The meridian in the shoulder was quickly prodded by the end of the stick. Im Seng Cu was an expert in probing, however, he was shocked when his probing did not knock the young man down. Instead, Tiong Li fought back with Tai-lek-kim-kong-jiu and grabbed his stick. The lightning-fast punch forced Im Seng Cu to jump backward and release the stick that was taken by Tiong Li! Apparently, I-kiong-hoan-hiat, which could move the meridian and stop the blood flow, made him immune to the probing in his shoulder.
"Impressive...! You are indeed formidable, young man!" praised Im Seng Cu, as he accepted his stick returned by Tiong Li, then stepped back, his face slick with sweat. At this point, the other two Tosus were overjoyed. The young man could match even surpass Im Seng Cu, this was impressive!
Ban Hok Seng-jin then stepped forward and unsheathed his sword. "Tan-sicu, I would like to experience your skill as well. However, as I usually use a sword, I will have to use it now. I hope you, young man, would also like to use a weapon, because fighting barehanded would make me feel uneasy."
"Koko, use my sword!" Siang Hwi suddenly said, handing her sword to Tiong Li. The young man hesitated. His lover was a disciple of Ban-tok Sian-li, so her sword must be poisoned, and he didn't want to use a poisoned sword, but to refuse would upset his lover. Siang Hwi seemed to understand her lover's hesitation, so she smiled sweetly and said:
"Koko, don't worry. My sword is clean!"
Tiong Li was delighted and without hesitation, he accepted the sword. It was a well-made steel sword that shone brilliantly. There were no signs that the sword contained poison. He held the sword, facing Ban Hok Seng-jin. "If to-tiang insists on testing sword techniques, please, to-tiang. I am ready!" he said, as he crossed his sword in front of his chest. Despite his casual stance, it was actually a stance from the Hui-eng-kiam-hoat (Flying Garuda Sword Technique), called Garuda Folding Wings.
"Excellent, then face my attack, young man!" Ban Hok Seng-jin shouted, attacking with a swing of his sword from left to right. The pair of arms formed like folded wings opened, and Tiong Li's sword countered. The swords clashed thrice and they each drew back their swords to check.
The swords were intact, but Ban Hok Seng-jin felt a strong vibration in his hand. He then attacked more fiercely. His sword disappeared, turning into dazzling spirals of light. This Tosu was indeed a skilled swordsman. However, Tiong Li matched him with his body evading technique, Jauw-sang-hui.
The young man's body, while executing the Hui-eng-kiam-hoat, moved like a swift swallow. Flying around amidst the opponent's sword swings, his own sword retaliated with equally powerful attacks.
An intense exchange ensued, watched by the two other Tosus and Siang Hwi, who was increasingly in awe of her lover. She saw her lover's body transform into flashes of shadows between the two swirling sword lights.
Of course, Tiong Li didn't want to knock down or injure his opponent, so he sought a way to achieve victory without harming the opponent. Finally, he found a way. When the opponent's sword thrust towards his neck, he clapped it with his sword and channeled his inner energy to draw the opponent's sword, causing it to stick to his own. He spun his sword with the exertion of his inner energy, forcing the opponent's sword to spin as well. At that moment, Tiong Li jabbed his sword forward, threatening the opponent's wrist!
Ban Hok Seng-jin was taken aback when suddenly his wrist was threatened by the tip of the opponent's sword. To protect his wrist, he had to release the sword stuck to the opponent's sword and jump backward! His sword was still attached to Tiong Li's sword, who then took it and returned it to its owner, saying, "Thank you for conceding to me, to-tiang."
"Siancai ....... !" Ban Hok Seng-jin took back his sword and looked at him in awe. "I have never met an opponent like you, young man. May I ask, what is the name of the sword technique you used?"
"It's Hui-eng-kiam-hwat, to-tiang."
"Hui-eng-kiam-hwat? Isn't that the sword technique of Pek Hong Sa Jin, the hermit of Pek-hong-san?" "He is one of my teachers, to-tiang."
"Siancai. ... ! No wonder you are so skilled!" said Ban Hok Seng-jin in admiration,"And who are your other teachers, young man?" asked Sin Gi Tosu, the tall Tosu.
"I have two more teachers, to-tiang, they are Thian Kui lo-jin and Tee Kui Lo-jin."
"Wow, the pair of martial artists from the peak of Ki lin- san? Impressive!" exclaimed Sin Gi Tosu as he tucked his sword into his waist. "Then, I don't want to test your martial arts, young man, because the martial arts taught by those three masters must be formidable. I want to test your resilience."
"Please, to-tiang," Tiong Li said, returning the sword to Siang Hwi.
"Now, face this, young man!" Sin Gi Tosu said as he pushed forward with both his open hands, towards Tiong Li's chest. Seeing the powerful force and the fierce wind coming from the push, he immediately braced himself and moved both his open hands forward with the Thai-lek-kim-kong-jiu technique. Two extremely strong inner energies met in the air and both seemed to encounter a strong steel wall. They both exerted force and pushed against each other.
0o—dw—o0
Tiong Li understood that although this test of skill seemed harmless as their hands did not touch, it was indeed very dangerous. If one of them couldn't withstand the pressure and the other's force was already exerted, the one who couldn't resist could suffer severe injuries!
Therefore, he only held his ground and did not push forward. Therefore, Sin Gi Tosu felt as if his palms were pushing against a sturdy rock. No matter how much he exerted his force, he couldn't push back the young man's hands. After a while, they only held their ground and Sin Gi Tosu's face gradually turned red and sweaty. He felt frustrated. He, who had trained for decades, had to admit defeat to a young man who could be his grandson? He then let out a long shout and pushed with all his might.
Tiong Li, who was only defending, was pushed back, but his stance remained firm. On the other hand, Sin Gi Tosu was out of strength and he staggered forward, panting heavily. He wasn't injured because Tiong Li didn't push him with force, only shaken because his force was deflected by a stronger force. Sin Gi Tosu quickly sat down in a meditative posture and controlled his breathing to prevent internal injuries. Then he stood up and his face was filled with awe.
Glossary:
- Im Seng Cu: Character's name, a martial arts expert in the story.
- Ban Hok Seng-jin: Character's name, another martial arts expert in the story.
- Tosu: Martial arts expert or master.
- Tai-lek-kim-kong-jiu: A martial arts technique or skills.
- I-kiong-hoan-hiat: A martial arts technique that can move the meridian and stop the blood flow.
- Tan-sicu: A respectful term to address a senior in martial arts.
- Ban-tok Sian-li: A martial arts sect or school.
- Hui-eng-kiam-hoat: The Flying Garuda Sword Technique.
- Pek Hong Sa Jin: A character mentioned as a hermit and a sword technique master.
- Pek-hong-san: A location in the story, likely a mountain where Pek Hong Sa Jin resides.
- Thian Kui lo-jin: Character's name, a martial arts master in the story.
- Tee Kui Lo-jin: Character's name, another martial arts master in the story.
- Ki lin-san: A location in the story, likely a mountain where Thian Kui lo-jin and Tee Kui Lo-jin reside.
- Thai-lek-kim-kong-jiu: A martial arts technique or skills used by Tiong Li.