Martial Arts Master

by Stayrr

Here martial arts are no longer intangible legends. They have been passed on from generation to generation and from century to century. After the confrontation with science and technology, they have completely integrated into modern society and all kinds of martial arts competitions are taking place across the country as superiority among scholars are hard to reach a consensus but

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Martial Arts Master

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Here martial arts are no longer intangible legends. They have been passed on from generation to generation and from century to century. After the confrontation with science and technology, they have completely integrated into modern society and all kinds of martial arts competitions are taking place across the country as superiority among scholars are hard to reach a consensus but not as difficult among martial artists!

Lou Cheng has found an unknown cultivation item that fuse with him and help him for the first part of martial arts, the meditation.

Towards his original dream and the glory in his heart, he will advances step by step, becoming the warrior of this modern city and the hero of the era!

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Chapter 1: The Aspiring Youth Expresses No Anxiety

Translator: Transn Editor: Transn

It was a hot autumn afternoon. The sun was still blazing at 3 o'clock, dressing the black exterior walls of a large gymnasium in gold.

Large black letters were glimmering above the front entrance of the gymnasium, stating its name:

"Songcheng University Martial Arts Club!"

Looking from afar at the letters and the youths full of vigor and vitality streaming inside the gymnasium, Lou Cheng felt the vibrancy but hesitated to join them. He swallowed a lump of saliva down his throat and seemed to be bothered by the feeling that one would experience when returning home, though sure enough martial arts and the club had never been his home.

He could not help but turn to look at his roommate, Cai Zongming, who was standing nearby, seeking some psychological comfort.

They met upon entering the university and soon became close friends, as birds of a feather. After the military training and course selection, they developed a friendship where they could comfortably exchange good-natured banters with each other.

Cai Zongming was over 1.8 meter in height and topped Lou Cheng by half a head. Lou Cheng had to admit that the tall and handsome Cai Zongming had the figure of some appealing heroes in Wuxia novels. Also, he was born in an affluent family and had good taste in clothing, adding points to his charm. His only problem would be his gift of the gab!

"Cheng, why are you so nervous?" Cai Zongming noticed Lou Cheng's abnormal emotions and asked, still keeping his hands in the pockets of his cream-colored slacks. "It's just an orientation of the Martial Arts Club, and many students, like Old Qiu, won't come to the orientation of Martial Arts Club. He just signed up but didn't show up, instead, he went for self-study. It is not an examination, so why are you so concerned?"

Lou Cheng thought about it and found himself in need of advice. He carefully selected his words and asked his friend, this time using his nickname:

"Casanova, do you remember the girl we met when we signed up?"

Claiming to have dated many girls, Cai Zongming was experienced and good at fabricating wild tales, which earned him the title "Casanova" among his roommates. Lou Cheng considered him a good consultant on love-related problems…

"Yes! How could I forget? Over one month here, I've only met two or three girls of her league. I would have accosted her, had I no true love!" Cai Zongming took a glance at Lou Cheng and smiled. "So what's the story? Having a crush on her? Longing to pursue her? You seemed like an honest and ponderous guy when I first met you. Cheng, I didn't expect this from you!"

Lou Cheng hurried to clear himself. "Actually, I've known her since high school. We were in adjoining classes and we would stand right next to each other during the setting-up exercise to music. Day after day… You know?"

"Sure! Wait, does she know you?" Cai Zongming could barely keep a straight face.

Lou Cheng shook at the mouth and glowered at Cai Zongming. Finally, he gave in and said in a low voice, "Not really…"

"I see… An unrequited love… Perfectly normal," Cai Zongming stopped teasing him. "No wonder you dragged me to join the Martial Arts Club. I thought you had somehow found out my hidden martial skills!"

"Bah! You are mere an Amateur Fifth Pin! What hidden martial skills are you talking about?" counterattacked Lou Cheng.

Until today, martial arts had run a long course of thousands of years. Neither a tale nor a myth, it carried on and on through decades of confrontation against science and technology until it had to change its tradition to integrate into the modern society. Even the ranking system of martial arts had adapted to this era. A special Ranking Event would be held by the Martial Arts Association to assess martial artists with the First Pin being the highest rank, and Ninth Pin the entry level. Below the entry level was nine amateur Pins for martial enthusiasts who were more than sufficient to defeat the common mass.

Cai Zongming tut-tutted. "Someone is not even of Amateur Ninth Pin. Comparing to you, I'm certainly a master, right? Let's fight, and I'll use only one hand."

"Get lost," Lou Cheng cut him up and slowly walked forward after a deep breath. "She was very popular in my high school. I knew she was a fan of martial arts but I didn't know she had also entered Songcheng University. I saw it as some kind of destiny and was thrilled. So I dragged you into this to have more contact with her."

"Good. Reasonable enough," Cai Zongming took a few steps and suddenly burst into laughter. "Look, Cheng! Isn't that your goddess?"

With his heart thumping, Lou Cheng looked ahead following the direction Cai Zongming was pointing. Outside the main entrance of the Martial Arts Club gym there was a set of stairs with nine steps, on which he saw a girl in red and white traditional Han costume standing. Her small face was delicate and beautiful with exquisite features—a classic beauty from the south of the Yangtze River. She was Yan Zheke, the perfect girl Lou Cheng had constantly been thinking about. Her mother was from the south of the Yangtze River.

Lou Cheng was stunned. It was the first time he saw Yan Zheke in a Han costume. How gorgeous!

"How come she is working for the Martial Arts Club as a ceremonial usherette?" asked Lou Cheng with a confused look after he recovered from the shock.

She was also a freshman and the orientation was to take place today!

Cai Zongming laughed. "Simple. A girl of her league must have been contacted in advance by those senior members. Even if they can't win her heart, they can at least use her to promote the Martial Arts Club! Not like you, loser!"

"Aren't you the same…" Lou Cheng struck back.

"Well, actually, I'm not. I'm an Amateur-Fifth-Pin master, a future backbone for the Martial Arts Club…" Next, Cai seemed disturbed by some thought, "They should have contacted me in advance as well. An Amateur Fifth Pin is quite rare in Songcheng University Martial Arts Club. This year's freshmen are of this high quality? Besides that legendary Lin Que, would there be many of Amateur Third or Fourth Pin?"

While listening to Cai Zongming, Lou Cheng stared calmly at Yan Zheke standing on the steps like a star in the spotlight, outstanding and gorgeous, attracting all the attention. Many were probably ashamed of their appearance in front of her.

"Well, back to business. Cheng, here is a chance for you," Cai stopped talking to himself.

Lou Cheng turned and looked at him with dazed eyes. "What chance?"

"A chance to accost her! A chance to draw her attention." Cai Zongming heartily sympathized with this low-EQ pal.

"Accost her…" Looking at Yan Zheke from afar, Lou Cheng stammered, "Me?"

He had never accosted anyone before and was never thinking about it. Would it be a good idea?

Cai Zongming shook his head and tut-tutted, "Though it mainly depends on your appearance and eloquence, you will never succeed if you don't dare to give it a try. On most occasions, girls may condemn cowards. Don't you adore her? What kind of adoration is it if you don't even dare to pursue? Besides, you are very likely to succeed according to my analysis. She might not even consider it as accosting."

"Why?" Lou Cheng became interested.

"Has the crush reduced your IQ? You two were schoolmates from the same city. What a perfect start! Being in this strange land, far away from acquaintances, she will certainly regard you as her first choice when it comes to boys," Cai began to give an eloquent speech. "Imagine a young girl who has gone so far away from home for further education. Surrounded by strangers, how insecure she must be feeling now. Anyone with some common ground would be ideal for her to make friends with. As the saying goes, when two fellow townsmen meet each other, tears run down from four eyes. Not to mention you were once in the same grade of the same school! There are too many things for you guys to talk about, and the gap between you two is narrow.

"Just pretend to run into her and recognize her by chance. There is a ninety percent probability that you will get her QQ number or mobile number. Well, don't go too deep with her on your first encounter. Get her QQ number and retreat."

Lou Cheng carefully listened with a pounding heart. He was very tempted, as what Casanova just said made perfect sense.

However, he soon sank into another hesitation. "But a man average as me doesn't deserve her. I don't know if I can provide her the life she wants. Err… I'd better not…"

That was what would be called as diffidence.

Cai Zongming was shocked for quite a while.

"Cheng, isn't that too much at this moment? You don't even know each other yet, and you are already thinking about your married life with her? Your imagination impresses me…"

Giving Lou Cheng no chance to ponder further, Cai continued to persuade him. "Cheng, your intention to show responsibility and self-knowledge is good, but don't be a coward like this. We are in our first year in a pretty damn good university doing an okay major. Four years of hard study should easily get us a decent job after graduation. Don't you have this confidence? Or you are just going to be a quitter? Improve yourself and push yourself for her. Making yourself a better man for the one you love is true responsibility. Otherwise, your love for her will only move yourself. What counts is conscientiousness!"

Lou Cheng was amazed by Cai's words.

Cai Zongming waved his fist and jumped to another topic. "Nothing is set yet. It remains unknown whether you can win her heart or not. Your chance is pretty small… Err… Come on! Cheng, no regret. We try and try. The aspiring youth express no anxiety!"

Cai's speech turned Lou Cheng into an aggressive young man. His blood was boiling as he tried to suppress all the hesitation and concerns. Lou heavily nodded.

"I'll have a try!"

"Yes! Youth knows no failure!"

Looking at Yan Zheke's beautiful figure in red and white, Lou Cheng plucked up courage and was about to approach.

All of a sudden, Cai Zongming held him back.

"What's the matter?" Lou Cheng could feel his blood boiling.

Cai Zongming grinned. "Cheng, calm down. Your face is red like a monkey bum. She would be able to tell your attempt easily. Buy yourself a bottle of ice water to cool down first."

"Wow, Casanova, you are so experienced," Lou Cheng felt the heat on his face and almost stammered.

How exciting and frightening!

A good idea flashed across his mind. He took the opposite direction, ran away from the grand venue for a hundred meters and returned. By the time he passed Cai Zongming on his way back, he could barely catch his breath.

"You…" Cai Zongming was lost for a second before he got the point. He gave a thumbs-up, "Smart!"

A red face from running should be enough to cover his blush.

While Lou Cheng's heart was racing, his pace slowed down out of timidity. Soon, he picked up his pace and moved away from Cai. He clenched his hands and talked to himself, "Umm, at least I'll give it a try!"

He kept motivating himself while running toward the gymnasium and the beautiful figure in red and white.

Looking at his back, Cai Zongming hurriedly said, "Keep it short. You just met each other. Don't make it awkward. Leave a good impression for the future."

Lou Cheng waved to acknowledge his understanding and kept his pace up to get it done in one vigorous effort.

"This is youth…" A man with gray hair in his 70s or 80s was watching Lou Cheng from under a street tree by the pavement and got a bit sentimental. "I was once a young man just like him…"

Everyone has their youth!

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Chapter 2: Everything Is Difficult at the Start

Translator: Transn Editor: Transn

The front entrance was not that far away. Soon enough, Lou Cheng reached the gym and walked up the nine steps. His heart was pounding fast and he felt his face burning. It was hard to tell whether the panting and flush were from the long run or the upcoming accosting.

Rehearsing all the possibilities, Lou Cheng panted and clinched his hands to cheer himself up.

"What's there to fear? Man up!"

As different plots mingled in his mind for a few seconds, Lou Cheng slowed down and took frequent glances at the elegant Yan Zheke in that red and white Han costume, pretending she was just another person he was running by. Right before he brushed past her, he paused and asked in surprise, "You… Did you study in Xiushan No.1 Middle School?"

Yan Zheke stood there in amazement for a moment, as if she didn't hear him, but soon recovered and wiped the frown off. "Yeah. You are?"

Lou Cheng's heart was pounding hard but he managed to put on a smile under his heavy breath, "I was in class four. Every morning, I used to stand right next to you during the martial arts gymnastics. I mean, a few rows behind you… He-heh. Didn't know you were also here in Songcheng University."

Yan Zheke saw the light. Although she couldn't remember Lou Cheng, she lowered her guard and put on a smile along with two dimples. "I thought I was the only one from our high school here."

Keeping Cai Zongming's instruction in mind, Lou Cheng resisted the urge to scratch his head and replied humbly, "I kept it low and was thus not familiar with students from other classes."

The smiling Yan Zheke became even more attractive. Lou Cheng could hardly move his eyes away from her.

Yan Zheke kept smiling without reluctance, showing her unfeigned joy, "What's your name? Maybe I have heard about you before? Your classmate Cheng Tao and his buddies attended our class."

Her voice was soft and gentle, without any shyness, as if she was born with this tone.

"Cheng Tao? He used to borrow my homework every day. I'm Lou Cheng, a nobody. I bet you don't know me," after a good funny line, Lou Cheng yielded to his impulse and continued, "But I know you, Miss Yan Zheke, one of the most popular girls in our grade… Actually, in the entire school. A girl smart and friendly as you are expected to go to the capital or Huahai for university. Who would have guessed you were here in Songcheng."

Hearing such a direct yet natural compliment, Yan Zheke turned her head and chuckled, "Had I come here because of an unsatisfying result at the college entrance examination, you would have offended me."

"Damn it! What is wrong with me? Thankfully goodness Yan Zheke didn't fail the exam…" Lou Cheng thought to himself, quite terrified and anxious as he thought about that possibility. He had almost thrown a "beautiful" in his compliment as well, but luckily he found it too flippant for their first conversation.

"No wonder Casanova warned me not to talk too much… He knows this kind of stuff." Recalling Cai Zongming's advice, Lou Cheng hastened to add, "It would be news if a celebrity like you failed the exam. Err… The crowd is coming. I'd better get going. I shall leave you with your work."

"Got it," answered Yan Zheke.

Lou Cheng took a deep breath and tried to put up a casual tone, "What's your QQ number, by the way? A few more students from our school are also here. We can have a get-together."

He held his breath and his heart stood still. The last sentence was merely an excuse to cover up his true intention of having her QQ number!

Yan Zheke smiled and pointed at a red string around her neck without hesitation, "Can't keep my mobile in this suit. Take my QQ number and I'll add you soon. Don't forget to mention 'Lou Cheng from class four, No. 1 Middle School.' I don't accept requests from strangers. My QQ is XXXXXX."

"Got it," Lou Cheng was overjoyed and could barely remain calm. He repeated the number to himself and took out his mobile from the left pocket of his jeans. As soon as he logged in QQ and searched the number, a laugh broke out, "Dantai Cuihua?"

What a ridiculous name! The Yan Zheke online was the complete opposite from her real self…

Yan Zheke squinted to him a naughty smile, "Yeah, don't you find the name super approachable?" She added on after a pause, "Don't you know its provenance?"

"The one that ruined all those fancy, elegant compound surnames," Lou Cheng didn't know but it was not hard to guess.

Murong, Huangfu, Shangguan, Zhuge, Dantai… These special compound surnames with a beautiful given name would be perfect for characters in those romantic books or TV series. However, it could become hilarious given a boorish or patriotic add-on, such as Murong Jianjun, Huangfu Sufen, and Shangguan Weiguo.

Yan Zheke had joy in her eyes, "Yeah, isn't it interesting?"

"Very. Should I change my QQ name to Zhuge Ergou?" Lou Cheng enjoyed talking with Yan Zheke so much that he wished it could go on and on until a sudden cough came from behind him, as Cai Zongming approached.

Lou Cheng made great efforts to restrain himself and then he waved at Yan Zheke, "My friend is here. We have to go inside. See you."

"Bye," Yan Zheke waved back, which attracted quite some attention from others.

Lou Cheng turned around to join Cai Zongming, unable to mask his joy.

"Not bad! I thought you would stammer. You've got potential." As Cai Zongming walked through the entrance, noise and bustle reached them, to the point where he no longer needed to whisper.

The martial arts gymnasium was split into two connected sections, of which one was laid as a ring of the size of a basketball court, surrounded by stands of seats, and the other had the size of four to five basketball courts and had all kinds of sports apparatus for daily martial training. The latter was decorated as the venue for the orientation, which was busier than Lou Cheng had expected.

"Seriously," Lou Cheng laughed, "The Martial Arts Club really is a big family."

"Of course. The Martial Arts Competition is the world's most popular competition, and martial arts masters are the world's most popular stars. For sure the Martial Arts Club is the largest in every university."

Being the "best" writer is as meaningless as being the "second best" fighter. After decades of peace, more and more martial tournaments were taking place these days and the extreme excitement from these limit-redefining competitions could boost the audience's adrenaline level and arouse their heroism. It seemed those night prowlers were no longer an issue, and cowardice was cured for good. As this trend carried on, media and the show biz quickly caught up and official martial arts competitions came into existence.

Martial arts competitions could be simply classified into two groups: one was a derivative of the traditional conflicts among different martial factions, in which various martial sects, schools and clubs participated in a team event to fight for the honor of the greatest heir of Chinese martial arts; the other was held for individuals to compete for the championship.

The former had become a national craze known as the Professional Martial Arts Competition, which was comprised of four leagues, with the premier one containing 12 teams representing the highest martial arts level in China. For those 12 teams, the worst humiliation they could ever suffer was to rank bottom in their league, thus degrading to a lower one.

As for the latter, there were five national individual challenge tournaments, also known as Title Competitions. The champion of each of these tournaments would win the corresponding title and be acknowledged as one of the most capable martial artists in the country. For example, when someone won the championship of the Warrior Sage Event, he would hold the title Warrior Sage for the following year. So, a saying went "A title tops the Professional First Pin!"

Such tournaments could bring a pleasing commercial return for the leading forces and martial arts masters. Wealth came hand-in-hand with honor, popularity and far-reaching influence. Even universities were under the impact, bringing about the National University Martial Arts Competitions and flourishing the university martial arts clubs.

Cai Zongming straightened his back to show bearings of a hidden martial arts master and asked, "Have you got her QQ number?"

QQ number? Lou Cheng could not hide his joy, "Of course! Casanova, what should I do next?"

"What do you think? Find topics to chat with her, get closer to her, learn her hobbies and wait for an opportunity to ask her out. Finding topics shouldn't be hard, right?" Cai Zongming took a contemptuous glance at Lou Cheng and joked along. "Or give me her QQ number and I'll do it for you!"

"No way," Lou Cheng cut straight to the point, "So lucky to have advice from the experienced."

"Sure you are. I have dated lots of girls," Cai Zongming sounded very pleased with himself.

Playing on the downside all this time, Lou Cheng's mind clicked and murmured at Cai, "How old are you again?"

"Eighteen. So? Can't I have many girlfriends? I met my first love in Grade Three!" Cai Zongming didn't seem to like being doubted about his strong point.

"No. I mean… You've had so many girlfriends over the years, but none of your relationships lasted. It must be your fault…" Lou Cheng's eyes flashed all over Cai. He seemed to come to some realization.

Cai Zongming's face turned stiff as he complained, "Do you want to continue this conversation or not?"

Then he casually threw a brief explanation, "I've dated my pen friends. You know, easy come, easy go. A lack of contact for a short period was enough to kill the passion. Some of my dates transferred to another school. What could I do? And some were just not right… You know the song 'it is easy to fall in love but hard to be together morning and night'. In short, I'm not a playboy and I've been behaving for a long time. Don't you call me a playboy or Casanova in front of my girlfriend! Actually, can't you give me a better nickname? Casanova is terrible. Stop calling me that, OK?"

"You got it, little Ming," Lou Cheng grinned.

Cai Zongming seemed to freeze and then heaved a sigh, "Casanova is fine."

"Yes, little Ming." Lou Cheng scored one and instantly cheered up.

There was always one thing to conquer another. Cai Zongming valued his current long-distance girlfriend in the same way Lou Cheng did for Yan Zheke.

Cai Zongming burst into laughter.

"Cheng, if we signed up for Crosstalk Club instead of the martial arts one, we would be famous for certain."

His voice was followed by a sudden turmoil outside the door.

"Lin Que is coming!"

"Lin Que!"

The crowd began to move toward the entrance.

Lou and Cai exchanged a glance with excitement, thrill and curiosity. They joined the mass toward the entrance.

Rumors had been spreading that a genius who had achieved the Professional Ninth Pin certificate at the age of 18 had joined the club at the entry level of professional martial arts, Lin Que had surpassed the majority of disciples of martial sects and students of martial arts schools.

A talent as him entered a university instead of any martial sect, school or club!

Among freshmen of the universities circle, Lin Que was not the only one who gained the Professional Ninth Pin. But for Song Cheng University, it was its first time to receive such a genius.

That genius was Lin Que!

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Chapter 3: A Real Man Is Like That

Translator: Transn Editor: Transn

The crowd was jostling inside the gym. Fortunately, Lou Cheng and Cai Zongming had just made their way in, so they were close enough to the door to see two figures walking through it.

A man in suit with saggy cheeks and wrinkles at the corners of his eyes had his hair combed back. Appearing to be the coach of the Martial Arts Club, he walked at a steady pace while looking around solemnly. His solemnity softened when he turned to the man in jeans and a white t-shirt next to him, who was half a head taller than him. Slender and with short hair, this fresh-looking young man was carrying a bulging black gym bag on his back.

"He must be the legendary Lin Que," Lou Cheng thought.

Lin Que's appearance quickly quieted down the gymnasium, like a silencer. He remained cool and continued walking despite all the eyes locked on him, filled with curiosity, excitement, and adoration. He gave a gentle nod without a word when he was introduced by the coach, and then he was led through the crowd straight into the locker room, as if he were a celebrity.

The short silence was replaced by a fervent discussion as soon as his figure disappeared.

"So cool!"

"The Martial Arts Club does have handsome boys!"

"How charming and challenging!"

These were some comments from the girls.

"What's that apathy for…"

"The capable ones are never easygoing."

"If I had the rank of Professional Ninth Pin, I would be just as proud as him!"

"Our club is going to rock!"

"Yeah, when we defeat Guannan and Neihai, they can be arrogant no longer!"

"We might reach the amateur fifth or sixth pin by the university graduation with his help. One more way to make a living…"

Those comments were from the boys.

As Lou Cheng withdrew his eyes, he happened to notice Yan Zheke in that red and white Han costume by the door. Her face and eyes were filled with admiration, just like the other girls.

"Sign… How much I envy him!" Lou Cheng complained to Cai Zongming. "I wish I were of Professional Ninth Pin to enjoy this."

Cai Zongming tut-tutted. "It is a good time to quote some classic to show your literature skills. You should say 'a real man is like that'!"

"A real man is like that…" After a moment of reflection on it, Lou Cheng took a glance at Yan Zheke and quipped to Cai Zongming. "And you will then say 'I can replace him'?"

"You really are my bosom friend." Cai Zongming laughed and raised one arm with a clenched fist to show his muscle. "Though I skipped quite some martial arts training sessions, I've made it to Amateur Fifth Pin. Imagine if I take it super seriously. I'll reach Professional Ninth Pin in no time and become the most charming man in the Martial Arts Club!"

"You are probably the only one that can talk about skipping classes this proudly." The two continued to exchange good-natured banters.

After a while, Yan Zheke went into the women's locker room.

The Orientation started on time. As the light was turned on, a muscular man stepped into the ring.

"Everybody, I am Chen Changhua in my senior year, manager of this Martial Arts Club…" In a black leotard, Chen Changhua looked sharp and husky. As he went on to introduce himself with a big smile, his fierce look softened.

"Ha-hah! Check out his eyebrows. They remind me of the song 'Bugs flying o bugs flying'…" whispered Cai Zongming to Lou Cheng during Chen Changhua's speech.

Lou Cheng glanced at him. "Casanova, you really should join the Crosstalk Club. Don't waste your talent!"

Their whispering back and forth seemed to have no impact on Chen Changhua's introduction.

"As you all know, Martial Arts Realm has four stages – body refining, Qi, invulnerability, and restriction. The latter two are out of our concern today, as the amateurs are probably never gonna get there. So I'll focus on explaining body refining and Qi. The body refining stage is all about training our body like refining pills of immortality or smelting metals. It requires coordination from many aspects. A trance training or a session in the weight room is far from enough.

"I'm telling you this because I want you to know that no prior martial arts training experience is okay. We will help you with it. The Songcheng University Martial Arts Club has a long history and our body refining training is professional and proper to the tradition, nothing like that taught in those random martial arts clubs or gyms. Commit yourself to it for the next four years and you will easily reach the rank of amateur fifth or fourth pin, which will be enough to get you a coaching position in any martial arts club or gym. Then, you will have one more way to make a living.

"If some of you are true martial arts enthusiasts, you do have a chance to pass the Ranking Event and rank Professional Ninth Pin. I don't have a special gift in martial arts but I'm hard-working. Last year I got my Amateur First Pin certificate and now I'm preparing for the coming Ranking Event. So you know the Professional Ninth Pin is totally possible for us Songcheng University Martial Arts Club members. Diligence and devotion will get you everything!

