Chinese Martial Arts: My Super Beast Clone

Standing behind Lu Zhengchuan, Lin Hai roughly understood the ins and outs of the matter; it was a very common case of fighting for territory and dominating the scene.

Lin Hai activated his synesthetic talent, granting him a level of sensory perception far exceeding that of ordinary people. Listening to the two arguing fiercely, he initially thought they were about to flip the table and come to blows, but upon closer observation, Lin Hai noticed some details.

Although Wang Meng shouted loudly and pounded his fists with deafening force, his eyes kept glancing at Lu Zhengchuan, and he remained firmly seated in his chair, showing no intention of getting up.

Liu Zhendong's words seemed sharp, but his breathing was steady, and he had no intention of actually taking action.

A sudden realization flashed through Lin Hai's mind.

These two have no desire to fight.

If it were truly an irreconcilable feud, they wouldn't be sitting in this private room today, much less have asked Lu Zhengchuan to act as mediator. The brawl the night before last has likely cost both sides a considerable amount. Medical expenses, money to appease the injured disciples, money to bribe the police—all of this amounts to a hefty sum.

If the fighting continues, both sides will suffer heavy losses. They came here today ostensibly to argue about right and wrong, but in reality, they want to find a way to save face and, incidentally, secure more compensation.

The so-called martial arts world is never just about fighting and killing. A fist is thrown for profit, and a fist is pulled back for profit. When the cost of fighting exceeds the benefits, the owners of these martial arts schools will naturally choose to sit down at the negotiating table.

Human relationships and the exchange of interests are the underlying logic that keeps the Yangcheng Martial Arts Association running.

Lin Hai looked at Lu Zhengchuan sitting in front of him, wanting to see how his master would handle this situation.

Lu Zhengchuan listened quietly to the two arguing without interrupting. When they were both hoarse and their voices gradually subsided, he slowly pinched off a small pinch of tobacco and put it into the brass pipe.

"laugh!"

The match struck, and a flame shot up. Lu Zhengchuan lit a cigarette, took a couple of puffs, and exhaled a puff of smoke.

"Have you had enough?" Lu Zhengchuan's voice wasn't loud, but as soon as he spoke, both martial arts school owners, Wang Meng and Liu Zhendong, shut their mouths.

"You've all lost your minds fighting over those pittances at the Shiliupu Wharf." Lu Zhengchuan pointed out the window with his pipe. "The Wang and Guo families have already fought two rounds of competition for control of the wharf."

Lu Zhengchuan, pipe in hand, glanced at the two men: "It's still uncertain who will manage the docks in Yangcheng in the future. With a storm brewing, you two small martial arts schools are fighting over a few warehouses. Do you have a death wish, or do you think your lives are too comfortable?"

Upon hearing this, both Wang Meng and Liu Zhendong's expressions changed.

"Then... Senior Lu, what do you think we should do about this?" Liu Zhendong softened his tone first.

"Since you invited me here, I'll set some rules," Lu Zhengchuan said slowly, sitting up straight.

"Three warehouses, half for each." Lu Zhengchuan toned down his imposing manner. He didn't judge the right or wrong of either side's actions, but directly proposed a profit-sharing plan. "Wang Meng, your men will withdraw from the warehouses and only be responsible for the security of the outer streets. Liu Zhendong, your men will enter the warehouses to be responsible for internal security. The monthly commission will still be 30%, split 50/50 between the two of you. As for Wang Meng's apprentice's medical expenses, Liu Zhendong, each of you will contribute one hundred silver dollars to compensate him. That's the end of it."

Wang Meng hesitated for a moment, but if he could keep half of his commission, it wouldn't be a loss. He gritted his teeth, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "I'll listen to Senior Lu."

After a moment's consideration, Liu Zhendong realized that although it would cost several hundred silver dollars, it meant he was officially getting involved in the business of the Shiliupu Wharf and would have a foothold in the future. He stood up and said, "Since Senior Lu has spoken, my Zhenwei Martial Arts School has no objections."

