Chapter 4: Chapter 4: Killing
The next day, during morning practice.
Zhou Hu announced directly, "Starting today, for the last half an hour, you will pair up for Kaozhuang practice to experience exerting and receiving force."
The apprentices were instantly both excited and nervous. Sparring was the best way to test their true skills, and it also meant their martial arts training was entering a new phase.
First up, Zhao Yuan versus Li Mao.
Zhao Yuan lowered his shoulder and leaned in. Li Mao barely managed to hold his ground, stumbling back three steps before steadying himself, his face pale.
"You let me win."
Zhao Yuan cupped his fist, a flash of smugness in his eyes.
When it was Liang Cheng’s turn, his opponent was an apprentice named Sun Wang. Sun Wang was quite strong, and seeing Liang Cheng’s slender build, he put his full force into a direct charge.
Unhurried, Liang Cheng sank his stance, slightly twisted his waist and hips, and met the charge with his shoulder.
BANG!
Amid the dull thud, Sun Wang felt as if he had crashed into a rock wrapped in cotton. Most of his force was dissipated, and the rebound actually sent him stumbling back two steps.
Liang Cheng, however, merely swayed, his feet not moving an inch. A few gasps arose from the crowd, and even Zhao Yuan narrowed his eyes.
Seeing this, Zhou Hu couldn’t help but nod. "Liang Cheng, your force redirection is good, but remember that the Fierce Bull Force is primarily offensive. Defense and redirection are secondary. Don’t mistake the means for the end."
"Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother Zhou."
Liang Cheng replied. He didn’t explain that his old hip and waist injury hadn’t fully healed and that he was defending proactively to avoid further injury.
The sparring continued. After several rounds, although Liang Cheng never took the offensive, his defense was solid, and almost no one could push him back. Only Zhao Yuan, with his brute force, sent opponent after opponent stumbling back, stealing the show.
...
During the lunch break, in the dining hall.
Zhao Yuan carried his bowl and sat down opposite Liang Cheng.
"Junior Brother Liang, you hide your skills quite well," Zhao Yuan said with a smirk. "That clever technique for redirecting force during Kaozhuang—that’s not part of the Fierce Bull Force, is it? Did Senior Brother Zhou give you private lessons?"
He hadn’t spoken quietly, and many apprentices glanced over. Liang Cheng put down his bowl and chopsticks. "Senior Brother Zhao, you must be joking. It’s just from practicing my Posture Stance for a long time, so my foundation is a bit more stable. Senior Brother Zhou teaches us all the same things. Besides, didn’t Senior Brother Zhao easily push me back during sparring?"
He emphasized the word "easily" with a calm flatness that made Zhao Yuan’s expression stiffen. Zhao Yuan stared at him for two breaths, then snorted coldly, rose to his feet, and stormed off with a flick of his sleeves.
Liang Cheng picked up his bowl and chopsticks again and slowly finished his meal. Not a single ripple disturbed his inner peace.
Night fell. In a corner of the courtyard.
The moonlight was like water. The young man’s figure was as steady as a pine tree, his every punch and kick firm and resolute.
Not far away, under the eaves of a roof, Zhou Hu stood with his arms crossed. He watched for a moment, then quietly departed.
Before he knew it, Liang Cheng had been at the Martial Arts Hall for a full month.
[Mixed Element Stance - Beginner Level (60/100)]
[Fierce Bull Force - Beginner Level (12/200)]
He asked Zhou Hu for leave to go home and get his second month’s tuition.
As he walked down the familiar streets, his steps were steady and his aura was restrained. He was like a completely different person from a month ago.
Nearing the noodle shop, a figure leaning on a crutch approached him, a sycophantic smile plastered on his face. "Young Brother Liang, you went to the Martial Arts Hall to train! Your complexion has improved so much!"
It was Small Shrimp, who had been kicked out of the Sea Snake Gang.
He was bowed low, his words excessively respectful.
Liang Cheng’s gaze swept over the man’s white-knuckled grip on his crutch, and he sneered internally. But his expression remained neutral. "Brother Xia."
Small Shrimp waved his hands frantically, his tone subservient. "I don’t deserve it, I don’t deserve it! I just hope that one day, when you’ve made it, Young Brother, you could spare a meal for me. I’m living in the ruined temple on the backstreet, at your command anytime."
Liang Cheng just grunted in acknowledgement and said nothing more. Small Shrimp gave an awkward smile, then hobbled away. As Liang Cheng watched his retreating back, a cold glint flashed in his eyes before he suppressed the thought and turned to go home.
When he got home, Big Head and the other two saw him and their faces lit up with excitement.
