Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Final Decision. In the end, the Chinese Martial Arts Association was established, and Wang Zhong fought against the heroes!

Wang Zhong looked at the invitation, his heart filled with uncertainty, pondering the words "not asking about the masses but asking about the spirits," and silently cast the Plum Blossom Hexagram.

On the day of Jiwei and the hour of Wuxi,

The hexagram is Earth transformed into Thunder over Earth (Yi).

Earth represents the body, and Wood represents the external factors. Wood overcomes Earth, which is inauspicious.

If a beginner in the Plum Blossom Numerology would definitely make such a judgment.

However, Earth is nourished by the day and hour, making it extremely prosperous. Being overcome by Wood is actually a good thing.

Thunder over Earth (Yi) also means a thunderclap on a plain, symbolizing great fame.

This trip will definitely encounter difficulties, and there might even be physical confrontations. Since Wood represents movement, the final result will be auspicious, and it will bring great fame.

After reading the hexagram, Wang Zhong felt much calmer. He tidied himself up, took the invitation, and headed straight for the Chinese Martial Arts Association.

The inauguration ceremony of the Chinese Martial Arts Association was grand, with masters like Gong Yutian of Xingyi Quan, Baiyuan Ma San, Tai Chi expert Yang Delu, Dashing Pi Gu Wu Ting, and Taiwanese Xingyi Quan master Hou Zan, along with their disciples, all in attendance.

Everywhere, martial arts disciples were dressed in short jackets and long pants.

Even famous martial arts stars from Hong Kong like Dickie Dee, Lam Chun-ying, and Yuen Wo-ping, as well as many unnamed dragon and tiger martial artists, including potential stars like the Seven Little Fortunes, were invited.

TVB's Sir Shao, Mr. Zou of Zou's Film City, Detective Chief Lo, Ship King Mr. Bao, Hongmen leader Zhu Hongwu, Hung Sing's Prince Big B, and the brothers Xiang Qiang and Xiang Sheng, as well as the chairman of Ming Pao, Jin Tang, were all invited into the hall.

There were ten seats in the main hall of the Chinese Martial Arts Association. Gong Yutian sat at the head, with Ma San standing behind him.

Yongchun's Liang Feng, Tai Chi expert Yang Delu, Dashing Pi Gu Wu Ting, and Taiwanese Xingyi Quan master Hou Zan each occupied a seat, but the last seat remained unoccupied.

Everyone knew it was reserved for Wang Zhong.

"What a big ego!" Wu Ting, with his short temper, couldn't help but sneer, and the others, though they didn't echo him, also showed slight dissatisfaction.

Gong Yutian quietly sipped his tea, saying nothing, but his eyes occasionally flashed with a keen light.

"Master Wang Zhong of the Nine Palace Sword School has arrived!"

In no time, Wang Zhong entered the hall.

"Wudang Nine Palace School!"

Even the composed Gong Yutian was surprised. The Nine Palace Sword School originated from Wudang, but it was little known to the general public. However, it was well-known in the martial arts world, with famous figures like the founder of Bagua, Dong Haichuan, and the sword saint of the Republic era, Li Jinglin, both coming from the Nine Palace Sword School.

"Disciple Wang Zhong of the Nine Palace Sword School greets all the masters!"

Wang Zhong stood in the center of the hall and made a bow, greeting the senior masters.

"Since Master Wang has arrived, would you like to have a cup of tea?"

Gong Yutian smiled lightly and pushed a teacup on the table with one hand.

The teacup flew straight to Wang Zhong, but the tea did not spill at all.

Wang Zhong leaned forward and caught the teacup, feeling a powerful force from it. Gong Yutian's gentle push contained various forces, including pushing, collapsing, shaking, and stretching. If Wang Zhong had resisted it directly, he would have been embarrassed. Wang Zhong's body moved like a feather, floating backward with the force. He used the "neutralizing" technique of Tai Chi to continuously dissipate the force.

Wang Zhong took five steps back before he could neutralize Gong Yutian's force.

"Thank you for the tea, Master Gong!"

Wang Zhong took a sip and nodded with a smile.

"Excellent Tai Chi skills, not even a feather can be added! Please sit down!"

Gong Yutian said with a smile.

"Tai Chi has the Chen, Yang, Wu, Sun, Zhao Bao, and Hu Lei styles. Which one did Master Wang learn from?"

Yang Delu's eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but ask.

"My father learned from the disciple of martial god Sun Lutang, the Mad Taoist."

Wang Zhong answered truthfully, as lineage is highly valued in the martial arts world.

