Romance of Dragons and Snakes

Chapter 84: Martial Arts Improving by Leaps and Bounds

Liao Junhua had been one of the rumored princelings, but compared to Zhao Jun, Wang Xiaolei, and Wu Yingda, he was a tad bit older than them.

He was about 32 years old with well fitted clothing. His eyebrows were sharp like swords and his eyes seemed to sparkle like a star. His forehead was rather plump and his facial appearances was well proportioned. It could be said that he was extremely handsome.

Sitting down, both of his hands were seated by his knee in a proper position. There had been no frivolous or lavish aura that was normally found in a princeling around him.

To the unknowing, Liao Junhua looked as if a strictly disciplined religious monk. There had been no hint of the regular signs of being a princeling.

Still, he was truly a princeling. In terms of family power, he was far stronger than Zhao Jun, Wang Xiaolei, and Wu Yingda.

But he was not like the Ike Corporation that dealt with criminal activities. Instead, he controlled the entire Shandong Peninsula electricity, gas, and other energy sources.

Whether it was the underworld of Dongbei or Shandong, Liao Junhua had no connections with either circles. He wasn’t even interested in them, but his might was still frightening. With just a single word, he would be able to buy out anyone, be they legal or illegal groups.

Even the profitable but chaotic industry of underground fighting, he had a small dividend in it.

From the outside, he looked like an earnest working executive of an enterprise. Even after investigations, his roots would be deep as a young successor to his parents without any hints of criminal activities.

“Don’t tell me you haven’t heard? Impossible, this has made its way around to even Penglai City’s Internal Martial Arts School.” If Xu Zhen were to look at Liao Junhai, even he would know that neither person was worse than the other.

When it came to this disciple, even Xu Zhen was well aware of him.

When he was in his teens, Liao Junhua had been sent to the United States to study abroad. In this time period, he had came to know Zhu Hongzhi who had been desperate to find a disciple to impart his knowledge.

Liao Junhua had been well endowed and was both smart and hardworking. Immediately, Zhu Hongzhi had personally taught him for four years. His results had brought him so far that it had gotten a little out of control. Even within the New York Chinese Association, he had earned the nickname, “Twin Flower Red Pole”.

TL Note: In the Triad, Red Poles is a middle ranking leader.

In the ancient past, even during the Tang Dynasty, the spread of the Chinese had affected everywhere to extend the family! Hundreds of years has gone by, with an innumerable amount of Chinese people everywhere. Europe, Canada, Russia, Singapore, the list went on, the Chinese were everywhere.

Living abroad for a Chinese person wasn’t an easy thing to do since discrimination would happen. Without an association, life would often times be impossible to live down.

The Chinese Association in the United States was naturally very big, and their traditions for the martial arts world was naturally more developed than China.

One of the reasons for this was because of the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China when China was in a state of disorder. Many martial artists had fled China, some of them had even left with the Nationalist Party during the initial stages of liberation.

The second reason was because the Chinese Associations outside of China was not like it was in China. Danger came from every side, and many children were often times given a knife or gun to kill with. Because of external pressure, they would often grow to become extremely patriotic.

The nickname of “Twin Flower Red Pole” had originated from the Green Gang and the Hongmen. In their groups, being called this nickname had meant that they were able to fight extremely well. For Liao Junhai to obtain such a nickname overseas where the experts were as numerous as the clouds, it truly spoke much about his skill.

Zhu Hongzhi had seen the talent in him, and so in his later days, he had personally taught him.

Liao Junhai had studied for eight years before returning back to China. In those eight years, he had gotten into countless fights and tempered himself. He was no rookie when it came to actual combat experience, on the contrary, he had far more experience than even his senior Dai Jun.

A princeling like this could be considered to be a legendary figure. But because he had been abroad for so long, he was essentially an unknown figure back home. Combined with his family’s power, the organization had been unable to dredge up any information on him, leading to Wang Chao knowing nothing about him either.

