Romance of Dragons and Snakes

Chapter 186: The Dragon Within the Shaolin (Two)

Domineering, arrogant, and an indomitable willpower!

Those were the feelings Wang Chao had for this mysterious hooded newcomer.

The soccer balls that were placed off in a corner of the auditorium were meant to be used by the students in their recreational time. But when this mysterious person came in, he had kicked up six soccer balls into the air. His hands had destroyed two of them, his shoulders had destroyed two of them, and then he had kicked the remaining two straight at Wang Chao.

The explosion of four of the soccer balls had been as loud like lightning and shocked the entire auditorium!

It went without saying that a lesson in this school was extremely serious. Disciplines meant to be had and the rules were set in iron. A student could be punished with extra push-ups or laps if they were to even cough, let alone cause a sudden disturbance like this.

But when this mysterious person came in laughing to send two soccer balls straight for instructor Wang, not a single person had let out an angry sound of disagreement.

If it were any other person, then they would have been beaten to an inch of their life and then punished to half a month of solitary confinement. Even if you were a student with connections or power, it would not matter.

And yet every single student in the auditorium had all the same exact feeling in regards to this person: this person was naturally overbearing! He was meant to be arrogant!

Considering how shrill the sounds were as the two soccer balls traveled towards Wang Chao’s face, the speed at which they were moving in would be more than enough to badly injure his face to a bloody pulp. Even if it was made of leather.

Wang Chao had not been staring at the soccer balls coming at his face and had instead been staring at the mysterious figure. When that person exploded the soccer balls with his shoulders, there had been a slight wet spot the size of a copper coin on the tip of his shoulder blades. This was clearly the sign of Hidden Jin being used in a way similar to using a metal needle to pop the leather ball.

The act of narrowing Hidden Jin through a small point in the shoulders with such a sharp effect like this was an impossibility if one were not capable of Transforming Jin.

Wang Chao on the other hand had merely extended his arms outwards to allow the soccer balls to roll over them. His arms had been like grindstone that had been rubbed with flour first. The soccer balls that had been previously spinning fast on top on his arms slowly started to slow down in their rotation before ultimately coming to a stop.

Still expressionlessly, Wang Chao gave a small shake of his arms. Boom! The two soccer balls fell to the ground without a single bounce, and much to the student’s curiosity, they could have sworn they felt the ground shake beneath them.

It had been an extremely odd sensation. For a moment, it felt as if these two balls were stone rather than leather.

“This person has already reached the ability of Transforming Jin. Any part of his body could be used to shatter stone and break bricks. In truth, a skill like that is beyond mine. I wonder if Wang Chao will be able to handle it? That claw just now was from the dragon stance of Shaolin martial arts, is he an expert from the Shaolin Temple? There’s plenty of students in this institute that learned Shaolin before, and Wang Chao himself has plenty of enemies from there for the Shaolin Temple not to send some people his way. So this person’s arrival has to be about regaining some honor for them. How will Wang Chao react? …..In any case, master Wang Chao’s skill with Baguazhang has really reached perfection if he can treat a leather ball like a stone ball. They call it turning a falsehood into reality in martial arts, or how an Immortal can change at will. It’s no wonder that Zhu Hongzhi from the Hongmen or senior Hsueh Lien-hsin both consider him to be a man deserving of the name Crocodile Immortal.”

A person who reached the limits of martial arts could use clothes like a staff and rolled up clothes like a spear.

In the past when Yang Luchan once fought with another person, he had taken off his clothes and rolled it up to turn it into a weapon capable of spearing straight through wood. With the usage of a whipping motion and speed, the inherent nature of an item could be changed to become a weapon. If the speed in which water flowed was altered to come out even faster, then it could cut through a steel plate.

Wang Chao had used the art of grinding palm from Baguazhang to neutralize and drop the ball as if it were stone. It was also a way to show his hand rather than a simple way to stop the thrown soccer ball.

In the previous years, he had hugged an extremely heavy mercury filled lead ball in the deeper currents of the sea to practice his martial arts. In the end, he had succeeded in still being able to turn and twist the ball around as if it were a fish without feeling the counteractive forces of the currents. But on dry land itself, he could still treat the air as if it were water. And from there, he had gained a similar style of steadiness as being a coral reef. This was what it meant to have learned the most qualitative applications of martial arts.

This was how Liu Qing had regarded Wang Chao. Since this newcomer was not kind, then there was no need to be kind to him in return. In front of the eyes of many, just what person would say that such an arrogant and overbearing entry would not warrant a thrashing?

