Martial artists can never be ultimately insulted

After saying this, Baroque paused, collected his thoughts, and said slowly, "In Japan, from what I've come into contact with, there isn't much sectarianism. There are three ninjutsu schools that you might have the opportunity to join."

Which three?

Yuan Chen inquired.

"The Ninja's Backyard: The God of War School, the Shiranui School."

Upon hearing these three, Yuan Chen raised his eyebrows with great interest.

They are all very familiar names.

Ninja Village... I'm not so sure about that, because the naming convention is a bit too broad. If we're really going to count, in Yuan Chen's own memory alone, there are quite a few similar organizations that could be named in this way.

But coming from the mouth of Baroque, a Street Fighter character... perhaps it's the ninja village where Ibuki comes from?

Baroque spoke slowly and deliberately:

"The Ninja Village existed in Japan during the Sengoku period. It was a secluded village where people practiced ancient martial arts and ninjutsu, which had been perfected during that time. Although the village itself rarely interacted with outsiders…"

However, with the development of the times, they have also begun to actively seek change. And according to the information I know, the ninja village, influenced by an equally ancient and mysterious Japanese assassin family, is now also actively seeking strong bloodlines.

"Ah, that's truly mysterious." Upon hearing this, Yuan Chen, his face blank, turned his gaze to the Wu clan's bloodstained figure beside him.

It is evident that the Wu clan, through more than 1,300 years of human body modification, successfully adapted the human body to liberation, which had a profound impact on some ancient schools of Japanese martial arts.

In response, the Wu clan's members shrugged indifferently, indicating that they were the challengers.

Then, Baroque continued:

"Next is the Mushin-ryu school, whose oldest origins can be traced back to Tibet in the Tang Dynasty, and it was later introduced to Japan during the Warring States period."

The Martial God School's lineage, while broad in scope, is also extremely rigorous. Although it doesn't restrict the identity of the inheritor, only one person per generation succeeds. To become the next sect leader, one must defeat the current sect leader. The only requirement for each successor is 'justice.'

Upon hearing this, Yuan Chen nodded to indicate that he understood.

Yuan Chen was no stranger to the Martial God School, whose philosophy was that "when the world is threatened, the shadow of the Martial God will appear."

To this end, they have been secretly fighting against evil forces in order to maintain the natural order of the world.

Although not as widely known as the Hadou style in Street Fighter, the Martial God style runs throughout the entire series and is one of the few special martial arts styles that, like the Hadou style, is actually close to cultivating immortality.

The playable character 'Kay' in the Street Fighter ZERO series and Street Fighter IV is the 4th generation successor of the Mushin-ryu school. In the storylines of Street Fighter Alpha and Street Fighter IV, he used the special technique 'Mushin Musou' to destroy Vega's two bodies twice.

Unfortunately, because it didn't have the power to annihilate the soul like Instant Hell Kill, it only killed Vega on a physical level.

Street Fighter can't be without Vega, just like a strong character can't be without a stepping stone.

In Street Fighter V, Sora is the 38th generation successor of the Mushin-ryu style, and can switch between different fighting styles in his youth and old age.

Besides these two, there is also Maki, the 40th generation successor of the Bujin-ryu style who appeared in Street Fighter II, and Kimberly, the 42nd generation successor of the Bujin-ryu style, who is most familiar to Street Fighter VI players.

"As for the Martial God School, I remember the lineage should be quite complete, right?" Thinking to himself, Yuan Chen also asked, "Has the current sect leader not found someone he likes?"

"The lineage of Martial Gods almost died out in the thirty-sixth generation."

Upon hearing Yuan Chen's question, Baroque ate his beef tongue, drank some red wine, and felt the warmth of being needed. A hint of pleasure flashed in his eyes.

As expected of someone who could defeat me... This pursuit of power and beauty deserves my response... Hmph.

