Chapter 204 Enlightenment
Hearing James, Riley totally lost it. "You jerk! How dare you curse me and Grandpa Richard? I'll break you first."
She took a step and was suddenly right in James' face.
She swung a punch.
Richard yelled, "Riley, don't hurt anyone!"
Bruce shouted, "James was invited by Mr. Davis!"
Riley eased up a bit but still aimed her fist at James. 'I need to teach him a lesson.'
Her punch was fast and fierce, but just before it hit James, she froze.
A piece of green bamboo, broken by her punch, was now at her throat. It wasn't long or sharp, but it felt dangerous, pressing right against her skin.
James stood there, smiling calmly.
The fight was over before it even started.
The place went silent.
He was crazy fast!
Bruce and the others couldn't even see what happened. Only Richard caught James' move.
"Thanks for letting me win," James said, smiling as he pulled back the bamboo.
He'd made his point.
Riley coughed, swaying like she'd been hit by a truck. She was shocked by James' skill and even angrier.
"Bastard," Riley shouted, her right foot sinking, ready to go again.
"Riley, stop!" Richard shouted. "Don't be rude."
He stopped her from attacking again. From that brief clash, Richard knew James was a top martial artist.
"James means no harm. If he wanted to hurt you, your throat would be pierced. You wouldn't have another chance to strike."
Riley was kind of his disciple, and Richard knew her skills well. But James had easily subdued her, which shocked him.
Riley touched the red mark on her throat and stayed silent for a long time.
"James, I'm sorry. Riley is straightforward and meant no harm. Please forgive her," Richard said, bowing slightly. "I apologize."
Seeing Richard being reasonable, James felt some goodwill and quickly waved his hand. "Mr. Davis, you're too kind. I should not judge her practice."
James added humbly, "And I wasn't hurt, so no need to apologize."
Richard smiled and waved his hand, then looked at Riley. "Regardless, Riley, you struck first. That was wrong."
He spoke with authority, "Riley, aren't you going to apologize to James?"
Though frustrated, Riley knew she couldn't provoke James, especially with Grandpa Richard speaking up. She reluctantly stepped forward. "I'm sorry."
She felt downcast. She had good talent and had practiced martial arts for years, thinking she could dominate her peers, but James defeated her in one move.
Including the medical skills competition, Riley had lost completely.
"It's okay," James said with a faint smile. "Your temper isn't just because you're young and impetuous. Practicing martial arts has injured your internal organs, making you irritable and wanting to vent all the time."
Richard was taken aback.
"Although I admit your medical skills are impressive and that I'm not as skilled as you," Riley was stunned, then snorted, "But this set of fist skills has been practiced in Grandpa Richard's family for generations, and it's undoubtedly powerful. Can you understand it?"
'No way he could get a clue,' Riley thought.
Since James' body changed, his mind also opened up, and the complex world became simple to him. Many things were straightforward to him. He didn't know much about martial arts techniques, but he could see their essence at a glance.
"This set of fist skills is indeed powerful and intimidating. But there are a few places where it seems to have been forcibly patched after being incomplete."
"Unfortunately, the patches don't fit well, adding many impractical elements, and even involving reverse training."
"The issues with internal organs and knee damage also haven't been resolved."
"Halfway through practicing, your internal organs will have problems, causing you to cough up blood occasionally, feel uncomfortable, and have trouble sleeping."
"Later on, your energy and spirit will transform, but your body won't be able to handle it. Your knees, which support your weight, will be the first to go."
"In the early stages, your legs will feel sore. In the middle stages, the pain will be as bad as gout. In the later stages, your knees will calcify and fracture."
"Riley's already suffered burns on her back and frequent inflammation due to damaged internal organs from practicing."
"Mr. Davis, you also need heat therapy to relieve the pain in your legs after practicing."
James looked at Richard and Riley. "Even so, every month there will still be swelling, and you need medication to reduce it."
Richard and Riley were shocked, staring at James in disbelief. He was spot on with all the symptoms.
James then turned his gaze to Bruce. "Bruce, your legs were paralyzed not just because of the injuries from your enemy, but also because your body had hidden issues."
Bruce slapped his forehead. "I knew it! My rival, who was always on par with me, couldn't suddenly become so strong."
"We each landed a punch on each other. He had internal injuries but recovered in two months, while I ended up paralyzed in a wheelchair."
He sighed, "Turns out I had hidden issues in my body."
Richard's voice trembled. "James, are you saying my severe leg pain isn't caused by gout?"
He had mastered this set of fist skills to near perfection, just one step away from becoming even more powerful, but his legs couldn't take it anymore. His knees would hurt severely from time to time.
Richard always thought it was due to his indulgence in youth and frequent consumption of delicious seafood leading to gout. All the doctors and experts thought the same.
Now, hearing James, he was astonished to find out that his knee issues were related to this set of fist skills.
James stared at Richard's legs. "Mr. Davis, you do have gout symptoms, but they aren't severe enough to paralyze your legs. The real cause is that you've been practicing incorrectly. It's just that it hasn't reached the final stage yet, and the gout symptoms have masked it, so you couldn't find the real cause."
He added, "Mr. Davis, if you think it over, did all the successful practitioners of this set of fist skills in your family end up in wheelchairs?"
Richard was stunned.
After thinking for a moment, he smiled bitterly. "My father, my grandfather, and an uncle all ended up paralyzed in their later years. I always thought it was because they got old."
Riley's body trembled upon hearing this. "What? Practicing this set of fist skills can lead to paralysis? Does that mean it's useless?"
Richard decisively said, "Riley, you can't practice this anymore."
After James' analysis, Richard saw the fatal flaws in this set of fist skills and decided to stop Riley from practicing it.
Everyone had a dream of being a superhero, and Richard was no exception. He always wanted to be the best in the world, admired by many. And he had practiced martial arts for half his life, so giving it up, especially a family tradition, was painful. But compared to having his disciples and descendants end up in wheelchairs, he preferred them to be healthy.
Riley nodded unconsciously. She didn't want to believe it, but reality was harsh.
James smiled and continued, "this set of fist skills does have problems, but there's no need to discard it. I can help you correct the four major flaws in it. Once perfected, its power can increase by sixty percent, and the issues with internal organ damage can be resolved."
Riley and Bruce were shocked. "You can modify it?"
James looked puzzled. 'Is it difficult? There are a dozen ways to do it.'
Richard suddenly grabbed James' wrist, speaking gratefully, "Today, your guidance has been enlightening. And you've saved countless disciples of the Mystic Alliance, preventing Riley and others from practicing to the point of paralysis."
"I don't know how to repay your great kindness. If you don't mind, how about we become sworn brothers?"
James was stunned.
Riley was stunned.
Bruce was also stunned.
"If you don't say anything, James, I'll take it as your consent."
Richard, holding James' hand, acted promptly. "Come on, let's become sworn brothers today."
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