Chapter 12: A Duel

There were a dozen men in the empty space outside. Most of them were scattered around the perimeter. They wore dark blue work uniforms, and all of their fists were bound with shiny, silver chains. Even their expressions looked intimidating.

Three people stood at the front. The one at the forefront was a short man in his thirties. He wore a pair of non-prescription glasses and an old-fashioned, short-sleeved shirt with a mandarin collar. Slightly further behind him were two others. One of them looked like an unruly brute with a buzzcut and seemed to be in his early twenties, while the other was a middle-aged man.

When the short man caught sight of Yu Gang, he smiled and gave him a fist and palm salute. “It’s been a long while, Mr. Yu.”

Yu Gang saluted him back. “I wasn’t expecting you to show up, Mr. Qi. My place is practically a shack. I hope you won’t mind.”

Qi Wu, to whom Yu Gang had referred to as Mr. Qi, chuckled. “Of course not. I’m not here to drink tea or wine. I just came to see you.”

“I’m just a normal martial arts instructor. You have no reason to see me,” Yu Gang replied.

Qi Wu chuckled. “You don’t have to be so modest, Mr. Yu. We all know just how strong you are. I came here to ask you to join the Chain Links Gang. Now, don’t say no just yet.” He flung his arms to the side to show off the men behind him. “We know that you’re in trouble, and we can help take care of it for you.”

“You won’t be able to solve my problem. It’ll only bring you trouble,” Yu Gang said gravely.

Qi Wu did not believe it, or rather, he was incredibly confident in his gang and shot back, “How would you know if you haven’t tried? Mr. Yu, those nobles are trouble, but so are we. If you join the Chain Links Gang, we’ll be brothers. Your problems will be our problems, and we’ll take care of them in a way you like.”

Yu Gang said nothing.

Qi Wu gave Yu Gang another fist and palm salute and exclaimed, “Mr. Yu, after you join the Chain Links Gang, I’m willing to become your student. Then, you won’t doubt our sincerity anymore, will you?”

The Chain Links Gang was trouble. Once Qi Wu made such a declaration, Yu Gang had to give a clear answer, or he would be seen as rude.

Qi Wu continued smiling and holding the salute while waiting for the response.

After a moment, Yu Gang came to a decision. He looked at Qi Wu and his group. “I have a proposal. I know nothing but fighting. Let my disciple fight against one of yours. If you win, I’ll join your gang. If you lose, don’t seek me out for at least a year.”

Qi Wu seemed to have been expecting this. He lowered his arms and smiled. “Just because it’s you, we’ll accept.”

“Ding Shuo!” he barked.

“Coming!” The man with the buzzcut walked forward. “At your service, Mr. Qi.”

“Fight against Mr. Yu’s disciple. Be careful. Mr. Yu is strong, so his disciple won’t be too bad either,” Qi Wu said.

Ding Shuo fixed his eyes on Lu Ke and glared at him.

Yu Gang called Lu Ke over and instructed, “Go fight him, but be careful.”

“Okay, Master,” Lu Ke answered, feeling nervous.

“Mr. Yu, we’re friends here, so a fight to the death isn’t necessary. We’ll end it when the winner is clear.” Qi Wu then turned to Ding Shuo. “Hear that?”

“Just watch me, Mr. Qi.” Ding Shuo removed his shirt to reveal a toned body. He then took out some bandages from his pocket and bound his fists before jumping a few times to warm up.

Lu Ke also started warming up, but he did not seem to be in the zone. He kept taking deep breaths.

Chen Chuan stood at the entrance of the Domain of Fists and watched all that was transpiring outside. The Chain Links Gang and the Blood Scars Gang were the two biggest gangs in Yangzhi City, so they often got into scuffles.

He did not know the details of the bad blood between them, but he did hear that Black Orchid Co. was supporting the Blood Scars Gang. Since the Chain Links Gang could fight toe-to-toe with them, there was no doubt some powerful organization supported them too.

But why would they seek Yu Gang out? Honestly, if Yu Gang joined the Chain Links Gang, that would interfere with Chen Chuan’s training...

Soon, Lu Ke and Ding Shuo were ready. They stepped forward to the empty space, gave each other a fist and palm salute, walked a few steps back, and took their stances.

Ding Shuo grinned and charged forward to start the fight with a jump and a ferocious knee strike.

Lu Ke quickly dodged to the side. After Ding Shuo landed, he spun around and followed Lu Ke to deliver a combo of fierce attacks before suddenly switching to a surprise low sweep kick. But Lu Ke did not reveal any openings. He brought his knee up in time to block it. Since the kick was really powerful, he also shifted to the side to neutralize the force of the attack.

