14. The Martial and the Monstrous

"I've learned a little monster tongue."

Moonlight frosted the sky.

Its pale radiance revealed a human face.

Sun Shen!

Lu Xun's demonic pupils showed no flicker of surprise; he never assumed others were fools. The way Sun Shen had intervened to save Xiao Cheng and all that followed made it clear he was connected to the caravan.

The fact that he had only killed the bandits and spared the innocent confirmed it.

Yet, as Sun Shen had repeated, he had never intended to hide.

He had no desire to curry favor with the purple-bearded elder, nor did he want Sun Shen interfering with his plans.

Better for everyone to mind their own business.

A low growl rumbled from his throat.

Lu Xun stood beneath the moon, his azure-gold fangs gleaming coldly, silver fur rippling gently in the night breeze. His face, as if masked by a copper-red demon, betrayed no fear.

He rubbed his rough, menacing claws together, and once again a quiet growl escaped his thunderous maw.

Sun Shen was indeed a formidable master, perhaps even stronger than the High Commandant, but Lu Xun was no easy mark himself.

Beneath the full moon, beside the pond—

Here, a great monster could wield its power to the utmost.

"You are right. We bear no grudges, and you've even helped me."

"I owe you a debt," Sun Shen said lightly, unfastening the wine gourd at his waist and tossing it over.

Lu Xun caught the gourd, but did not drink. Instead, he tossed it back. Another growl.

With that, he prepared to leave.

He had never intended to acquire any favors.

"You are strong!"

"But your steps are unsteady, your arms lack strength, and your waist and spine utilize the Dragon only by instinct—you have no true foundation! Against martial artists who fumble with their inner energy, you may win easily. But if you face a true master, without the moon’s blessing and the water’s protection, you will be utterly defeated."

Lu Xun paused, turning his head slightly.

A single demonic eye swept over Sun Shen.

The memory of Gao Qingzhi suppressing the Five-Tongued God haunted him still.

He was well aware of his shortcomings; that was precisely why he had come to the Academy to study.

Sun Shen had no intention of belittling Lu Xun's skills. Instead, his tone shifted, "If you wish to learn, I can teach you."

Lu Xun looked at him, surprised.

He held no ill impression of Sun Shen—quite the contrary. When they had first met by the riverbank, Sun Shen's eyes had clearly harbored suspicion, yet he had still offered a friendly word as he departed. That had been unexpected.

Later, their paths crossed again, and Sun Shen had given Xiao Cheng a few pointers—precise and effective.

He had thought Sun Shen merely a man who liked to play the teacher, surprised that he was not stingy even with a monster like himself.

Sun Shen said frankly, "I do not like to owe favors. To be honest, it is not only you learning from me; I also hope to learn from you."

He added, "I practice the Ape Form Fist."

"Good!" Lu Xun growled in approval.

Sun Shen was delighted, beaming. "Shall we find a place to spar?"

A growl for assent.

—

Behind the ancient pine forest was a flat clearing.

Before long, one man and three monsters arrived.

Toothless and Grey Treasure lingered on the side, wary.

Lu Xun stepped into the open ground.

Sun Shen first cupped his fist in greeting, then opened his palms with a smile. "Come, let’s test our hands."

He had long wished to cross arms with a great monster, but duty had always kept him from leaving his post. Most of his techniques were for fighting men; otherwise, he might have been transferred to the Earth Division as a Demon Subjugation Officer.

Never had he expected that escorting the Hall’s convoy to White Deer Academy would bring such fortune. It was a cause for great joy.

Lu Xun mimicked the fist salute, awkward and not quite right.

He hesitated, unsure how to begin.

Once, he had been lame and utterly ignorant of martial arts. Though he had read many tales of knights-errant and seen countless modern combat techniques, he had never truly trained. His few days with the Tiger Fist were due to his fierce tiger and old cat forms; without a strong body, his technique was crude at best.

He was unsure of Sun Shen's true level.

When he faced the mountain bandits, their unarmored ranks had seemed imposing, but their strength was hollow; they were easily torn apart.

Old Cheng had once said, "No matter how great a monster, it is still flesh and blood, born of mother and father. Surrounded by an army, even a demon meets its end. Magic cannot withstand waves of iron arrows; inner energy will eventually be exhausted."

But to return to the matter at hand, Lu Xun still felt...

