That night a lot of people gathered at Guangdong Association. Everyone agreed that there would be no end if Looi Hoong was not killed on the lei-tai.
After a while, the director of the association, Chan Yuk Shi, said, “It is reasonable what everyone has said. But Looi Hoong’s kungfu is extraordinary. He is not known as Tiger Looi for no reasons. Seeing today’s matches, one can tell his valour. If we go to the lei-tai tomorrow without a high level challenger, it won’t be helpful. Hence, from what you have heard of capable persons, please inform me.”
Everyone was silent and started thinking. Then someone stood forward and said, “I propose a person. With his kungfu, killing Looi Hoong is more than sufficient.”
Chan Yuk Shi immediately asked who this capable person was.
The person replied, “He is Wang Chen Thong. His livelihood is fist and staff. His kungfu is excellent. Once, he hit a wall, and caused a big hole. I propose him. I am sure he won’t disappoint us.”
Chen Yuk Shi was very happy. Immediately he dispatched some persons with gifts to invite Wang Chen Thong.
After about two hours, Wang Chen Thong arrived. Everyone had a good look at him. He was like a Vajra King. His eyes shone like comets. The white and black of his eyes were well differentiated. Everyone venerated him respectfully, and went forward to greet him.
After the preliminaries, Chan Yuk Shi announced.
“Tonight, we specially invite Sifu Wang Chen Thong here, and our invitation shows that we admire and respect you extremely. Nevertheless, we have an intention. Without me saying, I believe sifu knows it. Looi Hoong, based on raw courage, insults all Cantonese people to this time. As long as anyone is a Cantonese person, he suffers great hurt, and view it as a great insult.
(Although Chan Yuk Shi did not learn kungfu, he addressed Wang Chen Thong as “Sifu Wang” out of courtesy.)
“Sifu Wang is also Cantonese. What you feel is like what we feel. But we are all traders. We don’t have the strength ‘to lift up an iron cockerel’ (which means ‘to have any noticeable strength’). Hence, after thorough discussion, we intend to invite glorious masters to avenge the dead, and remove the big insult on Guangdong.
“Everyone admires the miraculous valiance of Sifu Wang, and regards Sifu Wang as unparallel in the world. Hence, without intruding, we hope Sifu Wang can help us, to erase the insult of over thousands and millions of Cantonese people. We wonder what is Sifu Wang’s view?”
Wang Chen Thong laughingly replied in a clear, loud voice.
“This is a small matter. You need not be so full of courtesy. I don’t mean to be boastful, but even if my students come out, it is more than sufficient. Tomorrow, I shall represent all of you to kill this disgrace of martial circles.”
Everyone was jumping with joy. Chan Yuk Shi ordered a sumptuous dinner in honour of Wang Chen Thong. He personally toasted for Wang Chen Thong’s success.
After a few rounds of toasts, Wang Chen Thong loudly proclaimed, “Tomorrow I shall certainly kill Looi Hoong on the lei-tai to thank the feeling of our clansmen.”
While the crowd was quiet, another person flow up the stage like a big bird. The crowd noticed that he was a kungfu master from Canton named Li Foong San. The spectators cheered.
After registering his name in the register of the lei-tai, Li Foong San said to Looi Hoong.
“Today I come up the stage to take up your challenge is not because of the rewards, and also not because I want to avenge the dead. But I saw your cruelty and could not tolerate. I am sure you know that setting up the lei-tai is to meet capable persons of the world, and not use this excuse to kill people. Even when your art is better than other people’s, and really you are no-double in the world, you should appreciate heaven’s love for life. Against those weaker than you, just defeating them will do.
“Why must you kill him? Now he is dead, do you add any flesh to your body? Thinking of your intention, you are like an animal in human’s clothing. Today I come on stage is to employ my skills to consulate the ghost of the dead.”
After listening to this elucidation, not only was Looi Hoong not angry but he laughed out loudly.
“You know that lei-tai is the place for fighting, under fists and kicks, why is there mercy? Further, you also know that if I don’t hurt opponents, the opponents will hurt me. If I die under his fist, what would you say? Isn’t it that you will say I don’t know my limit, and openly give my life? Or you may say that my life is like that, and it is not his wrong?”
Li Foong San was surprised and did not know how to reply. Looi Hoong changed his facial feature, and continued.
“Like you without knowledge, don’t try to argue here. As you have come today, I shall act like your ancestors to teach you so that in future you will not blind your heart and blind your eyes.”
