Chapter 13

50 points of merit were not enough for Luo Tai to draw a prize. The 24-hour deadline was drawing near, and he was getting anxious. So, early the next morning, Luo Tai, without paying attention to others, took some silver dollars from the Jingwu Hall and left with Chunli. He scattered the silver dollars to the beggars on the street.

The system indeed rewarded him with merit, but it was very limited, only 5 points. No matter whether he gave one, two, or several silver dollars, the system only rewarded him 5 points for the first time he gave. Luo Tai then understood a principle: repeating a good deed would not repeatedly earn merit, and such acts of charity did not yield much merit.

With the upgrade card's deadline approaching, Luo Tai could not afford to miss this opportunity. Even if he had enough merit, would the system offer the Level 9 Freestyle Combat Technique again? And if it did, would it be so easy to draw?

Although the upgrade card was only valid for a month, it was his only guarantee to complete the task at this moment. So, Luo Tai clicked the watch to use the upgrade card.

After clicking, the watch displayed a line: "Please select the skill to upgrade." A skill box appeared on the watch, but currently, he only had the Level 7 Combat Technique, so he had no other choice. Without hesitation, he clicked the Level 7 Combat Technique.

"Beep!" The watch made a slight sound and then displayed: "Congratulations, your Freestyle Combat Technique has reached Level 9. Valid for one month."

"Buzz~~" Luo Tai felt his body enter the black space again. A new round of practice and drills came over him. He clearly felt his body become stronger, his punching speed and power several times greater than at Level 7, as if he had become a different person.

In fact, Luo Tai did not realize that although the system set each skill to only nine levels, the strength of the skill increased exponentially after Level 5. For example, the difference between Level 8 and Level 9 was not just one level; it was the boundary between life and death.

Afterward, Luo Tai naturally wanted to test his skills against Chunli. They returned to the open field for a new round of sparring. This time, Luo Tai did not use any tricks but fought Chunli head-on, punch for punch, kick for kick.

After more than 500 moves, Chunli still defeated Luo Tai with her experience, but it was a hard-fought victory. For the first time, sweat appeared on her forehead, and Luo Tai did not fall down, only taking a few more hits. However, his resistance had greatly improved, and he was not seriously injured.

"Chunli," after nearly two hours of fighting, Luo Tai asked, "Are you sure you used your full strength just now?"

Chunli smiled and nodded, saying, "Brother Tai, Chunli would never lie to you. I did use my full strength. You are truly a master among masters now."

Luo Tai happily waved his fist and said, "Although this state only lasts a month, it is something I... I have never experienced before. Not only has my body become stronger, but more importantly... my confidence has never been like this before."

"Congratulations, Brother Tai. What do you plan to do now?" Chunli asked.

"A month is neither long nor short. I must defeat Kano and Fujita within this month," Luo Tai said.

"Then now..."

"We will go find Chen Zhen immediately," Luo Tai said.

"Okay," Chunli nodded in response.

Chen Zhen and Kōshi now lived in a dilapidated house in the western suburbs of the city. This house was next to Huo Yuanjia's tomb, originally built to guard the tomb, but now it was unoccupied.

The location of this place was not specified in the movie, but fortunately, Luo Tai found out about Huo Yuanjia's tomb. So, he and Chunli headed straight there.

When they arrived, it was already afternoon. Huo Yuanjia's tomb was built of blue stone, solemn and dignified. Behind the tomb was a small hill covered with dense trees and grass. A gentle breeze blew, and the leaves rustled, adding a touch of melancholy.

Luo Tai walked to the house, the door was closed, and he knocked lightly. Footsteps were heard from inside, and the door creaked open. A young woman in a blue and white kimono stood before Luo Tai and Chunli.

"May I ask... who are you looking for?" the woman bowed slightly and asked politely.

She was Kōshi, whom Luo Tai recognized. He said, "Hello, I am from the Jingwu Hall, and I am here to see Chen Zhen."

"Jingwu Hall?" Kōshi's voice lowered, then she stepped aside and said to the two, "Chen Zhen hasn't returned yet. Please come in."

