Martial Arts Master

At the entrance of a mansion nestled behind fountains and sculptures, Maszewski turned to the spirit cultivator beside him.

“It felt amazing this time, House. I was approaching the world of pure spirit!” he exclaimed with excitement lingering on his face.

He was below the age of forty and had a lofty build. He was a good-looking man with a tall nose, soft contours, and lime-green eyes that sunk deeply into his face. He was born with a childlike demeanor that made it hard to see him for who he really was— a scum of the earth mafia boss who took lives, smuggled drugs, and forced innocent girls into prostitution.

The spirit cultivator was a 20 year old multicultural youth with hair dyed white. His light brown eyes were gloomy and melancholic. They seemed to connect to another strange and mysterious world. Though Maszewski was much older than him, he didn’t seem callow standing next to him. Instead, it made him more enigmatic.

“Excellent, try to hold on to this feeling and keep meditating tonight. I believe you can become one of us,” House replied smilingly. He exuded an air of liberation, catharsis, and relaxed calm.

The other spirit cultivator was about 40 years old or so. There was an ecstasy in his eyes, and he seemed to be reminiscing about the rave from earlier on, and the feelings of being spiritually reborn after the rave freed him from his shackles.

He and House stood respectively on each of Maszewski’s sides. Escorted by professional bodyguards and Mafia gunners, they boarded a bulletproof sedan.

…

In a room on the first floor of the mansion, Jennifer was swirling her wine glass with a red glow that lingered on her face. Eyes gleaming, she looked at the relaxed Huang Xiwen.

“How are you feeling?” she asked.

“A little lightheaded, like I’m weightless. The screaming and shouting made all my stress and pain fade away. I’m feeling happy and content,” Huang Xiwen replied dreamily, her eyes slightly clouded. She was tired but her mind was active.

Still, it was her first time attending a party like this. Very soon, she began to feel uneasy.

“Jennifer, will I get addicted to this?” she asked.

“Relax, it’s a secret drug from a certain spirit cultivation club. It does contain a little marijuana, which is, as you probably know or can easily find out, less addictive than cigarettes. Look at me, do I look like an addict to you?” Jennifer explained in a mellow voice that drew her in.

“That’s true. You always look so healthy and energetic,” Huang Xiwen replied, half-affirmative and half-envious.

The way she effortlessly deals with classes and parties is so unlike me. I’m always stressed out all the time.

Jennifer beamed. “Laura, do you know about the party on the second floor?”

“Yes,” replied Huang Xiwen. She had been curious about it, but the hunk guarding the staircase wouldn’t allow her in without an invitation.

“That’s the secret party hosted by the spirit cultivation club. Attending it will help you release even more stress. You would be freed from external limitations and physical restrictions, and truly see your unique self, and soul that sparkles like gemstones. It will not only help you relax and feel at ease, but it will also let you experience an extreme euphoria that releases you from your ‘prison’. It’s your chance to communicate with the world of pure spirits,” Jennifer elucidated in a dreamy voice.

When she noticed Huang Xiwen still wary and guarded, Jennifer took a different approach.

“This is the party that’s all the rage among the high society these days—politicians, lawyers, professors, CEOs… Remember the spirit cultivator from before? That’s their mentor. He’s very powerful, even more so than supernatural ability users,” she coaxed.

The mention of “high society” interested Huang Xiwen, but she was still unsure and didn’t dwell on the topic, picking her words carefully.

…

At the entrance of mansion. After Maszewski and the other two spirit cultivators boarded the bulletproof sedan, a few professional bodyguards stood guard beside the four doors of the car instead of immediately getting into the black car in the back.

When the bulletproof sedan began to move slowly, they scuttled beside it with their hands pressed against the doors, maintaining their previous formation . Only when the car began to accelerate did they reclaim their arms hop into the second car, which was parked in the same row with its doors open. Their movements were professional and experienced.

In that moment, a silhouette sprang out from the shadows outside the mansion. Half of his face was covered by a low-pressed baseball cap and black-rimmed glasses. The exposed part of his face was covered in a pellucid and glistering layer of ice that concealed his skin tone. He was oddly gaunt and his muscles were tightly packed.

In that split second, Lou Cheng had closed the distance to the bulletproof car with a single leap. He condensed his Qi and blood, then released it all at once. His right arm swelled up as he opened his fist. He pressed his flame-enwreathed palm on the car trunk.

Screeeeech!

