Zhu Feng's stance was relaxed, clearly not acknowledging De Ming as even a threat as his late third-rate Qi flared proudly
"I'll let you have the first move, I doubt it'll make a difference"
Zhu Feng sneered as he flicked his hands back, a mocking gesture full of arrogance
Not wasting even a moment, De Ming steeled himself as he launched toward Zhu Feng, his steps were unrefined, a testament to his lack of formal training. He raised his right fist and thrust it forward at Zhu Feng
" Your footwork is so pathetic it hurts even to admit you're a servant of the Crimson Cloud "
Zhu Feng remarked as he effortlessly saw through De Ming's amateurish movements and backed away to barely dodge his fist
" My turn! " Zhu Feng said before catching De Ming's clumsy outstretched fist, bending it down in an instant, an audible crack could be heard before De Ming screamed out in pain
De Ming gritted his teeth as he pulled his hand away, his wrist twisted and bruised, He supported it with his other hand and stepped back cautiously, his right hand was out of commission but his will was not deterred
The audience gasped at Zhu Feng's brutality, some cheered while others covered their mouths in shock.
"Father! Stop him! Please… "
Zhu Lian begged, her voice desperate and laced with fear yet Zhu Zhang didn't budge
" This battle is mutual, your friend hasn't given up" Zhu Zhang spoke, his expression enigmatic and unreadable as he continued to overlook their fight
"Now this is what real footwork looks like! Open your pitiful eyes wide and witness my superiority!"
Zhu Feng declared before flaring his Qi, redirecting it toward the soles of his foot, and performing a fluid dance-like movement, his feet seemed to hover off the ground as he swiftly glided right beside De Ming
De Ming's body went stiff with deep-seated fear, halting his chance to retaliate
noticing the sudden change, Zhu Feng shifted his weight and kicked De Ming's sides
The kick knocked De Ming back a few feet, slamming him against a table full of food and drink, spilling it all over his servant robes
De Ming clutched his sides in pain as his body ached all over. But he won't be giving up here. He wasn't able to stop Zhu Feng because deep down, he was still afraid of him, this cannot persist!
De Ming stood up, locked his eyes on Zhu Feng's, smiled through the pain, raised his left hand, and flicked it
" I thought you were gonna put me in my place, I'm still standing over here, does the young master of Crimson Cloud only make empty promises?"
De Ming spoke in a mocking tone and Zhu Feng's face contorted from smugness to sheer anger
" I was planning to go easy on you… Now you're dead meat!"
Zhu Feng roared as he once again used his mid-bronze grade movement technique, a fully realized version of the basics instilled by Elder Hu all those years ago, the Flowing Reed Steps, his red ornate robes fluttering gracefully like reeds waving against a current, a stark contrast to the ugly face he was making in anger.
De Ming stood still, eyes locked on Zhu Feng's movements intently, bracing for impact
Right as De Ming was within his striking distance, Zhu Feng masterfully shifted his stance to be wide and grounded, a stance De Ming immediately recognized as the start of the Crimson Flame Palm
Zhu Feng's Qi gathered at the middle of his palm before thrusting at full power, directly at De Ming's chest, De Ming crossed his arms to block, receiving the full brunt of Zhu Feng's wrath
His arm bones cracked under the sheer force of Zhu Feng's palm before his body was met with a torrent of crimson flame, scorching his robes and giving his arms severe burn marks, De Ming gasped in pain as he was continually pushed back.
Zhu Feng didn't stop at that, he followed it up with a multitude of quicker and snappier flame palms, wearing down De Ming's body and mind
The guests were on the edge of their seats, color drained from their faces as they witnessed the raging young master's cruelty, what was supposed to just be a disciplinary spar turned into a brutal one-sided beat-down, some even covered their eyes, unable to bring themself to watch such a display
Needless to say, Zhu Lian was frantic, this dual was essentially her fault after all. At one point, she even stood up from her seat and attempted to jump in, she couldn't bear to see De Ming being beaten like this, she was gonna save him, even if it cost her reputation
But all of her attempts were promptly stopped by the Patriarch, who used his overwhelming aura to press down on his daughter, gluing her in place, she could only watch as her precious De Ming was being battered and beaten by her own brother, all in the name of protecting her, her eyes shed rivers of tears as she prayed for De Ming's safety and internally begged for his forgiveness
Amidst Zhu Feng's barrage, De Ming, an early third-rate fighter who should've fallen by now, stood firm, Zhu Feng grew impatient, increasing his tempo, his strikes growing ever more sloppy
Suddenly, Zhu Feng missed a palm, giving De Ming the chance to slip out of Zhu Feng's barrage and punched his stomach with his left hand, the strike leaving Zhu Feng's breath short as he looked in disbelief
"How..? "
De Ming shined a confident smile, despite his battered body, years of taking beatings had built up his pain tolerance and endurance way past anyone in his realm, if there was something he did best, it was enduring!