Thinking it over, Baroque nodded in satisfaction and said:

"It wasn't until Elder Genryusai, the 37th generation successor of the Martial God School, broke down the regional barriers of the Martial God School and abandoned tradition to actively embrace the technology of the new era that the Martial God School was able to be revived and flourish."

"The previous sect leader of the Martial God School, 'Kai,' is currently away cultivating, and the sect leader before that, 'Shi Kong,' is living in seclusion. The current 40th sect leader of the Martial God School is Genryusai Maki, the daughter of Elder Genryusai. She was originally Elder Genryusai's daughter, so it was only natural for her to inherit the family business and she didn't need to challenge the previous sect leader. But this little girl's talent... is just average."

With his arms crossed, Baroque said calmly, "Therefore, the current Martial God School is also actively seeking a successor with talent and compatible ideals."

"What about the Shiranui School?"

A hint of curiosity also appeared in Yuan Chen's eyes.

Compared to the Ninja Village and the Martial God Style, Yuan Chen was actually more curious about the Shiranui Style.

After all, Mai Shiranui, as SNK's leading lady, has been, and still is, SNK's main source of revenue for a considerable period of time—through IP licensing, collaborations, and the like.

Especially now that fighting games are declining, Mai Shiranui is often referred to as the "Street Fighter Recruitment Director" along with Zangief and Jamie.

Keep guessing~ guessing~ guessing~

"The Shiranui school also faces the issue of succession. This school is probably the oldest of the three," Baroque said. "It is said to be even older than Japan itself."

The current head of the family is Hanzo Shiranui, a highly respected master, but he is very old. His children died young, and he only has one granddaughter, Mai Shiranui, who, like the Mushin-ryu school, faces the problem of succession. He is currently searching for a new successor.

"The Mushin-ryu and Shiranui-ryu have a very good relationship. Although they are both traditional schools, they have abandoned many sectarian prejudices and have fewer complicated rules due to issues of inheritance."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Chen nodded thoughtfully, then asked, "Do you have their contact information?"

In response, Baroque simply took out a pre-prepared card with different locations written on it and said:

"The address and contact number are on it. Go find out for yourself when you have time... Hmm, since you were able to defeat me, they probably won't refuse someone as talented and promising as you to learn the craft."

"Okay, thank you."

Yuan Chen accepted the card and then said, "Our grudges are settled."

"Ah, that's exactly what I wanted to say."

Upon hearing Yuan Chen's words, Baroque sneered and said, "Next time we meet, I won't hold back."

Yuan Chen didn't care about this, and Baroque didn't continue to pester him, but got up to leave.

However, after reaching the door, as if remembering something, Baroque turned back to look at Yuan Chen, remained silent for a moment, then coughed lightly and said:

"...When will your store start offering delivery?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the Wu family and the film source family, who were standing to the side, tensed up.

"We don't plan to offer delivery." Yuan Chen replied formally, "If you want to try it, you can order it through a delivery service."

Upon hearing this, Baroque nodded, then turned and hurriedly left, seemingly oblivious to Wu Lei'an's increasingly maniacal laughter.

Looking at the cards in his hand, Yuan Chen's face showed a hint of interest.

It's hard to say about the Ninja Village, but it's impossible for Yuan Chen to say he's not interested in the Mushin-ryu and Shiranui-ryu styles.

The former runs throughout the entire Street Fighter series, while the latter holds a pivotal position in The King of Fighters, with its setting inherited from 'the ancient past'.

Seeing Yuan Chen's enthusiastic expression, Chun Li asked curiously, "Are you interested in ninjutsu again?"

“A little,” Yuan Chen said. “I discovered some very good techniques during the battle with Baroque.”

Hearing Yuan Chen's words, Chun Li was still a little curious, but seeing that Yuan Chen seemed to have made a decision, she didn't ask any more questions.

Although Chunli had some reservations about Yuan Chen's behavior in certain aspects, Yuan Chen was always very opinionated when it came to important matters, which was why Chunli trusted him so much.

