38: Chapter 38 Opponent: MMA Rookie "Mad Lion" Li Meng

Section 1: The Gloves on the Iron Chain

The training area of the Shanghai Mixed Martial Arts Gym was thick with the scent of sweat and rosin. Chen Wu stood outside the Octagon, watching the shirtless young man inside—his bronze skin was tight like leather, every muscle coiled like a spring ready to snap. Half an iron chain was wrapped around his right glove, and the wind from his punches was strong enough to blow a stopwatch three meters away off balance.

"That's Li Meng. He's been sweeping the Asian MMA Light Heavyweight division for the past six months." On the files Lin Xue handed over, the nickname "Mad Lion" had been circled three times in red pen. "19 wins, 0 losses, 17 KOs. He excels at ground and pound. Last year, an opponent suffered a concussion from him and still hasn't woken up."

Chen Wu's gaze fell on Li Meng's left shoulder. There was a clear muscular depression there, a mark left by an old injury, which trembled slightly every time he threw a punch. "His left shoulder was severely injured," he said suddenly. His fingertip's Qi seeped through the gaps in the iron cage, capturing the chaotic energy flow within the other man's body. "It was intentionally damaged by someone using a joint lock technique."

Inside the Octagon, Li Meng suddenly turned. His chained glove slammed against the cage wall with a loud clang, making Chen Wu's eardrums ring. "I heard you can take a punch from Black Bear head-on?" His voice sounded like sandpaper rubbing against a steel plate, carrying a deliberately low growl. "In next week's match, I'll show you the meaning of true pain."

The livestream camera was pointed directly at their confrontation, and the number of online viewers surged from 40 million to 45 million. Betting information in the bullet comments flashed faster than raindrops:

• "Mad Lion's ground and pound force is 750 kilograms! He's even more ruthless than Black Bear!"

• "But he has an old injury on his left shoulder! Brother Wu will definitely win if he focuses his attacks there!"

• "47 million online! I'm already all-in for this clash of visuals!"

• "Gao Jun is stirring up trouble behind the scenes again! I just saw him hand something to Li Meng!"

Chen Wu's gaze moved past Li Meng and landed on the gym's lounge area. Gao Jun was handing a black box to Li Meng's coach; the skull logo on the box was identical to the emblem of the Grey Shadow organization. Liquid Qi spread across the floor, silently seeping into the cracks of the box—inside was a syringe glowing with green light, and the label read "Gene Enhancer (Left Shoulder Specific)."

"The drug testing before the match will be tightened." Chen Wu tilted his chin toward Li Meng, and solid Qi suddenly condensed into a silver needle in his palm. "Don't joke around with your own body."

Li Meng's expression shifted, and his chained glove creaked as he clenched it. He lunged toward the edge of the cage and delivered a roundhouse kick to a steel pillar, causing the three-inch-thick foam padding to cave in instantly. "See you in the Octagon next Friday." A flicker of struggle passed through his eyes. "I'll prove that without using underhanded methods, traditional martial arts still can't beat modern combat."

Section 2: The Past Within the Scars

Three days before the match, someone knocked on the door of the Public Welfare Foundation. Li Meng stood at the entrance, his chained gloves replaced by ordinary training gloves. His left shoulder was wrapped in thick bandages, and he looked much more haggard than he had at the gym.

"I'm not here to beg for mercy." He placed a yellowed photograph on the table. In the photo, a teenager wearing a faded white Tai Chi uniform stood behind a white-haired elderly man. "My Master practiced Chen Style Tai Chi. Three years ago, his legs were broken by people from Grey Shadow because they said traditional martial arts were in their way."

Chen Wu's fingertip traced the elderly man's face in the photo. He was a famous Tai Chi Grandmaster who had suddenly announced his retirement three years ago; it turned out he had been injured by Grey Shadow. Liquid Qi condensed into water droplets on the photo, reflecting the pain Li Meng hid beneath his anger.

"Gao Jun said if I beat you, he'd give me the medicine to cure my Master." Li Meng's fist slammed onto the table, blood spotting the bandages. "But I know it's a gene agent. If I use it, I'll turn into an emotionless monster."