His black pupil dilated as his gaze shifted, from that of a prey to a predator's
"Your strikes, they weren't as painful as I remembered Zhu Feng!"
De Ming muttered to himself, gone were the traces of his fear for Zhu Feng, he withstood his barrage and stood his ground, Zhu Feng was a threat no longer!
"Did you think I wouldn't notice...? That movement technique was the same one Elder Hu showed us years ago, isn't it… I won't forget easily you know?"
De Ming remarked as Zhu Feng's rage rose, recalling the humiliation De Ming caused him that exact day, He charged forward, his steps were sloppier, and his anger was palpable
" I'll make sure you never move again!" Zhu Feng roared as he readied a Crimson Flame Palm
" Your steps are sloppy Zhu Feng, allow me to demonstrate, like the good old days" De Ming taunted as he remembered what he learned that day in great detail, now with the knowledge of its Qi flow, as shown by Zhu Feng during the match
To everyone's surprise, De Ming started to use Zhu Feng's exact movement technique, his steps graceful and confident as he effortlessly weaved aside, dodging Zhu Feng's palm point-blank
Before Zhu Feng could recuperate, De Ming took the opportunity to repay Zhu Feng with a solid kick to his sides, sending him tumbling against the floor, Zhu Feng groaned clutching his sides in pain before standing up, calming himself down and got himself into an attack stance, his eyes were locked onto De Ming with grudging and malice
Using the Flowing Reed Steps, De Ming swiftly made his way toward Zhu Feng, eager to attack him, but Zhu Feng was prepared, he back-stepped at a faster pace, dodging any chance De Ming had to land a strike
" So the young master is afraid now? Can't handle a little pain?"
De Ming scoffed, attempting to rile him up again but Zhu Feng didn't budge, he had learned his lesson, anger would get him nowhere, he needed to win, and overwhelmingly so, to save face
Figuring that it wouldn't work, De Ming stopped in his tracks and went into a defensive stance, urging Zhu Feng to attack him
Zhu Feng knew full well that it was a trap, but he'd strike him down anyway, his cultivation was superior, and the sheer force of a full-power Crimson Flame Palm could easily knock him out, De Ming didn't have any offensive martial arts to possibly counter him, victory was in his palms, or so he thought
Zhu Feng zipped toward De Ming's stagnate stance at full speed, his palm winded up, prepared to deliver a single devastating blow with all the Qi he had left
De Ming just stood still, with no evasion, no blocking, nothing
"I'll cripple you! You worthless servant bastard!"
Zhu Feng roared out as he landed his palm directly onto De Ming's chest, cracking his ribcage, and sending shockwaves that rumbled the atmosphere
De Ming coughed up blood before a torrent of flame burst forth, roasting De Ming's torso, and filling the room with smoke and the stench of burned flesh
It was painful to watch, The audience covered their eyes and braced themselves for a blood-curdling scream. But nothing came
"You lost Zhu Feng!"
De Ming declared from beyond the smoke, smiling through the pain knowing full well that victory was his
Zhu Feng froze moments after the impact, just to discover that his wrist was firmly grabbed by De Ming's left hand, that last attack had used up every last bit of his Qi, and Zhu Feng was in no position to retaliate
De Ming tightened his grip and changed his posture, his feet wide apart, planted firmly onto the floor beneath, his right hand, twisted and bruised, forcefully formed into a palm
"Impossible! This stance is… "
Zhu Feng and everyone present widened their eyes, recognizing the stance as the Crimson Cloud's exclusive Crimson Flame Palm technique. Even the patriarch raised his eyebrows in shock
De Ming fully unleashed his dantian, and a torrent of chaotic Qi raced to the center of battered his right palm, tearing apart his meridians along the way but De Ming was steadfast
With one powerful thrust and Zhu Feng bounded in place, De Ming's own Crimson Flame Palm hit Zhu Feng squared in the chest, letting go as the shockwave blasted him away, followed by a burst of chaotic crimson flames burning away Zhu Feng's clothes, leaving just his innerwears and burned patches of skin
Zhu Feng was utterly defeated, it was De Ming's victory
The pain and strain finally caught up to him as his body finally gave out, De Ming was on course for the floor
Unexpectedly, his landing was soft and warm, he looked up weakly, just to lock eyes with Zhu Lian's watery eyes
" You did it… Thank you, Ming"
Zhu Lian's voice was as sweet as ever, he had longed for this warmth for so long, De Ming grinned like an idiot before passing out in Zhu Lian's embrace