Chapter 119: The Legendary Elder

Chen Huajiang scanned the group, his gaze suddenly narrowing. It was not because there was anything wrong with these people, but because he had caught sight of a middle-aged man nearby. The man looked incredibly familiar; he was certain he had seen him somewhere in his previous life.

Gao Dayuan! Gao Laogen’s son!

The name struck Chen Huajiang, and a flood of information about the man rushed into his mind. Gao Laogen was a legendary figure in Nanming City. Initially, everyone simply regarded him as an old practitioner of traditional bone-setting medicine. Later, during a bus robbery, the eighty-year-old man single-handedly took down three young robbers, sparking a massive online sensation and turning him into an internet celebrity.

Afterward, people speculated wildly about Gao Laogen’s background, but no one could uncover the truth. At that time, the power of netizens was immense; the fact that they couldn’t dig up the identity of an old TCM practitioner was, in itself, telling. Six months later, Gao Laogen passed away, and it was only through the official obituary released by the Nanming city government that everyone finally learned the truth.

Gao Laogen was a twenty-third-generation successor of Bagua boxing and a former security captain for the Imperial Capital’s guard unit. After retiring, he had followed a confidentiality agreement and lived his life quietly running a bone-setting clinic in his hometown. No one had known that such an old man had once had such a glorious past. During the media coverage at the time, Gao Dayuan, as Gao Laogen’s only son, had naturally appeared on camera many times.

Chen Huajiang felt certain he wasn't mistaken. Gao Dayuan, Gao Yun—he understood everything now.

"What's the matter? Are you scared?" Ma Liangping said loudly, sweeping his gaze over the group. "Weren't you very arrogant last time? Why aren't you saying anything now?"

Gao Yun followed up, her eyes locked firmly on Chen Huajiang.

"Don't joke. Since we’ve all come, how could we be afraid?" Chen Huajiang said with a smile, proposing a plan. "It’s just that I’m thinking about the rules; everything needs a set of rules. How about this: you send three people, and we will send three. It will be a best-of-three series. Regardless of who wins or loses, all past grievances will be wiped clean. What do you think?"

"Fine!" "Agreed." Liu Xiangyang and Ma Liangping nodded immediately, finding Chen Huajiang’s proposal reasonable.

"Fine, but I have one condition: you must be my opponent!" Gao Yun suddenly pointed at Chen Huajiang, speaking through gritted teeth, her eyes filled with hatred. She loathed Chen Huajiang and had instigated this challenge specifically to seek revenge.

If this three-on-three didn't result in a fight between her and Chen Huajiang, how could she get her revenge? Chen Huajiang was stunned; he hadn't expected the woman to challenge him specifically. However, seeing Liu Xiangyang and Ma Liangping nodding in support of Gao Yun, he realized that if he didn't agree, the challenge would likely descend into chaos.

"Fine, I will be your opponent. But for the sake of balance, since you’ve designated one opponent, we must naturally designate one as well. That’s only fair." Chen Huajiang thought for a moment before speaking. Liu Xiangyang and Ma Liangping nodded, agreeing to the terms.

Chen Huajiang began to deploy his strategy. Among the three, Liu Xiangyang was the most formidable; last time, it had taken both Zhang Bao and Lian Chengye to fight him to a draw. Following the strategy of "Tian Ji’s horse racing," Chen Huajiang decided to sacrifice the match against Liu Xiangyang, sending Liang Long instead and telling him that it was a guaranteed loss and he should just go through the motions.

"Understood." Liang Long nodded, knowing he was no match for Liu Xiangyang.

Next, Chen Huajiang sent Zhang Bao to face Ma Liangping. Zhang Bao was their strongest fighter. If he could take down Ma Liangping, and Chen Huajiang could then defeat Gao Yun, they would secure two wins and take the series.

"Right, I’ll do my best," Zhang Bao said with a heavy nod, his voice grave as he realized the weight of the responsibility on his shoulders.

The battle order was set. In the first match, Liang Long faced Liu Xiangyang. There were no surprises; within three moves, Liang Long was swept off his feet and pinned to the ground, losing the first match.

The second match between Zhang Bao and Ma Liangping was spectacular. Zhang Bao’s military-style boxing was fierce and heavy, but while Ma Liangping couldn't match his raw power, he was agile and frequently landed cold, calculated strikes on Zhang Bao, keeping the upper hand overall. Fortunately, Zhang Bao was a tough man and refused to go down. Finally, he took a powerful whip kick from Ma Liangping head-on, grabbed the leg with his left hand, and instantly flipped his opponent to the ground. He landed three punches to the face, forcing Ma Liangping to tap the ground and concede.

"That was too close." "Almost lost there, thank goodness the squad leader came through." Chen Huajiang and the others had been watching with bated breath, and only now did they exhale in relief.

"It was indeed close. A few more hits and I think I would have had to concede," Zhang Bao said, grimacing as he patted his sore body. He had been hit multiple times and was in much worse shape than his opponent, but he had endured it to avoid losing. Now that it was over, the pain was surging, but the joy of victory brought a smile to his face.

"Brother Zhang, thank you," Chen Huajiang said, giving him a hug.

"Small matter," Zhang Bao replied, patting his shoulder before saying sternly, "Their fighting styles are all from the same school. Don't be careless, and don't underestimate her just because she's a woman."

Chen Huajiang certainly wouldn't be that foolish. He smiled and said, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

However, Zhang Bao and the others looked nervous, not fully convinced. They were all aware that Gao Yun and her companions were trained fighters, while Chen Huajiang’s true ability remained an unknown. In their hearts, they believed Chen Huajiang was inferior to Gao Yun.

The third match began. Chen Huajiang faced Gao Yun, methodically warming up and loosening his joints. Gao Yun stared at him with intense hatred, plotting how she would take her revenge and make the scoundrel pay the price.

"Are you ready? How much longer do you plan to stall?" Seeing Chen Huajiang still warming up, Gao Yun said impatiently.

"You're so impatient. If you don't stretch properly before physical exertion, you’re the one who will suffer." Chen Huajiang stopped his warm-up and beckoned her over. "Let's begin."

"You scoundrel, go to hell!" As soon as the words left Chen Huajiang's mouth, Gao Yun roared in anger. She lunged forward with incredible speed, throwing a punch aimed directly at his head. The strike was fast and fierce, and with her forward momentum, the onlookers held their breath, eyes wide.

Under the gaze of the crowd, Chen Huajiang seemed frozen, standing foolishly in place. But the next moment, he smiled—a smile of a trickster whose plot had succeeded. He suddenly rolled on the ground, dodging Gao Yun’s attack from below. Before she could recover, he reached out, grabbed her ankle, and jerked it downward with force.

With a loud thud, Gao Yun lost her balance and crashed flat onto her back.