"Of course, if you are a real talent, it is also possible to break through the body refining state and enter the Qi practice. Shanbei University has a genius who's been giving us lots of trouble whenever we encounter…"

Lou Cheng frowned in confusion and turned to Cai Zongming. "Shanbei University got last year's championship of the university martial arts event?"

"That's right," nodded Cai Zongming.

Lou Cheng asked with some hesitation. "Chen Changhua's words sounded a bit weird, didn't they?"

It seemed that he was secretly alluding to someone…

"Weird for sure. He's talked so much and I'm gonna summarize it into two sentences. First, Professional Ninth Pin is not that rare, so Lin Que is not a big deal." Cai Zongming laughed before continuing, "Second, our Martial Arts Club is not doing very well because our competitors are too strong!"

Having his suspicion confirmed, Lou Cheng shook his head. "Chen Changhua seems to have a problem with Lin Que. But isn't it bad for him to say it out loud?"

"Whatever. It has nothing to do with us." Cai Zongming got bored and took out his mobile.

Finally, Chen Changhua finished his long speech and put on a smile.

"Well, now let me introduce you our senior members. They all have experience in the Ranking Event and they are of Amateur Sixth Pin or higher…"

Before Lou Cheng could raise his head to have a proper look, Cai Zongming pulled at his clothes.

"Come on. Let's go back," Cai Zongming lowered his voice.

Lou Cheng didn't expect this. "Now? It's still early."

"Are you waiting to meet those senior members? Come on! You are here for a girl. Do you actually think yourself an undiscovered talent who had no basic training in his first 18 years but will just achieve enlightenment all of a sudden and rocket to become a martial arts master greater than all the senior members? Do you see yourself winning the championship of the National Martial Arts Competitions for Songcheng University and attract attention from the top guys to start your rising to the peak of your life with money and women?" Cai Zongming indeed had talents in joking.

Lou Cheng laughed with embarrassment. "We are already here. Let's stay and see."

Cai Zongming looked around and said, "You are just gonna mess around here until you get your girl. What's the point in meeting the senior? I can teach you anyway…"

Cai Zongming lowered his voice. "If you leave now, you will have one more pretext to talk with your goddess."

"Ha?" Lou Cheng was lost.

"Think about it. You make up some excuse to leave early and later you can ask her what you have missed. Schedule for training sessions or anything. A conversation starts naturally without making yourself an aversion of hers. Then, you can easily move on to other topics," Cai Zongming spoke with fervor.

Lou Cheng gazed at him for a few seconds.

"Little Ming, I admire only you among all the roommates!"

"Call me Casanova, please!" Cai Zongming slightly bent over and made his way toward the exit while the senior members were going into the ring. Lou Cheng followed behind him.

As soon as they got out, Lou Cheng was surprised to see an artistic man was filming them with an eye-catching camera.

"Damn! My skipping martial arts lesson is going on television?"

A young girl in a classic office outfit stood next to the cameraman.

Seeing Lou Cheng and Cai Zongming walking out, the young girl, with some nerdy looks, approached with a bright smile.

"Hello! I'm a reporter from Songcheng TV Station. Do you have time for a quick interview?"

With a refreshing short haircut, long dark eyebrows, clear eyes and a cute nose, she looked like a fresh graduate with a pair of dimples when she smiled. The identity card placed in front of her chest had her name, Shu Rui.

"What interview?" asked Lou Cheng to the microphone.

"No problem," Cai Zongming answered with no hesitation.

They looked into each other's eyes and saw mutual disdain.

The reporter Shu Rui raised her pretty oval face and smiled. "Are you members of the Songcheng University Martial Arts Club?"

"Damn! We are caught skipping class on site…" Lou Cheng thought as he scratched his head before replying, "Yeah. We… We've got an emergency."

"Yes, an emergency that we have to leave early," answered Cai Zongming calmly.

Shu Rui didn't seem to care. She maintained her professional smile. "Did you see Lin Que earlier in there?"

"Yeah." Lou Cheng and Cai Zongming looked at each other with astonishment as they heard the interview was about Lin Que.

It actually made sense to see a reporter there considering Songcheng University was the best university of the city and martial arts was the hottest sport these days.

Shu Rui gave another smile. "Lin Que is the very first freshman of Professional Ninth Pin in the history of Songcheng University. What do you think about his decision to join the Martial Arts Club? Any opinion?"

"Pretty good. Our martial arts club can probably make it to the next level," answered Cai Zongming, grinning.

Lou Cheng smiled sincerely. "Very excited. I'm actually thrilled. We are lucky to have him."

Shu Rui withdrew the microphone and her eyes were sparkling. "Thank you for taking this interview."

Watching the reporter and cameraman enter the gymnasium, Lou Cheng and Cai Zongming spoke at the same time.

"Cheng, was my smile a bit stiff?"

"Casanova, was my smile a bit silly?"

They shared some laughter and the tension faded away.

"It's gonna be my first time on TV. Kinda weird," Lou Cheng rubbed his cheeks.

Cai Zongming grinned. "Me too. Well, they might not use it. Lin Que is the key. He-heh. The reporter was not bad, beautiful, pure and in very good shape. Did you notice her legs? Longs and straight. I like her better than your goddess."

"Hello, 911? I'm calling to report a pervert," Lou Cheng took out his phone on purpose.

"Get lost!" Cai Zongming complained. "Just kidding."

Lou Cheng laughed. "Well, when I meet my sister-in-law someday, I'll tell her that Little Ming has been behaving!"

They chatted and laughed on the way back to the dormitory and soon threw the interview behind.

The dormitory of Songcheng University were two-bedroom flats with a basic living room, a balcony for laundry to the left and a bathroom and separated squatting toilet to the right. Two bedrooms, one on each side of the aisle, were shared by eight students altogether, each having their own bed on top of their desk, next to their wardrobe.

The two were not in the same bedroom. As soon as they entered the living room, Cai Zongming took out his mobile. "Cheng, I'll make a phone call. Wait for me to have dinner together."

"Huh. How sweet!" Knowing Cai Zongming would spend hours on the phone with his girlfriend, Lou Cheng decided to play some computer games in his room.

Walking into the empty room, Lou Cheng knew his three roommates were still in the study hall.

"So hard-working…" He felt embarrassed seeing their diligence.

The time was a bit awkward, not enough to finish a game but too much to be doing nothing. Lou Cheng soon calmed himself down and signed in the forum.

That was a platform hosting a collection of different forums. There was a forum for pretty much anything you could think of and it had quite some users. Lou Cheng was visiting the Longhu Club.

Longhu Club was in the premier league of the Professional Martial Arts Competition and was one of the most competitive forces for the title of the most powerful heir of Chinese martial arts. Founded just over three decades ago, it was like a little baby compared to those sects with a history of hundreds of years. This young club and its martial arts school for different age groups had been challenging those noble, ancient and influential sects and had scored a good number of victories. Chen Qitao, known as the Dragon King and who was also one of the Legendary Twins of the modern martial arts world, was the best example of Longhu Club's excellent members.

Such a martial arts club with such a matchless martial artist was certainly charming, and Lou Cheng was one of its numerous fans.

In the forum, Lou Cheng subconsciously put on a wicked smile and used the name Schrodinger's Tiger to post.

"Urgent! Just joined a Martial Arts Club today. How can I appear to be a frequenter?"

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Chapter 4: A Human's Strength Is Limited Sometimes

Translator: Transn Editor: Transn

The Longhu forum attracted a large number of fans, always having huge traffic. It would only take a few minutes for any post to sink to the second page if no one replied to it. Thanks to Lou Cheng's eye-catching title, people noticed his post quickly.

The reply came from an ID called "Above the Sky", with an avatar photo of a rock and roll teenage girl: "The second floor! Become my apprentice and I will tell you!"

She was popular in the forums, and Lou Cheng was about to call her master, but suddenly the name of Yan Zheke echoed in his mind, and a tiny bit of guilt set in. How could he tease others if he was secretly in love with someone else?

At this time, the second reply popped out. "A Plumber Eating Mushrooms" said:

"First of all, buy yourself one set of exercise clothes, and then enter the class a few minutes late. Put on a grave and stern face and walk with steady steps. Meet your coach and tell him, 'I am sorry. I got hurt in a match earlier. Restorative exercises would be fine for me today.' And then if the coach agrees, you could practice tai chi, do some stretching or take a walk. If the coach disagrees, you give him a serious stare and take a firm stand. Eventually, you will be OK. Well, one quick question, can you beat the coach?"

The answer was not intended to help, being merely a joke, yet Lou Cheng smiled and replied: "What if I cannot beat the coach?"

As he sent out the message, the page was refreshed, and several other replies emerged.

"Okamoto's Fan" posted: "Is the coach a woman? Chase after her! Amuse her!"

"Invincible Punch" went: "We do not have such a problem in our martial arts school. Behave yourself if you cannot beat the coach."

"Road to the Arena" said: "Offer your coach some money in private. Since you have zero experience, all you have to do is exercise and pretend to be a fighter. But it took me some real effort to get into the martial arts world."

"Outspoken" suggested: "Go exercise until your physical strength is improved. Or else you may find the standing practice unbearable, and even the girls in the class would be better than you, wouldn't that be even more humiliating?"

These four were the frequent visitors of the forum. Although Lou Cheng was a newcomer, he had spent some time in the forum over the last few months, so he was kind of familiar with these people:

"Okamoto's Fan" was one filled with dirty jokes, who made whatever topic a sex topic.

"Invincible Punch" was a student in martial school, one year older than Lou Cheng. He was already an Amateur First Pin, and was working hard to enter the professional circle. He always gave accurate and elaborated analysis of martial arts. Besides, his good character made him well received in the forum.

"Road to the Arena" always boasted about how rich he was or how he was taught by well-known masters. He claimed he owned a Professional Ninth Pin certificate, but he gave up a martial arts career to inherit the family fortune. Thus, a swarm of fans followed him.

"Outspoken", as his ID revealed, was somehow low on EQ, and offended people easily.

As a newcomer, Lou Cheng replied to them one after another: "Sorry to disappoint you, but my coach is an old man," to "Okamoto's Fan"; "Take it easy…" to "Invincible Punch"; "I am only a student, and I am saving the money for myself," to "Road to the Arena"; "You are correct. I had hardly ever done any exercise in the senior year of high school, and I wasted my summer hanging around. I should really work on my physical strength," to "Outspoken".

A few more replies came up after he sent out those words.

"Unparalleled Dragon King" replied: "Martial Arts Club in a university? Which university? If you are in Shanbei, Capital, or Huahai, please ask Peng Leyun or Ren Li for their autographs! Wait no more! They are true geniuses and will be top Pin fighters one day. Last year, in the finals of the National Martial Arts Competitions, they beat their seniors, who had inherited supernatural abilities from their predecessors. I have no idea why they stay in the university. You should seize the opportunity and find them!"

"Wonton Seller" send a cute emoji and wrote: "Go get them, Little Tiger, and keep working on your physical build!"

"Unparalleled Dragon King" was obsessed with martial arts and "Dragon King" Qitao was his idol. Lou Cheng had to reply, "Do not mention my stupid school, please."

He had spent his entire senior year in high school preparing for the national exam, and if there were any spare time and attention, he would focus on "Professional Martial Arts Competition" and five "title match" instead of "National University Martial Arts Competitions", not to mention the players such as Peng Leyun or Ren Li.

"Wonton Seller" was a lively, gentle young girl in her second year in high school, who was well-liked by the elder members of the forum. Lou Cheng answered with a smile, "Why not wish me success in dominating the martial arts circle of the universities?"

Meanwhile, he also received replies to his previous posts.

"A Plumber Eating Mushrooms" said half-jokingly: "Since you are no match for your coach, as a Schrodinger's tiger, all you can do is Fierce Tiger Falling Moves!"

Fierce Tiger Falling Moves meant crying for pardon with four limbs on the ground.

"Okamoto's Fan" said: "A male coach? All you can do is turn around and bend over!"

With an awkward smile on his face, Lou Cheng continued to browse through other posts for gossips of the various martial arts legends. He followed his own post closely and replied to comments timely.

Of course, he prioritized his responses. Naturally, he tended to reply first to the members who had a good relationship with "Pig-Riding Knight", the moderator. They formed a small fringe group including "A Plumber Eating Mushroom", "Above the Sky", "Unparalleled Dragon King" and "Wonton Seller".

Due to the living conditions in Lou Cheng's family, he had no PC before high school. Then, when he finally owned one, he had to study hard and play less. After the national exam, Lou Cheng officially embraced the online world, full of interests in forums and QQ, especially when he met someone with similar ideas.

Lou Cheng felt delighted through the discussion, but then he noticed sky was already darkening. He found "Wonton Seller" had posted a new reply: "For I am simple and young, please fool me no more. Little Tiger, you are not even an Amateur Ninth Pin, how can you dominate in martial arts clubs? Little Tiger, stick to where you are, and find yourself a promising job!"

As he smiled and replied, he heard a soft knock on the door, so he turned back. It was Cai Zongming standing by the door, looking embarrassed. "Cheng, please go and enjoy your dinner by yourself. I have to treat the people from my hometown tonight."

Lou Cheng made a mocking gesture with his index fingers pointing down and thumbs stretched out.

Dusk was closing in. The last class would be dismissed in any minute. Now, he was more worried about the endless lines in the cafeteria. He turned off his PC, left the dorm and hastened toward the nearest cafeteria.

The dining hall was not crowded yet. Lou Cheng stepped to the counter, pointed to some dishes on the left and asked, "Rice with potatoes and beef, and lots of gravy, please."

Since the university was subsidized, its cafeteria provided inexpensive but substantial meals. Lou Cheng could spend less than 20 Yuan on food per day. If he had ordered less meat, 10 Yuan would have been enough. Of course, with such an advantage comes another price. For one thing, the taste, quality, and quantity of meals varied every day; besides, he would never know what course would come up. Thus, the Cafeteria Food was called "the Ninth Style of Cooking in China."

In Songcheng University, the braized potatoes and beef were cooked differently. They were soaked in delicious gravy. The potatoes were stewed so soft and tender that they nearly melted into the soup, and someone could finish a big bowl of rice served only with it. However, Lou Cheng's favorite was still the fat beef, juicy and fresh, not quite like the tasteless lean beef.

Perfectly satisfied with his dinner, Lou Cheng decided to head back and play video games or chat with Yan Zheke on QQ. Suddenly, he recalled what "Outspoken" commented.

"I am indeed not strong, and I should work out more. I cannot make a fool out of myself in the Martial Arts Club, especially in front of Yan Zheke…" Lou Cheng mumbled to himself and decided to take a walk by the Weishui Lake. He would try jogging for one or two laps after his dinner had gone down. As the old saying goes, sharpen one's spear just before going into battle.

Songcheng University was located downtown. As the number of students soared, a new campus was built in the suburb, and it was called the "campus with landscape garden". Therefore, the Weishui Lake was included within the campus. It was a small lake with a vast expanse of misty, rolling waters, surrounded by green grasses and singing nightingale, just like a beautiful landscape painting.

Lou Cheng walked around the lake for half a lap, approaching the wasteland that was not yet under construction. It was dark and a cold wind was blowing. Lou Cheng noticed no one was around, except the dense woods. He trembled with fear, imagining all kinds of ghosts and monsters.

He tightened his coat, started to run back to get out of that place. Maybe there was no ghost, but a band of robbers could be waiting for him right there.

He ran for a while and started to pant. He started to feel exhausted and had no choice but to slow down to take deep breaths.

At the moment, Lou Cheng heard a sound in the lake. He looked toward the direction it came, and he saw a black carp writhing by the lake, almost 20 cm in length. Its scales were dry and had a lot of scorch marks, as if it had been burnt by fire.

Snap!

The black carp skipped and hopped high, and then fell to the ground with the other side up. The scales on this side were covered with white frost, as if it had just been taken out of the freezer.

"What the…" Lou Cheng gasped in surprise. How can a carp be served half roasted and half raw, wait, I mean, half burnt and half frozen?

As he got ready to run, the black carp stopped struggling. The side of the carp split open and something inside the carp's belly started to emerge. It looked like a shining moon hiding within the carp's belly, cold and bright, casting light upon the surroundings and turning them into a dreamland.

Lou Cheng decided to take a better look. In the carp's belly, there was a ball that was glistening as if it was encrusted with crystals. As Lou Cheng approached, the ball reflected the whole universe, like a spinning nebula. Every crystalline piece was a planet, encircled by light purple flames, an image of the fusion between fire and ice.

For a moment, Lou Cheng frowned, and then talked to himself, "It seems like a Jindan (the Golden Elixir) in a martial arts novel."

The crystal nebula was still there, tempting Lou Cheng, but he thought to himself and took out the phone to try to find details about Jindan or internal alchemy on the internet.

"Never touch strange stuff!"

"Never touch unidentified objects!"

Lou Cheng was surprised by the search results. A well-known martial arts website mentioned:

"In ancient times, the martial arts world was divided. Some people intended to break the limit of life to live forever, so they hid from everyone else. They lived in seclusion, taking an alternative way of martial arts training. They called themselves immortality trainers. After one or two millennia, through their relatives and clues obtained from caves that they lived in, we found out that they had succeeded in cultivating the internal alchemy and achieved immortality. However, they failed to pass the secret method to the next generation. As for immortality, a human's strength is limited sometimes…"

"A human's strength is limited sometimes…" Lou Cheng muttered to himself like he was somewhat enlightened.

"Maybe the shining ball is the real "internal alchemy", left by the last immortality trainer and mistakenly swallowed by a black carp inside a cave.

"Is this my destiny?

"Or maybe this is dangerous, and I will end up like that black carp?

"There are one or two opportunities that could really change your life path. If you miss it, you will regret for the rest of your life. Is this my opportunity? Or am I doomed?"

Lou Cheng pondered over and over. Finally, after taking a deep breath, he took off his coat and wrapped his right hand with it, and stepped forward slowly, intending to pick up the ball with the greatest care.

As the saying goes, never let go of any opportunity, but always stay cautious as if walking on thin ice!

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Chapter 5: A Flash of Thought

Translator: Transn Editor: Transn

It was getting chilly in late autumn. As the night breeze blew, Lou Cheng, with his jacket off, felt an unexplainable kind of dry heat instead of a shivering cold. It was the kind of feeling one got when they were faced with a college entrance examination that was beyond their abilities.

Getting close to the glittering and translucent "Jindan", he held his breath and bent down carefully. Taking precautions, he carefully wrapped his right hand with his jacket and carefully reached out to touch it. Upon touching it, it gave him the impression of being solid, and the chilly cold and scorching heat seen by his naked eye were merely an illusion instead of reality.

Lou Cheng pressed a little harder, and the Jindan gave in accordingly. It had looked light as a feather, as if it was nothing, but when he touched it, the feeling would be completely different.

Lou Cheng was panic-stricken at the difference. He stared at it with fixed attention and recognized that it was lying calmly in his palm wrapped with the jacket. The center started to spin, creating a swirl of ice crystals and flames, yet it showed no sign of the cruelty and horror that had previously burnt and frozen the black carp.

"It's magic," Lou Cheng welled up this thought in his heart and tried to search for a reason for that change. "Perhaps the cruelty and fierceness that had been in the Jindan had been dissipated and extracted by the black carp…"

With the danger gone for the moment, Lou Cheng started to think about how to handle the problem, as it was hard to confirm whether the thing before his eyes was a Jindan. Even if it was, he had no idea what effect it had. "Shall I just turn it over to the state and suffer no misfortunes, yet also reap no benefits? Or shall I conceal it, look for information, study it slowly, then use it to my advantage to change my ordinary life? It's a big risk to conceal it like that, but it's also a big risk to not achieve anything during your entire life.

"If I do take it with me to hide it, where should I put it? How could I keep it safe?"

With these thoughts going through his mind one after the other, Lou Cheng realized with his remaining lucidity that he should leave this place as soon as possible, no matter what his decision was, for fear that some incident or change might unexpectedly come.

Suddenly, he felt the Jindan in his palm was gently expanding and then shrinking, like a human being inhaling and exhaling. Furthermore, the frequency seemed to be constantly adjusting.

"It's adjusting?"

At a loss, Lou Cheng's mind went blank and he could only sense his breath, but he noticed the expansion and shrinkage of the Jindan were resonating with his breathing, in a harmonious rhythm.

"Resonance?"

As the thought formed in his mind, he saw that the Jindan had become more illusory as it turned to a flow of light that drilled into his palm, seemingly unstoppable even with the obstruction of the thin jacket.

"How could this be real? What is going on!?" Lou Cheng was terrified by what he had just seen. His heart was stricken with fear, and his mind was filled with the pitiful sight of the black carp.

He took a few steps back, unable to think carefully, then turned around and ran toward the school hospital located further ahead on the road, at the lakeside. Of course, he didn't stop to consider if the doctors would have the ability to treat the damage caused by the Jindan.

After running for a while, Lou Cheng slowly calmed down and realized that fear and panic made no difference to the matter, but only burned up his physical energy when the situation went out of hand.

After cooling down, he frowned after suddenly feeling that something was wrong. There was an uncomfortable feeling in his lower stomach. With each breath, a warm current welled up and rushed toward his feet and lungs, easing the aches and pains from the running. His previous panting became slow and steady. He felt he could run for another three thousand meters without a break, and there were no signs of the previous concerns about the scorching hot and chilling cold.

"This…" breathing in lightly, Lou Cheng slackened his speed, tried to calm down and looked down at his stomach.

As he bent down, he felt a buzz in his head and vaguely saw a fantastical scene: In the spot directly under his own navel, called the Dantian by those in the martial arts world, was the Jindan. Nestled there, it seemed as if it contained a boundless nebula, and it expanded and contracted with his breathing. Ice crystals and blazing flames swirled together brightly with each breath.

This vision seemingly disappeared in an instant, and Lou Cheng was left with only the sight of his own dark blue T-shirt. He lifted the bottom carefully, only to find his usual soft and full belly, as if he had just finished a big meal.

After gradually slowing down his footsteps, he finally stopped. With the rhythm of his breathing coming back to normal, the hot current in his lower stomach disappeared.

"Does the Jindan supplement my strength when I am tired?" Lou Cheng frowned and thought about the change, "This may be a blessing. It doesn't seem like it has any ill will, but after all, human beings and black carp are not the same…"

After waiting for a while, Lou Cheng gradually relaxed and his expression went back to normal. There was no sign of the previous raging fire and viscera-freezing cold.

"Let's try that again…" He decided and turned around to run along the previous path.

It was simply a fact that running made one tired, just like the fact that every man would eventually die. After a while, Lou Cheng started to feel exhausted, and this was the very moment the warm feeling in his lower stomach's Dantian appeared again and created a hot current to relieve his body.

"It is cool! I can even participate in the distance race of the school if I continue practicing this way…" Lou Cheng gradually felt more joy than worry and stopped in front of the dead black carp.

After thinking for a while, he bent over to pick up the black carp, stuffed it with stones from the shore, and threw it back into the Weishui Lake.

After all of this, he turned again and walked along the lakeside path back to the boy's dormitory.

Along the way, on the one hand, Lou Cheng was quite pleased with the fact he'd found his own genuine treasure. He hoped that he might become one of the well-regarded backbones of the martial arts club one day and gain the favor of Yan Zheke as well as the admiration of fans. On the other hand, he became worried about the risk of the Jindan and was afraid to follow the fate of the black carp and die at a young age. As a result, his steps were brisk one moment and heavy another.

"I'll just check it out first. If there's any problem, I'll immediately hand it over to the state." Standing at the door of room 302 of the dormitory, Lou Cheng took a deep breath, made up his mind, fished out the key and opened the door.

…

From a secluded trail at the side of Weishui Lake, a figure wearing an old T-shirt walked from afar and stopped near the place where the black carp had previously been. He looked about seventy or eighty years old, with his hair all white, yet there were very few wrinkles on his face.

"There seems to be a strange fluctuation here?" The old man looked around.

After a moment, he shook his head, and took out a silver-white flask with a practiced hand. He took a deep gulp of wine, then walked away while humming a babbling song.

…

Back in the dormitory, Lou Cheng was worried whether Cai Zongming had come back or not. Lou Cheng let himself into the bedroom, turned on the light, and the darkness within the room was immediately dispelled. He shut the door behind him and sat in front of the computer blankly, neither moving the mouse nor looking at the screen.

He once again wondered how to reassure himself, searching for all manner of explanations. In all his short and inexperienced life he'd never encountered something of this magnitude. He was unable to completely keep a cool head in the face of such a potential danger.

You only live once, but the world is so beautiful.

No matter how many benefits and prospects one had, it was hard to let go of the concerns deep in their mind.

Depression was overtaking him, heavy as a mountain. Lou Cheng gritted his teeth, instinctively picked up his phone, and dialed a familiar number.

"Hello, son?" A slightly husky female voice came from the other end.

"Mom, it's me." Hearing this familiar voice, Lou Cheng got a little choked up, and the fear inside his heart dampened.

Whenever he was having a tough time, Lou Cheng would think of his family and recall how much pain and hardships they went through.

"Son, has something bad happened? Why does your voice sound strange?" Lou Cheng's mother asked sensitively.

