Madman!

Chapter 66: Eye Strike and Dirty Tricks

Two days later, Chen Wujun sat atop a crate inside the warehouse.

'Sparring with the lackeys these past two days has been fruitful. I can gradually grasp the force behind their movements. It isn't just seeing with my eyes anymore, but sensing with my very pores, instantly gauging their power.'

Over the last couple of days, when Chen Wujun sparred with the lackeys, he still had to close the distance to shove or throw them out.

Now, the moment he grabbed an opponent's wrist, he could instantly perceive their exertion of force. Following their momentum, he could guide them into a tumble.

'But it's not enough. When someone throws a punch, I need to know where their center of gravity is, how their muscles are moving, and how to destabilize them... I need to be able to 'hear' all of it. Only then will I have truly accomplished something and mastered the higher levels of the Swimming Dragon Palm.'

'The agility of the Swimming Dragon Palm comes partly from its footwork and palm techniques, but also from this Listening Force. By instantly grasping the opponent's center of gravity, I can handle attacks with ease.'

'When Senior Sister fought Cleft Lip Snake that day, she first supported his elbow, then used Python Turning Body. She must have found and disrupted his center of gravity the moment she touched his elbow, preventing him from changing moves. Only then did she execute the Python Turning Body to strike his vital point under the armpit... Cleft Lip Snake didn't even have a chance to fight back.'

The warehouse doors opened. Zhou Qing walked in with his hands behind his back, his gaze landing on Chen Wujun like a bolt of lightning.

"Master, let me demonstrate a set for you first," Chen Wujun said, jumping down from the crate. He tossed his jacket aside and began to practice the Swimming Dragon Palm.

Zhou Qing watched him, nodding inwardly with approval.In truth, Chen Wujun's proficiency with the Swimming Dragon Palm had already been impressive the last time Zhou Qing visited.

What remained was merely the grind of refining the skills over time, and mastering Dragon Force.

When it came to kung fu, Chen Wujun never gave him cause for worry.

"You've been using people for target practice?" Zhou Qing asked. The moment Chen Wujun moved, he noticed the difference from last time.

"Yes, I found some people to spar with," Chen Wujun replied after finishing his routine and exhaling a long breath.

"It's about time you sparred with real opponents. Kung fu is forged in combat, not just in practice. You could hide in the deep mountains for a hundred years and reach the Transformation Realm, only to be beaten to death the moment you face a much weaker opponent in a real fight," Zhou Qing said with a smile.

"Exactly. Master, martial artists can't fight like ordinary people, trading blow for blow. A martial artist exerts force with their whole body, easily generating thousands of pounds of power—forces that muscles and bones simply cannot withstand..." Chen Wujun voiced his thoughts.

"Are you wanting to learn Horizontal Training Kung Fu? Such techniques exist, of course, but they require grinding patience. It's not something talent alone can achieve in a short time."

"Besides, why would you let anyone hit you in the first place? Do you remember what I taught you before?" Zhou Qing countered.

Chen Wujun immediately recalled when he first became a disciple. Zhou Qing had plunged him into a battlefield illusion using nothing but the sound of his heartbeat. That terrifying ability was something he still couldn't comprehend.

After a moment of thought, realization dawned on Chen Wujun. "Master, I understand. The brave win on a narrow path!"

"I was thinking about it the wrong way! The moment one thinks of defense, they are already at a disadvantage. The core of Swimming Dragon Palm is to penetrate—to drill into the slightest gap without hesitation. To hesitate is to lose the opportunity."

Chen Wujun realized instantly that his mindset had been flawed.

"Correct. It is merely a small wager match; being the brave one on the narrow path is enough. As for Horizontal Training, that slow-grinding discipline can be practiced, but not now," Zhou Qing nodded slightly.

He had only asked a single question, yet Chen Wujun effectively grasped the point and identified the issue immediately.

"Today, I will teach you another technique, one that will allow you to see through your opponent and strike true. This technique is Eye Training!"

"They used to say that to walk the path of the jianghu, one must first train the eyes. Even petty thieves need sharp vision to instantly spot valuables on a person. For a martial artist, it is even more essential!"

"When New Arts practitioners reach the Harmonization Phase, their five senses become acute, and parts of their bodies undergo mutations. For instance, their eyesight can become dozens of times sharper than an ordinary person's."

"Although this Eye Training cannot increase your visual acuity by dozens of times, it achieves a similar effect in other ways."

"Once your eyes are trained, you will perceive every minute detail. The way an opponent's muscles engage will not escape your notice. Before their fist is even thrown, you will detect the exertion in their legs and waist, knowing exactly how to respond."

"Yes!" Chen Wujun's excitement surged at the mention of learning a new technique.