Immediately, Looi Hoong shouted, “See my technique!” He moved his right leg forward and used “Two Dragons Fight for Pearl” to attack the opponent’s eyes.
Li Foong San avoided the attack and immediately used “Throw Balls in Waves” to counter attack.
Looi Hoong saw the attack was aimed at his top and middle levels. So he used a bottom level to respond. When the attack was near, he squat down and tried to sweep Li Foong San’s front stance so that the opponent would fall down the lei-tai. This technique was “surprised by gods and feared by ghosts”, and was known as “Reverse Planting of Willows”. (In our school, this pattern is called “Firece Tiger Crouches on Ground”.)
As soon as Looi Hoong squat down, Li Foong San retreated his front stance, and used his hand to sweep at the opponent. If Looi Hoong failed to avoid, his arm would be fractured. In this precarious moment, however, Looi Hoong was not alarmed. He bent his body and changed step, and simultaneously struck out his palm.
Li Foong San was ready. Before the palm strike arrived, he had changed technique. The two combatants, one like wild wind swept leaves, and the other like a fierce tiger jumped across stream, fought on the lei-tai like dusts blown by breeze. It was difficult to explain and difficult to separate them, and they fought for life and death.
The spectators below moaned and sighed. They concluded that unless there was death, it would be difficult to differentiate the higher skills from the lower. The Cantonese groups of people cheered for Li Foong San.
On the lei-tai, the combatants exchanged many tens of encounters. Looi Hoong did not gain any advantage. His nature arose, his intention to kill was born, and he knew that Li Foong San’s kungfu was not ordinary, so he employed his “own door” ultimate technique – yin-yang kick.
This yin-yang kick was dangerous and extra-ordinary, and Looi Hoong “had accumulated essence and arose spirit” to train the ultimate technique for all his life, and had attained success after much “bitter training”. Whenever he met formidable opponents, there was not a single occasion he did not win with this ultimate technique.
Having decided on his intention, Looi Hoong used the tactic of “Majestic Hall Explain Many Things” to confuse Li Foong San’s eyesight. Then he used his ultimate technique of yin-yang kick, raising his leg to kick at his opponent with tremendous internal force.
Li Foong San could not avoid the attack. With a loud noise, like a kite that had snapped its thread, Li Foong San fell from the lei-tai. The Cantonese spectators rushed to save Li Foong San, who vomited blood. But he was dead.
Seeing the horrible death of Li Foong San, every Cantonese wanted to rush up the stage to fight Looi Hoong.
At that time a bell sounded, and Looi Hoong walked to the front of the lei-tai and thanked the spectators with a greeting. His students accompanied him to walk away.
After defeating Cheng Loon, Looi Hoong or Tiger Looi walked to the front of the lei-tai, or stage for kungfu combat, and said.
“Spectators below the lei-tai, if there are capable persons, please come up for a test.”
From nowhere in the crowd came a loud answer.
“Don’t boast. Today I’ll take your life.” Immediately a figure flew up the stage.
Looi Hoong replied angrily, “Who are you? Why don’t you have some manners? Even when coming up a lei-tai for combat, there should be courtesy first, then martial art. Now you open your mouth to want my life, as if my life is so easy for you to take. Quickly tell us your name. I don’t strike the nameless.”
The man laughed loudly. “Open your eyes to see carefully. Your lord is a well known kungfu master in all areas of Suzhow and Hangzhou named Cheong Xin Harng. My two fists once struck dead two tigers. Look at your body. Is your body comparable to two tigers?”
Looi Hoong smirked coldly. “Who saw you killed two tigers with your two fists. With your two fists you can only tear two paper tigers.”
Cheong Xin Harng was angry. His fists hit Looi Hoong wildly. Looi Hoong was secretly laughing. Purposely he feigned some weakness to tempt the opponent to hit futilely.
Cheong Xin Harng was not deep in his kungfu, coupled with wanting to win easily. He did not know that Looi Hoong’s movements were meant to trick him, but instead wrongly thought that the opponent’s defence was weak.
So he advanced and came close. Looi Hoong suddenly changed his tactics and used the pattern, “Singly Chop the Hua Mountain” to chop at Cheong Xin Harng’s head.
Cheong Xin Harng could not defend. His head was broken, and his brain splashed out. He fell down dead.
Looi Hoong kicked his carcass down the stage. Full of pride he announced to the spectators, “If there are capable persons, come up on stage. Evening is approaching; we may have to wait for tomorrow.”