"That's wonderful, Mr. Zhou, you are my rebirth..." Feeling that the chronic illness that had tormented him for more than ten years was gone, Wu Di was so excited that he couldn't express it. He ran to Zhou Ziwei in three steps and wanted to kneel down to thank him, but Zhou Ziwei stopped him.
Zhou Ziwei glanced at Wu Di's frail body, weakened by years of sitting in a wheelchair and lack of exercise. After a moment's hesitation, he took out a rough ceramic bottle and a rough earthenware wine cup from his pocket, carefully poured out a drop of milky-white spring water, and handed it to Wu Di, saying, "Drink this..."
Wu Di glanced at the single drop of white liquid in the cup with a slight pause, but without asking any questions, he immediately took it, tilted his head back, and poured it into his mouth.
There was only one drop of liquid, and it immediately stuck to Wu Di's tongue when he poured it into his mouth, making his tongue feel a little hot and uncomfortable. He didn't think much about it at the time, and immediately picked up a cup of tea from the coffee table and poured it into his mouth.
With a "gulp," he swallowed the drop of milky white liquid along with the tea. The burning sensation vanished instantly, and Wu Di felt a lingering, indescribable fragrance in his mouth.
As the liquid flowed completely into his stomach, he felt light and airy all over, an indescribable comfort and wonderful sensation, just like... just like taking drugs.
This feeling startled Wu Di. At first, he really thought that Zhou Ziwei had given him some kind of high-grade drug in an attempt to control him, but then he realized that it didn't seem to be the case.
Although Wu Di is no longer involved with drugs, he tried them twice out of curiosity when he was younger. However, he later realized that they were not good for him and resolutely gave them up, never touching them again, which is why he did not become addicted.
Therefore, he also knew that the reason why drugs, no matter what kind, are addictive is mainly because they can stimulate the nerves and give people a certain extreme pleasure.
But now, after he drank that drop of white liquid, it was clearly not like that. He was now enjoying an unparalleled pleasure, but this pleasure came from his body, from every cell in his body, rather than from pure mental stimulation. This was naturally an effect that drugs could not achieve.
When Zhou Ziwei saw Wu Di looking quite pleased after drinking the drop of spring water, he was greatly surprised. He had witnessed the terrible side effects that Ah Da and Ah Er had experienced after taking this spring water. Just thinking about it, it wasn't hard to imagine that every organ and cell in a person's body would be burned, split, and merged from the inside out by that magical white flame. The feeling was definitely unbearable for an ordinary person. The reason Zhou Ziwei only gave Wu Di a drop of spring water was because he was afraid that Wu Di's current physical condition would not be able to withstand the intense reaction produced by the spring water's transformation of his body.
But now... why does Wu Di not only not seem to be in pain, but actually seem to be enjoying it? Could it be because he only took one drop, so there are no side effects?
Puzzled, Zhou Ziwei immediately sent a wisp of his soul power into Wu Di's body. He then discovered that a strange flame seemed to be rising everywhere in Wu Di's body. However, this flame was no longer white, but... brown. This brown flame was extremely gentle. Although it was also stimulating the body's cells to divide, grow, and merge, the stimulation was very slow and gentle.
Compared to the changes that occurred in Ah Da's body after he drank three drops of the white spring water, it's like one is a gentle drizzle and the other is a torrential downpour. Although both can nourish the earth, the feeling they give is significantly different.
Could it be that the brown flames... could this white spring water actually combine with tea and dilute the violent elements in the spring water?
When Zhou Ziwei obtained this magical spring water and learned that it could completely transform a person's physique, he wondered if he could use it on his parents as well.
He had only hesitated to make a decision because he felt the effects of the spring water on the human body were too powerful and worried that his parents would not be able to withstand it. However, after seeing the effects on Wu Di, he finally had absolute confidence.
Judging from the effects of this spring water, he believed that consuming it would not only strengthen the body but also prolong life.
This is practically the fountain of life... However... if one takes too much or does it improperly, it can instantly become a killer that devours life. Therefore... in Zhou Ziwei's opinion, if this fountain of life were to be given a name, it would be better to call it the Water of Reincarnation.
Volume 1, Rebirth of a Prodigy, Chapter 266: Xingyi Quan VS Tai Chi Quan
With only a few bottles of Reincarnation Water left in his hands, Zhou Ziwei was worried about losing them if he put them elsewhere, but he was even more afraid that they would suddenly explode and burn him to ashes if he carried them with him.
So Zhou Ziwei instructed Wu Di to immediately have several containers specially made for him to hold the water of reincarnation.
