"Hmm, she's skilled. You really aren't her match," said Wan Yunting, leaning against a pillar with his arms crossed, turning to smile at Niu Qiuling. Angered, she rolled her eyes and retorted, "We haven't fought, how do you know I can't beat her?"
"Because I sparred with her this morning and know her capabilities," Wan Yunting replied with a smile.
"When did you fight her this morning?" Niu Qiuling asked blankly.
Wan Yunting waved his hand and continued watching Li Shuyun spar with Matsunai Shota. "This island nation guy has good kung fu, but his speed can't compare to Li Shuyun. As long as she controls the rhythm, she should win..."
Just as Wan Yunting predicted, Li Shuyun didn't get overconfident after winning a few moves like Yue Wenwu did. Instead, she was exceptionally composed, her every move precise and practiced. Furthermore, Li Shuyun's speed and technique were rapid; often, before Matsunai Shota could react, she had already countered his moves and struck back.
Thus, after less than ten exchanges, Li Shuyun's Crane Fist jabbed Matsunai Shota in the neck. He yelped as if electrocuted and stumbled backward.
"Oh, this lass knows pressure points!" Wan Yunting's eyes lit up. Li Shuyun's last move had struck a pressure point on Matsunai Shota's neck. Knowing she couldn't match his strength, she had focused on exploiting his pressure point weaknesses.
"Good, well fought..." Seeing Li Shuyun continuously suppressing Matsunai Shota, Yue Jiawei and his disciples were greatly encouraged. Jiangyuan Ichiro frowned, his gaze fixed on Li Shuyun, surprised by her prowess.
With a yell, Matsunai Shota charged forward again. Li Shuyun, neither arrogant nor impatient, now aimed her attacks at various pressure points on Matsunai Shota's body. Soon, Matsunai Shota was left groaning on the ground, his legs rendered immobile by strikes to points on their inner sides.
"Baka, useless," Jiangyuan Ichiro cursed furiously in Japanese upon seeing Matsunai Shota's defeat. Sansaka Kenichi and others stepped forward to pull Matsunai Shota back.
"Good, Shuyun fought well," Yue Jiawei cheered. Li Shuyun also breathed a sigh of relief, having finally restored some honor to her master.
"Master Yue, it's our turn," Jiangyuan Ichiro said, stepping forward with a stern expression.
"Master, let me fight him," Li Shuyun requested again. Yue Jiawei waved his hand, meeting Jiangyuan Ichiro's gaze directly, and said, "This man is quite capable, you are no match for him. I'll go."
"But..."
"Don't worry," Yue Jiawei said, understanding Li Shuyun's concern. "Although I haven't fought anyone in a long time, this old body is still tough. You don't need to worry." Seeing this, Li Shuyun fell silent. Yue Jiawei stepped forward. Zhang Tonghe cautioned, "Old Yue, be careful, don't push yourself." After all, Jiangyuan Ichiro was ten years younger than Yue Jiawei. Although their martial arts were different, neither knew the other's true capabilities, so Zhang Tonghe, Li Shuyun, and the others were greatly worried.
Jiangyuan Ichiro stepped forward, tightening his purple belt. Facing Yue Jiawei, he bowed directly—a gesture of respect. Yue Jiawei clasped his hands in return. Jiangyuan Ichiro straightened, his feet apart in a straight line, his hands also raised in a fighting stance. "Please," he said. Yue Jiawei adopted a similar offensive stance and replied courteously, "Please."
Seeing this, Jiangyuan Ichiro no longer hesitated about who would strike first. He launched himself forward with a quick step, unleashing a palm strike towards Yue Jiawei's neck... Yue Jiawei swiftly dodged and turned, creating some distance between himself and Jiangyuan Ichiro. His sharp old eyes clearly assessed the opponent's strength.
