154: Chapter 151 Betraying One's Master and Ancestor

"The Master called today and said a friend was hospitalized, so he should be at the hospital now. Brother Ah Hai opened the club today."

Martin scratched his head and said. Brother Ah Hai was the thin man they saw yesterday.

Li Changsheng nodded. It was too coincidental that Master Yang wasn't here; this matter would be difficult to handle without him.

Inside, an argument had already broken out. Several Instructors were shouting curses at the man.

"Don't you understand any rules? Didn't you hear that our Master isn't in today?"

"Exactly. You want to challenge the gym? That's just looking for trouble. If you want to cause trouble in Chinatown, you'd better find out where exactly you are!"

The Instructors didn't give him any face; they were in the right here.

To them, a challenge was no different from a gym-kicking. It was an insult to the martial arts hall. In the past, if someone just threw you out, they were considered good-tempered; it was more likely they'd have people kill you on the spot.

"I'm not here to kick the gym or cause trouble. It's just a spar; even a private one is fine. I just want to test my skills against the Master of the Zhirou Martial Arts Club."

The man cupped his fists and spoke calmly in a thick Northern dialect. His voice was so deep and resonant that if he put on an act, he could easily play a bandit leader.

"A spar? Just because you say so?"

One Instructor snorted and shook his head. Sparring required a relationship. This guy just gave a name and a School and expected a spar? He was dreaming.

One must have a connection to spar. In the past, challenges were handled discreetly through an intermediary, and the spar would take place in private homes or other hidden locations.

It was like a meeting between secret agent heads.

"I, Zhang Zhao, only seek a battle today. Please grant me this!"

The man cupped his fists again.

Seeing that he still didn't know what was good for him, the Instructors prepared to roll up their sleeves and teach him a lesson.

"Stop!"

A loud shout rang out as Zhang Youdao walked out from upstairs.

He leaned casually against the railing, looking down at the tall man. "You were formerly from Shaolin, but you were kicked out later, weren't you?"

"Look at your hands. The deformation isn't severe. To have practiced for so many years without severe deformation, you must have practiced the Gu Clan Iron Sand Palm the longest. What is your relationship with Gu Ruzhang's lineage?"

The old man's eyes had always been incredibly sharp.

Hearing the name Gu Ruzhang, Li Changsheng immediately thought of a martial arts master from the late Qing Dynasty. He was famous for Shaolin martial arts early on, but later studied under Li Jinglin (Taiji and Taiyi Sword), Yu Zhensheng (Cha Fist), and Sun Lutang (Xingyi Fist).

He was especially proficient in Iron Sand Palm. He initially learned the Shaolin Iron Sand Palm, but after his own improvements, it gradually became the Gu Clan Iron Sand Palm, which didn't significantly change the shape of the hands.

The benefit of this Iron Sand Palm was that it kept the hands looking almost like a normal person's.

The reason Zhang Zhao's hands were already thicker than a normal person's was that he had learned both Shaolin Iron Sand Palm and Wuhai Iron Sand Palm.

If he hadn't practiced the Gu Clan Iron Sand Palm for long, his hands would have likely deformed long ago, looking like thick, misshapen meat hammers.

It was said that in the early years, a foreigner wanted to humiliate local martial artists by bringing a wild horse to the street, claiming a reward for anyone who could subdue it.

That kind of Western tall horse was incredibly powerful. Many martial artists who stepped forward were kicked aside, and one was even kicked to death on the spot.

Gu Ruzhang was infuriated by this and struck the horse's back with one palm. The horse wailed and collapsed, dying a few days later. When a doctor dissected the horse, they found the skin undamaged, but the internal organs were all shattered and the spine was bruised black. This showed how strong Gu Ruzhang's Iron Sand Palm was.

The iron rust and medicinal power had penetrated deep into the horse.

At this moment, the man looked at Zhang Youdao with some surprise. After a moment of thought, he cupped his fists and said, "Junior's elder once worked with Great Master Gu at the National Martial Arts Institute; they were colleagues."

"Relying on that connection, this Junior decided to follow Great Master Gu's example and learn the Iron Sand Palm!"

"National Martial Arts Institute? What is your old man's surname?" The old man stood up straight, his eyes gleaming as he smiled faintly.

"My maternal grandfather's surname is Xue."

Zhang Zhao cupped his fists again, but everyone could hear a hint of pride in his voice.

Most of the people didn't react much, and Li Changsheng was deep in thought, wondering which Great Master it was for a moment.

However, the old man's face suddenly darkened, and he shouted, "Get the hell out of here! You insolent brat, go back to wherever you came from. Don't come out here and make a fool of yourself!"

Everyone was stunned. They had never seen Old Zhang so furious.

He even mixed Northern and Southern dialects, as if he wanted the whole country to point and curse at the man.

Zhang Zhao was also stunned. With a look of anger on his face, he said displeasedly, "Which Senior are you? By what right..."

"I am Zhang Youdao! If you understand, then get lost!"

Zhang Youdao roared again, his hair and beard bristling in a towering rage.

Then, everyone witnessed a shocking scene. Zhang Zhao was stunned by the name, and then, as if realizing something, his face turned extremely ugly, yet he still respectfully cupped his fists.

"Junior understands. I will leave now."

He gritted his teeth and lowered his head, then retreated step by step with a bow.

He no longer had any of his previous arrogance; instead, he looked like a wronged daughter-in-law who didn't dare to fight back.

Li Changsheng watched this with secret amazement, his eyes flashing with realization as he walked upstairs.

He brought a cup of tea to the old man and patted his back to smooth his Qi. "Old man, is this person a descendant of Xue Dian?"

"Yes." Taking a sip of tea and letting out a long breath, Zhang Youdao sighed, "Yes, a descendant of Xue Dian. It's a pity. Although Old Man Xue became muddled later in life, he was still quite a figure."

"I just didn't expect him to have such a descendant."

Li Changsheng nodded, roughly understanding why the old man was so Life Qi.

If it were anyone else, the old man certainly wouldn't be so angry, but this man's family had produced a martial arts Great Master, yet he didn't learn his own family's skills and instead learned others'.

In the past, this could be called betraying the ancestors. After all, Great Master Xue's lineage was almost severed. Not passing on the family's Legacy was no different from betraying the ancestors.

Xue Dian was considered both a martial arts fanatic and a martial arts Genius. Back then, he was proficient in Xiangxing Fist and Xingyi Fist, and was best at the Monkey Style within Xingyi.

It was said that he once performed for his fellow Disciples, placing a long bench and then weaving through it in Monkey Style so fast that no one could see his movements.

Another of Xue Dian's major contributions was the creation of Xiangxing Fist. He proposed the five methods of 'Flying, Cloud, Swaying, Shaking, and Rotating,' carving a new path for Xingyi Fist. Shang Yunxiang approved of his Xiangxing Fist, as it greatly helped in increasing the power of Xingyi Fist.

However, it was said that because of a special period, he was executed, and even his Disciples were affected.

His martial arts were lost because of this.

He hadn't expected a descendant to be alive today. No wonder the old man was so furious; not properly inheriting such good family techniques—was he planning to let the lineage end?

It was indeed betraying the ancestors.