Chen Chuan could see everything in detail. Based on how smoothly Ding Shuo set up the attack and the faint and almost indiscernible exhales, Chen Chuan was sure that he had mastered the breathing technique. But if Lu Ke brought his usual game to the table, he could still win.

Lu Ke was forced to keep dodging, but his defenses were tight. He observed Ding Shuo while avoiding his attacks and looked for openings.

He found one soon. After Ding Shuo delivered two punches and moved to kick him again, Lu Ke suddenly kicked Ding Shuo’s stomach.

𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

It was a beautifully executed kick. Not only did he ruin Ding Shuo’s attack, but he also delivered a powerful counterattack.

After breaking Ding Shuo’s rhythm, Lu Ke should have taken the offensive, but surprisingly, Ding Shuo did not stop moving. He tensed his core and pushed his abdomen forward at the last second, which sent a force back through Lu Ke’s heel. He stumbled back.

With his level of skill, Lu Ke should’ve recovered easily. But then, he suddenly spasmed, and his knees gave out on him. He quickly rolled to his feet and rose on one knee while putting a fist in front of him as a defense against Ding Shuo’s subsequent attacks.

Ding Shuo did not rush over. Instead, he just shifted on his feet while motioning for Lu Ke to get up already.

At that moment, Chen Chuan noticed that Lu Ke’s face was red, and his breathing was much quicker than normal. He suddenly looked over at the spot where Lu Ke had been sitting earlier. A small, unopened pill bottle with two yellow pills inside was sitting next to a water bottle. Lu Ke hadn’t taken his pills.

Lu Ke sucked in a deep breath and stood up. Ding Shuo charged forward, and Lu Ke felt a blast of wind coming at him. He instinctively brought his arms up to fend against it, but just as he did, Ding Shuo rammed his knee into his ribs. Lu Ke grunted, and his breathing became chaotic. He stumbled a few steps before falling again. He managed to avoid face-planting only by bracing himself with his elbows.

Anyone could tell at this point that something was wrong with Lu Ke.

“Hey, what’s with you? Are you having an episode?” Ding Shuo grumbled.

Yu Gang sighed. “Come back, Lu Ke.” After a pause, he said, “Mr. Qi, let’s consider this round—”

“Wait, Mr. Yu,” Chen Chuan said from within the building.

Qi Wu and the rest of the Chain Links Gang looked over to see a boyishly handsome youth with a well-proportioned body walking out.

Chen Chuan stopped beside Yu Gang. “Mr. Yu, I’m considered your student, aren’t I? Senior Brother Lu seems sick, so this fight is no longer fair. Since the winner hasn’t been decided yet, can I take his place?”

Yu Gang looked at him. “You shouldn’t have stepped in. This isn’t any of your business.”

“Mr. Yu, even if you say it isn’t, I consider it my business. You know very well that if they win, I will not be able to learn from you anymore,” Chen Chuan said.

If it were solely Yu Gang’s business, Chen Chuan would not have stepped forward. After all, Nian Fuli had told him that Yu Gang had a criminal record, and it was best for him to not get too close to the man. Nian Fuli might have said it because he was worried about certain things, but if Yu Gang joined the Chain Links Gang, Chen Chuan would have to stop learning from him to avoid trouble. Instead of just letting it happen, it would be better for him to try and change that.

Qi Wu smiled. “Mr. Yu, is he your student too? Since we agreed to let our students fight, it’s not against the rules for him to join.”

Ding Shuo clicked his tongue, but he was fine with it. He would not have felt satisfied if he won against a sick person having an episode. Besides, the exchange of blows earlier had been a warm up at most.

When Yu Gang saw that they were fine with it, he considered it and said to Chen Chuan, “Be careful. Ding Shuo’s kicks and punches are really strong.”

Chen Chuan immediately understood what Yu Gang was trying to tell him. If Ding Shuo was good with punches and kicks, he was probably weaker in other areas. With that knowledge, Chen Chuan could go a little wilder.

Lu Ke climbed to his feet and cradled his ribs as he walked over to Yu Gang. “Master, I...”

Yu Gang patted his shoulder. “Don’t dwell on it. I should’ve noticed. That’s my mistake. Go and take your medication.”

Lu Ke hummed and cast a glance at Chen Chuan, who was already warming up. As he tried his best to breathe, he slowly moved upstairs.

Chen Chuan finished warming up and went to the empty space to stand in front of Ding Shuo.