"Hey, who do you think will win?" Niu Qiuling, leaning against the pillar, asked Wan Yunting again. Li Shuyun, standing nearby, had been listening to their hushed conversation and turned to glance at Wan Yunting. He grinned and pointed at Yue Jiawei and Jiangyuan Ichiro, who were probing each other's defenses. "It's hard to say. This little devil is strong, his external martial arts are refined, and his physique is robust. Taking a hit from him wouldn't be easy for most people."
"But this old master of Xingyi Quan should be in the late stage of internal strength. Although he's older than the young devil, he has studied internal martial arts for many years. He should be fine."
Niu Qiuling turned to look at his profile. "Are you saying they're evenly matched?" Wan Yunting stroked his stubble and smiled, "That depends on their combat experience."
Li Shuyun, who had been silently listening to Wan Yunting's analysis, turned back to watch her master, Yue Jiawei, and Jiangyuan Ichiro in the courtyard, as they continued to test each other's weaknesses. After about ten exchanges, Yue Jiawei had gauged the opponent's approximate strength. In terms of power, speed, and physical conditioning, Jiangyuan Ichiro had a clear advantage. Yue Jiawei, on the other hand, took a punch from Jiangyuan Ichiro directly, his left shoulder going numb. He shook his arm with a shock, inwardly marveling at the hardness of his opponent's fist.
Jiangyuan Ichiro seized the opportunity to pursue, attacking Yue Jiawei again. His speed was astonishing, his fists and palms striking with continuous, explosive force. In a blink of an eye, they had exchanged over ten blows, captivating the onlookers—both disciples and apprentices—who watched with wide, unblinking eyes. After all, a battle between masters was a rare opportunity for learning and observation, so everyone was afraid of missing even a single move.
"Ha!" Yue Jiawei roared, seizing an opportunity to strike Jiangyuan Ichiro's left rib with a palm. His internal energy, a subtle force, struck deep. Jiangyuan Ichiro cried out in pain, but at that instant, he endured the sharp pain and landed a punch on Yue Jiawei's chest. Both men staggered back several steps.
"Master..." "Ichiro-kun..." Li Shuyun and the other disciples, along with Sansaka Kenichi and the karate apprentices, cried out in alarm upon witnessing this. Jiangyuan Ichiro and Yue Jiawei simultaneously raised their hands to signal their respective disciples to hold back. Their eyes met, and both clutched their injured areas. Jiangyuan Ichiro felt a dull ache in his left ribs, as if his internal organs had suffered a severe blow. The intense pain made his face tremble slightly, completely enraging him. Yue Jiawei, on the other hand, felt a dull, piercing pain in his chest from the punch, causing him to break out in a sweat, his old face pale, his breathing becoming rapid and shallow, clearly unable to sustain such a fierce confrontation.
"Old Yue, if you can't manage, just give up," Zhang Tonghe, seeing Yue Jiawei struggling, couldn't help but worry for his safety.
"I can't give up, I can still fight." Yue Jiawei took a deep breath, suppressing the pain in his chest. His wide-open eyes stared fixedly at Jiangyuan Ichiro before him. He also adjusted slightly; the pain in his left ribs was not a major issue, given his exceptional physical condition.
"Master Yue, admitting defeat is not shameful," Jiangyuan Ichiro said with a cold sneer in his broken Chinese.
"Hmph, although I'm older than you, I can still beat you down," Yue Jiawei retorted irritably, his old face set.
"If that's the case, let's continue." Jiangyuan Ichiro resumed his stance. Yue Jiawei, his anger also stirred, adopted his stance and shouted, "Come on." Jiangyuan Ichiro's eyes widened, his left foot pushed off the ground, and he charged forward rapidly. This time, he held nothing back. His swift speed, combined with his powerful fists and palm strikes, led to over ten fierce exchanges with Yue Jiawei, both men battling intensely.
Meanwhile, Wan Yunting, leaning against the pillar, lit a cigarette, his lips curving upward into a smile. "This old master is going to lose!"