ebookslot Chapter 39 Life is like a play, all about acting skills
Chapter 39 Life is like a play, all about acting skills
Zhou Xing suppressed his thoughts and returned the greeting with clasped hands: "Master Liu."
Guo Zhen personally poured tea: "Brother Zhou, we only had a brief meeting at the Gong family yesterday, and it wasn't very enjoyable. Let's have a proper get-together today, not to talk about business, but just to reminisce about our friendship!"
"Master Guo is too kind."
Zhou Xing picked up the teacup and took a sip.
The tea was good Biluochun, but it was brewed too strong and tasted bitter. He didn't show any unusual expression, only praising it as "good tea."
Liu Yishou then spoke, his voice a little shrill:
"Officer Zhou works in the French Concession, dealing with foreigners and their affairs all the time. Why would he possibly look down on our old-fashioned tricks?"
coming.
A classic duo: one plays the bad cop, the other the good cop.
Zhou Xing sneered inwardly, but his face betrayed a hint of resentment, which he suppressed, feigning indifference.
"Master Liu is joking. No matter how powerful foreign guns and cannons are, when it comes to close combat, you still have to rely on your fists and feet. My meager skills are like a firefly compared to the sun and moon when compared to the two masters."
He spoke modestly, but his "I know my stuff" attitude still came through.
Guo Zhen laughed and tried to smooth things over:
"Oh, Brother Zhou, you're too modest! Seven days of Ming Jin (vital energy) is a rare feat throughout history! Come, have some tea, have some tea!"
We chatted for a while about our experiences in Tianjin and interesting stories from the foreign concessions.
About fifteen minutes later, Guo Zhen got up:
"Brother Zhou, come inside and have a seat. Your sister-in-law has prepared a few dishes; let's eat and chat."
The three moved to the main hall.
An octagonal table was set up in the hall, and all the dishes were served: four cold dishes and four hot dishes, including fish and meat, with a large bowl of braised pork hock in the middle, glistening and trembling with oil.
The liquor is Zhili Laobaigan, and the mud seal has just been broken open, releasing a pungent and spicy aroma.
A woman carrying a plate of stir-fried vegetables came out from the back room. Dressed in simple clothes and wearing a hairpin, she was meek and obedient. As she brought the dish over, she said softly to Guo Zhen:
"Honey, the dishes are all ready."
Guo Zhen waved his hand:
"Alright, you can go now."
The woman responded and turned to leave, never once looking up at the guest.
But just as she passed by Guo Zhen, Zhou Xing activated his full listening skill and caught her breathing, which had been steady, suddenly becoming a little rapid.
It was very slight, but very noticeable with keen listening.
He picked up his wine glass, tilted his head back to drink, concealing a hint of thought in his eyes.
"Brother Zhou, don't be shy, pick up your chopsticks!" Guo Zhen greeted him warmly, first placing a piece of pork hock on Zhou Xing's plate.
"Master Guo, you're too kind. I can do it myself," Zhou Xing said hurriedly, but he accepted the order.
After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food,
Guo Zhen became more talkative, discussing everything from the origins of Xingyi Quan to the grudges between various schools in Tianjin, and casually inquiring about Zhou Xing's job at the police station and his progress in his daily training.
Zhou Xing answered cautiously.
In their work, they complain about how difficult their foreign superiors are to deal with and how their colleagues are fighting amongst themselves, revealing their "discontent" and "grumbling."
Regarding his training, he only mentioned his rapid progress in strength, but the threshold of internal energy was visible yet intangible. He never mentioned anything else.
Guo Zhen nodded in agreement, occasionally adding a few words of support.
Liu Yishou drank heavily and his words became increasingly impulsive.
From saying "No foreigner is any good" to "Serving foreigners is being a traitor," every sentence was directed at Zhou Xing.
Zhou Xing's face flushed red and then turned pale, and he just held his breath and drank in silence.
"Junior brother, what you said is not right."
Guo Zhen spoke at the opportune moment, his tone revealing some dissatisfaction.
"Brother Zhou works for the police station, handling cases involving Chinese people. Wasn't he the one who solved Master Ye's case? He's really bringing honor to us Chinese!"
Liu Yishou snorted, didn't reply, and took another swig of wine.
Guo Zhen turned to Zhou Xing, his tone becoming more friendly:
"Brother Zhou, at the Gong family, I heard you went to the Ghost Market? That's not a good place."
Finally, we've gotten to the point.
Zhou Xing's heart tightened, but his face showed a mixture of lingering fear and smugness:
"I did go there to handle a case. That place was definitely eerie."
"Oh? You went there to investigate a case? What happened?"
Guo Zhen asked casually, picking up a peanut.
"Hey, don't even mention it. Find a few sorcerers who use evil magic."
Zhou Xing waved his hand, and, emboldened by the alcohol, complained.
"That Ghost Market is a complete mess. I didn't get the job done, and I even ran into some enemies. If it weren't for my skills, I might not have made it out."
"You didn't encounter anything strange in that kind of place?" Liu Yishou asked, glancing sideways.
"Something weird?"
Zhou Xing spat and gestured wildly, "Have you ever seen a monster that looks like an octopus? Its tentacles are thicker than a water tank. If you touch it, you die; if you touch it, you get hurt. It's only because I'm clever that I'm not; anyone else would have been dried up long ago."
"monster?"
Guo Zhen became interested: "Tell me in detail."
Zhou Xing embellished his account of the ghost market experience, saying that he was attacked by gunmen before he even entered, and that he was almost tricked by his informant into becoming someone's material after finally getting inside.
