Miyue thought to himself, *Who doesn't know these techniques? I spent years honing my skills at the Shaolin Temple, and this is Wu Song's true martial prowess. How could I not recognize it?* However, A Lai had instructed him not to reveal his identity.
So, Miyue said, "I learned it from Wu Song's martial arts in *Water Margin*."
Erlang Shen suddenly spun around and leaped into the air, executing a powerful downward stomp with his right leg. Miyue saw the attack coming—Xiaotian Dog's aerial stomp—and swiftly ducked and dodged. *'When force is overwhelming, fear not; a gentle touch can deflect a thousand pounds.'* He smoothly maneuvered, flipping Erlang Shen onto the ground, intending to strike him down.
A Lai, watching from above, understood the situation and signaled by briefly flashing his flashlight at Miyue before turning it off. Miyue knew what A Lai had instructed—they could not win this fight. He promptly withdrew.
Erlang Shen, seizing the opportunity, executed a spinning kick, sweeping Miyue off his feet with a loud thud, leaving Miyue sprawled on his back.
Erlang Shen, reveling in his success, laughed heartily and launched another aerial stomp at Miyue, who quickly rolled away and scrambled to his feet, fleeing as fast as he could.
Erlang Shen gave chase but was soon intercepted by another masked figure wearing a "Jade Emperor" mask, who stepped in to block him. "We've achieved our objective. The boss wants you to stand down. The item is still in their hands, so we can't act recklessly."
Jade Emperor then stood in the clearing and declared, "Who's next? Let's stick to the rules and have a fair duel. We'll stop once a winner is clear."
Unnoticed by anyone, Mile had slipped into the arena, standing behind Jade Emperor. He cheerfully said, "I've come under the boss's orders to engage in a friendly match. Please show mercy, and I'll repay you in the future."
Jade Emperor was startled and turned to see a figure in a Sha Monk mask. This person had approached silently and was clearly not an ordinary opponent. Smiling, Jade Emperor replied, "We're all here to serve the boss; we have no choice."
The two began to circle each other, testing each other's movements. Jade Emperor moved with a practiced grace, his shoulders relaxed, elbows lowered, and chest open, his qi settled in his dantian. His movements were fluid and controlled, indicative of internal martial arts. Mile recognized this and noted Jade Emperor's footwork and hand positions.
Jade Emperor, seeing that Mile was only observing, coldly announced, "I'm going to strike now!"
He moved swiftly, closing the distance with a sudden lunge. His right hand, claw-like, aimed for Mile's throat, forcing Mile to retreat. Jade Emperor followed with a quick step forward, bending his legs and extending his right hand in another claw strike. Mile evaded once more.
Jade Emperor seamlessly transitioned through moves like "Monkey Picking Fruit," "Monkey Sitting in the Cave," and "Kirin Spitting the Book," all in one fluid sequence.
Mile dodged each attack, but when Jade Emperor suddenly dropped into a crouch and executed the "Swallow Skimming Water," Mile sensed danger. The move was fast and powerful, like a sudden storm. Mile flipped backward, landing on a rock and stabilizing himself in a low horse stance, cold sweat trickling down his back.
A Lai, watching from his vantage point, realized he had underestimated the preparation of the other side. They were clearly skilled, and he couldn't afford to rush Mile. Now, all he could do was wait. *Trouble has come,* he thought grimly.
Jade Emperor pressed his advantage, advancing with the speed and force of a whirlwind, sending Mile flying several meters away with a powerful strike.
Jade Emperor was secretly pleased. His sneak attack had succeeded, leaving his opponent uncertain of what technique had been used, achieving the "striking without the opponent knowing" level of mastery.
Mile, catching his breath, praised, "Half-step Crushing Fist is truly formidable."
Jade Emperor coldly replied, "No matter how much you praise me tonight, I won't let you go!" He then launched another attack with his Bagua Palm.
Remembering A Lai's instructions to give it his all and defeat his opponent quickly, Mile waited for Jade Emperor's next strike. He swiftly shifted his position and, with lightning speed, grabbed the masked man's hand with a Dragon Claw technique, locking it in a vice-like grip. The opponent, shocked, couldn't pull back in time as pain shot through his arm.
"Shaolin's Dragon Claw is indeed powerful. Alright, I admit defeat. Please don't ruin my skills—I rely on them to make a living."
Mile, understanding the difficulty of mastering such techniques, decided to show mercy. "You may go. Perhaps we'll spar again in the future. The first lesson in martial arts is about virtue."
Jade Emperor lowered his head and said, "Thank you, farewell!"
Mile turned to leave.
Suddenly, there was a flash of cold light. Mile felt two sharp forces rushing toward his back...
It turned out that as Jade Emperor had said his thanks, he had secretly pulled two poison darts from his leg bindings. Seeing Mile six meters away, he quickly launched them.
Miyue, hidden nearby, shouted, "Watch out!"
Mile twisted his body, catching one dart between his fingers, while Miyue leaped in to wrap the other dart in cloth. Mile turned back, eyes blazing with anger, and shouted, "I didn't expect you to be such a despicable coward."
Though the night had cooled, the air was stifling, and the dense forest trapped the heat. Clouds rolled overhead, signaling an impending storm, and everyone wanted to finish quickly and leave.
At this moment, a man wearing a Buddha mask, draped in a yellow robe, and baring his muscular chest, stepped into the clearing and shouted, "It's one-to-one now. Let your final man step up."
Miyue and Mile recognized from the man's voice and presence that he was a formidable opponent. In typical martial contests, the most skilled fighter was often saved for last.
A Lai observed the newcomer and thought, *Heaven's on my side, this saves me a lot of trouble.* He let out a smug laugh, "Heh heh, your bad luck."
Miyue and Mile rushed to A Lai, pleading with him not to fight. Having grown up playing together in the temple, they knew A Lai's so-called martial skills were nothing special—certainly not enough to face such an opponent. Going up against this man would be like hitting a rock with an egg, pure suicide.
A Lai said, "If I don't go, the Absolute Intimidation Plan will be ruined."
Miyue suggested, "We can train you properly afterward."
Mile added, "Even without this plan, do you think they'd dare cause trouble at the temple every night?"
A Lai sternly commanded, "Miyue, Mile, follow my orders and proceed as I instructed."
With that, he grabbed a "Golden Staff" and swaggered into the clearing.
"Ah, you're the Buddha. Guess who I am?"
The Buddha instinctively looked at A Lai and nearly burst out laughing. He said, "So, it's you, Lei Zhenzi. You'd better hand over the relics peacefully so I can report back to the Buddhist Association and avoid blowing this out of proportion and involving the authorities. That way, we can all walk away in peace."
A Lai replied, "That's possible. This match is to see if you have the strength to keep the relics. If you do, they'll be returned. You're the Buddha, and I know I can't escape your grasp. Tonight's your lucky night. Ugh, this mask alone puts us at a disadvantage."
The Buddha, feeling confident, laughed, "That's right, that's fate."
A Lai planted his "Golden Staff" into the ground and said, "I'm Lei Zhenzi. Since you're the Buddha, can I strike first to test if you're real?"
The Buddha hesitated, wondering, *This is a test of strength. With your frail frame, I could crush you with a single move. I'll let you show me what trick you have up your sleeve.*