Tears welled up in his eyes, but Lou Cheng forced a smile and said, "No, of course not, just a little homesick."

"Homesick? Didn't I ask you before if you wanted to come back before the holiday? Who said that a man has to be on their own?" Lou Cheng's mother laughed and said in a motherly tone, "Tell me the truth, do you need any money?"

Lou Cheng's mood sank even lower as he slowly explained. "It's true, I miss you and Dad, and the braized pork with eggplant, the quick-fried eel and tomato and egg soup that you cooked, and I even miss the garlic that I planted on the balcony…"

If he was to die just like that black carp, how pitiful it would be.

Lou Cheng's mother was silent for a moment. With her voice trembling slightly, she said, "So do your father and I. Bah, why do you have to be such a naughty boy and make your mother cry?"

Lou Cheng could not help but laugh, and he calmed down gradually. "Who would dare do such a thing? Oh, right! Where is Dad?"

Back during third grade, the company in which Lou Cheng's father worked had been in trouble. Even though his father was an incredibly valuable asset to the company, he could only get a base salary. The family mainly relied on his mother selling goods on the market stall and managed to get through with blood sweat and tears. When Lou Cheng went to middle school, his father finally decided to go out and get another part-time job. Nevertheless, he could never get along with his bosses due to his pride and could never stay in a single location for a long period. As a result, he was always hopping from one job to the next. Lou Cheng's mother supported the whole family and her hard work always left a strong impression on Lou Cheng.

The family situation did not take the turn for the better until Lou Cheng went to high school, when his father settled down and returned home to take a position as technical director in a local enterprise. However, his mother couldn't stay idle, and wormed herself into the community to work as a temporary worker and got along with a group of older women.

"Don't you know your dad? Hasn't he been playing chess for an hour every day after having his meal?" Lou Cheng's mother answered grumpily. It was clear that she cared more about the latest news of Lou Cheng. She took the opportunity to inquire about Lou Cheng's studies and how he was living.

"Is the course schedule tight?

"Do the teachers give good lessons?

"Are the courses difficult?

"Is it easy to get along with your roommates?

"Is there anything you're not used to?

"Is anybody bullying you?"

In the past, Lou Cheng had always been impatient about these questions and would reply frivolously. Today, however, he was in a good mood and, fondly recalling memories of his past, he calmly and thoroughly answered each and every question. Lou Cheng's mother went on to gossip about family trifles, from Grandpa's household to Aunt's household, then to an unreliable relative of Lou Cheng's father and the discord of various households in the community. Lou Cheng listened quietly with a smile on his mouth, tossing in a quick word every once in a while.

At the end of their conversation, Lou Cheng's mother showed her generosity and decided that this month she would give him 800 more yuan, to facilitate his adaptation to college life.

"Who would have thought that calling home would have helped out so much with that extra bonus…" Lou Cheng didn't know whether to laugh or cry. The previous pressure and unease had all disappeared. "Up until now, it seems the Jindan poses no real danger. As long as I'm careful and report anything bad that comes up to the state, it should be fine…"

With joy overwhelming his worries, Lou Cheng touched his belly and couldn't help but let his imagination run wild for a moment.

"With the Jindan, at the very least I can have at least enough strength to practice martial arts and achieve an Amateur Fifth Pin or Amateur Sixth Pin earlier, to impress Yan Zheke. Maybe I can even reach Professional Ninth Pin before graduating, and I will have more choices when it comes to getting a job.

"Of course, if the Jindan is more magical than I can imagine, then… could I possibly enter into the martial arts world as I dreamed as a child, and even compete with the Mighty Ones and obtain one of the five greatest titles revered across the whole country?

"Oh, if little Ming sees me touching my belly like this, he'll ask me if I am pregnant."

Tossing and turning these thoughts in his mind, Lou Cheng seemed to have more confidence to deal with life. At this moment, the door handle turned and several loud voices entered the room.

Lou Cheng could tell that the three "brainiacs" had come back from studying.

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Chapter 6: You Can't Judge a Book by Its Cover

Translator: Transn Editor: Transn

The one who came in first was Qiu Zhigao, Old Qiu. At 1.75 meters, he was about the same height as Lou Cheng, but was sturdy with hard muscles, and was enthusiastic about showing off his body and strength in the dorm. He was also as a member of the Martial Arts Club. He had never received any standard martial arts training, and thus he simply relied on his excellent physical condition to reach Amateur Sixth Pin, being just a little below Cai Zongming.

He was not a rude or uncivilized person, being straightforward and amiable instead. He had no serious flaws, except for his craving for dirty movies. What's more, he was sensible enough to realize that it was impossible for him to have a bright future only through martial arts as he was still in the rank of Amateur Sixth Pin after his entrance to the university. Therefore, he devoted himself to study and was even absent from the Welcome Party of the Martial Arts Club.

"Cheng, what did they say at the orientation? What time are the weekly drills? When can we use the strength training gymnasium?" At the sight of Lou Cheng, Qiu Zhigao rattled off questions one after the other, asking about what issues had been covered at the afternoon's orientation.

Taken back, Lou Cheng answered, "I left a little early and didn't hear it. We can ask someone else later."

Since he'd run into that major event earlier, Lou Cheng had forgotten his previous plan and didn't chat with Yan Zheke!

"It would be better for you to stay put." This was said by the second person to come in, Zhao Qiang, who was the dorm leader, a "leading example" and a studying maniac who had a medium height and muscular stature, bushy eyebrows and large eyes. His hard work and self-discipline toward his studies had left a deep impression on Lou Cheng.

"Indeed. Who knew that the orientation for the Martial Arts Club would be so boring." Lou Cheng didn't dare mention the greatest reward he received for attending the orientation: Yan Zheke's QQ number. He changed the subject intentionally, "Qiang, what were you guys talking about a second ago?"

Zhao Qiang answered thoughtfully, "Old Qiu and Model Worker found a phone number on the desk of the self-study room saying that the girl's dorm was looking for a social meetup. I told them to ignore it and focus on studying."

Model Worker was the last member of the dorm, Zhang Jingye, who came from the northwest and had a calm disposition. Despite his good looks when he'd been younger, there were bumps and hollows on his face due to constant exposure to fierce winds and sandstorms, and he thus turned out less handsome than before.

Following behind Zhao Qiang, Zhang Jingye said with a smile, "Was it because our dorm doesn't have any suitable social meetup partners?"

"Sigh, youth is the time of raging hormones. The honest ones, like Model Worker and Old Qiu, can't always control themselves," said Zhao Qiang, while shaking his head and sighing. Then, he dropped his school bag and started sorting out the books.

With a serenity beyond his years, Lou Cheng digested all of the emotions brought on by the Jindan and said, "A girls dormitory phone number carved inside the study room? Could this be a prank, or some kind of revenge? How can it be possible that the girls dorm would ask for a social meetup like this? Aren't you all afraid of getting chewed out?"

There was a landline in every dorm room of Songcheng University, but they had slowly started to die out with the popularization of cell phones.

"I discussed it with Model Worker. That phone number is the same length as the one we have in our dorm. It definitely belongs to the girls' dormitory over there. Couldn't we just change the last few digits to call another girl's dorm? No need to worry about pranks or revenge or any of that stuff," Qiu Zhigao said excitedly.

Zhang Jingye nodded his head and said, "Furthermore, girls will probably prefer this kind of random call asking for a social meetup. It's got a feeling of being brought together by destiny, despite this great distance that separates us, you know?

Lou Cheng thought carefully for a moment, then said, "Not bad, you've thought this through. How about you give it a shot?"

These two had brains!

Zhang Jingye and Qiu Zhigao stared at each other for a while. They were itching to have a try and were both excited and agitated at the thought of making a phone call and meeting new girls.

It was all so impulsive and impossible to know what the result would be. How exciting!

"Old Qiu, you do it," Zhang Jingye pouted his lips and said.

Old Qiu took a step forward, then paused in sudden fear, "Model Worker, it's better if you do it."

"Um, um…" Zhang Jingye was also afraid.

At this moment, as an onlooker, Zhao Qiang said while shaking his head, "You guys…"

Lou Cheng and the others thought he would say that learning was more important and that such youthful temptations were unacceptable, but he dropped his school bag and looked around, then walked toward Lou Cheng's desk and picked up the landline next to the door, saying to himself, "As our dorm number is 302, let's take the chance to fetch numbers from it as our lucky numbers and just take 32 to be the tail numbers."

Lou Cheng, Qiu Zhigao and Zhang Jingye could only stand there in astonishment as Zhao Qiang shot a sharp glance at them, as if to say, "Bunch of amateurs!"

After getting through, Zhao Qiang was all smiles, and his manner became slightly obsequious.

"Hello, this is from the boys dorm. We just casually dialed a phone number of the girl's dorm, and were wondering if there was any chance a social meetup could be arranged. Are you girls interested?"

"Ummm, our dorms are the Computer Software College."

"We're in Dorm 302, Unit 2 of the 7th Building, and we happened to dial 32 for the last numbers."

"Aren't you girls from the Department of Chinese Language and Literature?"

"Um, um, ok ok, you can ask…"

"Um, um, um."

"Okay, okay…"

Girls' laughter passed from the other side of the phone into Lou Cheng and the others' ears. Several minutes had passed before Zhao Qiang reluctantly dropped the phone and turned his head with a smile.

"It's settled! They've agreed. The girls from the Department of Chinese Language and Literature are going to meet us this Friday and have dinner together. If we get along with each other, we can all go out for a social meetup next time.

"What do you think, not bad eh?"

After he finished, Zhao Qiang noticed that everyone's eyes were fixed on him, but not saying a word. He touched his face and said in wonder, "Is there something on my face?"

Lou Cheng's impression on Zhao Qiang had been completely overturned. Now he had to give him a hard time. He recalled his favorite comedy sketch and pretended to sigh with disapproval while shaking his head.

"I'd have never thought that you, Qiang, could have been a dashing wolf under naive sheeps clothing this entire time!"

Hearing this, everyone including Zhao Qiang himself broke out into laughter. Shaking his index finger, Zhao Qiang said in a singsong voice, "Even a wolf needs love! Even a wolf needs love! Even a wolf needs love!"

Everyone roared in hoots of laughter, but then they quickly switched their subject to the meeting on Friday. Even though it was still Monday, this didn't stop Zhao Qiang, Zhang Jingye and Qiu Zhigao's imaginations from starting and coming up with all kinds of hypothetical scenarios.

Lou Cheng listened for a moment, but then Yan Zheke's image suddenly crossed his mind. His mood returned from its playfulness back to a serene calmness.

Having a crush on a girl, yet still trying to get to know other girls and going out for social meetups… was that the right thing to do?

"I don't care what other people think. I just don't want to take it for granted…" After thinking for a while, he said, "Qiang, I've got something going on Friday. I've got to go downtown, so I can't joint the social meetup this time."

"What thing?" Zhao Qiang asked in surprise.

"Some things are going on in my family." Lou Cheng lied, although he frankly wasn't sure if anyone would buy it.

Zhao Qiang didn't hesitate but nodded his head and said, "Fine. How about you help me to ask whether Casanova is available. After all, we have to scrape four people together, otherwise, it's not terribly polite."

Um, Lou Cheng was taken aback by Zhao Qiang's frankness. It was as if he'd wanted it to be this way all along… Lou Cheng asked hesitantly, "Why do you want to ask Casanova?"

Casting a glance at Zhang Jingye and Qiu Zhigao, Zhao Qiang said with a smile,

"You know that we are all too naive and clumsy when it comes to talking. In a social meetup, you need to have someone who's good at finding subjects to talk about. I was thinking about asking Casanova earlier, but it seemed like five people going together was a bit disrespectful. Now it just so happens you don't want to go, so…"

"Naive and clumsy… when it comes to talking…" Lou Cheng recalled the way Zhao Qiang was chatting up with the girls and stared at him in the face.

"What's wrong?" Zhao Qiang puzzledly asked.

Lou Cheng said seriously, "Qiang, you've become a wolf again!"

Then he stood up and went out to the next dorm to see whether Cai Zongming had returned. The door was left unlocked, and there was only one person in Cai Zongming's dorm, Tang Wen, who was the youngest one in the dorm and had skipped a grade in high school. However, after his senior year of high school, he'd become addicted to the internet and always stayed in his room to play games, skipping classes with teachers who were not stern or who did not give roll call frequently.

"Tang Wen, hasn't Casanova come back yet?" Lou Cheng asked.

Without even turning his head, Tang Wen replied, "No, no one has come back."

Among the two other guys in Cai Zongming's dorm, the first one was Mou Yuanxing. Mou was admitted into Songcheng University together with his girlfriend from high school and thus aroused the envy of all the single guys. What's more, he was always absent until the lights were out in the dorm. The other guy was Qin Mo, who came from a wealthy local family and always sneaked out of the campus to fool around with a different social circle, though he was nice and got along with everyone.

Lou Cheng sighed, took out his cell phone, and walked out to the courtyard of the 7th building. Squatting near the flower bed, Lou Cheng dialed Cai Zongming's number and lit a cigarette.

Some things weren't convenient to talk about in the dorm, so he didn't use the landline.

"Casanova, I have something to tell you." Lou Cheng got right to the point once the phone was connected.

There was noise coming from the other end, but soon after Cai Zongming seemed to have changed to a secluded place outside. He chuckled, "What's that? Why are you in such a hurry? We're still eating hotpot."

"Qiang and the other guys made a random call and found a dorm from the Department of Chinese Language and Literature for a social meetup. They want you to come as you are the Casanova and have your gift of the gab, which is perfect for that situation," Lou Cheng said with a laugh.

"Are you complimenting me? Or insulting me?" Cai Zongming grumbled, "That sounds interesting. I'll have a look, but isn't five people going together a bit disrespectful to the girls?"

Lou Cheng paused and said, "I'm not going."

"Oh, why aren't you going?" Cai Zongming asked in surprise.

Lou Cheng did not keep Cai Zongming in the dark, "It doesn't seem like a good idea for me to go out for a social meetup with other girls when I have feelings for another girl."

"What?" Cai Zongming faltered for a moment and said, "Cheng, a social meetup isn't a date. Everyone's just going out to get to know each other, eat and drink, just broaden their social circle. No one's going to put a gun to your head and force you to date someone. Even me, maintaining my chastity, don't care that much. Moreover, you and Yan Zheke barely even know each other and you've got a long way to go before you can even think about becoming her boyfriend, so what's with all this fussing about?"

"Forget it, I just feel a little guilty. I'm not going." Lou Cheng made his decision.

Cai Zongming asked, "Cheng, are you a living antique or what? I think you could set up your own Chastity Memorial Archway!"

"Whatever you say." Lou Cheng hung up the phone and didn't get up, continuing to squat. He kept smoking his cigarette, the spark of which flickered now and then, lending a great tranquility to the darkness.

With a smile on the corner of his mouth, Lou Cheng empathized with his roommates' horndog behavior, and felt he had also been affected by them. The whole thing was quite interesting; he would like to join them, were it not for his feelings for Yan Zheke.

This was the real college life, hustling and bustling about, yet with enough beauty to make a youthful heart soar skywards. On the other hand, the Jindan was from another world, imaginary and not real, yet brimming with hope.

"After today, how is my own life going to change? Will I impress Yan Zheke with martial arts?"

Lou Cheng sat on the edge of the flower bed and put out the cigarette. He took out his cell phone, logged into QQ and clicked on Yan Zheke's profile.

The courtyard was full of students returning to their dorms in a continuous stream, while the corner was quiet and peaceful as if they were two disparate worlds.

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Blip, blip, blip.

The sounds of QQ messages arrived in an unending stream of sound. Lou Cheng felt a little overwhelmed as he saw the automatic news updates, local weather forecasts, replies from childhood friends and online friends as well as hundreds or even thousands of messages from various QQ groups.

However, he ignored them all because he discovered Yan Zheke's had already accepted his friend request.

After clicking the dialogue box, he suddenly felt indecisive about how he should call her.

"It would be impolite to call her directly by her name Yan Zheke, but it's also too frivolous to call her "Zheke", "Xiaoke", or "Keke". That'd just be embarrassing and make her uncomfortable. But then calling her "classmate" or "classmate Yan Zheke" is really weird and feels too distant.

Should I call her "old classmate"? No, a freshman may not like the sophisticated tone!"

After going through his options and hesitating for a moment, Lou Cheng finally decided not to use any form of address, and instead use an emoji.

After sending a grinning emoji, he typed with lightning speed.

"Sorry to bother you, but I had to leave orientation early today. Did they cover anything important afterward?"

After sending the message, Lou Cheng's heartbeat unconsciously accelerated, half out of eagerness and half out of anxiety. It seemed time had become endless when suddenly, with a "tick" sound, Yan Zheke's profile picture went from dark to bright and from "invisible" to "on-line". Until then, Lou Cheng hadn't noticed that her portrait was a cartoon cat with light gray hair and large eyes.

"Fortunately, you have an enthusiastic and kind-hearted classmate like me." Yan Zheke sent an emoji of an adorable little monster. "The timetable for the martial arts class was introduced after that. Every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from nine o'clock to noon. The content they will cover is the same in all three classes, so it's fine if you only attend one of them, but if your schedule is free, it'd be best to attend them all. After all, practice makes perfect _"

The Martial Arts Club was open to all of the students in the university, from freshmen to seniors, from the Medical College to the Mechanical College. Everyone's course schedules were not alike, so they would repeat a class three times a week. Among these there would be one class offered on weekends, to show as much consideration as possible for all of the members.

Seeing the reply from Yan Zheke, Lou Cheng curved his lip and revealed a smile. His previous worries gave way to joy and excitement.

Swiftly pressing on the screen keyboard, he intended to ask Yan Zheke which class she would take. However, after some consideration, he changed his mind. He was afraid that he might embarrass Yan Zheke by being too straightforward when they were not yet overly familiar.

Because of his feelings for Yan Zheke, he weighed and turned over every sentence and every emoji repeatedly in his mind.

After some consideration, Lou Cheng spun in a circle and said nonchalantly, "I have calculus and linear algebra on Thursday morning, so I can only go on Tuesday or Saturday."

Yan Zheke sent a laughing emoji, "I can go all three times."

"What a coincidence! You don't even have class on Tuesday or Thursday morning?" Lou Cheng clenched his left fist, admiring his resourcefulness. Through bringing up his situation, he could have her bring up the topic of her schedule, thereby getting the information that he wanted!

Yan Zheke sent an embarrassed emoji with a red face scratching its head. "An upperclassman from the Martial Arts Club told me in advance, so I deliberately left Tuesday and Thursday morning open during course selection."

Songcheng University implemented a very free style of course selection. Each course had different options for teachers and class schedules. Students could choose their favorite teachers or the most appropriate time periods according to their respective timetables and the overall score of the teachers. Of course, there was a limit to each class size, so the most popular teachers and best class times often were snatched up quickly. Students had to be on the ball to get into these classes.

In addition, students could choose courses that weren't relevant to their majors or above their grades and take them as optional courses. Whether or not you took an exam was up to you.

The local nouveau riche Qin Mo from Lou Cheng's dorm had put all of his courses during Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, so he claimed that he would study for three days and then rest for four days!

Lou Cheng was about to reply when Yan Zheke sent another message, "By the way, there is going to be a new teacher this semester. Apparently, the principal isn't happy with the achievements over the last few years. He wants to take advantage of Lin Que's enrollment to revitalize Songcheng University Martial Arts Club's reputation. In the past, we had once entered the national finals!"

"So amazing! I have never heard of that," Lou Cheng said in surprise, slightly unconvinced.

"That happened many years ago; I'd be surprised if you knew!" Yan Zheke then sent a "Doge" emoji.

Lou Cheng immediately asked, "In that case, how do you know about it?"

"That's a secret!" Yan Zheke sent an emoji of a self-satisfied face with its hands on the hip. Lou Cheng could almost imagine her own charming expression, and smiled from ear to ear.

"Ugh, I can't stand secrets, I'm dying to know! Do you want me to stay awake all night?" Sending a pathetic emoji, Lou Cheng was amazed at his own ability to so quickly seize the moment. He thought, "Perhaps this is a male instinct?"

"If you can't sleep, read a book!" Yan Zheke sent a snickering emoji.

"I was studying hard earlier, and I'm wasting away with every passing day…" After thinking for a moment, Lou Cheng stopped chasing the topic and changed the subject, "This new coach, what kind of person is he?"

"He hasn't come yet," Yan Zheke answered. "Apparently, he is quite an experienced fighter and the principal used his connections to bring him here. In a word, he's not an ordinary person and if we follow his teachings we're bound to reap some rewards. Even someone who doesn't know the basics like you might be able to obtain an Amateur Top Three Rank certification before graduation."

Amateur Top Three Rank… Lou Cheng suddenly thought of the Jindan inside his body, then focused his attention on Yan Zheke, "What about you? What are your expectations for yourself? "

"Me? Hmm, it's not like I expect to obtain a professional rank or anything. If I can just practice more special moves, and use them for self-defense, that's okay." Seeing the message sent by Yan Zheke, Lou Cheng vaguely feel her loneliness hidden beneath the surface.

He thought, "Could this just be a misconception on her part?"

"Why? Where there's a will, there's a way!" Lou Cheng said unconvincingly.

"It's a secret," Yan Zheke replied shortly.

There must be some reasons, but it was clear that Yan Zheke didn't want to discuss it. Lou Cheng's brain twisted and turned, analyzing every little detail. His only realization was that he had never been that dedicated, even during the senior year of high school.

He made a mental note and changed the subject. "Okay okay. By the way, I have heard that the Martial Arts Gym in Xiushan No. 1 Middle School is going to be finished soon! We must have missed it since they started construction after we enrolled and it wasn't completed until our graduation!"

"Really? I haven't paid attention. Heh, even if it had been completed when we were still in high school, we probably wouldn't have used it that much. It's so easy to get injured during a Martial Arts Competition, and there weren't any high-level judges or supervisors. The No. 2 Hospital surely would have been packed. How could it possible to keep studying? I can only imagine the expression of Director Li from the Educational Administration," Yan Zheke replied.

After Lou Cheng had referred to their common Alma mater, Yan Zheke became more active in the conversation.

"Director Li, from the Educational Administration? He was our math teacher, and really interesting. That's right, wasn't he your math teacher too?" Lou Cheng seized the opportunity to develop the conversation further.

Yan Zheke sent a nodding emoji. "Yes, old Li was a funny guy. He would chat with all of us for at least 10 minutes before class started every day, and every time he praised us it was super embarrassing. One time, I wanted to head back home to watch the ultimate match-up between the Dragon King and the Warrior Sage so I planned on taking advantage of the math class to finish up my homework from earlier. I thought I could keep it hidden and that old Li surely wouldn't notice. However, when class was over, there were some classmates besides me talking, and they were scolded by old Li. He said, 'All of you, if you can get full marks in math like Yan Zheke, I won't say a word as long as you don't bother other classmates. You can do whatever you like; you can give birth for all I care. See, Yan Zheke has been doing her Chinese homework, and have I said anything at all?' At that moment I was so embarrassed. I felt like my image as a good student had been destroyed."

"Yeah, yeah, old Li was that funny. There was one time he was so confident with himself as he tried to explain a question to us, but half of the class had gone by and he still hadn't explained properly so he started to break out in a cold sweat. After looking carefully for a while, he mumbled that he had copied down the wrong question…" Lou Cheng sent a laughing emoji and asked, "Umm, the match-ups between the Dragon King and the Warrior Sage, you said? Which side do you support?"

"Warrior Sage" was one of the five supreme national title holders. In recent years, Qian Donglou of the Shangqing Sect had controlled the market, so when one referred to Warrior Sage, it was him they were referring to. He also was one of the Legendary Twins of the domestic martial arts realm, and together with Chen Qitao had obtained the majority of titles in recent years.

As well as Chen Qitao's "Dragon King", there was another title – "The King." After defeating a national martial arts master and obtaining this title, one was not directly referred to as The King, as this was too commonplace. Instead, each of them received their own unique nickname, which consisted of their martial arts specialty along with the title of "King", such as the Dragon King, the King of Swords, Lion King, the King of Spear, etc.

"The Dragon King of course!" Yan Zheke answered without hesitation.

"Me too!" Lou Cheng replied with delight, "It's too bad, Longhu Club isn't quite as good as Shangqing Sect in connotation. They're a bit inferior on the whole."

"That's true, but I just fancy the Dragon King!" Yan Zheke sent an emoji shooting out red hearts from its eyes.

The two traded stories back and forth and chatted in a rush of excitement. From tall tales about the Dragon King to all manner of gossip about who had gone out with who during high school, to the one year there was an attempted rape case, and how the boys would escort the girls who didn't live on the school campus back home…

Thinking of his fellow townsman and classmate Yan Zheke and how they shared common interests, Lou Cheng had a smile on his face that wouldn't fade. He could only feel gratitude for how perfect tonight had been.

Bam!

