The Republic of China: I, Xiangzi, a Hero in a Chaotic Era

He was silent for a moment, then that eerily calm voice rang out again, each word striking clearly with an undeniable authority:

"Just now, when I saw you escape, your movements, footwork, and strength were all impressive. You must have practiced the White Ape Tongbei style. You've mastered it quite well."

He paused, his gaze, almost tangible, locking onto the sea dog's entire aura.

"How about this?"

Liu Jiaxiang's voice remained calm and even, yet it exuded a powerful confidence.

"I haven't met a worthy opponent in a long time."

"If you can last ten moves against me, I will let you go, and tonight's matter ends here."

His gaze swept over the several of the Sea Dog's henchmen who had been pinned to the ground by the patrol officers and were still struggling in vain, before returning to the Sea Dog himself, adding:

"If we can't get there..."

He didn't say anything more, but his cold eyes and the gleaming batons in the hands of the patrol officers in the courtyard were the best explanation.

Upon hearing this, the sea lion's pupils suddenly contracted!

The conditions proposed by the person on the other side of the wall were both abrupt and domineering, but in this desperate situation, they seemed to offer a glimmer of hope!

He stared intently at Liu Jiaxiang's eyes, which shone brightly in the darkness, trying to discern whether they were mockery or a trap, but he only saw a bottomless calm and a kind of... indifferent scrutiny.

The other party really wanted to test his skills!

There is no way out.

The humble, bitter smile on the sea lion's face vanished instantly, replaced by a fierce and resolute expression, like that of a trapped beast.

He slowly assumed a stance, knees slightly bent, chest slightly concave, back straight, arms hanging naturally, fingers slightly spread like hooks.

A deep and fierce aura instantly erupted from his short and wiry body, like a taut bowstring or a monkey about to pounce.

"Very well! I am honored by your high regard, sir! I, the sea lion, dare to ask for your guidance, sir!"

Then, Hai Gouzi adopted the stance of the White Ape Tongbei Fist, with his knees slightly bent, chest slightly concave, back straight, arms hanging down, and fingers slightly spread like hooks, exuding a deep and fierce aura.

With a light touch of his toes on the muddy ground, his body moved like a startled ape, leaping out without warning and rushing straight to the base of the wall.

With his left hand, the five fingers of his hand came together in a beak shape, and with a sharp slicing sound, he pecked at the "Quchi" acupoint on Liu Jiaxiang's ankle, which was supporting the wall, while his right hand was hidden under his ribs, ready to strike.

This is "White Ape Pecking at the Stream" from Tongbei Quan, where emptiness and fullness complement each other.

Liu Jiaxiang stood on the wall, motionless.

Just as his hand was about to reach the target, he stomped down with his left foot like a giant axe striking a stake.

Instead of aiming directly at the hand and beak, it stomped with tremendous force towards the sea dog's inevitable landing point, blocking its path.

The sea lion's pupils contracted, its forward momentum abruptly halted, its waist twisted like a spring, and its right palm, held under its ribs, used the force of the twisting waist and hip rotation to strike upwards from an extremely tricky angle like a venomous snake spitting its tongue, the edge of its palm like a knife, slashing towards Liu Jiaxiang's "Xuanzhong" acupoint on his calf.

This "reverse groin strike" is incredibly fast, with a cold and sharp force that penetrates to the bone.

Liu Jiaxiang's right leg, supporting him against the wall, remained as still as a mountain, while his left leg suddenly shot out like a steel whip, his toes pointed straight like a spear, precisely striking the "Daling" acupoint on the right palm of the sea dog.

This kick, delivered from behind but arriving first, was at a tricky angle, forcing the sea dog to withdraw its paw and retreat to defend.

He crouched low, narrowly avoiding Liu Jiaxiang's toes, while his left arm, like a whip, swept across the wall where Liu Jiaxiang was standing, with a whistling sound, trying to force him to move.

Wall brick fragments flew everywhere.

Liu Jiaxiang lowered his body slightly, his right foot grinding a shallow mark on the blue bricks on the wall. In the instant his left leg retracted, his right fist, like a heavy cannon, spiraled out from his waist, aiming straight for the right rib exposed by the sea dog's sweeping attack.

