Chapter 51: Alley
Chapter 51: Alley
“Yeah… is something wrong?”
“Not really, I just never had a good chance to talk with you properly.”
Xuan Zao walked alongside him.
“You probably heard—I finally passed the evaluation. I’ve also been in touch with a few professional clubs, so I’ll be competing officially soon.”
“That’s really great. If I get the chance, I’d like to watch one of your matches, senior.”
“Haha… well, that might take a while. But don’t worry—when the time comes, I’ll definitely let you know.”
He reached out and stopped Fang Jing, pointing in a direction.
“This path is a shortcut straight to the tram station. Don’t take the main road, or you might miss your ride.”
“Oh? I didn’t know there was a shortcut here.”
“It leads through an old neighborhood that wasn’t torn down with the Commercial Street. There’s a narrow alley, but unless you know the area well, you probably wouldn’t use it…”
Xuan Zao led him into the alley.
“There are no streetlights here, though, so it’s not very safe at night. You should walk this way with others if you can. I got stopped and robbed by some troublemakers here once.”
“What happened after…”
“I beat them up on the spot.”
Xuan Zao chuckled with a bit of pride. After laughing, he lowered his voice and said, “By the way, don’t tell Master about this. He’d get really mad.”
Fang Jing smiled and shook his head. “Oh, Xuan Zao, I’ve been meaning to ask—the move Master used when he defeated me before seemed a little different from the Shaolin Kempo I learned at the dojo. I think it was called ‘Torrential Rush’…”
“That’s right—that move isn’t from our Sakaki-style Shaolin Kempo. Master taught it to me too.”
Xuan Zao thought for a moment, then explained directly: “That move is called ‘Torrential Rush.’ It’s not passed down from Shaolin Kempo; Master learned it from an older martial artist. Master isn’t the type to keep things to himself—many of the older students learned it too. But after they left, only Akasaka and I, the most senior students at the dojo, know it now.”
“The ‘Torrential Rush’ move is pretty complicated and requires advanced skill. If someone doesn’t have the right physical ability, a weak foundation, or rough technique, Master Tetsuhei won’t bother teaching it. He only passes it on to the most talented senior students. He says without a certain level of skill, it’s really hard to get the hang of ‘Torrential Rush’.”
“Just so you know, Nishizuka—even though I know it, don’t expect me to teach you. The move is one of Master’s personal techniques, so we disciples can only pass it on with his permission. Honestly, given your talent, if you ask Master, he’d probably teach it to you.”
After hearing Xuan Zao’s words, Fang Jing could only manage a helpless smile. Ever since their last match, dojo master Sakaki Tetsuhei had mostly ignored him and rarely came to the Boxing Dojo to teach the students. Fang Jing only ran into the master occasionally, and they hardly spoke.
“Heh, can’t you tell? Master Tetsuhei is secretly testing you. He’s been watching your performance, and he told me you’ve got real talent.”
Xuan Zao patted him on the shoulder and said quietly, “This is a rare opportunity for you. He’s pleased with what you’ve shown, so I’m sure he’ll give you special training later. Master himself is an amazing martial artist—if it weren’t for his eye problems, he would’ve…”
“Wait! What’s wrong with Master Tetsuhei’s eyes?”
Xuan Zao stopped walking and sighed before starting slowly: “He’s got an acquired vision loss. Sometimes he has trouble seeing. That’s why he’s often away—he needs to rest or go to the hospital. But his personality makes it hard for him to let go of dojo matters…”
“So that’s why you and Akasaka got so worried last time when you heard someone was coming to challenge the dojo.”
“Exactly… Given Master’s condition, he really shouldn’t be fighting others. I’ll be leaving the Boxing Dojo soon, and I might not be able to come back to the city much. If something happens at the dojo, I may not be able to help. Just relying on Akasaka alone makes me a little uneasy.”
He spoke with heartfelt concern: “So… Nishizuka, I hope you’ll do your best to support the Boxing Dojo in the future. If you’re there, I won’t have to worry so much about Master.”
“I understand. Since I’m part of the Boxing Dojo too, of course I’ll do my part.”
That was the truth. As long as he stayed at the Boxing Dojo, he couldn’t just stand by if someone came to challenge it—it wouldn’t be right.
What’s more, if a true expert came to challenge them, fighting that person would be a rare opportunity.
Thump!
A trash can in the alley was knocked over by something. A figure flew out from the alley and crashed hard onto the ground.
Xuan Zao and Fang Jing looked at each other, both stopping in their tracks, unsure what was happening.
They heard fighting sounds from the alley, and then a young man was kicked and beaten while lying on the ground.
Another man who had fallen nearby tried to get up, but a gray shadow quickly swung at his face—a fierce punch aimed straight at him.
In the sudden chaos, Xuan Zao and Fang Jing paused, but they recovered quickly when they clearly saw the man being struck down by a swing of a baton.
The attacker was not very tall, wore a hooded sweatshirt, and held two batons.
He had sunglasses and a mask on, and without saying a word, he swung the batons at the two men, beating them fiercely.
“You bastard!”
A curse came from behind the hooded figure. A man in ill-fitting clothes, who looked like he belonged to a gang, pulled out a knife.
He let out a beast-like cry, held the knife close to his side, and charged forward violently.
It was the kind of street fight you only saw on TV, and it was Fang Jing’s first time witnessing one in person.
The next second, the tip of the baton shot forward faster, hitting the gangster-like man in the throat. It was a lightning-fast move. The suited man grabbed his throat, bent over like a shrimp, and looked completely dazed, blank with choking pain.
Smack!
Ignoring the two beaten men behind him, the hooded figure grabbed the gangster-suited man by the hair and, despite his struggles, dragged him deeper into the alley.
The other two lay on the cold cement ground, writhing in pain and groaning.
“Senior,”
Fang Jing whispered.
Xuan Zao frowned and waved a hand. “Probably some conflict between gang members. It’s just criminals fighting criminals—has nothing to do with us.”
He signaled Fang Jing not to get involved and to leave with him.
Fang Jing was someone who avoided trouble, so he naturally wouldn’t interfere.
But that person in the hood, with the sunglasses and mask—he was probably someone he knew.
Shokuba Haruka—it must be you, right?