Chapter 160: Unparalleled Master

  A junior sister shouted: "I didn't expect the senior brother to be a coward, I'm so disappointed that I joined Wudang because of you!"

  Kong Shou's face didn't look good, almost glaring at me fiercely, as if he was very dissatisfied with me.

  I still ignored the empty guard, but turned around to look at that junior brother who was still staring at me, and said lightly: "Junior brother has a good literary style, but if you really participated in the battle, you wouldn't think so. What I want to say is that war will bring disaster to everyone, so it's better not to have war."

  "That being the case, what if the enemy attacks us? Just like now, the enemy is attacking our China. Should we ignore the enemy's actions in order to avoid war? Isn't that too irresponsible?"

  "I laugh as I wield my sword towards the sky, my liver and gallbladder are two Kunlun Mountains." Another junior fellow exclaimed loudly: "The ancients said it well, we being a part of the Chinese nation, whatever we say must still be for the country, to fight against the enemy. I do not agree with senior brother's words, nor dare I concur."

  I smiled: "My junior brother is very bold, then I will wait with bated breath for the day when my junior brother's skills are fully developed and he can serve the country."

  Then I raised my hand and said to this junior brother: "However, I think you are more suitable for being a literary person, more suitable for being a poet, rather than a military man! Because what a military man relies on is not his eloquence, but real life-and-death struggles. Junior brother, listen to me, don't be too impulsive, everything needs careful consideration, and absolutely cannot be done without considering the consequences."

  "My junior brother coldly smiled and said: 'I naturally won't be someone who doesn't consider the consequences, but if the country is in trouble, I also won't become a deserter just to save my own life...'"

  My heart skipped a beat as I realized that this junior brother knew something about me. At the very least, he knew that I had once been mistaken for a deserter; otherwise, he wouldn't have said such a thing.

  "So I said, 'Desertion is shameful, but if the deserter has an unavoidable reason, I think it's also justified. Only by preserving one's own life can one go on to kill the enemy and protect one's family and country!'"

  Kong Xiu seemed to have realized something at this time, furrowed his brow and said: "Jin Cang, your junior brother seems to know a lot of things!"

  I whispered: "What's his name? I see he seems to have an opinion about me, and I don't know when I offended him..."

  Kong Hou slightly shook his head, indicating that he also didn't know who this speaking junior brother was. I knew that Wudang had suddenly absorbed so many disciples, and it was normal for a few unusual people to mix in, so I didn't mind, but said: "Junior Brother, what's your surname? What I say isn't necessarily right either, if Junior Brother has any opinions, we can discuss them privately."

  The young monk looked up and said: "My name is Sima Yihao, Big Brother should not know me. However, I know a lot about Big Brother's deeds."

  I uttered an "oh" and said: "The meaning of this remark by Young Master Sima, I really haven't understood yet, please speak clearly."

  A hint of imperceptible killing intent flashed in Sima Yi's eyes, and he coldly said: "I thought that even if the eldest senior brother didn't know me, he should at least know my sister. I didn't expect the eldest senior brother to pretend to be ignorant!"

  "I was surprised: 'Your sister? Where did you get this from?'"

  Simayi Hao said: "Big brother, my sister's name is Sima Qin, I don't know if you still remember?"

  I thought for a moment and suddenly remembered that a classmate I had rescued from the hands of Wanlonghui a few years ago was named Sima Qin, so I tried asking: "Are you or are you not a classmate from my old school?"

  Simayi burst out laughing and said: "I didn't expect Big Brother to still remember my sister's... it's really..." He suddenly roared in anger: "You murderer, you're the one who killed my sister..."

  I was taken aback and furrowed my brow, saying: "I don't understand what you're saying!"

  Simayi Hao angrily said: "My sister left home alone to find you, and as a result... was killed by the Japanese pirates..."

  "When?" I frowned again.

  "Two years ago! You really don't know anything, I said my sister died for you in vain..."

