Chapter 180: Taekwondo and the Meteor Hammer (1/2)

Chapter 180: Taekwondo and the Meteor Hammer

Indeed, a man’s name was the same as the shadow of a tree. Wang Chao had never thought to see that his very own name would spread to even a small frontier city to the southwest. Not only did a youngster named Tan Wendong hear of him, but even that young policewoman too.

His own martial arts was already heads above Tan Wendong’s, but it didn’t seem as if the young gang leader had even cared about Wang Chao’s prowess in it at all. But the very moment Wang Chao gave his name, Tan Wendong had seemed to transform into an idolator of some type. Tan Wendong hadn’t shown it openly, but the look of worship was there in his eyes.

“Master Wang, why don’t we find a place to sit down.” Fang Bei took the initiative to speak first. “There’s a quaint tea shop over there.” Her eyes had looked to him with a vivid and spirited glow that did nothing to hide the look of excitement on her face. Even the freckles around her nose could be clearly seen.

This policewoman wasn’t exactly stunning in her looks, but there was still some appeal to her. She exuded a sense of can-do and calmness that added to her capable personality. From a preliminary look at her, Wang Chao had felt that she was the type to take meticulous attention to any single task she put her head without fail.

Such characteristics like these were quite charming in their own very way.

Wang Chao had also seen one more thing to her however. This little policewoman had a crush on Tan Wendong. When they were all in the same room together, she had been giving a sour look at the meek and docile girlfriend of Tan Wendong.

Sitting peaceful on the veranda of the tea shop, the two of sat in silence for some time before Fang Bai had decided to be the one to break the silence. “Master Wang, were you really able to see the aptitude of Tan Wendong? Is that why you wish to take him in as a disciple?”

“Of course. His aptitude is something that is better than any other youngster I’ve seen.” Wang Chao spoke.

In truth, there wasn’t much need for Wang Chao to rush for a disciple at his age. But because he had made an enemy out of many, he would still have to take in two students if not disciples in the case something were to happen to him. If he came across any expert, then his disciples would at the very least be able to discern their own truths from his teaching.

It was unfortunate that his achievements in martial arts could only be said to be heads beyond the others. As one that could be said to be a grandmaster in the world of martial arts, there were practically none that could stand next to him as an equal. The only road from here was backwards, so he had to look for a disciple soon.

In any case, Wang Chao was the headmaster of the Laoshan School of Internal Martial Arts and the progenitor of his own style of martial arts. It was said Confucius had three thousand students, but only seventy-two disciples that had mastered his teachings as inheritors to his legacy. He at the very least should have eight or ten disciples of his own. One would be Huo Ling’er and perhaps the finicky Han Xiaoqing would be the second. As of right now though, the pickings were rather disastrous.

There was also one additional reason. The amount of youngsters that had interest in martial arts were many, but those with the aptitude for it were severely lacking. The vast majority of those with a penchant for it were like a flash of fire in a pan–after three minutes of enthusiasm, their resolve would die out. Those unable to stomach the hardships would be unable to continue onto this harsh path to continue to learn martial arts with the utmost meticulousness. An enthusiast that was talented, willing to endure in silence, and captivated by martial arts was far too few in numbers.

And with it being so hard to come across one, Wang Chao was loathe to let one go when he found one.

This was a problem that any master of martial arts would come across from the times of antiquity to even the modern era. Those who were spirited for the first three minutes were numerous, and those who would endure under all odds were few.

Should a master come across one that met these rare conditions, then they would undoubtedly chase after them.

“Master Wang, please don’t see Wendong as the leader of a gang, his personality isn’t at all bad.” Fang Bei sighed. “When he was in his early teens, his father and mother became involved with the wrong people and were killed in a car accident as a result. He suffered greatly after that, but even though he’s been lead astray onto the darker path, it’s for the sake of revenge. For that reason, master Wang, I hope that you will help him break free from that and take him away from this.”

“But I’m no idiot. I know that the moment you stray off the moral path to walk the darker path, it is very hard to turn back. Like those who retire from the Jianghu, the problems of before will only catch up with you after time. Without power, those problems will only increase, and I’ve seen that happen to know. If Wendong were to be reformed and dissolve the Wendong Group, then it’ll only take tomorrow for the public safety bureau to register him as a criminal and dredge up some past crime to arrest him with.”

Yes. This policewoman had an insightful eye that Wang Chao couldn’t help but agree with. The world Tan Wendong lived in was indeed such a place.

To walk the darker path was fundamentally a path that one had to walk until all that was left was darkness. One could wash away their sins in a golden basin, but without power, the sins of the past wouldn’t disappear like smoke.

The police or one’s enemies wouldn’t let such a golden opportunity escape them. If a dog was drowning, there would always be ones that would go and beat the dog as it drowned.

To walk the darker path meant having only one road, and that was to dream big and expand your power as much as you can. Pull connections from where they might exist, expand your influence, increase your capital, and deepen your intrapersonal relationships. That was the only way to secure one’s safety. There was no turning back on this road.

“If one wishes to go to Liangshan, there should be no idea of offering amnesty to your enemy.” Wang Chao spoke to summarize his thoughts.

“Yes, that is the idea. But when I saw master Wang today, that was when I felt that you could be the savior to Wendong. You are a famous master of martial arts with connections to the army itself. If anyone would be capable of stopping the public safety bureau from threatening Wendong, it would be master Wang. Even his enemies wouldn’t dare move a muscle without fear of the army itself. With time, Wendong would really be able to reform hiself. He can walk away from the darker path and return as a person on the right and moral path. My only worry is that Wendong is won’t disolve the Wendong Group because of the feelings he has for it.”

“He will. He is a smart one. An idiot that knows not how to size up the situation by the hour is not a person that could succeed in martial arts.” Wang Chao gave a mysterious smile before divulging into another topic, “The reason why he has not yet replied to me is because he wishes to think. He doesn’t trust me, and so he will not make a decision. That is the steadfast nature of his.”

“Is that really it? I guess I don’t understand him as much as I thought I did.” Fang Bei muttered. “I hope what master Wang says is correct.”

“I can see that you take fancy to Tan Wendong as well.” Wang Chao smiled.

“That’s right, I like him.” Fang Bei conceded without skipping a beat. “His current girlfriend doesn’t suit him at all. My family is connected with the Public Security Bureau, meaning that as long as Wendong walks the path of a criminal, there will be no way we would ever be together.”

“Then rest assured. Tan Wendong will definitely come looking for me. If I’m not wrong, three days will be all it will take. He’ll dissolve the Wendong Group and take care of the rest.”

“I’ve heard people say before that when one becomes strong enough in martial arts, they start to have premonitions. Master Wang, is this one of those so-called premonitions?”

“There is no need for any premonition. I talk from experience. As long as he has decided on such, Tan Wendong will dissolve his gang and come with me to learn martial arts. Whatever trouble that comes after will be taken on by me.”

Just as Wang Chao said, Tan Wendong really did dissolve the Wendong Group in secret just three days later. Somehow managing to scrape together all of the hard-earned cash he and the group had earned all those years, Tan Wendong had split it evenly to all of his subordinates before telling them to run as far as they could. There had been two reasons for this. First of all, they would need to hide from their enemies now that the group was no longer there to protect them all. Secondly, this would prevent the police from later acting on a single strike on the remaining dregs of the group. Any evidence of their past crimes were destroyed without discrimination, and with that, not even water would be able to escape from this iron-clad lockdown.

On the third day, Tan Wendong had been seated within one of the restaurants in the city whilst waiting for Wang Chao to answer to his invitation.