This container has a multi-layered structure. The innermost layer must be made of rough pottery, with a layer of soft filler in the middle, and the outermost layer is covered with double-layered stainless steel plates. The bottle stopper also uses a multi-layered structure and adopts a more complex vacuum waterproof design. In this way, it is shockproof and drop-resistant. It is estimated that it will not burst even if you throw it on the ground and kick it a couple of times. Its safety performance is guaranteed to a certain extent.
In less than half a day, Wu Di had found someone to make all those bottles by hand.
The coarse ceramics were made from readily available materials, but the custom-made ones couldn't be rushed, while the other outer coverings were made on the spot.
Zhou Ziwei took a look. The three bottles were modified from wine bottles. One of them was originally a small bottle that might have been used to hold things like toilet water. However, after some processing and modification, each bottle looked beautiful and was so lovely that it was hard to put it down.
Zhou Ziwei then asked Wu Di to find him a secluded room, where he poured all three bottles of Reincarnation Water that he had brought out from the belly of Storm Valley into those four bottles.
Three of the large bottles were temporarily stored with Wu Di. It was assumed that even if Wu Di could guess the true value of these items, he would never dare to keep them for himself.
The other small bottle looks like a small stainless steel flask, which is perfect for carrying around in case of emergency.
It just so happens that Yelü Xiaosu, the girl Zhou Ziwei met in Tonghai who possessed exceptional physical strength and internal energy cultivation, was undergoing systematic bodyguard training at this training base. So, after leaving Ah Da and Ah Er, Zhou Ziwei reverted to his former sleazy old self and asked Wu Dang to summon Yelü Xiaosu.
Although Wu Di had never personally witnessed Zhou Ziwei's ability to disguise himself, he knew a little about it. After all, Zhou Ziwei could disguise so many people with completely different appearances that Wu Di provided him without giving himself away. How could he not be skilled in this area?
Moreover, when Wu Di met Zhou Ziwei at the border this time, Zhou Ziwei was no longer the same as before, but looked exactly like a genuine Vietnamese.
When Wu Di saw with his own eyes that Zhou Ziwei had completely transformed into another person in the blink of an eye, he was so shocked that he almost dropped his jaw to the ground.
When Zhou Ziwei came out of Wu Di's secret room, he immediately saw Yelü Xiaosu and another burly man who looked almost exactly like Yelü Xiaosu standing side by side.
For a moment, Zhou Ziwei couldn't tell which one was the real Yelü Xiaosu.
“Master… oh no… boss, why didn’t you tell me you were coming…” The man on the left rushed forward as soon as he saw Zhou Ziwei, grabbed Zhou Ziwei’s hand, and looked both excited and aggrieved, which gave Zhou Ziwei goosebumps.
Zhou Ziwei naturally knew which one was Yelü Xiaosu now, but upon closer inspection, it was clear that although their facial features were almost identical, their body shapes were slightly different.
Yelü Xiaosu's body was noticeably more robust than the other person's, while the other person's physique was also noticeably more athletic than Yelü Xiaosu's.
Bodybuilding is not the same as being strong. If we're talking about being strong, then Japanese sumo wrestlers are the first to come to mind. But if anyone dares to say that a sumo wrestler is very bodybuilding, he will definitely be criticized.
The person standing next to Yelü Xiaosu, while not as robust as Yelü Xiaosu, was undoubtedly more well-proportioned. However, perhaps because the two looked so alike, it was difficult for anyone who wasn't very familiar with them to distinguish them based on these subtle differences in their physiques.
Zhou Ziwei shoved Yelü Xiaosu's hand away, then pointed to another person and asked, "Who is this? Is he your twin brother? Why didn't you introduce him to me?"
Upon hearing this, Yelü Xiaosu immediately curled her lip in disdain and said, "Him... he's my younger brother, Yelü Huage. He is indeed my twin brother, but... don't be fooled by how we look almost identical. He hasn't learned a single bit of my kind and generous character. He's just a complete sissy. You don't need to pay any attention to him."
"Hey...you big-breasted, brainless bastard, who are you calling a sissy?" Yelü Huage immediately got angry upon hearing this, glaring at Yelü Xiaosu with furious eyes, and said, "And...who said you're my brother? Even the nurses got confused about who was born first, and even Mom couldn't tell us apart. How do you know you're definitely my brother and not my younger brother? Please...if you really want to be the boss, you can just find a mountain and declare yourself king, don't pretend to be a poor guy like me, okay?"