  I couldn't help but sigh inwardly, feeling a sudden pang of sadness. I asked: "Where was Sima Qin killed by the Japanese pirates?"

  Simayi Hao looked at me with a face full of anger and refused to speak to me again, turning his head away without looking at me.

  I felt a bit helpless and could only say, "This thing I really don't know... After I rescued your sister and another classmate from the Wanlong Society that year, I got into trouble myself, so I haven't seen your sister and them since then. Your sister encountered harm, I really didn't know..."

  Kong Shou also said: "Jin Cang was captured by the people of Wan Long Hui at that time, and almost died in Wan Long Hui. It can be said that he was struggling to save himself and would not have known about your sister's situation. I can testify to this, Jin Cang is telling the truth."

  Simayihao still respected Kongshou, and with a fist in his hand, he said: "Master, the disciple did not intentionally make things difficult for Dashi. It's just that I thought of my sister who died because of Dashi, and my parents are suffering greatly because of my sister's affairs. I couldn't help but say those words to Dashi! Please don't blame the disciple!"

  Kong Shou waved his hand slightly: "I'm not an old fool, how could I blame you for these small things? As for your sister's matter, Jin Cang indeed has some responsibility, but I think the real culprit who killed your sister is not Jin Cang, but the Japanese pirates. So, you should focus on practicing and when your skills are accomplished, go find the Japanese pirates to avenge your sister, that's the right thing to do!"

  Simayi nodded: "Disciple remembers Master's teachings, disciple will definitely go all out to cultivate and avenge sister as soon as possible!"

  Kong Hou nodded: "From now on, you will follow Jin Cang to cultivate. Jin Cang, you must teach Sima Yi Hao hand in hand, and when he avenges his sister, you must also lend him a helping hand."

  I nodded: "Disciple understands!" After a pause, I said to Sima Yihao: "Younger brother, if you don't mind, I'll start teaching you how to cultivate now!"

  Simayihao's face was full of surprise and confusion, but he still said with great pleasure: "Thank you, senior brother, junior brother will definitely work twice as hard."

  I was about to turn around and leave the classroom when someone said, "Big Brother Master, my name is Du Xiong San, younger brother of Du Yi Fei. Today I finally get to see Big Brother Master's true appearance, I'm overjoyed. So I'd like to ask Big Brother Master for some guidance, I don't know if Big Brother Master will grant me this favor?"

  I looked at the person speaking, feeling that this life was quite handsome, and surprisingly a bit like a beautiful girl. Moreover, he looks similar to Du Yifei in three ways. I knew this person must be Du Yifei's cousin, he wouldn't lie to me about this matter, so I said: "I don't dare to point, let's study together."

  Du Xiong's face lit up with great joy: "I had previously met an extraordinary master and learned from him for two years. Now that I've joined Wudang, I'm still not a formal disciple yet. So what I want to ask Master Brother to teach me is not the skills of our sect, but rather the skills I learned before, so please be careful, Master Brother!"

  I was taken aback, but immediately understood Du Xiong's meaning. He wanted me to help him test his skills, and it seemed that he had great confidence in the skills he had cultivated before. So I said: "The skills of a supreme master should be very powerful, I will be careful!"

  Du Xiong San smiled and said: "Then let's ask Big Brother Shifu to follow me to the practice room, we'll start right away!"

  I nodded, glanced at Kong Shou, and turned to leave the classroom. Since I came here, I've heard that someone would find trouble with me, so I was mentally prepared early on. For such a challenge, I still have confidence in taking it on.

  Du Xiong San spoke very politely, but I could see from his eyes that he had an ulterior motive for asking me to "give him pointers". Although I still don't know what his purpose is, I have a premonition.

  When Du Xiong San and I arrived at the training room, many junior brothers and sisters were already waiting for us. Most of them came to watch the excitement, but some had ulterior motives that they hadn't revealed yet.

