219: Chapter 219 Lost Skill Subdues the Stubborn Old Man

Jiang Fan came out of Tang Yingxue's apartment, hailed a taxi by the roadside, and gave the driver the address of Li Cheng's hotel.

At 9:50 AM, Li Cheng was squatting at the hotel entrance smoking. Seeing Jiang Fan get out of the car, he stubbed out his cigarette and walked over to greet him.

"Brother Jiang, I've got the details," Li Cheng said, pointing to the old alleyway ahead.

"The Hou Family Troupe's martial arts hall is just inside. Old Man Hou trains his disciples in the hall every morning. The guy has a stubborn temper, so we'll need to go along with him a bit when we talk."

Jiang Fan didn't reply and stepped into the alley. After walking through a maze of twists and turns for over ten minutes, a gate painted with red lacquer appeared before them.

The gate was wide open, and the sound of wooden staffs cutting through the air echoed from the courtyard.

Jiang Fan stepped over the threshold and walked in.

The courtyard was very large, its ground paved with bluestone slabs.

A few half-grown children wearing training suits were practicing basic skills.

A middle-aged man wearing a black cloth buttoned jacket stood nearby, holding a thin rattan cane in his hand.

He stared at the children, his eyes wide and full of severity.

This was Hou Chuanwu.

On the open ground nearby, a young man in his twenties was brandishing a staff.

An eyebrow-height white wax wood staff spun back and forth in his hands.

He took quick, light steps, his posture agile, and every ear-scratching and cheek-rubbing movement exuded quick-wittedness.

Jiang Fan stopped and looked at the young man.

It was Hou Jinlai.

This skill and physical build perfectly met the requirements for The Monkey King.

Hou Chuanwu caught sight of outsiders entering the courtyard, and his brows knitted together.

"Who are you looking for?"

Li Cheng took a step forward, pulled out a business card from his pocket, and handed it over.

"Master Hou, we are from Qitian Culture. This is our President Jiang. We came today to talk to you about Hou Jinlai acting."

Hou Chuanwu didn't even look at the business card.

"Get out." He raised the rattan cane in his hand and pointed at the gate. "The rule of my Hou Family Troupe is to stay away from the trends of the entertainment industry. Don't bring your filthy money to defile my place."

Li Cheng smiled apologetically, "Master Hou, please don't be in such a hurry to drive us away. We are filming journey to the west this time, please hear out our conditions..."

"I said get out!" Hou Chuanwu interrupted him, the rattan cane snapping sharply in the air.

"What journey to the west or journey to the east? Going to your place is just being made a fool of like a monkey! Leave quickly before I get physical!"

Li Cheng wanted to say more, but Jiang Fan raised his hand to stop him.

Jiang Fan looked at Hou Chuanwu.

His purpose in coming here today was very clear: he had to secure Hou Jinlai.

Reasoning with this kind of stubborn old man was useless; he had to crush what they cared about most, and then offer them a way out.

"Master Hou, Monkey Opera is a national treasure," Jiang Fan spoke. "But how many people still watch it nowadays?"

The activity in the courtyard stopped. The children practicing all turned their heads to look over.

Hou Chuanwu glared at Jiang Fan, his chest heaving.

"My Hou Family Troupe has been passed down for six generations. We won't starve."

"A craft that no one watches." Jiang Fan pointed at the children in the courtyard. "They have practiced here for over a decade. Where will they go in the future? Perform on the streets at Tianqiao, or go to the zoo to feed monkeys?"

These words struck right at Hou Chuanwu's sore spot.

Hou Chuanwu flew into a rage, raising his rattan cane as he walked toward Jiang Fan.

"I'll beat you to death, you arrogant little beast!"

Hou Jinlai quickly threw down the staff in his hand and ran over to hold back his father.

"Dad, don't be angry. It's not worth getting physical." Hou Jinlai turned to look at Jiang Fan, "You two, please leave first. My dad has a bad temper, so don't cause trouble."

Jiang Fan did not retreat, standing right where he was.

"Master Hou, you think taking your heritage to film a drama is ruining the art. But I can guarantee that once this drama finishes airing, everyone in the country will know what a true Monkey King is."

Jiang Fan looked directly into Hou Chuanwu's eyes.

"By guarding this plaque, you cannot preserve the soul of Monkey Opera. I can bring it back to life."

