Martial Arts Livestreaming
Chapter 171 - 156 Departure, Southern Country!

Chapter 171: Chapter 156 Departure, Southern Country!

June 22, the edited version of the fourth episode of "Seeking Martial Arts" was officially released, causing a sensation once again.

During the live broadcast of the fourth episode, the peak viewership was only over a million, but afterward, there were many discussions online about the fourth episode. Keywords like "Drug Enforcement Police," "Baji Fist," and "Man Jiang Hong" frequently sparked heated debates, making many who hadn’t seen the live broadcast express regret and anticipate the edited version eagerly.

Thus, when the edited version of the fourth episode officially went live, its viewership immediately broke the record of the previous three episodes!

Li’s persistence and the story of the Drug Enforcement Police moved many netizens to tears. The segment where he recited "Man Jiang Hong" while performing Vajra Eight Forms was hailed as the most majestic display of Baji Fist.

If the content mentioned earlier had already deeply touched countless viewers, then the video at the end of the fourth episode, like a depth charge, completely exploded the emotions of the audience:

"Damn, really, revenge?!"

"Watching a variety show and stumbling upon such explosive content?"

"Wow, can’t wait!"

"High energy ahead, high energy ahead, high energy ahead..."

"Is it Wu Li? That guy with the mosaic on his face, right?"

"Definitely, wow, they started fighting!"

"The action is so fast!"

"Can’t see clearly, is there any expert who can explain?"

"With this punching speed and the sound of the hits, awesome!"

"They said earlier, the only police officer was captured, meaning Wu Li faced two alone, took down one, and then hand-to-hand fought with the other!"

"So brave, that’s a true Martial Artist!!"

...

The video of Wu Li bravely fighting criminals in the last part of the fourth episode caused a sensation. For a while, the internet was filled with discussions about it, and the phrase "Martial Artist Wu Li" topped the trending search charts for three consecutive days.

Not only that, but figures from various fields expressed their appreciation for Wu Li’s actions, including celebrities from the entertainment industry, stars of the Martial Arts World, and various internet celebrities from Mo Yin; everyone discussed the matter.

Both the police and Luo City police had official accounts on Weibo and Mo Yin, and they all expressed their gratitude towards Wu Li, with other provincial and city police forces also praising Wu Li’s actions through their official accounts.

But what truly pushed this event to its climax was CCTV. On June 23, CCTV News broadcast reported on Wu Li’s incident, dedicating about a minute to it.

Being featured on CCTV News and getting named praise instantly elevated Wu Li’s status, setting him apart from a large group of entertainment and Martial Arts World celebrities.

"Son, are you hurt? Be careful, alright."

After watching the news report, Chen Ling immediately called Wu Li.

Back then, when Wu Li said those words in front of her, she knew that expecting Wu Li to live a quiet and subdued life was impossible, not in this lifetime...

She thought that at most, Wu Li would stir things up in the Martial Arts Circle, compete in some matches, but she never expected such a leap, involving guns and drug dealers, which took her by surprise.

Knowing persuasion was futile, Chen Ling could only repeatedly urge Wu Li to be cautious.

After hanging up the phone, Chen Ling opened WeChat, looking at the discussions about Wu Li in the "Happy Family" group, feeling immensely proud, that’s my son!

...

In Chuhua City, Wu Li took some time to visit his school, where he received heroic treatment.

The school leaders visited his dormitory to comfort him, and personally awarded him with the "Top Three Good Students" and "Chuhua City’s Top Ten Outstanding Youths" honors, and even organized a school-wide commendation meeting specifically for Wu Li, inviting him on stage to give a speech.

Beichuan University hadn’t seen such a prominent figure for a long time, and the school leaders highly valued Wu Li, not only because of his current fame but most importantly because his personal character had received high social praise. Additionally, he was also starting his own business; the development of Bo Yuan Martial Arts Hall was incredibly fast. With over twenty branches nationwide and the number of students increasing daily, it was foreseeable that Wu Li would become a young multi-millionaire in the near future!

And Wu Li was only a sophomore; no one could predict where he might be in another two years.

For such a student, the school leaders specifically instructed all teachers, allowing him to take long-term leaves of absence, of course, Wu Li would still need to pass all subjects to obtain his diploma.

After getting the specially approved leave form at school, and having had a meal with Chen Dong and Wang Xuecheng, and visiting Chuhua City’s branch of Bo Yuan Martial Arts Hall, Wu Li returned to Qi City.

Just as he arrived in Qi City, Chen Gang, the director of the "Seeking Martial Arts" program, called Wu Li and asked him to come to the TV station to discuss important matters.

"Wu Li, come in, have a seat."

In the conference room, Wu Li found that aside from the "Seeking Martial Arts" show team, there were also a few TV station leaders present.

