Chapter 257 - 119: Cat and Mouse (3)

Zhou Wenbin nodded slightly. "Very well."

He slowly rose, took two steps forward, and turned to face the crowd in the spectator stands.

The entire plaza fell silent in an instant. Even the common folk in the distance stood on their tiptoes, straining their ears to listen.

"Today, the Sun’s Martial Arts Hall and the Li Family will face each other in a punch duel," Zhou Wenbin’s voice was not loud, but it carried clearly throughout the venue. "This is both a martial exchange and a way to settle past grievances. I and all of you here will bear witness. Regardless of the outcome today, all past entanglements between the two parties will be wiped clean. No one shall seek trouble over old matters again."

His words both set the rules and gave both sides a way to save face.

After all, reaching the point of a formal duel showed that neither side wanted a life-and-death struggle. Otherwise, they would have either clashed in private long ago or gone to Luoying Platform in the south of the city for a deathmatch.

Sun Yong and Li Haitao both clasped their fists and replied, "We will obey the County Magistrate’s command."

Zhou Wenbin nodded, said no more, and turned to sit back down in his seat.

As he took his seat, the atmosphere in the plaza changed abruptly.

The suppressed tension was completely unleashed, surging like an invisible tide between the groups on either side of the ring.

The punch duel began.

Li Haitao gave Li Mengchao a slight nod, his eyes filled with expectation.

Sun Yong, on the other hand, looked toward Yang Jing and the others. His gaze settled on Yang Jing, his expression calm.

The combative atmosphere seemed to solidify in the air as all eyes focused on the ring.

Li Mengchao stood at the front of his group, feeling the entire crowd’s gaze upon him. The competitive fire in his heart burned ever brighter.

He wished he could leap onto the ring that very moment. With his strength at the Half-Step Huajin realm, he would take down all eight members of the Sun’s Martial Arts Hall one by one. A resounding victory would firmly establish his status as the leader of Yuhe County’s younger generation.

After that, his name would be on everyone’s lips throughout the city. The mere thought of such glory made his blood boil with excitement.

He subconsciously shuffled forward half a step, his knuckles tightening slightly. His gaze swept over Yang Jing and the others on the opposite side, the corner of his mouth already curling into a smile of assured victory.

Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught the look his father, Li Haitao, was giving him. The gaze was calm, yet it carried an undeniable warning.

Li Mengchao’s heart skipped a beat. He instantly recalled his father’s instructions from before they arrived. ’This punch duel concerns the Li Family’s honor and our future plans. The stakes are high, and we can only win, not lose. That Yang Jing may only be an Anjin, but he was able to kill Li Qianxiong, so he must have something special about him. You need to remain patient. Let the other family disciples wear them down first. Wait for the critical moment to enter the ring and ensure a flawless victory.’

’A flawless victory...’ Li Mengchao repeated to himself, forcefully suppressing his eagerness to jump into the fray.

He knew his father was right. The Li Family had staked a great deal this time, and he couldn’t let an accident happen because of his impulsiveness—not that he thought any accident was likely.

He took a deep breath and averted his gaze from the ring, looking instead to a sturdy young man beside him. This was Li Hu, a disciple from a branch of the Li Family. He was at the Peak of Mingjin in his cultivation and practiced one of the Li Family’s more common martial arts, the Stone-Splitting Fist. The Vajra Hand Seal, on the other hand, was the Li Family’s ultimate technique, which only direct descendants with outstanding talent were permitted to cultivate.

Li Hu understood. He took a step forward, bowed slightly to Li Mengchao, and then leaped up the steps onto the ring, positioning himself in the center.

"Li Hu of the Li Family! I ask for the guidance of the Sun’s Martial Arts Hall!" He cupped his fist and scanned the surroundings, his voice loud and clear, carrying the sharp edge of youth.

On the Sun’s Martial Arts Hall’s side, Luo Yun stepped forward. Pushing off with his feet, he shot up onto the ring to stand opposite Li Hu.

"Luo Yun, of the Sun’s Martial Arts Hall." His tone was steady as he also cupped his fist in salute before assuming the opening stance of the Mountain-Shattering Fist.

With the salutes exchanged, the battle was about to erupt.

Li Hu’s Stone-Splitting Fist was fierce and direct. His punches whistled through the air with the force to shatter stone and crack monuments, aimed straight for Luo Yun’s face.

He was clearly trying to seize the initiative with the ferocity of his punches.

But Luo Yun didn’t meet him head-on. He shifted his body slightly to the side, dodging the fist’s edge while simultaneously striking out with his right. The heavy, condensed power of the Mountain-Shattering Fist was on full display. His punch seemed slow, but it carried a weighty hidden force as it shot toward Li Hu’s ribs.

BAM!

The shockwave from their fists colliding sent both of them back half a step.

A flicker of surprise crossed Li Hu’s eyes. His opponent’s fist was far steadier than he had anticipated, as if he had struck a solid cliff wall.

For the next several dozen moves, they went back and forth, locked in a tight battle.

Li Hu’s Stone-Splitting Fist was all about aggressive attacks, each one powerful and heavy.

Luo Yun’s Mountain-Shattering Fist, however, blended defense with offense. He seemed passive, yet he always managed to evade the brunt of his opponent’s attacks by a hair’s breadth and use the opportunity to counterattack.

Although neither of them was exceptionally powerful, the crowd in the spectator stands watched with great concentration.

Sun Yong’s expression was calm.

Li Haitao, however, frowned slightly. Li Hu’s performance seemed a little worse than he had expected.

For this punch duel, he was naturally betting everything on his son.

But he also wanted to use this opportunity to temper the other disciples of the family, and Li Hu was one of them.

After another dozen or so moves, Luo Yun seized the perfect moment—just as Li Hu’s old force was spent and his new one had yet to be generated. His footwork changed, and he spun like a top to evade Li Hu’s sweeping punch. At the same time, he gathered Inner Strength in his right fist and, from a tricky angle, slammed it heavily into Li Hu’s chest.

PUH!

Li Hu grunted. He felt a powerful surge of Inner Strength flood his body, sending his blood and qi into turmoil. No longer able to stay on his feet, he staggered back several steps and fell off the ring with a THUD.

"Luo Yun wins!"

The disciples of the Sun’s Martial Arts Hall immediately erupted in cheers, while scattered applause broke out from the spectator stands.