Under the fist

Chapter 48 A Trap, A Lot of Goods
"This is the monkey-style boxing of Xingyi Quan... This is the chicken-step stomping kick, and it also incorporates the fighting techniques of Bajiquan..."

Li Da fought and moved at the same time, his steps light and agile, his movements as nimble as a dragon in flight, while he could still introduce each item as if they were his own treasures, though his speech was too fast.

Lian Youming watched from the sidelines, dazzled and overwhelmed by the variety of fighting styles from different schools and sects, and amazed by Li Da's unfathomable methods.

Seeing the boy staring intently with wide eyes, Li Da couldn't help but remind him, "Don't worry about these things. Just take a look and you'll recognize them. As long as you master your two true techniques, you won't need any other fighting methods. You'll be able to fight without fear."

Upon hearing this, Lian Youming immediately focused his mind. He also realized that the more he pondered the "Toad Fishing Skill," the deeper its intricacies became, and the same was true for the "Silk Reeling Force." It appeared to be just a strange force, but whether it was released externally or internally, it could adhere to or entangle, and it could be both hard and soft. When used with both hands, it could not only enhance the penetrating power of the fist and transform it into a hammer technique, but it could also neutralize the opponent's force with the palm of the hand. Its uses were truly endless.

Knowing that he couldn't bite off more than he could chew, he abandoned all other thoughts and simply observed from the sidelines.

Some people wanted to take the opportunity to attack Lian Youming, but seeing that he was covered in grenades and was holding a light machine gun, they all panicked.

"You shameless bastard surnamed Li."

Someone couldn't help but speak out angrily.

With such a hothead standing there, constantly aiming a gun, everyone would be on guard. In this situation, with one person distracted by two things, how could they possibly give it their all? They wouldn't even see who was the best or worst, and it would be impossible to tell who was superior.

Lian Youming also noticed that these people were hesitant. He smiled and held his light machine gun. If anyone was jumping around too much, he would just take a look from a distance without firing. The other person's expression would change instantly.

Li Da chuckled, seeing that his opponent could not achieve full success, and his face immediately showed a bored expression. He raised his arms and threw punches, without any complicated changes, just like a spear thrusting, straight and direct, with expansion and contraction. In the dim light, it seemed as if four or five arms had grown out of his side in an instant, creating many heavy punches.

"Snapped!"

One of them was intimidated by Lian Youming's raised gun, and his mind was distracted for a moment. Then he was hit by Li Da's punch. The force of the punch landed like a firecracker exploding. Blood splattered on his arm instantly, as if he had been stabbed, or as if a firecracker had been stuffed into his arm and exploded from the inside.

As soon as the fist shadows passed, Li Daqu stepped forward, blocking fists and feet with every move. The group of White Lotus Sect members retreated in unison, their faces either changing drastically or filled with fear and horror.

Lian Youming's eyes widened as he secretly compared his methods with those of the old man guarding the mountain.

The old man guarding the mountain had fists as heavy as hammers, with the force of a thousand pounds. In the past, he could punch a hole through a person's chest and abdomen, and the force penetrated the five internal organs. His power was astonishing.

Li Da's fist seemed to be drawing inward, concentrating his strength into a single beam to attack his opponent's flesh and tendons, with the force of a spear...

Just as he was pondering this, Li Da explained, "This is a technique using hidden force."

Lian Youming immediately realized the truth.

Looking at the arena again, as soon as Li Dafu raised his fist, all the members of the White Lotus Sect changed color. The force of his fist went straight in and forward, and it rushed straight towards Gu Yutong, the vice leader of the White Lotus Sect who was dressed in black.

Lian Youming, standing nearby, quickly offered his assistance, aiming his gun at one of them and then at another.

He already understood the purpose of Li Da's trip.

This trip is not only for the prescription of that old medicine, but also to capture this culprit.

The many experts and skilled fighters of the White Lotus Sect usually disguise themselves and have mysterious identities, making it very troublesome to capture them and bring them to justice. In addition, the spies hidden in various sects are all very well concealed.

Therefore, Li Dacai used himself as bait, along with the map of the underground fortress, hoping to at least capture this cult leader, if not all of them.

Just when Lian Youming thought everything was about to settle down, a dark figure suddenly appeared from the depths of the passage, leaping forward like a shooting star, and pounced straight at Li Da.

That weirdo.

"careful!"

Lian Youming was startled and, without saying a word, turned his gun around, intending to fire.

But the newcomer was incredibly fast, scaling walls and moving swiftly, and in the blink of an eye, he was outside the battle zone. In addition, the space was cramped, and Lian Youming was afraid that if he fired a burst of bullets, the bullets would bounce and change direction in the tunnel, accidentally injuring Li Da.

But then Li Da said quickly, "Don't shoot, you go out first."

Even as they were talking, the strange man was already in front of Li Da. The two stood facing each other and, without saying a word, simultaneously raised their fists and palms.

In the very first exchange, the strange man's hands appeared to be boneless, and with a single move, he subtly absorbed Li Da's fists into his palms, transforming them into force with effortless ease.