The piercing sound of friction wailed immediately. The back tires of the bulletproof sedan were nailed to the ground, violently spinning at first, then slowing down rapidly as sparks flew everywhere.

Lou Cheng’s feet were aligned, and his muscles bulged in a ridiculous manner. He concentrated all his strength into one place. Around his hand, cracks began appearing and unfurling.

He stopped the accelerating sedan with his bare hands!

What transpired made the car in the back screech to a sudden stop. The bodyguards inside were shaken and couldn’t quickly enough to stick their large caliber pistols through the window.

In the front car, House already knew what was happening. A dark flame flickered in his eyes as a shifting shadow appeared before him.

At that moment, Lou Cheng wasted no time on any excess movements. Flicking his left arm, he reached out with an open hand. His muscles and fascias swelled, producing dark scarlet flames between greenish-black veins. He grabbed onto the fuel door.

In the metallic snaps, Lou Cheng ripped the door off. Riding on the momentum, he leapt backwards to avoid the the incoming attacks— the moving shadow that had pierced through the car door, as well as the rain of bullets from the bodyguards.

Steadying themselves, the bodyguards stuck their guns out of the car windows and fired a round, bullets spraying everywhere.

He leapt backwards, then again, during which he suddenly threw his right hand forward and sent out a heavy, highly condensed fireball. The fireball accurately torched the shadow and slid into the fuel tank!

“No!” screeched Maszewski and the bodyguard captain upon seeing this.

Boom!

The loud sounds of explosion erupted, covering up all other sounds. The horrifying fireball erupted in the interior of the bulletproof sedan tumbling outwards and tearing through steel and shattering glass. The scarlet flames were extremely magnificent, but equally scary.

The bodyguards in the back car froze momentarily. Suppressing their fears for another round of explosions, they quickly got out of the car and split themselves into two groups— one group to fire at Lou Cheng and the other on a rescue attempt.

At that moment, the flames that had engulfed the front car eerily split apart. A sinister wind that came out of nowhere pushed the flames in all directions, tinting it a ghostly green.

Inside the car that only had its framework remaining, a dark glow appeared in “Spirit Cultivator” House’s eyes. His clothes had turned to rags. Pale-faced, he kicked down the damaged car door and walked out, left hand enwreathed in shadow and right hand supporting Maszewski.

The mafia tycoon had blood seeping from the corner of his mouth and multiple hideous burn marks on his body. His injuries weren’t fatal, but severe enough to almost make him pass out on the spot. As for the driver— his right-hand man— and the other spirit cultivator, despite being relatively strong, they were in no shape to battle.

Lou Cheng’s movements were agile, and he had already retreated behind a flower parteree. While the bodyguards were busy getting out of the car and House putting down the flames, his left hand reached into his pockets and pulled out a coin. He flicked the coin out.

Ding!

The penny twisted and bended in the air, leaving a trail of red-gold sparks as it shot towards Maszewski at lightning speed.

House cursed, dropping Maszewski to his feet. He pushed both palms forward. More shadows formed to take on the “explosive shell”.

Bang! The penny penetrated through layers of shadows, before finally losing its momentum and splintering into pieces. The bodyguards released a massive round of bullets, firing at where Lou Cheng was standing, forcing him to back off and leave the scene.

At that moment, behind them all, a bullet was fired— through a silencer— and lodged itself into Maszewski’s head without a sound. All of a sudden, his eyes popped out from its sockets, and pee leaked from his pants. Even after death, his eyes remained open with regret.

Above the colossus in the fountain, a lurking shadow shot out a few strands of fine thread which latched on to a corner of the mansion, before disappearing with a whoosh.

Seeing that, Lou Cheng quickly retreated. He wasn’t going to stay any longer. In a few leaps, he broke loose from his pursuers.

After moving at full speed for a while, he stopped at a dime. The Ice Mirror in his mind reflected a shadow that had been following him. It was the shape of a face— he could vaguely tell it was House’s face.

For an Inhuman who had completed morphing, using “supernatural ability” in a small area was a simple task, but once out of range, it would be impossible to manipulate it. It seemed like spirit cultivators didn’t have the same restrictions.

Without moving a muscle on his face, Lou Cheng visualized the ancient “Army” character in his mind, materializing its bloodlust into a spike that shot towards the shadow.

This was something he could do only after making the breakthrough in his Ice Mirror. It was similar to the simplified moves of Nine Words Formula— reduced power for increased casting speed.

Pomph! The spike pierced through the shadow and vanquished it like water on fire.