Sun Shen set his stance and shouted, "Stop thinking—strike!"

The shout jolted Lu Xun awake.

The seven-foot ape body moved.

So fast!

He had seen great monsters fight before, but to face one himself was still stunning.

His iron fists tore through the air; sharp currents sliced like blades.

His power was overwhelming, feet rooted to the earth.

Hesitant at first, once he moved he flowed like mercury, shattering the wind from all sides.

The Five-Tongued God had always known the Monkey Fist; though it was more for show, crude as a farmer’s tricks, it still had some form. The wind howled, the ape roared, iron fists struck out like pythons from their den, dazzling to the eye.

Thud!

An ancient pine, thick enough for two men to encircle, bore the imprint of his fist.

The ground beneath his feet began to crack.

Sun Shen cried out in delight, his eyes alight with wonder.

Never mind that the great monster, as awkward as a child learning to walk, could not touch his clothes—such innate talent was beyond ordinary men. Monsters were born to practice the Ape Fist.

Sun Shen shook his head, almost in disbelief.

Did he really think monsters learned martial arts from humans?

In truth, humans had learned from monsters, distilling their movements into martial technique.

"Again!"

Sun Shen abandoned his evasive maneuvers, meeting the great monster head-on with hard, unyielding form.

The Ape Form Fist: long-range strikes, the Long Fist.

—

It prized reaching first and striking from afar, with force both deep and crisp.

Their fists clashed.

Shadows flickered like lightning; thunder rolled in their wake.

Tendons roared like leopards, viscera shook with the tiger’s cry.

Sun Shen, worthy of his reputation, turned the tide in an instant. Even though Lu Xun's iron fists could shatter stone and his speed was like the wind, Sun Shen's ape-like arms wove a net, capturing all his power and quickness, his fists flashing like shuttles across Lu Xun's body.

Lu Xun had expected such an outcome against a true master. Yet the pride and stubbornness of a great monster drove him on—he refused to use magic in this contest.

Though they called it a spar, in truth, Sun Shen was guiding him.

In time, Lu Xun’s breath came in gasps; his strength and speed greatly diminished.

"Splendid!"

"Exhilarating!"

Sun Shen remained composed, his breath steady and deep.

He laughed heartily, raising his hand, "Let’s stop here."

"Your foundation is solid; you need only to unify your body, and you’ll become a true master." Sun Shen regarded the towering monster, at least seven feet tall, whose every movement was like standing in stance. No wonder his strength was so astonishing.

A perfect build: tiger’s back, wasp waist, ape arms that could reach the heavens.

"Excellent, excellent, excellent!" Three accolades left Lu Xun slightly embarrassed.

Sun Shen was unabashed, observing, "You naturally possess stance training; your breath is perfectly in tune with nature..."

A great monster was born with true energy; there was no need to endure the three arduous barriers.

"I have thirty-six stance forms, one hundred and eight Ape Fist techniques, and a record of inner energy diagrams."

"Watch closely."

"This is stance training."

Sun Shen began to demonstrate: walking, sitting, standing, grasping, turning, taking—thirty-six movements woven seamlessly into everyday action. Every moment, every breath was cultivation; not merely set times, but ever-present. It harmonized perfectly with Lu Xun’s own movements as the Five-Tongued God.

He then performed a sequence of Ape Fist techniques—body swift, fists swifter, leaping and darting as if a great ape frolicked among mountain streams, across open fields, ancient forests, and lofty peaks, clashing with wild beasts, fighting or running, blood and energy surging.

Amidst the speed, every stance was stable and precise.

His inner energy flowed and stretched, sweeping all into his arms and grounding in his feet like autumn wind scouring fallen leaves.

His spirit was concentrated to a single point, commanding within and without, unifying all directions.

As he finished, Lu Xun unconsciously applauded.

"The key to force: cold, crisp, swift, hard; deep, steady, lively, clever; heavy, fierce, light, nimble, shaking; embracing emptiness, sticking, linking, following."

He withheld nothing.

Lu Xun clasped his fists, murmuring a soft growl.

"Oh? You have a technique of your own?" Sun Shen was intrigued.

His own martial path was to study widely and synthesize everything; even if the monster’s was crude, he valued it.

Lu Xun nodded. He truly knew nothing of martial arts, but he possessed a spell called 'Ape Dance'.