"Alright." Lu Zhengchuan stood up. "Let's settle it like this! It's a small matter, so let's not waste any more time."

Without further ado, Lu Zhengchuan turned and walked towards the door.

Lin Hai and Chen Wu quickly followed.

Stepping out of the private room, Lin Hai felt he had learned a great deal today. He had originally thought that conflicts between martial arts schools were simply a matter of one side completely subduing the other, but now it seemed that compromise and balance were the norm. If a martial arts school was truly driven to the brink of desperation, no one would benefit from such a desperate act.

As they went downstairs, Chen Wu whispered to Lin Hai, "Do you see now? This is the prestige of our master. In Yangcheng, few people dare to disrespect him."

Lin Hai nodded.

The three of them went down the stairs to the lobby on the first floor. The once bustling lobby was now eerily quiet.

The manager and several waiters of Guangfulou Restaurant were huddled behind the counter, barely daring to breathe. In the center of the hall, the tables that had been there were roughly pushed aside, making room for a large open space.

A dozen or so men dressed in black short jackets lined up on both sides, completely blocking the entrance.

Directly in front of this group of men sat a middle-aged man in his fifties. He was wearing a well-tailored Western-style vest, toying with a silver pocket watch in his hand, and his leather shoes were polished to a shine. He was watching Lu Zhengchuan and his two companions descend the stairs with a half-smile.

Lu Zhengchuan stopped, his eyes narrowed slightly, and tapped the stair railing lightly with his pipe.

"Third Master Wang, what a grand display." Lu Zhengchuan's tone was flat, without a trace of emotion.

Master Wang closed his pocket watch, stood up, and straightened his collar. "Master Lu, how have you been? My men are just a bunch of rough, unruly men; I hope they haven't disturbed you, sir!"

Lin Hai's gaze swept over the men, a slight tremor running through him. These dozen or so men had extremely stable lower bodies and prominent temples, indicating they were all trained fighters. As for this Third Master of the Wang family, although he appeared relaxed standing there, Lin Hai, relying on his synesthetic talent, could sense an extremely dangerous power lurking within him.

The Wang family is one of the four major families in Yangcheng.

"It's not a disturbance." Lu Zhengchuan stepped down the last step. "Since Third Master has business to attend to, we won't interfere. Please make way."

Uncle Wang didn't move, he just rubbed his fingers together gently.

"Why is Master Lu in such a hurry to leave?" He raised his head, his gaze passing over Lu Zhengchuan and landing on Lin Hai, a smile playing on his lips. "I heard that the Fuhu Martial Arts School has recently produced a promising talent. Since we've finally run into each other today, why don't I have my men spar with him and learn a few moves?"

As soon as Master Wang finished speaking, the atmosphere in the entire Guangfulou lobby instantly plummeted to freezing point.

The cover of the silver pocket watch in his hand snapped shut with a loud "snap," the sound particularly jarring in the quiet hall.

Wang Meng, the owner of the Iron Arm Boxing Gym, who was standing to the side, had just received a favor from Lu Zhengchuan and was worried about where to express his gratitude. He took two steps forward, clasped his hands in a fist and spoke in a gruff voice.

"Third Master, Senior Lu is a mediator I, Wang, invited today. He just settled a case between our two families. If you are interested in doing business here and would like to have a discussion, please consider rescheduling for my sake."

Wang Meng's words were reasonable and measured, both praising Lu Zhengchuan and not making any definitive statements.

To everyone's surprise, the Third Master of the Wang family didn't even glance at him, merely glancing at him out of the corner of his eye and scoffing, "Who do you think you are? You think you can ask me to change the time?"

Wang Meng's dark face instantly turned a deep liver color, the muscles in his arms tensed up, and his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.

But he stubbornly held back.

The Wang family, one of the four major families in Yangcheng, not only possessed wealth and grain, but also controlled merchant ships and musketeers. He, a small martial arts school owner working at the docks, was indeed someone not to be trifled with.