I could not tell him that we were acting, that his fear was proof of our realism.
Fear was useless, so he had to come up hesitantly.
Having Ah Bei come up was a headache. Unlike the Daoist brothers, who were already few and skilled, a single glance from us and they could cooperate seamlessly. Ah Bei, on the other hand, was a novice. If we really fought, he might get hurt, and if we didn't, the act might be exposed.
It seemed I had to put some thought into this.
I couldn't hurt him, yet I had to defeat him.
We had suffered from his strength during combat training. He knew no tactics, only brute force, and I was helpless against him.
Resigned, I decided to make the pretend fight real and give him a taste of real power.
I could only explain it to him later.
Ah Bei's timid demeanor made Ah Zhan curse loudly.
No choice, Ah Bei had to gather his courage and charge at me with his fists. The moment he moved, I knew he was still using the first move we learned.
I was truly exasperated. I had already suffered many losses from this move, yet he still used it.
I couldn't fall for it again. Before he could get close, I leaped to the side and pushed him from behind. He was fully focused on me, his center of gravity shifted forward. With my push, he tumbled to the ground.
As he fell, the match ended, and I took first place.
Brother Hui then scrutinized me, looking for a long while before asking, "Do you know kung fu?"
My heart sank. Had he seen through me? After observing me for so long, it was understandable that my physique might arouse suspicion.
"A little. Not very proficient. My master has been teaching us these past few days, and I've learned a lot. It just so happens I could use it."
I felt it would be difficult to deny knowing anything now, so admitting I knew a bit was better.
"I don't think it's just a little. You learned together, but Ah Bei was far behind you just now." Brother Hui pressed on.
"I had some foundation, but I let it lapse. What I know now is all newly learned," I replied calmly, neither humble nor arrogant.
"Ah Zhan, you direct their training. You, come with me."
Brother Hui turned and left. I glanced at Ah Zhan, the man in black. Ah Zhan waved at me, signaling me to follow Brother Hui.
Zhou Yingying still wore an indifferent expression, as if none of this concerned her.
I followed them, my mind racing, contemplating Brother Hui's intentions in summoning me.
The most likely scenarios were being exposed or suspected. I couldn't think of any other reasons.
My original plan with the Daoist brothers was for me to remain low-key, letting them showcase their skills while I acted as a novice slightly stronger than Ah Bei. They had performed well in the first match, but in the second, they hadn't handled it well and almost blew our cover. I had to step in to save the situation.
This rescue had propelled me to the forefront.
As we were about to leave, I exchanged a look with them. They understood my signal: if I were exposed, they were to take action and charge out of the barracks.
Two men in black followed me. Seeing me lag behind, they whispered, "Hurry up!"
I nodded quickly and quickened my pace to catch up with Brother Hui.
Until my identity was confirmed, I could not act rashly.
Brother Hui entered his large house and walked towards the sofa, then asked Zhou Yingying to return to the bedroom. He sat down on the sofa.
I stood opposite him, with the two men in black positioned behind me, one to my left and one to my right.
Brother Hui stared at me intently, then asked casually, "How old are you?"
"Twenty-three."
"Where are you from?"
I gave the same village as on my registration.
"Do you have relatives on the other side?"
"No, I joined General Wu's army at eighteen and only returned a few months ago."
"Why did you return? You served for four or five years, at least as a non-commissioned officer. You came back with nothing."
"His unit was transferred south, and I didn't want to leave my hometown."
"Hometown? Do you have a hometown?"
Yes, the indigenous people here were in an awkward position. They couldn't go back to the other side, and the government here didn't recognize them. They had formed a self-governing body, but it was scattered and constantly plagued by gunfire.
The civilians were displaced, and "hometown" was a joke to them.
It was no wonder Brother Hui spoke like that.
"You don't seem like you're from here," Brother Hui said slowly.
I was startled. For a moment, I even thought he had recognized me and was saying it deliberately.
"Boss, it's not just you who says that. Even back in the barracks, my comrades said I seemed like someone from the other side. Perhaps it's because I always stayed by General Wu's side. We provided personal services, staying in General Wu's villa, rarely exposed to the elements. After four or five years, my skin has improved a lot."
Brother Hui made an "Oh" sound and studied me for a while longer, as if trying to discern something from my face.
In reality, even if I hadn't disguised myself and had appeared as myself, he wouldn't have recognized me. He knew the returned overseas student.
"Sigh," he sighed, "Do you know what's been giving me the most headaches recently?"
I shook my head, indicating I didn't know.
"There's a young fellow on the other side, barely grown, who's challenging me. He's skilled at disguising himself, and I've suffered greatly because of it. I called you here because I want you to help me figure something out."
He looked at me with the same gaze as before.
I shook my head again. "Boss, you flatter me. Although I served by the general's side, I only did menial tasks like cleaning. We were never involved in matters on the surface. I don't even understand what you're talking about, so how can I help you?"
"Are you saying you don't want to help me?"
"No, you misunderstand. If you order us to fight him, I promise no complaints. But the specifics of how to fight are up to you."
"Oh, I like hearing you say that. Tell me, if I tell you to fight him, aren't you afraid of dying? I heard that kid is both fast and precise, never letting an opponent survive past the second move. Do you have what it takes to fight him?"
"Of course, I'm afraid of dying, very much so. But since I'm eating from your bowl, Brother Hui, I have to fight for you. If I survive, it's good luck. If I die, that's the end of it. Besides, you, Brother Hui, will provide a death benefit to my family, so it won't be in vain that my parents gave birth to me."
Brother Hui nodded and said to me, "You may go now. Keep up the good work."
I bowed to him and turned to leave.
As I neared the door, I heard Brother Hui say to the two men in black, "This person is rather interesting. Help me investigate his background further."
Clearly, despite my flawless conversation, he still suspected my identity.
I couldn't worry about that now. Until my identity was discovered, I had to continue playing my part.
Returning to the training hall, they were hitting sandbags. This time, it was different from pure strength training; they were practicing techniques.
For example, the head, the front, and the left and right sides all had different punching methods.