Chapter 89: The Reason for Challenging the Gym

Chapter 89: Chapter 89: The Reason for Challenging the Gym

"Get out of the way! Move! Everyone, get the hell back!" Wu Qiang bellowed, kicking aside the people who were crowding around.

’Are you kidding me? A master of his caliber wouldn’t just take on disciples so easily. With so many people pestering him, what if he gets annoyed and refuses to take anyone at all?’

"I’m not taking on any disciples." A strange look appeared in Ye Xing’s eyes. ’I’ve slapped this Wu Qiang a few times, but he’s not even angry. Instead, he’s got this fawning look on his face. Does he have masochistic tendencies or something?’

"Master, I know an expert like you must have very strict standards for taking on disciples, but I’ve been practicing martial arts for years. My foundation should be solid, and I have no problem if you want to test my character. As long as I can call you my teacher, I’ll serve you hand and foot, do anything you ask." Wu Qiang said, his face full of anticipation.

Below the ring, Zhu Dazhuang watched with worshipful eyes, his heart filled with the same anticipation. ’Brother Xing is incredible! When we get back, I have to get him to teach me a few moves.’

"ARGH!" Wu Wei, still on the floor, saw everyone else getting to their feet and tried to do the same, but the pain nearly made him pass out. His piercing scream immediately drew the attention of Wu Qiang and the others.

Wu Qiang hurried over to check his injuries. A single glance made his heart pound in shock. There, on the side of Wu Wei’s right chest, was a dark, bruised fist print. Blood was seeping from it, and the area looked as if it was about to cave in. The terrifying power of that single punch was obvious.

A chill ran down the spines of everyone in the gym, and cold sweat beaded on their foreheads. ’The master definitely held back,’ they all thought. ’If every one of his punches had been that powerful, we’d all be in a world of hurt.’

"This is serious. Quick, get him to a hospital now!" Wu Qiang ordered hastily. Although Wu Wei was a new recruit who hadn’t been at the gym long, he was still one of his men. Wu Qiang certainly didn’t want anything to happen to him.

"Hold on."

A voice suddenly cut in. It wasn’t loud, but no one present dared to ignore it, because the speaker was Ye Xing.

Ye Xing lightly tapped the floor with his feet and leaped down from the ring. "It seems," he said in a low voice, "that you still haven’t figured out why I came to challenge your gym."

At Ye Xing’s words, everyone in the gym froze, their faces masks of confusion. They truly had no idea.

"Master, this is our first time meeting, isn’t it? I don’t believe we have any bad blood between us." Wu Qiang’s heart skipped a beat. He’d completely forgotten about that. ’This master is so powerful. That wasn’t a sparring match just now, it was a one-sided beatdown. We’re not even qualified to trade pointers with him. Does that mean... he came here to challenge us because of some grudge?’ ’Please, no! If that’s the case, how can I ever ask him to be my teacher?’

"Brother Qiang, I know what’s going on," the red-mohawked youth who had answered the door whispered, leaning close to Wu Qiang’s ear. "It’s because Wu Wei beat up the master’s friend—the guy standing next to him. His face is all bruised and swollen, and he’s got multiple soft tissue injuries. That kid Wu Wei really didn’t pull his punches."

"So that’s what this is about..." Wu Qiang froze for a second before his face contorted with fury. He strode over to Wu Wei, swung his hand, and slapped him so hard one of his front teeth went flying. "You dare provoke the master’s friend?!" he roared. "You must have a fucking death wish!"

It dawned on everyone in the gym. So *that* was why the master had come to challenge them. No wonder Wu Wei had been hit so hard. ’That kid Wu Wei is really something else,’ they thought. ’As senior members, we know not to go around starting trouble. But this brat? He actually dared to beat up the master’s friend. He must not value his life. Can’t he use his eyes? If you’re going to pick a fight, at least pick on someone you can handle.’

"Master, I was wrong! I’ll never do it again! Please, be the bigger person and forgive me! I really won’t! Besides, it wasn’t entirely my fault! My younger brother was bitten by your dog! God knows if he’ll have a limp for the rest of his life. He’s still laid up in the back room!" Wu Wei wailed, snot and tears streaming down his face as he looked at Ye Xing with a pathetic expression. He knew Ye Xing held all the cards; whether he’d have it easy from now on was entirely up to him.