Suddenly he felt someone slap his shoulder and he turned around startled. He saw Cai Zongming inserting both his hands in the pants pocket. A beaming smile on his face, Cai said, "Well done, Cheng, you've learned without a teacher!"

"Learned what? What are you talking about?" Lou Cheng made a faint reply subconsciously.

Cai Zongming tsked, "Go look at yourself in the mirror, your lovey-dovey feelings are written all over your face. Are you talking to your Goddess?"

"Umm." With his face red, Lou Cheng had to admit it.

Cai Zongming took out his cellphone to look at the time, "Alright, Cheng, talking up until this point is fine, you need to stop before it gets too boring. This way you can leave the best impression on a girl and can make her look more forward to talking to you."

"You are truly a professional…" grumbling the words, Lou Cheng picked up his cellphone, and knowing it was the rational thing to do, he reluctantly sent out a smiling emoji, "I've still got some homework to finish for the martial arts lesson tomorrow morning, talk to you later!"

Yan Zheke replied with a smiling emoji, "See you at the martial arts lesson tomorrow."

After closing out the conversation, Lou Cheng skimmed through other messages, replied to some important ones, then exited QQ. He held his cellphone and looked at Cai Zongming, "Casanova, are you gonna go to the martial arts lesson tomorrow morning?"

Lou Cheng suddenly became slightly melancholy at the abrupt stop of the cheerful conversation with Yan Zheke.

"Of course, I'm going! I'll let them see my hidden expertise in martial arts!" Cai Zongming and Lou Cheng's class schedules were identical, so there was nothing to hesitate about.

"Pssh, you better watch out or you're gonna get knocked out," Lou Cheng teased. The two of them were chuckling as they got back to the dorm.

After washing up, everyone lay on top of their own bed. Zhao Qiang, Qiu Zhigao and Zhang Jingye were still talking about the social meetup on Friday, imaging the looks and characters of the four girls. Meanwhile, Lou Cheng took out his cellphone and silently pored over every word of his conversation with Yan Zheke. He was overjoyed in his heart, yet calm in his mind, responding to the three horndog youths now and then with intermittent grunts and nods.

After the lights were out, the night gradually became darker, and the dorm became quiet. Lou Cheng fell into a slumber and had a bizarre dream, soaked both in excitement and horror.

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Chapter 8: Martial Arts Lesson

Translator: Transn Editor: Transn

In his dream, Lou Cheng's martial skills were progressing by leaps and bounds. In merely a few years he earned favor widely across the professional martial arts world. A budding martial artist, he managed to defeat Qian Donglou and scored the title Martial Lord, rising to the top of Chinese martial arts alongside Chen Qitao, the Dragon King. Adored by numerous fans, backed by a variety of supportive groups, and chased by many gorgeous girls, Lou upheld his principles and followed his soul despite all temptations. He eventually walked down the aisle with Yan Zheke, soaked in blessings from their schoolmates Cai Zongming, Zhao Qiang, Qiu Zhigao and Zhang Jingye, and expectation from his worn and weary parents.

At that very moment, Lou Cheng noticed his skin was turning scorched black with veins flaming fiercely underneath. There was a layer of frost on his back where chillness was flooding out as if inside an iceberg near the South Pole, just like that dead black fish.

With great fear he turned around, feeling Yan Zheke's eyes on him, strange and horrified.

"Ahh!"

Lou Cheng suddenly opened his eyes and found himself curled up on his side in bed. A gentle beam of light shone through the window, barely illuminating the dark dorm room. Within his sight, the bed, the desk, the chair and the mosquito net all seemed familiar yet strange and he was carried away with a short spell of pleasure in the dream.

After a moment of blankness, he took a few deep breaths and finally figured out where he was and what he was doing.

"A nightmare…" Lou Cheng looked out the window as the day was dawning and fell into a trance. The dream seemed blurry already, yet the delusion, the desire, and the fear it bore remained clear.

He picked up his mobile and lit up the screen – not yet seven. He wanted to fall back asleep but found it impossible. He heaved and tossed about till 7 o'clock, then got out of bed. Out of the small bedroom, he stepped into the lavatory.

After a hectic time, he took a sit in the living room. Browsing content posted in the forum late last night by active experienced users, he flashed smiles and gradually calmed down. His expectations in martial progress from consuming the Jindan started to emerge, along with the ones for today's martial arts lesson and Yan Zheke's warm words, "See you tomorrow."

Holding a flurry of excitement, Lou Cheng returned to his small dorm room. He turned a blind eye to Zhao Qiang who was getting up with sleepy eyes to read English and dug out a new martial arts suit from his wardrobe.

This original Longhu Club suit was a gift Lou Cheng got upon his senior high graduation. The navy blue suit of traditional and modern design appeared elegant yet straightforward, similar to a leotard but loose enough to not repress forces from muscles. It would make the wearer look mettled as long as he was not too dispirited.

Lou Cheng walked back to the lavatory in the martial arts suit after fixing his cuffs and trouser legs. He gazed at himself in the mirror where a green dragon and a white tiger twined up into an emblem adorned with cloud and wind patterns on his left chest, manifesting the great power of the club.

Styling his hair with water, Lou Cheng grinned at himself, "Not bad!"

"What a narcissist," satirized Cai Zongming with a yawn as he walked in.

Lou Cheng clicked his tongue, "The one that uses men's skincare products every day is the real narcissist!"

"Come on! I gotta take care of my face," replied Cai Zongming as he stepped to the squatting toilet. Apparently, he woke up to urinate after the booze-up last night, unlike Lou Cheng and Zhao Qiang who get up early.

Zhao Qiang rolled his eyes at the two upon hearing their conversation while washing up. He watched Cai Zongming walk into the squatting toilet and commented as the door closed behind him, "You two would do great in cross-talk. Never too early for you!"

"Ha-hah," laughed Lou Cheng, "Little Ming will hurl down our roof if I don't teach him some lessons now and then!"

He stepped out and changed into a black pair of exercise shoes, waiting for Cai Zongming to go for breakfast.

While waiting, he logged in his QQ account, longing to chat with Yan Zheke but afraid of scaring her away with being too enthusiastic. He quickly checked messages from several freshmen groups and his class before browsing through moments updated by his friends. To his surprise, Yan Zheke just posted ten minutes ago:

"Sleepy but very happy! Today I will enjoy breakfast for all those who get up late. You're welcome!"

"How adorable!" Lou Cheng talked to himself and gently tapped his face. How could he forget to read Yan Zheke's old posts yesterday?

It would help to satisfy his desire formed by accumulated curiosity about her and a good way to understand her better!

As Lou Cheng was browsing through Yan Zheke's old moments, Cai Zongming was ready to go and approached with a yawn, "Cheng, look at your kinky smirk. You must be up to something bad. What are you reading?"

"Nothing." Lou Cheng signed out with a smile and put his mobile away.

Cai Zongming took a glance at Lou Cheng and wagged his head, "This is what we call amorous!"

The pair continued to mess with each other while walking out of the dorm room to the nearest canteen for some soy milk, tea eggs, and steamed buns before they made their way leisurely to the Martial Arts Club.

…

The teaching buildings and living quarters of Songcheng University were separated from each other. The three-story fine block set right by the lake was the office building for the university management. The room deep to the left on the third floor with the sign "Dean's" on the door was filled like in a sauna. A black-haired senior in his 50s was starting the day with a tea ceremony. Opposite to him sat an undisciplined man in his 70s or even 80s. Wearing an old white t-shirt, the old man had entirely white hair, yet not many wrinkles.

His eyes were half closed and his nose gently fluttered as if tasting the drifting fragrance of the tea,

"Ah… Ah-choo!"

A loud sneeze shook the whole office. The black-haired man's hand trembled and almost dropped his purple clay teapot over his suit.

"Can't you remain silent for five minutes?" asked the suited senior in an annoyed tone.

The old man with white hair rubbed his nose, "I would be quiet like your old dog if you were pouring a shot of strong liquor."

"Well, you can pick a bottle from my wine cellar if you manage to take the Martial Arts Club to the national tournament. Pick three if you make it to the top eight. Have a sleepover if you get the championship," the suited senior waved his hand as if giving a speech, "As Principal of the University and a martial arts enthusiast, I see this as my last chance to see the Songcheng University Martial Arts Club rise again!"

Grunt… The old man in a white t-shirt swallowed and let out a brief sputter of laughter, "Deal! Considering our brotherhood, I'll do my best without you asking. Wait for my good news!"

Watching the old man walk out of the office, Principal waited for another five minutes to make a phone call, "Hey, Yuejian. Your dad didn't draw himself back."

"Don't worry. I'll make sure to keep him busy. He won't be idle at home any longer."

"No need. I have known your father since childhood time!"

…

In the grove by the lake, the old man gazed at the waves with his ears moving gently. He took a sip from a metal wine flask and sighed with a faint smile.

…

Inside the Martial Arts Club gym, the first martial arts lesson had a very high attendance. Even Lou Cheng's roommate Qiu Zhigao showed up.

Lou Cheng looked about in search of Yan Zheke, ignoring Cai Zongming standing right next to him. Cai quietly complained about Lou's hiberdating. Finally, Lou Chang spotted Yan Zheke's beautiful figure stepping out of the girls' locker room. Having her black hair tied up, she wore a white martial arts suit with the same emblem of the twining dragon and tiger, another version of Longhu Club's suits.

When the four eyes met, a smile climbed on their faces for their matching suits.

As Lou Cheng was about to approach Yan for a quick chat, Chen Changhua, the sturdy Martial Arts Club Manager with bushy eyebrows, came out from the men's locker room, followed by the slender and fresh Lin Que. The two had their lips pursed. The atmosphere between them seemed depressing.

"Stand in line and get ready. The new coach will arrive any second." Standing in front the crowd, Chen Changhua shouted loudly.

With experience from the military training, all members quickly lined up. Lin Que casually paced to the front of Lou Cheng's column, despite Chen Changhua's angry gaze.

A shadowy figure appeared at the entrance of the gym, approaching and revealing itself as an old and clumsy man in a worn-out white t-shirt and white hair. His skin was in good condition with fewer wrinkles than expected.

"Master Shi," Chen Changhua stepped forward to greet him.

The old man nodded gently and signaled him to join the team. The new coach stood facing the crowd and spoke after some cough, "My family name is Shi, which means to offer. From today, kids, I'll be your martial coach. You may call me Coach Shi or Geezer Shi. I've always been easygoing and approachable with respect for the elderly and fondness for the youth."

Respect for the elderly and fondness for the youth… Respect for the elderly? "Quite hard to find someone older than you, isn't it?" Lou Cheng talked to himself in silence and exchanged a glance with Cai Zongming. Apparently, Little Ming shared the same view.

Geezer Shi continued with a grin,

"Regional matches for the National University Martial Arts Competitions will start in November. The Principal expects us to do better this year. Three martial arts lessons per week are way from enough. I intend to gather our members with potentials for a daily special training from eight to noon. Rest assured, the Principal has agreed to help move all your morning classes around if you are in for the morning training. Maybe evenings."

His words brought a shock to everyone. Members whispered to one another in disbelief.

"Training every morning with no day-off… He-heh… What about games, relationships, and leisurely activities," complained Cai Zongming quietly.

Schedules for first-year students were not so tight. However, dedicating all morning hours to martial practice would leave them little free time besides classes and sleep.

Listening to complaints from the crowd, Lou Cheng fell into an odd silence. He just gave a curt response to Cai Zongming.

Geezer Shi took out a sheet with the register of members and shouted in a loud voice, "Lin Que, are you in?"

Lin answered coldly, "Yes."

"Good. The next, Chen Changhua. What about you?" continued Geezer Shi.

Chen glanced at Lin Que and gnashed his teeth with anger, "Yes!"

"Wu Dong, what about you?"

"Yes!"

"Sun Jian?"

"Yes!"

"Lin Hua?"

"Yes!"

…

"Li Mao?"

"Yes!"

Geezer Shi called out names of Amateur Sixth Pin or higher from the sophomore year to the senior. Most of them chose to take part in the training while a few turned down the opportunity.

"Cai Zongming," he came to the freshmen.

Cai answered with no hesitation, "Coach, I'll have to say no. Studying is more important!"

Geezer Shi moved on to the next with little care, "Qiu Zhigao?"

"I… I can't", responded Qiu Zhigao.

"Guo Qing?"

"Yes!"

…

Geezer Shi took out his wine pot and had a sip, "Of course, the Martial Arts Club is open to all. Students of lower than Amateur Sixth Pin are also welcome to participate in the special training. As the saying goes, participation matters and improving physical fitness is the key. Requirements for these students will be lowered accordingly. So… Anybody? Raise your hand."

Members of the Martial Arts Club looked at each other and remained silent. A passion for martial arts was one thing, but spending so much time on martial practice and sacrificing all free time was another story. After all, the special training would still be hard and tiring, even though the requirements were lowered.

In the dead silence, a hand rose abruptly. Cai Zongming turned to look and was shocked by what he saw. It was Lou Cheng.

Lou Cheng shouted, "Coach Shi, I want to join the special training!"

His voice echoed among the team.

If running could help the Golden Elixir function slowly, would some professional, hardcore martial arts training help with its absorption by the body?

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Chapter 9: Unique Skill of the Thunder Sect

Translator: Transn Editor: Transn

A tree taller than the rest of the forest would be the first destroyed by the wind. Within a few seconds, Lou Cheng reached a much deeper understanding of the saying. As soon as he cried out his interest in joining the special training, eyes turned to him like a shower of arrows from all directions, shocked, puzzled or simply curious, making him horrified and nervous. It reminded him of his attempt to give a public speech to the entire school on the stage in the past. Staring at a dark mass of countless peers and teaching staff, Lou Cheng came up with an uneasiness from his heart and could barely talk. He felt fortunate that he wasn't the protagonist.

Geezer Shi seemed pleased.

"Terrific. You must be a true enthusiast in martial arts. What's your name?"

"Lou Cheng," Lou Cheng took a deep breath.

Geezer Shi looked through the registry to search Lou Cheng's name and asked casually.

"In which year? Of which amateur pin? Seventh or eighth?"

Dead silence in the gym. Lin Que kept his eyes down, appearing unconcerned. Chen Changhua, taller than most of his peers, glanced at Lou Cheng from a distance, wondering who this strange fellow was. The rest of the Martial Arts Club members were waiting eagerly for the answer except for Lou Cheng's acquaintances Cai Zongming, Qiu Zhigao and Yan Zheke who seemed terribly in shock.

Lou Cheng replied calmly and frankly. "A freshman of no rank."

"Of no freaking rank and you want to join the training," words slipped out of Geezer Shi's mouth. It was the first time that he spoke inappropriately since he had entered the gym.

The crowd in the gym burst into laughter. The venue was instantly filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

Lou Cheng couldn't help feeling embarrassed. His face was on fire.

"Good," Geezer Shi lowered his right hand as a signal for the gym to quiet down and continued. "A newborn calf is not afraid of tigers. Very much like me in my youth. I'll see you tomorrow here. Quit when you can take no more. Don't push yourself too hard. I can't assume responsibility for your life."

"Are you praising me? Or boasting yourself?" Lou Cheng thought to himself and then replied. "Yes, Coach Shi."

He subconsciously looked up to Yan Zheke, who happened to meet his eyes with joy and made a gesture of encouragement.

Geezer Shi ignored whispers from Martial Arts Club members and carried on. "So Lou Cheng was the first to apply for the special training. The first mover. Anyone else?"

"Coach, me." A sweet, familiar female voice came to Lou Cheng's ear. He turned around and realized it was Yan Zheke.

"She… She also wants to join?"

"Is she simply a big fan of martial arts or?"

"One illusion in life: she is doing this for me," Cai Zongming brutally broke Lou Cheng's fantasy.

"Couldn't you allow my happiness to last a few seconds longer?" Lou Cheng stared at Cai.

Cai Zongming grinned. "Not feeling too good about oneself is an essential prerequisite for chasing girls. However, Cheng, I'm impressed that you are willing to get up four hours earlier every morning to attend this special training just for a girl. I have to admit you have beaten me in perseverance and courage. Nothing is impossible to a willing heart! God won't let down a determined heart!"

Listening to Little Ming's nonsense, Lou Cheng didn't know what to say. He couldn't speak of the Jindan as there was a saying "He who loses his secret will lose himself." So he just admitted that it was for a girl.

"Anyway, have a try. You can always quit."

"Makes sense," Cai Zongming nodded and put one thumb up. "You are worthy to be taught!"

Yan Zheke's participation tempted many boys. They raised hands to apply for the training, and it took Geezer Shi a good while to have every name written down. Geezer Shi straightened his face. "Everybody, attention. Get ready for class."

"Your ranks vary from nothing to Professional Ninth Pin, but in front of me you are all the same, unprofessional martial arts enthusiasts, or in other words, babies on a feeding bottle. So we shall start our first martial arts lesson with the foundation. Remember, the journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step."

Geezer Shi kept his hands together behind his back and paced back and forth in front of the team. His voice was not that loud but clear enough to be heard by everyone, "The entry-level of martial arts begins with stance training supplemented by footwork practice and current strength training such as bench press, deep squat, pull-up and back muscle stretch. Only when you have grasped these to a certain extent, you can move on to the practice of actual martial movements to grasp novel force launching techniques of each move…"

…

"… Your Principal put in a lot of effort to bring me here with sincere respect. I'm not a man with an unearned reputation. The stance training of our first lesson will be Yin-Yang Stance, the lost knowledge of the Taoist Thunder Sect!"

Bang! The crowd burst into a passionate discussion. Martial Arts Club members whispered in each other's ear with excitement or shock.

The lost knowledge of the Taoist Thunder Sect had long been well known all over the world. Its basic stance training was a hot topic within the martial arts circle but frequently skipped from knowledge by the amateurs. Those crude and straightforward stance training were nothing like it.

Just as excited, Lou Cheng turned to Cai Zongming. "Shangqing Sect's lost technique of the Thunder Sect?"

"Must be," said Cai Zongming, thrilled.

The Taoist martial arts had a comparably short history, not part of the genuine origin of martial arts. However, it inherited from pre-Qin eras, organized The Old Gods and Old Ghosts System, and laid a foundation for the next blossom of martial arts, making up a significant fraction of the martial arts circle. The core of its martial arts was known as the Five Sects Unique Skills with the Restriction Sect topping the Thunder, Fire, Fighting and Plague Sects.

Two major forces, Shangqing Sect and Longhu Club, were respectively the heirs of the unique skills of the Thunder Sect and the Fire Sect. Another mighty force, Shushan Study, carried forward the entire system of the Fighting Sect while skills of the Plague Sect had been scattered in wars and partly passed on by many forces.

The basic training of such unique skills would bring a thrill to those martial arts members who had long soaked in the news regarding the martial arts circle.

Considering Coach Shi was invited by the Principal in person, he must have some real skills other than ostentation.

Sadly, not Longhu Club's stance training of the Fire Sect… Lou Cheng seemed slightly disappointed.

Geezer Shi kept some space between his feet and suddenly became overwhelming like a towering mountain or a roaring sea. He lifted both of his hands, forming a closed ring in front of his chest, and began to ramble:

"Physical poses of still stance are usually simple. However, the key lies in the stillness. As a saying of the Thunder Sect stated, concealment of spirit and Qi can ward off trouble. It's pretty much telling us only the dead can keep the mind void. Think about one item and completely focus on it. Remain concentrated to bring peace…"

"You may think about anything, a man or a woman, a cat or a dog, a holy statue or a tableware as long as it arouses no desire. I usually think about a one-hundred bill, suppressing my mind with the founding father of the country without waking up my greed. This refers to treating money like dirt…"

Mocking Geezer Shi's pose while listening to his interesting description, Lou Cheng prepared himself for meditation, but threads of thought led him from one thing to another. Focusing on one item to achieve peace seemed impossible. When his mind fell on Yan Zheke, distractions flooded in and he couldn't help dreaming about future.

At this moment, his attention suddenly turned to the Jindan inside his Dantian.

Focusing on his lower stomach, Lou Cheng slowly gathered all his thoughts and restrained them all inside the Jindan. He imagined a fantastic ice ball of nebula pattern and small flames.

As his thoughts gathered, the scene in Lou Cheng's vision abruptly changed. He could see the inside of his Dantian, where the dreamy Jindan set.

The Jindan rotated slowly. Small ice crystals transformed into stars around those tiny flames, creating a vast universe, profound and grand.

"This… Can I look inside to see the Jindan already?" As an experienced martial arts fan, academic terms were no strange for Lou Cheng. Soon enough, he figured out in what status he was.

That was the advanced level of Solemn Silence!

Before, he could only sense the Jindan after a long and weary run. Now he could see it within his body by merely remaining in silence. He started to enjoy his gradual control over it and no longer felt terrified and helpless like yesterday. Conclusions were being drawn on his mind:

"Practicing martial arts indeed can help me gain control over the Jindan. Furthermore, it can also speed up my martial arts training just like it helped with my meditation! Participating in this special training is the right decision!"

Lou Cheng focused on his Dantian and achieved peace through concentration. Random thoughts appeared and vanished and then reappeared but could no longer affect his meditation.

His surroundings became void. Everything flew up to the sky. Geezer Shi's voice rang into his ear from a distance.

"Once you achieve peace, slowly move your weight to the left, to keep the left foot heavier and the right foot lighter, and then do the opposite. Feel the strength changing in every muscle during your weight shifting. This is Yin-Yang Stance. Your body appears still, yet movements and changes never stop inside."

"This stance training firstly helps you with meditation and secondly allows you to feel the subtle changes and cooperation within your body while pulling strength to exert better control of your muscles and make use of your whole body. At the ultimate level of the training, your strength, muscles, and mind will become one, like a human elixir. Once the elixir is formed, Qi will begin to grow and you are stepping into the Danqi stage, the real martial arts entry level. At this stage, even the worst of you can reach the rank of Professional Eighth Pin.

"Ha-hah, just saying. Don't think too much about it, as most of you will never reach this stage. Lin Que is probably the only one among you with such potential. The rest of you don't need to take it too seriously."

"Damn it! He's probably stating the fact but this old man indeed has a bitter tongue…" The thought flashed across Lou Cheng's mind but didn't disturb his concentration. Meanwhile, he began to move his weight to his left foot slowly.

As the weight moved slowly, he could feel changes in his leg muscles, feet and waist. With those subtle changes reflected in his mind, he could barely recognize his own body.

"While running with arms waving, my mind manipulates my body and physical moves take place smoothly but who could have noticed such continuous changes at every inch of the body? No wonder a wrong pose can significantly slow me down and consume more of my energy! The order of changes of strength pulling was wrong!"

Perceive as you see, believe not what you perceive!

It didn't take Lou Cheng long to immerse himself in that new feeling. He continued to slowly move his weight while feeling the changes in his body between falsehood and reality, movement and stillness, and lightness and heaviness as if a gate to a new world had just been opened. Especially when a warm stream of the Jindan reached every corner of his body, some kind of mystery was gently touched.

Upon teaching the Yin-Yang Stance, Geezer Shi started to patrol around reviewing his students. First timers of still stance training had almost no chance of actually remaining in one. He merely wanted these young fellows to adapt themselves.

Lin Que was doing pretty well. From a family with a long history in martial arts, he had already been familiar with Solemn Silence. Geezer Shi stepped past him and nodded with a slight smile.

"Chen Changhua is disturbed by too many thoughts to calm down… Wu Dong's health condition doesn't allow him to stay calm… Yan Zheke is doing alright. With a few more tries she might be able to achieve peace… What the heck is this? What is he thinking about? Is he dribbling?" As he walked past one member after another, Geezer Shi gave silent comments within his mind, "This must be Cai Zongming. Has some talent but more useless thoughts. He needs to organize his mind or it will take him quite some long time to master Yin-Yang Stance. Hmm?"

Geezer Shi paused by Lou Cheng, carrying surprise and confusion in his eyes.

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Chapter 10: Everyone Has Their Future

Translator: Transn Editor: Transn

With his eyebrows shooting upward, Geezer Shi squinted and then slowly opened his eyes up. In a flash his dull eyes turned into silver, cold but luminous. Deep in his eyes was a reflection of Lou Cheng.

After a moment of hesitation with a frown, the odd color faded from his eyes. He kept his hands together behind his back and moved away from Lou Cheng. He turned around a few steps later to take another look at him and then continued with his inspection as if nothing special had happened and nothing was strange to him.

The first still stance experience could be extremely boring which usually resulted in physical weariness and sourness after a short while. Geezer Shi stared at his watch and cleared his throat when the clock hit one hour and a half.

"Stop. The first still stance training is over."

In Lou Cheng's perception, Geezer's Shi's voice seemed to be coming from heaven, almost to the point Lou couldn't tell if it was real, but in the end he quit the "remaining in one" state. All hustle and bustle, as well as men and women in reality, came back at once, filling up all his senses, which felt like another brand new world.

"How goddamn tiring Yin-Yang Stance is," Cai Zongming complained to Lou Cheng while relaxing his legs in turn.