After seeing Baroque off, the Wu family members and the Pianyuan siblings had also finished their meal. After a brief farewell and tidying up the house, Yuan Chen took out his phone and pulled Han Zhuli back as she tried to sneak away.

"Don't go, President Kim is waiting to see you."

Upon hearing Yuan Chen's words, Han Zhuli's face fell. For a moment, she didn't know how to respond. She could only sit on the bar with her head shrunk, as if waiting for Louis XVI to personally experience the product she had improved.

Volume 1: Chapter 115 - Han Zhuli's Heart Knot

My sleep schedule has been messed up lately, and my memory is a bit fading. I forgot to write about Han Zhuli's reaction when I was writing earlier, but I added it later. However, because the correction was made so late, some readers probably haven't seen it. You can refresh the page from the beginning of the previous chapter to see it. The main content is that Han Zhuli suppressed her inner turmoil and decided to wait until things were over before asking Yuan Chen a question alone.

After cleaning up the restaurant, while waiting for Kim's video call, Han Zhuli looked at Yuan Chen standing to the side.

It was clear that Han Zhuli had something she wanted to ask, but after her expression changed for a while, she only slammed her fist on the table in slight annoyance.

“I originally wanted to wait until it was just the two of us before asking you… but since you’re insisting I stay here, I might as well ask you here.”

Upon hearing this, Yuan Chen nodded in understanding: "It's about Baroque and Yingluo, isn't it?"

“…Hmm.” Upon hearing Yuan Chen’s words, Han Zhuli nodded. Then she leaned on the table, her crossed arms covering half of her face, and strands of hair falling across her forehead obscuring her eyes, making it difficult to see Han Zhuli’s expression for a moment.

“You should know about my relationship with Shadow Luo… So, what’s the deal with that guy called Baroque?”

"Yes, I was thinking of telling you that too."

Upon hearing Han Zhuli's question, Yuan Chen nodded and then recounted his experiences in Hong Kong.

Upon hearing Yuan Chen's account, before Han Zhuli could say anything, Chunli, standing to the side, exclaimed in astonishment, "So, you mean Baroque already knew back then that he would be safely taken away by Yingluo? Ah Chen, why didn't you say so then?"

“What’s the point of saying it…” Yuan Chen glanced at Chun Li helplessly.

Upon hearing this, Chun-Li subconsciously opened her mouth, as if she wanted to say something. But then, as if realizing something, she slapped her forehead and fell silent.

The reason for this is quite simple: Chun-Li suddenly realized that if she were the person involved, she would only think that Baroque was just being stubborn after his defeat.

Chun-Li wouldn't even tell her father or the other Interpol officers about it.

Because of Baroque's special status, Interpol would have deployed its maximum manpower to escort him regardless of whether he said those words or not. The fact that Baroque managed to escape was also because Vega used some kind of cheat code to remotely descend through mental power.

Don't be fooled by Vega's frequent defeats in Street Fighter, where he gets crushed by moves like Musou, Instant Hell Slash, and Shadow Slash. To defeat Vega, you either need to max out his physical stats, like Musou, max out his Ki mechanics, like Shadow Slash, or deal true damage directly, like Instant Hell Slash.

As the gatekeeper of the T0 in the Street Fighter universe, even if the actual Vega is just a spiritual entity, he is by no means someone that ordinary martial artists can contend with.

This can be seen from the brainwashed individuals like Shi, Rose, Cammy, and Ken.

Vega is not a district!!!

"That's why Baroque is here, and the main reason I didn't choose to take action is... I didn't want to."

"..."

Upon hearing this, Han Zhuli fell silent, then looked at Yuan Chen with a cold, numb expression, devoid of joy or sorrow.

"Wait a minute! Ah Chen! Zhu Li!"

Seeing that the atmosphere was getting tense, Chun-Li said helplessly, "Calm down! Baroque is no weakling. He must have come up with a backup plan to show up here so brazenly! Besides, that guy has only been standing at the door the whole time. Even if we all attacked at once, it would be difficult to take him down..."

