, but it created a gap in the trio's web.

By leaning back, Chen Qing had not only dodged the 'Double Peak Piercing Ears' but also caused the stocky man's fists to miss, the massive inertia causing the man to stumble forward.

At the very moment his body was nearly parallel to the ground, Chen Qing's right foot, like the coiled tail of a long-dormant scorpion, whipped upward like lightning!

"Wooo—!"

This kick was tricky and ruthless—a variation of the 'Spiritual Ape Branch Kick,' aimed directly at the stocky man's groin!

"Fuck!"

Having missed his strike and lost his balance, the stocky man watched the lethal kick approach with terror. His soul nearly fled his body as he let out a strange cry and forced his body to twist away to avoid it.

*Rip!*

The tip of Chen Qing's shoe grazed the man's crotch, tearing his trousers and sending scraps of cloth flying; the man's back was instantly soaked with sweat.

"Third brother, watch out!"

The stocky man reacted extremely quickly. As Chen Qing's leg swept up, he endured the pain in his chest and lunged forward again.

This time, he did not use pure grappling; instead, his five fingers hooked like claws, his finger-wind sharp, aiming directly for the left ankle that was supporting Chen Qing's body.

If this claw landed, the "Tendon-Splitting and Bone-Breaking Hand" would immediately cripple one of Chen Qing's legs.

At this moment, Chen Qing's body was still in a reclined position. His previous strength had been spent, and his new strength had yet to manifest. His left foot was his only support, making the attack seem unavoidable.

At the critical moment, Chen Qing's core strength exploded. His body twisted violently as if it had no bones, and his supporting left foot instantly left the ground.

*Whoosh, whoosh!*

His entire body completed an inconceivable mid-air rotation. Not only did he evade the stocky man's murderous grab for his ankle, but the wind generated by the rotation forced the opponent to sidestep to avoid it.

This was precisely the 'Spiritual Ape Somersault' from the Tongbei Boxing style.

The moment Chen Qing landed, he performed a roll, creating a small distance between himself and the three men, finally gaining a moment to breathe.

He rose quickly, assuming the Tongbei Boxing opening stance, 'Spiritual Ape Asking the Way.'

"All together! Kill him!"

The stocky man also recovered from his shock. Overwhelmed by shame and rage, he roared and charged again.

This time he was smarter; he no longer used the wide-ranging 'Double Peak Piercing Ears' but instead clenched both fists like heavy hammers, sealing off Chen Qing's space to dodge left or right.

Beside him, the stocky man kept a close eye on Chen Qing's lower body and joints, his fingers slightly curved, clearly poised to execute the lethal move of the Tendon-Splitting and Bone-Breaking Hand the moment Chen Qing showed a weakness.

The three surrounded him again, their offensive even more fierce and cautious than before.

They knew the young man before them was not easy to deal with and had to end the fight quickly to avoid attracting others.

Chen Qing narrowed his eyes, his mind tense.

Just as the blades were about to reach him, his body suddenly dropped low. His right arm, like a reaching ape, pecked toward the inside of the opponent's wrist at the 'Shenmen Acupoint' with speed and precision.

This move, 'Spiritual Ape Picking Fruit,' converted his fist into a finger, specializing in striking acupoints with lightning speed.

The tall, thin man felt a numbness in his wrist as if stung by a venomous wasp. He nearly lost his short blade, and his offensive instantly stalled.

Chen Qing did not relent. His left leg, like a whip, delivered a low sweep—the 'Spiritual Ape Tail Swing'—striking hard against the tall man's supporting tibia.

*Crack—!*

The sound of a bone breaking rang out! The tall man let out a scream, losing his balance and falling forward.

Chen Qing's kick contained hidden internal force; while the man's lower leg looked fine on the surface, the bone inside had already snapped.

"Second brother!"

The stocky man's eyes nearly burst with rage. He had never expected Chen Qing's counterattack to be so swift and precise.

Seizing the moment when Chen Qing's center of gravity shifted from the kick, he lunged like a predatory wolf. He struck with both hands: one grabbing for the knee joint of Chen Qing's kicking left leg, the other thrusting like a snake's tongue toward the 'Mingmen Acupoint' at the small of Chen Qing's back.

This was the extremely insidious 'Locking the Knee and Breaking the Waist' from the Tendon-Splitting and Bone-Breaking Hand!

If this strike landed, Chen Qing would either die or be permanently crippled!

However, Chen Qing seemed to have anticipated this. Instead of retracting his kicking left leg, he slammed it downward like an iron stake. Using the downward momentum, he forcibly halted his forward inertia, and his core once again exploded with a flexible, rotating force.

This move was one of the variations of Tongbei Boxing: 'Spiritual Ape Rooting.'

He spun rapidly in place like a top. Using the centrifugal force of the rotation, his right elbow whipped backward with a sharp whistling sound, striking like a heavy hammer.

His target was exactly the wrist of the stocky man that was thrusting toward his Mingmen acupoint!

(End of Chapter)