"Sun Yunqing, Yang Huting, Sun Yunqing, Yang Huting..." Taoist Fei Yuan read out the names one by one. To everyone's surprise, the highly respected Master Ru Bei, the head of Shaolin Bodhidharma Hall, and the Bajiquan master Du Ruohong, who had amazing skills, did not get a single vote.
All the votes were concentrated on Sun Yunqing and Yang Huting. When the last ballot was read, the two of them had 14 votes each, which was a tie.
This scene was beyond everyone's expectations. A hint of surprise appeared on Sun Yunqing's originally graceful face. He looked around, sweeping over those who had promised to vote with confidence, and cursed secretly in his heart.
Some people who were eager to see the world in chaos saw that the two sides were tied and couldn't help but say, "Since the votes are the same, why not just have a fight to decide it."
Taoist Priest Fei Yuan was a little hesitant. While he was hesitating, he heard someone shouting, "We martial artists have to show our skills with our fists and feet. I think it would be better for me, Du Ruohong, to come and see what you two can do. Whoever can beat me will be the one I vote for."
Everyone looked over and saw Du Ruohong's face full of disdain. They immediately realized that he didn't get a single vote and was too embarrassed to say such words.
Taoist Priest Fei Yuan also noticed Du Ruohong's anger and tried to persuade him, "We are selecting a secretary general, not the one with the best martial arts skills."
Du Ruohong did not give face to Taoist Fei Yuan, and sneered: "If this secretary general is not good at martial arts, who would obey him?"
Taoist Priest Fei Yuan was choked and didn't know what to say. He had a good temper, but he was not good at dealing with such sudden incidents. While he was hesitating, Sun Yunqing smiled and said, "Brother Du's suggestion is also good. Since you are the secretary general of our martial arts association, of course you must have some skills in boxing and kicking, otherwise you will be laughed at and said that you are just sitting there doing nothing."
As soon as Sun Yunqing said this, he immediately won a round of applause. Because it meant that Sun Yunqing agreed to compete with Du Ruohong. Everyone present was crazy about martial arts, and it would be so exciting to see Sun Yunqing, who was good at Xingyiquan, and Du Ruohong, who was good at Bajiquan, fighting against each other.
Since Sun Yunqing has expressed his opinion, Taoist Fei Yuan has nothing to say. After all, they are all martial artists, unlike politicians. Perhaps in the eyes of politicians, this is a farce, but for martial artists who like excitement, this is the best way to decide the secretary general.
Zheng Yubai and Yang Feiyun looked at each other, knowing that Sun Yunqing had seized the opportunity to trick them. Sun Yunqing knew that Yang Huting had been injured a while ago, and this answer to fight Du Ruohong was definitely to take the opportunity to make Yang Huting look bad.
Yang Huting's current physical condition meant that he couldn't fight, especially since his opponent was the famous Bajiquan master Du Ruohong. But if he didn't fight, wouldn't it be like admitting that he was not as good as Du Ruohong, and was also at a disadvantage to Sun Yunqing? For a martial artist, this was an intolerable humiliation.
Seeing Yang Huting's face heavy as he was about to accept the challenge, Yang Feiyun jumped up and said with a smile: "Uncle Du, you are not of the same generation as my grandfather, so it may not be easy to challenge you. Why not let me learn your Bajiquan?"
There are many rules in the martial arts world, one of which is that the younger generation cannot challenge the elders. Du Ruohong is a generation younger than Yang Huting, so it stands to reason that he cannot challenge. At this moment, he also thought of this and blushed, saying, "That's right. In this case, I will learn from your Tai Chi skills."
Zheng Yubai frowned, stood in front of Yang Feiyun, winked at him, then clasped his fists towards Du Ruohong and said, "Senior, let me ask for some advice on behalf of Mr. Yang."
"Who are you?" Du Ruohong asked puzzledly.