Upon hearing this, Yelü Xiaosu was indignant. She turned around and yelled at Yelü Huage, "Don't be so disrespectful in front of my boss! Let me tell you... Although that damned nurse mixed us up at birth and couldn't remember who was the older brother and who was the younger brother, I've always been a few kilograms heavier than you since I was little. So... I'm heavier than you, so naturally I'm your older brother. You can't deny it."
"Damn it!" Yelü Huage sneered. "Whoever is heavier is the older brother? When we were kids, the breeding boar we raised was several times heavier than you, but I never saw you call it 'older brother'!"
"You little brat!" Yelü Xiaosu angrily pointed at Yelü Huage's nose and said, "We're brothers, how can you talk like that? If I call that stud pig 'brother,' then don't I become a pig too? If your brother is a pig, do you think you can escape? All this cursing is just you cursing yourself. You always pride yourself on being so smart... Bullshit, I think you're even dumber than that pig."
"Stop...you two shut up." Zhou Ziwei's head was spinning from the two brothers' bickering. He quickly raised his hand to stop them and said with a wry smile, "I'm saying...are you two really twins? Other twins, whether male or female, are usually so close they're practically one person. Why do you two act like natural enemies? Fine...if you two want to argue, please find somewhere else. Don't torture my nerves here, okay?"
Zhou Ziwei was truly speechless. He felt that these two brothers were like the Six Immortals of Peach Valley in Jin Yong's novels, both infuriating and hilarious. He waved his hands repeatedly, thinking it best to leave first. After all, this was their family matter, and he would let them argue to their heart's content.
"Wait..." Just as Zhou Ziwei was about to leave, Yelü Huage stepped forward and blocked his way, saying with a cold face, "You... are my brother's boss?"
“Your younger brother… oh…” Zhou Ziwei was stunned for a moment before realizing that both brothers referred to themselves as the elder brother and the other as the younger brother. So, the younger brother Yelü Xiaosu was referring to was Yelü Huage, and the younger brother Yelü Huage was referring to was Yelü Xiaosu. In other words, they were both each other’s younger brother and also each other’s older brother. This relationship was really quite complicated.
Seeing Yelü Huage's accusatory stance, Zhou Ziwei didn't know what he had done to offend him, but he patiently shook his head and said, "You've got it wrong. I'm not a gangster, what boss or not? If you insist on associating me with him... then just think of me as his boss! He's planning to be my bodyguard, but the employment relationship isn't officially established yet, so... for now, we can only be considered friends!"
Yelü Huage scoffed dismissively, saying, "I don't care if you're my brother's boss or his friend. Anyway, I heard you say you're pretty awesome. Apparently, your Lion's Roar skill once knocked down an entire street. Hah... I wonder if my good-for-nothing brother has lost his mind, actually spouting such nonsense. I've seen people who can say Lion's Roar before. That skill can only affect someone's brain at most, making their reaction slightly slower. Knock down an entire street... I think he's read too many martial arts novels! Anyway, I don't believe in such unfounded rumors. If you're really that capable... how about we have a match? Although I've never really liked this brother, no matter how much of a scoundrel he is, he's still my brother, Yelü Huage's brother. I can't just stand by and watch my only relative get fooled into becoming a swindler's lackey, can I?"
Yelü Huage's words were quite impolite, practically calling Zhou Ziwei a charlatan. However, Zhou Ziwei wasn't angry at all; instead, he found the young man quite interesting.
Moreover, since Yelü Huage dared to say such a thing, he must have some skills himself and should not be an idiot who only talks big.
Zhou Ziwei had already witnessed Yelü Xiaosu's formidable Iron Shirt Kung Fu, but judging from Yelü Huage's physique, his style was clearly different from Yelü Xiaosu's. Therefore, Zhou Ziwei was really eager to see what kind of kung fu this kid was good at.
However, Yelü Xiaosu, seeing this, became anxious and quickly stepped in front of Yelü Huage, glaring at him with her round eyes and shouting, "You brat, what nonsense are you talking about? My boss's skills are unparalleled, how could you possibly be qualified to challenge him? You'd better apologize to my boss right now, otherwise... if you want to compete, then defeat me first!"
Yelü Huage curled his lip and said, "We've been fighting since we were kids, at least seven or eight thousand times, if not ten thousand. Anyway, you're clumsy, it's hard for you to hit me even once, and it's not easy for me to break your turtle shell either. It always ends like this, so what's the point of competing? Stop talking nonsense. You said he's really good, right? If he's really good, let him take me down once and see. If he's really that good, I'll join you and worship him as our leader, okay? If he's not that good, then you'll come with me to the Middle East right now. Although we don't get along very well, I'm actually quite lonely after not seeing you for a long time. This time, I'm not going to let you mess around in the country alone again."
