Chapter 64: Chapter 63 A Young Boy with the Demeanor of a Grandmaster (Part 2B)_1
Translator: Inschain Editor: Inschain
Unexpectedly, at the last moment, he executed a “one-shot-kill” counter-move using Wing Chun Biu Jee. His right index and middle fingers hovered just inches away from his opponent’s eyes.
Had that strike landed, his opponent would have been severely wounded.
The referee deemed it a decisive killer move.
In the semi-finals, he was to face Qian Quan, who also practiced Wing Chun.
He had heard about this opponent well in advance.
Setting aside trending topics, even the girls in his class had openly discussed this “new hot guy on campus from Seacoast Normal University” in his presence.
While he didn’t particularly target Qian Quan because of this, he did genuinely wish to defeat him on the mat, offering him a true taste of martial arts prowess, and incidentally ruffling the feathers of those love-struck girls.
His only concern was that, with Qian Quan’s reputation, beating him too badly might draw unnecessary attention.
After some deliberation, he decided to take a steady approach, to play it safe and win “by a stroke of luck.”
Chang Huan would also be watching the match in person.
After all, it was a rare Wing Chun vs. Wing Chun matchup.
The first semi-final was between Xun Liangping from Azure Bay Maritime University and Qian Quan from Seacoast Normal University.
Both competitors assumed the classic Wing Chun Salutation as the match began.
“Wing Chun, Xun Liangping.”
“Wing Chun, Qian Quan.”
Then, the fight commenced.
The audience then witnessed an interesting spectacle.
Qian Quan and Xun Liangping moved as if they were mirroring each other, their movements, rhythm, and stances practically identical.
Wing Chun Salutation, Ward Off Hands, Chum Kiu, Plough Hands, Seeking Bridge Stance, Knee Lift, Kicking…
They showcased textbook-level Wing Chun combat.
The first round ended in a draw.
“Are we finally going to see a well-matched fight?”
Some spectators became excited.
However, the two competitors in the ring felt differently.
Xun Liangping was surprised; he hadn’t expected his opponent to keep up with him throughout the round.
Mimicking or copying an opponent’s moves in a match wasn’t uncommon, but being able to synchronize was a different matter altogether.
There was only one explanation.
His opponent had studied his previous fights!
On the other hand, Qian Quan found it amusing. Someone was daring to use Wing Chun against him and even holding back!
He probably didn’t realize that the moment he assumed the Wing Chun Salutation, Qian Quan had already seen through his facade.
This wasn’t just a matter of the gap in their skill levels; it was a matter of a high-ranking practitioner playing down to a lower-ranking one.
He was too familiar with Wing Chun’s moves and sequences.
Therefore, in the second round, Qian Quan no longer “followed” Xun Liangping, but led him by half a step, forcing him to go all out.
Qian Quan thought to himself, “Since you want to hide, I’ll make you expose yourself.”
As a result, the audience saw Xun Liangping fighting faster and more desperately as if he were chasing Qian Quan, seemingly gaining the upper hand.
Only Chang Huan, sitting in the front row, had a solemn expression. He realized that Xun Liangping had completely fallen into the opponent’s rhythm and was being manipulated by the other party.
Xun Liangping wasn’t chasing; he was being led and swept along.
As the round concluded, Xun Liangping looked at Qian Quan with an entirely different gaze than he had at the start.
It became serious, cautious, curious, and…expectant.
The new round began, and Xun Liangping was the one to make the first move.
The dynamics shifted once again.
After taking the initiative, Xun engaged in close-range hand-to-hand combat with Qian Quan.
Every tiny thought and every significant move were fully utilized and unleashed within the blink of an eye.
Xun Liangping practically performed a comprehensive showcase of all the offensive moves he had mastered, but he couldn’t even touch the hem of Qian Quan’s garment.
“Hold nothing back. Try it in reverse.”
Qian Quan reminded Xun Liangping as he deflected Xun’s sidekick with a simple palm strike. Xun froze for a moment, stunned by Qian’s advice.
This shook him more than taking a hit would have.
Xun thought to himself, “Is he coaching me?”
As he hesitated, the back of his hand was tapped by Qian Quan.
“After the ‘Ward Off Hands’ followed by a ‘slash’, you can follow up with a ‘Straight Punch’ or a ‘Pulling Hands.’ Don’t be locked into one way of thinking.”
Qian Quan gave Xun Liangping some advice, demonstrating the moves as he spoke.
If Xun Liangping still couldn’t gauge Qian Quan’s skill level after this, he would be naive.
Just as he was about to retort, “I don’t need your advice,” a ‘Straight Punch’ was already aimed at his face.
Xun deflected it with a wave of his hand.
