Chapter 21: Playing Dirty

"Hah!"

Jia Yanyong let out a great roar.

His face, covered in fleshy, rugged features, gave off a menacing and ferocious impression.

He kicked off the ground violently, charging toward Lin Zheyu, swinging a fist the size of a sandbag toward Lin Zheyu's face.

During his sprint, Jia Yanyong had already envisioned the scene in his mind: one punch would send Lin Zheyu crashing to the ground, trembling and begging for mercy.

Seeing this, Lin Zheyu appeared to be truly intimidated.

He stood his ground, motionless.

Jia Yanyong was extremely fast, reaching Lin Zheyu in an instant.

His fist whistled through the air as it swung toward Lin Zheyu's head; in his mind, the image of Lin Zheyu being knocked flat by a single blow flashed again.

"Huh?"

Feeling no sensation of his fist impacting a cheek, Jia Yanyong's punch missed.

Lin Zheyu twisted his waist, dodging to the left.

His right hand whipped out forcefully, scattering the red powder he had prepared for a long time directly into Jia Yanyong's eyes.

As the powder scattered, Lin Zheyu retreated quickly, though he still coughed a few times from the irritation of the chili powder.

He had spent over half a month preparing this chili powder, but he had never had the chance to use it.

He had thought that even if he used it in the future, the target wouldn't be Jia Yanyong; he hadn't expected Jia Yanyong to come crashing into him today.

"Ah!"

"Cough, cough... Ah..."

Jia Yanyong felt his vision turn red. The pungent, stinging red powder smeared across his face, and an intense, sharp pain immediately surged through his eyes.

Screams accompanied by coughing echoed through the street.

"Ah! I'll kill you! I'll kill you!"

Jia Yanyong roared loudly.

His eyes were clamped shut, and tears streamed down, blurring his vision.

A burning sensation accompanied by excruciating pain radiated from his eyes. Jia Yanyong felt as if he were going blind, his heart filled with both rage and terror.

He couldn't bear to imagine what his life would be like if he actually lost his sight.

With his eyes closed, he swung his fists wildly, striking at the air.

Lin Zheyu made a sudden charge, delivering a "Wild Bull Collision" that slammed into Jia Yanyong's chest, the impact sending him stumbling back several steps.

It had to be said, the chili powder was truly effective.

Jia Yanyong was quite strong; if they were truly fighting, Lin Zheyu might not necessarily be his match.

Having succeeded with his strike, Lin Zheyu pressed the advantage.

Executing a series of Wild Bull Punches, the sightless Jia Yanyong swung his fists blindly, unable to land a single hit on Lin Zheyu, and was easily knocked to the ground.

"For your brother's sake, I'll spare your life. You won't be so lucky next time."

"Go rinse them with water quickly. You might still be able to save your eyes," Lin Zheyu said, looking at the tear-streaked Jia Yanyong.

As more and more bystanders gathered, he stopped his assault.

If this hadn't been the Inner City with many passersby, Lin Zheyu would have simply dealt a lethal blow to finish the guy off.

He bypassed Jia Yanyong and walked toward his home as if nothing had happened.

...

Moonlight fell like a waterfall, spilling into the courtyard.

Having changed into martial attire, Lin Zheyu arrived at Liang Song's courtyard.

The two men stood still in the center of the yard.

Lin Zheyu took an offensive stance, while Liang Song stood with his hands behind his back, a faint smile on his face, looking exactly like a legendary master.

"Use all your skills and launch an attack against me."

"Forgive my insolence, Master," Lin Zheyu said.

His calf muscles exploded with power, and his figure shot toward Liang Song like a sharp arrow.

The Wild Bull Fist emphasized brute strength; as the technique was executed, the momentum was filled with an unstoppable, forward-surging force.

At this moment, the power from his thighs, linked by his waist, gathered the strength of his entire body and poured it into his twin fists.

The first style of the Wild Bull Fist: Wild Bull Collision!

In this move, both fists were thrown simultaneously—one direct, one unorthodox.

The direct punch possessed unparalleled momentum, charging straight for the face, forcing the opponent to concentrate all their energy on defending.

The other punch struck directly at the waist and abdomen, catching the opponent off guard.