Yelü Xiaosu said angrily, "Can you stop treating me like an idiot? If I hadn't been stunned by the boss's roar, do you think I, Yelü Xiaosu, would have been so easily convinced by others? Since you know that we're about the same level, why are you even trying to compete with my boss? Do you have a masochistic addiction or something?"
Yelü Huage tilted his head and said, "Yes... I'm just worried that your brother has all the muscles but no brains. He'll be made a fool of without even realizing it. If he's really that capable, then let him take me down once and see. Without experiencing it firsthand, no matter how much you talk, you can't make me believe you."
Yelü Xiaosu wanted to say something more, but Zhou Ziwei pulled her aside. Then Zhou Ziwei looked at Yelü Huage with a smile and said, "You mean... as long as I take you down once, you'll acknowledge me as your boss? Is that a promise?"
Yelü puffed out his chest proudly and said, "Of course! Do you know that our ancestors were once the royal family of the Liao Dynasty? If the Liao Dynasty hadn't been destroyed, one of us might have become emperor. Emperors are known for their absolute authority; their words are like gold and jade, and what they say is as good as gold. Are you worried that I would go back on my word?"
Zhou Ziwei laughed and said, "You brothers are descendants of the Liao royal family? Interesting... It's quite prestigious to have a member of the royal family as your follower. Well then, it's a deal... If you lose, you really can't go back on your word!"
"What?" Yelü Huage's eyes widened in anger upon hearing this, and he roared, "Your words are an insult to the dignity of the Liao royal family. I will make you regret what you said."
Yelü Huage threw down these words, then moved, his legs slightly bent, his upper body slightly lowered, his eyes wide open in anger, his hands slightly bent, like a fierce tiger roaring in the mountains and forests. He let out a fierce roar, then his legs sprang up and he leaped up and pounced fiercely towards Zhou Ziwei.
Tiger Style Fist!
Although Zhou Ziwei had never been exposed to this martial art, he could clearly sense it from Yelü Huage's imposing aura.
As far as Zhou Ziwei knew, this tiger form should belong to one of the forms in Xingyi Quan. Among the twelve forms of Xingyi Quan, the focus is on the offensive techniques of the animal chosen, and the training method is to seek the true meaning rather than the form.
From Yelü Huage's pouncing stance, Zhou Ziwei could not see the form of a tiger, but he could feel the fierce momentum of a tiger descending the mountain. Presumably, Yelü Huage's mastery of Xingyi Quan must be quite high!
Seeing this, Zhou Ziwei had no intention of confronting Yelü head-on. As for Yelü Huage's suggestion to use the "Lion's Roar," that was even more impossible. If Zhou Ziwei were to use the Soul Roar on him alone, no matter how fierce the kid was, he would definitely be instantly shattered and killed beyond any hope of survival.
However, if they were to use a dispersed attack method... there are quite a few people in this training base. Zhou Ziwei and Wu Di have no grudges, so naturally he wouldn't just idly wipe out everyone in the entire base.
Moreover, the Soul Roar severely depletes soul power, and Zhou Ziwei was somewhat reluctant to part with it...
Zhou Ziwei immediately took a step back, avoiding Yelü Huage's strongest attack, and then spread his arms and bent his waist, assuming the starting posture of Niu-style Tai Chi.
In fact, ever since Zhou Ziwei fully grasped the essence of Niu-style Tai Chi, he has rarely used any specific moves.
Just like the description in Jin Yong's "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber" of Zhang Sanfeng teaching Zhang Wuji Tai Chi sword, both Tai Chi Chuan and Tai Chi sword belong to the category of kung fu that emphasizes intention over form, which is quite similar to Xingyi Quan.
Once you truly grasp the essence of fist and sword techniques, you no longer need to be bound by the original moves. In actual combat, you can use them effortlessly. Whether it's a punch or a kick, as long as it contains the true meaning of Tai Chi, even the simplest movement will become the most lethal move.
If one adheres rigidly to the original moves, one will be constrained by them and find it difficult to fully express the true essence of the art.
However, Zhou Ziwei wanted to seriously understand Yelü Huage's true strength, so he didn't want to defeat Yelü Huage so easily. That's why he deliberately adopted the starting stance of the boxing move and set up a proper stance.
Good food should be savored slowly to truly appreciate its flavor. If you rush through it like Zhu Bajie eating ginseng fruit, it will be a waste of your time.
With a muffled "thud," Yelü Huage's ferocious tiger pounce seemed to have hit an invisible wall of air. He didn't even touch half of Zhou Ziwei's clothes before suddenly falling into a strange vortex. He could no longer accurately control his hands and feet, staggered, and was thrown aside close to Zhou Ziwei.
