Chapter 1213: Semi-grandmaster!
Translator: Legge Editor: Legge
Noon.
Jiaomen East.
At Old Rao's house.
The door was open. It seemed like Rao Aimin had just finished making lunch as the entire house was filled with the aroma of cooking. Chenchen and Yang Shu were both waiting at the dinner table when Zhang Ye showed up uninvited.
"Yo, Big Sis Rao, are you making lunch?" Zhang Ye eyes lit up.
Rao Aimin looked at him. "Have you eaten yet?"
Zhang Ye took a step into the house. "Not yet, what good timing!"
Rao Aimin's next words were: "Chenchen, shut the door!"
Chenchen actually listened to her and was really going to close the door.
Zhang Ye squeezed in through the doorway. "Hey, hey, hey, what's the meaning of this?"
His junior martial sister was still the one who cared the most about him. Yang Shu gave up her seat and brought over another stool for herself. She said respectfully, "Senior Bro, please take a seat here."
Zhang Ye gave her an approving nod. "OK!"
Yang Shu went to fetch a pair of chopsticks for him.
Zhang Ye spoke like a lord, "Get me a bowl of rice too. Make the serving larger, I'm starving."
"Alright." Yang Shu busily attended to his requests.
Chenchen could not look on and said in her childish voice, "Old Yang, don't spoil him."
Rao Aimin was shaking her head nonstop.
Only Zhang Ye and Yang Shu remained from the Taiji branch of martial arts in this world. Their predecessors were no longer around, and no successors lay ahead. In the whole wide world, only the two of them remained. Zhang Ye was Yang Shu's senior martial brother. As the senior martial brother, he was like a father figure to her. Moreover, Zhang Ye was like a semi-master to Yang Shu. The line of the Taiji branch of martial arts was broken and not something Rao Aimin could take over to teach. Other than Zhang Ye, no one could teach her. Zhang Ye was also the closest person to her in this world, which was why Yang Shu had always been very respectful to him as her senior martial brother. She would do whatever he asked, be it physical work or running errands.
At the dinner table.
Zhang Ye asked, "Yang'er, how's your kung fu practice going?"
Yang Shu put down her chopsticks and answered in earnest, "I did not disappoint you, Senior Bro. I've made some good improvement."
"Good." Zhang Ye smiled and said, "I'll teach you another couple of moves later."
Yang Shu became very excited. "Thank you, Senior Bro!"
Chenchen curled her lips. "Hur hur."
Zhang Ye pretended not to hear. He looked at Old Rao and said cockily, "Shall we exchange a few blows after lunch? You can take the chance to exercise a little and I can teach my junior sis a few new moves at the same time."
Rao Aimin dismissed, "With that skill of yours?"
Zhang Ye bragged, "I've made huge leaps recently. I'm no longer the old me."
Rao Aimin said in amusement, "Sure then, I'll give it a try."
Chenchen said, "My aunt hasn't fully recovered from her injuries yet."
Rao Aimin cut her off and said, "It's fine. I can win against him even with my injuries. How dare he challenge me!"
After lunch.
Zhang Ye sneakily went to pour a glass of water. With no one watching, he furtively opened up his game ring and retrieved a bottle of Spring Water of Health from the inventory. Then, he silently poured it into the glass. He wasn't sure if this thing would actually work on other people, but he could at least try. He wanted to see if it would heal Old Rao's injuries and at the same time test if his kung fu was good enough to match a grandmaster after he had "eaten" another several hundred Taiji Fist Skill Experience Books.
Yang Shu went to wash the dishes.
Zhang Ye walked over affably. "Old Rao, have some water."
Rao Aimin was taken aback, then said to Chenchen, "Go look out the window."
Chenchen asked, "Look at what?"
Rao Aimin said, "See if the sun rose from the west today. This kid actually poured water for me? Are you trying to poison me?"
Zhang Ye nearly vomited blood.
In the end, Rao Aimin still drank it.
Zhang Ye watched her. "How are you feeling?"
"A little warm." Rao Aimin then stared at him. "Hey, rascal, did you really try to poison me?"
Zhang Ye rolled his eyes. "Why would I poison you? You probably ate too much and the food is burning off."
A space was cleared out within the apartment.
Chenchen hid away at the top of the stairs, lying on the staircase observing the fight downstairs.
Meanwhile, Yang Shu stood in a corner, watching without blinking.
Rao Aimin said uncaringly, "Let's begin."
"You first." Zhang Ye got into a stance.
Rao Aimin asked, "Should I hold back?"
Zhang Ye said, "Doesn't matter."
"Alright."
The most exciting moment was about to arrive.
Chenchen even placed a bet with Yang Shu. "Old Yang, who are you betting on to win?"
Yang Shu said firmly, "My Senior Bro!"
"It's definitely going to be my aunt," Chenchen said.
This time, it wasn't going to be a touch and go exchange of blows. It wasn't going to be fought using fanciful chopstick moves either. This was going to be the first official all-out duel between Rao Aimin and Zhang Ye. It might be a duel held in a living room measuring little more than ten square meters, and there might only be two people watching, but if anyone from the Chinese martial arts world learned about this, it would surely spark a big reaction from them. A lot of people would definitely wish they were here to see this, to see whose technique was the stronger one!