But he found himself under a relentless barrage of punches from Qian Quan.
“If you’re practicing Wing Chun but still holding back, your intentions aren’t pure. Your follow-through lacks commitment, affecting your force and accuracy.”
Qian Quan gave a lecture, seamlessly combining words and action.
At this point, Xun Liangping was overwhelmed. Not only was he pushed to the edge by Qian’s aggressive moves, but Qian’s words also hit him like a ton of bricks.
“He’s not just seeing through me; he’s correcting me!”
Filled with shame, Xun unleashed his full strength.
Finally, everyone got to see the true abilities of this dark horse.
His punches were fierce, and his moves were precise.
However, the more skillfully he fought, the more effortlessly Qian seemed to counter him.
This was because as the two of them improved their levels of competition, the gap widened.
Just as two people might be close when competing in elementary-level math, the gap would become glaring when one stepped up to junior high level while the other advanced to senior high school level.
Seeing the tide had turned, Xun Liangping decided to go broke and unleashed his ultimate move-“Adding the Finishing Touch”.
He rotated his body, aiming his right hand’s index and middle fingers at Qian’s eyes. When this was parried, his left index finger shot out at an extremely tricky and odd angle, targeting Qian’s left eye.
If successful, it would have been another game-changing, one-hit KO.
His left index finger shot out flawlessly.
But it stopped short about two inches from Qian Quan’s left eye.
But this time, he wasn’t hovering with ease; instead, he was at the end of his strength, like a spent arrow.
His finger couldn’t move forward even a fraction.
And at this moment, all his vulnerabilities were laid bare under Qian Quan’s attack.
Qian Quan, who had already stopped his move, smiled and said, “No boasting or exaggeration, this move is quite creative.”
Only then did Xun Liangping realize that he was drenched in sweat from head to toe, steam rising from him as if he were a martial arts master exuding Qi in martial arts fiction.
“How much strength did you use?” Xun Liangping stared curiously at Qian Quan.
Full strength,” replied Qian Quan.
“If you had truly used your full strength, the match would have been decided within three moves,” said Xun Liangping as he respectfully cupped his hands in a traditional salute. “Thank you.”
Qian Quan’s previous tips and the subsequent demonstration had been incredibly enlightening for him.
“You’re welcome,” Qian Quan returned the gesture.
The outcome of the match was obvious to all.
After the match, Chang Huan actively approached Qian Quan, asking, “Hello, are you Rocky? The one whom Zhang Xiang’er had introduced to our group?”
“That’s me, and you are…”
“Chang Huan, Xun Liangping’s senior schoolmate.”
Qian Quan had a vague impression but couldn’t quite place him.
“1 am the heir to Yip Man’s Wing Chun in the South China region.”
“Oh, the No. 1 Wing Chun practitioner in South China,” Qian Quan remembered.
Chang Huan gave an awkward smile, “You’re too kind. May I have your contact information, so we can catch up later?”
Since he had already approached him, Qian Quan couldn’t very well refuse. So, he added Chang Huan as a friend.
In another semi-final match, it was Zhao Baiyu from Azure Bay University against Liu Yunbo from Jiaotong University.
This match was far more dangerous.
Zhao Baiyu, who was at a crucial point in her martial arts breakthrough, was often engrossed in her thoughts about martial arts. Facing significantly weaker opponents was not an issue; she could end the match quickly without causing any harm.
However, when meeting an opponent who could genuinely exchange a few moves, she could easily lose herself and forget to hold back her strength.
Had the referee not intervened in time, Liu Yunbo would have had to be carried out of the ring.
It was rumored that Liu Yunbo had nightmares that night. He dreamt that Zhao Baiyu’s kick, accompanied by the sound of tearing air, had hit him and rendered him incapacitated.
Perhaps due to the psychological trauma, he lost swiftly and decisively to Xun Liangping in the third-place match.
Finally, the Freshmen Partnering Tournament advanced to its final match.
The final competition had arrived.
The finalists were Qian Quan from Seacoast Normal University and Zhao Baiyu from Azure Bay University.
Unsurprisingly, the attendance rate for this match broke all records for the tournament.
Present at the venue were not only relevant officials but also two invited bigwigs from the martial arts community.
Additionally, Zhao Baiyu’s parents, grandfather, and master were all present.
Li Zihe had also quietly arrived.
On Qian Quan’s side, Ding Linlang naturally came to support him.
Others present were Bai Yuanzhi, Zhang Tianran, and Luo Xufeng from the Martial Arts Association, along with his three roommates.
Although this regional campus competition wasn’t a nationally hot event, seven or eight official media outlets still came, including Azure Bay TV.
Needless to say, the atmosphere for this match was perfectly set..
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