281: Chapter 278 Fist Has No Good or Bad

As he laughed, Zhang Zhao noticed Li Changsheng opposite him hadn't made a sound. He looked up suspiciously, only to see the other man watching him with a faint smile.

"Brother Li, what is the meaning of that smile? Do you think I'm spouting nonsense? I really don't know Xingyi Fist. Look at this build of mine—do I look like I'm cut out for Xingyi Monkey Style?"

As he spoke, Zhang Zhao helplessly spread his hands, displaying his sturdy, robust physique.

"Hmm, indeed. Even if you practiced Monkey Style, you wouldn't reach the level of Xue Dian back in the day."

Li Changsheng nodded. Hearing this, Zhang Zhao couldn't help but relax.

But Li Changsheng immediately added another sentence.

"But..."

"But what?" Zhang Zhao couldn't help but become nervous.

"But why the hell are you faking it? Your true colors are showing—do you really think I'm blind!"

As he said this, Li Changsheng pointed a finger at the bare foot of Zhang Zhao's exposed leg.

Hearing this, Zhang Zhao looked down suspiciously, and his face immediately darkened.

He saw that the top of Zhang Zhao's right foot was noticeably rougher than the rest, and even while barefoot, the sole seemed much thicker than an ordinary person's.

"Don't hide it anymore, show me the sole of your foot. I saw it just now; with calluses this thick, you're still going to say you don't practice Xingyi Monkey Style?

Not bad, Old Zhang, you really are a Genius. Someone like you thrown into a palace intrigue drama would probably survive until the series finale.

With one trump card after another, are you so afraid people won't know you've been secretly learning your own family's martial arts?"

Li Changsheng's face was full of smiles. This Old Zhang—he had completely stripped away all his pretenses.

This guy's acting skills were top-notch; he played the fool every day, nesting one deception after another. Now, he should be completely out of options.

"I... I don't quite understand what you mean." Zhang Zhao still shook his head, denying it completely.

"Still faking it?"

Li Changsheng immediately scolded: "Do you think I practiced this Xingyi Kung Fu for nothing? Xingyi is like a plow. The plow moves underground, as if overturning the earth.

The thick calluses on your soles were formed by practicing Xingyi footwork, right? Shaolin leg techniques also produce calluses, but definitely not this severe.

I hadn't noticed before, but thinking back now, I thought the uneven distribution of calluses on your hands was related to Iron Sand Palm practice.

But thinking about it carefully now, isn't this just from Xue Dian's Zoomorphic Arts 'Rocking Method', practicing the 'Force at Both Ends' basic skill, rubbed out while working the grass rope?"

The so-called 'working the grass rope' involved a grass rope as thick as a child's arm, rubbing it back and forth to experience the feeling of 'Force at Both Ends'.

"Old Zhang, you really have skills! Anything else you want to say?" Li Changsheng chuckled, carrying a hint of a mischievous smile.

This sly fox, he couldn't slip away now.

At this moment, Zhang Zhao's face was ashen, and he nodded in silence.

"Correct, everything you said is right. I didn't expect you to see so many problems from such small details. 'One can glimpse the whole from the smallest details'—that saying is truly not false."

Zhang Zhao sighed, his whole body seemingly drained of spirit, and he slumped to the ground.

Seeing this, Li Changsheng was suspicious. He walked up and squatted down beside him, asking in confusion: "Old Zhang, as a descendant of a martial arts Great Master, why do you have to hide and keep it a secret when practicing your own school's martial arts?"

"You don't understand."

Zhang Zhao shook his head. At this moment, there were only the two of them in the room, so he had nothing left to hide.

"My grandfather's affair back then had a huge impact, especially on my father's generation. He strictly warned me that in the future, even if our own family touches our school's martial arts, it must not be displayed in front of outsiders.

When I was young, I didn't quite understand, but I knew that what my maternal grandfather did back then had a very bad influence, which implicated our family's background.

I have actually always harbored resentment towards my maternal grandfather. He wasn't a good person, but martial arts don't distinguish between people; as long as the person learning it is a good person, that's enough.

So I have always been holding my breath."

Speaking of this, he paused, and Li Changsheng felt a wave of emotion upon hearing this.

Recalling that Master Xue was executed for what he did back then, it was indeed quite heinous; it was inevitable that it would affect his descendants.

"Back then, our family didn't dare to say we were descendants of Master Xue, and the martial arts were passed down to only one person per generation, just to ensure the Legacy wouldn't be cut off.

And I am the successor of my generation.

Since I was young, I started learning the family-inherited Xingyi Monkey Style. My family's martial arts are actually different from the conventional Xingyi Monkey Style.

Although I despise my maternal grandfather, I am also holding my breath—not to prove anything for him, but to prove it for myself: that a good person learning martial arts is more powerful than a bad person like him.

Fists have no good or bad, only people can be divided into good or bad.

I not only want to surpass him in the movement techniques he was best at, but I also want to defeat him using the very fist techniques he was so proud of!"

As he said this, Zhang Zhao took a deep breath. If he had a cigarette now, he would definitely want to take a heavy drag.

"Therefore, I diligently practiced footwork and movement techniques. Actually, normal Xingyi footwork practice wouldn't produce calluses like mine."

As he spoke, Zhang Zhao lifted his sole, allowing Li Changsheng to truly see the condition of his foot.

It was shocking; the thickness of the calluses was equivalent to a layer of armor on his soles. If he were to step on a mountain of knives or a sea of fire, he could remain unscathed.

"And my calves and ankles, these places, were all caused by wearing weighted leggings to practice movement techniques since I was young. My physical condition isn't as good as his; if I want to reach his level, I have to be more diligent than he was.

Unfortunately, to this day, I am still not as good as him, at least in terms of movement techniques."

Zhang Zhao shook his head, his face showing a touch of melancholy.

"Since you have already studied Xingyi Fist so diligently, why did you go to the Gu Clan to learn Iron Sand Palm and Sun Style Tai Chi? And even go to great lengths to learn Shaolin Kung Fu?

Learning so many miscellaneous things, no wonder I felt your Sun Style Tai Chi and Shaolin Kung Fu always lacked something. It turns out you were always using Xingyi power generation to execute Tai Chi and Shaolin Kung Fu."

Li Changsheng couldn't help but sigh in confusion; Zhang Zhao's behavior was the same as him using Tuntuxu to drive Xingyi.

"Hehe, this might just be my obsession. I don't want to publicly declare that I am a descendant of Xue Dian, and I don't want people to know that I have inherited his martial arts.

The contest with him only exists in my own heart; there is no need for outsiders to know."

Zhang Zhao shook his head, his face resolute.

Seeing this, Li Changsheng was thoughtful, suddenly feeling like he was meeting Zhang Zhao for the first time.

It could be said that Zhang Zhao is a man of backbone, but also a very stubborn person. In Buddhist terms, the donor is attached to appearances.

In Daoist terms, it is that his obsession is too deep; he has already fallen into a bit of Qi Deviation.

Since he already believes that fists have no good or bad, only people can be divided into good or bad, then there is no need to be overly entangled.

And his mindset is even more of a manifestation of inferiority, completely rejecting everything about Xue Dian.

Even learning other martial arts to cover up the traces of Xue Dian in himself—these various appearances not only illustrate his backbone but also his obsession.

Regarding this, he, as an outsider, could say nothing, only patting his shoulder as a friend and listening to him ramble.