Zhang Ye vs. Rao Aimin!
Taiji Fist vs. Eight Trigrams Palm!
The hooligan of the Chinese martial arts world versus the evil tyrant of the Chinese martial arts world!
A man just below the level of grandmaster versus a Chinese martial arts grandmaster!
A duel that could probably be written in the annals of Chinese martial arts history was happening right here in this humble little apartment without any fanfare!
Bang!
They immediately went all out with their first exchange!
Rao Aimin slipped into the Eight Trigrams Step and aimed a palm strike at Zhang Ye's side!
Zhang Ye fended it off by dampening her blow and countered with a punch!
Rao Aimin raised her hand to block it!
There was concealed power imbued within Zhang Ye's palm!
Rao Aimin met it with a palm strike of her own!
The two of them hobbled back two steps, with no one getting any advantage over the other.
Rao Aimin smiled and said, "Yo, you've recovered from your injuries?"
Zhang Ye smiled. "I guess I have."
"You've got good moves. Come on then." Rao Aimin used her swimming body stance and stuck close to him.
Chenchen shouted from above, "Auntie, go on, hit him! Hit him!"
Meanwhile, Yang Shu silently watched with wide eyes. She was memorizing every move Zhang Ye executed. She knew that her senior martial brother was already starting to teach her!
There was another exchange of blows!
Bang!
Smash!
Both sides were going back and forth!
A closer look would reveal that Zhang Ye's advantage lay in his strength, reaction, and stamina. Together with his young age, he had all the advantages a man should have. But for Rao Aimin, her advantage was in her technique, experience, and control of rhythm. The most critical thing was that her concealed power was clearly much more ingrained than Zhang Ye's. So as the duel went on, Zhang Ye's strength was slowly getting sapped while Rao Aimin gradually gained the upper hand!
A duel involving Chinese martial arts was a very quick engagement of moves. Rarely would you see those huge battles involving hundreds of blows like in the movies or on television. Even if the martial artists didn't starve to death, they would probably die trying to hold their bladders! A quick duel would be over in just one or two exchanges. If it took longer than that, probably several dozen exchanges would leave either one of the opponents lying on the ground.
When Zhang Ye realized that things weren't looking good, he quickly pulled back. "Alright, alright, that's enough for now." Then he saw that his fists and several parts of his arms had turned red!
Hai.
He was still a step away from becoming a grandmaster.
No, it was a step away previously, but he was now only half a step away.
Zhang Ye knew he was still not good enough to beat Old Rao, and he wasn't just lacking by a bit. Although he still had many special techniques that he did not show, Old Rao probably hadn't pulled out any of her special moves either.
But Rao Aimin hadn't had enough. "Come, again!"
Zhang Ye snorted. "I'm tired, another day perhaps."
Rao Aimin pursed her lips. "You're no fun." She relaxed as well.
Then Zhang Ye looked at her. "How are you feeling?"
"What do you mean by how am I feeling?" Rao Aimin did not quite understand him but was gradually taken aback. She looked at her palm, then raised it and struck at the air with concealed power. There wasn't a sound or any movement, but the spectating Yang Shu knew that if anyone had taken her palm strike, even if it just brushed past them a little, they would probably have ended up with shattered bones!
Yang Shu said dumbfounded, "Master Rao, your injuries…"
Rao Aimin was also very happy. "Hey, did I make a full recovery from my injuries? How can it be so quick?"
Compared to the injuries suffered by Zhang Ye, Rao Aimin had nearly died at the martial arts conference. She took quite a few attacks of concealed power and suffered both internal and external injuries. If she wanted to recover to her previous skill level, Zhang Ye estimated it would take at least a year or so. On top of that, Rao Aimin would likely suffer a drop in her skill level in the two to three years that followed or even after her full recovery. She wouldn't be able to reach her peak level again. After all, she was a woman and her age was catching up as well. But surprisingly, after today's exchange with Zhang Ye, Rao Aimin felt that she had recovered from all her internal injuries and returned to the peak of her prowess.
Only Zhang Ye knew what was really going on!
It was the effect of the Spring Water of Health!
Besides him, this item could aid others to recover from injuries and sickness? Moreover, its effects were almost immediate and could even heal such heavy internal injuries. This must be some type of a miracle cure!
Zhang Ye laughed loudly, "You should thank me."
Rao Aimin sneered. "What has it got anything to do with you?"
Yang Shu added, "Congratulations, Master Rao!"
Chenchen ran down the stairs. "Aunt, this is great."
"Alright, I'm feeling happy today. I'll whip up a good meal for all of you tonight," Rao Aimin said evenly.
Old Rao's injuries were now healed. Zhang Ye's skill level had increased. With them both standing guard now, even if those experts from the "respectable" martial sects who were seriously injured by them made a full recovery and came seeking revenge, they would have nothing to worry about. Besides, there was also one more person who was close to achieving concealed power on their side, Yang Shu!