Martial Arts Master

Panda Novel

Lou Cheng called Director Xing to confirm the visit out of courtesy before setting off. Even though the Director said he would be home all day on the seventh, he didn’t want just to show up. What if his family was still in bed? What if he had important guests?

“Lou, what time are you coming?” Once the call was connected, Director Xing asked open heartedly.

Lou Cheng smiled. “I’m about to leave. Just wanna make sure I won’t disturb you and any important guest.”

“Ha-hah. I do have some visitors here at the moment but they won’t stay long. Feel free to come over. I’ll let the guards know.” Director Xing sounded very relaxed.

“Okay!” Lou Cheng hung up and reserved a taxi. He walked down with the bag of alcohol and tea and a very complicated feeling.

This is my very first time paying a new year visit on my own. I’m actually an adult stepping into society.

In less than 20 minutes, he arrived at Mingshan Residence on South Zhuangyuan Street and passed the entrance guard easily after giving his name. He started to make his way to Director Xing’s home at Unit 2, Block 3.

There was only one home on each floor, so Lou Cheng confidently approached the copper door as he got out of the elevator and sounded the bell.

As the bell rang, the door was opened and a young man came out backward smiling and bowing low. “Director Xing, please don’t see me out. You have other guests coming.”

Xing Chengwu laughed nobly. “Drive safely. Improve and do good in the new year!”

Then he turned to Lou Cheng. “Come on in. Please feel at home.”

The young man stared Lou Cheng up and down, heading to the elevator without a word.

Lou Cheng went in and changed to a pair of house slippers. He just noticed how strapping Director Xing was. His witted and capable bearing was sharp even in his housekeeping outfit.

“Holy cow! That day I was too shocked to take a good look at Director Xing… I won’t be able to recognize him if chancing upon on the street…” Lou Cheng swept off some imaginary cold sweat and handed over the gift bag.

“Uncle Xing, happy new year. I wish you and yours every joy in life.”

“You young boy should bring no gift! I just thought if I should give you some lucky money!” Xing Chengwu joked while accepting the bag.

He opened the bag and frowned. “Original-proof spirits from Ningshui County Brewery and Maojian green tea. It cost you a fortune, didn’t it?”

“Not really. We happen to have some in the house. So I borrow flowers to offer to Buddha.” Lou Cheng answered politely as his shyness and strangeness faded away.

Xing Chengwu wiped the frown off and laughed. “I’ll take it if it comes for free. Good, the Buddha happens to like these flowers very much. Actually, I fancy nothing more than these two!”

“A master hinted me.” Lou Cheng made a joke.

Xing Chengwu put the bag down on the tea table and signaled Lou Cheng to sit down. “A master?”

Lou Cheng grinned. “Yan Zheke is a classmate of mine. She told me you like to have a cup of tea during the day and a shot of wine at night.”

Xing Chengwu appeared surprised and delighted. “Ke is your classmate? You didn’t need to reach me through your master! Ha-hah! It’s kind of fated. I’ll accept these as if you were a nephew of mine.”

“I’ve called you uncle already!” Lou Cheng tried to be funny. “Yan Zheke told me you are specialized in Gold and Jade-Like Method and modern Xingyi?”

He intended to leave early after some casual greetings as he was not familiar with Director Xing at all and uncomfortable to stay in an awkward silence.

“That’s right.” Xing Chengwu was obviously proud. “I wouldn’t be here talking to you without my training in Gold and Jade-Like Method. I bet I would be either high paraplegia or dead by now.”

Director Xing couldn’t stop once he started off on this topic. “I studied in formal martial arts schools and got in the Police Academy in the end. This kind of hard style of close melee is the most suitable for this job. You guys have referees and supervisors in the tournament, but we have only one life to fight facing armed criminals. Gold and Jade-like Method can’t block bullets but it secures the vital parts of the body, turning a severe injury minor and saving lives in the Police Department.”

Less advanced in life, Lou Cheng had never heard such things until that day. He listened with full attention and agreed from time to time.

“It seems like Director Xing was not one of those big forces. The government trained him…” Lou Cheng thought to himself.

Director Xing’s storytelling was interrupted by the sound of a door opening. A tall young girl came out of the bedroom with a middle-aged woman with her hair tied up. Delicate and thin, the girl with very long legs talked like a spoiled child, “Daddy, mommy and I are going shopping. We can’t have a moment of peace when you are here during the new year holiday. Groups of guests have come in turn in an hour.”

Seeing a strange man sitting in the living room, she suddenly straightened her face, turning herself callous and keeping him a thousand miles away.

Lou Cheng felt awkward sitting there. He stood up beside Director Xing as he began to introduce. “Jingjing, this is Ke’s classmate, the young master Lou Cheng I mentioned before.”

