Wu Song casually kicked his head twice with his toes; surprisingly, he quickly calmed down despite the impending duel. He said, "Fang Zhenjiang, is it? On Liangshan, I am the host and you are the guest. How do you suggest we compete?"
Fang Zhenjiang said, "Let's just get straight to it. Whether you believe it or not is another matter. Let's take down one of them first."
Wu Song smiled and said, "This temperament suits my taste. If it were anything else, I would really consider you my brother."
Fang Zhenjiang smiled and said, "Stop talking nonsense, come on!"
The moment the word "come" left his lips, the two figures suddenly leaped forward simultaneously, then retreated in unison with a "bang"—in that split second, Wu Song and Fang Zhenjiang had chosen the same moment to attack each other, using the exact same moves. They both succeeded at the same time, yet were simultaneously struck; their synchronized thoughts and actions were eerily unsettling, prompting a soft gasp from the onlookers.
Fang Zhenjiang was mentally prepared for this. Although he hadn't regained his memories, he knew that the Wu Song before him was his former self, and that his skills, strictly speaking, weren't inherited but copied. He had already assessed the uniqueness and brutality of this situation beforehand. Wu Song, however, was not so relaxed. After just one move, he realized that this opponent was unlike anyone he had ever encountered, and he couldn't help but feel a mixture of surprise and doubt.
I said happily, "Zhenjiang, let's fight like this." I didn't really want Fang Zhenjiang to do anything to Wu Song; I just wanted Wu Song to believe what I said.
The two circled each other for a while before clashing again. Wu Song's attacks were fierce but unpredictable, and Fang Zhenjiang dodged them all, occasionally throwing a few punches. The offensive and defensive positions shifted constantly, and within a few minutes, the two had exchanged dozens of blows. The Liangshan heroes were all sharp-eyed, and many who had initially cheered for Wu Song couldn't help but applaud him, their hostility towards Fang Zhenjiang lessening considerably.
The more I watched, the more worried I became. Although I didn't know any martial arts, I could tell that Fang Zhenjiang's and Wu Song's styles were vastly different. Under Wu Song's relentless, rapid attacks, Fang Zhenjiang appeared more agile than ruthless, only occasionally managing a defensive-offensive move, a far cry from Wu Song's fierce and powerful style. If this continued, I feared that even if we defeated Wu Song, we wouldn't achieve our goal. I couldn't help but shout again, "Zhenjiang, keep fighting like before!"
In my opinion, it would be more effective if Fang Zhenjiang responded to every move Wu Song made. After a few hundred rounds, the outcome would be obvious, and Wu Song wouldn't have anything to say if he didn't believe it. But what kind of moves did Fang Zhenjiang use? I couldn't recognize anything else, but I noticed he even used the straight punches and hooks he often uses in Singapore Sanda competitions, and even some random Taekwondo and Judo techniques…
A quarter of an hour later, despite their agility, both men had inevitably taken several blows from each other. Wu Song bore several bright red fist marks on his body from Fang Zhenjiang, while Fang Zhenjiang hadn't gained any advantage either, occasionally gritting his teeth and glaring, seemingly also suffering minor injuries. The other heroes, led by Lu Zhishen, also noticed something amiss and exclaimed, "These two are clearly not on the same wavelength!"
At this moment, Wu Song unleashed a whirlwind kick, and Fang Zhenjiang exchanged a punch with him, both figures retreating simultaneously. Wu Song waved his hand and said, "Wait a minute, let me ask you, didn't you also learn Shaolin Kung Fu when you were young?"
Fang Zhenjiang scratched his head and said, "No. I've been working for others all this time, how could I have time to go to Shaolin? Besides, these days you need a bachelor's degree to become a monk, right?"
Zhang Qing from the vegetable garden glared at Fang Zhenjiang, then walked to Wu Song's side and said, "Brother, don't fight him. We can all see that he's nothing like you."
Wu Song shook his head and said, "That's not how it works. Although his martial arts are a bit eclectic, I can sense that his foundation is very similar to mine. Just now, he was only on the defensive, and I would have used many of his moves just like he did."
Fang Zhenjiang laughed and said, "You saw that I was only playing defensively? Many of your tactics are designed to kill. If I were to fight you head-on, we would both be seriously injured. We don't have any deep-seated hatred for each other, so why would I risk my life for you?"
Wu Song nodded: "That's right. I'm giving you a chance to attack instead, so don't worry about it."