"Wu Li, how is your injury?" Xiao Qing, the head of the variety department, asked with concern.

Wu Li nodded, "It’s not a big deal, I should be alright after another half month of rest."

Xiao Qing said, "We called you here today mainly to discuss the shooting of the fifth episode."

Wu Li looked around and asked, "Discussing it with so many people?"

"Ha ha." A few of the TV station leaders laughed.

"It shows we have great expectations for you."

"It shows how important this program is to our TV station."

After exchanging a few jokes, Xiao Qing turned serious, "Wu Li, what do you think about the next episode’s shooting?"

When Wu had originally signed the contract, it had been made clear that Wu Li would have a say in the choice of shooting locations and people to visit.

As the show had become increasingly popular, Qi City TV Station had begun to value Wu Li more and more since even a fool could see that 90% of the program’s success was due to Wu Li. For this, other TV stations had surely spoken behind closed doors about Qi City TV station’s dumb luck many times.

Thus, Wu Li now essentially had more say than even the director of the show; his opinions, needless to say, were seriously considered by TV leaders like Xiao Qing and Chen Gang.

After thinking for a moment, Wu Li said, "I have been looking at some domestic data collected by the show team about people practicing Traditional Martial Arts, and from what I’ve seen I haven’t found anyone exceptionally strong."

Xiao Qing tentatively asked, "If there isn’t anyone suitable domestically, how about considering someone from abroad?"

Wu Li nodded, "When I signed with you, I did mention that I would consider going abroad eventually, but I wanted to search domestically first."

Xiao Qing explained, "We initially planned to shoot ten episodes, and now that we have filmed five, I think it’s time to consider visiting martial artists abroad."

Wu Li naturally had no objections, "Sure, do you have any recommendations?"

Xiao Qing chuckled, "That mainly depends on your opinion since you are more familiar with the Martial Arts Circle."

After pondering for a while, Wu Li said, "I know of two options: one is Southern Country, where a Master Yan Baili from Yong Chun once told me his lineage came from there and Mr. Ruan Jiyun, a predecessor of Yong Chun, has left a martial arts hall there. We could visit through an introduction from Master Yan."

"The other is Jian Country. The Senior Gu Qing from Bagua I visited in Li City knows people from Hongmen in Jian Country, and we could arrange a visit through that connection."

Wu Li suggested two places, and immediately, the people present began to discuss.

Eventually, the leaders agreed to make the first stop in Southern Country and the next episode possibly in Jian Country.

"Southern Country is closer, and the Southeast Asia region is more influenced by our culture, with a populace that honors martial arts; it would be easier to promote our culture there initially," this was the reasoning given by several leaders.

Wu Li caught onto a phrase, "Promote our culture?"

Xiao Qing explained, "Not to hide it from you, but the fourth episode was sent to the WH department for review, and it caught the attention of senior leaders. Leaders at WH department thought our program had a very beneficial intention and theme, with the most important aspect being the promotion of national culture. They hope we can reach out internationally to propagate our Traditional Martial Arts."

Wu Li asked, "Going abroad is easy, but how do you plan to promote Traditional Martial Arts?"

Xiao Qing said, "We discussed it a bit, and the preliminary plan hopes to see you challenge some martial arts experts abroad, which could quickly build fame and let foreigners know the prowess of Hua Country’s Kung Fu."

"Of course, we still need your input, what do you think?" Xiao Qing added.

Challenging foreign martial arts experts? Wu Li had always considered this, but truly challenging an expert wasn’t that easy due to concerns about reputation and appearance fees.

Appearance fees are easy to resolve, but reputation isn’t something that can be established quickly.

Wu Li’s reputation had reached a peak within the country; if he openly challenged any domestic martial arts expert now, no one would think he was unworthy. In fact, it would be highly anticipated, but challenging a foreign expert might not have the same treatment.

After all, Wu Li had not yet won any high-level competitions and to the International Martial Arts Circle, he was still a nobody. To challenge a real martial arts expert, they definitely wouldn’t pay him any attention.

For example, for a UFC champion, one must have a good track record and high ranking in the relevant weight class to get a chance and the eligibility to challenge the champion. Wu Li hadn’t even received a UFC entry ticket yet, and even if a player agreed to a challenge, their team and UFC officials would likely not consent.

And if he challenged some local experts, it probably wouldn’t be very convincing—much like the situation Traditional Martial Arts had in the country before, where one had to prove themselves in the ring as public belief based purely on achievements. Local masters, no matter how impressive they boasted, were rarely convincing.

"The underground black boxing is popular in Southern Country, and local masters are relatively more famous; thinking about this, going to Southern Country first isn’t a bad choice," Wu Li expressed.

Seeing Wu Li’s agreement, Xiao Qing and others were delighted.

"Then it’s settled, the next episode will be in Southern Country!"