  My junior fellow disciple, Sima Yi Hao, also followed me here. He probably wants to see if I, his senior brother, am qualified to teach him. His face is full of unusual expressions.

  I pretended not to see Sima Yihao's face and walked to the middle of the training room, saying to Du Xiong who also came to the middle: "You can start now."

  Du Xiong San suddenly grasped his fist, his body flashing as he charged over very quickly. I saw that when he struck, his entire body's true energy surged, and I knew that the so-called unparalleled master who had previously taught him really did have some skill, so I concentrated my spirit to counterattack against his assault, not daring to be careless or negligent.

  Du Xiong San's attack method was very simple, just straightforward punches and kicks, without any fancy moves. However, the true energy in his punches and kicks made their attacking power extremely great, after I blocked a few of them, I felt something was wrong. Because my fists and legs all felt painful, not just ordinary pain.

  Du Xiong San's aura has a very strong corrosive nature, every time he comes into contact with me, I have this feeling. The cultivation method he practices must not be a regular qigong, otherwise, I wouldn't have such a strong pain sensation.

  I started moving quickly, trying not to make direct contact with his fists and feet. I had practiced Wudang body method, also known as qinggong, so my speed was a bit faster than Du Xiong's. For the time being, he found it difficult to catch up with me, let alone hit me.

  There is a saying, "Under the heavens, all martial arts are invincible only if they are fast." So my speed increased, and Du Xiong immediately fell into a disadvantage, unable to hit me. He could only endure the beating. However, he remained calm and composed, without panicking or becoming disordered in his technique just to try and hit me.

  I secretly admired his state of mind, but I also knew that if we continued to go down this path, he would eventually force me into a direct confrontation with him. My high mobility came at the cost of much greater consumption of true energy than his, so once my internal true energy was depleted, his opportunity would arrive.

  But I won't just adopt a defensive approach to fighting, I want to defeat him, so I have to take the initiative to attack. So after I dodged and weaved for a few minutes, I stopped retreating and turned around to start attacking.

  Du Xiong San seemed to know that I would stop and fight him head-on, so he wasn't surprised at all. He focused his energy and fought me, not showing any excitement because I was forced to give up my roaming fighting style.

  Our fight is actually not very interesting, it's all straightforward punches and kicks, no fancy moves. Against an opponent like Du Xiong San, all the fancy moves are useless, I can only fight in a regular and proper way.

  Kong Shou was also watching us fight from the side, he didn't say a word but it's clear that he's getting anxious. I know he's worried that if I take too long to defeat a junior apprentice who just started learning, our fellow disciples will look down on me. In my heart, I'm also feeling anxious, but there's nothing good that can be done about it.

  Du Xiong San's power may not be as profound as mine, but his true energy is very special. I have no way to defeat him quickly, and can only slowly grind with him.

  Du Xiong San's moves were simple but powerful, my attacks had a bit more variety, but they were also quite straightforward. I hadn't used my full strength yet, but I was already using about 80% of my energy to fight him. Du Xiong San's kung fu skills could already be compared to those of the older disciples from Wudang.

  I attacked while asking Du Xiong San, "What's your master's name? Why did you abandon following him to continue practicing and come to Wudang instead?"

  Du Xiong San said, "That extraordinary person refused to accept me as his apprentice, only allowing me to follow him and cultivate for two years. When the two-year period was up, he ordered me to leave him, saying that I was not allowed to mention his name or address to anyone!"

  I suddenly realized that Du Xiong San was indeed very lucky to have met a hermit. It seemed that the hermit didn't want to be disturbed, which was why he had strictly ordered him not to reveal his name and address.

  But what I don't understand is how Du Xiong San was able to cultivate to his current level in just two years. To think that I've been following Kong Shou's teachings for three years and still haven't reached Du Xiong San's standard. Even if someone has a slightly better aptitude than me, it's unlikely they could reach Du Xiong San's level in just two years.

