Chapter 78: What kind of Martial God is this among men?
Elder Chen's interference grew increasingly fierce.
If before he had been testing Zhang Beixing's footwork with the playful mindset of a prankster, now he was hell-bent on throwing Zhang Beixing off the Warrior's Bridge!
His feet stomped on the bridge faster and faster, nearly blurring into afterimages. He shook the Warrior's Bridge so violently that the structure seemed unable to withstand the force, letting out an anguished groan.
"CREAK... CREAK..."
Accompanied by the wooden bridge's groans, Chen family disciples were tossed into the river one after another, emerging like drowned rats.
Fewer and fewer people remained on the bridge; the young men of the Chen Family, Zhang Beixing's peers, had long since vanished.
By now, only Zhang Beixing, the middle-aged Chen Fenghua, and his three younger brothers were left.
Chen Fenghua and his brothers had managed to hold on this long because they were Elder Chen's sons. Elder Chen had trained them this way since childhood. Though they had endured much hardship and didn't make a living through martial arts, their foundation in footwork was solid. That was why they hadn't fallen yet. Still, they weren't faring well; their bodies were already beyond their control as they staggered forward.
But Zhang Beixing...
This guy was just on another level!
He could execute the Yue Family's expansive and fiercely powerful Continuous Fists even on a thin wire, let alone on this wooden bridge wide enough to stand on.
As long as they didn't try some disorienting stunt like a 360-degree spin or a 180-degree sideways shift that would make one's vision blur, nothing else could affect Zhang Beixing!
This was his current level of footwork!
"HUFF... HUFF..."
After exerting himself for a long time, Elder Chen was also tiring. Panting heavily, he looked at Zhang Beixing, who remained steadfast no matter how he tried to shake him. Elder Chen's competitive spirit surged.
He simply patted Liu Yi on the shoulder. "Brother Liu, let's do it together!"
"Huh? Elder Brother Chen, are you serious? Your sons are still up there; is this really appropriate?" Liu Yi froze. Aren't you even going to consider your four sons? he wondered.
To this, Elder Chen waved his hand dismissively. "No matter! Isn't your disciple also up there? As long as I can see Nephew Zhang's footwork foundation, my four good-for-nothing sons can suffer a bit!"
"This... Alright, it's not my sons anyway!" Liu Yi paused for a moment before finally agreeing.
He crouched down alongside Elder Chen, grabbing onto the wooden planks of the bridge.
As Chen Fenghua and his three brothers watched in horror, he and Elder Chen suddenly exerted their strength.
"WHAM!"
With a resounding thud, the two of them violently buckled the originally arched bridge upwards, sending a wave-like ripple surging towards the other end.
Upon seeing this scene, Zhang Beixing's expression remained unchanged. Facing the approaching wave of wooden planks, he simply took a steady step forward, meeting it head-on as if it were nothing, completely unfazed.
In contrast, the faces of Chen Fenghua and his brothers turned green behind him.
He's sabotaging his own sons!
After a moment's thought, they realized they were doomed to fall no matter what. They figured it was better to jump than to be thrown off. It would at least look more dignified.
"Big Brother, shall we jump?"
"Jump!"
And so, without another word, the four brothers proactively leaped from the bridge.
With four distinct PLOPS, Zhang Beixing reached the center of the wooden bridge.
The wave-like force surged toward him. An ordinary person would have been sent tumbling, but Zhang Beixing strolled casually, even making a move from the Yue Family "Continuous Fists." His feet shifted as if performing the "Continuous Mandarin Duck Steps," effortlessly navigating the undulation.
Heh! I'm used to it.
Zhang Beixing muttered, quickly steadying himself. He didn't want to give in to the urge to practice his forms while crossing; that would be truly awkward.
Witnessing this, the soaked Chen family members were dumbfounded. Whispers broke out among them, especially the younger generation, Zhang Beixing's peers. Seeing his composure, they felt a mixture of shock and shame.
An outsider was crossing their family's Warrior's Bridge, a bridge with three hundred years of history, with such ease—he even looked like he was considering a bit of practice!
Humiliation! Blatant humiliation!
But I have to admit, he's really skilled!
At the end of the Warrior's Bridge, Elder Chen watched Zhang Beixing approach. He had crossed the entire suspension bridge without a single drop of water on him and now walked towards them as if nothing had happened. Elder Chen felt his blood pressure spike.
Fortunately, as soon as Zhang Beixing came down from the bridge, he appeared exhausted. His legs trembling, he slumped to the ground, head bowed, panting for breath. He even muttered repeatedly, "This bridge is really tough... so impressive... The Chen Family is truly remarkable..."
At least the boy has some tact, Elder Chen thought, his bruised ego somewhat soothed.
He said to Liu Yi, "Crossing the bridge without getting wet, it's hard to gauge his depth. I'm not sure if he truly has 'footwork like a dragon,' but his footwork is indeed accomplished. If you hadn't told me yourself, I wouldn't believe he's only practiced for less than a month. He is indeed a fine talent, Young Liu. You've found a gem."
Liu Yi smiled wordlessly, his expression a bit wooden. The smile was stiff; truth be told, he couldn't take any credit, as he hadn't been the one to teach Zhang Beixing.
Consider this: Zhang Beixing's footwork, once unsteady during fights, had become as solid as Mount Tai.
And this transformation had occurred in just half a month!