Chapter 17: Cheating

From the very beginning, Chen Zheng had seized the initiative, gaining a half-step advantage over Yang Jun. From that point on, every move he made was calculated, pushing Yang Jun into a disadvantageous position. Chen Zheng was confident that as long as he maintained this pressure, the advantage would eventually turn into a victory.

Yang Jun, though powerful, was rushing his attacks. He couldn't put his full strength behind every punch, which led to the situation favoring Chen Zheng. The sounds of their strikes echoed through the air with a *bang*, causing everyone around to stare in shock. Unlike Liu Zhensheng, who had used clever footwork and evasive tactics against Yang Jun, Chen Zheng was fighting head-on with raw power. This brutal, no-holds-barred style of fighting was enough to ignite the hidden bloodlust in anyone watching. 

The crowd held their breath, watching the fight unfold. No one dared to make a sound, as if even breathing might disturb the fierce combat between the two. They hadn't had the chance to fully admire their senior brother's skill, as the battle was too intense.

Chen Zheng's years of practice—focusing on punching bags and wooden dummies—were now showing their worth. His bones were hard, and he could go toe-to-toe with Yang Jun, who specialized in hard qigong techniques. Chen Zheng had the upper hand now, and as long as he maintained his advantage, victory was only a matter of time.

"Damn it, how is this bookworm so strong up close?" Yang Jun muttered to himself, realizing the tide was turning against him. 

As he tried to regain control, Yang Jun unwittingly exposed a flaw—an opening at his waist. Chen Zheng immediately took the opportunity, kicking toward Yang Jun's exposed side with a whip-like leg strike. 

"Not good!" Liu Zhensheng, watching from the sidelines, cursed inwardly.

The kick landed, but to Chen Zheng's surprise, Yang Jun didn't seem to feel a thing. It felt like kicking a block of iron. Chen Zheng's leg barely made contact before it was seized by Yang Jun. Seizing this moment, Yang Jun yanked Chen Zheng's leg back, attempting to throw him off balance. Chen Zheng quickly adjusted, lowering his center of gravity and placing one hand on the ground for support. His other leg swept horizontally, a full-powered kick aimed at Yang Jun.

Yang Jun reacted swiftly, blocking with his body and using his right hand to pin down Chen Zheng's leg while his other arm protected against the sweeping kick. The impact made a dull *thud*, causing Yang Jun to stagger slightly. His blocking arm absorbed the full force of the strike, but the damage was minimal. On the other hand, Chen Zheng felt a sharp pain in his ankle, the same sensation he had felt when his kick landed on Yang Jun's waist earlier.

But Chen Zheng didn't have time to dwell on the pain. Yang Jun took the opportunity to punch Chen Zheng's leg with a powerful blow. The impact would have surely incapacitated Chen Zheng's leg. Chen Zheng reacted quickly, using the bottom of his foot to deflect the blow. The two forces collided with another loud *thud*, and Chen Zheng lost his balance slightly.

In that brief moment, Chen Zheng shifted his strategy. He placed both hands on the ground and, using his longer legs, aimed a swift kick at Yang Jun's lower abdomen. Yang Jun, surprised by the move, had no choice but to release Chen Zheng's leg and retreat. But Chen Zheng was relentless. Using his hand as leverage, he executed a move called the "Rabbit Kicks the Eagle," a trick move from martial arts, dangerous yet effective.

Although the move wasn't perfect, it was enough for Chen Zheng to escape the situation. The kick connected with Yang Jun's abdomen, but Yang Jun was already moving backward, so he managed to absorb most of the impact without suffering much damage. Still, this gave Chen Zheng the space he needed to shift the momentum of the fight.

For a moment, Chen Zheng paused, flexing his sore hands. He was surprised by the pain. Despite his years of training, including punching wooden dummies and sandbags, his hands had never hurt like this before. He had always believed his bones were tough enough to withstand any attack, but now, he started to reconsider. Perhaps Yang Jun's hard qigong techniques were indeed as formidable as people had claimed. 

But after his kick earlier, Chen Zheng began to have doubts. He thought back to his previous encounters with hard qigong practitioners and began to suspect something else. 

"Not bad. You're tougher than I expected. Better than even Master Huo Yuanjia," Yang Jun said with a smug grin, pointing at Liu Zhensheng. "But that's about all."

"Is that so? Then let's see if you can still talk after I beat you," Chen Zheng retorted. He stepped forward, muscles tensing as he prepared for another attack. With a twist of his waist and a surge of power from his core, he concentrated all his strength into a single punch, a horse stance strike aimed directly at Yang Jun's chest.

"Hmph." Yang Jun let out a small grunt as he braced for the attack. His body sank slightly, and he prepared to block Chen Zheng's punch with his right hand, just like before.

However, when Yang Jun made contact with the punch, something felt off. The power of the strike wasn't as overwhelming as Yang Jun had expected. He had fought Chen Zheng before and remembered the immense force behind every blow. But this time, the punch felt almost... staged, like Chen Zheng hadn't used his full power.

Before Yang Jun could fully react, Chen Zheng's fist shifted, transforming into a claw that grabbed the sleeve of Yang Jun's arm.

*Riiip!*

Yang Jun's sleeve was torn off, revealing an iron wrist guard beneath.

"Ah, so that's why…" The crowd gasped in realization. Yang Jun had been wearing an iron wrist guard, explaining why every blow to that area had been so painful for Chen Zheng.

"Despicable!" Liu Zhensheng shouted angrily. The crowd was equally outraged. In a legitimate martial arts match, using such devices was a clear violation of martial ethics. Yang Jun had no right to call himself a true martial artist, and no one would be willing to fight with him again if this was revealed.

Yang Jun, realizing his deceit had been exposed, charged at Chen Zheng in a fit of rage. His movements were wild and uncoordinated, driven more by anger than strategy. But without a calm mind, he had no hope of defeating Chen Zheng.

"Riiip!" Chen Zheng tore off Yang Jun's outer garment to reveal two iron plates strapped to his waist. This explained why his previous attacks to the waist had been ineffective—those iron plates had completely protected him.

"Someone like you doesn't deserve to call yourself a martial artist!" Chen Zheng said coldly. With a swift horse stance punch, he struck Yang Jun squarely in the chest. The force of the blow knocked Yang Jun unconscious.