Counterfeit Hero

Tian Xingjian slowly withdrew his leg.

Sankey and Long Jianshan also sat down slowly. The three elders exchanged glances and couldn’t help but smile bitterly.

”Among the Leray soldiers, there can’t be many with skills as good as General Tian’s, right?” Weii Jianshan’s expression was serious. He was somewhat nervous but also expectant: ”Were those moves just now Martial Arts?”

”Good eye.” The Fatty looked at Weii Jianshan in surprise and said, ”You noticed?”

Weii Jianshan stood up, walked to the open area of the living room, and performed a series of moves: straight punch, retracting punch and kicking out, stepping forward, turning to grab, sweeping kick, low kick and hopping kick, knee strike combined with a downward chop. After completing the set, he stood firm and said, ”Last night, I watched the footage of General Tian at the Mechanical Armor Hall and found many similarities. What confirmed my suspicions was just now.”

While speaking, Weii Jianshan smiled slightly. His previously cold expression immediately melted away like ice under the spring sun, and the initial tension disappeared.

The Fatty also smiled sheepishly but did not respond.

The three of them had come looking for him, and the Fatty could guess what it was about just by sitting there.

As suspected, not everyone in the Tai Sect was in line with Kubo. Of these three, Sankey had clashed with him before; in fact, he should know that he had shown him mercy. After knowing his identity, they didn’t bring others, which was enough to prove they didn’t intend to turn hostile immediately.

The so-called ”fearless because of confidence,” his identity wasn’t something he worried about exposing. On the contrary, his Fei Alliance identity would only make them more cautious before they figured out his background. No matter how strong, they were just another faction in the Free World. Even with the current plight of the Leray Federation, they wouldn’t want to provoke lightly.

Of course, once the Free World reshuffled, that would be another matter.

This time, they were likely more interested in the Mechanical Control Techniques he displayed during the hall fights that were similar to those of the Tai Sect. Though ranked third, everyone knew Tai Sect’s techniques were mediocre among the factions, which was a key reason the Fatty had leverage over them.

Thinking of this, the Fatty glanced at Sankey, who seemed somewhat uneasy due to the silent atmosphere. Among the three, this Third Elder had the least depth.

”General Tian must have already understood our intentions.” Geoffrey, knowing the Fatty appeared honest but was actually cunning, got straight to the point: ”To be honest, we came with no hostility. However, although Tai Sect is a mix of dragons and snakes, many actions are not very upright, but we are still part of Tai Sect. We can’t just sit back and watch General Tian use Tai Sect as a scapegoat.”

”What do you mean?” The Fatty pretended to be confused: ”Although my identity is special, Director Kubo begged me with tears to join Tai Sect. After joining, I cleaned up the house for you, displayed great prowess, and defeated nine other Mechanical Armor Halls, making Puluo Town dominated by Tai Sect alone. How is that using Tai Sect as a scapegoat?”

The three elders exchanged glances, realizing that this guy had completely forgotten his admission of joining Tai Sect to cause trouble. Looking at his expression, he probably wouldn’t admit it.

”Let’s not beat around the bush.” Geoffrey shook his head and said, ”General Tian’s plot is likely not for the benefit of Tai Sect. As for the hall fights, Tai Sect is not lacking in people who can defeat the few Mechanical Armor Halls in Puluo Town. The problem is, there’s always a rule in faction disputes. If you initiate, won’t the others retaliate?”

”I really hadn’t thought of that.” The Fatty scratched his head and said sincerely, ”Sorry for causing trouble. Maybe I should resign?”

The three elders felt a cloud over their heads, thinking the Fatty was slipperier than an eel. If he just walked away, the blame wouldn’t fall on Tai Sect?

”General Tian, do you know the origin of Tai Sect?” Geoffrey switched topics.

”Well...” The Fatty said, ”Not really clear.”

”Tai Sect is known for its fierce and close combat techniques,” Long Jianshan spoke up. ”Most people think it originated from the Caiwa Clan’s fighting skills, but in fact, Tai Sect is named after the Tai hexagram in Zhou Yi, symbolizing prosperity, and it also implies the fierce strength of Mount Tai. Tai Sect originates from Chuckna, just like us.”

”Oh?” This was the first time the Fatty had heard of this. Many factions named themselves after their characteristics, sect name, founder’s name, or even religious beliefs. Examples include Phantom Stream, Black Dragon Sect, Mingxin Sect, Absolute Kill Stream, Mountain Breaker Sect, etc. Tai Sect was previously just a third-rate small faction, and few people delved into its history.

”Due to historical development, civilian Private Mechas are entirely different from Military Mechas in usage and control. Private Mechas focus more on close combat,” Long Jianshan continued. ”The use of various Martial Arts has allowed Mecha Fighting to transcend mere speed and strength, reaching a higher level. These are the secrets of each faction. Tai Sect’s core techniques are derived from a few forms of ancient Chinese martial arts.”

”However, due to the thousand-year-long wars among the immigrant planet races after the Earth Federation’s disintegration, history was interrupted. Tai Sect only retains the surface-level techniques,” Long Jianshan sighed. ”The moves I demonstrated just now are just some incomplete forms from ancient Chinese Martial Arts. If seen by masters, they’d probably laugh their teeth off. To make Tai Sect great has always been the dream of its members.”

”Does Tai Sect still need to rise?” The Fatty chuckled, ”Isn’t it the third-ranked faction?”