"Brother Cheng! You’re back! Let’s see who at the docks dares to bully us now!"
Big Head rubbed his hands together, his eyes shining. Liang Cheng shook his head. "I only came back to get something. I have to return to the Martial Arts Hall to continue my training."
Big Head’s smile froze. "Still training? What about the money...?"
"Don’t worry, I have a way."
Liang Cheng’s voice was calm as he cut him off.
Big Head and the others looked at each other, a flicker of disappointment crossing their faces, but it was quickly replaced by a simple blessing. "Brother Cheng, you’ll definitely succeed!"
After Big Head and the other two left, Liang Cheng spent some time talking with his mother before saying he had business at the Martial Arts Hall and needed to hurry back.
His mother looked like she wanted to say more, but in the end, only offered a word of caution: "Be careful with everything when you’re out there."
"I know, Mom."
After leaving the house, Liang Cheng didn’t head straight back to the Martial Arts Hall. Instead, he circled around to the backstreet and hid in a secluded corner with a view of the ruined temple, waiting quietly.
The night deepened.
Around nine in the evening, the temple door opened, and Small Shrimp emerged. He limped, but he moved quickly toward the center of town.
That was where the Sea Snake Gang’s headquarters was located.
From the shadows, Liang Cheng’s eyes narrowed. He followed silently.
...
At the mouth of an alley, next to a woodpile.
Just as Small Shrimp was about to reach the Sea Snake Gang’s headquarters, a look of delight appearing on his face, a black shadow silently flashed out from behind the woodpile, blocking his path.
Small Shrimp trembled in fright. When he got a clear look, his soul nearly fled his body. "Liang Cheng?!"
In the moonlight, Liang Cheng’s face was half in shadow, his eyes as calm and still as a frozen lake, yet they made Small Shrimp feel as if he had been plunged into an icy abyss.
"Brother Xia, where are you off to so late at night?"
Liang Cheng’s voice wasn’t loud, but Small Shrimp’s legs went weak. He subconsciously backed away, his right hand secretly reaching into his shirt. "Just taking a walk... Young Brother Liang, what are you doing here?"
"I’m here," Liang Cheng took a step forward, "waiting for you."
All hope vanished from Small Shrimp’s heart. A vicious light exploded in his eyes as he suddenly pulled out a rusty dagger. "You little bastard, go to hell!"
He pushed off his bad leg and lunged with surprising ferocity, the dagger aimed straight at Liang Cheng’s heart. Liang Cheng didn’t dodge or evade. He stomped his foot and slightly twisted his waist—
Fierce Bull Force—Side Lean!
He dropped his left shoulder as his right fist shot out from his waist like a hammer smashing into a wrist!
CRACK!
The sound of breaking bone was piercing.
AHHH—
Small Shrimp shrieked as the dagger flew from his grasp. Liang Cheng advanced, closing the distance. His left hand clamped over the man’s mouth like an iron pincer while his right knee simultaneously slammed into his abdomen.
Urk!
Small Shrimp’s eyes bulged, his body curling up like his namesake.
Liang Cheng wasted no words, no hesitation. He snatched the dagger and, under Small Shrimp’s terrified and despairing gaze, a cold light flashed—
PSHH!
A warm spray erupted. Small Shrimp gurgled twice, convulsed, and went limp. Only then did Liang Cheng release his grip, letting the body slide to the ground.
His breathing was slightly ragged, and the tips of his fingers trembled almost imperceptibly. He immediately clenched his fist tight, suppressing the roiling Qi Blood within him.
His eyes were as cold and clear as ever. This was the second time he had killed someone!
...
On a deserted beach, in a rocky area.
Liang Cheng dragged Small Shrimp’s body here. Seeing no one around, he quickly searched it. Aside from a few scattered copper plates, he was surprised to find a small, yellowed booklet.
He opened it, and his expression darkened. He then remembered that the original owner of this body was illiterate. The script of this world was different from his previous one, making him a "functional illiterate."
If he obtained a Cultivation Technique Secret Manual in the future, he probably wouldn’t be able to read it even if it was right in front of him.
’I have to find a way to learn to read as soon as possible...’
Liang Cheng silently made up his mind. He put the booklet away, then tied rocks to Small Shrimp’s body and dragged it directly into the sea.
PLOP.
The surging waves quickly erased all traces.
Liang Cheng washed the blood from his hands and straightened his clothes. The moonlight was cold and clear. He stared at the black surface of the sea, silent for a moment.
Then he turned and strode away in the direction of the Martial Arts Hall, his steps steady and resolute.
