The Barbarian's Evil Hadoken Technique

Tactician had scanty intelligence at his disposal.

Otto had entered a meditative seclusion for three days, neither eating nor drinking, keeping his eyes shut and remaining silent. This was to counteract the aftereffects of the superior recovery drug and heal his body as much as possible. He couldn't afford lingering damage—his body had endured too much lately. Without robust health, the brightest future meant nothing.

Sabrina was in no better shape. Each use of her seductive arts drained her, especially the Pupil Arts. In recent days, she'd repeatedly assaulted Hakan, Elton Leng, and Fyren with her gaze, severely exhausting herself. The more potent the technique, the greater the toll on the practitioner.

Ordinarily, Sabrina navigated the jianghu relying on her beauty and poise to win men over. But most powerbrokers weren't swayed. Moreover, they relied on their own innate charisma, making her charms less effective. Hakan had seen countless beauties; even if he encountered one who struck him, he wouldn't act flustered or timid like ordinary men.

Launching successive Pupil Arts assaults on three powerhouses had taken a heavy toll. Fyren posed particular difficulty. Pupil Arts had a cruel quirk: once activated, the energy was spent regardless of success. Like a light bulb left burning, it consumed power even if no one was there to see. Worse, a failed attack 反噬 the user. When Sabrina tried targeting Fyren in his office, he evaded her gaze each time. The failed connections wounded her deeply.

Adding to her woes, she'd clashed with her assistant and taken a blow from Silver King while guarding Otto's seclusion. Hemmed in on all sides, her injuries piled up.

Just as Otto stabilized, Sabrina collapsed. But she knew she couldn't afford to fall—at least not yet. Hakan had lost 30 billion yuan on a worthless subsidiary and was livid. She needed to recover quickly and pacify him. So she too entered seclusion.

Only the innocent Sherry remained, furiously hacking at a stone by the door with her sword. She struck and wept, blaming herself for failures she didn't understand. Guilt and self-reproach consumed her, leaving her feeling utterly useless.

She couldn't make sense of so many things. Why, with Young Lord's prowess, her martial arts, and Sabrina's seductive arts, had their once-unstoppable momentum hit such relentless roadblocks? It wasn't just the Kings—normally, their battles should rival gods clashing. Now Young Lord lay crippled, Sabrina wounded by her own failed spells, and she...

Sherry hacked at the stone with her sword, chunks flying as she sobbed. "Die! Just die!"

Tactician and Gold King emerged then. Tactician smiled thinly. "Miss Sherry, why take out your anger on a stone?"

Sherry recognized Tactician. She stood, sword raised. "How dare you show your face here?"

Knowing her simple nature, Tactician didn't engage directly. "We came to check on Young Lord."

Sherry eyed Gold King warily. "Who's he?"

Gold King bowed deeply. "I am Gold King, miss. We've met before."

Without warning, Sherry lunged, sword aimed at Gold King's throat. Gold King flinched, but Tactician stepped in, pinching the blade between two fingers. "Easy, miss—he's my subordinate."

"No mistake!" Sherry snapped. "Iron King, Copper King, Silver King—they all betrayed Young Lord! You must be here to do the same!"

Tactician winced. The girl may have been simple, but her words cut deep. One betrays, others follow—that was the unspoken fear. He tried to soothe her. "Gold King is different, miss."

"Different how? They're all the same!"

Sherry twisted the blade, channeling energy. Tactician's face changed; he released the sword and flicked open a fan, deflecting her thirteen strikes in a flurry. Incredible skill for such a young girl—if only her wits matched her blade.

"Listen, Sherry," he cooed. "We're here to aid Young Lord's cause. Helmsman himself sent us."

"Hmph." Sherry turned away, sitting on the steps to hack at the stone again. What else could she do? Otto and Sabrina were both in seclusion, and Michelle had left after delivering the recovery potion.

With only Sherry around, they could only glean information about Herbert from her. Mentioning Herbert sent Sherry into a rage.

"Damn so-called master! Just a madman! He came claiming to heal Young Lord, then broke all his bones by pinning him down. Said he lacked the super recovery potion and fled like a ghost."

