Romance of Dragons and Snakes

Chapter 99: The Wulin of the People

Cao Yi’s words had been true. While Wang Chao had been conferred to become a lieutenant commander, it was an empty check that Wang Chao had no use for.

At the very most, this had only meant that he would be given a higher paycheck. Several hundred more RMB a month would be added to add up to a thousand RMB salary. This was far more than enough to pay for food, water, electricity, hospital visits, and any other needs.

Expenses for the doctor or hospital, money for the New Years or any holiday spending, it would all be taken care of from his salary. To the regular military man, this was not a bad treatment at all.

But for Wang Chao who had an asset of over a hundred million, he wasn’t lacking money, and so, just what use was this treatment for him?

Lin Yanan was originally from the navy. After this promotion, she still had the chance to return to her original headquarters and gain even more power. But Wang Chao wouldn’t be able to.

“What other choice is there? To gain a military rank isn’t half bad; were you expecting him to win an actual title? That’s rather unrealistic.” Zhou Liang sighed, “An empty military rank is still a rank. When he retires, he can still use this as his fallback.”

“Do you really think that he would be able to retire as an elder?” Cao Yi spoke with a strange glance to Zhou Liang.

In truth, Wang Chao’s chances of retirement as an elder was practically zero after this most recent deathmatch. In Cao Yi and Zhou Liang’s eyes, Wang Chao had a 99% chance to die on the arena. There was absolutely no chance for him to retire.

“How about this then, I’ll go report to the higher ups and see if they can throw in another bonus. It’ll be good for him as well.” Zhou Liang nodded his head. “To kill isn’t that easy of a task. Gaining an empty reward seems quite underwhelming in truth. Although we are secret members, but are we still not members of the Military Commission? If one wants to rise in rank, they must start from the major general.”

“A major general isn’t enough. Even the major generals of now are just those who sing several songs of culture. To move the hands is far better than to move the lips.” Cao Yi sneered.

“Cao, my old friend, don’t be so grouchy. We have to put faith in the organization, something good will come from it. Our sweat and blood won’t be shed in vain.” Zhou Liang slapped Cao Yi on the shoulder. “In the latter half of this year, you’ll be tenured and become the head of the entire province’s safety bureau. You’ll be a part of the provincial party committee, and in several years, being a part of the central safety bureau won’t be too difficult.”

“I’m not the one to worry about. The government works for the sake of our country doesn’t it?” Cao Yi spoke. “Send a message to them. No, wait, a message won’t do us any good. Let’s go to Beijing ourselves and find one of the senior officials to grouch to.”

Just as Cao Yi and Zhou Liang were talking about Wang Chao’s most recent raise in salary, Wang Chao had already arrived at Guangdong in a small place called the Hongcun Village.

In a regular looking Volkswagen Santana, Wang Chao and Zhu Jia sat in the back while Lin Yanan drove the car.

The car slowly but peacefully traveled through the rural roads without any bumps or dusts flying up.

That was because they were on a cement road. Several years ago, the Socialist government had put up many cement roads to the villages and countrysides.

Although the roads weren’t that broad and would barely see any farmers use it, it was more than enough for any regular car to travel on.

“Many martial artists came from the village of Hongcun, Zhang Wei included. Their main focus had been in the Hung Ga, Wingchun, and Shaolin Longfist. Many of the more amazing martial artists had always stuck to martial art competitions and thus never gained a name for themselves in the Jianghu.”

Lin Yanan continued to drive the car and began to explain some of the information she had to Wang Chao.

“That’s true. There are many practitioners amongst the people, but those who wished to fight in the Jianghu were far and few. So despite their amazing prowess, their names were not known to many.” Wang Chao spoke.

If not for the allure of money to help one live their life, a practitioner of martial arts would not be willing to enter the Jianghu and engage in a bloody brawl.

“Zhang Wei’s name has spread throughout the Jianghu for many years and made a name for himself. After washing his hands clean of that life, he had decided to try his hand at business in Shantou. But because of the economical hardships, the Ike Corporation had won him over which led to his defeat at your hands. After his death, I heard his family went so deep into debt that his wife had sold all their assets and brought their child back to Hongcun village.”

After two or three days of investigations, Lin Yanan had been able to get a grasp on the situation.