The livestream equipment had been turned on at some point, and this conversation was being broadcast in real-time. The online viewership broke 5000 million, and the sentiment in the bullet comments flipped instantly:

• "Holy crap! Mad Lion is a victim too?"

• "Grey Shadow really deserves to die! They won't even let an old man go!"

• "52 million online! This plot is more intense than a TV drama!"

• "Brother Wu, take him with you to fight Grey Shadow!"

Chen Wu suddenly stood up, grabbed Li Meng's left hand, and pressed it against his own shoulder. Gaseous Qi flowed through their point of contact, washing over the old injury on Li Meng's left shoulder like warm water. "This is Tai Chi's 'Silk-Reeling Power'; it can alleviate injuries." His voice was gentler than usual. "Your Master taught you this, right?"

Li Meng's body stiffened, and tears suddenly fell onto the photograph. "Master said Qi could heal, but I could never learn it..." His shoulders shook slightly. "I only realized later that he was afraid I'd be too obsessed with revenge and go down the wrong path."

Lin Xue walked in with a test report, her expression solemn. "Grey Shadow added hallucinogens to the gym's ventilation System; they want you to have hallucinations during the match. Also, the medicine for Li Meng's Master has been found; the Bureau of Abnormal Incident Management's lab can replicate it."

Li Meng stood up abruptly, his knuckles turning white inside his training gloves. "I'll help you expose Gao Jun! As long as my Master can be cured, I'm willing to lose the match!"

Chen Wu shook his head, however. "The match will proceed as scheduled, but we'll decide the winner through true combat." He took a book titled 'Chen Style Tai Chi Essentials' from a drawer; the title page bore the signature of that elderly man. "Let your Master see that his disciple hasn't brought shame to Tai Chi."

[System Notification: Triggered hidden plot 'Martial Arts Legacy.' Completion will unlock the healing form of Qi.]

As Li Meng took the book, his fingertips trembled with excitement. The sunlight through the window shone on the bandages of his left shoulder, where a halo of gaseous Qi was slowly repairing the old damage, like snow melting in spring.

Section 3: Respect in the Octagon

On the day of the match, the Shanghai Gymnasium was packed. When Li Meng stepped into the Octagon wearing shorts printed with Tai Chi patterns, the entire arena erupted in thunderous cheers. The bandages on his left shoulder had been removed, replaced by a faint layer of golden light—the result of Chen Wu using Qi to temporarily repair it.

"Are you ready?" Just as Chen Wu took his Baji Fist starting stance, he saw Li Meng suddenly perform a standard Tai Chi Bow. "Your Master taught you that?"

"Yes." Li Meng's eyes were a bit red. "He said a true Martial Artist respects his opponent first before deciding the victor."

The moment the bell rang, Li Meng charged like a coiled lion. He feinted with his left and aimed his right fist straight for the face, his punch carrying the 'lead into emptiness' of Tai Chi, yet it was three times faster than traditional Moves. Chen Wu's Listening Energy captured the Qi flowing within him—though weak, it was indeed moving along the Tai Chi pathways.

"Interesting." Chen Wu sidestepped the punch while simultaneously pressing his right palm against Li Meng's elbow, using a variation of the Baji Fist Elbow Strike. "But it's not enough."

The two exchanged blows in the Octagon, the shockwaves from their clashing fists making the cage walls tremble. Li Meng's Moves became increasingly fluid as the old injury on his left shoulder fully opened up under the nourishment of Qi; the force of his roundhouse kicks even forced Chen Wu back half a step.

"He's using Tai Chi's 'Dissolving Power' to deflect the force!" The commentator's voice was shaking. "This isn't Mad Lion's usual style at all!"

The livestream viewership broke 60 million. Slow-motion shots clearly showed how their Qi collided and merged:

• "Look! Their Qi is entwined! It's like two Dragons fighting!"

• "Li Meng's Tai Chi has improved! That 'Cloud Hands' Move just now was insanely cool!"

• "63 million online! This is a true exchange of Martial Arts!"

As the match reached the third round, Li Meng suddenly used a high-difficulty Tai Chi Takedown, pinning Chen Wu beneath him. His fist stopped three centimeters from Chen Wu's face, sweat dripping onto Chen Wu's training uniform and blooming like a small flower.

