CHAPTER 4: SPARRING MATCH

Wang Zen and Yin Zheng stared at each other in the area, which was just a circular area with sand, with small ankle high walls as its circumference. Standing on the wall, perfectly halfway in the circle was Ding Wu, still chewing on his yellow stick of wheat.

“Alright, I’ll be serving as referee of this match.” Ding Wu raised his hand. “This match will be to the death!”

“Oi! They’re just kids, the match can’t be to the death, you idiot!” Yin Bhiki shouted from the side lines, which was a shaded area in a walkway that formed part of the Wang mansion.

“Oh?” Ding Wu tilted his head in wonder.

“Make it a point system match! Every successful hit to the body with no counter is a point and the first one to reach 3 points wins!” Yin Bhiki shouted his instructions.

Ding Wu looked at the combatants. “Yeah, what he said.”

Yin Bhiki slammed his palm against his forehead. “I think I made a mistake in making him the referee,” he said under his breath.

“Alright, start!” Ding Wu sliced the air with his palm.

The boys orbited each other, waiting for the other to make the first move.

“What the hell,” Wang Zen smiled before he charged forward.

He led with a punch which Zheng blocked with a forearm and a smile. “Nice.”

“You haven’t seen anything yet,” Zen said before releasing a series of punches with the occasional kick.

Zheng lost his smile as he tried to block the barrage. When he saw a break in the series, he began his own, forcing Wang Zen on the defensive. He dropped down and tried to trip his friend up with a low swinging kick.

Zen jumped up but his foot was clipped, making him land awkwardly, which caused him to stumble back.

Zheng smiled at this and quickly sped towards him.

Zen’s eyes widened at Zheng’s increased speed. He’s using ki to enhance his speed! Hmpf, I can do that too! Zen blocked his punch before activating his ki and sending it through his meridians to enhance his speed.

Zheng Yin watched impressed as both boys sped and leapt around the ring, trading punches kicks and blocks. Shibi was excitedly doing summersaults and ‘ook’-ing as the two boys fought.

I can’t keep using my ki to enhance my speed cause I won’t have enough to execute higher level of techniques. Zen thought as he riposted his friend’s kick with a punch. Zen allowed his ki to flow through his meridians in preparation for his technique.

However, it seemed Zheng had had the same idea as he had already executed his technique, making his fist glow a greyish white.

When he saw the fist coming to his face, Zen crossed his arms in an attempt to block. He felt pain shoot up in his hands when the fist made contact and he was sent sliding back. He slowly lowered his shaking arms in awe.

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“What-What was that?” Zen looked at his bruised arms.

“Sorry about that!” Zheng shouted in worry. “That was a technique I learned called Stone Fist. It hardens my fist and makes it…”

“As hard as stone?” Zen offered.

“Well, I was going to say almost as hard as stone but as hard as stone is when it is executed perfectly.” Zheng lowered his now normal hand. “I won’t use it if…”

“Are you crazy? Use it!” Zen said. “It’s not like I’m not going to use my technique.”

Zheng smiled at this. “Alright, if you say so.”

Zen sped forward, preparing to use his own technique but Zheng jumped up. Zen lost focus and looked up in time to see Zheng coming down with an axe kick. Zen raised his forearm and blocked it. He reactivated his ki to execute his technique but was surprised when he saw that Bhiki had already executed his own, causing his fist to glow in a slightly grey-tinted white.

Zen leaped back crossing his arms over is face again but Zheng pursued. Zheng changed the trajectory of his fist into an uppercut where he punched Zen’s arms, forcing them apart. Without his defence, Zen was open to a side kick to the abdomen by Zheng. The kick sent him sprawling back before he landed on the sand.

“Point, Zheng!” Ding Wu raised an arm in favour of Zheng.

“Are you okay?” Zheng asked his friend.

“I’m alright,” Zen smiled as he got back to his feet. “Let’s continue.”

Ding Wu nodded before raising his hand. “Re-start!”

Zen dashed forward, this time more determined to use his technique and even the odds. “Blits Fist!”

Zheng was forced to jump back as a blur of fists almost hit him. Zheng was confused as he could have sworn that he had seen a flurry of punches in a single second.

“Blits Fist,” Zheng Yin said to himself. “A technique that allows Master Wang to throw several punches in the space of a second. I see he can now throw 10 in a second, much better than the 6 he kept getting the last time I saw him practice it.”

Zheng kept jumping back, having been unnerved by the new technique. He knew he would not be able to block or parry that many punches, so he decided to stay out of Zen’s reach. He looked back and found himself getting closer to the edge of the arena.

At that time, a familiar masked man walked through the walkway, which served as a place where Yin could watch the match. He walked closer to Zeng and the man stood up straighter upon seeing the master of the house.

“Master Wang!” He said in surprise.

“What’s going on here?” Wang looked at the fighting boys.

“Uhm… just a sparring match between young master Wang and my boy, sir.”

“Hmm…”

Zheng Yin did not know what Wang Shu was feeling as his emotions were hidden behind his black iron mask.

Zheng was one step away from being forced out of the ring and losing the match all together. He looked at his friend determinedly as he sent his own ki through meridians but in a different path from what he would need to activate Stone Fist.

Zen smiled at having his friend near the edge. Why bother racking up 3 points when he could simply force him out of the ring and win the whole thing. “Blits Fist!” He shouted as he headed for his friend.

For a moment, Zheng’s body glowed before a barrier came from him and stood between him and Zen.

Zen was surprised but having already executed his technique he punched the barrier. The barrier trembled but stood strong against the ten punches. When his technique was done, a leg came at Zen’s side, forcing him to raise his forearm to block. However, Zheng sent out a fist as he withdrew his leg and Zen was not fast enough to block that.

He closed his eyes waiting for the inevitable but the punch did not come. He opened his eyes to see it stopped centimetres from his face. He looked to his side only to see in horror that his father was standing with Zheng, watching them, watching him lose.

“Point, Zheng Zheng!” Ding Wu once again raised his hand in favour of Zheng.

“Wow, you almost caught me th…” Zheng was about to say but stopped when Zen marched angrily away. “Zen?” Zheng said under his breath with worry. He looked over to his father who shrugged. Zheng narrowed his eyes as the black masked man and understood what was going on. He looked at his frustrated friend as he returned to his corner and it was then that he made his resolve. Do not worry, Zen’er. There’s nothing at stake here except pride, so I will lose for you!