Wang Chao had been calm and unflustered, but his words were extremely reprimanding in contrast. “This is a lesson time! There is order and discipline to be had! This isn’t a venue where sects of the Jianghu come to fight one another.”

He had not been wrong. This was indeed a military institute for the army and not a meeting ground where people of the Jianghu fight one another.

“Instructor Wang, how awe-inspiring you are.” The mysterious figure tilted his head to take off his hat. The very first thing to be seen was a shiny-bald head with several burn marks on his forehead.

This mysterious person was a monk who had underwent ordination.

He had a tall nose and long eyelashes that almost covered his sharp eyes. But his skin was practically scarless and well suited his young face.

This monk’s appearance was very similar to the appearance of Monk Wuhua from the Legend of Chu Liuxiang.

“Shaolin warrior monk, Yong Xiaolong. My respects to headmaster Wang of the Laoshan School of Internal Martial Arts.” After revealing his face, the young monk cupped his hands together.

“I too, am a military instructor to this institute with a double post as the German and French professor. I was merely here to just give a small interaction with your class. Your use of Baguazhang was quite decent. And your power with it was strong enough to lift even a boulder with ease. The concepts of steadiness, rotation, and grind, you demonstrated them all quite nicely.”

The young monk had completely ignored what Wang Chao had said earlier and slowly walked towards the front of the auditorium. He had spoken each word with clear enunciation while also with great volume like the roar of a lion.

“A warrior monk of Mount Taishi. Of the Long, Hu, Bao, He, and She generational names, he holds the highest ranking seniority with his name. Even in his martial arts, he is called the strongest of the Shaolin. Several years ago when he was visiting the Shaolin Temples overseas, he was acting as the head of the German Shaolin Temple. What an unexpected turn of events to see that he’s even younger than Duan Guochao. No wonder Duan Guochao was said to be the strongest layman. It was because Yong Xiaolong laid claim to the strongest man of the Shaolin.

Duan Guochao was considered a layman and not an ordained monk. But Yong Xiaolong had underwent the traditional ordination process to receive his marks.

When Liu Qing saw Yong Xiaolong, his eyes had sparkled brightly.

“My dear students, I am but a lowly warrior monk of the Shaolin Temple, Yong Xiaolong. Head of the German branch Shaolin Temple and graduate from Munich University from Germany with a Ph.D. I was hired to give my explanation on genuine combat while also teaching German and French. This act I’ve done towards instructor Wang Chao just now was a demonstration of kicking techniques that can be applied in combat and to complement instructor Wang Chao’s explanation of grappling techniques.”

As he walked, he hadn’t bothered to look at any of the students he introduced himself with a smile. Turning to Wang Chao, he spoke, “Instructor Wang, since this class is about grappling techniques, why don’t you and I have a little demonstration for the students to see?”

From his very entrance, Yong Xiaolong had been brassy, overbearing, and completely provocative without a penchant to be polite. It had been more than enough for Wang Chao to understand that from the very beginning, there was only one single meaning to this monk: “The martial arts of Shaolin is number one in this world. No one is allowed to go against or injure that reputation.”

The tyrannical feeling that this young monk gave off wasn’t the arrogance that any regular martial artist would have. It was the confidence that a person of the Shaolin Temple would have in its hundred years of history and influence.

And now, Wang Chao could add yet another pillar to the Shaolin Temple. Yong He, Yong Bao, Duan Guochao, and now Yong Xiaolong. If news of this got out, then it would bring about a great deal of negative influence for the Shaolin Temple.

“Okay! We all want to study and learn from master Yong Xiaolong’s Shaolin and instructor Wang’s Eagle Claw. Isn’t that right everyone!”

“Of course! Instructors, you two are experts amongst experts! Please demonstrate for us!”

“Yes! Please! Instructors, please demonstrate for us!”

With over a thousand of the brightest students in attendance, they were all capable of seeing the noticeable hostility between the Shaolin monk and their instructor. Thus, they wished to see the ensuing battle.

They were people of the army. To be hot-blooded, belligerent, warlike, and enthusiasts for disturbances such as these were all things that could describe them. In a single moment, the entire auditorium had exploded with such approval that the roof to the auditorium would probably unhinge itself from the volume.

Even the students and instructors that were currently in the training grounds a good distance away would be startled by the sudden shouts.

The only ones that had not taken part in the disturbance was Huo Ling’er, Tan Wendong, Liu Qing, and the other three soldiers.

