Chapter 0010: The Duel (Part 1)

"Forget it, Senior Brother hasn't come here in days. He must have received Master's true teachings by now. Second Senior Brother, maybe you should let it go," Liu Zhezhong urged, trying to stop Liu Zhensheng.

"Yeah, Second Senior Brother, what Third Senior Brother said makes sense. Let it go, or else..." 

"I've been wanting to test Senior Brother's true skills," Liu Zhensheng replied, not bothering to listen to their advice.

While Liu Zhezhong's words seemed like attempts to dissuade Liu Zhensheng, his tone had an unmistakable hint of provocation. Liu Zhezhong, a local thug, was a smart man. He knew that to thrive in the underworld, you needed someone to back you up, and Huo Yuanjia had become his first choice. It wasn't that Huo Yuanjia was strong at the time, but because he had the potential. Liu Zhezhong had his eyes on Huo Yuanjia's future, knowing that his father had once been the top martial artist in Tianjin. He believed that Huo Yuanjia had inherited that same strength. Moreover, no one else had taken the position of senior disciple, so if Liu Zhezhong joined, he could eventually be the leader.

However, Liu Zhezhong didn't expect Chen Zheng to get ahead of him. He had intended to be the second in command, but now he was relegated to third place. When Liu Zhensheng arrived, Liu Zhezhong had planned to teach him a lesson. However, just like a year ago, he was knocked down by Liu Zhensheng with three punches. So, Liu Zhezhong found himself in the third spot, while Liu Zhensheng became the second. Today, his plan was to provoke Liu Zhensheng into challenging Chen Zheng. Having learned a few moves from Liu Zhensheng, Liu Zhezhong believed that even though he couldn't beat Liu Zhensheng, he could still defeat Chen Zheng. He thought that Chen Zheng was just a lucky scholar who had learned a few tricks early on, and now he wanted to regain his lost face.

"Senior Brother must be chopping wood in the shed right now. Second Senior Brother, you really shouldn't..." 

"Let's go, let's go see Senior Brother!" Liu Zhensheng didn't wait for Liu Zhezhong to finish and headed straight towards the shed.

The Shed

"Boom... Boom... Boom..." 

The rhythmic sound of wood splitting echoed from the shed as Chen Zheng, with a steady stance, struck each log in perfect sequence, splitting it cleanly in half. 

Chopping wood and fetching water were part of his daily routine. On the surface, these seemed like simple tasks, but in reality, there was an underlying technique. 

Chen Zheng stood in a horse stance, left hand holding an axe, calm and steady as he faced the logs. "Ha~!" With a controlled shout, he swung the axe, and the wood split with a crisp sound. 

The axe didn't hit the base of the log, yet it still split in half. This was a clear sign of Chen Zheng's progress. 

Chopping wood required focus, precision, and a smooth coordination of breath and movement. The axe had to be gripped firmly, but the joints relaxed, and the breath should remain even. The axe needed to follow the grain of the wood, striking decisively at the right point. 

Chen Zheng practiced these techniques every day, and they helped him refine his control over force, angle, and energy. 

As he prepared for another strike, something felt different. He noticed footsteps approaching—several people, in fact. His hearing had also improved after all this time of practice. 

Who could be coming now? 

Just as he wondered, Liu Zhensheng and several others appeared at the entrance to the shed. 

"Senior Brother, chopping wood, huh?" Liu Zhensheng asked with a smile. 

"Yes," Chen Zheng nodded. Though he wasn't good at socializing, he could tell by the group's demeanor that they weren't here to help him chop wood.

"Senior Brother is so diligent!" Liu Zhezhong, standing behind Liu Zhensheng, added, "A year ago, Senior Brother's martial skills were already extraordinary. I bet after more than a year, your abilities have grown even more powerful!" 

Before Chen Zheng could respond, Liu Zhensheng raised his fists in a respectful manner. 

"Junior Brother has learned a few moves, and today, hearing from our fellow disciples about Senior Brother's impressive martial arts, I thought I should challenge you to a friendly sparring session, Senior Brother. Please allow me to witness your true skills!" 

"Liu Junior Brother has been around the martial world, so I'm sure you've seen your fair share of masters. My humble skills could never be of interest to someone like you. Martial arts can be dangerous, so let's skip the sparring, shall we?" Chen Zheng waved his hand, attempting to avoid the confrontation. 

"Come on, Senior Brother! I've been itching for a match. Though I joined the sect later than you, I've sparred with everyone here. You, Senior Brother, joined earlier, and I'm sure you've mastered the real techniques by now. Let me see them!" Liu Zhensheng pressed. 

"Master always says that martial artists should often exchange techniques, because true martial arts are forged through actual combat. Senior Brother, please, let us witness your true abilities!" 

"Yes, exactly!" The others echoed. 

"Senior Brother, what do you think?" Liu Zhensheng feigned a look of embarrassment, speaking as if he were just casually asking. 

"Really? You want to spar?" Chen Zheng wasn't a fool. He could tell they were trying to provoke him, and their words were starting to get on his nerves. He looked at Liu Zhensheng and asked bluntly, 

"Are you sure about this?" 

"Senior Brother, I'd prefer if you didn't. Fists and feet are unpredictable," Liu Zhensheng continued to pretend. 

"Then let me fight you first. If I can't even beat someone like me, how can I claim to be a match for Second Senior Brother?" Liu Zhezhong stepped forward, his voice taunting.

"Come on then!" Chen Zheng's patience finally snapped, and he gestured for Liu Zhezhong to come forward. The challenge had been made.