Chapter 245 - 241: The Challenge from the Karate Dojo

Chapter 245: Chapter 241: The Challenge from the Karate Dojo

Changsheng Martial Arts Hall in Luoxian County, a renovation of the former Changchun Martial Arts Hall, was now considered the headquarters and birthplace of the Longevity Fist.

The entire hall was decorated in a classical style. Two large stone lions stood majestically by the entrance, and the vermilion gate was slightly ajar. Bursts of sound from martial arts practice could be heard from within, clear evidence that many students were practicing their fist skills.

At that moment, two men in karate uniforms were striding menacingly toward the Changsheng Martial Arts Hall, followed by a large crowd of students and instructors from the Karate Dojo.

"Yieh Hanjian, what are you doing at our Changsheng Martial Arts Hall!"

The expressions of the two guards at the gate changed, and they shouted at the newcomers.

Yieh Hanjian was the master of the Luoxian County Karate Dojo. He had studied Karate in Japan and was a fanatical Karate expert. After returning to the country, he opened a Karate Dojo in Luoxian County.

"Of course I’m here for a reason. Get your master, Wu Qiang, out here!" Yieh Hanjian said arrogantly with his arms crossed. Beside him stood a Japanese man, also wearing a High Tier karate uniform, with a grim expression and a fierce aura.

The two guards at the gate wore grave expressions. "Quick, go inform Brother Bin."

The other guard quickly ran inside the martial arts hall.

A short while later, a square-faced young man emerged with a group of the hall’s instructors.

"Yieh Hanjian, what are you doing back at our Changsheng Martial Arts Hall!" the square-faced young man said with a slight frown.

As the saying goes, those who come, come with ill intent. The Karate Dojo and the Changsheng Martial Arts Hall were in the same business and were competitors. As the Longevity Fist rose in popularity, the Karate Dojo’s business suffered, and the number of enrolling students dropped significantly. This was the source of the conflict between them.

"Well, well, if it isn’t the kid, Fang Bin!" Yieh Hanjian shot the square-faced young man a sideways glance and said arrogantly, "Where’s your master? Get Wu Qiang out here. My Karate Dojo wants to spar with him!"

"Spar?" The square-faced young man, Fang Bin, was momentarily stunned, then sneered, "Didn’t Master Yieh just spar with our master a couple of days ago? Are you still not convinced?"

Yieh Hanjian’s expression stiffened at his words, and his face turned ugly. He snorted coldly, "I admit your master, Wu Qiang, is indeed skilled. I was slightly inferior. But the one here to spar today is my senior brother, Yamamoto Fumitake!" Yieh Hanjian pointed to the Japanese man beside him with a look of arrogant pride.

The Japanese man, Yamamoto Fumitake, stared at Fang Bin with a cold and indifferent gaze. "Why hasn’t your master come out yet?" he said flatly. "Is he afraid of me?"

"That’s ridiculous. Why would our master be afraid of you?" Fang Bin retorted. "Just two days ago, a certain someone came here full of confidence to issue a challenge, and our master beat him so bad he ran away with his tail between his legs. You’re his senior brother—how much better can you be?" The members of the Changsheng Martial Arts Hall remembered the challenge from two days prior and burst into laughter.

"Shut up!" Yieh Hanjian’s face was ashen, flushing red and pale by turns. He roared, "My senior brother, Yamamoto Fumitake, participated in the New York Demon King Competition and placed in the top one hundred. He is a true Karate master. He came all this way to challenge him, and to think Wu Qiang would be such a coward and not dare to fight!"

"The New York Demon King Competition?" The expressions of Fang Bin and the others from Changsheng Martial Arts Hall changed in unison, their gazes turning solemn. As martial artists, they had naturally heard of the Demon King Competition. The New York Demon King Competition was one of the world’s top underground fighting tournaments. Unlicensed boxing was all about deadly combat; there were no flashy, superfluous moves. Every strike aimed for a vital point, making it extremely brutal and violent. Every fighter who participated had formidable combat abilities. If this Japanese man, Yamamoto Fumitake, had truly broken into the top one hundred of the New York Demon King Competition, then even their master, Wu Qiang, would have to take him seriously. After all, the Longevity Fist focused more on health preservation.

"A spar is fine, of course, but our master had to go out for something this morning," Fang Bin said in a low voice.

"When will he be back?" Yamamoto Fumitake asked.

"Probably tomorrow afternoon," Fang Bin said after a moment of thought.

"Very well. I will return tomorrow. I hope your master isn’t a coward who hides in his shell! Junior Brother Yieh, let’s go!" Yamamoto Fumitake’s gaze held a savage glint. He spoke in heavily accented, Japanese-style Chinese and turned to leave.

"Senior Brother Yamamoto, wait." Yieh Hanjian’s eyes darted around. He looked at Fang Bin and smiled faintly. "I’ve long heard that your Changsheng Martial Arts Hall is full of talented people. Don’t tell me that besides Wu Qiang, everyone else is just trash?"

Fang Bin and the others grew angry. "What’s that supposed to mean!"

"Nothing special. I just think that a big place like the Changsheng Martial Arts Hall can’t rely on Wu Qiang alone to hold it up. You, Fang Bin, are a head instructor, after all. Since Wu Qiang isn’t here, why don’t we have a little spar!" said Yieh Hanjian.

Fang Bin frowned. Although he looked down on Yieh Hanjian, the man had studied Karate in Japan for many years and had some real skill. If they were to spar, the odds would be about 60-40. Fang Bin felt he only had a 40 to 50 percent chance of winning.

"What? You don’t dare?" Yieh Hanjian sneered. "It seems this Changsheng Martial Arts Hall is really just a bunch of trash, all as timid as mice! Wu Qiang doesn’t dare to fight my senior brother, and you don’t dare to fight me—"

"Who says I don’t dare! I already told you, our master is out on business and isn’t in the hall. Yieh Hanjian, don’t be so arrogant! You want a fight, right? Fine, I, Fang Bin, will have a match with you!" the square-faced young man, Fang Bin, said angrily.

...

BEEP! BEEP BEEP BEEP!

On a street in Luoxian County, traffic lights blinked as cars passed back and forth.

Ye Xing parked his Porsche outside the martial arts hall and walked toward the Changsheng Martial Arts Hall.

As soon as he reached the entrance, he heard a commotion of shouts and cheers coming from inside.

On the hall’s fighting ring, two men were engaged in a fierce exchange of blows. Ye Xing recognized one of them—a square-faced young man named Fang Bin, one of the hall’s instructors. He was using none other than the Longevity Fist. His fist skill was fluid and methodical. To have reached such a level in just a few months showed considerable talent. The other man had sharp features and was wearing a karate uniform; judging by his attire, his rank didn’t seem to be low.

From the looks of it, the two on the stage were evenly matched, the fight raging intensely.

Below the ring, circles upon circles of people were crowded around—instructors and students from both the Changsheng Martial Arts Hall and the Karate Dojo. They were all shouting and cheering, rooting for their own side.

The fight on the stage was intense, and to an ordinary person, it would have seemed spectacular. But in Ye Xing’s eyes, it was no different from children playing house. He scanned the crowd, and his sharp vision quickly located Frank among the onlookers. He immediately started walking toward him.