Ryo has fought countless battles against individuals with supreme martial arts such as Geese Howard, metahumans with supernatural powers such as the 3 Sacred Treasures, however it was Ron who gave him the hardest fight for his life. Although Ron's martial arts were the best of the Hizoku, he was nowhere near as powerful as martial art freaks like Ryo or Geese. However, it was that he did not follow the honor codes of martial artists that made him such a fearsome foe. Ryo remembered that he had to spend a whole month in the hospital after that fight, luckily Kim's reinforcement, Jhun, Chang, Choi, Hwa Jai and Raiden, come to the Kyokugen-ryu a few days later to replace the injured.
"It's been 7 years.", Ryo says. "Why have you hidden this child from me until now?"
"I know you'd feel awkward about this situation, especially when you just got married and had a kid.", Luan said. "But I have some business that I cannot bring her along."
"You are an assassin, your bussiness is always too dangerous to bring a child along.", Ryo says.
As he finishes that sentence, Nidaime Mr. Karate launches his left palm toward the little girl's face. The girl quickly leans her head to the right, evading that attack. At that moment, Ryo's hand instantly changes its trajectory, the palm strike turns into a backhand slap. The girl lowers her base to dodge that strike and throws her own counter-attack, a Dragon Tail sweep.
"Beautiful skills.", Ryo praises the girl while lifting his left leg up to avoid the foot sweep.
The Karateka suddenly stretches that raising leg out, him lifting that leg up is not just to evade the counter-strike but also a set-up for his Yoko Mawashi Geri. The girl was kneeling to execute her low attack, she cannot move to the side or lower her body to dodge this strike. Instead Anh Thư quickly launches herself up. As she jumps over Ryo's kick, the girl thrusts her right hand forward, two fingers pointing at Ryo's eyes, the technique is "Twin Dragons Stealing Pearls". These movements are too fast and vile for a child of her age.
Ryo cannot retreat his kick in time to dodge the attack, however his hands are free. "The Invincible Dragon" quickly sweeps her hand away and grab her neck with his left hand. With his superior physical strength, Ryo easily keeps her at an arm-length distance, where she returns to be a harmless child.
"You've taught her well.", Ryo says. "An adult with mediorce skills wouldn't be able to defeat her. She can defense herself while following you in your missions."
The Karateka then slightly pushes her back to Luan. The girl intends to continue the fight, however she is calmed down when Luan hugs her gently. Looking at that interaction between mother and daughter, Ryo suddenly feels a bit emotional, he remembers how his mother used to embrace him and his sister when they were young.
"Your father did not intend to harm you.", Luan says to the child. "He was testing your skills."
She then makes a remark to Ryo: "It is the first time you meet your daughter and the first thing you want to know is her fighting skills? Such a heartless father."
Although their time together was short, Ryo knows this woman likes to talk down to people and annoy them. He ignores her criticism and continues his questions.
"You did not teach her "Yi Yang Finger", didn't you?", Ryo asks. Ryo suspected that if this girl was trained by Luan, she should have learned "Yi Yang Finger". Every move Ryo made was to force the girl to use "Yi Yang Finger". The first palm strike may look intimidating coming from a muscular man, however there was a pressure point at the wrist that was fully exposed, if the girl used "Yi Yang Finger" to attack that spot, Ryo would have had his entire arm immobilized. If she had struck the pressure point at the edge of Ryo's hand when he tried to slap her, it would have forced the man's heart to stop for a few seconds. Similarly, when Ryo threw that kick, the girl could have attacked multiple pressure points from the foot to the lower part of the knee, each point could have cause a different effect on his body. But she did not use "Yi Yang Finger" even once.
"I thought that you knew this martial art was not suitable for girls.", Luan says. "Only the most patient and gifted can overcome the gender barrier to master "Yi Yang Finger". Anh Thư is too young for that."
Ryo briefly remembered the Hizoku's conversation about "Yi Yang Finger", they did mention that it was harder for a woman to master this technique compared to a man. Although he was also trained in Ki control, his knowledge of Ki was limited. During the journey of how Chinese martial arts become Okinawan's Karate, the Okinawans picked up and refined certain techniques and knowledge while discarded others. For that reason, while Karate has evolved out of Chinese martial arts, its knowledge of Ki was disconnected. A Karateka knows enough to improve his prowess in Karate, but not enough to imagine or explain the highest level of Qigong.