“The Laoshan School of Internal Martial Arts? Isn’t that lead by the exiled priest of the Praying Mantis Fist? He and the Daoism Society wish to earn money it seems, don’t tell me there’s some sort of profound theory behind it?” Liao Junhai knew that Dai Jun wouldn’t speak without thinking about the matter first.

“There is indeed such a thing. That priest is only a figurehead. The true master of the school is the one who defeated Zhang Wei, Wang Chao. Wang Chao is also the executive leader of the Tianxing Networking in S Province.” Dai Jun coughed.

“He has burned bridges with many people. Firstly, he has killed elder Xu’s most famed disciple, Qin Maojiao. Secondly, he has killed the outstanding talent of the Miyagi family in Japan, Miyagi Hanshin. I’ve heard that the Japanese martial arts world is now secretly wishing to start trouble with him.”

“Eh?” Liao Junhai’s eyebrows furrowed together, “Just what influence does he have?”

“I came here to Shandong today to find you. Earlier, I received a letter from the Ike Corporation. Wu Yingda and the others wished to offer friendship and see if I could compete with Wang Chao to regain the honor of the Three Tigers of Guangdong. However, just why would I be someone else’s spear without a good cause? After speaking with the three, I came to know about Wang Chao’s history. According to their research, this Wang Chao is in fact a spy from the European Union.”

“The Europeans have sent a Chinese spy!” Liao Junhai’s calm face had finally some shock to it!

“Senior Dai! Tomorrow, let us go meet with that young martial artist master!” After a while, Liao Junhai spoke to Dai Jun.

“Junior’s hands must be itching now I see. The situation in Shandong has become quite tense now. With the European Union sticking their hands in, then it will be far too troublesome.” Dai Jun himself was a board member of Macau’s Pujing Corporation. When it came to the matters of of the coast of Asia, no one had as sensitive ears as he did.

Ha! Ha! Ha!

Zhao Xinglong stood chest deep in the sea, sending wave after wave back as he struck out without ever letting the water around him settle.

But despite the waves coming at him as well, he had met each wave head on with a hard fist. Upon contact, water splashed out everywhere.

The strength of the waves had been fierce, but Wang Chao’s footing had been very stable with it being rooted deep on it.

The fierce sun had rose over the waters and shined brightly downwards. Zhao Xinglong’s body had already been illuminated by the light and transformed his skin to be a copper bronze color.

While Zhao Xinglong was in the waters fighting with both arms, Wang Chao and Lin Yanan were walking around the beach.

Boulder, Axe, and Hammer were all strong soldiers and so were running across the beach barefooted. After taking in the fresh sea air, they immediately set about to doing pushups to toughen their bodies.

After training their bodies, the three men began to start their stance training.

These three men were very strong in their close-combat skills, but they had never learned to stand with their vertebrates. If they were to fight an expert now, they would end up losing.

After being in Shandong for so long, almost everything had been managed by Lin Yanan. Wang Chao had had an extraordinarily carefree time. He would spend his days walking, taking in the sights, and stroll around in a manner far more peaceful than back home.

However, this was only the calm before the storm.

“Eh? Why haven’t I seen you practice at all recently?” Finally, Zhao Xinglong stopped his training and walked out from the ocean with a soaking wet body.

He hadn’t understood Wang Chao’s actions for the past few days.

Even Lin Yanan had her confusions.

According to reports, Wang Chao was a person that would train vigorously everyday.

Wang Chao was currently their main support and pillar. In the coming days, there would be many challengers and so everyone hoped that Wang Chao would train hard to be unparalleled under the heavens.

But unexpectedly, Wang Chao hadn’t even gone through any stance training and so worried everyone that knew him.

“Your main focus is on the Eight Extreme Fists, with some supplementary skills in Pigua and Tongbei. But the lessons you’ve learned from your family is incomplete and is missing some things. Unfortunately, I am not proficient in the Eight Extreme Fists and cannot teach you. And since you are learning the Eight Extreme Fists, you are unable to learn Xingyi from me. Jin is a hard thing to change, and doing so would make it impure.”