"There is another benefit to this training. Once you reach the Qi Refining stage and your eye training deepens, you will naturally master the art of the Eye Strike." As Zhou Qing spoke, his gaze fell upon Chen Wujun, his eyes suddenly piercing like sharp arrows.

Chen Wujun felt a sudden, stinging pain in his eyes, making them almost impossible to open. A massive sense of crisis caused the hair on his body to stand on end. He instantly leaped back four or five meters, dropping into the Green Dragon Exploring Claw stance.

"This is the Eye Strike. A martial arts expert projects their spirit and vitality through their eyes. The opponent's mind is disrupted, revealing a weakness."

Only then did Chen Wujun relax his stance. He blinked and wiped his face, shocked to find it wet with tears.

He had felt a stabbing sensation in his eyes earlier, barely able to keep them open as tears streamed down.

He hadn't imagined such a technique existed within martial arts; it was practically godlike.

The effect was similar to the Voice Strike, which he knew about; even Wolf Fist contained such techniques.

When facing an enemy, a sudden shout could drive physical force and simultaneously startle the opponent, overwhelming them with sheer presence.

In a duel, if one person overwhelms the other with their presence, the battle is already half won.

This Eye Strike, however, was even more potent. He hadn't just been startled; he physically couldn't open his eyes. In a fight between equals, if an opponent used this move, he would be dead without a doubt.

"Master, how do I train my eyes?" Chen Wujun asked, unable to wait any longer.

"Follow me!" Zhou Qing led him outside the warehouse and pointed toward another brick building covered in roof tiles.

"Look at those tiles!"

"Take a single glance and memorize how many tiles there are. Then close your eyes and visualize them. Open your eyes and check. When you can clearly distinguish every tile at a glance, move on to counting the red bricks on the wall."

"I will also give you a prescription. Mix the solution yourself and wash your eyes with it for five minutes every morning and evening."

For the entire afternoon, Chen Wujun stood outside the warehouse, staring at the bricks and tiles of the building opposite.

He would take a look, close his eyes to recall the image, and then open them again to verify.

By evening, his vision was blurred. His eyes were red and swollen, so difficult to open that he had to squint through narrow slits as he made his way back.

Fortunately, most of the ingredients for the eye wash were common. There were plenty of traditional pharmacies in the Walled City, so he was able to gather everything he needed.

The most expensive component was the Magnetic Field Crystal.

One dose required a ground-up Magnetic Field Crystal, and the mixture would last for a week.

After gathering the ingredients, Chen Wujun bought a decoction pot, tweezers, and a steel file, then returned to Ah Yue's place with his red, irritated eyes.

"Brother Jun, what happened to your eyes?" Ah Yue was startled by his appearance and held his face to examine him.

"It's nothing! Just training." Chen Wujun set his things down, clamped a Magnetic Field Crystal with the tweezers, and began filing it into powder with the steel file.

The Magnetic Field Crystal was incredibly hard; even with his strength, it took great effort to grind it down. He soon realized that once only a third of it remained, it was impossible to file any further.

'Luckily, this is enough for most of the mixture. I'll ask Senior Sister tomorrow if there's a way to use the rest,' Chen Wujun thought. He immediately prepared the partial batch, boiled a portion in water, let it cool, and washed his eyes for five minutes.

As he bathed his eyes in the solution, Chen Wujun felt the swelling gradually subside. He blinked, relief washing over him.

In that split second of blinking, his vision seemed much sharper—he could even discern the trajectories of dust particles floating in the air.

However, his sight quickly returned to normal.

He checked the mirror and saw that the redness and swelling had begun to fade.

Moreover, his eyes seemed somewhat brighter than before.

...

At the dance hall, Shark Jiu reclined on a sofa. On the platform before her was a girl who had recently arrived, shedding her clothes piece by piece onto the table.

"Did you find out?" Shark Jiu asked, taking a drag from her cigarette.

"We did. Yu Wei likes them young, with pretty faces and petite frames—flatter chests, too. Rumor has it he likes to pick them up while he's at it," Karen laughed softly from the side.

"Find a few who fit the description and send them to get close to him. Make sure they have weaknesses we can exploit—families in desperate need of money. Once Yu Wei steps into the ring, transfer the funds to their accounts immediately," Shark Jiu ordered.

"Since Lidong is playing dirty to set up Jun, there's no reason we shouldn't do the same! Otherwise, they'll think Shark Jiu is someone they can bully!"

"Put some effort into finding the right ones. I want him so drained his legs are jelly every day. Let's see how he fights then."

"Understood!" Karen nodded with a smile.

For Shark Jiu, winning was the only thing that mattered!

How she won was irrelevant.

Even though she had confidence in Chen Wujun, she wouldn't leave anything to chance. She intended to eliminate even the slightest possibility of failure.