Master of Internal Martial Arts

When the burly man from Miaojiang saw that Chen Fengyun had so effortlessly evaded his poisonous smoke, he let out a series of wailing cries. In the next instant, several brilliantly colored spiders flew from his body, spitting out streams of gleaming white silk toward Chen Fengyun with a sharp hiss. The poisonous spiders launched their webs at lightning speed, as swift as bullets fired from a gun, and in the blink of an eye, the webbing was before Chen Fengyun, crisscrossing to trap him within.

“A few tiny insects think they can deal with me? How naive,” Chen Fengyun thought. He realized that this brute’s own martial skills were lacking; his strength lay in using poisonous creatures to attack. But Chen Fengyun had little patience for such games. With a cold snort, he struck out with a distant punch.

There was a series of dull thuds. The webs shooting toward Chen Fengyun were swept back in an instant, and the poisonous spiders burst apart under the force of his fist wind, exploding midair with a series of muffled pops.

“How dare you destroy my venomous spiders! I’ll kill you!” the Miaojiang man howled, leaping up as he flung a myriad of poisonous creatures from his body.

There were scorpions, poisonous toads, venomous spiders, armored beetles, even two small green snakes, and a host of unnamed toxic insects, all surging toward Chen Fengyun in a deadly wave.

“What a nuisance.”

With a sudden roar, Chen Fengyun’s voice rolled out like a tidal wave, crashing over the oncoming swarm. Instantly, the poisonous creatures burst apart midair, the two green snakes trying to slither away to either side but failing to escape in time.

“Begone.”

After his shout had slain all the poisonous creatures, Chen Fengyun flicked his foot, sending a stone flying with a whoosh. The stone struck the Miaojiang man square in the chest with a heavy thud; the crack of breaking bone was audible as the brute staggered back more than ten paces before crashing to the ground.

A sudden hush fell over the scene. Everyone present knew Chen Fengyun was formidable, but none had expected him to be this powerful. All eyes turned to one man in the crowd: an elderly figure with snow-white hair and beard, none other than the legendary Master Gu, the revered Grandmaster of Chinese martial arts.

While the surrounding martial artists might be considered experts, Master Gu was regarded as a true grandmaster—a disciple of the famed Wing Chun master Ip Man.

“Master Gu, may I trouble you to take the field and drive out this enemy?” At that moment, Qin Tianxiong clasped his fists and bowed respectfully to the old man.

“We must call upon your aid, Master Gu,” echoed Mr. Liu, who stood beside him. Master Gu was not his bodyguard, but a friend whom he had invited to visit Rong City for leisure.

“Heh, who would have thought that Rong City would produce such a formidable young man? Truly, the new generation surpasses the old! Very well, my hands have been itching for action. Let this old body of mine play with you for a while,” Master Gu said with a chuckle, rising to his feet.

“So the martial world of China is not in decline after all, not with a master like him around. He must have reached the stage where his internal energy flows outward,” Chen Fengyun thought, observing as Master Gu stood up. He could sense a faint current of energy within the old man’s body, clear evidence of mastery in the inner schools of martial arts.

“Young man, may I know your name? Who is your teacher?” Master Gu came to a halt two meters before Chen Fengyun, his demeanor calm and composed, the bearing of a true grandmaster. He smiled as he spoke.

“My name is Chen Fengyun. As for my master’s name, it would be inappropriate to disclose to outsiders. But I must ask, Master Gu—having attained such mastery of inner martial arts, a man of virtue in your own right—why do you assist the wicked in their misdeeds?” Chen Fengyun replied, offering only his name before turning the question back on the old man.

“Assist the wicked? You jest, young friend. I have no connection to Mr. Qin. I am here with Mr. Liu for a visit, temporarily lodging in this place. My stepping forward today is not to help Mr. Qin against you, but rather because your skills have piqued my interest,” Master Gu said with a gentle shake of his head.

“This Qin Tianxiong controls half of Rong City’s underworld and entertainment industry. He deals in drugs, forces women into prostitution, and has his men abduct children, among other unspeakable crimes. All of you who stand in my way today are accomplices to his evil. Soon enough, you will face retribution,” Chen Fengyun declared, sweeping his gaze across the crowd.

Qin Tianxiong’s face flushed crimson, cold sweat streaming down his back. Many present knew of his misdeeds, but to have them exposed so publicly was a grave humiliation.

“Young man, you speak nonsense! I, Qin, am an upright businessman. How could I be involved in such heinous acts? If I had committed crimes, the authorities would have come for me long ago—why would you be here fabricating charges against me?”

“You know the truth in your heart, as do I. But today, your denials will be for naught. When the police arrive, you’d better think of how to explain yourself. Oh yes—there’s a room full of weapons in your basement, enough to arm a hundred men. I hope the police bring sufficient reinforcements,” Chen Fengyun said with a cold smile.

At once, the crowd was thrown into commotion. Even some of Qin Tianxiong’s own men seemed unaware of the weapons stash, and the assembled wealthy guests looked at him with growing unease.

“Master Gu, this man harbors malicious intent and is unworthy of the martial world. Please, Master Gu, purge this evil and avenge those he has harmed!” Qin Tianxiong’s face was livid as he tried to shift the crowd’s focus by begging Master Gu to act.

“If what you say is true, then when the authorities arrive, we shall all bear witness. For now, let us test each other’s skills,” Master Gu said, giving no clear answer as he assumed his fighting stance.

“So Master Gu is an expert in Wing Chun. Today should be an entertaining match,” Chen Fengyun thought. Since Master Gu wished to spar, Chen Fengyun was more than happy to oblige, especially since this was the first true master of internal strength he had encountered—stronger even than Feng Tianbao. His interest was piqued.

With a fierce shout, Master Gu dashed forward like a streak of lightning, his right palm striking out and sending a powerful wave of energy surging toward Chen Fengyun. The oppressive force was far beyond that of ordinary fighters.

“Well done!” Chen Fengyun laughed heartily, charging straight ahead without dodging. He swung a fist through the air, its cutting wind colliding with Master Gu’s palm strike in a muffled boom.

“What kind of martial art is this? How can their blows make sound without even touching?” many in the crowd asked, bewildered.

“I understand now—they’re using internal energy! I never imagined I’d see true masters of internal strength today.”

“What? I can believe Master Gu has mastered internal energy, but how has this young man done the same?”

“These are inner school masters—legendary grandmasters! Who would have thought I’d witness such a duel with my own eyes?”