137 The Purpose of Practicing Martial Arts Is to Make People Listen to Me Quietly

"You speak!"

Upon hearing Du Ruo, the blond man didn't even care about supporting Inoue Sanshiro anymore. He turned instinctively to face Du Ruo, standing bolt upright as if he were a soldier awaiting orders.

"Although this was just a friendly spar, if he requires me to cover his medical expenses, he can bring me the invoice, and I will bear the corresponding costs." Du Ruo gestured toward Inoue Sanshiro, who was slumped on the ground, and spoke calmly.

The strike he had delivered moments ago targeted the chest cavity. Although it wasn't a direct blow to the ribs or a pressure point, the force behind it was not to be underestimated. Inoue’s chest was already showing faint traces of blood seeping through; there was certainly no shortage of soft-tissue damage, and there was even a possibility of a hairline fracture in his sternum.

"No need, no need. Rest assured, Boss Du, we will take care of our own injuries and will never cause you any trouble." The blond man let out a sigh of relief and nodded repeatedly. He still had vivid memories of the blood in his urine last time and dared not attempt any extortion. With that said, he helped Inoue Sanshiro up and prepared to leave.

"Boss Du, you were so amazing! Tell me, how much of your strength did you use just now?" Xiang Yuanyuan had already run down from the second floor of the tavern. She hurried to Du Ruo's side, gesturing with her hands and asking eagerly.

Hearing her question, Shi Dong and Yang Huaming couldn't help but look at Du Ruo. Even the blond man, who had already walked over ten meters away, couldn't help but slow his pace.

"Maybe nine-tenths," Du Ruo said with a smile. He took two steps forward, grabbed the spear shaft that was wedged into the ground, and pulled it out in one smooth motion.

Hearing this, Shi Dong and Yang Huaming breathed a sigh of relief—thankfully, he wasn't too monstrous. Even Inoue Sanshiro, supported by the blond man, felt a surge of strength return, resolving to practice harder upon his return to improve his speed and power. Perhaps, he thought, he would have another chance to challenge Du Ruo and regain his lost face.

"Hmph, you're lying! I've seen you spar before. Ha! Hah!" Xiang Yuanyuan wrinkled her nose, miming a pulling motion and imitating the horse-stance punch Du Ruo had used.

"Alright, alright. It was more than nine-tenths. Probably about one and a half times the effort. After all, saying nine-tenths implies that less than ten percent of my skill was used, which would be an insult to my opponent." Du Ruo picked up the discarded spearhead and twisted it back onto the shaft, answering Xiang Yuanyuan casually.

Hearing this, the blond man quickened his pace toward the guesthouse. Inoue Sanshiro slumped over again, the flame of resolve in his heart extinguished.

Yang Huaming and Shi Dong generally accepted Du Ruo's words. They thought to themselves that Du Ruo had clearly been demonstrating spear techniques for their benefit. Otherwise, he wouldn't have needed to go through all that trouble; if he had used the speed and power of that final thrust in the very first exchange, that Japanese man would never have been able to dodge it, and the fight would have ended in one strike.

In reality, Du Ruo's claim of "one and a half" referred to his overall exertion. In a life-or-death struggle, he wouldn't even need to fight; he could simply stand in place and let out a tiger's roar, which, at close range, would be enough to render the opponent senseless.

"Hehe, that's more like it! By the way, can I post this video?" Xiang Yuanyuan asked with a smile, waving her phone.

"It doesn't matter to me. Ask Brother Yang and Brother Shi. Come on, you two, let’s go back to drinking tea." Du Ruo waved his hand dismissively and invited them to continue their tea.

"I don't mind, though this 'casting a brick to attract jade' is a tricky brick to cast," Shi Dong said with a smile, not overly concerned.

"Please blur my face," Yang Huaming added quietly.

"Okay!" Xiang Yuanyuan nodded happily. She hadn't been able to drink alcohol or go on vacation lately, so this video was a perfect distraction.

"Boss Du, you really opened my eyes today. I never imagined a spear technique could be so powerful." Sitting in the living room, Yang Huaming sipped his tea while replaying the duel in his mind, deciding he would watch that video every day.

He had originally filmed it out of caution, as a form of evidence in case the Japanese man tried to pull any tricks. Now, he figured the man wouldn't dare try anything, so he decided to keep the video for himself to study later. After all, Xiang Yuanyuan’s angle was limited; while her footage was more visually appealing, his own was better for research, especially regarding the finer details of Du Ruo’s leverage and technique.

"What nonsense are you spouting? Was it the spear technique that was powerful?" Shi Dong rolled his eyes. Why did he only use the 'thrust' technique? Was it because the 'block' or 'parry' weren't useful? Of course they were.

