Romance of Dragons and Snakes

Chapter 67: Wang Chao’s Determination

“I thought I could stay there for several days and examine the situation a little longer. Who knew that in just 24 hours, my identity would be blown?”

Within a secret military base in Guangzhou City, Wang Chao and “Boulder” Sun Lei were giving their reports to the organization.

Although it was only 24 hours, he had learn a decent sum of information. Furthermore, he had even made contact with Chen Bin of the Chenshi Corporation.

“Completing a mission requires luck, you just had bad luck by killing a well known person in your very first match. If it took any longer, than your identity may have been compromised and the entire organization would have been revealed.”

Wang Chao killing Qin Maojiao had caused a huge clamor over in the underground fighting ring.

As Boulder spoke to Wang Chao, he continued to type on the computer with a rapid speed while sometimes drawing a picture. He was evidently acting as a scribe for Wang Chao to report to the higher ups in the organization.

“Ah, that’s right. How did you deal with the people yesterday?” Wang Chao thought about the surprise raid Boulder and the group had done.

They had even used a rocket launcher to a stunning effect.

“You needn’t worry, we operate at the highest level of privacy. Those guys back in the courtyards were dealt with and false trails were planted. If anyone comes investigating, then all they’ll see are traces of some foreign small time mercenary group. With the rise of crime, there are many illegal immigrants workers coming from Vietnam, Cambodia, India, and even the Philippines. “

Boulder’s fingers looked as if they were dancing across the keyboard, fascinating Wang Chao with the sight.

“The criminal world are hiring mercenaries to fight now? How advanced the times are.”

Wang Chao had only the popular film Young and Dangerous from the 90s to describe what he thought about the criminal world as of right now. In that film, gangs had hired men to fight against each other.

“Times have truly changed. But these for-hire armies can only bring several immigrants at a time right now.”

Wang Chao nodded his head in understanding, if they were to smuggle too many people at a time, then they would have been discovered a long time ago.

With a series of clacks, Boulder had entered a secure website. Typing in a special code written on top of his watch, he had logged in and began to report to his superiors.

“The report’s in, now we wait for the organization to reply to us. For now, we rest up for the next two days. I’ve already sent the 200,000 RMB you gave the organization as your dues with an explanation to it. You really are a strange one to give 200,000 away that easily. According to regulations, that money was yours to begin with.”

While Boulder was a far cry away from Wang Chao in terms of close combat, he was an expert in many things such as guerilla warfare, technology, demolition, sniping, espionage, counter-intelligence and even had war experience. His overall skillset was far more comprehensive than Wang Chao’s.

In comparison, aside from martial arts, Wang Chao knew nothing else.

If these two were to be dropped into everyday society, then Boulder would have functioned better than Wang Chao.

“You guys are the true soldiers that this country needs and deserves.” Wang Chao sighed. “I’m only a martial artist, aside from being agile and quick, there is nothing else for me. If you guys didn’t charge in yesterday to help me, then I would have most likely been killed by sticking with Lu Chengwen’s group.”

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Wang Chao’s laments had originated from his true feelings. Lu Chengwen’s group had guns, meaning that if it were not for Boulder’s group, he would not be able to escape from them so easily.

“You can’t say that, with your skill, everyone in our group truly admire you. Even Hammer told us that next month after he’s fully healed, he wants to study under you.”

After becoming acquainted for some time, Boulder had felt that not only was Wang Chao extremely strong in martial arts, he had lacked any arrogance. Combined with the mentality of a soldier who valued strength and Wang Chao’s previous act of goodwill with the 200,000 RMB, Boulder and the others all felt Wang Chao was a good guy to be with.

“But anyways, let’s get back to the main topic.” Boulder spoke. “No matter who how talented one is, they cannot deny the power a gun brings. The era of martial arts has declined, so let’s teach you how to use a gun. Learning to use one would be useful, a simple gun could kill several experts without a problem.”