"Sun Lutang's Tai Chi integrates Xingyi, Bagua, and Tai Chi into one, making it the most dominant style in the martial arts world. I had the honor of exchanging ideas with Sun Jianyun for a few days and was deeply impressed!"

Gong Yutian said with a smile, and his dissatisfaction with Wang Zhong decreased, as there was a connection through their lineage.

"Master Gong is mistaken. Although Tai Chi originated from the Chen family, it gained fame through the Yang family. Our Yang family Tai Chi is the orthodox style. Sun Lutang's Tai Chi is just a mix of Xingyi and Bagua, and it's more like a long fist than Tai Chi!"

Yang Delu stood up, clearly displeased.

Gong Yutian gave Yang Delu a displeased look. The归属 of Sun Lutang's Tai Chi was a controversial topic in the martial arts world, and Yang Delu's public challenge was a bit disrespectful.

"Does Master Yang look down on the Sun family so much that you dare to come down and test it?"

Wang Zhong laughed in anger and extended his hand.

"Fine! Today, I'll show you what the orthodox Tai Chi is!"

Yang Delu didn't hesitate, leaped forward, and struck Wang Zhong with a Ban Lan Chui, the most powerful move in Tai Chi, showing his anger.

Wang Zhong's eyes narrowed, and he sneered. Without changing his stance, he turned and countered with a Ban Lan Chui, planning to meet force with force.

Bang!

Their arms met, and both were shaken. Yang Delu, being older, was physically weaker than Wang Zhong, and his face turned slightly red, a sign of internal bleeding.

"Good! Again!"

Wang Zhong calmed his internal energy and struck Yang Delu with another hammer.

Yang Delu's face showed hesitation, but he finally transformed his hand into a hammer, and the two hammers collided!

The clothes on their arms were instantly torn into shreds, fluttering like butterflies.

Yang Delu's face turned pale, and he felt a faint taste of blood in his mouth, a sign of internal organ damage. As a martial arts master, he knew this, but to save face, he suppressed his internal energy.

Gong Yutian, sitting at the head, sighed regretfully. Suppressing the internal energy would worsen Yang Delu's injuries, but Yang Delu was more concerned about his reputation.

"Enough, we are all fellow practitioners. Let's stop here!"

Gong Yutian stepped forward and separated the two, though it was against the rules, but it was the inauguration day of the Chinese Martial Arts Association, and a conflict would be bad for everyone.

"Agreed, Master Wang is young and promising, with a bright future. Let's stop. For the sake of Liang Feng!"

Yongchun's Liang Feng also said with a smile. Liang Feng was the last disciple of the great master Yip Man and the current leader of the Yongchun school, with over ten thousand disciples. His status in the martial arts world was on par with Gong Yutian. With these two leaders speaking up, it would be unwise for Wang Zhong to press his advantage.

"Master Yang, excellent skills, I yield!"

Wang Zhong smiled and bowed to Yang Delu, signaling the end of the conflict.

"Heroes emerge from the young, I admire you!"

Yang Delu, suppressing his internal energy, said gratefully.

"Please, Master Wang, take your seat!"

Gong Yutian smiled and gestured for Wang Zhong to sit next to him, opposite Liang Feng.

The others, though they felt it was inappropriate, were genuinely impressed by Wang Zhong's skills. Not many could defeat Yang Delu with just two hammer strikes.

Only Ma San, standing behind Gong Yutian, showed a hint of malice. Ma San was willing to stand behind Gong Yutian not only because Gong Yutian was his teacher but also because he wanted to inherit his position. Both Liang Feng and Yang Delu were old. When Gong Yutian retired, they would be in their eighties, posing no threat to Ma San.

However, Wang Zhong's appearance today made Ma San feel threatened. He was skilled, from a prestigious school, and famous, and most importantly, he was much younger, a few years younger than Ma San.

"Excellent! Both masters' skills are truly remarkable!" Jin Tang praised, and the other high-ranking guests applauded.

"Seeing your skills, I realize I was like a frog in a well!" Yuen Wo-ping said sincerely. Yuen Wo-ping, a dragon and tiger martial artist, had been confident in his skills, but seeing Wang Zhong and others, he felt discouraged, realizing the saying "a frog in a well."

"Let's have a match sometime!" Billy Chow, dressed casually, pointed at Wang Zhong. Billy Chow was a world champion in combat sports and was hailed as the most capable star in Hong Kong's film industry. In terms of practical combat skills, later stars like Jackie Chan and Jet Li were far behind him.

"Sure!" Wang Zhong's eyes gleamed with excitement as he smiled.

"Everyone is here, let's begin!" Gong Yutian instructed Ma San behind him.

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