Chapter 9

（Request for all kinds of support）

In the midst of cherry blossoms dancing in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of the promise written there.

With a deep breath, Chun-Li, driven by her instincts from street fighting, reacted to the slightest threat by immediately attacking. Thus, her kick was powerful and forceful.

“Bang!!”

Luo Tai did not fly out but instead caught Chun-Li's kick with his other hand. Not only that, he grabbed her ankle and, using the momentum of his body flying backward, pulled her down forcefully.

Chun-Li was thrown into a wide split. Before she could stand up, Luo Tai suddenly leaped forward and delivered a straight punch aimed at her face. Chun-Li deflected it with her hand and then brought her legs together, leaping up.

In that split second, Luo Tai lunged at her with a bear hug, tightly embracing her. The force was strong, and the inertia was great. They both fell to the ground, with Luo Tai's lips just 0.01 centimeters away from Chun-Li's. He could feel the softness of her chest rising and falling.

Chun-Li's face turned slightly red, and then she pushed Luo Tai away, standing up with a quick flip. Seeing that Luo Tai had also risen, Chun-Li did not attack again but pouted and said, "Brother Tai... you... cheated. You... tricked me. I thought you were injured just now."

Luo Tai laughed, rubbed his abdomen, and said, "Chun-Li, you really kicked me, and it still hurts. But in a moment of desperation, I thought of this plan. You are so much stronger than me, so how could I knock you down otherwise?"

Chun-Li suddenly smiled at Luo Tai.

"Chun-Li, why are you smiling? I only drew a Level 7 combat technique, which is still far from you. It seems only a Level 9 technique could possibly defeat Fujita Go." Luo Tai shook his head, wondering if the next update would include that Level 9 technique.

"Brother Tai, I'm smiling because I'm happy. You really have a talent for martial arts. Your block and counter-punch just now were brilliant. Even Huo Ting'en is far behind you. Haven't I told you? True masters don't care about techniques but can adapt ordinary punches to their highest level in real combat. Can you remember that punch just now?" Chun-Li said happily, genuinely pleased with Luo Tai's progress.

After Chun-Li's words, Luo Tai frowned and immediately tried to mimic the punch, but he couldn't fully reproduce it.

"Brother Tai." Chun-Li walked over and said, "You just lack strength and speed, and you need to consider your opponent. If it had been Huo Ting'en, he wouldn't have been able to block it."

Luo Tai flexed his wrists. His confidence in martial arts finally returned. He said to Chun-Li, "Your point is... I can defeat Huo Ting'en now?"

Although the watch showed that Huo Ting'en was at a Level 6 free-fighting level, the system's data couldn't compare to Chun-Li's practical experience. She had personally sparred with Huo Ting'en.

Chun-Li nodded and said, "No problem, Brother Tai."

Luo Tai clapped his hands and said, "There are three tasks. The first is to defeat Huo Ting'en. Since I have the ability, I'll complete it first. Hmm... always thinking about Funakoshi and Fujita Go, nothing will get done. We'll take one step at a time."

"Brother Tai means..." Chun-Li said.

"We'll go back first. I'll find Huo Ting'en for a sparring session!" Luo Tai said confidently to Chun-Li.

"Okay!"

Thus, the two returned to the Jingwu Hall...

Huo Ting'en might still be reflecting on his easy defeat by Chun-Li that morning. After giving a brief lesson to his disciples, he returned to his study.

In recent times, he had been defeated twice. The first time was before Luo Tai arrived, when he had a falling out with Chen Zhen and insisted on a showdown, only to humiliate himself. The second time was today, when he couldn't even last twenty moves against Chun-Li, who he could tell was holding back most of her power.

Huo Ting'en sighed deeply and sat down on the wooden chair, feeling very disheartened. He even doubted whether the Huo family's Tracing Fist was effective.

Chen Zhen and Chun-Li didn't use the Tracing Fist. Chen Zhen's style seemed to be a self-created form called something like "fighting." Chun-Li's techniques were even more unfamiliar to him.

"Father, Ting'en's skills are not proficient, disgracing the Tracing Fist and the Jingwu Hall." Huo Ting'en muttered to himself.

"Knock knock~~" Two light knocks came from his study door.

"Is it Zhao Si? What's the matter?" Huo Ting'en collected his thoughts and asked.

