Chapter 183: Action and Stillness
Akio Maren adjusted the baseball cap on his head, still feeling the phantom
sensation of the wind that had nearly taken his life. A single drop of cold
sweat rolled down his temple.
That lightning-fast uppercut had carried something no opponent had ever given
him: the genuine, suffocating sensation of impending death.
"Heh... Hahaha!"
Akio's eyes lowered as he reached out to shake the martial artist's hand firmly.
"...Thank you for not ending my career right then and there. It's my loss."
The martial artist gave a short nod of acknowledgment. He didn't dislike Akio's
straightforwardness.
"By the way..." Akio glanced at the mess surrounding them—stuffing from the
heavy bag was scattered everywhere like snow. "Pulverizing a heavy bag with a
bare-handed right straight... that shouldn't be physically possible."
He looked at the man, a hint of confusion in his eyes. "What you just used...
was that boxing?"
"It is Kenpo," the master replied in a deep, resonant voice. "But to my eyes,
Boxing and Kenpo are no different. As long as you are using your fists, then
Boxing is merely a branch of Kenpo!! Albeit... an incomplete one."
"...Man. I really want to argue with you, but I don't think I have the right to
anymore." Akio paused, then asked, "If any other boxers want to seek you out for
a 'rematch,' how should I address you?"
"Retsu," the master replied seriously. "Retsu Kaioh."
Not far away, the group had witnessed Retsu Kaioh's two devastating strikes.
Rama XIII, the King of Thailand, let out a cheer of approval. "Magnificent! A
true man of caliber!" He turned to Tokugawa. "Is this one of the warriors from
your Underground Arena?"
"Indeed," Tokugawa replied, fluttering his fan with a grin. "The world is full
of Kenpo masters, but only a select few at the very peak can claim the title of
'Kaioh.' Retsu Kaioh is a once-in-a-generation genius of the fist!"
Rama was an excellent judge of character. After studying Retsu for a few
moments, he offered a smiling evaluation.
"Ho-ho. He truly lives up to his name. Intense, fierce, yet he does not stray
from the righteous path. He is a warrior of great integrity."
As they spoke, Tokugawa's personal guards stepped forward to help clean up the
scattered sand and stuffing. Retsu thanked the guards and began to walk back
toward the group.
On his way, he noticed a nearby booth displaying a "retired" boxing machine. The
metal rod connecting the target pad was twisted and warped, clearly mangled by a
singular, overwhelming force.
Who did this? Retsu wondered.
He looked over and saw Ren Shiroki, who raised a hand in a casual wave. Ren's
relaxed, easygoing attitude took Retsu slightly by surprise.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the room...
In the ring, the match between Lihito and the pro boxer had reached its
conclusion. As the three-minute limit expired, Lihito was clearly the one with
more visible injuries—his nose was bleeding quite heavily—but his remaining
stamina was vastly superior to the pro's.
If the fight had continued, the "sturdier" Lihito would have undoubtedly won.
Retsu could also tell that if the "Superman" had unleashed more of his actual
"techniques," he would have ended it much sooner.
It doesn't matter, Retsu thought.
As the saying goes, "Haste makes waste." For a true martial artist, this boxing
exhibition hadn't "truly" begun yet. Thus, Retsu excused himself from the group
and walked over to a full-length mirror at the edge of the hall to begin his
static Zhan Zhuang (Standing Post) training.
Arisa's intuition for people was sharp. She watched Retsu and commented, "He
seems like a really serious person!"
She turned around and saw her brother had already wandered off to a corporate
booth, inquiring about the procurement of professional training equipment. Being
a specialized exhibition, the participating companies were top-tier, offering a
wide variety of high-quality gear.
However, as the conversation went on, the sales rep noticed that Ren's mind
seemed to be elsewhere, as if he were contemplating a profound problem.
"Excuse me..." The rep nudged his glasses. "Is there a specific issue? I might
be able to help you work through it."
Ren rubbed his chin, Retsu Kaioh's words still echoing in his mind: As long as
you are using your fists, then Boxing is merely a branch of Kenpo!!
So, how do you actually define a 'combat style'? Is it by the competitive rules?
Or by the fundamental essence of the skill itself? Karate, Wrestling, Kenpo,
Boxing, even Muay Thai...
Ren looked at the salesman. "Do you like martial arts?"