"First, your brother Wu Feng’s leg is fine. My Erhei knows how to control his bite. If he really ends up with a limp, you can come find me, and I’ll heal him. Second, Wu Feng deserved to get bitten. He came to steal my grass carp feed on multiple occasions. I suspect his motives weren’t so simple. His intentions are sinister." At this, Ye Xing turned his gaze to Wu Qiang and asked in a low voice, "Did you send Wu Feng to steal the grass carp feed?"

"Grass carp feed?" Wu Qiang blinked, stunned. "How is that possible?" he said hastily. "What would I want with grass carp feed? I don’t run a fish farm, so why would I steal it? Master, please, don’t misunderstand. How about this? I’ll have Wu Feng come out so you can question him. He’s in the back, recovering from his injury. Goddammit, these two brothers are nothing but trouble! Little Liu, go get that brat Wu Feng and bring him out here!"

One of the underlings immediately ran into a back room of the gym to get him.

"Master, I swear I didn’t send anyone to steal your grass carp feed," Wu Qiang explained frantically. "For one, I’m not short on cash. Besides, my businesses—other than this gym—are karaoke clubs, bars, and internet cafes. I’m not in the food industry, so I..." He was genuinely panicking. He had finally stumbled upon a true master of National Martial Arts and was hoping to learn a few things. And now this mess. He was so furious he could have killed the two brothers, Wu Wei and Wu Feng.

The underling who had gone inside quickly returned with Wu Feng in tow. Ye Xing took one look at Wu Feng’s face and confirmed that he was, indeed, the thief from the surveillance footage.

Wu Feng limped over on a crutch, apparently clueless as to what was going on. However, when he saw Zhu Dazhuang’s bruised and swollen face, he immediately understood. ’So the boss is sticking up for me and teaching this guy a lesson!’ He happily approached Wu Qiang, pointed a resentful finger at Zhu Dazhuang, and said, "Boss, that’s him! It was that big oaf’s vicious dog that bit my leg! You have to get justice for me! You can’t just let him off the hook!"

"Justice my fucking ass!" Wu Qiang roared, slapping him across the face.

SMACK!

Wu Feng was knocked to the ground by the slap. His face stung, and he was completely bewildered. He looked around dumbly, feeling that this wasn’t quite how he’d imagined things would go.

"Spit it out! Who told you to go steal someone’s property?" Wu Qiang demanded.

"Brother Qiang, I... I... Why did you hit me?" Wu Feng stammered, his eyes full of fear. "It... It was a friend... he asked me to do it."

"Which friend? What’s his name? And why did he want grass carp feed? Explain everything, right now!" Wu Qiang snarled. "Motherfucker, now I’m the one getting blamed for this shit."

"I’m not sure that’s a good idea. I took his money..." Wu Feng started to say, but he froze when he saw the murderous glint in Wu Qiang’s eyes. It was a sign that his boss was about to lose his temper for real. Who was Wu Qiang? He was a gang leader who had cut people down with knives in his younger days. Even though he was mostly retired now, the brutal aura he carried hadn’t faded one bit. Angering him was tantamount to suicide.

Wu Feng immediately blurted out, "The friend is from Luoxian County. His name is Feng Jianhua. He’s really just an acquaintance, someone I know. He’s also from Luoxian County. He came to me a few days ago and offered me two hundred thousand yuan to go to Bilin Village and steal some grass carp feed. Two hundred thousand... the temptation was too much. I couldn’t resist. Besides, it was just stealing a few things. With my skills, I figured it would be a piece of cake. Even if I got caught, it’s just petty theft. The sentence wouldn’t be too harsh, so I agreed. I went there twice."

"Two hundred thousand, huh? This guy must have some money," Ye Xing said, the corner of his mouth twitching into a smile.

Wu Qiang kicked Wu Feng. "What’s this guy’s deal? What’s his background? And why the hell does he want grass carp feed? Spill it! Tell me everything you know, and be clear about it."