Chapter Forty-Six: The Truth

If not for the fact that Old Man Zheng was still helping him search for the boxing manual, and not for the existence of that well-behaved grandson, Ke Li might have already made the old man spill blood within five steps. Before he started practicing boxing, Ke Li, even with his skills, was no more than an ordinary man. But after becoming a boxer, the tiger's nature took hold of his mind, and his aura of slaughter grew heavier. Whether walking or sitting, he was always prepared for such moments.

Old Man Zheng gave a sly chuckle, shrinking his neck and unhesitatingly pulling Little Bao in front of himself. Debts of the father are paid by the son, debts of the grandfather by the grandson—such is the way of the world.

“You can hardly blame me for this, old as I am. Who told them to kidnap my precious grandson? And who told you, boy, to be so lacking in sense—”

The true cause of this whole affair with the roster began with Zheng Xiaobao’s one kidnapping. Half a year ago, this grandfather and grandson had just arrived in Lingnan. Old Man Zheng was here not only to find a master for his grandson but also to visit some old friends in the trade. In the comings and goings, he neglected Zheng Bao’er for a moment, resulting in the child nearly being snatched away by human traffickers.

When Old Man Zheng frantically killed the trafficker couple, Zheng Xiaobao was already missing. By a twist of fate, Ke Li happened to save the child atop Nantianmen Mountain.

The old fox’s anger was far from spent. Investigating in secret, he discovered that the traffickers were not acting alone; behind them lurked a powerful and secretive organization trafficking people across the country.

Following the clues to a dock, he found that everyone there belonged to the Water Dragon Gang.

What followed was a bloody rampage of murder and arson.

For certain reasons, Old Man Zheng disguised himself as Ke Li and deliberately showed his face. This way, when the Water Dragon Gang traced things back, he could conveniently repay the favor.

But to Old Man Zheng’s surprise, the bald vulture Deng Ming came seeking revenge with a band of killers. The old man could barely protect himself, let alone explain anything.

Thus, through a series of coincidences, Ke Li inexplicably bore the blame.

“Don’t look at me like that. If I was still around, even if the Water Dragon Gang knew the roster wasn’t with you, they wouldn’t dare touch you. But you know, in our line of work, you never know when an enemy might suddenly appear—here, this is the roster.”

Ke Li took the ledger Old Man Zheng tossed him and flipped through it. Inside were names, locations, the time of each abduction, the names of the kidnappers, and even which local powers assisted.

A rough count revealed there were no fewer than a thousand names.

“This is just the Water Dragon Gang’s haul for one year,” Old Man Zheng said grimly. “Now do you understand why that chief steward shamelessly tried to curry favor with me? If this thing ever gets out, it will cause an uproar.”

“If the authorities ever want to move against them, this is the perfect excuse,” Ke Li said, frowning. “But the trouble it brings is far from ordinary—it’s a red-hot potato. So, the ancient boxing techniques I want, you’d better get me two sets.”

“I’d be lucky to get you one,” Old Man Zheng rolled his eyes. “I’ve only gotten by in the martial world with two skills—gun technique and disguise. Since you don’t want the gun technique, all I can offer is disguise.”

This time, Ke Li did not refuse. He merely pointed at the roster. “What do you plan to do with this? The Water Dragon Gang will stop at nothing to get it back.”

“That’s why I’m leaving it to you. If you really can’t decide, hand it to the authorities—though certainly not the ones here in Lingnan.”

Hearing such irresponsibility, Ke Li’s mouth twitched. He was sorely tempted to smash into the old man like a rampaging tiger and kill him on the spot.

Bao’er had already fallen asleep during their conversation. After some thought, Ke Li asked, “You said you got the roster at the dock, so these kidnapped children were being sent overseas. Who would be interested in that?”

“I’ve heard the Ryukyu Islands often adopt orphans, but other rumors I haven’t heard,” Old Man Zheng shook his head.

“How long do you plan to stay here? Even with Master Lin, a boxing grandmaster, present, Guangdong is hardly a peaceful place. I worry with Bao’er here—”

“Even in times of peace, there is no true peace for people like us,” Old Man Zheng said heavily. “If Bao’er’s parents were still alive, I’d never have resorted to this.”

His tone was somber, as if burdened by many sorrows. No doubt, Zheng Bao’er’s parents had died in some bloody incident on the martial road.

Ke Li sighed inwardly. The tides of the world run deep and murky; who can remain untouched by the current? Even if the martial world is not what it was, one’s fate is still not one’s own.

Three days later, the old man left without a word one night, leaving behind only the roster and a small booklet on the art of disguise.

Ke Li once again stepped onto the plum-blossom stakes, this time with fifty-pound stones tied to his legs, his body moving atop the stakes like a tiger or a leopard.

When the stout nanmu staff struck him, his whole body trembled slightly, and the staff bounced back almost as fast, nearly slipping from the wielder’s grasp, now streaked with sweat.