"Yeah, but also quite interesting," Lou Cheng went with the flow instead of confessing that he could stand to the end of time in it.

After, Geezer Shi ordered Chen Changhua to show and explain a moving stance of their Martial Arts Club, including the skills and the divided movements. He gave them one hour to practice, which could help stretch and temper their body, naturally infusing coordination into their instinct.

During the entire practice, he was chilling in the ring with a cigarette. His total relaxation was quite annoying.

"Ok. Split the group into two. Those on my right-hand side now follow Chen Changhua to the Strength Training Gymnasium for some muscle training and the rest on my left stay to practice footwork under Lin Que's supervision. Swap in 40 minutes," Geezer Shi jumped out of the ring after checking his watch and shouted while holding his arm straight ahead of him, pointing at the middle of the group to split them.

Lou Cheng and Cai Zongming, both standing on the right-hand side of Geezer Shi, headed toward the weight room among half of their peers.

Lou Cheng's right foot stumbled as he walked past Geezer Shi. His body staggered forward.

A cold sweat overspread him upon the sudden accident. His falling onto the ground face down seemed unstoppable.

However, Lou Cheng felt all the subtle changes in his muscles while in the air. Similar to the earlier meditation, he wiggled his muscles little by little almost out of instinct to adjust his weight rapidly.

As soon as one of his feet landed, he straightened his back a bit to drive his entire body forward. A few strides forth and he finally came to a stop on his feet without raising much a laugh.

He looked back but couldn't find a clue among all the strange faces of what he had just stumbled over.

"Cheng, are you alright?" asked Cai Zongming with fright on his face.

"I'm OK. I don't know what just happened," answered Lou Cheng while shaking his head. He let go of the thoughts and resumed his pace.

Among the crowd, Geezer Shi still held a cigarette in his right hand while he nodded thoughtfully at Lou Cheng's back.

In the Strength Training Gymnasium, Lou Cheng felt frustrated. Even with the aid from the Jindan he was still far from being able to push the barbell.

"It seems the Jindan can only help me get over fatigue and soreness and open up my senses to subtle changes within my body during meditation thus improving coordination and footwork training. It doesn't quite enhance my performance in strength, speed or agility…" Lou Cheng recalled how he had almost fallen earlier and quietly summarized the benefits of the Jindan. He then doubled his effort in strength training on all his muscles to make use of the instant recovery and little weariness advantages from the Elixir, attempting to improve his strength in a short period. Cai Zongming was dearly stunned by Cheng.

…

At the end of the weight and footwork training, Lou Cheng, although strengthened and recovered by the Jindan, was sweating all over. He planned to catch up with Yan Zheke before hitting the shower with Cai Zongming. Chen Changhua, the club manager, stepped out of the troop before Geezer Shi called the end of the martial arts lesson.

"Coach Shi, the Ranking Event is coming soon but I didn't have enough practical exercise." Chen Changhua smiled after a glance at Lin Que, "I'd like to challenge Lin Que. Please be our referee to avoid possible injuries."

Hearing his words, many members of the Martial Arts Club took several indrawn breaths. Chen Changhua's dissatisfaction with Lin Que was apparent during the orientation as the club couldn't accommodate two champions. However, no one expected such an open challenge to take place so quickly in the very first session.

"Why is he this confident?"

"Has he already overcome the rank difference and reached the level of Professional Ninth Pin?"

Lou Cheng didn't see this coming either. He looked at Cai Zongming and then attempted to exchange a glance with Yan Zheke through the mass.

Cai Zongming clicked his tongue. "This ape is not that stupid. At least he knows he should issue the challenge as early as possible."

"What?" Lou Cheng withdrew his eyes and turned to Cai Zongming for an explanation.

"Before reaching the Danqi stage, height and strength play a major role in martial arts, with proper use of which, an amateur of the second or third Pin does have a chance to pass the Professional Ranking Event and be qualified to receive a Professional Ninth Pin certificate. Regarding overall strength, he can level himself as Professional Ninth Pin." With a few years of formal martial arts training, Cai Zongming explained plausibly, "Lin Que is a genius who reached the Professional Ninth Pin at the age of 18. Give him two more months or half a year and he will become even stronger. OK, he might not reach the Danqi stage yet, but for sure his progress will be much greater than that ape!"

"So Chen Changhua challenges Lin Que now, before the gap between them enlarges. He wants to defeat Lin and leave him a mental block so he can maintain his superior position till the graduation," said Lou Cheng with a sudden realization.

"Mental block? Too many novels you must have read," Cai Zongming glanced at Lou Cheng, "If Chen Changhua does score a victory here, the rising force may connect his willpower and physical strength to push him to a higher level. Hmm, he is probably confident that he has reached the Professional Ninth Pin level or he wouldn't fling down the gauntlet now."

When the pair were in a hot discussion, Geezer Shi turned to Lin Que with a grin, "Will you accept the challenge?"

"Sure," answered Lin Que coldly, showing no emotion.

Chen Changhua turned around with a courtesy smile and strode into the ring. His bearings changed completely, like a tiger with sharpened claws or a buffalo ready to hunt.

"The manager of the Martial Arts Club is undoubtedly capable," thought Lou Cheng, and then his eyes moved to Lin Que.

Lin wiped the sweat off his face and casually stepped toward the ring. His handsomeness and cool disposition were dazzling in the white suit, drawing all the attention.

When he stood in the ring, Lin Que maintained the same bearing. His feet resumed a T-step position with his toes slightly pointing inwards and his face showed no expression toward Chen Changhua.

After Geezer Shi slowly made his way over to be the referee position, Chen Changhua bowed with clasped hands, "Brother Lin, please grant instructions."

Of one level lower in rank, Chen made the first move and threw himself at Lin Que like a snake.

"The ape's footwork is not bad," commented Cai Zongming to Lou Cheng. Known for his strength and physique, Chen Changhua's agile footwork apparently amazed many. No wonder he dared to challenge Lin Que.

Lin Que moved his left foot to the side to dodge Chen Changhua's attack but as soon as his left foot landed, Chen abruptly changed his style, pushing his right leg and dashing into Lin with his shoulder and arm like a wild bull.

Low screams rose from the crowd. Everyone was worried about Lin Que. Such a ferocious move made the audience tremble with fear. Lou Cheng doubted he could handle this strike without breaking an arm and a few ribs if he was in Lin Que's position.

That was a move of the Professional Ninth Pin level!

And it was Chen Changhua's strength but Lin Que's weak point!

At this very moment, Lin Que hacked his back and moved his spine like a snake, pulling his left foot before it completely touched the ground to shift his weight back to the right foot. Using his right foot as the shaft, he spun to the back of Chen Changhua and launched a blow with his left elbow.

His previous move was a trap!

Chen Changhua missed his target and felt a strike coming from behind. Chen was left with no choice but to dive forward and roll over to avoid the elbow hit.

As Chen attempted to use his core to spring up while rolling, Lin Que slid over and pulled his right foot as if cracking a whip. A crispy sound burst in the air.

Pong!

Chen Changhua closed his palms in front of his body to confront this whip kick. He pulled back half a meter and blood streamed out from the split between his thumb and index finger.

Lin pushed his advantage and threw one whip kick after another at Chen's lower legs, with his legs repeatedly hitting Chen's palms with a crack.

Pong!

Chen Changhua got pushed out of the ring and his hands were battered to blood and pulp.

Lying on the ground, he appeared puzzled with disbelief in this cushy defeat. He didn't even have a chance to use his well-mastered throwing skills.

Seconds of dead silence was followed by a fierce hurrah for the true capable in the hall.

Lou Cheng turned around, seeing Yan Zheke cheering with excitement on her face and both of her arms in the air.

"Awesome! You've earned my respect. A Professional Ninth Pin martial artist is amazing," Little Ming murmured to himself.

Lou Cheng withdrew his eyes with all sorts of feelings twisted inside. Recalling the fight, he became enlightened suddenly.

The trick move Lin Que made to win this fight was a practical use of Yin-Yang Stance!

The key of Yin-Yang Stance, he had experienced himself clearly, was to coordinate the entire body and use strength at will. The ultimate of the Yin-Yang Stance training will be the Danqi stage.

Lin Que had apparently mastered it to some extent. His coordination and control of his body were terrifying. Didn't anybody else notice that?

He should be very close to the Danqi stage, the Professional Eighth Pin level…

Lin Que walked down from the ring after a nod at Geezer Shi. Without a single glance at Chen Changhua, he made his way to the locker room. Wu Dong, another amateur master and a close friend of Chen, stepped out of the troop to raise Chen from the ground.

…

At lunchtime, Lou Cheng had a good appetite, wolfing down more than twice as much as his usual portion. Cai Zongming and Qiu Zhigao were in the same shoe. An intense training consumed plenty of energy and their body was crying for a refill though they did take a long rest until one pm to shake off the tiredness.

Waiting for his two friends to finish their meal, Lou Cheng logged on his QQ account and started chatting with Yan Zheke. The conversation they had would stay vivid even until the afternoon classes.

"Lin Que is brilliant," Lou Cheng started.

"Very! I knew he would win but I didn't see it coming so easily!" Yan Zheke sent an emoji of a chick nodding as if picking grains.

Lou Cheng felt jealous, "When can I fight like him…"

Yan Zheke sent an emoji of gleaming white teeth, "Do you want to hear the truth or a lie?"

"What is the truth, and what is the lie?" asked Lou Cheng full of curiosity.

Yan Zheke sent a cute face. "The lie is you have great potential to get your Professional Ninth Pin certificate and reach Lin Que's current level by graduation if you train hard under Coach Shi's supervision every day, in all weathers."

"Ha, you speak highly of me," Lou Cheng sent a shy face. "What about the truth?"

Yan Zheke sent a laughing emoji, "The truth? The truth is you can't stick to martial arts training for four years because more and more classes and employment pressure will suck up all your time. Also, a university graduate of Professional Ninth Pin will be a bit too old to enter the martial arts world. Everyone has their future. It doesn't have to be martial arts."

"Everyone has their future. It doesn't have to be martial arts…" These words replayed in Lou Cheng's mind over and over again when he was staring blankly at the class slides.

If he hadn't taken the risk to get the Jindan, these words would have been his best annotation…

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Chapter 11: The Current Top Three

Translator: Transn Editor: Transn

Filled with aim and desire, Lou Cheng was not only brimming with anticipation for the next day's martial arts special training, but he also became extremely hard working in class. It was like he was making up for the time wasted, trying to gain as much knowledge as possible. His abnormal behavior set Cai Zongming's tongue wagging. He started to batter Lou Cheng's efforts relentlessly. Cai Zongming mocked that Lou Cheng was doing all these just to woo a girl. He referred to Lou Cheng as the perfect example of how the male gender operated – with natural instinct, controlled by hormones, constantly saying that Lou Cheng had betrayed their revolutionary principles, leaving himself to stand for them alone.

Once the evening session of "Introduction to Calculator" ended, Lou Cheng returned to his bedroom and logged into the school administration website. Just as he had expected, his class schedule was adjusted – completely free in the mornings, totally packed in the afternoons and evenings, except for Thursdays, when he could probably get some rest in the evening.

"Just another Senior Year in high school!" he mumbled under his breath, clenching his fists with determination. Since he had already taken a shower after martial arts class, using water from the thermos flask, he wiped his face briefly, soaked his feet, brushed his teeth, rejected Cai Zongming's and Tang Wen's invitation to an online game, and finally crawled into bed early to prepare for tomorrow.

Lou Cheng's day did not start at 8 a.m., the time for special training, but at 7 a.m., a time that he had set for himself, just like his high school days. He was not satisfied with the Yin-Yang Stance practice today. He hardly got a kick out of it before Geezer Shi asked them to stop. According to Geezer Shi, most beginners wouldn't be able to handle longer sessions. Since the session on the following day would probably be the same, Lou Cheng decided to start practicing 40 minutes earlier.

Lying in bed before falling asleep, out of habit he remained glued to his mobile phone for a while, logging onto QQ and chatting, continually refreshing the forum page of "Longhu Club".

On the forum page, a post decorated with special highlights carried a title that read:

"Dong Baxian: I, one of today's top three!"

"Bullcrap, such arrogance…" Lou Cheng mocked at the title and clicked to read the post. It was an interview with Dong Baxian, chief master of Yanzhao League.

Dong Baxian, a First Pin, had been a powerful force for many years. Before the rise of the Legendary Twins, he received four titles, among which there were two championships. Hence, people called him the "Warrior King." He was infamous for his proud and overbearing character, but because he possessed the abilities that gave him the right to be, the people could not help but had a love-hate relationship with him. They either liked him to the stage of idolization or just disliked him to the core.

In the interview, he haughtily said: "Except the Masters of Restriction, I am among current world's top three!"

Here, at the Longhu Club's forum, the majority were the "Dragon King" Qitao's fans. So, what about the comments that would follow such a post? Lou Cheng could already predict.

As expected, "Pig-Riding Knight", the forum moderator, started the ball rolling, "Yao Ming and I are somewhat 1.9 m on average. Although I dislike Gentleman Qian, I have to say that, after the Master of Restriction, he and Dragon King can be considered to be of the same rank. What Dong Baxian is saying is the same as stealing their positions."

"Sun" sent a laugh-till-drop expression and wrote: "Actually Dong Baxian is not wrong to say that he is top three. Taking away Dragon King and 'fake' Gentleman Qian, even if we add those foreign experts, he does have a chance at being number one. So from this logical angle, he is right about being top three. The only thing is that it's just too funny sounding LOL."

This was coming from a girl with great influence on the forum who was a hugely popular figure and would upload selfies from time to time. Even if it was a half-face photo, there would be almost 100 responses, more than on the posts of the forum moderator, "Pig-Riding Knight".

"Outspoken", the one who recommended that Lou Cheng started jogging to improve his fitness level, commented. "Pfft! Just take a look at yourself in the mirror. From Dragon King's first title till now, how many have Dong Baxian got? Just one! There is only one 'Master' title! And that was only because Dragon King and 'fake' Gentleman had fought so hard, that both sides could no longer fight. He got it easy!"

"No Hooligans" commented, "Dong Baxian – one can never expect him to be humble, never in this life. He is not that much of a master and can only maintain his current position through shameless boasting."

For a response with such character, Lou Cheng sniggered and replied, "Talent with words!"

"Do not do rogue" and "Okamoto's Fan" were both old hands, always plowing around with dirty jokes. Recently they had been busy teasing another high profile member with a feminine sounding ID – "Beautiful World."

"No Hooligans" replied to Lou Cheng almost instantly. "Haha, I am not talented, but "Quit Gambling Bar" and the other old Bros are. These are the words of their spiritual leader, Qie Guevara. I only borrowed them."

"Quit Gambling Bar?" Lou Cheng asked, clueless about what he was referring to.

"No Hooligans" commented, "You haven't seen that video? A thief was caught and when he was interviewed he said: Never expect me to work and do cheap jobs, never in this life. If you asked me why not start a business, I don't know how to run one either. Only with stealing can I maintain my life like that. Going into the lockups is like returning home to me… His reply was so amusing and it went viral. Because it sounded like the revolutionist Che Guevara, so they called him Qie[1] Guevara , and the 'Quit Gambling Bar' old Bros regarded him as their spiritual leader."

"Okamoto's Fan" added on, "Quit Gambling Bar is a place for people to quit gambling, but once a bunch of gambling addicts comes together, the topic will be how to win money. They call themselves old Bros, even when they are in hundreds in debt, they can still be like a sloth at home, posting comments on such forms. When we say hundreds, we mean hundreds of thousands. Even when they are running from creditors, they can still be fooling around, and then, we can only say: Bro, such swag! I often visit that bar, because they are simply too witty, too entertaining."

"I Love Feng Xiaomang" chimed in, "Don't lead Schrodinger's Tiger astray! He is only a college freshman. Anyway, I adore the Bros in Quit Gambling Bar, their most quote-worthy line is: Since I managed to borrow money with my ability, why should I return it?"

Lou Cheng could not hold back. "Totally reasonable, I cannot argue."

Then, "Dumplings for Sale", a girl, asked Lou Cheng. "How was your first class at the Martial Arts Club, Little Tiger?"

"The new coach was superb. He went straight into teaching us Thunder Sect's Yin-Yang Stance." Lou Cheng answered, somewhat flaunting his achievements. Of course, he did not mention that he successfully mastered Remain in One.

"Who knows! Perhaps, Little Tiger, you'll be our forum's first expert! (pat on the shoulder)!" "Dumplings for sale" jokingly said.

The boastful "Road to the Arena" jeered, "Here we go, a traitor you'll be!"

The discussion topics were changing so rapidly with everyone chipping a little into the chaos with each post. It was rare for Lou Cheng to become the talk of the town, literally the talk of the forum. He should have an interest in the conversations but slowly, his eyelids got heavier and heavier. "Jindan" could replenish his energy and get rid of physical fatigue but it could not soothe his tired mind that had gone through a hectic day.

With great effort, Lou Cheng set his alarm and fell asleep with his fingers still tightly wrapped around his mobile phone.

The next day, at 6:40 a.m., five minutes before the start of Lou Cheng's usual high school day, he stirred awake. He switched off his alarm before it went off, saving his roommates an unnecessary early morning.

After washing up, he quietly put on a fresh set of martial arts suit and stepped out of the dormitory. He dashed past the big gates of the yard and ran to the Weishui Lake. The scent of morning dew was invigorating.

"Ah, the beautiful world! Ah, the amazing morning air! " Throwing out the two poetic lines in good spirit, Lou Cheng ran into the quietness and vastness of nature. Only upon looking closely, we could see flashes of the book-devouring brainiacs in the midst of his shadows.

Upon reaching the lakeside, he looked for a quiet spot. At first, he wanted to just with the standing stance, then he looked at the waters and felt inspired. He faced the lake and bowed three times respectfully, mumbling softly.

"I do not know who was the senior who left the Jindan, but your junior, I, was lucky to receive it. This is our affinity, and I promise you, one day, when I have accomplished something in martial arts, and can cut and go through water, I will look for your remains and give you the grand burial and prayers you deserve!"

Mimicking how the characters in the novels would speak, he made a promise to the original owner of the "Jindan".

After the little ceremony to his benefactor, he positioned himself for the Yin-Yang Stance with his feet steady apart and both arms up for the concealment of spirit and qi. He started to meditate, slowly letting his body follow and absorb the changes that come with the subtle moves of gravity and his core.

As time passed by, he gradually grasped the skill of keeping these changes under control within himself. It was like he could master absolute control of his body through his mind very soon.

Endless mountains, endless waters of the lake!

Completely immersed in his surroundings, Lou Cheng did not know how much time had passed. The only thing that he was waiting for was the second alarm to ring, reminding him that special training was about to start.

Suddenly, his heart skipped a beat and his eyes flew open. In front of him, there was a face, old and wrinkly, with a pair of blurry eyes staring straight at him.

Shocked, Lou Cheng almost threw a fist out, but stopped in time. He recognized this face.

"Cc-co-coach Shi, why are you here?" he asked, stammering in his speech.

Grinning widely, Geezer Shi said, "Why can't I be here? Yesterday I noticed that you entered into the state of meditation without much problem. Hehe, if it were not for your lack of muscles and weakly built, I would have thought that you had learned the highest level tactic – faking. I only learned how to soften my aggressiveness and mastered this skill at the age of 30!"

Lou Cheng could not argue, he laughed dryly and said, "I am also clueless how I managed to do it. I just put my mind to the Dantian and I could enter meditation."

The coach noticed that he managed to enter into meditation! Fortunately, he had not noticed the "Jindan" within Lou's body.

"It shows that you have a natural gift for this." Geezer Shi's suddenly darkened. "Do you want to enter the actual martial arts circle in the future? Do you want to achieve Professional Ninth Pin within one or two years?"

"Everyone has their own path to take, and it is not necessarily the martial arts…" a thought flashed across Lou Cheng's mind. Then, he remembered the crowd's and Yan Zheke's excitement and admiration when Lin Que won the duel. Without any hesitation, Lou Cheng declared his determination.

"Yes!"

"Coach, do you have a way to achieve this?"

"Of course, but you have to be my disciple first." Geezer Shi proudly added. "And, you have to keep this in mind. Practicing martial arts is as good as swimming against the currents. Even if you are gifted, once you lose your momentum and become complacent, it will be impossible for you to get the Professional Ninth Pin within two years. There's no guarantee for anything. I can give you a kickstart as your master, but everything else, including success, lies with you and what you make of it."

Lou Cheng nodded. He understood these sayings very well. Recalling the formalities of the martial arts circle, he said, "Disciple pays his respect to Master!"

"Alright, save those formalities. Today shall count as the first day as my disciple." Then, Geezer Shi's expression changed again. He cheekily smiled, "Don't go around telling people that I am your master."

"Huh? More secrets? Why not?" Lou Cheng blurted out without thinking.

"Also, with this we are considered master and disciple? Isn't it too informal? This doesn't feel real at all!"

"Although you are gifted, you may not succeed. It's embarrassing if people knew that I have a disciple who did not make it!" Geezer Shi cast a contemptuous glance at Lou Cheng.

"Such practicality…" Lou Cheng thought to himself but could not refute.

Like he could read Lou Cheng's mind, Geezer Shi laughed heartily. "Yes, I am such a practical person. Wait till I am satisfied with your level, then you can tell others."

Lou Cheng paused to think before he said, "Master, it doesn't matter to me if I can tell others or not, but, I would still have to know your background and current situation?"

Geezer Shi answered, "There's no need to say things that happened too long ago. But for these recent years, I have been working with the military on a research project. I think you would also know that once martial arts experts enter into the physical invulnerability state, they become abnormal. They will start to possess godly abilities and there are different types. As the days go by and if the experts continue to practice, these abilities will strengthen. A certain percentage of such abilities will be passed down to the next generation and for the generations to come they will continue to possess these godly abilities. Our research was on the relationship between martial arts and godly abilities."

Recalling the purple fire and thunder lightning during the battle between the Dragon King and Warrior Sage event, Lou Cheng nodded solemnly but could not contain his curiosity and probed further.

"Master, so what were you in charge of?"

Geezer Shi gave Lou Cheng a fleeting glance and almost emotionlessly, he said, "Subject of study."

Pffftt… Lou Cheng burst out laughing. In quick and large strides, Geezer Shi walked toward the Martial Arts Club arena.

Lou Cheng tried very hard to control his laughter. Then, suddenly, he stopped. He paused to think. Based on what his master had just said, the research project would need powerful experts that had attained physical invulnerability state.

In other words, his master was one of those powerful experts that had attained physical invulnerability state?

Which meant… he was one of the top three Pin experts?

…

[1] Qie – a similar sounding word that refers to theft.

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Chapter 12: Just Quit It

Translator: Transn Editor: Transn

Amidst his shock, the old and slightly wrinkled face appeared in front of Lou Cheng again.

"Master, why, why are you back again?"

Geezer Shi answered in a light tone, "I forgot to add that since you are now my disciple, from tomorrow on, you shall get up at 5:30 a.m. and be ready here at 5:50 a.m. Our training starts two hours before the special training session."

"5:30 in the morning?" Lou Cheng repeated his master's words in disbelief, thinking, "At that time the sun would not even be out yet, right? Not even the third year in high school was that demanding! If I have to get up at 5:30 a.m. every day, how many hours of sleep would I get? If I practice like that, even with Jindan (the Golden Elixir), I would probably still be so tired that I would pee blood out!"

"What's wrong? You don't want to get up early?" Geezer Shi stroked his short white beard and said, "You have already missed the optimum age to train your physique, yet you want to achieve Professional Ninth Pin in two years. If you don't suffer, but instead take it easy, how are you going to make up for all the time wasted? Only sheer hard work can save you, kid. You will only lose out if you don't listen to advice from your elders!"

Lou Cheng fell silent and thought about all the expectations of martial arts that had slowly deflated within him. Finally, he nodded. "Getting up is not the problem, but the main doors of the dormitories will only open at 6:30 a.m."

"Not an issue at all. I can get someone to pass you the key to the main door of your dormitory." Geezer Shi brushed away Lou Cheng's concerns, "5:30 a.m. is the best time to start, based on ancient practice routines. At the same time, you must get sufficient sleep too. So, it is lights off for you at 10:30 p.m. As your master, I will call you to make sure you do so."

"To be in bed by 10:30 p.m.? But the lights are only turned off at midnight…" Lou Cheng took a deep breath of the cold morning air. This meant almost zero fun time.

Based on the current schedule, except for Thursdays and Saturdays, Lou Cheng had classes from 7 p.m. to 9:35 p.m. every night. By the time he returned to the dormitory and washed up, it would already be 10 p.m. Half an hour is hardly enough for QQ and forums, not to mention playing games. That would be impossible.

Does this mean that the only time to relax is between classes and during lunch break?

Skipping classes is out of the question. Lou Cheng would not be able to do it, at least not now. He could not afford to bring mediocre grades back home to his parents.

"Forget it, it's all about the survival of the fittest, isn't it? No pain no gain. I'll just try for a term and see how much I progress. Just another third year in high school!" he thought.