"I'm Zheng Yubai." Zheng Yubai said politely. Du Ruohong in front of him had a very straightforward and oppressive aura, which was also the aura that people who practiced Bajiquan usually had. When combined with the fierce and vigorous fighting style of Bajiquan, it could be said to be vigorous and powerful.
"You are Zheng Yubai?" Du Ruohong's eyes lit up, and he looked Zheng Yubai up and down. "I heard Wang Bao talk about you, saying that you are a rare expert. But aren't you studying Xingyi? Why did you go to follow Master Yang?"
This question was quite direct. Sun Yunqing's face turned cold, but he still smiled and said, "This little brother Zheng has already broken through the door. As for who he is following now, I don't know."
Although he said he didn't know, his eyes fell on Yang Huting, which immediately aroused the suspicion of others. You know, in the martial arts world, breaking away from the master is a big deal. To put it nicely, it is ungrateful, and to put it bluntly, it is a betrayal of the master and ancestors. And if Yang Huting took in Zheng Yubai, it would also be a big deal, which is equivalent to contempt for the rules passed down by the ancestors. How can such a person be the secretary general of the martial arts association and handle the affairs of the martial arts world
Although Sun Yunqing was telling the truth, he was obviously planning to stab Yang Huting before he took action. His calculations were good. The people in the martial arts world were all straightforward. They soon showed disdain and contempt on their faces. Some people even started shouting. If Yang Huting did not have a high reputation in the martial arts world, I am afraid someone would have jumped up to question him.
Yang Huting cleared his throat and said loudly: "Everyone, this is what happened..." He recounted how Zheng Yubai and his son broke out of the house. He spoke slowly and clearly, adding every detail, and his stance was not just biased towards Zheng Yubai and his son.
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone fell silent. The internal conflicts of Xingyiquan had nothing to do with other sects. Since it was not a matter of betraying the master and destroying the ancestors, and Zheng Jingzhe had already vowed not to use Xingyiquan skills, if others interfered again, they would be just bored.
Seeing that there was no substantial damage to the reputation of Yang Huting and Zheng Yubai, Sun Yunqing stopped talking because he was confident. Du Ruohong was a master of Bajiquan. Sun Yunqing still remembered the fight between Zheng Yubai and Wang Bao at the martial arts conference. If Wang Bao's finger had not been broken, it would have been unclear who would win in the end. And Du Ruohong's skill was far superior to Wang Bao's.
"In that case, I'll fight you. I want to see what you, the champion of the martial arts conference, can do." Du Ruohong showed a cunning smile on his face. For many years, he has been indignant about why Bajiquan, which has a similar style and power, has always been less famous and popular than Xingyiquan. Now that he can face the most powerful disciple of the younger generation of Xingyiquan, Du Ruohong also wants to see whether Xingyiquan can still maintain its glory in the future.
Although Sun Yunqing wanted to let Yang Huting, who had just recovered, take action personally, now that Zheng Yubai volunteered to fight for Yang Huting, he did not stop him, but winked at his son Sun Haitong.
Sun Haitong quietly left the venue. Everyone's attention was focused on Du Ruohong, who was eager to try, and no one noticed his departure.
"Uncle Sun, do you want to go first or should I go first?" Although Zheng Yubai didn't like Sun Yunqing, he still asked him very politely.
According to his original idea, Sun Yunqing wanted to attack first and then watch the fun, but he was unwilling to use up Du Ruohong's energy and let Zheng Yubai take advantage, so he said, "How can I be embarrassed to attack first? You guys go first."
Zheng Yubai knew what the old fox Sun Yunqing was thinking, but he also had his own plans, so he said to Du Ruohong: "Please give me some advice, senior!"
There was already a martial arts practice arena in the Sun family's Xingyiquan gym, so everyone was too busy with the meeting to attend and swarmed to the arena, standing on both sides, waiting to watch the show.
Yang Huting walked to Zheng Yubai's side and whispered, "Yubai, you have to be careful of Du Ruohong. His strongest skill is the Mountain Collapse in Bajiquan. This is a unique skill passed down from Master Li Shuwen. It is very powerful."