"I lose." Li Meng's voice was heavy with panting. "You had three chances just now to break my left shoulder, but you didn't do it."

Chen Wu smiled. Liquid Qi suddenly formed a barrier between them, gently pushing Li Meng away. "The Martial Dao isn't about breaking someone's bones." His Qi formed a golden Tai Chi diagram in the cage. "It's about letting your own Qi flow more smoothly."

The entire audience stood up, the applause and cheers nearly lifting the roof. Gao Jun tried to rush up to protest but was pinned down by Lin Xue's special ops team—the gene medicine in his pocket was seized on the spot, and the livestream camera gave it a massive close-up.

[System Notification: Fourth cross-over victory achieved. Popularity +15 million. Current total popularity: 68 million.]

[Unlocked the healing form of Qi: Can repair chronic injuries.]

During the awards ceremony, Li Meng suddenly tied the championship belt around Chen Wu's waist, then bowed deeply to the camera. "My Master said that a true Grandmaster is one who can make an opponent concede willingly."

Chen Wu untied the belt and tied it back onto Li Meng. "This is yours by right." His palm pressed against Li Meng's left shoulder as the healing form of Qi surged in like a warm current. "In three months, bring your Master to the Public Welfare Foundation. I'll help him fully heal his legs."

Section 4: Legacy Under the Chains

At the post-match press conference, Li Meng publicly released evidence of Gao Jun's collusion with Grey Shadow. When the recording of the medicine delivery for his Master was played, the flashes from the reporters' cameras were as dense as stars.

"I will never use underhanded methods to win again." Li Meng tightly gripped that copy of 'Chen Style Tai Chi Essentials.' "I'm going to relearn Tai Chi, like my Master and Mr. Chen, and let my Qi truly flow."

As Gao Jun was being taken away by the special ops team, he suddenly laughed maniacally at Chen Wu. "You think winning a match matters? Grey Shadow's gene warriors are already in mass production. Sooner or later, your Qi won't be enough!"

Chen Wu ignored him, simply watching Li Meng on the stage. The young man was demonstrating Tai Chi's Cloud Hands to the audience; although he was still a bit unpolished, the flow of his Qi was already taking shape. Lin Mo stood nearby, livestreaming with his phone, the online viewer count still sitting at 65 million.

"System, can the healing form cure all old injuries?"

[System Notification: Can repair physical damage, but cannot heal psychological trauma.]

Chen Wu's gaze fell on the large screen in the distance. It was playing an interview with Li Meng's Master. The old man sat in a wheelchair, and the light in his eyes when he spoke of Tai Chi was brighter than ever. "As long as there are still people practicing Tai Chi, I haven't truly fallen."

"Brother Wu, Li Meng says he wants to join the Martial Arts Enlightenment Fund." Xu Hao ran over holding a tablet, showing a message the young man had just sent. "He also said he wants to donate all his prize money to help more Martial Artists who have been harmed by Grey Shadow."

Chen Wu tapped out a reply on the tablet: "Tell him to report to the foundation next week. He starts with the Horse Stance."

The setting sun shone through the high windows of the gymnasium, gilding the Octagon in gold. Li Meng was inside packing his things. The chained gloves were carefully placed in his bag, replaced by a pair of thin gloves specifically for Tai Chi Cloud Hands. His left shoulder was fully recovered, glowing with health in the sunlight.

[System Notification: Global Martial Arts Enlightenment progress at 300%. Unlocked 'Collective Sharing' of Qi.]

As Chen Wu walked out of the gymnasium, his phone suddenly vibrated. It was a text from Li Meng's Master, with only eight words: "Carry the Dao through Martial Arts, pass the torch forward."

The final frame of the livestream was a massive Tai Chi diagram formed by the bullet comments of 65 million viewers simultaneously, blanketing the entire Shanghai Gymnasium:

"The Martial Dao never dies; the Legacy never ends."

As night deepened, the lights of the Public Welfare Foundation came on. Chen Wu watched Lin Mo and the newly arrived Li Meng in the training hall. The two were correcting each other's Horse Stance, and halos of Qi circulated around them like two small flames. He knew that this was the most powerful weapon against Grey Shadow—not the strongest fist, but the Qi passed down through generations and an unquenchable conviction.