Later, the River Demon was born, and the Ghost Market was thrown into chaos. Luckily, he was skilled in martial arts, able to defeat the gunmen and kick the monsters.
He told the truth with seven parts fact and three parts exaggeration, his face beaming with pride and his tone boastful, making it sound like he was bragging.
Guo Zhen exclaimed that his eyes had been opened, and filled his glass with wine: "It's best to avoid places like that. Come on, let's drink!"
Zhou Xing picked up the bowl, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp.
The liquor burned intensely as he circulated his qi and blood, subtly neutralizing some of its effects, while simultaneously making his face flush even more and his eyes "stare blankly."
After several more rounds of aged liquor, we finished our drinks.
"Master Guo...you...you are a true hero!"
With a slurred speech, Zhou Xing began to "speak the truth after drinking," saying, "I, Zhou Xing, have never admired many people in Tianjin... but you are one!"
And Master Ip! If it weren't for Master Ip, I... I would have died long ago under that... ghostly curse!
Guo Zhen's eyes narrowed slightly, then he smiled and said, "Brother Zhou, you flatter me. Master Ye is a grandmaster of Southern Fist. It is an immense blessing for you to receive his guidance."
"Fortune... hehe, it's fortune."
Zhou Xing lay on the table, muttering, "Back in the police station, who respected me? Now... now it's different!"
Master Guo, you have no idea how frustrated I used to be…”
He began to recount his past experiences of being "bullied" in a jumbled manner, half true and half false, his eyes reddening at the emotional moments.
He perfectly portrayed the mindset of a small person who had been suppressed for a long time and suddenly gained power.
Liu Yishou listened, his disdain almost undisguised. Guo Zhenze, on the other hand, kept smiling, but his eyes remained deep and unfathomable.
Suddenly, Liu slammed the wine bowl heavily onto the table!
"All talk and no action is useless!"
He stared at Zhou Xing, his eyes defiant. "Officer Zhou, I've always heard you're a master of martial arts. I, Liu Yishou, practice Baguazhang. Today is a rare occasion, so how about we spar a bit and add some excitement to this banquet?"
The hall fell silent instantly.
Guo Zhen frowned: "Yishou, you've had too much to drink. Brother Zhou is a guest; how can you lay a hand on a guest?"
"Senior brother, I'm just curious!"
Liu Yishou persisted, "Seven-day Mingjin! The first of its kind in history! I've never seen anything like it in my entire life!"
"Officer Zhou, if you're so kind as to lend a hand, I'll stop here!"
The main event is about to begin.
Ip Man said not to engage with those who possess hidden strength, but at this point, if he didn't respond, the persona he had just established would be completely ruined.
He feigned drunkenness, yet also displayed a provoked anger, and swayed as he stood up:
"Master Liu, if you wish to offer your guidance... I... I'm happy to oblige!"
"Brother Zhou, you're drunk." Guo Zhen stood up to stop him.
"I'm not drunk!"
Zhou Xing swung his arm, displaying a bit of recklessness, "Master Guo, I'll just... have a go with Master Liu!"
Liu Yishou had already walked to an open space in the hall and assumed the starting stance of Baguazhang:
"Officer Zhou, please!"
Zhou Xing stumbled and walked to the other side, striking a pose as if asking for directions in Wing Chun.
Seeing this, Guo Zhen stopped trying to dissuade him, took two steps back, and looked at him with a deep gaze.
"please!"
Liu Yishou let out a low shout, his feet gliding through the mud with the speed of a ghost, and his palm had already reached Zhou Xing's ribs!
The palm strike was fierce and merciless!
Zhou Xingting had already locked down his movements, and he understood perfectly.
This palm strike appeared fierce, but in reality, it held back three-tenths of its strength; it was a test.
He used the Wing Chun hand gesture to counter.
"Snapped!"
The arms are crossed.
A tricky force penetrated in, and Zhou Xing, who had deliberately concealed his human puppet form and river demon form, suddenly staggered backward half a step, showing that he was "out of strength".
"good!"
Liu Yishou, once he gained the upper hand, pressed on relentlessly, changing his footwork in quick succession, his palms flying, sometimes slapping, sometimes pressing, sometimes slashing, each move aimed at the vital points of Zhou's body.
Baguazhang emphasizes movement and turning. His body moves like a swimming dragon, circling around quickly, with multiple palm shadows.
Zhou Xing focused his attention, suppressing his skills to a normal level of Ming Jin, and only used Wing Chun techniques such as Siu Nim Tao and Chum Kiu to deal with the situation.
He deliberately delayed his reaction by half a second after sensing the palm strike.
What should have been a smooth release of force turned into a clumsy block.
When exerting muscle force, deliberately leave an opening, and breathe heavily and erratically.
After a dozen or so moves, he was truly exhausted. Suppressing his instinctive reactions and not revealing any weaknesses was even more mentally taxing than a real fight.
To outsiders, it seemed as if Liu was launching a relentless offensive, while Zhou was struggling to defend himself, relying entirely on his quick reflexes to hold on.
Several more moves were exchanged in the blink of an eye. A hint of impatience and ruthlessness flashed in Liu Yishou's eyes.
He seized the opportunity when Zhou Xing was a little slow in his defense, and with a sudden push of his foot, he darted into the center like an arrow. With his right palm pointing outwards, he silently and directly stabbed Zhou Xing in the waist!
At this, Zhou Xing's hair stood on end.
wrong!
By listening to the force, he sensed that even before Liu Yi's fingertips arrived, a needle-like force had already come, penetrating the fascia and threatening to injure the internal organs.
This is not an obvious strike, but a penetrating thrust!
Liu Yishou wanted to kill him!