Fang Zhenjiang swung his arms and said, "Then I'm coming!" With that, he pounced like a very ordinary tiger, but his appearance was a little strange. He used one foot forward as the point of attack, but instead of firmly planting his other foot, he hung it up in mid-air as if it were floating. The person being attacked would not notice it at all if they did not look carefully.
To everyone's surprise, the moment this seemingly ordinary move was used, Wu Song's expression changed immediately. He exclaimed, "Dragon Swimming in Shallow Seas? How did you learn this move? I remember that when I was 20 years old, a reclusive master I met in the martial world taught me this move. Did he... teach you it too?"
"No..." This move, which Wu Song called "Dragon Swimming in Shallow Sea," was indeed quite special. It really looked like a giant dragon struggling to walk in shallow water. So, the two of them fought while talking, and Fang Zhenjiang's attack barely got off the ground.
Relieved, Wu Song inwardly scolded himself for being suspicious. Since it wasn't a case of a dragon swimming in shallow waters, he treated it normally, opening his palm to grab Fang Zhenjiang's wrist. No one expected him to succeed so easily. However, Fang Zhenjiang's counterattack was swift. His body curled up at an incredible angle, and his foot, which had been suspended in mid-air, stretched like a powerful spring, kicking Wu Song in the face—
Wu Song cried out as he was kicked to the ground, but immediately stood up, covered in dust, and angrily said, "Didn't you say he never taught you this move?" It seems that this move was indeed the one taught by that reclusive master back then. However, Wu Song trusted Fang Zhenjiang's words too much, which is why he suffered such a great loss.
Fang Zhenjiang said innocently, "He never taught me—I suddenly learned it after drinking the potion."
Wu Song: "..."
Fang Zhenjiang stepped forward and said, "Continue. But don't ask me anything. I'm just telling the truth, but it feels like I'm lying to you. I'm in a difficult position."
Fang Zhenjiang launched another attack, and Wu Song, seeing his stance, exclaimed, "Overwhelming Force? How did you learn that move? Isn't it something I learned from the sweeping monk at Shaolin Temple when I was 22?"
...It seems that Wu Song is the legendary martial arts prodigy who stumbles and finds treasure, jumps off a cliff and meets a master, and eats a ten-thousand-year-old Ganoderma lucidum in a mountain cave. Tomorrow I'll throw an ostrich egg on his usual route and see if he can hatch a dragon after picking it up.
At this moment, Fang Zhenjiang launched an attack, move by move. While busy dodging, Wu Song recounted the moves as if they were his own treasures: "Eh, you know this move too? Oh, this is one I invented myself... Wahaha, how do you know this move that I came up with but haven't had a chance to use yet?"
In this back-and-forth exchange, Wu Song and Fang Zhenjiang were essentially a carbon copy of what had just happened, except now Fang Zhenjiang was solely on the offensive, while Wu Song had switched to a defensive stance. His movements were incredibly agile as he deflected attacks, revealing that Wu Song possessed not only courage in offense but also skill in defense—truly befitting the title of "Wu Erlang," a martial arts master honed over eight years. Most people had only witnessed Wu Song's courage, not his skill, which led them to suspect that Fang Zhenjiang had used a different method.
To put it more simply, for every attacker, there must be a receiver. When Fang Zhenjiang was the receiver earlier, he was unwilling to fight Wu Song to the death. Now that Wu Song is the receiver, he seems somewhat willing. This is partly due to Fang Zhenjiang's kindness, but more so because he is curious to see how Fang Zhenjiang is willing to use his full strength, so he lets him do his best without rashly interfering.
Finally, this fierce and relentless attack satisfied Wu Song, and in the end, Wu Erye's anger turned to joy, and he said: "Hey, this is interesting, I acknowledge you as my brother!"
Everyone was overjoyed, and Fang Zhenjiang was about to leave when Wu Song suddenly exclaimed excitedly, "Brothers, don't go! Let's see who's stronger!" He then unleashed a flurry of punches. Lin Chong said worriedly, "Brothers, wait! When two tigers fight, one will surely be injured. You two are truly from the same root..."
Wu Song ignored them completely and laughed loudly, "Brother, you are mistaken. It is a rare opportunity to fight oneself. How can we miss it?"
Fang Zhenjiang, after exchanging blows with him until he was sweating profusely, laughed and said, "That's right!"
