196: Chapter 193 Your thoughts are too scattered!

"Let's talk terms first. If you expect me to help just like this, then I can only say I'm sorry," Li Changsheng said, shaking his head.

He did indeed want to return home, but that didn't mean he was willing to take a loss on the deal.

Li Changsheng had been thinking just now that he needed a guarantee, no matter what—even a verbal agreement would do.

"What do you want?"

Zhou Guoli didn't seem surprised by this; instead, he smiled and said, "You can tell me first. As for whether I have the authority to decide, we'll see. If I don't, I'll report it as soon as possible and give you an answer quickly."

"I need a guarantee. Besides wiping the slate clean regarding previous matters, I need a promise!"

Li Changsheng looked directly at the man in front of him and spoke calmly.

"Do you want a license to kill? That's impossible," Zhou Guoli said, shaking his head immediately.

"No! I don't want that kind of authority. I just want a guarantee that no matter what I do in the future, you won't involve my grandmother. And you must not disturb her. I'm not asking you to give her money; I just want her to live out the rest of her life in peace!"

Li Changsheng spoke in a low voice, his gaze incredibly firm.

Hearing this, Zhou Guoli pondered for a moment, a look of suspicion and confusion on his face.

"Are you sure that's your only request? Do you know... how difficult the task I'm asking you to do is?"

As expected, this fellow Zhou Guoli didn't have a single word of truth in him. Li Changsheng gave him a sidelong glance.

"Yes, just this one request. I don't need any special treatment. If I commit a crime domestically in the future, you can come for me directly, but I only have this one request. Furthermore, if I complete your mission alive, then once the mission is handed over, it's finished."

"From then on, you must not only keep your promise but also stop bothering me!"

"Well, about that..." Zhou Guoli suddenly looked a bit conflicted.

"Mr. Zhou, you're not planning to keep troubling me after this is over, are you?" Li Changsheng's expression soured. People in this line of work really were a bunch of bastards.

"Haha, Brother Li, you're being too formal. Didn't I say just now? You can call me Brother Zhou or Old Zhou; otherwise, it feels too distant."

Zhou Guoli had a playful, grinning face, completely lacking the serious image one would expect from people of his kind.

In fact, most people like him behaved no differently from ordinary people. To complete specific tasks, they could adopt any personality at will; they might be a social butterfly one second and socially anxious the next.

"Are we that close?"

Li Changsheng said irritably, shaking his head with a sigh. "Just this once. Also, if it's a suicide mission, then forget everything I said—I've never even met you!"

"Rest assured, it's very simple. But there's no rush; at least you won't need to act this month. I still need to find the right opportunity for the specific timing."

"When the time is ripe, I'll tell you the target and detailed information. For now, you can stay here. Once I've gathered the facts through my channels, you'll be free to move as you please."

The two of them had reached a preliminary agreement.

Regarding cooperation with someone like Zhou Guoli, Li Changsheng remained quite cautious.

"I can't see through this man, but as long as the country of Xia stands behind him, I can trust him once. As for whether I accept the mission, it depends on the difficulty. If it's too hard, there's no need to take the risk."

Although Li Changsheng hoped to return home legitimately, if there truly was no way, he wouldn't mind using other channels to return.

After chatting for a while and finishing the full service, Li Changsheng indeed felt his meridians were clear, with a refreshing sensation flowing through his entire body.

"Eh? Just like that, I can freely enter a state of being relaxed, natural, and loose in the waist and hips?"

The moment he stood up, Li Changsheng clearly felt subtle changes in his body. It was as if his previous minor, hidden injuries had acted like a veil, clouding his mental perception and fine control over his body; now, that veil had been lifted.

This wasn't an increase in strength, but rather a more delicate sense of perception.

"How is it? Do you feel a sense of total clarity?" Zhou Guoli also stood up with a laugh. He put on a long robe and casually threw a punch from the Tongbei School.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

As Zhou Guoli raised and swung his arms, there seemed to be the sound of a tiger's roar and a dragon's cry. Despite being a meter or two away, the wind from his strikes whipped against the face like a dull, massive force, carrying immense deterrent power.

"Expanding like a balloon filling with air, growing infinitely; contracting like releasing air, shrinking infinitely. Mr. Zhou's Tongbei School techniques have already begun to capture both form and spirit!"

Li Changsheng also put on a robe. Hearing this, Zhou Guoli showed a faint smile.

But immediately after, Li Changsheng's next sentence broke his composure. "Unfortunately, your thoughts are too cluttered. Laozi's 'Dao De Jing' says: 'Decrease and again decrease, until you reach the state of non-action.' To decrease means to reduce; no thoughts means the Realm of non-action. Mr. Zhou... you've taken the wrong path!"

Hearing this, Zhou Guoli's expression darkened. He stopped his practice and turned to stare at Li Changsheng. Though a smile remained on his face, his eyes narrowed like a venomous snake.

"Mr. Li, it turns out you have such lofty insights! However, Tongbei is different from Xingyi and Baji Quan. Be careful not to let your big talk trip you up."

Martial artists are naturally proud, just like scholars; there is no undisputed number one in literature.

While martial arts can be ranked, rashly criticizing someone else's style with such arrogance is a major taboo.

Only those whose martial Realm far exceeds others, such as a Grandmaster or Great Master advising a junior, would dare to give such pointers.

Even if Li Changsheng's records were terrifying, Zhou Guoli didn't want to admit that someone younger than himself was far stronger.

Seeing this, Li Changsheng shook his head inwardly. Zhou Guoli had fallen into the trap of overvaluing seniority.

"I indeed don't know much about Tongbei, but mastering one method leads to mastering all. Tongbei belongs to the northern styles; I wonder which branch you study?"

Li Changsheng inquired.

"White Ape Tongbei!" Zhou Guoli grinned and smiled faintly. "Mr. Li, since you've said so much, why don't you and I spar a bit?"

After being lectured by Li Changsheng, it was impossible for him not to feel a bit of fire in his heart.

It was also a good chance to test this young man's mettle for his superiors.

"Mr. Zhou, White Ape Tongbei emphasizes the 'leaping through ravines.' It involves controlling the circulation of Qi and blood throughout the body—surging, swelling, and moving with sweeping power."

"Wherever the eyes look, the hands and feet seem to reach. When moving, no part of the body is still; when still, the body is as empty and relaxed as if nothing exists."

"You've learned all the power generation techniques, and it is indeed a blend of hard and soft, with power overflowing."

Li Changsheng looked the man up and down, then shook his head. "Unfortunately, the eight body methods of Tongbei are: Rise, Fall, Drill, Overturn, Extend, Shrink, Open, and Contain."

"You have only mastered four of the eight body methods. And as for the hand power of Tongbei—Cold, Urgent, Crisp, Fast, Hard, Stick, Connect, Continuous, Adhere, Follow, and Catch."

"You've only mastered five of those. You are far behind the 'Arm Saint' Master Zhang Ce of the past. He had ten out of ten in Tongbei Fist, while you have five out of ten."

"In the path of Chinese Martial Arts, a tiny discrepancy leads to a thousand-mile error. If you fight me... I'm afraid I won't be able to hold back."