“A gun…” Wang Chao looked to the nearby window as if thinking about something. Boulder’s words had tugged at his heart.

His eyes flashed brightly as he began to think back to just how many experts of Guoshu had died by gunfire.

Then he thought about his own personal experiences.

“The Red Army fears no long hardships,

The long and difficult roads are many,

The five ranges twist and turn constantly,

And walk the boundless Wumeng Mountains tirelessly.”

TL Note: A poem consisting of four lines with 7 characters per line.

Wang Chao thought back to the popular poem of the Red Army.

“Those men back then had always walked the path of their ideals. After walking through perilous lands and hardships, they maintained their ideals and will.” Wang Chao spoke, as if thinking out loud about himself.

“Even though humans live in reality, we can’t help but imagine about our ideal world. Even if we cannot achieve it, we can still dream of it being within our arm’s reach. Ai! Boulder, I will not learn how to use a gun.”

“My martial arts is not yet perfect. If I were to study how to use a gun, then my martial arts would be dirtied. After tasting the honeyed waters, how could I go back to just regular water? It would shake my will. A man’s energy isn’t limitless, and I’m neither a genius or Superman; I can’t have an unshakable resolve. For a martial artist to die by a gun is to be a great shame.”

Wang Chao wished to chase after the pinnacle of Guoshu and did not wish to limit himself with learning how to use a gun. Nor did he want to change the path he was walking on.

As a soldier, Boulder understood Wang Chao’s mindset.

“The weapons of today has attacked the ideology of martial arts. Those with an unshakable faith in martial arts were ridiculed and laughed at as sticklers to tradition. But this unshakeable determination is something I can respect in a man! Perhaps…just maybe even many people in the past had thought the Red Army as some pedantic failures. Even now, many people take them to be people who could only walk towards their beliefs with it ever coming true. But they are ignorant and don’t understand. As a man of the military, I understand!”

Boulder suddenly felt some moisture build up in the corners of his eyes and hurriedly went to wipe them away.

For a moment, there was silence. Then the doors opened to reveal a single person.

Wang Chao turned to look, only to see the one called “Axe”. This was the person who had blown open the gates with the rocket launcher and was the specialist of weapons in the group.

In Axe’s hands were a snakeskin pouch and a cage.

There was something wriggling around within the pouch, and a fishy smell could be smelt. As an expert in guerilla warfare, Boulder knew that there was a snake within the pouch.

And within the cage was a big gray cat. This cat was larger than the normal cat and had lush-green eyes. Hissing, the cat clawed at the cage with an ear-piercing shriek.

“The things you wanted are here!” Axe spoke as he shook the cage and pouch with a smile to Wang Chao. “But why the snake and cat? Did you want to eat Longhu Dou or something?”

Guangdong had a special dish called Longhu Dou that was made by stewing a cat and snake together.

“But if you want to eat a good Longhu Dou dish, you need a ferocious snake. I ran everywhere to find one, damn near killed myself from exhaustion.”

“Why would I eat that.” Wang Chao laughed, when it came to Guangdong cuisine, he wasn’t accustomed to it.

“I’m using them to practice martial arts. There’s still a month until I have to fight with Zhang Wei of the Three Tigers. It’s a good thing we’re done with the mission for now. The next step is to relax, so I can focus on learning and mastering my martial arts.”

A few years ago, Zhang Wei’s Hidden Jin had reached to his back, but Wang Chao had no idea just what step he had reached now.

Wang Chao knew that with his current strength, he wasn’t even at a fourth of Zhang Wei’s level.

His opponent wasn’t Qin Maojiao, but a brilliant veteran and one of the Guangdong Three Tigers! Zhang Wei was only 30 years old, meaning he was still in his prime. This could be said that he was still at his peak strength.

Against such a person, Wang Chao had to be extremely cautious.

This one battle would be the most important battle of his life FOR his life.