"Have she killed anyone?", Ryo gives another question.
"What's wrong?", Luan replies with a mockering tone. "Kyokugen-ryu will never accept a killer?"
"My father killed countless lives as , and I used to fight Geese Howard with the intention of ending his life.", Ryo says. "But if you want me to take this child in, I need to know how much into killing she is."
"Don't worry.", Luan says. "Although I have been bringing her to my mission, she has not delivered the finishing blow on anyone yet."
"I may have not killed anyone yet, but I will not hesitate to kill anyone trying to harm me.", the girl suddenly interrupts her parents' conversation.
"The youngsters always say that, until they finally have a chance to prove their words.", Ryo says with a heavy tone, as if he is scolding the young girl.
"So you did try to kill someone, and you hesitated.", Luan makes another mockering remark.
Ryo does not want to continue this conversation. The final moment of his fight against Geese Howard is the most troubled moment in his life. Sometimes "The Invincible Dragon" regrets not killing the person who broke his family and ruined the reputation of his dojo. Sometimes he feels fortunate that Geese was able to escaped before Ryo delivered the finishing blow. The Karateka tries to change the topic:
"You were able to take care of her during your jobs until now. What kind of dangerous mission you are doing, so dangerous that you have to bring her to me?"
"Do you remember A Song?", Luan asks.
"He was the guy who used "18 Dragon Subduing Palms" that night, right?", Ryo answers. "I injured his shoulders badly, he should never be able to use his arms for fighting anymore. Regardless, we still put him into South Town prison and somehow, he just vanished. Nobody knows how he escaped his ceil or where he went to."
"Although his martial art "18 Dragon Subduing Palms" is for honest combats, he is still a Hizoku assassin.", Luan says. " Every Hizoku member is universally trained in Ancient Tomb martial arts. A Song may no longer be able to those ferocious strikes of North Beggars sect, his Light Kungfu should be enough to sneak away from the amateurs."
The woman continues:
"However, the reality is that with those damaged shoulders, he has lost his ability to fight. A Song needs to fix them if he wants to use "18 Dragon Subduing Palms" again."
"That is impossible.", Ryo says. "I stabbed his shoulders in a way that damaged the joints and the tendons connecting them. He may be able to throw a punch after some expensive surgeries, however a strike as ferocious as those of "18 Dragon Subduing Palms" would tear his muscles apart again."
"That is the reason why he went to Shaolin temple.", Luan said. "Among 72 ultimate arts of Shaolin, there is Yijin Jing, "The Muscle/Tendon Changing Manual". The person trains in this art can get rid of any physical deformability on their body, enhance the performance of their muscles, tendons, bones and internal organs, increase their prowess in Qi, as well as curing any kind of injury on the physical body and meridians."
"Does a martial art that powerful exist?", Ryo expresses his suspicion. The Karateka suddenly remembers that two ancestors of the Jin brothers from Hakkyokuseiken school were able to possess their bodies by an ancient martial art. This Yijin Jing may actually be real.
"I don't know if it is real or not.", Luan says. "All I need to know is that A Song was desperated enough to try infiltrate the Shaolin temple for that manual, where he was caught and prisoned there. I will go there and through A Song, I will figure out where Ron is."
"You can't be serious.", Ryo says. "Even Ron himself was scared of their "Louhan Formation" and "Diamond Ring Subduing Evil Formation". You think you can defeat the Shaolin monks at their own establishment?"
"A Song was crippled and wanted the Yijin Jing.", Luan says. "I am a better assassin and all I need is information about Ron. The monks probably wouldn't even know they are infiltrated."
The woman then pushes her daughter into Ryo: "You are her father. You can't take care of her for a few weeks? How heartless can you be?"
"You will not stop with just the Shaolin temple.", Ryo says. "You will go after Ron next."
"A few months, then.", Luan replies, she seems irritated by Ryo's hesitation. "You risked your life for some random kid but you allow your own child to face the monks of Shaolin and Ron?"
At this point, Ryo cannot refuse the woman's demand. The Karateka is still a bit skeptical about whether this child is truly his daughter, however he cannot stand by while a kid her age charging to dangerous places like the Shaolin temple, or even worse, Ron. The biggest issue he has to face now, is how to tell his family about this child.