"Young Lord and Fyren did treat him as master, but the old codger taught them nothing. Just made them kowtow and swear obedience."

"Before attacking Young Lord, he visited Fyren first—supposedly to heal his bones, but for some reason, he spared Fyren and came here instead."

"Rotten old bastard! If I see him again, I'll kill him!"

Tactician rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "Miss Sherry, can you gauge his strength?"

"I don't know!" she snapped. "He's a fraud! Preying on Fyren and Young Lord while they were injured!"

Tactician pressed on. "Are you sure he taught them nothing?"

"Positive! Fyren learned Little Monkey Fist from someone else."

Tactician and Gold King exchanged astonished looks. Gold King's face contorted. "Little Monkey Fist?!"

"What, you doubt me?"

"No, no—continue. What did he teach Young Lord?"

Sherry thought. "Some move called Hadoken, and... "

Tactician's eyes narrowed. "And?"

"Something like... 'ta tsu ma ki sen puu kya ku'—nonsensical rubbish."

The pair shared a confused glance. Such bizarre martial arts names were unheard of.

Sherry huffed, done with their questions, and returned to hacking the stone. Once they'd gleaned the essentials, Tactician and Gold King took their leave.

In their hotel suite, Tactician swirled wine in his glass, staring into its depths. Gold King grew impatient. "Tactician, what's the play here? Do we really go after Herbert?"

Tactician closed his eyes, reciting his analysis:

"First, Young Lord and Fyren were coerced. All three—including Miss Sherry—are gravely injured, leaving them vulnerable to Herbert's extortion. He forced vows from them under the pretense of mentorship, then plundered them."

"Second, Herbert visited Fyren first. Fyren likely bought him off, hence the reprieve. Young Lord, lacking funds, got his bones broken instead. Herbert's excuse about the potion was a revenge ploy—evident from Young Lord's curses during the beating."

Gold King nodded. "That's how it sounds. Miss Sherry said Young Lord cursed wildly, even shouting, 'Old bastard, I'll take you on!'"

Tactician opened his eyes. "But why did Sabrina stop Sherry from helping Fyren earlier?"

"Was it fear of Herbert's martial arts?"

Tactician shook his head. "Sherry and Sabrina are battle-tested guards—hardly cowards. Maybe Young Lord was under his thumb, leaving the women too terrified to act."

"Sherry's brainless. Why keep such a fool around?"

Tactician smiled enigmatically. "Gold King, you're brave but lack insight. Sherry possesses rare talent. Her swordsmanship is superb—such skill can't spring from a vacant mind. I suspect her consciousness is sealed, hence the naivety. When Young Lord releases that seal... her power will astonish."

"Spare me the girl talk. Focus on Herbert."

"Agreed." Tactician swirled his wine. "Sherry dismissed his skills, but that reeks of bravado. Anyone ignorant of superior recovery potions wouldn't dare act so arrogantly. Bluster requires foundation."

"True. And her vow to kill Herbert implies his strength, while formidable, isn't invincible. Subconsciously, she believes she can fight him. That places him at Central Quadportal peak—on the cusp of Upper Quadportal."

Gold King frowned. "So even a head-on clash might not guarantee victory."

Tactician rapped the table. "Little Monkey Fist swindled Fyren out of billions. This old man reeks of greed. But Hadoken and... 'ta tsu ma ki sen puu kya ku'—such bizarre techniques."

Gold King paced. "Sounds like foreign martial arts. Their styles are strange, utterly divorced from our mainland traditions. A foreign master with unpredictable moves could complicate things."

Tactician nodded. "Sadly, Young Lord and Sabrina are secluded. We could use their intel."

"Time's ticking!" Gold King snapped. "Three Kings have rebelled; we've been away too long. Helmsman will grow suspicious. We must act fast."

"Agreed, but cautiously. Herbert's mystery—especially that martial art—demands preparation. In our world, one mistake can be fatal."

"He's just Central Quadportal! Together, we can overpower him, seize his loot, then shake down Fyren for more!"

"True, but if his art is too alien—"

Just then, a child's voice rang from the hotel entrance: "Hadoken!"

Tactician and Gold King locked eyes, their pupils dilating like light bulbs.