Lou Cheng obeyed grudgingly, "I, I mean, this disciple will go to sleep on time."

Geezer Shi tilted his head. "Also, do you smoke?"

"Yes," Lou Cheng dare not hide the truth.

"Quit it!" Geezer Shi demanded. "Your body has not completed the training, so alcohol and tobacco are still harmful to it. Just look at Wu Dong of the Martial Arts Club. His body is semi-invalid because he overdosed on them. You must also stop drinking!"

"Yes." These demands were almost nothing to Lou Cheng since he was never a heavy smoker or drinker.

"How about girls? Do you have a girlfriend?" Geezer Shi continued to interrogate him.

"No…" Lou Cheng paused for a while and then he stammered softly. "What if I do have one?"

"End it too," Geezer Shi said sternly.

"What? I cannot have a girlfriend?" Lou Cheng broke out in cold sweat.

Then, Geezer Shi smiled, and mischievously he said, "Alright, alright. What I meant was that, if you have a girlfriend, you will have to properly plan your schedule for martial arts, studies and dating time. Don't neglect your relationship and come to me weeping when you get dumped. That is bad for your body too. And, you need to control your 'inner fire'. I know you are a strong young man, but control sexual activity – whether you do it with your girlfriend or by yourself. OK, that is all for today. 5:50 tomorrow morning, be here on time. I will impart some stances from Shangqing Sect and 'Ice Sect'. We will do some combinations too."

Since the beginnings of martial arts, there had been countless sects and styles. The most famous one was the "Five Sects Unique Skill". Though some skills did not belong to Kung Fu of the Taoist School, they were named after the form of the Five Sects Unique Skill, like the "Ice Sect" and "Water Sect", etc.

Upon hearing his master's plans, any gripe that Lou Cheng had about the early mornings disappeared.

Since his master ordered that their relationship was kept from others for now, he waited till Geezer Shi had walked away before making a detour back to the Martial Arts Club arena. By the time he reached it, he was the last to report attendance.

Compared to yesterday's martial arts class, only a handful turned up: the year four seniors, Chen Changhua and Wu Dong; year three seniors, Sun Jian, Lin Hua and Wu Meng; and year two seniors, Jiang Fusheng, Li Mao and Li Xiaowen. Half of the group was made up by the year ones, like Lin Que, Guo Qing, Yan Zheke, Xu Qiubai and Lou Cheng. One reason why there were fewer seniors was that the students on year two and three had more classes this semester, and the one on year four were already out and about, looking for jobs. Another reason was that Yan Zheke, the extinguished beauty of the Martial Arts Club, had attracted several year-one boys to sign up.

In a quick glance, Lou Cheng could see that the team was had a predominance of men. Besides Yan Zheke, there were only three other ladies, Lin Hua, Li Xiaowen, and Guo Qing. Moreover, Guo Qing could not be considered much a lady with her bushy brows, strong arms and thick thighs. Within the recruits, Guo Qing was only inferior to Lin Que and could be comparable to Cai Zongming – the other Amateur Fifth Pin.

As for the graduate students, expectedly, they would be busy serving their "bosses'" needs, and would have no time to take part in the Martial Arts Club's activities.

"You are almost late. Go, one round." Since Yan Zheke was the only one he knew, Lou Cheng took a deep breath of courage, elbowed past the rest to reach her and said hi.

Yan Zheke squeezed a tiny smile. "I thought you had given up after I was harsh to you yesterday."

"Why would I? I truly love martial arts," Lou Cheng joked with an exaggerated tone. "Since I didn't rest the whole day yesterday, last night, after washing up, I blacked out the moment I hit the bed."

Thus, that's why he didn't get to chat with Yan Zheke.

Yan Zheke smiled, her dimples dancing. "Me too. Martial Arts in the morning, Advanced Mathematics and Introduction to Philosophy in the afternoon, and English at night. By the time I was back in my bedroom, I was so tempted not to take a bath and just sleep in my filthy clothes."

"Which faculty are you in?" Lou Cheng just remembered that he had never asked what she studied.

"School of Business and Economics…" before Yan Zheke finished her sentence, Geezer Shi entered the room.

The first half of the special training session was the same as martial arts class: stance training, strength training, footwork practice. Lou Cheng was completely engrossed and was progressing extraordinarily smooth with stance training and footwork. He could feel his every step and movement improving as he practiced. Nothing feels better and motivates one more than hard work being rewarded with progress. As for strength training, Lou Cheng depended on the Jindan to replenish his energy and to continue weightlifting. Even then he could feel himself improving.

After three hours of intensive training, at 11 a.m., Geezer Shi called everyone to gather and gleefully announced.

"Next up we will be practicing how to release energy and the thick-thin moves. The last half hour is for pair practice. Pair up based on your high or low martial arts level. We are odd numbered today, so, Lin Que, since your level is much higher than the rest and we will not have someone who you can pair up with and learn from, you, Sun Jian and Xu Qiubai will be one group. Work with each of them and give them pointers after practicing with them. Take this as an opportunity. You can see yourself as a coach, and from there you will also learn a thing or two."

Lin Que nodded silently without any signs of disapproval.

Geezer Shi continued to split the group into pairs. "…Guo Qing, you guide Yan Zheke. Lin Hua, you and Li Xiaowen will work together. Li Mao, you and Lou Cheng are a team…"

Li Mao was a year two senior with a square face, thick brows, broad shoulders and a bright smile. His memory of Lou Cheng was still fresh from that time where the recruits had crab. He walked straight to Lou Cheng and said with a smile. "Junior Lou, looking forward to learning from you."

"That should be my line," Lou Cheng courteously returned the greetings and then attempted to divert the topic. "Senior brother Li, which Pin do you hold?"

"The Third Pin," Li Mao answered with some pride.

"Isn't that just second to Club President Chen, senior brother Wu Dong, and almost the same as senior brother Sun Jian? Oh, uh, and before Lin Que joined." Lou Cheng was only aware of Chen Changhua and Wu Dong's ranks because they were the ones who were recruiting the junior. The former was an Amateur First Pin, with hopes to achieve Professional Ninth Pin, but due to yesterday's injury, he might not be able to recover and be ready for this term's ranking event. The latter was an Amateur Second Pin, a pretty respectable rank for college students.

Just as Lou Cheng finished speaking, someone loudly sneered at his statement. Lou Cheng turned and saw senior brother Wu Dong, who was not that much tall, and the recruit that he was supposed to guide, walking off to a wider area at the side of the arena.

Noticing the cold and unhappy expression of senior brother Wu Dong, Lou Cheng remained silent. After they had walked a reasonable distance away, Li Mao scoffed. "Senior brother Wu Dong, still so sickening."

"Pardon me, what did you just say?" Lou Cheng sought to comprehend what he just heard.

Li Mao checked his surroundings, then said to Lou Cheng softly. "A good half of the responsibility why the Martial Arts Club is how it is today lies with Chen Changhua and Wu Dong. They are narrow-minded and competitive. They cannot accept people who are better than them. So, regardless seniors or juniors, as long as they have a better performance or show more potential, they will join hands to ostracize the person and make it so difficult that the person no longer wants to be part of the Martial Arts Club. We had great members in years two, three and four, but since they wasted a year not getting sufficient practice and with the tighter class schedule, they will not be able to move up the ranks."

He laughed at himself and continued sharing. "If it were not because I had a good relationship with senior brother Sun Jian, I would probably already be out of here, pouring my heart into vocational studies."

"Senior brother Sun Jian has a holdover Chen Changhua and Wu Dong?" Lou Cheng was disturbed and surprised to hear that there were such dynamics and politics within the Martial Arts Club.

"Although Senior brother Sun Jian and I are Amateur Three Pin, his father is a professor in the school. Hence, naturally, Chen Changhua and Wu Dong would not dare to do anything to him. The only thing is that senior brother Sun Jian does not like to meddle too much in other people's business, so he just helps Lin Hua and I. And, yes, Lin Hua is his girlfriend." Li Mao continued to explain.

Which meant that the rest of those who remained, Wu Meng, Jiang Fusheng and Li Xiaowen, were allowed to remain because they were mediocre. Anyone could see that they were only at Amateur Fifth Pin and that obviously did not pose any threat to the positions of Chen Changhua and Wu Dong.

"I see, no wonder Cai Zongming, an Amateur Fifth Pin, would be called up by the Martial Arts Club," Lou Cheng exclaimed in sudden realization. "Fortunately, we have Lin Que in our batch, directly bringing Chen Changhua to the ground."

Li Mao laughed. "That's why you all can focus on training and not have to care about Chen Changhua and Wu Dong. Alright, enough, let me teach you some moves and ways to release energy."

Even though they called them moves, but they were the basic straight punch, elbowing, and kneeing, matched with ways to release energy and strength. The most critical part of this training was how to match them. If the footwork and posture did not match, even with the simplest moves, energy could not be channeled out.

Lou Cheng paid great attention. Due to his Yin-Yang Stance, his ability to coordinate his moves, footwork, and posture was well above a usual beginner. He learned quickly and was getting more and more familiar with the moves and combinations as he practiced repeatedly.

Soon, they only had half an hour left for the special training session. Li Mao asked Lou Cheng to halt his practice. He requested for Geezer Shi to come over to their team and chirped.

"Junior Lou, here, let's pitch our moves against each other. Don't worry, I will be reasonable with my moves."

Lou Cheng's muscles tensed up. He was a little panicky, but at the same time, he was excited, because this would be his first sparring practice!

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Chapter 13: This Day Just Wouldn't End!

Translator: Transn Editor: Transn

Seeing Lou Cheng like this, Li Mao couldn't contain himself. "Junior brother Lou, there's no need to be so nervous. Getting too nervous will affect your performance and make your movements stiff and your punches inaccurate. Of course, you need to be a little nervous during a competition. There's a saying that we have in the business: with a small hit of adrenaline, the true fighters will reach the perfect level of 'tense, but not panicked'. Bah, I can't do it though. When I join any Amateur Ranking Event, I'm so nervous that my whole body shakes. Fortunately, the few opponents that I've run into are either too weak or more nervous than I am."

This was a senior brother sharing his experiences! Lou Cheng looked at Li Mao with appreciation and marked it in his mind. Afterward, he took a deep breath, calmed himself, and adopted Li Mao's fighting stance, with both his legs firmly in place and his back straight as an arrow, as if he were a wildcat waiting to pounce.

Li Mao also adopted his fighting stance and calmly said, "I'll give you some feint training."

When he finished speaking, he stepped up, slammed his foot down, twisted his waist, made a fist with his right hand and attacked the front of Lou Cheng's neck. This was the simplest 'Direct Attack on Vital Part' style.

Seeing this, Lou Cheng subconsciously evaded and promptly ducked to the side. However, at that moment, his foot suddenly slipped and he lost his balance. There wasn't enough time to even use the Yin-Yang Stance to regain his balance and he fell to the ground.

He didn't know when, but Li Mao's right foot had already caught up with him and gave him a soft kick. Not a malicious kick, but just enough to cut him off in the direction that he had tried to dodge.

"During a competition, it's not that you shouldn't dodge, and it's not that you must be tough and durable, but you must pay attention to your footwork and to the opponents' movements. Falling over yourself is a classic move. A moment ago you forgot your own identity as a fighter. That seemed like an average person dodging; your footwork became sloppy, your eyes were only on my fist." Li Mao stretched out his right hand and pulled Lou Cheng up while referring to all of the things he had done wrong. "Think about all of that for a moment, and then we'll continue."

Lou Cheng pondered quietly, reflecting on the moves he had just made. Keeping in mind his shortcomings, he went on to adopt his fighting stance again.

This time, confronted by Li Mao's power and quick footwork, Lou Cheng opened his eyes wide, paying attention to his every move.

Would it be the right fist or the left?

Kick or elbow to the back of the neck?

If it were the right fist, how can I use my feet to dodge it?

If it were the left fist, will I have an opportunity to strike back?

…

An idea flashed through Lou Cheng's heart; he'd come up with a countermeasure. However, there wasn't enough time to think it through, as Li Mao was already close to him. His feet came up in a circle, yet stuck close to the front of his body, and after hitting him with an elbow, retreated two steps. Even though the hits weren't that hard, it made his stomach sink, and he felt a pain there.

In the midst of everything, he became confused and was completely at a loss. It was even worse than that from the first match, he couldn't even dodge!

How was this possible? Lou Cheng was dumbfounded.

Li Mao turned his body and said with a smile. "Although normally we can think quite fast, in just one second there can be so many thoughts, and our body is unable to keep up with our brain. During a competition, frequently it's the brain that can't keep up with the body. It overthinks and hesitates too long, unable to come to a decision, to the point where it's crippled and at a complete loss. This is the significance of training your mind, even more than training your body. To take all of your current circumstances and internalize them as instinct, you have to determine which places to observe and quickly make a decision. Junior brother Lou, there's no need to worry. All pair exercises are like this the first time around. I originally was more pitiful than you."

"Sometimes it's easy to rely too much on your imagination and think that competition is elementary." Lou Cheng laughed at himself, starting to see where his weaknesses were.

Once more, he got up and adopted a fighting stance, and Li Mao reverted to an old standby. He stepped up and threw a punch, utilizing the power all the way from his feet, past his waist, and up his back, using his backbone as a conduit.

Lou Cheng drew what he had learned from the preceding two lessons. He reached a decision and in a flash lowered his body and threw himself at Li Mao's legs.

Suddenly, he felt a strike on his back, and Li Mao turned his fist into an open palm and pushed down.

Lou Cheng's body was already moving forward with such force that even this gentle push was enough to send him falling to the ground like a dog eating dirt.

"Not bad. You maintained your footwork and made a decision very quickly. It's just that you lack experience, and your ability to adapt to sudden changes is insufficient." As Li Mao commended Lou Cheng, he again held out his hand and pulled him up.

Lou Cheng's mood wasn't sullen. He could see it was evident that improving oneself was a lifetime pursuit. It was important that he had to throw himself into training more intensely, over and over again. As long as he got rid of his earlier surface-level understanding and used the proper footwork and punching techniques, he could gradually become a true fighter.

…

"Class is about to end, one last time." Li Mao could see the electric clock hanging on the wall of the Martial Arts arena.

Lou Cheng nodded, and in his mind went through everything once again, all of the previous lessons and training, seeing if there was any first strike that he could pull off.

He stood with his legs firm and focused his energy on his Jindan, half entering the Remain in One state of meditation, paying attention to his body's subtle responses while at the same time maintaining his focus on Li Mao.

Li Mao grinned at Lou Cheng's seriousness, and once again rushed forward.

Lou Cheng's body pivoted, shifting his center of balance to the right side. Afterward, he abruptly reached out, tightening up his abdominal muscles into a tight strand, and once again quickly adjusted his center of gravity, changing directions to the left side.

Alternating his step, he dodged Li Mao's fist. Then Li Mao's right kick headed toward his left side, which left an opening.

An opportunity!

Li Mao's right foot still had not withdrawn, and his balance wasn't steady, this truly was an opportunity!

Lou Cheng leaned toward Li Mao, lowered his shoulder, and copying Chen Changhua from yesterday, pushed his foot forward. With the power of an ox, he shoved himself at the enemy.

Li Mao saw this and in a flurry with the help of his right foot kicked out, jumped back a step, and then using both hands in the Apparent Close Up method, blocked the move.

Bang!

Lou Cheng hit his opponent, but could only knock Li Mao back a single step. Lou Cheng was then grabbed on the shoulder by Li Mao's palm. Stretching out his left foot, Li Mao bogged Lou Cheng down and threw him to the ground.

Bam!

Lou Cheng fell to the ground, but his face was filled with joy instead of pain, for he had performed the previous move perfectly.

"Hey now, this is the first time during sparring that a newbie nearly made a Senior Brother like me fall like a Shipwreck in a Ditch," Li Mao grinned, coming up and offering his hand to Lou Cheng. "It's just that you still don't have enough power, and couldn't break my balance."

Lou Cheng clapped the dust off himself and said with a smile, "The main thing is that Senior Brother has used this move too much, so I was able to come up with a few ideas."

While he had started training quite a while ago, it was evident there was always room to improve, as Brother Li Mao seemingly also had not found his way to utilize the Yin-Yang Stance technique.

"Class dismissed, everyone go home. Be sure to talk to your mothers." At this time, Geezer Shi's whistled sharply and yelled out, "Remember to be on time tomorrow."

"Alright, let's go hit the showers and head back." Li Mao pointed at Lin Que, who had just entered the locker room.

In a Martial Arts Club, the locker room was a hallowed place. Only if you had proper qualifications, were you permitted to enter and use the facilities. Lou Cheng would not be able to enter if he hadn't participated in the special training.

–Each kind of Martial Arts Club was set up through school funding, so regardless of whether it was the exercise area or a strength training gymnasium, they were open to all of the school's teachers and students. The locker room was the only exception, which was kept from unauthorized persons. Of course, although the exercise area and strength training gymnasium were open to the public, they also had time restrictions, and one must try not to disturb the Martial Arts Club member's physical training.

After the practice was over, Lou Cheng didn't want to stay too close to Li Mao. He turned his head toward Yan Zheke, and saw that she had gotten acquainted with Guo Qing and was heading toward the locker room amusedly. Around them, quite a few male classmates stared at them like hungry lions eyeing their prey, but didn't dare approach them.

No wonder Casanova had said when he first approached her that he'd already surpassed 80% of his rivals – 80% of them didn't even dare make the first move and only stared from afar, playing out all kinds of dramas and emotions in their minds.

Giving Li Mao a hint, Lou Cheng quickened his pace and caught up with Yan Zheke and Guo Qing. Pretending to be out of breath he said, "Hey, what's up? How was the practice?"

Only ten members had come to the special training. Guo Qing had seen Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke together earlier, so she just gazed at them happily instead of feeling surprised. As for Li Mao, standing behind Lou Cheng, he shook his head and sighed at the fact that men nowadays would always put women above all else, and slowly headed toward the men's locker room not far away.

Yan Zheke pursed her lips and said with a smile. "I'm okay. You're the one who's not doing so well! We saw you being beaten that whole time."

"Ah yeah, it was my first time doing pair exercise, so I got a bit flustered." In the middle of talking, Lou Cheng suddenly frowned his eyebrows. Now that he thought about it, he could feel that his body had all kinds of aches and pains, almost certainly caused by the bumps and bruises he'd gotten during the training a moment ago.

"It certainly looks that way," Yan Zheke said with a crooked smile. "Are you sore all over?"

"Yes." Lou Cheng replied honestly.

"And you don't have any ointment for those bruises?" Yan Zheke pursed her lips and said with a smile.

"Indeed I don't." Lou Cheng nodded in honesty.

Yan Zheke lifted her chin slightly and looked around. "I just knew you men wouldn't remember to bring these kinds of things. You only remember them when you need them."

"Hey, how else could we call ourselves tough guys?" Lou Cheng laughed.

Yan Zheke burst into a laugh, which highlighted her internal charm, and said, "Wait a moment, I just happen to have an extra jar of ointment, which is produced by a distinguished martial arts family. Your bruises will be gone by tomorrow."

"Okay, cool!" Lou Cheng suddenly and unexpectedly was over the moon with joy.

Watching Yan Zheke and Guo Qing enter the women's locker room, Lou Cheng had an urge to start singing. He proudly laughed and laughed…

Grinning from ear to ear, he suddenly felt something was off, as if there was a mysterious gaze staring at him in the surroundings.

Turning around, he realized they were the boys who didn't dare to strike up a conversation earlier.

Hehe… only relying on cordiality would get someone so far. "In two days it might not even be worth coming to the special training…" Lou Cheng criticized them internally.

A few minutes later, Yan Zheke came out holding a dark brown glass jar and handed it to Lou Cheng. "Apply this anywhere there's a bruise, and then rub the area for about five minutes."

Taking the ointment, Lou Cheng deliberately and with an exaggerated tone said, "Thank you, thank you, I'm not worthy of classmate Yan Zheke's benevolence!"

Yan Zheke waved her hand. "No need to thank me, that'll be 30 yuan."

"Eh?" Lou Cheng suddenly stopped, his face frozen.

Yan Zheke smiled again and her eyes lit up, "Just kidding! You're so gullible, haha!"

Her smile was infectious, and Lou Cheng didn't feel awkward. After a few moments of chit-chatting, they both parted ways and went back to their respective locker rooms.

The locker room was quite big. Just inside the entrance, there were three metal benches leaning against the wall. They were meant for Martial Arts Club members to relax and chat, setting up in rows for competitions, as well as a place for discussing the competition. On the corresponding wall, there were dozens of lockers. Lin Que, Chen Changhua, and amateur rank members who were undergoing special training all had their dedicated lockers. As for Lou Cheng, he had to wait to use a shelf which no one was using at the moment.

Passing through this area, you could see individual partitions, and in between each partition, there was a row of showers, each with a small shelf where you could hang your clothes and place shampoo as well as other products. On the farthest end, there were three squat toilets installed.

As the splashing sounds of the showers carried on, Lou Cheng chose a shower stall and was about to enter, but then Lin Que came from the side, scrubbing his hair as he moved forward.

Lou Cheng reflexively nodded his head to greet him. Lin Que also nodded his head slightly but said nothing.

"Lin Que doesn't seem to be that imposing…" Lou Cheng shook his head, entered the shower, removed his clothes and turned the faucet.

Not having to go to the school's washroom and line up… was great!

When he finished washing up, he took the jar of ointment and was unable to stop himself from smiling as he started to apply it.

…

In the evening, Lou Cheng finished classes and went back to the dormitory. After washing his face, he felt like relaxing a little. He added Cai Zongming, Qin Mo, Tang Wen, and Qiu Zhigao together in an online group and they played a fighting game together. As he lay on the bed, he again messaged Yan Zheke and chatted for a while he waited for his turn. The whole day had gone so perfectly!

In the midst of all this entertainment, his phone suddenly rang. As he took it out to look, he could see it was an unfamiliar number.

"Who's this?" Lou Cheng answered it hesitantly.

"Hey, Lou Cheng, you should be in bed. Get ready to go to sleep." A deep, raspy voice came through.

"Ugh… yep… it's Geezer Shi…" Lou Cheng thought to himself. "Alright, got it."

"Damn, even calling to monitor when I go to sleep!"

"This day just wouldn't end!"

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Chapter 14: Little Lou Cheng's Good at Running

Translator: Transn Editor: Transn

Hanging up the phone, Lou Cheng gnashed his teeth angrily. Only when he recalled all his ambitions for his future training did he tear himself away from the game with his willpower. Under the pretext of his computer crashing, he shouted out a few words of rage curses.

As he climbed into bed, there were still 10 minutes left until the time Geezer Shi said he had to go to bed. Lou Cheng sighed, took out his phone, opened QQ, and clicked on the dialog box with Yan Zheke. "It's been an exhausting day. I feel like a dog about to die lying on this bed."

"Woof woof woof," Yan Zheke replied with three words.

Lou Cheng couldn't help laughing. "Are you tired too?"

"I'm the one who chose to do special training, I shall finish this even if it's on my knees." Yan Zheke sent a cute emoji of a pair of hands poking someone's waist.

"Of course, we shall at least be able to get through this semester," Lou Cheng didn't dare boast and instead said. "I didn't realize that you are so much different online from the one in real life. That 'woof woof woof' message really cracked me up."

As he spoke, he sent an emoji crying with laughter.

Yan Zheke sent a blushing emoji. "I don't give too much thought about idol burden."

He was having so much fun that Lou Cheng talked until 10:30 without noticing. Using every last ounce of willpower he had, he said goodnight to Yan Zheke. With his mind full of hope, he fell into a deep sleep in hope and dream.

The next day, the alarm clock went off as scheduled and Lou Cheng woke up with a start. He quickly reached out and dismissed the alarm, afraid that he would disturb his roommates.

"If it weren't for the fact that the new campus was located in the middle of nowhere and there was no way to rent an apartment, he would move out in an instant. That way he wouldn't have to worry about disturbing others." This thought flashed through Lou Cheng's mind as he crawled out of bed. He first splashed his face with cold water, clearing his head, and then changed into his third pair of exercise clothes, which was also his last pair. It was late autumn and his first pair was still wet, thus it would be necessary for him to buy a new pair to meet the need.

Lou Cheng finished brushing his teeth, grabbed the keys that Geezer Shi had given him, and tiptoed out of the room and through the passageway. Under the dim light of the street lamps he opened the dormitory entrance, and through mist so silent you could hear a pin drop, slowly jogged toward the lake he had gone to yesterday.

Even though it was a few minutes before 5:50 when he arrived at the lake, Geezer Shi was already waiting there, with a parked bicycle at his side.

Master arrived even earlier than I did… Lou Cheng suddenly felt a bit of appreciation and ran toward him to give him a salute.

"Not bad, didn't have to call you and tell you to hurry up." Geezer Shi smirked. "Before teaching you any more stance training, let's do some long-distance running."