At the very beginning, one’s training had to be pure. After becoming a master and understanding the theory of the fist, then they would be able to go into another style. Zhao Xinglong’s martial arts had not yet reached such a stage and could not learn another style of martial arts.

“However. Lin Yanan is also a practitioner of the Eight Extreme Fists, so you two can learn from each other. Although her master has forbidden her to teach others, what you can learn by seeing should not be considered breaking the rules.

Lin Yanan had studied the traditional Eight Extreme Fists and had a better understanding than Zhao Xinglong. Unfortunately, she had her rules and cannot easily teach another.

“That much I understand, but even without guidance, I can still become top notch with my art.” Zhao Xinglong smiled with a confident look.

“Ah.” Wang Chao nodded. “Did you notice that I didn’t practice at all recently and are worried that I will lose my touch? Or perhaps my arms or legs will atrophy?”

“Although my martial arts is not as deep as yours, slowing down after a day of inactivity isn’t a truthless lie.” Lin Yanan spoke seriously.

She had the important mission from the organization on her shoulders and relied on Wang Chao heavily. So she had been very anxious about this matter.

Wang Chao shook his head, “That is in regards to the body. I am practicing within my mind. My every movement must be in accordance with the intent of martial arts. This much is training as well. Cultivate for a thousand days to use for a single moment. For martial arts to improve by leaps and bounds, one must focus on the cultivation.

“In the past, in order to cultivate, Daoist priests would take the best from the sun and moon and cultivate their Neidan for longevity. Although this was said to be a myth, we practitioners are the same. We must gather the essence of the sun and moon in order to improve our martial arts.

Lin Yanan’s had a look of doubt that deepened with each word from Wang Chao, “You’ve been hoodwinked by the priests of Laoshan. Gathering the essence of the sun and moon? It’s too farfetched, far too farfetched. If one’s feet is not planted firmly within the ground of reality, they will never improve.”

“It isn’t farfetched at all. Take a look at the rising sun with its healthful vigor. Man must follow its example and raise their mind and will along with it. Be full of vigor, broaden the spirit, raise the mind and will. At midday, the sun hangs motionlessly at the very top, but that is when its rays are at its strongest. Man needs to learn from this and bring their mind and will to become an immovable object. But at the same time, when it moves, it strikes like lightning and is just as hard. This is the way to daytime cultivation. At dusk when the sun falls beneath the mountains with only a few rays of sun left, man must learn from this too and bring the heart’s blood around the entire body before calming down to a still.”

“When it is night and the moon rises, all is quiet. The mind and will must be like the moon and be serene and tranquil without movement. Like the darkness of the night, the intent of a person must be empty. It is only when the sun of the second day rises that the intent is rekindle. That is the cycle of the sun and moon.”

“The mind and will combines with the sun and moon in its rhythm. This is what it means to gather the essence of the sun and moon. It is not about the light they bring, but the ideology of the rules contained within their movements. Once one comprehends these rhythms, then no matter what they do, they will find essence in it.”

“Morning vigor and afternoon vigilance and ferocity. At dusk, the vigor must descend into silence. At night, become tranquil before going to sleep with selflessness. To follow the will and intent in such a rhythm, is this still farfetched to you?”

Wang Chao smiled, “Understanding this ideology and following this rhythm will lead your mind and will not require one to meticulously try to attain a higher level. Even an ordinary person would be able to become as strong of an ox and increase their lifespan.”

“If you don’t believe me, then there is a good chance I will be able to show you soon enough.”

Just as Wang Chao spoke, da! Da! Da! Da! Da! Da! Da! In the next moment, a high speed motorboat could be seen coming across the ocean.

Before Wang Chao could do anything, the boats had already reached the edge of the coast. Two figures jumped out from the boat as if they were lobsters. With an arched back, they flew forward six meters, completely skipping the rest of the waters and landed on the dry beach.

These two men were Dai Jun and Liao Junhai.