Hou Chuanwu stopped struggling and let out a cold laugh.

"Just based on you?" Hou Chuanwu sized Jiang Fan up. "A wet-behind-the-ears kid dares to talk to me about the soul of Monkey Opera? Do you even know what Monkey Opera is?"

Jiang Fan didn't waste words. He walked forward and picked up the white wax wood staff from the ground.

He weighed it in his hand; the wood was solid.

Jiang Fan called up the system panel in his mind.

[Exchange Skill: Grandmaster-level Monkey Opera Movement and Staff Techniques]

[Consume Lifespan Value: 5,000 points]

[Exchange Successful]

[Current Lifespan Value: 89,800 points]

A massive amount of memories and muscle exertion techniques regarding Monkey Opera flooded into his body.

Jiang Fan gripped the staff, slightly shrugged his shoulders, rounded his chest while pulling up his back, and slightly bent his knees.

His entire temperament completely changed.

With a flick of his wrist, the white wax wood staff traced an arc in the air, letting out a sharp whistle.

Hou Chuanwu was stunned.

The moment a master makes a move, one knows if they have the real deal.

This single opening stance—without decades of hard work, it would be impossible to strike such a perfectly natural posture.

With a movement of his feet, Jiang Fan's figure darted forward.

Staff flowers spun in his hands, airtight and impenetrable.

He leaped into the air at times, spun at others, landing lightly and soundlessly.

Every movement was precise to the extreme. This was not a stage performance; this was real, solid martial arts.

Hou Jinlai's mouth hung open, his eyes fixed intently on Jiang Fan's movements.

Having practiced Monkey Opera for twenty years, he considered himself peerless among the younger generation.

Yet the young man before him, who looked even younger than himself, possessed posture and staff techniques that far surpassed his own.

The rattan cane in Hou Chuanwu's hand dropped onto the bluestone slabs.

He stared at every turn and landing step of Jiang Fan's.

This posture, these staff techniques.

It felt even stronger than the few ultimate techniques of his father during his prime.

Jiang Fan retrieved his staff, stood still, and threw the staff back to Hou Jinlai.

Hou Jinlai clumsily caught the staff, a sense of awe now visible in his eyes as he looked at Jiang Fan.

Jiang Fan patted the dust off his hands and looked at Hou Chuanwu.

"Master Hou, can we talk now?"

Hou Chuanwu's lips quivered, but he couldn't find his voice for a long time.

He looked at Jiang Fan, completely unable to fathom it.

Jiang Fan walked over to the stone table in the middle of the courtyard, pulled out a wooden stool, and sat down.

Li Cheng was also muttering to himself, wondering when Jiang Fan had practiced such skills behind his back.

Jiang Fan picked up the teapot on the stone table and poured himself a cup.

"Hou Jinlai is mine. I guarantee he will become wildly popular. The Hou Family Troupe will be the exclusive martial arts directors for journey to the west."

Jiang Fan took a sip of tea and set the teacup down.

"The production crew will pay you double. Once those children join the crew, even if they don't perform opera in the future, they can still become martial arts directors. That is better than staying in this alleyway for the rest of their lives."

Hou Chuanwu stood in place, still digesting the staff technique he had just witnessed.

Jiang Fan looked up at Hou Chuanwu.

"If you agree, the Hou Family Troupe will become famous throughout the land. If you don't, I will find someone else and film it anyway. But your Hou family will only be able to swing staffs in this alley for the rest of your lives."

Jiang Fan sat there, his fingers tapping on the tabletop.

"Master Hou, make your choice."

Hou Chuanwu sighed, his shoulders slumping, and he walked over to sit opposite the stone table.

"Who did you learn that 'Golden Hook Hanging Upside Down' move from?"

"That is not important. And once Hou Jinlai joins the crew, I can guarantee that I will teach it to him."

Hou Jinlai walked over and stood behind Hou Chuanwu.

"Dad, I want to go."

Hou Chuanwu glanced at his son, then looked at the children in the courtyard who were looking over expectantly.

"Fine. Our Hou Family Troupe will take this job," Hou Chuanwu nodded.

Jiang Fan stood up.

"Li Cheng, leave a contract for Master Hou. Make sure the entry time and terms are clearly written."

Jiang Fan didn't linger, turning to walk out of the gate.

"His objective was achieved, so there was no need to waste any more time. Li Cheng would handle the rest."