Chapter 158: You Think You’re Ip Man? Taking On Ten At Once
Little Ear immediately shot a hateful glare at Xiao Jianbiao upon hearing this. Damn Xiao Jianbiao, it was you, you damn bastard, who almost caused this old man to mess up the job!
“Big Brother Cao, rest assured. Hand him over to me, and I will definitely ‘take good care’ of him!”
He said this through gritted teeth, showing just how furious he was at Xiao Jianbiao.
“Before taking them back, carefully check their belts. Whoever’s hands aren’t tied tight, beat them to death for me! It’s fine even if you beat them to death!”
Little Ear nodded fiercely upon hearing this, and pointed at Xiao Jianbiao first.
“Come out one by one for inspection! You, Xiao Jianbiao, come out!”
Xiao Jianbiao stood up pale as dirt and shuffled outward, but his eyes darted around, and his feet, legs, and waist were tense with muscle.
Little Ear was a practitioner, and he immediately noticed the anomaly. His eyes narrowed with a cold smirk as he watched the other slowly approach.
When they were less than two meters apart, Xiao Jianbiao, who had finally found an opportunity and refused to sit idly by, focused his gaze, stomped hard with his foot, and instantly charged at Little Ear.
During the charge, his hands bound behind his back instantly broke free, snaking toward Little Ear like a python.
He had realized that Cao Weida valued Little Ear highly. As long as he subdued Little Ear and took him hostage, he might still have a chance to escape.
As for why not take Cao Weida hostage, of course it was because he couldn’t reach him.
“Hmph! As expected, not behaving!” Little Ear sneered coldly. He was fully prepared and not panicked at all. Instead of retreating, he advanced, extending both hands to meet the opponent’s arms. The moment they collided, he blocked with a frame arm, then stepped forward, twisted his body, pressed his hip close to the opponent’s lower abdomen, and instantly grabbed the opponent’s arms for an over-the-shoulder throw.
But Xiao Jianbiao was clearly prepared for this. They both operated around south of the city, so he naturally knew Little Ear’s reputation and that he had trained in BJ wrestling, so he was guarding against that.
BJ wrestling is a grappling technique with extremely strong practical combat ability. Once gripped, a single over-the-shoulder throw could leave a person disoriented.
As the junior brother of the Bagua Sect Leader, his skills were naturally extraordinary, and as a veteran with rich practical experience, Xiao Jianbiao knew the danger well and had exceptional adaptability.
The moment Little Ear grabbed one of his arms, his other arm instantly pressed against Little Ear’s waist, preventing him from exerting force, which greatly reduced the power of the throw.
Little Ear countered move for move, twisting his body to get behind him for a back throw.
Unfortunately, Xiao Jianbiao practiced Bagua Fist, and in terms of footwork, BJ wrestling couldn’t even catch up.
Before Little Ear could circle behind him, he took a step first with a mud-stepping stride to the side, then delivered a spinning palm strike toward Little Ear’s flank.
Bagua Palm is a type of Northern Fist, and Cao Weida, who was a Northern Fist Grandmaster, was naturally proficient in it.
In Hua Country kung fu duels, it’s not like the back-and-forth drawn-out fights seen on TV or in movies where they battle for ages without a winner. Normally, victory or defeat, life or death, is decided in just a few exchanges.
After just a brief clash, Cao Weida could basically tell that while Xiao Jianbiao was vile, he had truly mastered the essence of Bagua Palm.
There’s a saying in martial arts: Bagua hands are insidious, excelling at flanking attacks. If this palm strike landed solidly, it would shatter teeth for sure.
He naturally couldn’t just watch Little Ear get hit, so he was about to step forward to help when he saw Lian Hu charging from the side, hammering a fist toward Xiao Jianbiao’s temple.
Sensing the threat, Xiao Jianbiao had to halt his attack. The spinning palm he hadn’t yet unleashed was instantly retracted, changed to double switching palms—defensive yet offensive. One hand blocked, the other pushed forward, his body twisting with the step, not only blocking the fist but also repelling Lian Hu with a palm.
Taking this opportunity, Little Ear quickly pulled away to create distance.
Clack clack clack~
The moment they separated, over a dozen rifles were aimed squarely at Xiao Jianbiao, freezing him in place, afraid to move for his next action.
Clap clap clap~~
Cao Weida clapped and praised, “Good, good skills. As expected of the Bagua Sect Leader’s junior brother. You’ve practiced this Bagua Palm to perfection.”
“Unfortunately, such fine skills, yet you took the crooked path. How tragic and lamentable.”
With his only chance gone, Xiao Jianbiao knew he was meat on the chopping block. Full of reluctance, he said:
“If you didn’t have the weapons in your hands, I could take on ten of you!”
“Cao Ye, if you’re still a man, let’s fight fair and square with real blades and guns!”
Cao Weida sneered inwardly. You think you’re Ip Man, taking on ten?
It was just that he didn’t want to draw attention; otherwise, this old man alone could take on ten of you, beating you until you’re crawling on the ground looking for your teeth!
He shrugged and grinned, “Didn’t we already compare earlier? You had a knife, I had a gun. Forgot already?”
“.” Xiao Jianbiao wanted to curse. Is this the kind of gun this old man meant!
He was so angry his chest heaved, but staring at the dozen dark gun muzzles, what could he do no matter how unwilling he was?