And during his fight with Qin Maojiao, Wang Chao had used the tiger stance and inadvertently stumbled upon the true meaning of Chinese boxing. Xingyi’s will and intent was extremely difficult to understand if it was true or false, yet within a lie there was also truth.

His Clear Jin was at its peak, but Jin was Jin, and his fist was his fist. Within a fist was his spirit and intent.

In that moment when he had attacked Qin Maojiao, Wang Chao had unleashed the Chopping Jin of the tiger stance. Not only did he demonstrate the true essence, but he was like a ferocious tiger leaping out of its cave down the mountain to throw itself at its prey. The essence of that tiger had entered and affected his entire body down to his very organs.

Thus, when he was in that tiger stance, he had released a tiger like growl. His lungs had vibrated to release such a guttural sound and his heart began to dance with the vibrations along with his fists. In that moment, his fists had matched with his breath. From his inner body to his external actions, Wang Chao had unleashed the roar of the tiger.

At this action, Qin Maojiao’s heart had been affected into believing that there was an illusion that Wang Chao had suddenly been overtaken by the spirit of the tiger. Thus after this illusion, Qin Maojiao had been confused and ultimately lost his life.

But even after reaching such an enlightened state, Wang Chao had never been able to emulate the same strike no matter how much he tried afterwards.

That was he knew that that one strike had been his hidden potential brought out by a battle of life and death. To use the terms of today’s society, he had an above average ability when taking an exam.

Observe the form and inherit the intent. In the end, there would be an enlightenment where all was understood.

Martial arts had originated from watching the movements of animals, it was from this that comprehension could be attained.

In the past, Yam Wing-chun had observed the fight between a snake and a crane. After understanding their very essence and incorporating it into their own body, the Wingchun style had been born. The Sage of Ghost Valley had watched how the white apes had fought and created the Tongbei style. Both styles had followed the very same concept.

Wang Chao had felt his martial arts had improved slowly and captivated himself with each strike. Because of the guidance of his previous predecessors, he could use animals to further his own comprehension.

In his own words, he was no genius or Superman. He was a man with limits and could not learn many things. All of his achievements had been a result of his own enthrallment, fascination and determination.

As he opened up the snakeskin pouch, a snake immediately bounded outwards.

This was a snake two meters long and with a triangular head. The snake was very sinister looking with a forked tongue that bobbed in and out as if poised to strike. This was no factory bred snake, it was a snake born in the wilds.

Wang Chao had been prepared however and grabbed at the snake’s body. Violently twisting its body, the snake began to bend around Wang Chao’s arm in a constricting manner.

A snake was very hard to get rid of when it began to constrict its target. In the Tropics, a snake would frequently choke a horse or bison to death.

A snake’s body size and length were determinant to its binding strength.

Wang Chao paid attention to the power of the snake’s constriction as well as how its muscles contracted.

He was listening to the Jin within the snake.

At the same time, he had opened up the cage of the cat. Arching its back, the cat had immediately scratched out with its claws.

Closing the door, Boulder and Axe had left the center of the room to watch from the side.

Wang Chao threw the snake to the ground. As it hissed vehemently and slither towards him, Wang Chao kicked it to the center. With that blow, the snake began to coil its body and stare angrily from its position.

The cat had been thrown to the center as well towards the snake.

When the snake saw something get thrown close, its mouth had immediately opened up to bite down on it. Sensing the danger, the cat immediately reared its claws up to attack the snake head.

As both animals fell, they began to fight and stand back up.

Wang Chao’s eyes stared fixedly at the two animals while paying attention to their movements.

The cat was the tiger stance and the snake was naturally the snake stance. Within this snake stance, parts of the dragon stance could be understood.

Wang Chao had wanted to perfect the essence of these two stances. The Chopping Jin would follow the tiger’s roar while the twisting arm would use the Drilling Jin that could be learned from studying the snake.

This methodology of learning martial arts could be said to be the way to becoming a master.