"Master, Mr. Luo has returned and wants to see you," Zhao Si's voice came from the door.

"Please bring Mr. Luo in."

The door opened, and Luo Tai and Chun-Li walked in. Seeing Huo Ting'en reading inside, Luo Tai approached and whispered in his ear, "Master Huo, uh... I... I have something to talk to you about." Luo Tai was hesitant, finding it hard to speak. The reason was that when he arrived, he said he didn't know martial arts and came to learn, even wanting to become a disciple of the Jingwu Hall. Now, after just one day, he wanted to challenge the master.

This... This was a bit too much. If he won, Huo Ting'en might find a block of tofu to bash his head against, unable to understand why. Of course, from Luo Tai's perspective, he wanted to complete the task as soon as possible.

Huo Ting'en didn't think much of it. He smiled at Luo Tai and said, "Brother Luo, what's the matter? Why are you so hesitant?"

Zhao Si had already left, and seeing no one else around, Luo Tai said, "This... Today, Chun-Li taught me a lot of boxing techniques. I want to spar with Master Huo. Uh... I'm not very good, so I'm afraid of embarrassing myself. So, I want to find a place where no one is around to try it out. What do you think?"

Huo Ting'en was stunned for about three seconds, then laughed. "Brother Luo, I've already experienced your wife's skills, and I admit I'm not a match for her. But... to be honest, even if I were at my worst, I can't spar with someone who doesn't know martial arts. That would be a laughingstock. No, no!!"

As he spoke, he waved his hands, thinking, "What kind of world is this? I lost two fights, and now everyone wants to spar with me? Luo Tai may be tall, but he doesn't even know the basics of martial arts."

Luo Tai nodded in agreement with Huo Ting'en and then said, "Master Huo, don't worry. Today, Chun-Li taught me some powerful moves. I'm very interested in martial arts now. Not trying them out makes me feel restless... Let's... Let's practice a bit, just to the point, and you can give me some pointers."

Huo Ting'en still shook his head, looked at Chun-Li, and said to Luo Tai, "I understand Brother Luo's feelings. Your wife is very skilled, but... martial arts are different from other things. Even if she teaches you with all her might, it will probably take... a year or two to see any improvement."

Huo Ting'en didn't want to discourage Luo Tai. He knew that at Luo Tai's age, starting martial arts from scratch wouldn't lead to much achievement, just some physical fitness. So, he deliberately said it would take a year or two to give Luo Tai some hope.

But Luo Tai was persistent.

"Master Huo, if you don't spar with me today, sigh... it will truly dampen my enthusiasm for martial arts." Luo Tai closed his eyes and sighed.

With such a statement, it would be impolite for Huo Ting'en to refuse. He thought, "Alright, I'll spar with Luo Tai a bit, using the most basic techniques to defeat him... Hmm... but I can't be too harsh, or he might lose interest in martial arts. I'll praise him afterward to show his progress."

Thinking this, Huo Ting'en turned to Chun-Li and said, "Mrs. Luo, what's the matter with Mr. Luo today? Why is he so eager to spar with me? Wouldn't it be better to spar with you?"

Chun-Li smiled and said, "Maybe he admires the Jingwu Hall's boxing techniques."

Her response was neither humble nor arrogant, explaining the reason and praising the Jingwu Hall. Of course, Chun-Li wouldn't have said this on her own; Luo Tai had thought of it before they came.

Huo Ting'en nodded, thinking, "It seems the Huo family's Tracing Fist still holds a high status in the martial arts world. Although Chen Zhen and Chun-Li are powerful, they are unorthodox. No wonder young people with a passion for martial arts come here."

He turned to Luo Tai and said, "Thank you for your high regard for the Jingwu Hall."

Luo Tai responded, "It's my pleasure. Uh... we should find a place where no one is around..."

"Ha ha." Huo Ting'en understood Luo Tai's thoughts and nodded, saying, "We don't need to go to the training ground. I have a practice room in the back yard. No one goes there except me. Let's go there."

"Okay!" Luo Tai nodded in agreement.

With that, he and Chun-Li followed Huo Ting'en to the practice room. On the way, Luo Tai looked at Huo Ting'en's back and thought, "If I defeat him again today, will he quit martial arts? Sigh... I have no choice, Old Huo. I'm also a clay Buddha crossing the river... Among these three tasks, you are the easiest..."

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