Zheng Yubai knew how powerful Kaoshanbeng was, so he nodded and said, "I'll be careful." He made up his mind to fight Du Ruohong in close combat like he did with Wang Bao. Once they kept their distance, Du Ruohong's Kaoshanbeng would not be able to use the momentum to launch the attack, thus restraining the opponent to the greatest extent.
Du Ruohong took off his coat, revealing a tight-fitting jacket and a body full of muscles. There were many scars on his dark skin, showing that he was also a battle-hardened man. Zheng Yubai did not dare to neglect such a famous master, so he also took off his coat, stretched his muscles, adjusted his breathing, and then came to Du Ruohong.
Taoist Priest Fei Yuan now took on the job of judging. He came between the two and said, "This is just a competition. Stop when you are done. Remember not to hurt anyone."
Du Ruohong grinned and said, "Don't worry, I won't make things difficult for the younger generation."
Zheng Yubai bowed very humbly and said, "Please give me your guidance."
After both of them expressed their opinions, Taoist Priest Fei Yuan took two steps back and said loudly, "Let's begin."
As soon as Taoist Fei Yuan finished speaking, the smile on Du Ruohong's face disappeared like lightning, and he pounced towards Zheng Yubai like a gust of wind.
Zheng Yubai didn't expect Du Ruohong to attack so quickly, but luckily he was prepared. He slipped and turned his body to the side, hoping to avoid it.
Du Ruohong flew over and punched Zheng Yubai in the chest. Although he dodged, his fist turned in mid-air, turned into a palm, and swept out sharply, just scratching Zheng Yubai's left rib.
Just this little touch made Zheng Yubai feel a huge pain in his ribs. Just half a fingertip passed by, and his entire left half of the body seemed to be struck by lightning. The ribs and muscles felt severe pain, followed by a sore and numb reaction.
"What a powerful internal force!" Zheng Yubai knew that Du Ruohong's attack contained internal energy. He exerted his strength and repeatedly performed the dragon-shaped bone-searching footwork, relying on his ghostly body movements to escape from Du Ruohong's attack range.
Du Ruohong did not pursue him, but stopped and stared at Zheng Yubai with a smile on his face. He was very confident in himself. Although he only hit Zheng Yubai with half a fingertip, the vicious internal force of his chopping palm had penetrated his body, which was enough to make Zheng Yubai suffer.
There was no pursuit behind him, which made Zheng Yubai breathe a sigh of relief, but when he breathed a sigh of relief, he felt something was wrong.
Yang Huting saw this scene at the edge of the arena, his face darkened, and he whispered: "Not good, Du Ruohong actually cultivated the penetrating force."
At the same time, Sun Yunqing's face was filled with joy and surprise. He was happy because he saw that Zheng Yubai had suffered a great loss, and he was surprised that Du Ruohong's martial arts far exceeded his expectations. This complex thought made Sun Yunqing even more gloomy. He glanced at the exit of the arena from time to time, as if waiting for someone to arrive.
He had just escaped from Du Ruohong in one breath, but the other party did not take the opportunity to pursue him. Zheng Yubai originally thought that he was showing mercy, but now that the situation was reversed, Zheng Yubai knew the truth.
The numbness under his ribs spread throughout his body as he breathed, gradually making his left half of his body feel uncomfortable. The force that entered his body with half a fingertip was like a loach, looking for a passage in Zheng Yubai's body. As it moved, Zheng Yubai felt waves of pain, and the breath in his meridians became disordered.
"What a powerful kung fu." Zheng Yubai knew that he had met a powerful character. Du Ruohong's reputation was indeed well-deserved. He had actually cultivated the penetrating power that martial artists dreamed of.
Penetrating force is a very clever way of using force. After the force is accumulated, it can be launched by sticking a fingernail-sized area on the opponent's body. After the penetrating force enters the opponent's body, it can continue to destroy until the force is exhausted.