Hearing Chunli's explanation, Yuan Chen simply shook his head, looked at Han Zhuli with his eyes, and calmly continued:

“I know about your hatred for Shadow, and I know that Baroque deserved to die, but he came to fulfill his promise to me... and I will respond.”

"So, the reason I chose to talk to him this time was not because he was standing at the door, nor because he was prepared... but because I wanted to respond to him. So even if I could take action, I wouldn't."

Upon hearing Yuan Chen's words, Han Zhuli fell into a long silence. After a long while, she said unhappily, "Tch, after saying so much, it's all for the so-called 'meaning'... I get it."

As she said this, Han Zhuli leaned back in her chair, her expression filled with annoyance:

“I… don’t blame you, because revenge is my own business, and I don’t want to use you to complete my revenge. I just… need some time to accept it.”

Sensing Han Zhuli's agitation, and the understanding hidden beneath that agitation...

To be honest, Yuan Chen wasn't too surprised.

In many people's minds, Han Joo-ri's characterization as a madwoman seems to have been consistent from the fourth installment onwards, but this is not actually the case.

Especially after living with Han Zhuli for a while, Yuan Chen became even more certain that Han Zhuli was by no means just a simple little devil, a crazy beauty, or a sadist.

Or perhaps, Han Zhuli's mental state itself has changed to varying degrees in different Street Fighter series.

In Street Fighter IV, she was a complete and utterly insane beauty. With the implantation of the Feng Shui Engine, her physical strength and aura were enhanced, and she also became extremely bloodthirsty due to the Feng Shui Engine. She was keen on toying with her prey to death, and her mind turned into that of a pure hedonist, frantically pursuing the pleasure of sadism and revenge.

At the very beginning of the Street Fighter V storyline, after Vega stole the Feng Shui Engine from Han Zhuli's left eye, she became depressed for a long time and stopped being arrogant. In order to deal with Vega, she even cooperated with her former nemesis Cammy and Colleen, and her mind recovered to some extent.

During the Street Fighter V era, because the powerful Feng Shui Engine prototype was lost, Han Zhuli returned to the old site of SIN Company and found the weaker Feng Shui Engine experimental machine 'Feng Shui Engine Alpha'.

In Street Fighter VI, Hanju Lily, having avenged Vega's death, becomes peaceful, carefree, and even somewhat melancholic, seeking thrills. She's more like a wandering ronin riding a motorcycle, looking for fun to relieve boredom, with a more composed personality than before.

Along with this, the Feng Shui Engine Alpha was transformed from a tool for revenge into a toy for amusement in Han Zhuli's eyes.

The most compelling evidence for this is the design of Han Zhuli's pajama skin – according to the design, Han Zhuli in pajama skin is the same Han Zhuli who, after avenging her great enemy, has nothing to do and is just messing around at home.

According to the designer, whenever Han Zhuli returns home, she puts on a onesie pajama, and the house becomes messy because she is too lazy to tidy up. She is like a salted fish who only knows how to stay in her room playing on her phone—this is Han Zhuli's mental state after getting revenge.

Although the Kengan timeline has already begun, the Street Fighter timeline is still in the Street Fighter 2 time period, which means that Hanju Li has not yet reached the crazy state of Street Fighter 4 where the Feng Shui engine has been implanted.

At least, in Yuan Chen's opinion, Han Zhuli is still very naive... She longs for revenge and power, but she has not forgotten her parents' teachings and her pursuit of justice, truth, goodness and beauty.

Thinking this, Yuan Chen placed his hand on Han Zhuli's shoulder.

This made Han Zhuli look at Yuan Chen with some impatience.

Yuan Chen simply said calmly, "I will help you."

"Who cares..." Han Zhuli rolled her eyes and grumbled, "You just think it's comfortable to do it with me, right... or maybe it gives you a sense of accomplishment when I'm screaming and yelling..."