Chapter 12: The First Time the Young Wang Anfeng Took Action

The sound fell, and the Green-Maned Horse let out a long neigh, stepping forward as if treading on clouds, and in the blink of an eye, it was far away; it was clearly no ordinary horse. And at the moment the young boy left, those merchants who had been sitting quietly sprung up from their seats like they were on springs, pouncing towards the glittering Silver Coins on the ground, pushing and shoving each other, with a constant stream of cursing and shouting.

Within moments, a cool tea stall had turned into a battlefield, filled with a noisy and piercing cacophony of regional slang and curses, occasionally punctuated by cries of pain. This made Wang Anfeng feel a sense of disgust. He gathered his belongings and the remnants of his dry food, carefully placed the teapot on a piece of bluestone, and then set off, with the aches in his body having subsided quite a bit after a good rest. He summoned his Inner Strength and employed the Vigorous Step Technique to stride away, without even glancing at the Silver Taels, let alone using his martial skills to snatch them.

He walked a great distance, not knowing how far he had gone until the moon climbed over the willow tips, when he finally saw a small Taoist Temple. After entering and explaining his intentions, he rested there for the night. Waking up early the next day, he considered that if he headed to Shaolin, it would take him about half an hour, and suddenly disappearing might scare the others. Thus, he only practiced his punches twice in the courtyard, and helped the innkeeper to sweep the yard before bidding farewell and leaving.

Enduring the soreness in his body, he rushed on for a whole day, and it was only when the sky darkened that he finally saw the distant county city. He let out a sigh of relief; using the "Shadow Reflection Tag" to confirm his identity, he entered the city. The lights were bright in front of him; although it was dark, if he were in a village, it would have been deserted by now, but the city was still brightly lit with lanterns highlighting a bustling and prosperous scene.

Exhausted from the journey, Wang Anfeng's pace slowed as he arrived in such a bustling place. He stared wide-eyed at the passersby and the shouting vendors, eventually stopping at a small vendor, lured by the irresistible smell of pork buns. Hearing his stomach rumble, the young vendor saw him and cheerfully said, "Is the young brother a bit hungry? Our pork buns are made with fine cuts of pork belly, fresh cabbage, and mushrooms, all finely chopped. The skin is thin and the filling is generous, and for just six Datong Currency coins, you can have one."

As he spoke, he lifted the lid off the steamer, revealing rows of white pork buns, their fragrance wafting out. Wang Anfeng swallowed unconsciously and fished twelve Copper Coins from his pocket. After a thought, he put six back and handed over the other half to the vendor, smiling, "Trouble you, shopkeeper, to give me one is enough."

"Alright."

The young man took the silver, deftly picked out a bun, and handed it to Wang Anfeng. Biting into it heartily, Wang Anfeng found it deliciously fragrant and satisfying. As the vendor covered the steamer and draped a white cloth over his shoulder, he laughed and said, "The young brother seems to have an unfamiliar accent, is this your first time in our city?"

Wang Anfeng simply nodded in agreement, his mouth full as he continued to devour the bun, swallowing it in a few bites, then let out a satisfied breath and wiped his hands before he raised his fist in courtesy and inquired, "Excuse me, young man, I have a matter to ask about; please don't take offense."

The young vendor, seeing his polite and refined appearance, waved his hand with a smile, "Ask away, ask away; I'm not one of those scholarly gentlemen. You're too courteous." Wang Anfeng grinned and changed the subject, "I heard that in this city, there is a Doctor by the surname Li. Do you happen to know of him?"

"Doctor Li?"

The young man paused, inspected Wang Anfeng from head to toe, and seeing him not looking like a villain, finally shook his head with a sigh, "Him, of course I know him; he's skilled in activating meridians and promoting blood circulation, and he's always been kind to people. Unfortunately, he has not been living peacefully these days... he's gotten into trouble with a gang from the east side of the city. Even with thousand Taels of silver, one can't withstand such turmoil..."