Zheng Yubai didn't know Du Ruohong's strength, so he was at a disadvantage from the beginning, and Du Ruohong's penetrating force penetrated his body. After he took a breath, he knew that it was not good, so he immediately adjusted his breathing and used his internal force to eliminate the sequelae of the penetrating force.
How could Du Ruohong give Zheng Yubai a chance? He was not a person who liked to show mercy. The reason why he did not chase Zheng Yubai was to let him relax his guard and breathe. As long as Zheng Yubai took a breath, the power of the penetrating force would enter his meridians with his breathing. After that, he could only endure the numbness and discomfort of his body. It would be difficult for him to exert his normal combat power.
Seeing Du Ruohong rushing over with his body crouching very low, a word immediately popped up in Zheng Yubai's mind: relying on the collapse of the mountain.
As expected by Zheng Yubai, when Du Ruohong rushed to Zheng Yubai, he leaned forward and used his shoulder as a battering ram to ram Zheng Yubai. His might was like a running rhinoceros, with an extremely crazy momentum. Even if Zheng Yubai was a mountain, he would probably collapse and break apart.
Fortunately, Zheng Yubai was prepared. He knew that Du Ruohong's unique skill was to rely on landslide, so he waited until Du Ruohong rushed to his side before reacting.
The dragon-shaped bone-searching body movement was unleashed. Although there was still the penetrating force inside his body causing trouble, Zheng Yubai's internal martial arts training was not in vain. He held his breath, suppressed the power of the penetrating force, and evaded Du Ruohong's collision with a nimble move of his feet.
Unexpectedly, Du Ruohong not only had this earth-shattering and sky-shattering collision, but also had a follow-up move. Although Zheng Yubai dodged, Du Ruohong's originally lowered body suddenly bounced up and the whole person jumped into the air.
In martial arts, there is a saying that you should not lift your legs above the knees. Although many martial arts schools also focus on lower body kicks and legs, they all have many precautions. Otherwise, if you fail to attack the opponent, lifting your legs above the knees and being in mid-air is like being a target, and you can only be slaughtered.
Although there are many explanations, Du Ruohong's leap turned himself into an eagle, while Zheng Yubai was like a rabbit, his whole body enveloped by Du Ruohong's pressure.
Yang Huting and Yang Feiyun, who were watching the fight, both changed their expressions. They were both at the edge of the arena, some distance away from Du Ruohong, but they could still feel the tremendous momentum and pressure from Du Ruohong.
Zheng Yubai was under Du Ruohong's shadow, and the sense of oppression he felt was far greater than that of the Yang family's grandparents who were far away. He only felt a huge wave-like force pouring down on his body, as if it was going to swallow him up and tear him apart.
"How amazing..." This thought flashed through Zheng Yubai's mind, and everything in front of him suddenly stopped, and he entered his own world.
Everything slowed down again, and the discomfort in the body became stronger. Zheng Yubai saw an image of his meridians in front of him, with a black line struggling to move inside his body, like a nasty pest.
Fortunately, the pest was relatively small, and Zheng Yubai had plenty of time in his own world, so he easily mobilized his internal strength to attack it. After several rounds of encirclement and suppression, the small pest that had been running around and causing Zheng Yubai a lot of trouble was finally surrounded by him, and with a surge of internal strength, the pest was turned into nothing.
After getting rid of the pests causing trouble in his body, Zheng Yubai finally breathed a sigh of relief and began to think about how to deal with Du Ruohong.
There is a saying in Bajiquan that "Baji Baji, both feet do not leave the ground", Zheng Yubai knew something about it. But now Du Ruohong did not play by the rules, and unexpectedly appeared out of nowhere, using a move like a roc spreading its wings, which was beyond Zheng Yubai's imagination.
Although he didn't know what killer moves Du Ruohong had hidden behind him, Zheng Yubai was willing to take a risk. After thinking for a moment, he released himself from the world.
The world became fast again. Du Ruohong swooped down from the air, swinging his palms non-stop, covering every part of Zheng Yubai's body. The infinite palm power surged up like the waves of the sea.