Luo Tai nodded and said, "Thank you for your trouble." He and Chunli entered the room. This room was Kōshi and Chen Zhen's home, a simple one-room house with minimal furnishings. A bed, a tea table, and a few basic items were all there was. However, the room was very clean and tidy.

Kōshi, following Japanese customs, served the two. She brought out teacups and poured tea for them. Her movements were gentle, making only slight sounds. After pouring the tea, she respectfully placed the cups in front of them and bowed to Luo Tai, saying, "I am very sorry, but you may have to wait a while. Chen Zhen usually returns in the evening."

Kōshi's every move demonstrated Japanese politeness. Luo Tai could not associate her with the Japanese beasts. He smiled and said, "If you don't mind, we will wait for him to return."

Kōshi did not speak but smiled and nodded.

Luo Tai looked at Kōshi and slowly said, "Life here is much harder than in Japan."

Kōshi replied, "As long as I can be with Chen Zhen, I am not afraid of hardship."

Luo Tai did not respond. He and Chunli exchanged a glance and then slowly sipped their tea. The room fell silent, and the three of them had nothing to say. After a while, Luo Tai felt the atmosphere becoming awkward. The room was so quiet that he could hear their breathing.

He stood up and said to Kōshi, "We will go pay our respects to Master Huo's tomb."

Kōshi stood up, bowed, and watched Luo Tai and Chunli leave the room. They came to Huo Yuanjia's tombstone, paid their respects, and then sat down nearby.

Luo Tai closed his eyes and reviewed the key points of the combat technique. Then he said to Chunli, "Chunli, I have a very curious question to ask you."

"Brother Tai, please ask," Chunli replied.

"Um... what kind of world did you live in before I drew you? Was it really like Street Fighter, where you fight every day? It's so strange, I can't even imagine it," Luo Tai shook his head, thinking to himself, "This god is really powerful. If Chunli can be drawn as a servant, then anyone from an anime could come, right? This doesn't make sense in my logic."

Chunli smiled and said, "The system on your wrist is a treasure. And I do live in such a world."

"Really? That's incredible," Luo Tai said, "The world you live in... um... is it like this world? I mean, not just fighting, but you have a place to live, family, and you eat, drink, and sleep..."

Chunli laughed and said, "Of course, everything is there."

"My goodness..." Luo Tai muttered, "Entering a movie world is already amazing, but now it seems that even games have a complete world..."

The two chatted, and before they knew it, it was evening. Kōshi came out of the room and started a fire on the stove next to the house to prepare dinner.

At this moment, a man in a black Zhongshan suit walked over. This was Chen Zhen. His appearance was no different from that of his movie counterpart. His short, neat hair made him look very sharp. He was not tall but had a spirited presence.

"Kōshi, I'm back," Chen Zhen said as he approached Kōshi, who was cooking.

Kōshi smiled, and they embraced. Then she pointed to Luo Tai by the tomb and whispered a few words in his ear. Chen Zhen looked over and walked over.

Luo Tai and Chunli stood up. Luo Tai bowed and said, "Master Chen, I have been waiting for you all afternoon."

Chen Zhen looked at the two and noticed that their movements and demeanor were those of martial artists, and they were not ordinary people. He then said, "Brother, we don't seem to know each other. May I ask..."

"My name is Luo Tai. I am currently at the Jingwu Hall, and I have something to tell you," Luo Tai said.

Hearing that he was from the Jingwu Hall, Chen Zhen nodded and said, "Let's go inside and talk."

"Hehe, no need, it's more spacious here," Luo Tai said.

Chen Zhen smiled slightly and said, "What do you want to say?"

"Here's the thing, I have found out who the real culprit behind Master Huo's death is. Master Huo did not die from a sudden illness during a match. He was poisoned," Luo Tai said.

Chen Zhen's brows furrowed. He slowly walked to the tombstone and said, "When I examined my master's body, I knew this. I also went to the Hongkou Dojo and fought with Kurokawa Ryūichi. He was definitely not my master's match... Brother Luo, do you know who poisoned my master?"