“Lou Cheng, this’s my daughter Xing Jingjing, two years older than Ke but just one year senior to you in Huahai University. She and Ke are best friends.” Chief Xing continued with a beam of joy, “And this is my wife. You can call her Aunt Ding.”

“Hello, Aunt Ding. Hi, sister.” Lou Cheng didn’t know how to address Xing Jingjing and decided to call her sister simply.

With Yan Zheke’s warning in advance, he had fear for Xing Jingjing and was very afraid of offending her with wrong words.

“My husband talked about you at home. Young and capable, remarkable.” Aunt Ding smiled. “You and Ke are classmates? You must be still in school. Which university?”

“Songcheng University, same school with Yan Zheke.” Lou Cheng had no intention to lie as Xing Jingjing could easily find out the truth from Yan Zheke.

Aunt Ding would like to chat more but Xing Jingjing dragged her impetuously as if she couldn’t bear staying in the same room with Lou Cheng.

“I’ll leave it to you guys. We’re going shopping.” Aunt Ding frowned briefly but managed to maintain her composure.

Lou Cheng found Xing Jingjing’s behavior rather odd but didn’t comment on it. He politely said goodbye.

I didn’t talk like a rogue, bully or pervert. Why was Xing Jingjing so disgusted with me as if I was a cockroach? She didn’t even care about her manners.

Putting on her knee-height boots, Xing Jingjing left with her mother. Noticing Lou Cheng’s confusion, Xing Chengwu sighed as he sat down. He opened one of the original-proof spirits and poured himself a shot on the tea table.

“Lou, I suddenly feel like some booze. Hope you don’t mind.” He forced an involuntary smile.

Lou Cheng answered at once, “Of course not. Help yourself.”

Xing Chengwu drank half and closed his eyes to taste the fragrance and the spice. After a while, he broke the silence. “Lou, do you know which two kinds of criminals are the most terrifying?”

“I don’t.” Lou Cheng answered frankly. He had no idea why Director Xing suddenly threw this question at him.

Xing Chengwu chuckled. “Gang heads like Zhang Mingle are not our biggest problem. With their roots and family here, they have their boundaries and concerns. They won’t cross the line unless cornered and desperate.”

“Among them are reckless, brutal trouble makers like Jian the Third but they are under control in general. If I could get in touch with Jian the Third prior to the first day of this year and warned him to send the Ninth Pin martial artist of the Dark Sect away from Xiushan, this big case wouldn’t ever take place.”

Reflecting on what Director Xing just said, Lou Cheng murmured, “Uncle Xing, those passing by criminals, committing a crime and running away, are the biggest fear for you police.”

Xing Chengwu nodded. “Yes, these criminals are used to flee from one place to another, fearless and ruthless. They dare to commit major crimes with no concern for possible future trouble. Just like that Ninth Pin fighter of the Dark Sect. As long as his crime is not filmed and no important evidence is left behind, he pretty much can’t be traced once we lose him. After all we have no idea who he is and what his background is.”

He took another sip and seemed in a trance. “Another group is those under age. Capable of causing big problems, lacking family and school education, protected by laws, they have balls to pierce open the sky!”

“And most of their crimes are on the spur of the moment. No plans or signs like those prior to murder for love or hate. Impossible to keep a lookout… They’d kill a passerby just to show their courage and rape a young woman after watching a film.”

Chief Xing’s bitter look reminded Lou Cheng of a conversation he had with Yan Zheke.

In their second year in senior high school, an attempted rape happened to a girl on her way home from school. Stories and rumors scared the girls and the boys volunteered to escort their female peers home.

Considering Xing Jingjing’s overreaction towards rogues and perverts and Director Xing’s looks, could she be the victim?

Watching Director Xing sipping on the shot glass bitterly, Lou Cheng felt deeply sorry for him. “An influential and capable figure in Xiushan, the deputy director of the Police Department, he would also feel helpless, painful and self-reproving.

He is just another human. He makes mistakes, suffers and aches…”

Xing Chengwu didn’t know Lou Cheng had already guessed the truth. He swiftly changed the topic as soon as he calmed down.

“Lou, train harder so you can protect your family and friends. My Jingjing used to hate police officers and martial arts because of my frequent absence during her growing up. Somehow she’s joined the Martial Arts Club of Huahai University. Maybe one day you’ll meet each other in the National University Martial Arts Competitions.”

“Uncle Xing, rest assured. I take martial arts seriously as my future,” answered Lou Cheng genuinely.

They chatted a bit more when Lou Cheng stood up to leave. Director Xing didn’t ask him to stay longer.

Lou Cheng soon threw this matter behind and went back to his leisurely holiday life. In a flash, the new school term was about to start.

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