Du Ruohong was the strangest opponent Zheng Yubai had ever met. Bajiquan's power was originally "like a bow in motion, like a thunderclap", and its characteristics were fierce and explosive, and it was similar to Xingyiquan, which was open and fierce. But now Du Ruohong used a soft and continuous palm power, which was completely opposite to the general Bajiquan fighting style, making Zheng Yubai feel very uncomfortable.
"Is he testing me?" Zheng Yubai suddenly had this thought and couldn't help but smile bitterly. Perhaps Du Ruohong was planning to open up a new world for Bajiquan. There are too few innovations in the martial arts world now, and too many people like to keep their skills to themselves. As a result, each generation is inferior to the previous one. Too many of the unique skills of the past have been lost, which is one of the reasons for the decline of martial arts. If Du Ruohong really creates a new boxing style, it will be a great blessing for the martial arts world.
No matter what, now in such a dangerous situation, if he is not careful, he will be hit by Du Ruohong's penetrating force, or hit by his feminine palm force, which is not a fun thing. Zheng Yubai did not bother to think too much, and according to the countermeasures he had just thought of, he leaned back, rolled on the ground, and kicked with both feet.
"Great!" Yang Huting couldn't help but admire when he saw this, "Du Ruohong, the eagle, slew the rabbit, and Yu Bai, the rabbit, kicked the eagle. This is a brilliant move."
Zheng Yubai's footwork was already very strong. Years of physical training made him not only powerful in punching, but also in kicking. Later, he practiced light skills such as the Dragon Bone Search and Flying Eaves Technique, which made his lower body very flexible. The force of this kick towards the sky was extraordinary, and with the momentum of Du Ruohong falling from the sky, the combined force of the two sides, if he really kicked, Du Ruohong would have to fly out.
Du Ruohong saw Zheng Yubai's very clever response, and it seemed that he had been prepared. In this situation, he had no good solution. If he fought hard, both of them would be injured. Although his body was still in the air, he was still very flexible. He stretched out his palms quickly and hit the instep of Zheng Yubai's foot, and the whole person flew backwards. With the help of Zheng Yubai's strength, he landed far away and landed safely.
The competition between the two was thrilling. Those watching the match were all experts, and their palms were sweating. Some admired Du Ruohong's strength, while others were amazed that Zheng Yubai, a rising star, could actually compete with Du Ruohong.
"You are very good." Du Ruohong calmly gave Zheng Yubai a thumbs up. He rarely praised people on weekdays, so this made many people who knew him look at Zheng Yubai with new eyes.
"Thank you for letting me win, Senior." Zheng Yubai slowly changed his breath, saying polite words, but staring at Du Ruohong without blinking. The opponent in front of him was too strong, and he felt a huge pressure just by sparring. If it was a life-and-death fight, Zheng Yubai was not sure he could defeat his opponent.
"Is there a rising star like you? I have to practice with you." Du Ruohong laughed and said, "How about the Eight Extremes Mian Palm that I just practiced?"
It was indeed a new move. Zheng Yubai was startled and said respectfully, "Senior, you have created a new martial art. It is a great achievement."
"Don't be so flowery." Du Ruohong obviously didn't buy Zheng Yubai's gentle and courteous words, "You haven't attacked yet, so I'll let you go first this time."
Zheng Yubai looked at Du Ruohong, feeling a bit amused. Although it was a martial arts competition, he was a little too arrogant. However, if he really wanted to defeat Du Ruohong, it seemed that he had to strike first. Zheng Yubai's eyes swept over Yang Huting who was watching the fight, and an idea popped up in his mind.
Although Du Ruohong created a set of feminine palm power, he had been practicing the fierce Bajiquan since he was a child. Is there any chance? In martial arts, it is said that softness can overcome hardness, but there is also a saying that one force can defeat ten skills. In the final analysis, it still depends on the individual fighting power of the warrior.
As his thoughts turned to this direction, Zheng Yubai had an idea. He spread his hands and made a gesture that surprised Du Ruohong. (To be continued)