Chapter 111: Let Me Show You What Innate Martial Bones Truly Are!

Several young scholars tugged and pulled at one another, unable to scramble up the wall no matter how they tried.

Over a hundred apprentices from the martial arts hall had gathered together, occupying the area surrounding the hall, naturally leaving no room for others.

The brocade-clad young master holding a folding fan was furious; glancing left and right, he raised his umbrella's rib and pointed at someone, "You, you, you, come here!"

The farmer, who had slipped away to watch the excitement, pointed at his own nose: "Me?"

"Yes, you."

Seeing the other's fine clothes and elegant dress, the farmer dared not disobey and could only approach.

He only saw the brocade-clad young master flick his wrist and toss out a silver bean: "One tael of silver, carry me up onto the wall!"

The farmer's eyes lit up brightly; he bit it once to confirm the tooth mark, then joyfully lifted the brocade-clad young master, helping him up onto the wall.

Seeing this, the other scholars followed suit, each paying money to get up onto the wall top.

They excitedly sat astride the wall, gazing into the distance, when suddenly someone grabbed everyone's shoulders: "Look, look, someone's coming, someone's coming!"

"Hiss, what a huge build! This must be...?"

"Oh my heavens, I've never seen anyone so tall, feels like...? Which disciple is this?"

"I heard martial artists are divided by bone structure; ordinary people have mortal bones, while true geniuses possess innate martial bones, born different from the rest; could this be a martial bone?"

"Can Master Yang's disciple win?"

"With Master Yang acting, there's naturally no problem; he's the number one expert in Pingyang County, having perfected Tiger Subduing, suppressing all riffraff, but his disciple... I feel it's dangerous?"

"I heard the participants in this martial contest are Master Yang's eldest, middle, and youngest disciples; hey, do you think that ninth disciple from our academy is the youngest?"

"I don't know; I'm not even clear on exactly how many disciples Master Yang has."

"I think what that Lin Guanzhu Pang said is also correct; a powerful hall master doesn't necessarily teach powerful apprentices, after all, these are two different matters; he speaks with such confidence, but who wins or loses is anyone's guess."

These few scholars already knew quite a lot about the martial arts hall; if it were ordinary people, they would understand even less of the inner workings, merely finding it entertaining.

On the street, Pang Qinghe led a group of disciples walking down the long street, bowing with clasped fists to thank the elders and folks along the way.

Had Liang Qu seen this, he would surely retort that it was like a celebrity walking a red carpet, ten meters in three minutes.

Beside Pang Qinghe, a female apprentice appeared very excited: "Master, it's so lively."

Pang Qinghe nodded: "It's the Jingzhe solar term, the time for spring plowing and planting, everyone is busy, but the first hour of the afternoon is exactly when people take their midday rest; having free time, everyone certainly won't miss the excitement; I specifically chose this time slot."

Da Zhuang looked around; so many people made him somewhat nervous.

Seeing this, the female apprentice patted Da Zhuang's shoulder, then turned to look at Lan Tai: "Cao Shixiong Lan, didn't you meet Master Yang's ninth disciple yesterday? How did you feel about his strength?"

"I couldn't sense it; he concealed his qi very well." Lan Tai shook his head, "He certainly has an advantage in martial techniques, but I have confidence in Da Zhuang! No matter how well martial techniques are practiced, they are merely icing on the cake; ultimately, a martial artist depends on the strength of their qi and blood."

"He has practiced martial arts for five months; at best, he is a second-gate martial artist, same as Da Zhuang, but Da Zhuang possesses innate strong bones, a talent of half a martial bone, nearly comparable to a fourth-gate martial artist, so don't be afraid, you will definitely win!"

"That's right, Da Zhuang." Pang Qinghe grabbed Da Zhuang's shoulder to encourage him, "No need to fear him; your strength is definitely greater than his!"

Receiving encouragement from his master and senior brothers, Da Zhuang's expression eased slightly; he clenched his fists, rallying his confidence.

At the entrance of the Yang Family Martial Arts Hall, Xiang Xiang Zhangsong and Hu Qi had been waiting there since early morning; seeing Da Zhuang's figure, they were also somewhat surprised.

Such an exaggerated physique meant his constitution was absolutely not ordinary!

Seeing the party arrive at the entrance, the two had no time to ponder further and bowed with clasped fists in unison: "Lin Guanzhu Pang!"

Pang Qinghe returned the salute with clasped fists: "By what names should I address you two?"