Wang Anfeng paused for a moment before asking Dr. Li's address and the nature of the incident, thanked the messenger, and then strode away. As the street was crowded, a sense of urgency rose within him, and without realizing it, he employed the Shaolin Vigorous Step Technique. The young man watching from behind saw the figure in blue swiftly leap forward, and in a few bounds, he was galloping away like a horse, leaving a trail of shocked gasps and screams in his wake.

The medical hall of Dr. Li's residence was not far away, and with Wang Anfeng's current pace, it took only a few minutes to reach that street. From a distance, he could see a crowd gathered around a spectacle, so he hurried over, only to find the space so cramped that there was no room to squeeze through. Inside, he heard a mix of loud cursing and a sudden sharp sound of weapons clashing, followed by the cries of children and the sobs of women.

Wang Anfeng's heart raced with anxiety but quickly calmed down. His eyes scanned his surroundings, and he retreated a dozen steps, steadied his breathing, his eyes flashed, he gathered his strength, stepped forward, and used the Vigorous Step Technique to charge forward. As he neared the crowd, he bit down hard, boosted his Inner Qi, and leaped nearly two meters high like a tiger, landing heavily on a man's shoulders, causing him to buckle under the weight.

From his vantage point, he saw a middle-aged couple with a child being surrounded by five burly men. The leader, cursing and clenching his fists, walked towards the man who was defiantly holding his ground. The teenager had no time to feel fear; his body was already stepping rapidly on the shoulders of the onlookers, leaping into the midst of the encirclement like a tiger descending a mountain. Right after landing, he capitalized on the momentum of his charge. His right fist spun mightily from his side while his left palm came down like a crushing boulder, accompanied by a surging Inner Qi, smashing into the wrists of the leading strongman.

"Ah!"

The burly man screamed as his defenses were wide open. Although it was Wang Anfeng's first physical confrontation, his actions were fueled purely by a surge of indignation, leaving his mind blank. He stared at his opponent and delivered a Central Plain Fist straight to the man's abdomen with all his might, sending him flying sideways. At this moment, the four hooligans finally reacted. First startled by the sudden intervention, upon realizing their assailant was just a youth, they roared and lunged at him.

Wang Anfeng's heart pounded like a drum, his mind a blank slate, yet the nearly seven hours, fourteen hours a day of training in martial arts had ingrained a natural reflex in his body. As he watched a punch coming straight at him, he stepped back with his right foot, his arms raised firmly, catching the incoming blow. The words of his Master, imparting martial arts wisdom, flowed through his mind, instinctively twisting his waist and turning, his right arm bending at the elbow and swinging the Reverse Elbow Break into the ribs of the ruffian with spiraling force and Inner Qi. With a sickening crack, the heavy-set hooligan screamed and was sent flying like trash.

His left hand raised to intercept a punch, his posture shifted, and his right fist transformed into a palm strike, surging up from his spine through his fingers, hitting another attacker right on the throat. Using the momentum, he pushed upwards, causing the hooligan's jaw to dislocate with a snap, the man howling as he flipped over and started rolling on the ground. The other two's sneers froze, their steps halting unconsciously, but Wang Anfeng, whose mind was almost void of thought, did not cease his assault.

Unconsciously adopting the movement technique of the Vigorous Step Technique, he pounced forward like a tiger leaping down a hill, switching his stance to a left bow, his right palm circling inward to catch the opponent's punch, while his left fist struck outwards, slamming into the temples. The man's scream of rage stopped abruptly as he slumped to the ground lifeless.

"Old Liu?! Old Zhang? You – don't come any closer!"

"If you come any closer, I'll call the authorities! Help! Somebody help!"

The last burly man with a mutton-chop beard went from stupefaction to terror, screaming shrilly like a frightened girl, flailing his arms, only to have his guard breached by a punch through the crook of his elbow. Wang Anfeng bent his right arm, secured his right hand with his left, and surged forward with the technique of the Vigorous Step Technique, his raised elbow smashing brutally into the hooligan's chin. The man's world went dark as he collapsed unconscious. Only then, as the youth's breathing began to even out and his mind slowly cleared, standing tall and surveying his surroundings, he realized that the strength of his inner martial arts had made him a far cry from a common strongman.