"Hmm... Tai Chi... it really does have some tricks up its sleeve!"
Yelü Huage hadn't expected that his opponent's simple stance could block such a powerful attack. He immediately abandoned his underestimation of Zhou Ziwei. Although he was at a slight disadvantage, he hadn't suffered any real damage, so he wasn't discouraged. Instead, he became even more determined to fight Zhou Ziwei to the death.
Yelü immediately turned back to stand, his eyes blazing with fury. He swayed slightly, then thrust his arm straight forward, moving with the force of his will, like a cannonball, and once again viciously lunged towards Zhou Ziwei's chest.
Tiger Cannon Style – This is probably Yelü Huage's strongest move. He has been practicing Xingyi Quan for more than ten years, and his understanding of the tiger form is the most profound. This Tiger Cannon Style is the strongest of the strong, allowing him to perfectly concentrate all the power of his body into this punch. Often, even when he encounters an opponent whose overall strength is a few points stronger than his, they will still be beaten into a sorry state by his unstoppable Tiger Cannon Style. This shows how ferocious the power of this punch is.
However, in Zhou Ziwei's view, while the intent of this punch was somewhat there, the power... was still far too lacking. Zhou Ziwei could even reverse the direction of a massive stalactite weighing tens of tons falling from mid-air using the intent of Niu-style Tai Chi, so how could he possibly take this Tiger Cannon Fist seriously? He simply smiled slightly, and instead of retreating, he advanced, drawing a crooked circle in front of him as he reached out to grab Yelü Huage's fist, which was charging towards him like a cannonball...
Volume 1, Rebirth of a Prodigy, Chapter 267: Keiji Yokomichi
When Yelü Huage saw that Zhou Ziwei dared to grab his fist directly with his hand, he was slightly taken aback, and then a disdainful sneer appeared on his lips.
After that brief exchange, Yelü Huage had to admit that Zhou Ziwei was indeed very strong, stronger than he had expected. However, Yelü Huage did not believe that Zhou Ziwei was strong enough to withstand his full-force attack with just one hand.
Yelü Huage could already foresee that the moment their fists collided, he would hear a crisp sound of bones breaking, and Zhou Ziwei's arm would be broken into countless pieces by his tiger-cannon-like ferocious power... This was not what he wanted, but... once the fist was thrown, there was no turning back, and even Yelü Huage himself could not take it back.
Moreover, holding back in a fight was simply not in Yelü Huage's style. So he could only shout, "Idiot... get out of the way!" Then, a punch, imbued with all his strength and accompanied by a strong gust of wind, slammed into Zhou Ziwei's palm...
"Sizzle—" A strange thing happened again. When Yelü Huage's all-out punch landed three inches in front of Zhou Ziwei's palm, it was as if he suddenly sank into a clump of sticky glue. The speed of his punch suddenly stopped, and he felt as if he had no power to exert.
Then, with a soft "thud," Zhou Ziwei's seemingly slow but actually swift hand landed squarely on Yelü Huage's fist. Afterward, with a calm smile on his face, he gently twisted his arm...
With a whoosh, as Zhou Ziwei turned his wrist, Yelü Huage felt as if he had fallen into a deep-sea whirlpool. His entire body was propelled by an incredibly powerful force, his feet left the ground, and he was thrown into the air, spinning like a top as he flew over Zhou Ziwei's head before crashing heavily to the ground behind him with a loud "boom," sending dust flying everywhere.
Although Yelü Xiaosu knew that with Yelü Huage's strength, which was basically on par with his own, it was absolutely impossible for him to defeat Zhou Ziwei, he only thought that Zhou Ziwei would use his special skill, Lion's Roar, to subdue Yelü Huage. Therefore, he had already covered his own ears with both hands.
Unexpectedly, Zhou Ziwei had no intention of using the Lion's Roar at all. He simply casually assumed two Tai Chi stances and easily knocked Yelü Huage to the ground.
Even after Zhou Ziwei stopped his stance and retreated to the side with a smile, Yelü Xiaosu was still unable to accept what had just happened. She stared dumbfounded at Yelü Huage, who was still lying on the ground and hadn't gotten up for a long time, and then at the old man who was becoming more and more mysterious in her eyes. She suddenly slapped her head and rubbed her eyes hard. After confirming once again that everything she saw seemed to have changed and that it couldn't be a hallucination, she let out a strange cry, rushed over, and picked Yelü Huage up from the ground.
"Little brother...are you alright? I told you long ago that my boss is not someone you can mess with. How are you now? Did you break any bones?"