Li Da looked at his opponent and said, "Tai Chi Cloud Hands? So you were deliberately showing weakness in our two previous exchanges."

"If I didn't show weakness, how could you be so arrogant?"

The two sides had actually fought each other before.

The originally one-sided situation changed instantly due to this person's intervention.

"Get out? Do you think you can still get out?" Someone sneered, the previous panic gone from their face. "This underground fortress is the hiding place of my White Lotus Sect. Otherwise, how do you think Xie Laosan could have obtained the map of the underground fortress so easily... That old ghost thought he had obtained a life-saving talisman, heh heh..."

Looking at the strange man again, beneath his disheveled hair was a pale, bloodless, and aged face, shaped like a withered branch, with deep-set eyes, hardly better than a demon.

The two suddenly withdrew, and Li Da frowned and said, "The prescription is fake?"

The woman in black, Gu Yutong, said coldly, "Of course it's true. To deal with someone like you, you have to show some real stuff, otherwise how will you fall for it... It's just a pity you don't have anything to show."

Li Dawen said with a smile, "As long as it's true."

Gu Yutong exclaimed, "As expected of the Junior Guardian of the Nation, you can still laugh. It's all your senior brother's fault for making too many enemies back then, injuring and killing countless people with his fists. Heh, he dared to dream of breaking through to that supreme realm, but he failed at the last minute, resulting in the decline of his qi and blood. He wants that old medicine to prolong his life? Don't say we won't agree, look at these martial arts sects, which one would agree?"

Someone shouted angrily, "Li Da, do you really think you're the only smart one in the world? You're setting a trap for me, but little do you know that this is also a trap we've laid for you. Today, this is your burial ground, and that kid will be dragged down with you too."

Lian Youming's face darkened; it turned out that the map really was a bait.

He gripped a grenade in one hand and a light machine gun in the other, ready to fight to the death.

Li Da said in a deep voice, "Don't be impulsive. There are a lot of bombs and poison gas left by the Japanese army here. If they leak, everyone on and off the mountain will be in danger. Otherwise, why do you think I came here alone... Trust me, you go out first."

Gu Yutong's cold eyes were like ice as he called out to a middle-aged man, "Go and kill that kid."

Seeing that the situation was not good, Lian Youming first gave Xiao Li behind him a wink. The little girl understood and clung to his back. After glancing at Li Da, who was surrounded, he quickly turned into a side road.

The killing intent followed closely behind. Looking at the figure approaching step by step, Lian Youming stopped again, and calmly curled his lips, "I told you you're a big idiot. What, do you think my body covered in grenades is just for show?"

He was talking about a grenade, but his right hand pulled the trigger without hesitation.

"Da da da da..."

Fire snakes spewed forth, and scorching hot cartridge cases rained down, producing a series of crisp, unusual sounds.

"You're asking for it, kid."

The two men moved suddenly, but dared not give chase, especially in such a confined space, and quickly retreated.

Lian Youming didn't care about anything else and followed the map in his memory as he walked through the tunnel. Before long, he saw a low iron gate.

There was the sound of rushing water outside the iron gate; it turned out to be a waterfall.

This is the second entrance that Li Da entered.

"We'll be out soon. You can go down the mountain by yourself later, I'll go help him." Lian Youming didn't forget to comfort Xiao Li on his back.

The girl lay motionless, showing no sign of panic, and remained very quiet, only giving a soft, obedient "hmm".

With the exit within reach, Lian Youming was about to duck and slip out when a whip-like leg suddenly darted in like a monstrous python, sweeping across his chest.

Lian Youming stumbled, and the wound on his chest that had been closed reopened, causing blood to gush out and his face to turn pale.

At the entrance, a person slipped in, not only kicking the gun out of his hand, but also grabbing his throat with lightning speed and lifting him up.

This man was actually the same rough-looking fellow who had tried to take advantage of Xiao Li in the cabin earlier. He was dressed in shabby clothes, had a scruffy beard, and his eyes kept darting around Xiao Li. He was grinning slyly and his eyes were filled with lewdness.

"Little brat, you're trying to be a hero and save the damsel in distress. I'll take care of her in front of you first, and then I'll..."

Lian Youming was also exhausted. He had been busy running away and fighting with the tiger, and was already seriously injured. Now, with his throat being choked, he didn't even have the strength to struggle.

Who could have imagined that what was supposed to be a simple treasure hunt would turn into such a life-or-death situation?

Indeed, one shouldn't blindly join in the fun; there's no such thing as a free lunch.

That Xie Laosan is such a jerk!!!

Seeing that there was no chance of victory, Lian Youming simply placed his hand on a grenade hidden on his lower back. He had lost most of them while running, and this was the only one left.

"Damn it, are we going to fight to the death... huh?"

Lian Youming wanted to say something more, but strangely, the big man stopped mid-sentence, his eyes widening as if he had seen something extremely terrifying, staring straight at him.