“Ugh!” At the entrance of the mansion, House wailed before falling to the ground in pain, his hands clutching his head. He sprawled across the floor, twitching. It was a horrifying sight.

The bodyguards exchanged confused looks, and were about to resume their rescue mission when the fire blazed and the sedan burst into flames a second time.

Boom!

The loud explosion caused everyone in the mansion to turn pale. Some called the cops, and otheres were trying to sneak a peek outside.

“Don’t be scared, nothing will go wrong with Mr. House here,” Jennifer consoled Huang Xiwen. “Mr. Zajecar is here too. He’s a distinguished and powerful individual…”

Zajecar was Maszewski’s alias.

“Is Mr House very strong?” Huang Xiwen asked timidly.

“Extremely. He’s very, very strong as a spirit cultivator,” Jennifer assured.

After waiting for a minute, when the sounds of the explosion and gunshots died down, they carefully peered through the window, and saw the luxury car reduced to a framework, and Maszewski and House moved to the side, motionless.

Silence spread across the mansion. The air was gloomy. Huang Xiwen shook her head. This is a nightmare that I will never forget, she thought.

…

Two districts further, Lou Cheng rejoined with Smith. He had changed out of his delivery attire and sports shoes and reduced them to ashes.

Hearing Lou Cheng’s cracking joints and seeing him enlarged in physique, as well as seeing his facial muscles protruding and heavily and defined, Smith exclaimed.

“Oh, this is amazing!”

“Nothing to brag about,” Lou Cheng replied with a smile.

After achieving “Encountering Gods In The Void”, his control over his own body allowed him to use the body shrinking kungfu.

Smith started up the car and drove into the distance. After a while of silence, he said with a tinge of fear,

“I must be crazy letting you talk me into doing this! I violated the Spiderman’s creed. I don’t deserve to be a Spiderman! You know, Lou, this is the first time I killed someone. I spent 5 years in the secret service without taking part in any dangerous missions, or doing many of the things that superheroes are supposed to do. This is my first time experiencing it. The bullet flew out, and a life is gone. Just like that. I mean, Maszewski and the spirit cultivator definitely deserved to die, but killing them like this before they were convicted… I feel as if I have commited a crime…”

Lou Cheng stole a glance at Smith. His mouth twitched.

“Hey, Smith, calm down. I never knew you were so chatty…” he said.

“Got it, got it. Calm, calm,” Smith inhaled, regaining the composure of a professional agent.

“Don’t you think Maszewski deserved to die? If there was damning evidences on him, someone would have done him in way before this. If there isn’t any, even if he was arrested, he could get someone to take the fall for him as usual and breeze out of court,” Lou Cheng said after some pondering.

“I know,” Smith replied, turning to look at Lou Cheng. “I just don’t feel like I’m Spiderman anymore. I need to find an ideology that truly suits myself. How are you this calm, Lou? Don’t you feel uneasy?”

Well, duh, I wasn’t the one who actually killed him, thought Lou Cheng.

“Maybe it’s because I’m less legally conscious,” he replied earnestly after some deliberation.

“…” Smith was at a loss of words.

Without another word, he made some extra turns to return the guns to the subordinates of Maszewski’s rival. Lastly, he sent Lou Cheng back to the northern district of Connecticut.

After entering the room, Lou Cheng looked at Yan Zheke, who had yet to change into her nightwear and was waiting in the living room.

“All done. So easy.” he said with a grin.

“Details,” demanded Yan Zheke after heaving a sigh of relief, her eyes sparkling.

Just as he was about to tell his story, he heard a growl from his stomach.

“Let me grab a bite before that. All that work had me starving…” he said with an embarrassed smile.

“I’ll cook for you!” Yan Zheke raised her hand eagerly. “What would you like to eat?”

“What about noodles?” Lou Cheng replied gaily.

“We have flour. We can make the noodles by ourselves,” Yan Zheke said as she scuttled into the kitchen, before calling out to Lou Cheng as she pointed to the flour. “I made the dough! Your turn to knead it!”

“Weren’t you going to cook for me?” Lou Cheng chortled.

Yan Zheke pursed her lips and made an innocent face.

“Your hands are stronger!” she said.

“Alright,” Lou Cheng complied as he put on his apron.

When Huang Xiwen and the others were finishing with police interrogation, Lou Cheng was just carrying a pot of noodles into the dining room. He watched as Yan Zheke poured heated leftovers on top of the noodles before wolfing it down, describing the happenings from before to her here and there.

What a wonderful night.