Xiao Jianbiao didn’t lack bravado. He stuck out his neck and said, “Those who stand by the river often get wet shoes. Today, Biao Ye admits defeat. Kill me or cut me, as you please!”
“Now playing the hero, huh.” Cao Weida couldn’t help but scoff. A bully who has done all sorts of evil, pretending to be a tough guy.
He directly raised his gun muzzle, aimed at his limbs, and pulled the trigger repeatedly.
Bang bang bang bang!!
After four shots, Xiao Jianbiao’s eyes bulged as he collapsed softly to the ground.
Don’t misunderstand; he wasn’t killed, just his four limbs crippled.
“Tie him up and take him away for secret imprisonment.” With half his KPI in hand, Cao Weida was in a decent mood.
He hadn’t fired earlier because everything was under his control, so he just wanted to toy with them a bit.
Now that Little Ear had brought people and he’d tested Little Ear’s skills on the side, he lost interest in further teasing.
“Yes!” Little Ear responded, didn’t bother instructing his younger brothers, and personally took a rope to bind him.
After tying Xiao Jianbiao securely, he stood and kicked him in the body. “TMD, you still dared to fight me! Don’t worry, once we get there, this old man will take good care of you!”
Xiao Jianbiao was tough too. He knew he couldn’t escape death anyway, so he didn’t beg for mercy and just endured.
As for cursing, better not. Dead is dead, but don’t make it so miserable before dying that it’s not worth it.
Cao Weida’s gaze turned to the three who had been pressed back, and he waved at the patrolmen: “Give them a good beating.”
“Cao Ye, spare… ah!!”
He glanced indifferently at the three surrounded and beaten with rifle butts, feeling no inner turmoil.
You wouldn’t come out when told to, so this thrashing is what you deserve, to teach you a lesson!
“Little Ear.”
“Big Brother Cao.” Little Ear stopped, panting.
“Except for Xiao Jianbiao, take everyone else back to the police station, interrogate them one by one. Those who’ve done heinous deeds, imprison them separately. Send the rest to Beiping Jingshi Prison.”
“Also, Hua Mao got injured and went to the hospital for bandaging. Grab him for me.”
As for Hua Mao, while not exactly hateful, he was simple-minded, loyally reckless, relying on his kung fu and Xiao Jianbiao’s backing to be ruthless, domineering, and arrogant toward others.
But to say likable, not really.
Because of his blind loyalty, he’d done plenty of killing and robbing, with many innocent lives on his hands.
Regardless of whether it was his own intent, the fact that he killed many innocent people was undeniable.
So, Cao Weida absolutely wouldn’t let him go.
He was an adult now; own up to mistakes, stand straight for punishment!
Since he’d done heinous deeds, he had to be prepared for the reckoning!
“Got it. I’ll arrange people right away. Any other orders, Big Brother Cao?”
“How’s the house situation?”
“Big Brother Cao, rest assured. I’ve already arranged people to handle it. Everything will be settled before dark tomorrow.”
“Good. Go get busy.”
Seeing Cao Weida had no further instructions, Little Ear began calling people out from the hutong one by one for inspection.
Anyone whose hands weren’t tied securely, along with whoever helped tie them, got a solid beating.
Once everyone was out, he waved a big hand. “Take them away!”
A group of patrolmen herded this bunch toward the police station in a grand procession.
It was just that the area had few people around; otherwise, it would definitely attract a crowd of onlookers.
By the time Little Ear had everyone hauled away, night had fallen.
Several boxes were placed in the master bedroom. Cao Weida went in, stored them in his space, thought for a moment, gave up on his original plan, locked the door, and left.
He had intended to quietly come here to stash the money, then place some weapons and ammunition here too, but the earlier commotion was quite loud. Many neighbors, though not daring to come out due to the gunshots, had already taken notice.
Being noticed meant it wasn’t safe, so he naturally wouldn’t take the risk.
He locked the door and headed toward Yan Dai Xie Jie.
Upon reaching the courtyard, Du Shiniang said dejectedly, “Mine came, so I can’t accompany Master tonight. Master should go to Xinghong’s instead.”
She wasn’t dejected about not accompanying Cao Weida, but because it came, meaning she wasn’t pregnant.
How could she, who wanted to continue the Cao Family line, not be dejected?
No wonder women of this era were so compliant; a woman of later generations might throw a tantrum for days over this excuse.
Du Shiniang was so compliant, and Cao Weida wasn’t bad either. He was very obedient. “Alright, rest well. I’ve bought a courtyard house in Sesame Hutong. In a few days, I’ll bring you all to live together.”
Coming and going was somewhat inconvenient.
At the same time, the incidents with Meize Heiba and today’s with Xiao Jianbiao made him pay attention to the courtyard’s guard strength.
Concentrating all the women together would allow focused security to protect the courtyard house.
Though it might cause some inner chambers squabbles, with him suppressing them, they wouldn’t get out of hand.
Du Shiniang had no issue with moving in with the other sisters; as a performer by origin, she was used to such situations.
After leaving the courtyard house, Cao Weida headed to Caomao Hutong.
Halfway there, he suddenly heard a burst of dense gunfire from afar.
“Kuomintang special agents? Or Communist Party underground party?”
Gunfire at this time—anyone could guess it had to be one of these two sides.
Whichever side it was, they were forces resisting Japan, so Cao Weida naturally had to lend a hand.
Thus, he turned his feet and stealthily headed toward the source of the gunfire.
