Chapter 25: The Clash (Part I)

"Hehe."

Jia Yanyong looked toward Lin Zheyu with a mischievous, ill-intentioned grin.

Being successfully ambushed by a scholar and nearly losing an eye had caused him to lose face within the gang. Over the past two days, his rowdy friends had frequently loitered around him, teasing him, which left Jia Yanyong feeling extremely bitter.

Though he was a hotheaded fighter, he lacked the calculating mind of his brother, Jia Yanming. Jia Yanyong was excessively blunt; after being ambushed by Lin Zheyu, he hadn't even spoken ill of him. During the gang skirmishes, he had been the first to charge forward out of sheer bluntness. He believed that in the life of a rogue, righteousness came first, and one should be willing to take a blade for a brother. He had even suffered a neck wound and nearly lost his life for this, yet Jia Yanyong didn't think much of it.

However, being outmaneuvered by a scholar and subsequently mocked by his friends was something that truly stung.

"Fine!" Lin Zheyu said, looking at the eager Jia Yanyong, who looked as if he wanted to beat him up right this second.

Since he intended to join the Feihong Gang, the grudge with Jia Yanyong should be settled; they had no deep-seated life-and-death enmity to begin with. He was more than willing to resolve their grievance through a duel.

"Haha, finally, you've fallen into my hands!"

"This time, watch me give you a proper thrashing to reclaim my lost dignity!" Jia Yanyong grinned widely as he glared at Lin Zheyu.

Any observant person could see the ill intent in his eyes. He cracked his neck, his fists popping and snapping with the tension, making Lin Zheyu feel a sympathetic ache for his knuckles.

"Since you've agreed, Jia Yanyong, spar with Mr. Lin for a few rounds. Stop once the point is made; do not strike too heavily," Xu Jingwu instructed.

In his view, although Lin Zheyu had practiced martial arts for a short while, he would not be a match for Jia Yanyong. Jia Yanyong had reached the early stage of the Bone Tempering Realm, and combined with his massive, burly physique, his strength was formidable. He was considered a skilled fighter within the Feihong Gang.

"Don't worry, Boss, I know my limits," Jia Yanyong said with a happy chuckle.

"The space here is too cramped for maneuvering. Let's go to the backyard," Lin Zheyu suggested.

He led Xu Jingwu and the others to the backyard of the Bidan Teahouse. Liang Song glanced at them from a distance before continuing to sip his wine and stare blankly into space.

...

Upon arriving in the backyard, Lin Zheyu rolled up his sleeves and faced Jia Yanyong.

Jia Yanyong looked at him with an unfriendly expression. "No more tricks or ambushes this time. Let's see what real skill you have!"

"Damn it, you made me lose face in front of Xie Jiang and Ning Hui. Just wait until I beat you so hard you won't be able to get out of bed for days!"

"Hah! Take this!" With a loud shout, Jia Yanyong lunged at Lin Zheyu, swinging his fists.

He was a large, imposing man; his aggressive punch made onlookers break into a cold sweat on Lin Zheyu's behalf.

"Boss, is this really alright?" a man beside Xu Jingwu asked. "If something happens to Mr. Lin, there won't be anyone left to tell such wonderful stories."

Many members of the Feihong Gang were fans of Lin Zheyu's storytelling and had recently become addicted to his tales.

"Don't worry. Although Jia Yanyong is reckless, he knows how to control his strength. At most, he'll just leave Mr. Lin bedridden for a few days," Xu Jingwu laughed. His suggestion to let them spar was primarily to allow Jia Yanyong to vent his frustration.

"Ugh!" "Holy crap!" "Whoa!"

Hearing the exclamations from the field, Xu Jingwu couldn't help but look toward the combatants. He had been momentarily distracted by other thoughts. In Xu Jingwu's mind, Lin Zheyu was in no way a match for Jia Yanyong; in terms of both bulk and combat experience, Lin Zheyu was vastly inferior.

However, when he looked at the two duelists, his gaze momentarily froze.

...

Jia Yanyong's punch came with ferocious momentum. In his memory, Lin Zheyu was still that frail, weak scholar. Even though the boy had practiced martial arts for a month and his body had become much sturdier, Jia Yanyong still held him in contempt.

Watching the oncoming punch, the corners of Lin Zheyu's mouth curled slightly. After a night of Master Liang's "training"—which mostly involved being kicked by the man all night—Lin Zheyu had gained some insight into actual combat.