  I hadn't taken down Du Xiong San for a long time, and he was getting complacent. As he countered my moves, he said, "No need to hold back, Big Brother. I'd like to see your skills."

  I thought to myself, "This guy really looks down on me, thinking he can defeat me with ease. It seems like he's taken me for granted! If I don't teach him a lesson, it'll be hard to wrap things up." With that in mind, I exerted my strength and began to attack with all my might, determined to defeat this junior of Du Yusheng.

  Du Xiong San's kung fu is indeed very good, if it weren't for the fact that I've been training for a longer time and have encountered more battles than him, I would really find it difficult to defeat him. Experience is very important in battle. So when I make my move, I can always easily find Du Xiong San's weak points.

  Du Xiong San was caught off guard by my sudden and fierce attack, and he finally began to get flustered. He also almost used all his strength, with each punch or kick having a much greater force, making it almost difficult for me to withstand. Of course, I still stood firm and steady, holding the upper hand.

  Kong Shou's face improved a bit at this time, and he shouted loudly: "Hurry up and finish the fight, we'll go for four rounds!"

  I didn't have the time or energy to think about empty words, so I focused my strength and launched a concentrated attack on Du Xiong San. Du Xiong San was quite stubborn, clearly at a disadvantage, and could be defeated by me at any moment, yet he refused to admit defeat.

  Our fight seemed to be no suspense, so I started to speed up my moves. My speed was originally much faster than Du Xiong's, and this time I intentionally accelerated again, and for a while, I really suppressed Du Xiong completely.

  I took the opportunity to withdraw my hand, take a step back and smile: "Good skills, junior brother. Shall we call it quits for now?"

  Du Xiong San also knew that he was not my match for the time being, so he smiled and said: "Thank you, Big Brother, for sparing me. I am no match for Big Brother!"

  I cupped my fists and turned to walk towards Kong Hou, laughing as I said: "Master is really impressive, actually finding a talented disciple like Du Shidi!"

  Kong Shou laughed and said, "That's my insight... do you need to boast about it?" He paused, his face turned serious and he said, "Haven't you practiced for a long time? Your skills haven't improved at all!"

  I knew I had indeed been neglecting my cultivation recently, so all I could say was: "Disciple's military duties are busy... so..."

  Kong Shou let out a sigh: "You little brat has also learned to make excuses... anyway, you little brat has indeed experienced many battles, this battle experience and awareness are very strong, this is definitely worth acknowledging!"

  I smiled: "Thank you, Master, for your praise!"

  "Stop talking nonsense! Come on, let's go find your aunt!"

  I nodded and was about to follow Kong Shou out of the training room.

  Du Xiong San stopped me: "Big Brother Master, I'm still waiting for your guidance on my cultivation. Shouldn't you stay here instead of leaving in a hurry?"

  I was taken aback and suddenly felt a surge of anger. After all, it was Kong Xiang who wanted me to leave, and Du Xiong San was being too rude, not even putting Kong Xiang's words in his eyes. So I coldly said: "In my heart, Master's words are orders. As for guiding you in your cultivation, let's talk about it after I've accompanied Master to see Master Bo!"

  Du Xiong San was also stunned for a moment, then smiled and said: "Younger brother I understand, when older brother has time, younger brother will come to ask older brother for guidance!"

  The Sima Yi Hao beside him smiled and said, "Big Brother Master don't be angry, we just think that Big Brother Master's skills are impressive, so we want to follow Big Brother Master to learn as soon as possible. It's not that we disrespect the master."

  Another junior sister also said: "That's right, we didn't mean to disrespect Master, Eldest Brother you misunderstood."

  The teacher who was giving the lecture also said, "Jin Cang, you misunderstood. Everyone here is a disciple of Wudang, and we all consider the abbot to be our master. No one would dare to disrespect him."

  I didn't say anything else, nodded slowly and followed Kong Shou out.