Chapter 31: Not in the Same League

Xiao Yao had been practicing Shaolin Long Fist for over a year. While he focused primarily on the forms, it was about more than just choreography.

Liu Zhongwen was a renowned master of Baji Quan, and Xiao Yao’s ultimate goal in learning from him was to study the Baji Quan he had so admired in his previous life. However, Liu had explicitly told him that Shaolin Long Fist was a foundation for strengthening the body and bones; only when Xiao Yao reached a level of proficiency that satisfied him would he consider teaching him the more aggressive and lethal Baji Quan. It was precisely because of this that Xiao Yao, who had an ever-growing list of interests, remained steadfast in his training. Xiao Yao felt that merely mastering the sequences wouldn't be enough to satisfy Liu; he needed to grasp the "essence" of the martial art—which, to Xiao Yao, meant the power-generating techniques and their application in actual combat. To keep Xiao Yao interested in the long-term practice, Liu had occasionally demonstrated combat applications, which only deepened Xiao Yao’s conviction. Thus, during his training, Xiao Yao constantly pondered the mechanics of force and the practical use of his moves. Agreeing to the spar with Zhao Rui was his way of putting his insights to the test, as he rarely had the chance for real combat.

Xiao Yao opened with the formal starting stance of Long Fist.

Zhao Rui, however, didn't bother with a stance; he simply rushed forward with his fists raised. His left fist led while his right was pulled back near his shoulder, his upper body twisted to the right, clearly telegraphing his intent to use his waist to power a right punch.

Seeing such an obvious intent, Xiao Yao did not hesitate. He pushed off with his left leg, squared his body, and shifted his right hand from a claw into a palm, slashing diagonally toward the side of Zhao Rui’s neck. Halfway through, he remembered Zhou Lixing’s warning not to strike the throat—and the neck didn't seem right either—so he quickly turned his palm vertical, striking Zhao Rui’s shoulder instead. Simultaneously, his left arm, which had been guarding his side, swung out to deflect Zhao Rui’s right-handed punch.

Because Xiao Yao had forced a change in direction mid-strike, the force of his right palm was significantly reduced. However, since it landed squarely on Zhao Rui’s left collarbone, Zhao’s left arm went numb. As Zhao Rui’s momentum carried him to the left, his left fist—now a trailing punch—lost all its purpose, and with his right fist deflected, his center was left wide open.

Xiao Yao retracted his left arm and unleashed a straight punch with his left hand, landing squarely on Zhao Rui’s right chest. Zhao Rui was knocked back three steps before he could regain his balance.

Xiao Yao had gained the upper hand, but instead of pressing the attack, he felt a momentary hesitation. He realized he had miscalculated. He had expected the spar to be evenly matched, or at least close. Although he had been training longer, Zhao Rui was a year older, and their physical attributes should have been comparable. But after this exchange, Xiao Yao realized he had overlooked something crucial: he possessed the soul of a thirty-year-old, while Zhao Rui, no matter how fit, was still a six-year-old child. His reaction time, decision-making, and courage were simply not on the same level. Furthermore, what a typical six-year-old called "martial arts" was merely a slightly more disciplined version of basic punches and kicks; they couldn't apply techniques in a real fight. Fighting him felt like a grown man bullying a child.

Xiao Yao’s interest waned, and he felt a bit dejected. Still, since they had started, he couldn't just quit or concede when he was clearly winning. Given Zhao Rui’s personality, he would surely throw a tantrum if he felt patronized.

Zhao Rui caught his breath, shook out his numb shoulder and arm, and charged again, refusing to give up. He was quite clever; realizing Xiao Yao’s hand-to-hand skills were superior, he stayed back and launched a lower-body attack, throwing a roundhouse kick at Xiao Yao.

Xiao Yao stepped forward with his left leg, dropped into a side-lunge, tensed his left leg, and blocked the kick with the outside of his shin. He simultaneously drove his left elbow and palm edge outward from his chest, striking Zhao Rui’s chest, then followed up with his right fist—which he changed into a palm at the last second to push Zhao Rui away, a move known as "Extracting the Temple Hammer."