The rep scratched his head. "Well, I'm in this industry, so yeah, I love it."
Ren asked again, "Do you like watching two people settle who's stronger? Or do
you like a specific style of fighting?"
That question stumped the salesman. He agonized over an answer for a few
seconds, but when he finally looked up, Ren was already gone.
The Boxing Expo continued.
The elite fighters were scattered throughout the venue while the crowd of
ordinary tourists grew denser, the heat of the atmosphere intensifying. Finally,
the "Main Event" for the general public arrived.
"Everyone, over here!"
On the main stage, a woman with long hair dressed in athletic gear appeared. She
was Nana Uehara, the owner of the Gloria Boxing Gym. She picked up a microphone
and addressed the crowd:
"Today, as a special treat, one of our gym's active professional fighters will
serve as the 'Mystery Guest' to provide introductory guidance for all of you
interested in boxing!"
"I present to you... the Heavyweight Four-Belt Champion—Gaolang Wongsawat!!"
As Nana introduced him, a powerfully built boxer stepped onto the stage. He wore
high-end, sleek athletic gear. His presence was anything but ordinary.
His skin was a deep tan, and his long black hair was tied and draped over his
left shoulder, complemented by a pendant hanging from his forehead. His face was
cold and impassive, with distinct slanted eyebrows and a slight "dead-fish eye"
look, yet his gaze was as sharp as a scalpel.
Height: 187cm. Weight: 91kg.
The man who held the belts of all four major organizations, hailed as the
"Revolutionary Son of Boxing," and the Thai God of War—Gaolang Wongsawat.
"..."
The moment the "God of War" appeared, the entire stadium erupted. Gaolang's fame
surpassed every other boxer present—active or retired. He was a global icon.
"He's here! It really is Gaolang-sama!" "This ticket was worth every yen!" "Will
there be an autograph session? Please tell me there is!"
Seeing the crowd's enthusiasm, Nana Uehara breathed a sigh of relief. Thank
goodness Gaolang-chan came. People are so hyped. If only a few of them would
actually sign up for memberships at the gym...
Nana continued into the mic: "The introductory technique we will be practicing
today is the foundation of training: Shadow Boxing."
"Please maintain a safe distance from those around you. Follow Gaolang-sensei's
movements. Imagine an opponent right in front of you and throw your punches!"
With a world-class boxer as the model, Nana's instruction was effortless.
"Guard your chin with both fists. Keep your center of gravity low, knees
slightly bent, in an L-shaped stance."
"First, the basic Jab. Snap your shoulder, relax the fist, and fire it out.
Imagine hitting your opponent's face. Your punching shoulder should tuck near
your chin."
"The key is to snap it back instantly. Don't let your form crumble."
"Next is the Straight. Pay attention to the drive from your back foot as you
swing; put your entire body's weight into the impact."
"Once you're used to it, you can combine the Jab and the Straight into a 1-2.
Gradually increase your speed. You can even add footwork. This will maximize the
workout's effectiveness."
Nana Uehara guided the crowd with professional precision.
For Gaolang, having someone else handle the talking was a luxury. He simply
focused on the movements, throwing serious, disciplined punches. However, as he
moved, Gaolang's attention was suddenly drawn to two specific corners below the
stage.
"..."
First, at the edge of the hall in front of a full-length mirror, he saw a
muscular man with tied hair. He wasn't participating in the shadow boxing. In
fact, he wasn't "moving" at all. He was in a half-crouch in front of the mirror,
perfectly still.
It was clearly a Kenpo "Standing Post" drill, focusing on extreme
lower-body fortification.
Then, in the crowd a bit closer to the stage, he saw another man.
This man was also powerfully built, but he wasn't standing apart. He was
following the shadow boxing drill along with everyone else. But compared to the
"introductory" movements of the amateurs, this man was terrifyingly serious. He
was so deeply immersed that he seemed to be in a different dimension.
When he punched, he bared his teeth with a savage intensity, as if he had truly
just pulverized someone's skull. When he retracted his fist, he was as fast as a
lightning strike, a single drop of sweat flying from his brow as if he had just
narrowly evaded a lethal counter-attack.
One was perfectly static, the other was explosively dynamic. Two total extremes,
yet Gaolang found himself unable to look away from either of them.
☆☆☆
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