“Qi moving through the body, hidden force erupting—this is the method of circulating qi,” Mo Yi murmured. Several of the martial hall’s senior disciples had come to watch Ke Li’s latest trial.

“I never thought our junior would master the four methods—lifting, supporting, gathering, sinking—in such a short time. It’s both satisfying and troubling,” Luo Yanzong said with a wry smile.

When he taught Ke Li the method of circulating qi, he had intended to slow the boy’s progress. Success with this method required not only mastery of internal force, but most importantly, a robust physique. After all, this was one of the four great methods of energy refinement, far more difficult than the usual dantian exertion.

But this should have been the boy’s weakness.

“It must be the celestial herb,” Jiang Yazi said enviously.

The others nodded, full of envy. Why hadn’t they such luck? Even Luo Yanzong hadn’t realized that Ke Li had already mastered the child’s stake method, and that after eating the heart of the bronze-coin leopard, his muscles and bones had reached a new level.

By the end, Ke Li no longer even avoided the staff’s blows. Instead, with hands, shoulders, knees, and back, whenever the staff came, he would strike back, as if it were not the staff hitting the man, but the man hitting the staff.

A series of cracking blows and tiger’s roars rang out.

Instructor Li, seeing that only he was left standing while the other three apprentices’ palms were trembling and split, gritted his teeth, rubbed his hands together, hugged his knees, and thrust his staff forward with a bow stance. The shaft vibrated, whistling as it shot like an arrow.

“Perfect timing!” Ke Li cried, not retreating but advancing. Qi surged through him, force gathering in sequence, his abdomen and chest blackened like frozen blood, his spine compressing, ribs and joints contracting all at once, his body seeming to shrink a size.

The staff struck his chest, bending visibly like a crescent moon.

“Impossible!” Instructor Li’s eyes widened. This thrust drew on the rod’s spinning force, and though there was no spearhead, it could still pierce through ten planks—how could it not break human flesh?

Seated like a tiger on a mountain, Ke Li’s form emerged, his blood gathering into his dantian. The staff hit him as if striking iron, splinters flying, the recoil snapping the staff backward like a steel brush, slashing Instructor Li’s hands open, blood blossoming, and sending him crashing to the ground with a scream.

“Take the instructor to be treated,” Yue Wuhuo frowned, though he made no move.

Nor did the other disciples. None even glanced at Li. All had felt the killing intent in that thrust—if one lacks the skill, who else can be blamed?

“Interesting. Fight me next!” Mo Yi’s gaze burned. He now saw Ke Li as a true rival.

Ke Li had taken only a month and a half to break the record Mo Yi himself had set.

Seeing that familiar look in Mo Yi’s eyes, Yue Wuhuo shuddered, recalling some unpleasant past.

“Let’s save it for another day. Eighth Brother has spent much of his strength,” Luo Yanzong said with a smile.

Ke Li exhaled deeply. He had just driven his hidden force dozens of times through the qi method and withstood that last thrust. Even though he could now lock his essence inside, he was still exhausted.

“Senior Brother, does that mean I’ve passed?”

Luo Yanzong shook his head with a sigh. “Rest up, and I’ll officially teach you the art of boxing.”

Ke Li glanced at Mo Yi, who still blocked his way, and said seriously, “Once I’ve recovered, I’ll fight you.”

Only then did Mo Yi step aside, satisfied.

Ke Li also glanced at Instructor Li, who was glaring at him with venom, and frowned. For him to act so openly—was it a moment of madness, or did he have someone backing him? It seemed he would soon be donning an official’s cloak.

Let him swagger for a few more days.

“Brother Ke succeeded!”

Ke Li and the jubilant Zheng Xiaobao had just entered the house when Jiang Yazi followed, putting on a solemn face. “Youngest, come train with me!”

“Alright.”

“Wait,” Ke Li paused, then asked, “Bao’er, you’ve been training with Seventh Brother these past days?”

“Yes! He’s taught me so many fun things,” Zheng Bao’er replied innocently.

But knowing the boy’s nature, Ke Li realized that “training” must have been nothing more than playing around. Now Jiang Shuiyuan was gone, and another Jiang Yazi had come—being an elder brother was no easy task.

Especially since, with Old Man Zheng alive and back, the boy would have even less incentive to train.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure Bao’er trains hard.”

Ke Li inwardly sneered at this, but outwardly remained calm. “No training today. Let me tell you both a story—one from the martial world.”

“Oh! I want to hear!” Zheng Bao’er’s eyes lit up.

“But you’ve never even ventured into the martial world, how would you know any stories?” Jiang Yazi said skeptically.

“A scholar need not leave home to know the world,” Ke Li replied slowly. “This story begins in Niu Family Village near Lin’an. It’s about a boy named Guo Jing…”