Huo Ling’er and Tan Wendong had only stared at Yong Xiaolong with a cold expression. They had came forward together at the same time, and from Huo Ling’er’s eyes, a brilliant killing intent could be felt. To the students around her, they could swear that they feel themselves start to shiver.

Before Huo Ling’er could speak, Liu Qing strode forward to speak up first to Yong Xiaolong. “The Eight Arts of Snake and Crane and the Iron Body Eagle Claw are both arts that I’ve learned from Duan Guochao. Please allow me to accompany monk Xiaolong in this demonstration for everyone to study from.”

After Liu Qing lost to Duan Guochao many years ago, he had studied long and hard to learn to win next time. As a prideful person, he had felt displeased at first when he was assigned to learn under Wang Chao.

He served Wang Chao because of the fact that Wang Chao was a famous person. He killed Duan Guochao and crippled the Little War God. But more importantly, he served him because Wang Chao too had taken guidance from elder Li.

This had meant the two of them were practically students of the same master in Baguazhang.

If not for that, Liu Qing would have been all too willing to fight Wang Chao to the death instead of learning from him even if Wang Chao was far too strong.

But this time. A new military instructor had appeared with a haughty demeanor to come bear his fangs at Wang Chao. Liu Qing had lost once before to Duan Guochao, for what reason would he stand back and allow himself to take orders from another monk of the Shaolin Temple?

It didn’t matter if monk Xiaolong was the head warrior monk of the Shaolin Temple. Until they fought, Liu Qing wouldn’t buy it. Furthermore, he was all too willing to take back the face he lost from losing to Duan Guochao onto the warrior monk.

“Monk Xiaolong, let us spar and give everyone a demonstration.” Liu Qing coiled his arms. With a stamp of his foot, “Tzzk!”, his army issued shoes had immediately been torn apart. With a slight kick, Liu Qing kicked them off to the side.

And now he was barefoot.

Any expert would know from this action that Liu Qing was ready to fight to the death. When an expert went barefoot, that meant he was ready to expel Hidden Jin from it.

“Very well, let us spar and demonstrate then.” Yong Xiaolong laughed unperturbed. His pearly-white and orderly teeth could be seen as he smiled.

And with that, he bent down to take off the monk shoes he wore.

His decorum was already ill-fitting with the students here. He a camo suit, but also a hat and monk shoes. After he took off his hat and shoes however, all was right with how he was dressed once again.

Now that he was barefoot, Liu Qing’s toes could be seen gently gripping onto the ground. With a single leap that looked like he was gliding, Liu Qing started out with a stabbing palm thrust. Because of how his feet were moving, it seemed as if he was sliding across the floor to Yong Xiaolong due to a magnet.

This was the art of Baguazhang, “False Step Palm Thrust”. Categorized under the swallow stance, the palm would thrust out like a sword. And with Liu Qing’s thrust, he would use the Hidden Jin in his palm to give his thrust all the more penetrative force.

Still smiling, Yong Xiaolong squatted down with his back arched and his waist twisted in a way reminiscent in a dragon coiled up in a spring, or a tiger laying down in its cave.

And when the palm thrust arrived, his foot came up to peel into Liu Qing’s wrist!

When his foot came up, his big toe had been upright while the other four toes were pointed downwards and his soles tightened firmly and flatly. At a glance, it looked as if it were the sharp edge of a blade.

Author Note: Dear readers, this type of leg work can easily cause a pulled muscle or tendon. Please do not try this at home.

Yong Xiaolong’s leg had been fast, and his foot had felt as if it were a blade ready to peel away at his enemy.

The pores on Liu Qing’s wrist had immediately stood upright when he felt the sharpness of the intent behind this blade-like kick. Hurriedly turning his wrist to flow into the grinding motion of Baguazhang, Liu Qing had managed to successfully move past Yong Xiaolong without a clash.

When the two split, a piece of Liu Qing’s sleeves came drifting down to the ground. At the edge of the fabric, it looked as if a knife had cut into it.

This was known as the “Ground Tumbling Blade” of the Shaolin’s dragon stance. There was no need for a blade as the foot served as one. When practiced to its extremities, cutting a person’s clothes as if they had a blade was considered to be the pinnacle of the art.

An expert from the Republic of China, Liu Baichuan had once fought with many people with his foot as his weapon. Once, he had split apart his opponent’s clothes without at all harming the skin.

Wang Chao had learned all that he needed to know from this one exchange and immediately moved to intercept the two when they splitted.

“Yong Xiaolong. Allow me to accompany your demonstration.” Wang Chao spoke.

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