In truth, the 'block' and 'parry' of the long spear were defensive maneuvers. In military spear fighting, soldiers fought in groups, forming formations where they didn't need to block or parry—they only needed to thrust. If everyone could use the 'block' as an offensive move like Du Ruo did, General Qi Jiguang would never have needed to invent the *langxian* (wolf-brush weapon). So, in fact, it wasn't the technique that was powerful; it was Du Ruo himself.

"Come to think of it, I've practiced swordplay for decades, but today I truly saw the light. Still, that Japanese man was quite skilled. If I had encountered him..." Yang Huaming shook his head, his eyes filled with melancholy.

"What do you do for a living, Brother Yang? You seem to be like Brother Shi, practicing only as an amateur," Du Ruo said, shifting the topic to comfort him.

"I'm a traffic police officer in the city. I only get to practice after work or on holidays, and I can never really go all out. Between family, kids, and various chores... I suppose I've only kept at it all these years because of Old Shi." Yang Huaming frowned as he spoke. At forty, he had a job to support, elderly parents to care for, and children to raise. He was fortunate to have a supportive wife who shared the burden and carved out some time for him, but in recent years, he hadn't made any progress—not regressing was an achievement in itself.

"That's understandable. We don't practice martial arts just to fight others. That Japanese man and the blond guy are likely from a foreign martial arts school; their full-time job is training, so it's normal that you can't keep up with them. It's great that you've gained something from your own training." Du Ruo offered a comforting explanation. He was right; martial arts required not just talent but diligence. That Japanese man had clearly developed muscle memory through either grueling training or the crucible of life-or-death combat.

Even Du Ruo didn't rely on such muscle memory. His power came from his immense mental energy and mastery of martial arts, which granted him the ability to predict movements in advance, creating a similar effect.

"I never realized you were a traffic cop, Brother Yang. You guys look so cool on your motorcycles," Xiang Yuanyuan remarked, looking at him with curiosity. She had always thought the iron-clad riders were cool, but she hadn't expected the person behind the helmet to be just an ordinary man.

"Haha, it's alright. I am one of those riders," Yang Huaming chuckled. When it came to comforting someone, the effect of a beautiful woman was far greater than anything Du Ruo could say.

"Honestly, though, martial arts have had a huge impact on me. I used to be quite timid, but practicing gave me the confidence to know I have the ability to hold my own against aggressive people," Yang Huaming added with a sigh.

"Hahaha, me too. I'm a doctor. Aside from giving me the stamina to perform long surgeries, martial arts mean I don't have to worry about unruly patients," Shi Dong laughed. Though neither of them had truly faced such situations, the confidence and poise they gained made them much calmer in their daily lives.

The four chatted for a while—mostly Du Ruo, Shi Dong, and Yang Huaming, with Xiang Yuanyuan occasionally chiming in. Naturally, Yang Huaming and Shi Dong never mentioned wanting to spar with Du Ruo again. They knew they weren't on the same level, but they had bonded over more than just martial prowess, and the conversation remained lively.

They asked Du Ruo several questions, which he answered one by one. When the conversation grew spirited, he even demonstrated a few moves, and the exchange was highly enjoyable.

"Come, let's go eat. My treat today, and Boss Xiang, you're welcome to join," Yang Huaming said as the dinner hour approached.

"That sounds great! I'll provide the wine," Xiang Yuanyuan said generously, already moving to fetch some.

"Skip the wine. Brother Yang is driving, and it's not appropriate. Director Shi is a doctor, so it's better for him not to drink either. As for you..." Du Ruo stopped her, dismissing her impractical idea.

The four decided to eat at a small local restaurant in the village—cheap and hearty.

"Eh? Chenguang, where are you driving?" As they walked out of the courtyard, they saw Yang Chenguang driving past. Du Ruo couldn't help but ask, as Chenguang rarely drove to town before sunset.

"My uncle ate some poisonous mushrooms, I'm taking him to the hospital..." Yang Chenguang shouted through the half-open window, too hurried to stop.

Du Ruo was left speechless as he watched the car drive away.

After dinner, Du Ruo wanted to invite them for more tea, but Yang Huaming and Shi Dong declined. Their holidays were precious, and they needed to spend time with their families. They exchanged contact information, and Du Ruo saw them off.

"Yuanyuan, are you busy this afternoon? Let's go see the Chinese alligators," Du Ruo said, turning to her.

He had long wanted to see them, as the Chinese alligator was known in ancient times as the *tuo*. The *tuo* form in the twelve shapes of Xingyi boxing was derived from the way the alligator moved through water. Since he was in Anhui province, he hoped to gain some insight into the *tuo* form before he set out on his travels.