The direct and unorthodox punches could switch instantly. If the opponent focused on the punch aimed at the abdomen, the direct punch would immediately transform into a killing blow.

It would blow their head apart!

*Bang!*

Liang Song extended both hands, catching Lin Zheyu's wrists—one above and one below.

He tilted his body slightly and exerted sudden force, using Lin Zheyu's own momentum to pull him sharply, causing Lin Zheyu to lose his center of gravity instantly.

Lin Zheyu's balance faltered, and he stumbled forward a few steps. He knew it was bad, but it was too late.

*Thud—*

A violent pain erupted in his abdomen as Lin Zheyu was sent flying backward.

Under the moonlight, Liang Song patted his limp leg and regained his stance.

"Master, do you have to be so ruthless!"

Lin Zheyu stood up, rubbing his abdomen, which burned with a stinging pain.

It really hurt.

Even at his age, Master's strength was still so formidable.

"The harder the hit, the deeper the memory."

"Real combat is about turning a weakness into a strength, and using strength to strike weakness."

"Your attack just now was strong, while the force I used was less than half of yours; relatively speaking, I was the weaker party."

"But by using certain techniques, I can redirect your force, adding my own power to yours to make you lose control and balance."

"Your formidable strength suddenly becomes your weakness. At that moment, when I take the opportunity to attack, it becomes using strength to strike weakness."

"When encountering such a situation, you must..."

Liang Song explained meticulously, teaching Lin Zheyu various combat techniques and countermeasures.

After the explanation, Liang Song personally demonstrated the moves for Lin Zheyu using slow motion.

"Again. Attack just like before, then counter using the method I taught you."

After the demonstration, Liang Song signaled for Lin Zheyu to continue the attack.

Lin Zheyu reflected on what he had just learned, gaining a deeper understanding of Liang Song's teachings.

His eyes grew determined, and his body shot toward Liang Song.

*Bang, bang, bang—*

This time, Lin Zheyu and Liang Song exchanged several rounds of combat.

*Thud—*

Unsurprisingly, Lin Zheyu was kicked away once again.

"Master, you're cheating! You didn't say this move had such a flaw just now!" Lin Zheyu stood up, rubbing his stomach.

The counter-move Liang Song had just taught him had been easily dismantled by Liang Song in a different way just a moment later.

"You must be flexible in your mind."

"Techniques are static, but people are living beings."

"In battle, no one uses martial arts forms rigidly. You must respond flexibly to different situations," Liang Song lectured, pointing out Lin Zheyu's deficiency once more.

"Again!"

...

*Thud—*

"Again!"

*Thud—*

...

All night long, Lin Zheyu was either being kicked or on his way to being kicked.

Liang Song seemed to have a penchant for kicking people; he was either kicking Lin Zheyu in the stomach, his buttocks, or his chest.

"No more, no more!"

Lin Zheyu grimaced, a stinging pain radiating from his face.

Liang Song had just kicked him in the face!

That was completely ungentlemanly—you don't hit a man in the face!

"Hiss—"

"Master, you're going too far! It's one thing to kick me, but you actually kicked my face!"

Lin Zheyu inhaled sharply, speaking with indignation.

He hated being hit in the face more than anything in the world, but he simply couldn't beat the man in front of him...

"Hmm? What's wrong with hitting the face? Am I not allowed to hit it because I'm your master?"

Liang Song said nonchalantly, though he felt a bit sheepish inside.

He really hadn't pulled his punch just now.

Lin Zheyu's comprehension was incredibly high, and his ability to apply what he learned was extremely fast. One moment of carelessness and he had almost landed a blow on Liang Song's abdomen.

In the heat of the moment, Liang Song had instinctively lashed out with his right foot, catching Lin Zheyu in the face and sending him flying.

"Take this medicine. Apply it tonight, and the pain will be gone by tomorrow morning."

Liang Song pulled out a small bottle and tossed it to Lin Zheyu.

Lin Zheyu popped the stopper and sniffed; a thick, herbal scent filled his nostrils.

"Thank you, Master."

"Remember to come early tomorrow. I'll teach you something else."

"Alright, I'll definitely be here early," Lin Zheyu replied, a sense of anticipation rising in his heart.

...

(End of Chapter)