Using the Golden Goose Technique with his feet, he nimbly dodged Jia Yanyong's fist. Seizing the momentum, Lin Zheyu grabbed Jia Yanyong's wrist and forcefully pushed him in the direction he was already charging, causing Jia Yanyong to lose his balance and stumble forward.

*Thud!*

Lin Zheyu tucked his elbow and slammed it hard into Jia Yanyong's back.

Under the massive force, Jia Yanyong slammed face-first into the ground, landing in a pathetic heap.

The watching gang members were stunned. Manager Wu was also shocked. Was this really the same skinny, frail boy who used to be nothing but skin and bones? How long had it been? He could now easily defeat someone of Jia Yanyong's stature; it was simply unbelievable.

"That doesn't count! I wasn't paying attention!"

"Again!" Jia Yanyong scrambled up from the ground, his face looking extremely grim. Being easily defeated in front of everyone—especially when the opponent hadn't used any tricks—made him feel utterly humiliated.

"Fine," Lin Zheyu nodded.

He took a stance from the Wild Bull Boxing, intending to use raw strength to conquer Jia Yanyong while simultaneously demonstrating his prowess to Xu Jingwu.

"Hmph!" Jia Yanyong snorted, enduring the pain in his back as he launched another attack.

He practiced the Black Fiend Fist. When mastered to a high level, his fists became incredibly fierce; a graze would wound, and a direct hit would kill.

Lin Zheyu circulated his breathing technique, coordinating it with the Wild Bull Boxing. Since learning the breathing technique, the power of his strikes had more than doubled. Once he mastered it further and strengthened his internal organs, the power would likely triple or quadruple.

*Bang!*

The two exchanged a punch, producing a dull, heavy sound. Both Lin Zheyu and Jia Yanyong felt a slight numbness in their arms and a dull ache in their bones. Their strength was roughly equal, and both were pushed back two steps.

A flash of horror crossed Jia Yanyong's eyes. "Such immense power... has this guy also reached the Bone Tempering Realm?"

The Black Fiend Fist was fierce and powerful; very few in the gang could take one of his punches head-on. Yet, this man he considered frail had actually withstood it and even pushed him back.

"Again!" Jia Yanyong roared, pressing forward once more.

His attacks were wide and sweeping, full of raw aggression, but they were also riddled with openings. Having been taught by Liang Song, Lin Zheyu easily spotted the flaws. However, he didn't intend to use those openings to simply defeat Jia Yanyong; he wanted to rely on sheer strength to completely subdue this blunt fellow.

From their recent collision, Lin Zheyu realized that Jia Yanyong wasn't much stronger than him. Due to his larger frame, the opponent's strength was slightly greater, but only by a hair. Real combat was not just about strength and speed, but about combat awareness and technique. In this regard, Jia Yanyong was significantly lacking; he possessed martial prowess but only knew how to rely on brute force.

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

The sound of flesh hitting flesh echoed through the courtyard. The gazes of the Feihong Gang members, Manager Wu, and the waiters from the Bidan Teahouse toward Lin Zheyu had all changed. They never expected that the refined, scholarly young man who told tales of martial passion on the storytelling platform actually possessed such formidable strength.

"Good, good, good!" Xu Jingwu watched the visceral exchange between the two and couldn't help but praise them three times. Lin Zheyu actually possessed such talent in the martial path. From the boxing style, he could tell it was the widely practiced Wild Bull Boxing. As far as he knew, Lin Zheyu had been practicing for less than two months and had already reached a level of proficiency; such comprehension was truly astonishing.

"If this kid truly had no prior contact with martial arts, then this kind of talent and comprehension is worth cultivating," Xu Jingwu thought to himself.

*Bang!*

Lin Zheyu raised his hand to block a punch aimed directly at his face, feeling a slight numbness in his arm. He stepped forward with his right foot, kicking toward Jia Yanyong's knee. Caught off guard, Jia Yanyong stumbled, losing his balance.

Lin Zheyu seized the opportunity and closed the distance rapidly.

*Wild Bull Charge!*

With a Wild Bull Charge, he threw out both fists. In his panic, Jia Yanyong chose to prioritize blocking the punch aimed at his face.

The corners of Lin Zheyu's mouth curled into a triumphant smile.

*Thud!*

The other fist slammed heavily into Jia Yanyong's abdomen.

"Hiss—"

Jia Yanyong felt a spasm in his stomach, his body curling up like a shrimp as he collapsed to the ground.

(End of Chapter)