“Ai! If there is trouble, then I should help. That is why I came, Zhang Wei was a worthy opponent after all. A skill like his is a strength that is not so easily found.” Wang Chao mentioned as he looked out the window.

“He jumped into the ocean by his own accord, but the reason was because of you. Are you not afraid that his son would grow up with resentment for you? I practiced martial arts as well, so I know many things in regards to the Wulin. In a situation like yours, you should be cutting the grass by the roots instead of trying to be so benevolent. When you’re older and unable to move, what would happen when the son comes to challenge you at the peak of his youth?”

Light reflected from Lin Yanan’s eyes like a mirror. At times, she concentrated on the road ahead while sometimes looking back at the sleeping Zhu Jia right next to Wang Chao.

These days, Zhu Jia had followed Wang Chao around everywhere almost as if they were inseparable. From Qingdao to Guangdong and the car ride to the village for every single bump on the way. Her physique had not been as great as Lin Yanan or Wang Chao, and so she had fallen asleep next to Wang Chao in weariness.

And because of the fact that Zhu Jia was asleep, Lin Yanan was able to talk to Wang Chao.

“Cutting the grass at the roots?” Wang Chao laughed, “Even if I wished to do that, the rules of society today isn’t like the rules of the Wulin in the Qing Dynasty or the Republic of China.”

“I’ll let you in on a secret. If you were to kill the son now, it wouldn’t be difficult at all for the organization to cover it up thanks to the status we hold.”

An enchanting but mysterious smile appeared on Lin Yanan’s face.

“No matter what happens, I am a martial artist that wishes to cultivate my health. Killing to solve a problem before it happens is not something I would do. Were you trying to attract me to such an action?” Wang Chao’s eyebrows rose in amusement.

“Attract what?” Zhu Jia’s ears perked up slightly as her eyes began to slowly open.

“We’re here!” Lin Yanan immediately put on the emergency breaks, cutting off the conversation just as suddenly.

From inside the car, the three people looked out the window only to be greeted with the crystal clear lake of the village. A single river flowed from it and alongside the private houses that towered over the nearby forest.

Right at the most concentrated area of the river was a single stone bridge that connected the village with a large banyan tree at the middle. The stolons to the banyan trees had been steeped in the water, creating a small groove of tiny banyan trees. And underneath each of the threes, several groups of people could be seen playing Mahjong or waving their fans.

When Wang Chao arrived at Qingdao City, it had been springtime March. After the events that had transpired, time had already went by so that it was now summertime June.

“Ha! Ha! Ha!” A series of sounds could be heard alongside the clanking of metal. Turning towards the source of the sound, Wang Chao and the other two could see on the other side of the bridge, four or five youths could be seen standing in the horse stance. Their arms had several iron rings that clanked whenever both arms punched the air.

With each burst of Jin from their punches, the iron rings clanked together loudly.

These youths had been very steady in their horse stance, and their fists had been very firm like a tiger. Anyone could see that these youths had already some semblance of foundation on martial arts.

When Wang Chao saw the series of iron loops on their arms, Wang Chao knew that this was the Bridge Hand of Hung Ga, similarly called the Iron Wire Fist.

Using the iron rings to strengthen the arms and to practice breaking out and taking in Jin would lead to the arms being like reinforced iron bars after some time.

Standing besides the youths were two middle aged men with black beards with a clearly distinct aura belonging to a master.

From far away, Wang Chao could see that these two men had temples that bulged outwards and muscles that was very distinguishable. One of them wore a simple martial artist robe with a hairpin running through a hair bun in a style reminiscent to what a Daoist monk would have.

“Go on and ask.”

The martial arts of Hongcun village was especially prevalent, and with Zhang Wei being a master of well known repute, it shouldn’t be a mystery to any martial artist on where he came from.

Lin Yanan brought the car close to the bridge before stopping a decent ways away from the martial artists.

The Daoist monk and the other middle-aged man had long since noticed they were there and their eyes bore straight into the three newcomers.

“Keep on practicing and keep your eye on your hands! Don’t look around, pay attention!”

