C16 Belly Button

Ning Xiaoshu released the man's arm and with a powerful twist of his right leg, the shorter man tumbled to the ground, howling in pain. Xiaoshu then positioned his right leg forward and extended his arms, assuming the starting stance of the Twelve Ways of Dharma, a technique known as "A Reed Crossing the River."

The remaining onlookers, witnessing the wails of the two fallen men, were visibly shaken. It was clear that today's challenge was more formidable than anticipated; they were facing a trained martial artist.

The others hesitated, their courage faltering, which greatly irritated Yan. The message from outside was clear: use the brawl as an opportunity to eliminate the young upstart.

There was a promise of payment for their services—once outside, each would receive a labor fee of 100,000 yuan, while Yan himself was set to earn 500,000 yuan. Motivated by the reward, Yan barked at his cohorts, "What in the world are you doing? Why are so many of you scared? Get in there and fight!"

Six men charged at once, but Xiaoshu's arms swung into action, whirling like helicopter blades. Inexplicably, every punch and kick aimed at him was swept up in the vortex of his arms.

Initially, the six assailants had sought to overpower Xiaoshu, but after a few rotations, they found themselves unable to pull away. They had never experienced such a phenomenon, their limbs seemingly ensnared by an invisible force, making retreat impossible.

Xiaoshu could feel an immense power coursing through him, like a mighty river, unceasing and powerful. His arms twisted with increasing fluidity, yet he sensed the growing resistance between them.

Realizing the source of their predicament, the six men were no longer trying to attack Xiaoshu but were instead struggling to escape his grasp.

When Xiaoshu sensed the struggle reaching its peak, he suddenly drew his hands into a large circle and released them outward.

The six men were catapulted through the air as if flung by a mischievous child, some crashing into beds, others against walls. The force of their impact was such that they were left silent, save for the painful gasps that filled the room.

Yan couldn't help but feel foolish. Was this some kind of TV drama? He'd often seen such scenes on television, where actors were safely rigged with harnesses.

But his crew had no such luxuries; their stunts were real, hard knocks and all.

Ning Xiaoshu dusted off his hands and strode over to Yan, hands clasped behind his back. It was only then that Yan realized he was still facing a formidable foe.

"Brother, brother, no, big brother, uncle, grandpa..." Ning Xiaoshu would let him off the hook, so Yan was ready to call him anything, even 'dad,' if it meant sparing himself.

Ning Xiaoshu let out a cold chuckle. "Yan, someone put you up to this, didn't they? Tell me who it is, and I might just let you off the hook today. If not, I'll dismantle you, bone by bone, until you can't even lift your head. Shall we give it a try?"

Yan felt like crying. What did he mean by "give it a try"? Couldn't he find someone else to experiment on? Judging by the situation, it seemed unlikely; if Ning Xiaoshu was going to practice, he'd surely use Yan as his test subject.

Yan mustered a sycophantic smile. "Master Ning, we're not to blame. The word came from outside, from someone named Wu Gaolong. Blinded by greed, I foolishly accepted the job. Had I known it was you, Master Ning, I wouldn't have dared, even under threat of death."

Wu Gaolong? Wu Fei? Ah, that explained it.

Why else would Ning Xiaoshu be thrown into detention without a trial? Clearly, there was foul play at work. Wu Fei, Wu Gaolong? Just wait until I'm out, and we'll settle this slowly.

With these thoughts, a smile crept across Ning Xiaoshu's face.

But to Yan, that smile seemed terrifying. Why was this menace smiling now? It was as if his very skin crawled away from the grin. Was he about to unleash some deadly technique? The martial arts fiction often depicted such masters signaling a kill with a mere smile.

Yan's legs turned to jelly, and he collapsed to his knees before Ning Xiaoshu. "Big Brother, Master Ning, please don't harbor thoughts of murder. Killing here only adds to the sentence. What was once a non-issue could become a serious problem."

Ning Xiaoshu gazed at Yan kneeling before him, at a loss for words. Moments ago, Yan had been intent on taking his life, and now he was doling out a lesson in the law.

With a casual flop, Ning Xiaoshu seated himself on the nearby bed and gestured with his chin toward Yan on the floor. "Quit your moping. You all wanted to use me to get rich, so how can I trust you moving forward? What if you try to ambush me in my sleep?"

Yan, for his part, was itching to prostrate himself before Ning Xiaoshu in gratitude. He had indeed harbored such a plan earlier, but now he was uncertain if he could navigate this predicament. Crawling forward on his knees, Yan pleaded, "Master Ning, rest assured, nothing of the sort will happen. From this moment on, you're the boss in this house. If anyone dares to cross you, I'll be the first to deal with them."

Ning Xiaoshu let out a sly chuckle. "Your words don't mean much to me; I can't trust you. Let's do this—I'll come up with a solution that will put both of our minds at ease."

With that, he jabbed his finger into Yan's belly button.

Yan, already kneeling, was at the perfect height for Ning Xiaoshu, who was sitting on the bed. Otherwise, reaching Yan's navel would have been quite the task.

Yan felt as though Ning Xiaoshu had punctured his stomach, and he collapsed onto the floor with a yelp. Regaining his composure, the first thing he did was to check his navel under his clothes for any bleeding. Thankfully, there was none.

Ning Xiaoshu pointed at Yan again with his chin. "Go get the others and bring them here. If I do the same to each one, then I'll be able to trust you."

Yan wasn't particularly compliant, but having been poked himself, he would feel unfairly treated if the others were left unscathed.

One by one, the men were pulled to their feet and lined up before Ning Xiaoshu. He skillfully manipulated their arms and legs, popping dislocated joints back into place.

Finally, Ning Xiaoshu gave each of them a firm poke in the belly button.

After enduring his finger jab, Ning Xiaoshu watched them with a grin. "Now, press on your lower back."

Confused, the men did as instructed and pressed their hands against their backs, only to cry out in pain. The area had been numb, but the pressure made it feel as if they were being stabbed by dozens, if not hundreds, of searing hot needles.

Ning Xiaoshu observed the group with a composed demeanor. "The navel is one of the vital acupoints, known as Shen Que."