Marvel Superheroes in China

And people gradually realized that martial artists... weren't only found in China. They existed in other parts of the world too!

But observant and astute individuals have noticed another phenomenon: all these global arms bureaus seem to be under the command of China…

Even when it comes to releasing news, China is the first to do so, followed by other countries.

Countless mysteries have shrouded the world.

What exactly is the Armaments Bureau?

What exactly is a martial artist?

What is the true status of China?

What secrets does this world hold?

"……"knife.

Chapter 80: This is the Martial Artist

On Weibo, a headline quickly went viral, becoming the most popular headline in Weibo's history.

The number of participants exceeded 100 million. Some netizens who hadn't used Weibo in a long time downloaded the app specifically to participate in the discussion in order to gain a more detailed understanding.

"Are Chinese martial artists stronger than superheroes?"

The moment this headline appeared, it caused a huge stir. The entire internet around the world was abuzz.

"Superheroes are definitely more powerful."

"Superheroes are powerful beings who have fought off aliens."

"No, martial artists are definitely stronger. Because the whole world has established arms bureaus, but superheroes only have a shabby Avengers. Their offices aren't even fixed."

"Moreover, superheroes are unstable; their power levels are impossible to categorize, and each has their own unique abilities."

"What kind of organization or group are martial artists? Why have martial artists suddenly appeared all over the world?"

"I used to only know the legends of martial artists, but few people took them seriously. I thought it was just a legend. I never expected that martial artists would become a reality. It's incredible."

"Same here. I used to think that martial artists were just legendary figures, or rather, martial artists who have been mythologized. But I never expected that they actually exist."

"Would Sammo Hung and Chan Lung be considered martial artists?"

"Definitely not, they're just celebrities. I heard that Jia Zidan even went to Xingyi Quan to study under a master."

Is Xingyiquan (形意门) very strong?

“Very strong…”

"Just how strong are they? And how many martial artists are there in China?"

"..."

Countless people participated in the discussion.

In an effort to capitalize on the trend, all television stations across the country launched variety shows about martial arts practitioners.

In reality, the TV station had no idea what martial artists were; they could only respond to the call of the country and the overall situation by making some guesses and providing entertainment.

On this day, Xiangtan TV launched a large-scale outdoor reality show called "Where Have the Martial Artists Gone?"

The program garnered nationwide attention as soon as it aired.

The program's host is He Ling, who, along with some celebrities and actresses from Xiangtan TV, continuously visits traditional martial arts schools such as Shaolin Temple and Wudang Mountain, or seeks out folk masters. They organize a program where celebrities and martial arts practitioners live together for three days and three nights to learn martial arts.

The program caused a sensation across China as soon as it aired.

In the first episode, He Ling brought Wu Yifan and Huang Zitao to Tagou Martial Arts School.

The martial arts instructors at Tagou Martial Arts School warmly welcomed the three and then introduced them to the school's daily routines...

All three celebrities diligently studied at the martial arts school, but they complained about the hardship and fatigue while learning.

Wu Yifan, in particular, broke down in tears several times during his martial arts training, sobbing that he felt it was too hard and he wanted to quit. However, his martial arts instructors forced him to sit in a horse stance for half an hour. During the filming of the program, Wu Yifan directly turned hostile and verbally abused the martial arts instructors.

The atmosphere of the program became awkward.

All netizens started discussing it heatedly:

"You think you can learn martial arts like this?"

"But the martial arts school teachers are so unreasonable! My Fanfan has been working so hard; he's been squatting in a horse stance for ten minutes already. He wasn't trained in martial arts before, so why are they demanding so much from him?"

"Heh, a martial arts school? Nothing special. I really don't understand why the country even established an Armed Forces Bureau?"

"Damn it, after taking a look, it's all just fancy footwork. Did the government set up a special agency just for these people?"

"If that guy were to step into the ring, into the UFC in the US, he'd probably get beaten to death, right?"

"Excuse my bluntness, but I always thought martial artists were mysterious. But I never expected them to be so trashy. Is this what martial artists are? There's a martial arts craze in the country right now, but when you watch TV programs to investigate, they're so weak. All they know are some fancy moves. Is that what martial artists are? Then I'm a martial artist too."