Lin Yanan and Zhu Jia were both very beautiful in their own rights. When those youths saw the two beauties come walking over, their attention couldn’t helped but wane as their eyes focused on them rather than their hands. It was because of this that the middle-aged man had barked out in anger.

“Dear masters, might this one ask where the home of master Zhang Wei is?” Lin Yanan asked the man.

“What are you looking for at Zhang Wei’s home?” Upon hearing Zhang Wei’s name, the middle-aged man’s expression contorted with a fierce glare as he examined Lin Yanan.

“You are a practitioner as well I see. Why are you looking for Zhang Wei?”

The Daoist monk spoke afterwards.

At this sudden development, even the youths practicing their martial arts had ceased in their movements as their icy eyes stared at Wang Chao and the two females.

“I am a friend of master Zhang Wei. I heard about what happened to his family, and so I came here hoping to see if I would be able to provide assistance.” Lin Yanan had only reached the higher levels of the Clear Jin, so the Daoist monk had been easily able to discern that she was a practitioner as well.

But Wang Chao’s martial art had already reached a realm where his muscles and bones acted as one. Thunder followed his fist, his internal and external had harmonized along with the Yin and Yang. Even more importantly, his Jin had permeated his inner organs, the common man wouldn’t be able to tell that Wang Chao was a practitioner like this.

When the Jin of the muscles permeated the inner organs, it would be difficult to tell from the outside.

“A friend of Zhang Wei? I know them all, but why is it that I haven’t seen you before?” The middle-aged man’s voice grew unkindly.

“Might I ask who you are?” Lin Yanan’s eyebrows furled together.

“I am a fellow student alongside him, Leung Jingmen .” The man began to crack his knuckles with a loud popping sound, “Youngsters, just who are you really? State your purpose, now.”

“Leung Jingmen? I’ve read from the reports that he and Zhang Wei both learned Wingchun from Leung Jung. Could Leung Jingmen be the son and successor to Leung Jung?” Wang Chao suddenly thought back to the reports on Zhang Wei.

The husband to the creator of Wingchun was Leung Bok-Chao. His later student had been Leung Jan of Foshan. Following the final years of the Republic of China where Wong Fei Hung had taught martial arts, those with the surname of Leung had primarily been in the Wingchun school in Guangdong. Wingchun combined with Hung Ga, Southern Shaolin Arhat Longfist, and several other disciplines so that if one knew Wingchun, then they would know Hung Ga. Often times, the two disciplines were combined.

“Zhang Wei’s fellow student Leung Jingmen must have never entered the martial arts world. He clearly hasn’t fought in the underground fighting rings.” The experts amongst the People were many, but those with a name were few. Those who were well known didn’t necessarily mean that they could beat those with a name however.

As Sun Lu-Tang once said about the experts amongst the People: For one who never leaves his mountain to study martial arts, who would know about Xu Aizi? Would they know who Dong Haichuan’s master was?

“You must be looking for his family. Unfortunately, his wife and child have already gone overseas.” The Daoist monk spoke tensely.

“Gone overseas?”

Wang Chao had been slightly surprised, but relieved at the same time. He had been an opponent to Zhang Wei, but he had come to sympathize for Zhang Wei and wished to help his family. But if they had gone overseas already, then there was nothing left to do about that.

Giving a signal to Lin Yanan, he spoke, “Let’s go then!”

Just as Wang Chao turned to leave, Leung Jingmen suddenly spoke out, “Wait.”

“Master Leung, is something the matter?” Lin Yanan turned around.

“Just who are you three? Zhang Wei was a fellow disciple younger than me, but we were very close. So why is it that I don’t know that he had you three youngsters as friends? It is not that I am doubting you, but Zhang Wei has fought for many years and earned many enemies, thus, I cannot help but ask this question.” Leung Jingmen explained, but the expression in his face hadn’t eased up.

“We are fellow practitioners with master Zhang. When we heard what happened to him…” Lin Yanan spoke.

“What nonsense! When you walk, the elbow joints to your arms jut out just slightly. Not only is that a signature of the way how a Baji practitioner uses their elbows, your elbows even have calluses! Any practitioner of Wingchun, Hung Ga, White Crane, Southfist or Bridge Hand would have such a result from practicing!”

The Daoist monk’s eyes suddenly grew sharp as he pointed out the discrepancies.

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