"Long-distance running?" Lou Cheng asked with suspicion. He was lost in thought, "As the Jindan helps me recover from fatigue, is there any point in doing long-distance running?"

Geezer Shi took out a cigarette and started smoking. "Even if it's during the body refining period, relying on punches, the power of the muscles themselves and footwork is enough during a competition; one important thing about Danqi that you must remember is that it's not just about your physical Qi, instead, it's about your mind as well and all of the body systems being in perfect harmonious balance. Your physical strength, willpower, and muscles must be all working as one complete and perfectly coordinated system. Respond to any agitation as Dadan (the great Dan realm). If one lacks endurance, it will be tough for him to reach this kind of realm with the human body.

"Why in ordinary martial arts schools, high school Martial Arts Clubs, College Martial Arts Clubs, and normal martial arts classrooms, so few people can obtain the Danqi state, no matter how good their stance training is?" Geezer Shi made a short pause after his rhetorical question but continued, "It's for lack of knowledge. Hey, don't think that what I'm saying is too simple. One word of simple advice is more valuable than all those old wordy textbooks that go on and on."

"I understand," Lou Cheng said with a twinge of embarrassment. "But do I really have to run?"

Master's words had a lot of truth to them, but as the Jindan helped him to recover from weariness, would it be possible to improve his endurance under these circumstances?

Geezer Shi tsk-tsked and said, "You mustn't be afraid of difficulties, hardship, or strain. Every strong warrior has come through this way. Relax, Master will stand by your side and take care of you."

He added with a sly grin, "Of course, in my old age, my body has already become somewhat feeble. I don't have quite that much energy in the morning. You run, I'll ride the bicycle."

He patted the handles bars of the bike, quite pleased with himself.

"Do we have to run?" Lou Cheng hesitated and looked sincerely at Geezer Shi.

"Get going! How can someone so young be afraid of getting tired! " Geezer Shi's face twisted.

…

After some time, while Lou Cheng's face wasn't red and he wasn't out of breath as he ran ahead, Geezer Shi began to lag farther and farther behind as he pedaled his bicycle. Gasping for breath, he slammed the pedals, his lungs sucking air in and out like a bellows.

"Stop you little brat! Stop! Do you want to kill your master or what?!"

Lou Cheng stopped, restrained himself from laughing, and deliberately pretended to gasp for breath as he watched Geezer Shi go through hell and high water to catch up.

"You… what'd you eaten while growing up? You should practice long-distance running instead of martial arts!" Blurting all of this out in one breath, Geezer Shi huffed and puffed.

"It's… it's just that… master, you made me run…" Lou Cheng said, his eyes filled with innocence.

However, this time the long distance running had also reaped some rewards. Compared to before, his endurance had obviously improved. It wasn't like the first day he used the Jindan, where he'd been out of breath just after jogging for a short while and needed to recharge. Today he'd run a long distance several times that of the previous run.

In other words, when it came to recovering from fatigue the Jindan wouldn't influence his own body's ability to improve endurance. Not only that, but due to it's effect, his body's endurance now far exceeded what was normal!

Thinking about this, Lou Cheng could hardly contain the smile on his face.

A while later, Geezer Shi at last drew out a breath and said with a glare on his face. "You can't stop long distance running in the future, but do it yourself. Don't be lazy!"

Finishing the talk, he brought Lou Cheng to a secluded area nearby, and went over the Thunder Sect's Lightning and Fire Stance and Ice Sect's Condensation Stance again in detail. The former attached importance to the bodies punching speed, whereas the latter refined the senses, improved ones attention, and enhanced the body's reaction time and hand-eye coordination, which could be incorporated into the Yin-Yang Stance. In addition, he covered the power of one's punches, long distance running training, footwork exercises, thus forming a complete body refining system.

According to what Geezer Shi had said, he could take the Thunder Sect's Lightning and Fire Stance and switch it for the Ice Sect's Condensation Stance. While it couldn't be said that the practice was necessarily more effective, it was at least more suitable for someone like Lou Cheng, who had already missed the optimal time to train.

Lou Cheng invested a lot of effort into stance training, and the benefits that came with it were obvious to see. He was naturally concentrated and single-minded, not at all complacent. Continuing his training he became even more hardworking, except for Thursdays, when he had no class to attend and would allow himself to relax, his mind racing and buzzing.

On Friday night, Lou Cheng got back to the dormitory, carrying his backpack over his shoulder. He hadn't yet entered the room when he heard loud talking and laughter inside.

"What could be going on that was that exciting?" He opened the door and saw Cai Zongming sitting in his place.

"Did you forget? Today was our little social meetup with the girls' dormitory. Model Worker," Zhang Jingye replied with a smile.

"Ah, how did it go?" Although he didn't want to go himself, Lou Cheng was very interested and listened closely to their recap.

Cai Zongming grinned and said. "Cheng, if I set my mind on something, is it even possible to fail?"

"That's right, we all were considering giving Casanova another nickname. You should have seen it, he took total control of the atmosphere. Every time he opened his mouth, the girls just couldn't stop laughing. For this kind of person, we think that all of his best attributes are based on that mouth of his." The dormitory leader Zhao Qiang grinned from ear to ear. "Therefore, in accordance with the Battle of Kings Rank and Title Conventions, we intend to call him Talker!"

"Are you guys praising me or insulting me?" Cai Zongming seemed to be very satisfied with the nickname.

"Not bad, come forth Talker and bow your head to the group of perverts," Lou Cheng teased, wiggling his eyebrows. "You all can't get away with that, I'm asking how the social meetup went?"

"Not bad!" Old Qiu hurled out these two words as if he'd been holding them in all day.

Cai Zongming grinned. "It wasn't bad, there was a beautiful girl, really beautiful girl."

"Yeah, yeah! Zhuang Xiaojun is really pretty. She's pretty if she's wearing glasses, and pretty if she's not wearing them," Zhang Jingye chimed in. "It's a shame, I've heard Guo Qing say that she already has a boyfriend."

"Not a boyfriend, just a suitor, more like suitor," Zhao Qiang retorted.

Lou Cheng faltered. "Guo Qing?"

Why did this name sound so familiar?

"Yes, the same Guo Qing from the martial arts club, the one who's with you together in special training. It's quite a coincidence, even predestined!" Cai Zongming grinned. "She seems to have taken a fancy to Old Qiu."

"Bah, no way!" The stocky Qiu Zhigao quickly denied.

"I also have that feeling. She's always looking for Old Qiu to ask about this and ask about that. Her figure would go really well with yours!" Zhao Qiang said in approval.

Zhang Jingye also said. "Old Qiu, you can't deny that when we were talking with Pan Xue, she also said Guo Qing was pretty interested in you."

"Old Qiu, just strut your stuff afterward when we have the next dormitory social meetup and our two dorms will become more inseparable. There will be more opportunities for Qiang and Model Worker to get in touch with Zhuang Xiaojun as well." Cai Zongming made a joke. Zhao Qiang and Zhang Jingye roared with laughter.

Old Qiu looked toward Lou Cheng helplessly. "Cheng, they're so crazy about girls that they can't think straight, only you can redress the scales!"

Hmm… Guo Qing and Yan Zheke's relationship seemed to be progressing quite well… Lou Cheng suppressed a smile as he spoke with passion.

"Old Qiu, you're right about that!"

"Give me a break!" Old Qiu said with feigned anger as he laughed.

Careful not to overdo it, Lou Cheng turned his head and changed the subject. "Guo Qing, Zhuang Xiaojun, and there's still two other girls, right? Pan Xue?"

"Yes, there's one called Pan Xue, and one called You Fangfang. You Fangfang is a bit introverted. She looks…. um… pretty plain," Cai Zongming said. "Pan Xue is really petite, pretty lively and easy to get along with, and looks really cute."

"But she has a boyfriend," Zhang Jingye interrupted, "some… some student from Southern Asia."

"Ah, in our school?" Lou Cheng asked.

"Yes, these Southern Asian students smell like hell. Every time I run into them I want to pinch my nose. I don't know what Pan Xue sees in him." Zhao Qiang sighed.

Old Qiu then said, "Guo Qing said they met each other through English Corner."

"Gah, English Corner is the kind of place that was made for that kind of stuff!" Zhao Qiang said angrily.

"Just like that… our best girl, damn English Corner…" Zhang Jingye and Old Qiu chimed in.

Just then, Zhao Qiang suddenly jumped up, started flipping through his book and started to head out.

"Hey, Qiang, where are you going?" Cai Zongming and Lou Cheng asked simultaneously, with their faces showing confusion.

Zhao Qiang turned back and nodded confidently.

"There's still time. I'm going to English Corner to practice my English."

Pfft… Lou Cheng nearly did a spit take.

"Qiang, you become a rebel under cover of honest look with big eyes and bushy eyebrows!"

As the laughter died down, Zhao Qiang's cheeks became red.

Just then, Lou Cheng's phone rang.

Taking it out and seeing that it was a call from Geezer Shi, Lou Cheng gloomily thought surely it wouldn't be him again urging him to sleep?

"Hello." As there were other people in the dorm, he didn't say master.

On the other end, Geezer Shi said directly, "Order yourself a train ticket to Pingjiang tomorrow night at 7 o'clock. There's only one train at that time."

"Eh?!" Lou Cheng was baffled. "Pingjiang?"

"Yes, Pingjiang City, Shanbei Province." Geezer Shi's voice was deep and foreboding. "Don't ask why. Wait for me tomorrow at the train station at 6:30 p.m."

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Chapter 15: He Continues Like This

Translator: Transn Editor: Transn

As he hung up the phone, Lou Cheng felt as if his head was foggy. How could Geezer Shi want him to go to Pingjiang even without giving him a hint?

One concerning notion after another rushed through his brain. "Human trafficking? Pyramid sellers?

Could it be that Geezer Shi has another 'part-time job'? Is it dangerous to do this?"

Cai Zongming saw Lou Cheng's worried expression and patted him on the shoulder. "Hey! Cheng, let's go have a smoke."

Thinking for a while, Lou Cheng followed him outside. Arriving at the patio, he rested his hands on the railing and looked down at the courtyard of the 7th dormitory building, where so many students were coming and going. Some of them carried thermoses or backpacks, and others held midnight snacks. Some were young couples in love, and outside the main gate under the gaze of the dormitory guard, they stared at one another longingly, hesitating to part ways.

Songcheng University's dormitory buildings formed their miniature kind of neighborhood. Four units perfectly surrounded the courtyard, which contained flower terraces, street lamps, and ping pong tables. Lou Cheng's building, Unit 2, just happened to face the main entrance directly.

"What's wrong, Cheng, something on your mind?" Cai Zongming took out a cigarette and stuck it in his mouth, but didn't light it.

Yesterday Lou Cheng had explained to his roommates that he was going to give up smoking. Cai Zongming thought this was ridiculous, but when he brought it up to his girlfriend while video chatting with her, she'd forced him also to quit smoking, saying that he should follow Lou Cheng's example.

Lou Cheng decided to reveal a little bit. "Casanova, um, forget it. Better call you Talker, so you don't reminisce too much. Remember when I signed up for the Martial Arts Club special training? Half the reason was to pursue Yan Zheke, which you know. But the other half was that while standing in the Yin-Yang Stance I discovered I was able to reach the Remain in One Meditation. Afterward, Geezer Shi noticed this and prepared to train me."

Cai Zongming smirked, "Cheng, stop boasting. You and I can still be good friends."

"Really." Lou Cheng did his best to show sincerity in his eyes.

Cai Zongming stared at him, "Really?"

"Really!" Lou Cheng's tone was full of confidence.

"Well done! Cheng, I couldn't tell!" Cai Zongming knew what kind of person Lou Cheng was and at last was convinced that it was true. He slapped Lou Cheng on his shoulder and said with a laugh, "Don't forget me when you've hit the big time. If you become the backbone of the Martial Arts Club afterward, I'm sure my status will increase twofold. It looks like some things that they say are true, even foolish people with simple minds can easily enter meditation."

"Can't you say something a little more pleasant?"

Cai Zongming glanced at him. "Yes! Yes! Yes! You can't judge a book by its cover after all. I didn't realize I was in the presence of a major celebrity. Brother Lou Cheng, no, Uncle Cheng, allow me to grovel at your feet!" Cai Zongming said dramatically.

As the two boys laughed, Lou Cheng continued to say, "Just now, Geezer Shi gave me a mysterious phone call. He asked me to reserve a train ticket and go with him to Pingjiang tomorrow night."

"Pingjiang?" Cai Zongming asked unknowingly, "The capital of Shanbei province?"

"Yes, I have no idea what we're going there for, so I'm a bit uneasy." Lou Cheng sighed.

"Geezer Shi was personally invited by the headmaster, so it shouldn't be a problem. Furthermore, Cheng, you're not terribly handsome, don't have any unique talents, and certainly aren't rich. So why would he bother to trick you? Perhaps it could be a University martial arts meeting of some sort. After all, Shanbei University is in Pingjiang," Cai Zongming said caustically to Lou Cheng.

"That makes sense," Lou Cheng nodded his head.

Could it be that Geezer Shi simply wanted to observe the condition of last year's Shanbei University's Martial Arts Association champions, and he was bringing his protege along so that he could write the travel off as a public expense?

But then why did he have to pay for his own ticket…

Seeing Lou Cheng relaxing a bit, Cai Zongming changed the topic and with a dirty smile said, "I've heard there're a few perverted old geezers who go because their bodies are too old. Since they can't become young again, they're gay for little kids or young boys bodies. It's all a pretext to try and relive their youth again. What do you think, would Geezer Shi…"

"Pfft!" Lou Cheng wanted to throw up at what Cai Zongming had described, but in his heart, a slight more fear and worry were aroused.

What if?

It was a one in a million chance, but who knew?

Cai Zongming convulsed with laughter and afterward said with a devilish grin, "However, you don't have to be worried, Cheng. Even if Geezer Shi is a pervert, his target should be Lin Que, me or someone else who is talented and good-looking. He wouldn't fancy you."

"Thanks for the consolation!" Lou Cheng said, gnashing his teeth in anger.

Being interrupted by Cai Zongming like this, he recovered a better mood. He used the remaining hot water in the pitcher to wash his face and soak his feet. After brushing his teeth, he headed to the bed and didn't dare open his computer, afraid that he would be enticed by Cai Zongming and wouldn't want to sleep as a result.

Lying on the bed, Lou Cheng took out his phone and clicked his QQ directly, not even lingering on the forum.

"I've got some gossip for you," Lou Cheng sent a smiling emoji to Yan Zheke.

After a dozen of seconds, Yan Zheke replied, "What gossip? About high school?"

"No! No! When I got out of class and back to the dorm, I found out that the guys had a social meetup with the girl's dorm of the Department of Chinese Language and Literature, Guo Qing's dorm!" Lou Cheng spoke deliberately, obscurely indicating that he hadn't participated in the social meetup.

Yan Zheke sent a Doge emoji. "What a coincidence! How did you all meet up with Guo Qing's dorm?"

"Old Qiu from our dorm saw that someone had written a phone number from a girl's dorm asking for a social meetup on top of a desk in a classroom. They were afraid it was a practical joke, so they changed the last few numbers and used the number 32 from our dorm number 302 as their lucky number to replace. It turned out to be Guo Qing's dorm across from us." Lou Cheng told the entire story from beginning to end.

"Both your dorms seem to be destined to be together. They agreed to a social meetup just like that?" Yan Zheke asked in excitement.

Lou Cheng replied with a snickering emoji. "It could be that freshmen have all just entered school. Everything seems fresh and exciting to them, and they're also interested in trying this kind of random social meetup. Once they're sophomores and become more sophisticated, it'll be more difficult."

"Maybe." Yan Zheke sent an emoji deep in contemplation, both hands resting on its chin. "If our dorm came across this, I'm pretty sure we'd also agree. It sounds fascinating and funny."

"That's right. Rumor has it that Guo Qing fancies Old Qiu from our dorm!" Lou Cheng revealed the gossip.

"Oh?" Yan Zheke sent an emoji with two eyes wide open. "Really?"

"That's what they say, all the guys in our dorm feel that way. All the roommates in their dorm secretly say the same as well." Lou Cheng didn't dare confirm.

"Wow!" Yan Zheke replied with lightning speed, "What kind of guy is Old Qiu? I need to help Qing check this out!"

"He's got a big and strong build and matches well with Guo Qing's. He's also a pretty straightforward person and easy to get along with. I figure he's half brainiac…" Lou Cheng's gave his own impression of Old Qiu.

Of course, as a roommate, Old Qiu was always sharing things, which was a benefit for everyone. It was just that sometimes the things he shared weren't always to everyone's taste.

Going in this way, the two of them talked happily and before they knew, it was 10:30 pm. Fighting through his own heartache, Lou Cheng reluctantly said good night to Yan Zheke, saying he was too occupied and exhausted because of the special training and class every day.

…

During pair exercise, Geezer Shi announced that today's special training and Saturday's martial arts lesson ended, and Sunday's special training would be postponed until 9 o'clock because he had business to attend to.

This news immediately drew out a cheer. The members who had joined special training exclaimed that they could finally sleep in for an extra hour.

After several days of "torment", a few freshmen students had dropped out from the special training and only two left hanging on. But from Lou Cheng's perspective, he wouldn't see them next week.

Just then, he saw Yan Zheke and Guo Qing voluntarily coming toward him side by side, seemingly more acquainted with him than several days ago.

"Cheng, right? It turns out that we had joined the social meetup with your dorm." As if holding a meeting, Guo Qing got straight to the point and said bluntly, "It feels like a coincidence. That's right, why didn't you join?"

"I had stuff going on back then, so I let Little Ming… uh… Cai Zongming replace me." Lou Cheng glanced at Yan Zheke and saw that her expression was just as accusatory.

With no more questions to ask, Guo Qing started to speak, "Most of us are members of the Martial Arts Club, and also come from the dorms involved in the social meetup; it does seem to be predestined. Also, it was delightful to talk yesterday evening, so we should schedule another one. Next weekend or two weeks from now, should our two dorms go mountain hiking, then perhaps go out to have fun at the karaoke? Or maybe find a place where we could have a barbecue?"

This girl was quite outspoken with quite an executive ability… Lou Cheng hesitated for a moment and didn't directly answer, trying to think of a certain excuse to get away from it.

In addition, he really should discuss this with Old Qiu, Qiang, and Model Worker, and shouldn't rush into a decision on his own. However, seeing their praise for Zhuang Xiaojun, he thought they would absolutely insist on going.

While he was hesitating, Guo Qing turned her head and looked at Yan Zheke. "Cai Zongming was there yesterday, it wouldn't be good not to invite him next time. If we add Cheng, then there would be five boys. Although it doesn't matter that the girls are fewer in number, you and Cheng are old classmates and you two are so familiar with each other, so, how about going together?"

Yan Zheke got interested and said, "Sure! It'll be my first social meetup."

"Then it's decided! Next weekend or the weekend after we'll have another social meetup!" Lou Cheng replied decisively.

As for Qiang and Little Ming? Their opinions could be ignored!

Guo Qing's face showed her happiness. "Good, we can go back and check out the timetable of each one, to find out which day is most suitable."

This chat was to everyone's satisfaction.

…

When it came to asking for another social meetup between the dorms, a young male with raging hormones naturally wouldn't have any hesitations in agreeing, and Cai Zongming was also abundantly interested in any similar activities.

Saturday afternoon was the rare period in which Lou Cheng could relax. Skimming through forums, reading novels, talking with Yan Zheke and playing online games with other roommates who hadn't gone outside, he felt more relaxed and satisfied than he had in a long time.

When it was 5 o'clock, he put some clean clothes in his bag and went outside to take a bus toward the city center. Afterward, he booked a car online to take him to the train station.

"Fortunately, mom gave me 800 more yuan this month. Otherwise, I definitely wouldn't have enough money…" Lou Cheng followed the tides of people, hastening his step as he got through the security check and felt for his wallet.

Arriving next to the ticket checking counter, it'd just become 6 o'clock. Lou Cheng chatted idly on QQ and forums while he waited for Geezer Shi to arrive.

At 6:40, Geezer Shi approached, wearing an old-fashioned DIY T-shirt. Impressed, he said,

"Not bad, very punctual."

In the early morning when training, Lou Cheng was very focused and hadn't asked more questions about having to go to Pingjiang. Now seeing Geezer Shi, Cai Zongming's previous talk about perverts flashed through his mind, and he involuntarily moved back a step to create some distance.

"What are you looking at?" Geezer Shi looked at him suspiciously.

"No… nothing, just curious what we're going to Pingjiang for," Lou Cheng stammered. He cursed Zongming in his mind, "Son of a bitch, it's all because of that nonsense Little Ming said, it's making me all confused!"

"When the time comes, I'll let you know." Geezer Shi didn't seem to be too concerned.

As their tickets were inspected and they got on the train to sit down, Lou Cheng was anxious and restless. He felt uneasy, and every time he asked a question, Geezer Shi would only answer with a short sentence.

Fortunately, their two tickets were not in the same carriage. He sighed in relief.

It took only one and a half hour from Songcheng to Pingjiang. Before Lou Cheng had the chance to sleep much, they arrived at the long-established provincial capital.

As they sat in the taxi, Lou Cheng realized unsurprisingly that Geezer Shi's destination was Shanbei University. He relaxed a bit, but once again braced himself as the two of them walked into a small guesthouse-type hotel.

If there were two beds in a standard room, one room… Lou Cheng could feel himself becoming more nervous.

"Two rooms." Geezer Shi took out money and his ID.

Hearing these words, Lou Cheng finally relaxed and in his mind cursed Cai Zongming for talking such rubbish before!

"Get up at the same time tomorrow." Before entering his room, Geezer Shi gave this instruction.

Later that night, Lou Cheng could occasionally hear lung rattling coughs next door. The next morning he got up at 5:40 and after he finished washing up, he left the hotel together with Geezer Shi and entered the campus of Shanbei University.

Arriving in a corner of the large sports field, Geezer Shi observed for a moment and pointed to a group of boys training in the distance.

"Can you see that person?"

Lou Cheng strained his eyes. Through the darkness that still immersed Shanbei University, under an apricot tree with yellow leaves falling, he could see there was a boy in a white martial arts suit in the process of boxing training. Due to the time of day, it was quite dark, so he couldn't see his appearance clearly. But from his punches and kicks alone, he was able to perceive his high martial arts level.

"I see him," he replied in confusion.

Had they come to Pingjiang just for this guy?

Geezer Shi chuckled. "He's called Peng Leyun. He entered Shanbei University last year. At that time he already had access to the Dadan and the Qi Arising from within the Body state. He's a Professional Eighth Rank. He defeated the Martial Arts Club manager and guided Shanbei University through to the semifinals, and became the champion of the National University Martial Arts Competition.

"He's Peng Leyun?" Lou Cheng had seen this name quite a few times on online forums. He'd never thought that there'd be a day when he'd see him in person.

This man was said to be a genius amongst geniuses, among the top three most outstanding geniuses.

Geezer Shi nodded his head faintly. "He's the inheritor of the Shangqing Sect and the martial nephew of the Qian 'Warrior Sage' Donglou. Ever since his childhood, he had been prone to reflecting and often said 'Martial arts shall follow the laws of nature, and what is nature? It's Physics and Biology.' So last year he shocked everyone by entering Shanbei University's Physics Department.

"As your teacher, bringing you here is just to let you have a look at this kind of true genius, at his background and identity. In martial arts, there's no room for the slightest bit of slacking off. Even if he ordinarily wants to have fun, go out to clubs, play games… every day at 5:30 he'll start on time. No matter which day you come, you'll always see him. Look, right now as we stand here planning, just as always you can see his silhouette.

"A genius like him still works that hard. Do you really think that you can surpass them without more pain and hardships?"

Lou Cheng first was astounded at Peng Leyun's background but was gradually shaken by Geezer Shi's words. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, if he'd been able to prepare himself mentally beforehand, this kind of scene may not have had such a strong effect on him. By devising this temporary scheme, coming to Shanbei and seeing Peng Leyun rise at 5 a.m. as he always had, pouring his blood sweat and tears into his training, giving it everything that he had, you couldn't help but have your spirit shaken.

In this comparison, there was also clarity!

This was a true genius. Yet he continued like this, what did that say about himself?

"You see it, you understand it, then let's go back." Geezer Shi turned around and started to leave, his hands behind his back.

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Chapter 16: Proficient in Basic Moves

Translator: Transn Editor: Transn

After the trip to Pingjiang, Lou Cheng found himself at peace all of a sudden. It was the real inner peace. He used to struggle with his daily training and was close to giving up, were it not for his perseverance. When his effort was paid back with progress, his mind grew firmer and stronger but still he was hoping for quick success. He was doing this to reach the Professional Ninth Pin level within two years, to win Yan Zheke's heart, and to build a bright future.

Such eagerness could be the drive for his hardcore training in a short term. However, once he fell on a setback or his improvement didn't meet his expectation, dismay and gloominess would return double to wound his heart and bring unpredictable consequences.

