Chapter 117: The Reckless One

“Hmm?” Chen Hao was taken aback. This person actually knew Dong Xin and even recognized her car. Without thinking much, he instinctively asked back, “Who are you?”

Normally, it’s quite natural for two strangers to strike up a conversation because of a mutual acquaintance. Questions and answers would flow easily.

But this man was clearly short-tempered and unpleasant. After Chen Hao’s casual question, he suddenly snapped, “Kid! I’m asking you who you are! What business is it of yours?”

Chen Hao was surprised by the man’s attitude. He hadn’t provoked him—so why speak to him like that? Then, after the man repeated his question with more emphasis, Chen Hao began to piece things together.

“Kid! Answer me quickly. What’s your relationship with Dong Xin? How did she let you drive her car?”

Ah, so this was one of Dong Xin’s admirers! No wonder he was so sensitive about Chen Hao’s connection to that tomboy Dong Xin. Judging by his attitude, he must have misunderstood who Chen Hao really was.

That assumption was reasonable—after all, no one would casually hand over their car keys to just anyone, especially to someone of the opposite sex, unless they were very close. What surprised Chen Hao was that this tomboy actually had a suitor. It didn’t seem like he was her boyfriend, though.

Dong Xin had told them she came to Kester alone, without anyone accompanying her. Chen Hao believed she hadn’t lied about that.

But precisely because of this, Chen Hao felt annoyed by this stranger’s disrespectful tone.

Though reluctant to admit it, Chen Hao had to acknowledge that the tomboy Dong Xin was strikingly attractive. Though she might not rival Gu Mengyan or Fan Yirou in facial beauty, her figure was undeniably world-class—the kind of perfect physique you’d find in an international-standard comic heroine. Tall, curvy, with a shapely silhouette that was both alluring and graceful.

This was largely due to her lifelong martial arts training. Chen Hao, however, didn’t possess his father’s keen insight and couldn’t tell just from looking that Dong Xin was a martial artist like himself. He often wondered how she maintained such a physique.

With her good looks and outstanding figure, Dong Xin certainly wouldn’t be interested in a coarse, hulking brute like this man—someone so rough that just sitting down could knock her down.

If Chen Hao were Dong Xin, he definitely wouldn’t consider this guy at all.

So Chen Hao was certain he and Dong Xin weren’t lovers. If they weren’t, why was this man interrogating him so harshly? Normally, if someone saw a friend’s car being driven by another, they’d only ask politely. No one would act so aggressively.

Chen Hao didn’t even bother to respond to the man’s questioning. He merely gave him a disdainful glance and snapped back, “I didn’t steal or snatch anything. I just drove her car back and parked it here. What business is it of yours what kind of relationship I have with her?”

With that, Chen Hao intended to ignore the man and get on with his day. He had a long list of things planned and hadn’t completed a single one yet. At the very least, he wanted to finish one or two tasks before Gu Mengyan and the others returned from shopping.

He had no intention of lingering or even learning the man’s name. Turning his back, he prepared to walk away.

But this only infuriated the man more. He strode over and blocked Chen Hao’s path. Without a word, he raised his hand and slapped Chen Hao across the face.

Chen Hao’s eyes flashed. He hadn’t expected this man to be a martial artist, nor that he would attack without warning. Damn, this guy really had a bad temper!

Of course, Chen Hao reacted swiftly. There was no way he’d stand there and take that slap.

Though he didn’t know the man’s strength, just from the thickness of his arm—like a thick thigh—Chen Hao guessed that if the slap landed squarely, he might lose a couple of front teeth.

So, he turned his head just in time, narrowly dodging the slap.

This wasn’t luck but calculation—Chen Hao had gauged the distance, timing, and force precisely, effortlessly evading the blow. But he might have underestimated the man; this attack wasn’t the only move he had.

Surprised that his seemingly certain knockout blow missed, the man quickly adjusted and launched a second strike. Expecting Chen Hao to be a martial artist, this time he struck more deliberately.

He formed his hand into a fist, raised it high, and then slammed it down like a heavy mace aimed at Chen Hao’s head.

Chen Hao immediately snapped out of his relaxed state, twisted his waist, and raised both hands to block the powerful blow.

This reaction startled the man. He hadn’t expected this kid to meet his heavy strike head-on with both hands.

Judging from Chen Hao’s earlier dodging, it was clear he was a skilled martial artist with sharp eyes and precise timing. Chen Hao must know just how strong this blow was but still chose to confront it directly—either he was an idiot or extremely confident in his own strength.

This man’s martial art was similar to Hung Gar, even more forceful—Xing Yi Quan.

There’s an old saying: “Ten years of Tai Chi doesn’t leave the door; one year of Xing Yi kills a man.” It highlights the stark contrast between the two internal martial arts.

This doesn’t mean Tai Chi is harder to learn or that Xing Yi is inherently superior. The main difference lies in their methods of applying force: Tai Chi relies on spiraling energy, using softness to overcome hardness, while Xing Yi uses direct, powerful linear strikes aimed at vital points.

Some claim Yue Fei as the founder of Xing Yi, others attribute it to Ji Jike, but regardless of origin, there’s no denying Xing Yi’s fierce and dominant nature.

Derived from spear techniques, Xing Yi’s moves mimic spear strikes.

In fact, Xing Yi is divided into several styles: the Three Forms, the Five Elements, and the Twelve Animals. The Five Elements—Pi (Splitting), Beng (Crushing), Zuan (Drilling), Pao (Pounding), and Heng (Crossing)—are the most famous, each embodying an unstoppable, free-spirited momentum.

The five-foot tall man’s second attack was the Pi strike from the Five Elements, his raised fist like an ancient spear crashing straight down toward Chen Hao’s face.

Such a powerful blow, yet Chen Hao chose to block it with both hands, surprising his opponent.

Even more surprising, Chen Hao caught the man’s massive fist firmly between his palms, holding it motionless in mid-air.

While the man was stunned, Chen Hao twisted his wrist, flipped his opponent onto the ground, and drove a knee into the back of his neck.

“Are you crazy? Why’d you attack without a word! What did I ever do to you?”

Chen Hao thought he’d subdued the reckless brute, but he underestimated him. Using a force technique unfamiliar to Chen Hao, the man neutralized the pressure on his neck, spun, and pinned Chen Hao beneath him.

Chen Hao was momentarily stunned but quickly recovered.

“Kapola? Damn! You know all sorts of stuff! Interesting!”

That he could say this in such a moment showed Chen Hao wasn’t panicked—on the contrary, he was somewhat exhilarated.

He hadn’t sparred with someone of equal strength in years. This reckless giant seemed capable enough to give him a good workout.

Not holding back, Chen Hao lifted his legs and locked them around the man’s neck, twisting his waist to slam him down again.

What followed was a fierce grapple between two men, twisting and wrestling.

Chen Hao held back some strength, using these exchanges to gauge his opponent’s true power. He was confident that if the man didn’t conceal his ability like Chen Hao did, the fight would end in under two minutes with Chen Hao victorious.

The man’s resilience came purely from his impressive physique.

To enjoy the fight, Chen Hao went all out.

But the man, gritting his teeth and determined to defeat Chen Hao, showed no sign of realizing Chen Hao was deliberately holding back.

Just as the man prepared for another attack, the parking garage security guard arrived.

“What are you two doing? Fighting in broad daylight like a couple of maniacs?!”