Lian Youming was already intent on killing, intending to die together with his opponent. Seeing that the other party was distracted, he would not let this opportunity pass. He gathered the remaining strength in his right hand, his eyes wide with fury, and punched the big man hard on the Tian Tu acupoint below his throat.

"Fuck you."

Feeling the force gripping his throat dissipate, Lian Youming steadied himself, removed the grenade, tossed it towards the bloodshot-eyed man, and quickly slipped out with Xiao Li on his back.

"You...you are...the teacher..."

The burly man clutched his throat and collapsed to the ground, mumbling incoherently.

Lian Youming had no interest in listening to nonsense and hurriedly crawled outside. He saw a waterfall cascading down from above, splashing onto the rocks and creating clouds of mist.

Then I heard a loud "boom" behind me.

When Lian Youming turned around, he saw that the entrance at the bottom of the waterfall had been blown up.

"It's over, Li Da!"

The sky was still dark, with a lone moon hanging in the sky, but some light could already be seen on the horizon.

Lian Youming stood in front of the waterfall, looking at the collapsed outlet and the huge boulder that couldn't be moved at all. His expression was gloomy. Why did he have to do that last bit?

It wasn't until the sun rose in the east that Lian Youming rubbed his aching hands and feet and let out a long, wistful sigh.

"Wasn't he supposed to be the Junior Guardian of the Nation? Is that all?"

"Don't worry, I won't die even if you die."

Suddenly, a gentle voice, seemingly smiling yet not smiling, reached Lian Youming's ears on the morning breeze.

He looked in the direction of the sound and saw that on the mountain road not far away, Li Da was still as calm and innocent as ever, but he was carrying a tiger on his shoulder.

Li Da strode over, threw the tiger corpse on the ground, glanced at the sleeping girl next to Lian Youming without making a sound, and then said softly, "This is for you. You've been to a treasure mountain, so you should bring something back."

Lian Youming chuckled and took out two large yellow croakers from his pocket. "I took them."

Li Da was slightly out of breath. "What good is this? The poor study literature, the rich study martial arts. These days, you have to invest a lot of money to practice martial arts. With your parents' meager salary, it'll be gone in the time it takes you to catch your breath."

After saying that, he casually pulled a bright yellow cloth bag out of his pocket. "Take this."

Out of curiosity, Lian Youming opened it and stared in disbelief. Inside were pearls as large as longan fruits.

"Is this a pearl?"

Li Da finally showed an expression, rolling his eyes.

"These are pearls from the East, precious items reserved for the Manchu imperial family. I was walking too fast just now and didn't have time to look closely, but I caught a glimpse of a hat covered in these things, so I took it off... You'd better hide them well, don't be stupid and hand them over."

Lian Youming asked curiously, "Where are those White Lotus Sect members?"

Li Da said softly, "I injured or killed three of them. The rest were more troublesome and retreated to the depths of the tomb."

Lian Youming was thrilled. So many people couldn't defeat this one, but he still felt it was a pity. "Many of the things inside are national treasures. I hope the White Lotus Sect won't take them all."

Li Da let out a long sigh of relief. "Don't worry, I made arrangements before I came. There were people secretly guarding the station entrance and some key roads at the foot of the mountain. How could I not have a backup plan? ... Concern makes one lose focus. If it weren't for one of my elders suffering the calamity of losing his cultivation... Never mind, I won't say anymore. In the end, it's still because my state of mind isn't good enough... Let's go down the mountain!"

Then Li Da grabbed the tiger carcass with one hand, his five fingers gripping the spine, and carried it away with surprising ease.

Lian Youming woke Xiao Li and quickly followed.

They ran all the way to the foot of the mountain before being led by the girl to a lonely little courtyard.

There was a big yellow dog tied up in the yard, along with several hens wandering around pecking at the food.

"Goodbye, Brother Lian!"

Xiao Li waved to Lian Youming and smiled, a rare occurrence for her.

This person is truly beautiful; her skin is as white as ice, and even her veins and blood vessels are faintly visible in the sunlight.

Lian Youming glanced around the courtyard and, seeing that there seemed to be no adults around, instructed, "Go up the mountain less often in the future, and have your parents find somewhere else to stay."

After saying that, he walked towards Li Da, who was not far away.

"Mom and Dad? Heh, he's so kind, just like our father... He had several entrances to the fortress blown up. If I can't have it, no one else can either."

Watching the boy's receding figure, Xiao Li murmured something meaningful. The first half of her sentence was still somewhat weak, but the tone of the second half suddenly changed, as if she had become a different person, becoming cold and stern, and somewhat sinister.

The girl's originally timid and weak expression gradually changed. Her body seemed to grow taller, and the muscles in her cheeks trembled slightly. In just four or five minutes, her aura underwent a complete transformation. Although she seemed unchanged, a hint of evil filled her brows.

With her fox-like eyes narrowed slightly, the girl glanced one last time in the direction Lian Youming and Li Da had left, then turned around and headed back up the mountain.

With each step, it was as if he had moved across flat ground, traveling three or four meters straight ahead...

(End of this chapter)