"Master Yang's seventh disciple, Hu Qi!"

"Master Yang's eighth disciple, Xiang Xiang Zhangsong!"

"An honor, an honor."

"Lin Guanzhu Pang, please proceed."

Pang Qinghe bowed once more, then led his disciples in a single file entry.

Walking through the corridor, they saw Yang Yang Dongxiong sitting in a corner of the martial training ground.

"Lin Guanzhu Yang! I have long admired you." Pang Qinghe stepped forward and bowed halfway.

Yang Yang Dongxiong did not rise, instead raising a hand to point at a stool nearby: "Lin Guanzhu Pang, please sit."

Pang Qinghe dared not sit: "Disturbing your honorable grounds is truly a great offense; it's just that as newcomers, we find it extremely difficult to establish ourselves; though I am unworthy, I also wish to engage in a friendly exchange with your esteemed side."

"It is of no consequence."

Yang Yang Dongxiong stroked his beard, disregarding those formal pleasantries, and pointed to one side where Yu Dun, Zhuo Shao, and Liang Qu were all present.

"As you stated, my eldest disciple, fifth disciple, and ninth disciple should have appeared, but unfortunately, my eldest disciple is still with the Western Army and cannot withdraw, so my second disciple will take his place."

"No problem, no problem; serving the country makes one a hero."

Pang Qinghe didn't care at all; regardless of how the other two matches were swapped, they would lose anyway; the main event, the match involving the youngest disciple, hadn't changed personnel, and that was what mattered.

He had his disciples step forward in order: "This is my eldest disciple, Lan Tai, my fifth disciple, Ge Bochu, and my ninth disciple, Kou Zhuang; coincidentally, the number of personal disciples I have taken is exactly the same as Lin Guanzhu Yang's, and my youngest disciple has also been initiated for less than half a year."

Seeing that the tallest disciple was actually the youngest, the ninth disciple, the crowd of onlookers erupted in an uproar.

How can this be fought?

The ninth disciple on the opposite side is at least six feet tall, while Liang Qu over here, though also tall, is only about five feet five, a whole head shorter!

People are three-dimensional; a height difference of one head means the differences in shoulder width, arm span, and sturdiness are vast.

Yang Yang Dongxiong nodded: "How the three matches are to be fought, and in what order, you decide."

"Bare-chested combat! Carrying no weapons or armor, starting with the youngest disciples!"

Pang Qinghe knew clearly that regarding equipment, his side certainly wasn't as wealthy as the opposition, so he first requested bare-chested combat; bare-chested combat didn't literally mean stripping naked, but referred to fighting unarmed.

Secondly was the order; winning one match first then losing two, versus losing two first then winning one, creates a completely different impression!

Since they were doing this, they naturally had to do it to the best effect!

"Do any of you have objections?" Yang Yang Dongxiong looked at his three disciples, receiving shaken heads in response from all.

"We're doomed, aren't we going to lose?"

"How can we win this? The opponent is so bulky, and we don't have the advantage of time."

"A conspiracy, it must be a conspiracy! This Lin Guanzhu Pang has such deep scheming!"

On the wall top, several scholars scratched their heads in frustration, while the brocade-clad young master was so anxious he threw his fan away.

It was true they were quite jealous that Liang Qu could receive an imperial gift of a Dragon Blood Horse at the same age, but as locals of Pingyang County, they naturally did not wish to see Liang Qu lose!

Not to mention outsiders; even many apprentices inside the martial arts hall were anxiously helpless.

They did not want to watch their own martial arts hall lose the very first match; given Yang Yang Dongxiong's status, losing any one of the three matches would be a disgrace!

Xu Xu Zishuai leaned against a pillar with a blade of grass in his mouth: "This old fellow doesn't look like a good person; he's coming with a clear strategy; that tall guy should possess innate strong bones, above mortal bones but below martial bones; just as I guessed, he has taken in a good disciple."

Lu Gang nodded: "However, he has miscalculated."

Liang Qu stood nearby listening to Pang Qinghe engaging in mutual commercial flattery, his ears growing calluses from hearing it.

He patted his buttocks, stood up, loosened his muscles and bones, and walked to the center of the martial training ground alongside Kou Zhuang.

Kou Zhuang stood before Liang Qu, casting Liang Qu entirely within his shadow.

The contrast between the two delivered an even greater visual impact.