"I suspect that the Armaments Bureau might have some political significance?"

"Wu Yifan is such a piece of trash. Martial arts practitioners have to work hard. What the hell are you yelling about?"

"Actors want to get their hands on Chinese martial arts? Have you even been exposed to real martial arts? All you're doing is spouting nonsense?"

"..."

The program "Where Are the Martial Artists Going?" on Xiangtan TV received a tremendous response upon its broadcast.

The whole country was in uproar.

Damn it, is this what martial artists are like?

Is this too weak?

Previously, everyone wondered if martial artists were different from what we all understood, and if they were more mysterious.

But after investigation, everyone discovered that this was no different from what we had imagined. It was all just for show, with no practical combat skills whatsoever. Many experts have analyzed that if Chinese martial artists were placed in the WWE or UFC rings in the United States, they would probably be instantly defeated.

"This is what a martial artist is?"

"Hahaha, this is hilarious. Let's see if there are any martial arts fans or patriots left."

"As expected, Western boxing is the true path. Boxing is the only way to succeed. What kind of bullshit martial arts are you?"

"Haha, Wu Yifan got into an argument with his martial arts school teacher and actually pushed him, making him take three steps back. If that's all the martial arts school teacher is capable of, then the martial artist can't be much stronger either. UFC just smiles without saying a word."

"Chinese people, open your eyes and go take a look at the UFC. That's real fighting and combat. Every fight in the UFC octagon leaves the fighters bruised and battered. Now look at these trashy Chinese martial artists, all covered in protective gear, and they even have scoring? They fight so weakly, they don't even get a nosebleed by the end of the fight, hahaha. They dare call themselves martial artists?"

"Everyone, you have some misconceptions about martial arts. What happens in the ring, like in the Wulin Feng competition in China, is called Sanda. Martial arts are all about real fighting with real swords and spears."

"Upstairs, that's bullshit. Isn't murder illegal? Real weapons? Nonsense. Forgive my bluntness, but Chinese martial artists are all trash. None of them fight for real. Those fancy moves and techniques, can they even hit anyone? Western boxers, aren't they all straightforward, using every move to defeat their opponent?"

"Here's a joke. A martial artist, an arms department, can be compared to a 2.2 superhero? Hahaha. That's hilarious."

"Official martial arts praising. There's nothing we can do about it; that's just how China is—we don't recognize our own reality."

"..."

The entire nation of China was engulfed in a frenzy of discussion and heated debate.

When the Armed Forces Bureau was first exposed, everyone thought it was incredibly powerful.

Then I checked where the martial artists were on Xiangtan TV, and then I watched a program called "Wulin Feng" (武林风). I then compared it with the UFC in the United States.

The entire nation erupted in a chorus of curses.

Damn it, is this what a martial artist is?

How can something so rubbish be allowed to establish its own organization with such great authority?

Who gave China the courage?

Who gave China the courage to establish a separate organization specifically for these Chinese martial artists who don't even dare to compete in the UFC?

Screw it!

Chapter 81: Smash the Sects

And at this very moment, someone suddenly appeared on the internet, trying to ride the coattails of the martial arts craze.

This guy's nickname is Lei Lei. He's bald and wearing a white training uniform.

Lei Lei has always touted himself as a 'master of traditional martial arts' on Weibo, and even claims to be a successor of the Lei-style boxing.

He has gained a considerable following and disciples on Weibo, and in real life, he also runs the Lei Family Boxing Martial Arts School with hundreds of students. He can be considered a big name in the 'martial arts world'.

On this day, Lei Lei posted on Weibo:

"Tomorrow, I will have a friendly sparring session with retired UFC fighter Xu Dong. It will be broadcast live online, so don't miss it."

Lei Lei's Weibo post caused an uproar across the internet.

This is the first time someone claiming to be a strong figure in the 'martial arts world' has publicly spoken out. It is also the first time someone has used traditional martial arts to compete against a combat sports athlete.

Everyone went crazy.

The world has been buzzing about martial arts for so long, yet martial artists have remained elusive, leaving everyone itching with anticipation. Will we finally see one this time?

"Go Lei Lei!"

"Master Lei, keep it up and promote traditional culture."