The punch was powerful and fierce, with a sound like tearing silk; it was the Bajiquan "Crushing Mountain Cannon".

The sea lion's hair stood on end as it forcefully parried the sweeping left arm, simultaneously executing a "reverse seven-star step" and its body drifting backward like a tattered piece of cotton in the wind.

"Bang!" With fists clashing, the sea dog grunted and staggered back three steps to dissipate the powerful force that had penetrated his body. His left arm was sore and numb.

He endured the pain, and as soon as he regained his balance, he sprang up like a spring that had been compressed to its limit.

Using the momentum of a series of kicks against the courtyard wall, he leaped into the air and launched a powerful attack. His arms swung out like a white ape wielding a staff, unleashing a barrage of palm strikes that swept towards Liu Jiaxiang atop the wall. This was the Tongbei Killing Move, "Chaotic Cloak."

Its palm shadows were so realistic that it was hard to tell if they were real or illusory, and the strong wind cut into one's face.

Liu Jiaxiang's eyes narrowed, he exhaled and spoke, throwing out both fists simultaneously, one up and one down, one defending and one attacking.

The left fist arcs upwards to block, like an iron bolt blocking the way, while the right fist emerges like a poisonous dragon from its cave, finding an opening amidst the myriad palm shadows to strike directly at the "Shanzhong" point in the chest and abdomen of the sea dog.

His punches were swift and deadly, simple yet ruthless.

Sea Dog was in mid-air, and there was no time to change his move. He could only take a deep breath, his chest and abdomen instantly contracting half an inch, while his arms crossed and pressed down, trying to block the fatal punch.

"Bang!"

The fist and arm clashed again.

The sea lion felt as if it had been struck by a heavy hammer, its blood surging, and a sweet taste rose in its throat.

He was sent flying backward by the force of the punch, and when he landed, he staggered several steps before barely managing to stand up. His face was deathly pale, and his arms were trembling slightly uncontrollably.

In contrast, Liu Jiaxiang, standing atop the wall, remained as steady as a mountain, though the cracks in the blue bricks beneath his feet had deepened.

Liu Jiaxiang felt no pride whatsoever. Although they had only exchanged seven or eight blows and he seemed to have the upper hand, he could clearly feel the sluggishness of his body.

When the fist strikes, the coordination of muscles and bones is far less smooth and unimpeded than in the previous life, and the circulation of internal energy is also somewhat sluggish.

That final "Mountain Crash Cannon" strike could have been delivered with three more points of force and a slightly faster speed, enough to shatter the opponent's arm bone in the third exchange and end the fight.

Now, all they can do is repel the opponent.

This body's foundation is ultimately weak and needs proper nourishment and conditioning.

Sea Dog was breathing heavily, staring intently at the imposing figure atop the wall.

The opponent's fist technique was fierce and domineering, the force was concentrated and penetrating, and the moves were simple and ruthless, all of which were unprecedented in his life.

Especially when he finally met the punch head-on, the opponent's fist force was like a mountain torrent, overwhelming and unstoppable. His famous Tongbei Cold Crisp Force was like thin ice meeting the scorching sun in front of it.

What chilled him even more was that his opponent's breathing remained steady throughout, clearly indicating that he hadn't exerted his full strength.

He gave a bitter smile, wiping away the trace of blood that had seeped from the corner of his mouth, all hope gone. Hai Gouzi clasped his hands in a fist salute to the wall, bowing deeply, his waist bent extremely low.

"Your skill is superb, sir. I'm completely convinced."

His voice was hoarse, revealing exhaustion and utter resignation.

"You may do as you please with my men; we will have no complaints."

"You're not a bad guy, you're willing to accept your loss, and your skills are decent too."

Liu Jiaxiang's voice rang out in the quiet courtyard, calm and emotionless.

"Do you want to be able to enjoy a peaceful and comfortable life in Xisi North from now on?"

Sea Dog suddenly looked up, his face, covered in sweat and dust, filled with shock. He stared at the blurry yet imposing figure on the wall, his voice hoarse with disbelief:

"My lord... do you mean you're willing to protect us lowly people?"