Taking two consecutive hits, Zhao Rui stumbled back five or six steps, rubbing his chest while struggling to find his footing.

The watching fathers were stunned. Zhao Rui’s performance matched their expectations—it looked like kids fighting, just with more speed and accuracy due to his training. But Xiao Yao was different. His steady stance, his blocks, and his force generation made them feel like they were watching an action movie.

Humiliated by the two strikes, Zhao Rui’s fighting spirit was fully ignited. He took a running start and launched a flying kick straight at Xiao Yao.

Xiao Yao pivoted on his left leg, spinning 180 degrees, sank into a horse stance, and pulled his fists to his waist. He turned his head to the right, locked his eyes on Zhao Rui in mid-air, and prepared to land the final blow. Zhao Rui’s kick missed. To avoid causing serious injury, Xiao Yao didn't strike while Zhao was in the air. Instead, he waited until Zhao landed, then drove both palms forward into Zhao’s chest. Off-balance from the landing, Zhao Rui couldn't withstand the force and tumbled backward onto the mat.

Seeing that Zhao Rui was no match, Zhou Lixing stepped in and ended the match. He wasn't worried about Xiao Yao attacking a downed opponent; he knew from his own martial arts background that Xiao Yao had pulled his punches to avoid hurting Zhao. He was only concerned that Zhao Rui might lose his temper and make things uncontrollable.

But his worries were unfounded. Zhao Rui seemed to have had his fighting spirit knocked out of him by that final fall. Standing up, he relaxed his body and said simply, "You're good. I can't beat you. I concede."

Feeling a bit ashamed, Xiao Yao didn't know what to say and just offered an awkward smile.

The fathers applauded, both for Xiao Yao’s performance and Zhao Rui’s sportsmanship. Zhao Tao shouted, "Well done, son! There’s no shame in losing!"

Zhao Rui was straightforward. He turned to Zhou Lixing and said, "But I want one more fight. I want to box Hao-hao. We promised Hao-hao we’d follow boxing rules—no legs, and we wear gloves."

Zhou Lixing smiled. "That's fine, but you have to wait. Since you both promised Hao-hao, Bayi should also have a boxing match with him, right?"

Seeing them nod, Zhou added, "You just finished a fight, so you should rest. Let Hao-hao and Bayi go first. That way, it’ll be fair."

"True," Zhao Rui nodded, "but Bayi just fought me too. Wouldn't it be unfair to him to fight Hao-hao now?"

"He won, didn't he?" Zhou replied. "That means he’s better. If he’s better, it’s okay if it’s a little unfair to him, otherwise Hao-hao won't have a chance. Besides, I think he was holding back against you; he didn't use his full strength, so he isn't as tired as you."

Zhao Rui accepted this and agreed.

Zhou Lixing went to the equipment room and returned with three pairs of children’s boxing gloves and some hand wraps. He began wrapping the children’s hands.

It was Xiao Yao’s first time wearing boxing gloves. He found it interesting, tapping his fists together; the sound of the gloves hitting each other sparked a bit of excitement in him.

Acting as both referee and commentator, Zhou Lixing told Xiao Yao and Zhao Rui, "Hao-hao has been practicing boxing, so he knows the rules. Since you agreed to follow them, you must obey them. No feet—no kicking or kneeing. With gloves on, you can't use palms or claws. You cannot use your elbows or arms to strike; you can only use the front part of the gloves. Understand?"

They both nodded. Zhou continued, "And no striking below the waist. Only the front and sides of the upper body and head are allowed. No hitting the back or the back of the head. You cannot circle behind your opponent. Understand?"

Seeing them nod again, Zhou sent Zhao Rui to rest and led Zhou Zhihao and Xiao Yao onto the ring.

Zhou Zhihao had been training in boxing for over a year, and his demeanor changed the moment he stepped into the ring. His eyes were sharp and focused. He began bouncing lightly on his toes, tapping his cheeks with his gloved fists to sharpen his concentration.

Watching with curiosity, Xiao Yao found it amusing and began to mimic him, bouncing and tapping his own face.