For a moment, everyone outside the arena viewed Liang Qu unfavorably, their spirits sinking.

The apprentices on Pang Qinghe's side, however, cheered and jumped with joy, confident of victory.

This guy must be over two meters tall, right?

Liang Qu, standing in the shadow, felt puzzled.

Clang!

Pang Qinghe grabbed the gong mallet and swung it heavily; the gong's sound deafened the ears, and the first match had begun!

Liang Qu grabbed his wrist to loosen it, standing straight, while Kou Zhuang actually retreated several steps, creating distance between them; the two glanced sideways at each other, making no move for a long time.

The apprentices inside the martial training ground and the spectators outside became slightly restless.

Pang Qinghe gave an encouraging look; this disciple of his was good in every way, except his nature was too soft, unwilling to take the initiative to attack.

Cao Shixiong Lan Tai also waved his fists from the side to cheer them on.

Kou Zhuang nodded; he crouched low, took a deep breath, his entire body's muscles undulating, transforming himself into a bronze-and-iron wild bull about to erupt, each muscle bulging until his clothes rose with them.

Terrifying power accumulated within Kou Zhuang with every breath; the noisy audience gradually fell silent, their hearts seemingly suppressed by something indescribable.

Liang Qu lowered his eyebrows slightly; he saw the dust on the ground rising and falling with the other's breaths.

Boom!

A thunderclap exploded on flat ground!

The yellow earth ground, compacted by the trampling of countless apprentices, was actually stepped upon hard enough to crack in several places!

The heavy air suddenly emitted a muffled sound like silk tearing.

The power within Kou Zhuang seemed endless; every step utilized his entire body's strength, causing the martial training ground to shatter inch by inch, the yellow soil collapsing.

Air currents exploded outward in rolling waves, and a terrifying pressure surged forward like a tide.

The crowd outside the wall unanimously held their breath; the air seemed to have turned into the sturdiest gel, making it impossible to breathe.

In the blink of an eye, he crossed the short distance of ten-plus meters.

All the dust was swept up the instant Kou Zhuang crossed; standing on the wall top, it looked as if a tornado had risen on the martial training ground, sweeping across.

A scene that no one had anticipated occurred!

Facing such a horrifying and unparalleled strike, Liang Qu neither dodged nor retreated; he lowered his body and countered with a backhand punch.

Mad!

How could one clash head-on with such a monster!

The spectators were almost screaming out loud, and the scholars on the wall top wished they could jump down and drag Liang Qu away.

But everything happened too fast; no one had time to stop it.

Boom!

Stab!

Two claps of thunder exploded, one after the other.

The first was the collision of two fists; the second, the tearing apart of clothing.

"What!?"

Pang Qinghe's pupils contracted sharply, while Lan Tai's heart skipped a beat beside him, incredulous emotions churning violently within.

No matter what method or technique Liang Qu used to dodge that punch, they would not have been shocked.

But now, what was this!

Liang Qu's entire body was knocked backward, his legs buried completely in the mud, the clothes on his upper torso shredding into strips that stopped abruptly at his belt.

He did not fall!

He caught it!

Without dodging or avoiding, he caught it!

An extremely ominous premonition surged in Pang Qinghe's heart.

In the next moment, an even more shocking and unparalleled scene appeared.

Liang Qu's serratus anterior muscles heaved like shark gills; he twisted his waist and drove his fist forward, layer upon layer of power accumulating, actually pushing back against Kou Zhuang's fist, inch by inch!

Pang Qinghe's eyes nearly burst from their sockets.

How is this possible? In such an awkward stance that makes exerting force so difficult, how is it possible to push back!?

Innately strong bones, innately strong bones!

Kou Zhuang's eyes turned blood-red, his qi and blood boiling like fire; the yellow earth beneath his feet shattered into chunks like fragile sand, yet as he pressed forward, trying to force the power of his punch back, it was all futile, all futile!

He could not do it!

Liang Qu's waist straightened bit by bit like a springing rod; bare-chested, under the gaze of all, he pressed his opponent back with an overwhelmingly dominant posture!

Like a reef in a flowing river, no matter how hard the waves surged, he did not retreat an inch, instead splitting the current apart!

Kou Zhuang's arm began to tremble; the other's fist was only half the size of his, yet the power far surpassed his own!

Liang Qu met fist with fist, looking Kou Zhuang straight in the eye, then grinned broadly, revealing scarlet gums.

"What tremendous strength!"