I slapped my forehead: What kind of logic is this?! Just a moment ago, when they were hostile to each other, they were all polite and courteous to each other. Now that they've recognized each other as brothers, they're fighting tooth and nail—
This is the downside of a martial arts fanatic: once they get carried away, they don't care about anything else. However, this is understandable. Wu Song dedicated his life to martial arts; there might be many in the martial arts world who were far superior to him, but perhaps only Fang Zhenjiang could fight him with such exhilarating skill and inspiration. It's like playing computer games online. Either the opponent is worse than you, or you get completely crushed. But then one day you discover a player with the exact same tactics as you—that's a different story. Even their bad habits are strikingly similar to yours, like constantly throwing flashbangs in front of their retina, switching to a smaller weapon when their spear is out of ammo, then switching back to reload before even firing, and then switching back again when it's almost full—this back and forth could last until the end of a round…
By the time everyone tried to intervene, it was too late… A duel between two top-tier fighters isn't something you can just break up whenever you want. To put it bluntly, even dogs fighting depends on what kind of dogs they are. A Chihuahua squabbling is like children sulking, but what if it were two Tibetan Mastiffs?
These two Tibetan mastiffs... uh, these two Fang Zhenjiangs... no, these two Wu Songs... you might as well kill me!
This was a desperate battle without any hostility. Everyone could see the tacit understanding between Fang Zhenjiang and Wu Song, but no one could deny that they fought to the bitter end. It began as a test to see whether the original, authentic broth or the evolved form had the advantage after a thousand years, but the nature of the fight changed. The ancient broth and the evolved form were like two iron nails drawn together by a magnetic field, unable to escape yet struggling—both were evenly matched, and both were on the verge of exhaustion. Ironically, this was the moment when people could perform at their best. No one on Liangshan could claim to be able to handle two Wu Songs simultaneously, and therefore, no one could separate them.
Sweat poured down Wu Song's body, while Fang Zhenjiang gritted his teeth and struggled to hold on. Both heroes were teetering on the brink of collapse, wanting to stop while simultaneously harboring a strong desire to win. They were both thinking: "If I hold on for just one more second, maybe he'll fall. Whether he's friend or foe doesn't matter anymore. What's this called again—overcoming yourself!"
Seeing that their fate would either be mutual destruction or one of them killing the other, a chill ran down my spine. In a moment of quick thinking, I shouted, "Fang Zhenjiang, don't forget you're a married man!"
Fang Zhenjiang, standing on the field, was stunned for a moment before Wu Song's massive fist was already upon him. Instinctively, Fang Zhenjiang flicked his hand away, deflecting Wu Song's force into thin air. Using himself as an axis, Fang Zhenjiang spun around behind Wu Song, then gently pushed him on the shoulder. The exhausted Wu Song could no longer support himself and collapsed to the ground, Fang Zhenjiang also landing hard on his backside…
The stunned crowd took a long time to recover, and they quickly stepped between the two. However, the two had lost all will to fight. After a moment, Wu Song's eyes flashed, and he regained his senses. He twisted his waist, stood up, and let out a long sigh, saying, "That was exhilarating!" At the same time, Fang Zhenjiang also scrambled to his feet, chuckling at Wu Song. Their eyes met, and they suddenly burst into laughter simultaneously. The crowd was bewildered. Wu Song pushed aside the people blocking his way, walked to Fang Zhenjiang, and gripped his hand tightly, saying, "Good brother, nothing more to say. From now on, we'll share meals and fight enemies together." Fang Zhenjiang replied, "You too."
Lu Junyi and the others wiped their sweat and said, "We were terrified."
Wu Song suddenly said seriously, "You have won this contest."
Fang Zhenjiang nodded slightly, adopting a "we're all in this together" attitude. Wu Song put his hand on his shoulder and said eagerly, "Your last move was truly brilliant. It seems you've learned a lot from a master back home—you must tell me, who taught you that move?"
Fang Zhenjiang's face flushed for no apparent reason, and after a long pause, he stammered, "My wife..."
"Oh, it's me..." Wu Song saw Fang Zhenjiang's face change and immediately realized, "...It's your wife. What's the name of this kung fu routine?"
This time, Fang Zhenjiang didn't hesitate for a moment and said confidently, "Tai Chi, you haven't learned it?"
Wu Song scratched his head: "Tai Chi? This is the first time I've ever heard of it."