An old saying taught the ordinary to guard against pride and haste. He had nothing to be arrogant or audacious for but his heart was filled with conceit and impetuosity.

A calm mind created peace. Lou Cheng gradually integrated training into his daily life. Gentle and composed yet determined, even his temperament became quite different. Amazed by his changes, Cai Zongming often teased. "Was Cheng played by the casting couch? How come his entire temperament is different now?"

In front of his banter, Lou Cheng calmly responded. "Come here and I'll kick your ass."

Two weeks flew by and Lou Cheng felt his Yin-Yang Stance, Thunder and Fire Stance and Condensation Stance had broken through a difficult point and entered a brand new level. The coordination of his body was smoother, his explosive force within two to three bouts was significantly greater, his concentration and calmness during combat practice were improved, and he even perfected his near-sighted eyes to feel the gaze of others.

When another Saturday morning training came close to the end at twelve o'clock, Li Mao wiped the smile off his face and spoke with solemnity.

"Cheng, one last round."

Lou Cheng got ready for his senior brother in sophomore year to grant feint training after a gentle nod.

Different from the direct attack on the vital part two weeks ago, Li Mao approached Lou Cheng from the left in one smooth step. His right hand in the form of a palm blade swung at Cheng's neck at an angle.

Lou Cheng raised his left arm in a leisurely manner and blocked Li Mao's palm. Before Lou Cheng could retaliate, Li Mao took another smooth step and moved to behind him.

As soon as Li Mao's foot touched the floor, Lou Cheng suddenly plucked back with his leg as if he had been waiting for this move.

"Excellent!" Li Mao praised while taking another step to dodge this kick. he moved swiftly around Lou Cheng like a dragon and dealt a series of strikes.

At this point, Lou Cheng no longer needed studious intent to remain between the focusing on one status and equilibrium. He was watching his rival with close attention while keeping his head cool to make quick moves upon Li Mao's attacks. His body was guarded securely with ease despite Li Mao's Swimming Body Palm strikes.

After a few bouts into the match, Li Mao's footwork changed all of a sudden. He approached Lou Cheng abruptly and threw a blast punch after a stride forward. His punch went with great power as if it could break a mountain open, sending out the sound of wind.

Lou Cheng turned sideways to avoid frontal confrontation. However, Li Mao already had one foot ready to plant between Lou Cheng's legs, which could be used as the fulcrum for his throwing techniques and doubled as a restriction on Cheng's footwork. It would be difficult for Lou Cheng to pull strength without falling.

Seeing this situation, hundreds of ideas and possible counterattack moves flashed across Lou Cheng's mind but he made up his mind instantly with no hesitation. Li Mao took one step forward, and Lou Cheng fell back one step as well. As Li Mao advanced step, another one Lou Cheng drew back.

One advanced while the other retreated. The distance between the pair remained pretty much the same as they moved in the form of dance.

Li Mao breathed out and quit advancing. He resumed his sliding steps to force his way up close. As forces traveled up from his feet to pull his waist and back, Li Mao punched quickly with both hands in turn.

Lou Cheng felt under a fierce storm and he could collapse at any second. He knew he could spare no effort but he didn't lose head. Fists, elbows and arms, he blocked with them in turns rhythmically while keeping his footwork under perfect control and holding his body in the status where he could comfortably exert force.

Under this kind of attack, losing control over the footwork or being unable to exert force would soon lead to defeat.

A series of blast punches were dealt with growls and roars. Lou Cheng struggled but fought on. When he lost the sense of time and felt reaching his utmost limit, the sheer pressure suddenly vanished as Li Mao drew back.

He looked up with an expression of vacancy, seeing Li Mao shake his head with a soft chuckle.

"Time is up. Coach has blown the whistle. So this is a tie for the first time."

Lou Cheng breathed a sigh of relief and started to feel sore in his hands. He shook it off and gently smiled. "Thank you, brother, for your mercy."

He was not being modest but speaking the truth. That was a pair exercise so that Li Mao had been holding back and was mainly providing feint training.

"That's not the case. I wouldn't believe you were the same Lou Cheng if I hadn't practiced with you for the last two weeks and experienced your progress daily," said Li Mao with a tinge of emotion. "Two weeks ago you were a mere beginner with barely any fighting experience, slow, weak and obtuse. Look at you now. You are proficient in basic moves."

"Proficient in basic moves…" Lou Cheng reflected on those words and felt joy deep in his heart.

"The comment 'proficient in basic moves', however low it sounds, is actually part of the standard for the Amateur Ninth Pin level," said Li Mao with a gentle smile.

"Brother, you mean I have reached the Amateur Ninth Pin level?" asked Lou Cheng in shock.

"It hasn't even been three weeks and I'm already at the level of Amateur Ninth Pin?"

Li Mao nodded his head. "Being proficient in basic moves means that you can use right moves in combat without messing your footwork, which is enough to help you defeat over 90% of guys who fight merely at will. So, of course, you are at the Amateur Ninth Pin level. He-heh. However, not all martial artists of Amateur Ninth Pin are proficient in basic moves. Some of them win by significant physical superiority during the Ranking Event. They take strikes without actually hurting their body but their fist can easily knock the rival out. For them, getting proficient in martial arts moves and skills seems less important.

"Here I'll have to repeat myself. If I didn't have combat practice with you these days, I would have called my girlfriend to see this miracle. Do you know how long it took me to reach the Amateur Ninth Pin? I started my martial arts training at the age of ten and I didn't pass the ranking event until 15. Well, I didn't practice every day but, hey, five years! And how long did it take you? Three weeks!"

Lou Cheng didn't revel but put on a gentle smile. "This is not the same. Most people pick up martial arts in their formative years. Their strength and physical fitness develop slowly over time and it does take them years to reach adult level. I'm already a grownup and my body has fully developed."

"That's true. But still, you are very talented. What a pity that you missed your best time to learn martial arts!" Li Mao felt sorry for Cheng. He tapped on Cheng's shoulder before making his way to the locker room.

Looking at his back, Lou Cheng reflected on the joy in his heart.

"Only three weeks and I'm at the Amateur Ninth Pin level. Where will I be by the next school term? That's a bit far from now. Right now my noticeably improved abilities, such as explosive force, calmness, concentration, and body coordination, in particular, are not yet fully integrated into my moves and footwork. There seems to be a vague barrier there blocking. Once this barrier is removed and all become one, which Amateur Pin will I be?"

Going through this in his head, Lou Cheng quickly picked up his pace to catch up with Yan Zheke and Guo Qing on their way to the locker room.

"What a beautiful day! God must love us!" said Lou Cheng cheerily.

Taking into consideration everyone's schedule, the social meetup was set for this afternoon. They would gather at 1:30 p.m., spend the afternoon boating and picnicking at Zhaoshan Lake, and have a nice meal together afterward. As Lou Cheng, Yan Zheke and Guo Qing had to get up early the next morning for the special training, evening karaoke was not in their plan.

Yan Zheke wore her hair in a ponytail, cute and energetic. "I've always been pretty lucky with the sun. It never rained on my picnic day all these years. You'd better be grateful!"

Lou Cheng attempted to show his gratitude by asking her out for a meal or buying her some snacks, but Guo Qing ran out of patience and interrupted, "You will see each other soon. What's the rush? You boys are easy. Just another day out. We must get ready and have our hair washed."

Lou Cheng's face was burning a bit. He laughed awkwardly. "I'm going to shower and change. See you this afternoon, then."

"See you," Yan Zheke waved at him with a smile.

Keeping his head from turning back, Lou Cheng went straight into the locker room and sighed quietly.

The relationship between Yan Zheke and him had got better through chatting, greeting, joking and the natural bond between schoolmates. She even began to call him Cheng. However, something seemed missing. Something was preventing them from taking one step further. They were too polite to each other as if a pair of good friends sharing the same study desk in a high school classroom.

What would be the next step?

Lou Cheng went back to the dorm after taking a shower and having lunch. Zhao Qiang, Zhang Jingye and Qiu Zhigao were all busy picking their finest outfit for the afternoon with Cai Zongming's help.

"Who could have guessed you are more than just a talker!" Lou Cheng teased.

Cai Zongming grinned. "It's not really my specialty but they definitely can use some help with clothing. You are the same, single boy."

Lou Cheng took a glance at him and turned back to the bustle. He whispered to Cai Zongming.

"Casanova, is every man with some martial arts skills tempted to act boldly?"

"Yes, the able break rules with martial arts." Cai Zongming looked up and down, putting on a terrified look. "Cheng, don't tell me you are practicing that slogan? You will end up in jail!"

"What's wrong with your head?" Lou Cheng said with a sneer. "I mean… If I knew nothing about martial arts, I would hope for mere safety if I had a chance to go out with Yan Zheke. No illegal taxi. No rogue. No robber. In short, success without a hitch. But now, I'm kinda looking forward to running into a few bad guys, or some brainless rich kids so I can step out to save the beauty."

Instead of refuting, Cai Zongming responded calmly, "Wake up. Your beauty is more skillful than you. Old Qiu is of Amateur Sixth Pin and Guo Qing and I will always be there. It wouldn't be your turn to save the beauty, OK?"

"True…" Lou Cheng's lips twitched.

Well, the classic scenario of a hero saving a beauty was not going to happen…

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Chapter 17: No Flinch for the Real Man

Translator: Transn Editor: Transn

Watching the well-dressed Zhao Qiang walk to the lavatory with hair gel, Lou Cheng suddenly had a panic attack. He could no longer remain calm and free from arrogance and rashness as he did in training.

"Casanova, what clothes should I wear?" he asked with modesty.

Cai Zongming crossed his arms in front of his chest and answered with his nose in the air. "Now you come to me! Would you dare to go in your martial arts suit!"

Before Lou Cheng reached out his hands to Cai Zongming's neck, he continued. "This afternoon we are to boat. Jeans or slacks would be good. Ordinary looking men with the average disposition like Qiang, Model Worker and Old Qiu best go for some light colors to look clean and vigorous. You used to be one of them but, whatever has happened to you in the Martial Arts Club lately, you have somehow gained a deep and mysterious temperament. You can probably handle some dark clothes. Hmm… The black leisure shirt will do just fine with your brown leather jacket. Looking sharp! Hey! Don't tuck your shirt in. And don't zip up unless you want to look old-fashioned."

Following Little Ming's instruction, Lou Cheng got changed. Checking in the mirror, he seemed quite pleased with this gentlemanly and spirited look. Zhao Qiang, Qiu Zhigao and Zhang Jingye were all styled by Cai Zongming clean and vigorous but in different ways, so they wouldn't be mistaken as wearing the same outfit for work.

Well prepared, the boys left the dorm for the meetup following Cai Zongming, feeling excited but also nervous.

"Talker, what should I do later?" Lou Cheng lowered his voice to Cai Zongming as soon as he caught up with him.

Cai Zongming smiled. "Act like a generous gallant. No flinch for the real man! Your goddess doesn't know Guo Qing's roommates much. And we are total strangers to her. In a strange new environment, by instinct, she will stay close to an acquaintance. Guo Qing's eyes will be fixed on Old Qiu, which gives you a great opportunity to stay with her and talk to her like what you guys have been doing on QQ. I can guarantee she won't give you cold shoulders. More details? It's hard to teach. Do your best and be a generous gallant!"

"Talk to her like on QQ? Damn… I can't do it without emojis…" Lou Cheng heaved a sigh.

"In that case, keep her amused whenever you don't know what to say. Humor is always a good quality for boys but do not get vulgar or dirty. Not yet before you are close enough." Cai Zongming patted Lou Cheng's shoulder. "Stay calm. Relax. I don't have high expectation for you. It doesn't matter if you lose; just take it as a lesson."

Lou Cheng took a glance at him with contempt. His irony words did cut the tension.

The east gate of the university was selected as the meeting point. After a ten-minute wait, the boys saw five girls coming. Lou Cheng spotted Yan Zheke immediately and completely ignored the others.

Instead of a dress, she wore a pair of light-colored jeans, white shoes, a simple white t-shirt decorated with glittering flowers on the chest and a light green jacket for their afternoon rowing. She left her hair down with no bangs, delicate, vivacious and pure.

"Only the true beauty dare to show her forehead," chuckled Cai Zongming.

Zhao Qiang, Qiu Zhigao and Zhang Jingye also noticed Yan Zheke first. She stood out easily whatever crowd she was in.

With their mouth slightly open, they turned to Lou Cheng in surprise. They knew a schoolmate of Lou Cheng would join this meetup but apparently, they didn't expect such a beauty.

Walking next to her, their beautiful muse Zhuang Xiaojun paled into insignificance.

"Cheng…" Zhao Qiang shouted.

"Ahh?" Lou Cheng looked at him blankly.

Zhao Qiang conveyed an impression of both grief and evasion. "I get it now. The quiet dog can bite! Did you call me a traitor? You are the real one!"

His words were responded by jeers from the boys. Lou Cheng flushed.

As the five girls got close, Lou Cheng chanted silently.

"I'm a gallant. I'm generous. No flinch!"

He stepped forward to welcome Yan Zheke with a well-practiced smile. "I thought all girls would be late for their date. You are early! Thank goodness we are even earlier."

Yan Zheke appeared very comfortable and relaxed seeing an acquaintance. She pointed at Guo Qing and chuckled. "Guo Qing is known for being resolute and vigorous. She dragged us and we are here now. She even washed her hair for this meetup."

Girls laughed in their sleeve. A short girl added, "Yeah. Washing hair means she highly values this date."

Although open and frank, Guo Qing felt shy. She quickly interrupted to introduce. "This is Zhuang Xiaojun. That little bitch is Pan Xue. And this one is You Fangfang."

Lou Cheng glanced over. Wearing glasses, Zhuang Xiaojun had delicate features, refined and cultured. Pan Xue wore a full fringe, chubby but adorable. You Fangfang had dark skin and black-framed glasses, not far from being scary.

Lou Cheng nodded and greeted before introducing his roommates to Yan Zheke.

"That man with pomaded hair and powdered face is Cai Zongming, the Talker and Casanova I mentioned to you before. This one with thick eyebrows and big eyes is Zhao Qiang, the head of our dorm. I know he looks serious but this social meetup is his idea. And this is Zhang Jingye, the Model Worker and Qiu Zhigao, the Old Qiu. Affable and honest, they are suffering a spring fever."

The brief introduction scenting the approach of a jest made girls laugh. The boys felt a bit embarrassed but more amused. The atmosphere was enlivened instantly.

Yan Zheke hid her laugh with her hand and spoke quietly to Lou Cheng. "Aren't you afraid of their revenge?"

"Don't worry. I'm upright and honest with no evidence to be blackmailed." Lou Cheng straightened his back to look upstanding. Cai Zongming gave him a thumb-up and commented with his lips, "Cheng, good work!"

The boys took turns to make fun of Lou Cheng, making the atmosphere more amicable. The jokes were proper and harmless as they knew when to stop and what would damage their image in front of the girls.

Lou Cheng noticed a cute black bag on Yan Zheke's back and a white paper bag in her hand. He couldn't quite figure out what was inside.

He took a deep breath and pointed at the white bag. "Let me help you with it. I don't want to be an example of how not gentlemanly Chinese men are on the Internet."

Yan Zheke listened his frank but humorous words and put on a half-smile. "Sure, gentleman Cheng."

"Yes!" Lou Cheng cried out in his mind. He took over the white bag and continued to joke along with his eyes squinted. "Wait a minute. Nowadays, 'gentleman' is just another word for pervert. I'm so righteous…"

The girls were again entertained by his laughing at himself. Cai Zongming signaled at the other three boys to help with girls' bags. He took care of You Fangfang's.

They talked and laughed for a few more minutes before the three taxis they had booked arrived at the east gate.

Cai Zongming had taught Lou Cheng how to seat the group. Lou Cheng stood on his mettle and pulled Qiu Zhigao over. "Old Qiu, share a car with me."

In the meantime, he tipped Yan Zheke with a wink.

Yan Zheke got it at once and grabbed Guo Qing's arm. "Qing, we also take that car."

Other people started to jeer, leaving Old Qiu no chance to say no. He got in the back of the car first.

Lou Cheng, remembering he was a generous gallant, took the front seat. Yan Zheke squeezed Guo Qing into the back before seating herself behind the front seat.

The engine started and the car set off. Lou Cheng didn't care how the rest of the group would seat. He looked for topics to chat for the ride while writing an SMS to Yan Zheke: "Old Qiu and Guo Qing are both big. Poor you, packed in the back."

Yan Zheke felt a vibration and took her mobile out. A smile climbed on her face. She took part in the conversation while secretly replying. "Sigh. Fortunately, I'm pretty slim. I'll suck it up for Qing's happiness! Outgoing and straightforward as her, she can barely talk today. She wouldn't be in this car if I didn't give her a push."

Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke played as a team in finding topics for Qiu Zhigao and Guo Qing to chat with each other whereas talking with each other on QQ sneakily. The taste of sharing a secret made Lou Cheng believe that the distance between Yan Zheke and him had been shortened.

If only the journey could be longer. The group of ten arrived at Zhaoshan Lake in just over half an hour. They rented five two-person rowing boats with orange life jackets. The girls deposited their bags in the checkroom.

Cai Zongming took control happily to assign boats. "Since it is a social meetup, girls and boys must cooperate. Let's see which group can reach the island in the lake first. Old Qiu, you and Guo Qing are group one."

"Err… We are both strong. It's not fair for you guys…" Old Qiu put up his deathbed struggle. To be fair, Guo Qing was not bad-looking, although her body was rather sturdy.

"You are a rough man who never boated before. Your strength will probably cancel off Guo Qing's effort. Besides, she's a good swimmer and can save you from drowning…" Cai Zongming made up excuses, supported by the other girls. Old Qiu finally gave in.

Cai Zongming continued. "Lou Cheng, you and Yan Zheke came from the same high school. You'll be group two. Model Worker, you are a big man from the northwest, perfect to help out our petite Pan Xue. Qiang, you scholar share a boat with Zhuang Xiaojun. You Fangfang, you and I will beat all of them!"

On this kind of meetup occasions, many couldn't make up their mind and would happily go with the flow while some had ideas but were too shy to share with others. A bold man could easily step out to assume control of the situation like Cai Zongming here. He divided the group into five teams and no one had much to complain.

Cai Zongming gently patted Lou Cheng's shoulder and whispered in his ear.

"Cheng, I've done my best to help you!"

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Chapter 18: Yan Zheke's Martial Arts Dream

Translator: Transn Editor: Transn

As autumn deepened, the weather became clear and refreshing. On the Zhaoshan Lake, wavelets spread. A chill could be felt in the air.

Lou Cheng intended to give Yan Zheke a hand to help her get on the boat, but she hopped in swiftly like a deer without causing much of a wobble.

"Her martial arts skills are higher than mine… I can't save the beauty. I don't even have a chance to help the beauty…" Lou Cheng laughed at himself in his mind and stepped on the boat carefully. Sitting facing each other, they each held an oar.

"I wanted to give you a hand," Yan Zheke grinned. The lake breeze lightly blew her long black hair.

"A beauty saves a hero?" Lou Cheng pretended to be in shock as Casanova asked him to be funny if unsure what to say.

As he expected, Yan Zheke chuckled. "Cheng, do you know how to boat?"

"Not really…" Lou Cheng answered honestly. He had no such chance when he was little. He had no free time in high school. Last summer holiday he went wild with all the martial arts competitions and news, get-togethers with friends, and surfing the internet. How could he have time for boating?

Yan Zheke pursed her lips and put on a serious look with her flashing eyes.

"Hah… Neither do I…"

Lou Cheng laughed loud. "Aren't you a southern girl?"

Cai Zongming and You Fangfang, and Zhao Qiang and Zhuang Xiaojun had started rowing while Qiu Zhigao and Guo Qing's boat was spinning with Zhang Jingye and Pan Xue's.

"I grew up in Xiushan. Anyway, not every southern girl can swim and boat. Neither of my two elder cousins can." Yan Zheke found him brusque but amusing.

Lou Cheng wiped his mouth to not dig into Yan Zheke's family situation and beamed. "Looks like we can't generalize about anything. Well, as we are both new to this, it can be fun to learn boating together."

Yan Zheke slightly nodded and pointed at Zhao Qiang and Zhuang Xiaojun with her chin as her hands held tightly on the oar. "They are doing pretty well. Let's learn."

"Sure." Lou Cheng looked at them and tried to row like Zhao Qiang.

His oar stirred up ripples on the surface but the boat didn't move forward and moved around in a circle.

Yan Zheke joined the action, rowing the boat like a young lady on her way to pick water caltrops. However beautiful the scene was, their boat was still spinning. The pair looked into each other's eyes, helpless and amused.

Lou Cheng intended to earn some credit. He had thought about boating. In an unhurried manner, he sent all his thoughts to his Dantian while pondering on Jindan (the Golden Elixir) to achieve peace. When the surroundings quieted down, the nebula started to rotate. Every inch of his body displayed in his mind. Every movement of the boat and every wave could be sensed clearly.

Slowly, his oar rose and fell, stirring up waves. Forces came and went, presenting in Lou Cheng's mind. He accordingly adjusted direction and posture to correspond to the boat's movement.

At the same time, he noticed Yan Zheke also suddenly became very good at it. Her strokes, Lou Cheng's rowing and the waves reinforced each other perfectly.

Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke's four eyes met.

"Your Yin-Yang Stance is getting there?"

"You've mastered Yin-Yang Stance?"

They said in unison with surprise and then smiled at each other as some mutual understanding developed.

As the man here, Lou Cheng took the initiative to answer, "Honestly I'm pretty gifted in meditation. During the first Yin-Yang Stance practice, I achieved Remain in One Stage. Otherwise, how could I survive the past three weeks?"

Yan Zheke looked impressed with her beautiful dark eyes filled with astonishment. "It took you only one to reach peace?"

"Yeah," Lou Cheng nodded sincerely.

Subconsciously, Yan Zheke pouted and blew a sigh. "I thought I was doing pretty well to achieve peace in ten days."

"It's an exception. I have nothing else to show off in front of you. Achieving peace in ten days is very good. It took many well-known martial artists half a month to get there," Lou Cheng attempted to comfort her.

They had been talking about everything concerning the martial arts training but their personal progress.

"No need to comfort me with these kind words. I'm not that narrow-minded," chuckled Yan Zheke as her tiny despondence faded away. She heavily nodded. "From now on, you are my idol! Reaching peace in one day is rare in the entire martial arts history."

"Please don't. I don't deserve it," said Lou Cheng with modesty and pride. He quickly changed the topic. "What is your level? I kinda remember you were of no rank when we signed up for the training."

Kinda remember? He was damn sure.

The couple played good teamwork and the boat slowly set off. Yan Zheke said after some thought. "I grew up studying martial arts with my uncle-in-law. By Grade Nine I had reached the level of Amateur Ninth Pin but I didn't attend any Ranking Event. I had no time to practice during high school so my progress over the past three years was minor. According to Qing, I was between the level of Amateur Seventh and Eighth Pin at our first pair exercise. Since I was introduced to Yin-Yang Stance, I have made rapid progress. Yesterday Qing told me I'm pretty much at the Amateur Sixth Pin level now." Her voice rose a bit, adorably showing how proud of herself she was.

"How brilliant! You've leveled up in merely three weeks. You are my idol!" Lou Cheng gave Yan Zheke a taste of her own words.

According to Yan Zheke's training experience, she could have been at the level of amateur fourth or fifth pin upon entering the university if she put more effort on martial arts during high school. Her progress of one level within three weeks was the result of her previous accumulation and great potential, very different from Lou Cheng's fast catching up from scratch.

Upon hearing Lou Cheng's sincere compliment, Yan Zheke flushed and burst into a brighter smile which was soon replaced by a sigh and gloom when some thoughts flashed across her mind.

"What's wrong?" Lou Cheng sounded concerned.

Yan Zheke continued rowing and waited for a dozen seconds before answering, "By the old sayings, I was congenitally deficient. I would be struggling in a sickbed had I not been practicing martial arts. However, the defect of my body can never be made up for so I can never put everything together perfectly and become responsive enough to enter the Danqi stage, the entry level of real martial arts.

"Because of this, whenever I see a martial arts talent, I envy him and have high expectation of him."

Yan Zheke's sorrow and helplessness softened Lou Cheng's heart and filled it with pity and tenderness. He longed to tell her that he would achieve her martial arts dream.

Actions meant more than words. Bragging would make him look frivolous.

Until this moment, he started to understand why Yan Zheke had Lin Que in such high regards, just like other girls, and what she really meant when she said that everyone had their future and it didn't have to be martial arts. She was comforting Lou Cheng as well as herself.

"Senior brother Li Mao told me I'm pretty much at the Amateur Ninth Pin level from my performance during our pair exercise," he said in a calm but firm tone, gazing into Yan Zheke's eyes.

Yan Zheke seemed stunned. "You have already reached the level of Amateur Ninth Pin?"

She knew clearly how ordinary Lou Cheng was three weeks ago. With no previous martial arts training, he became proficient in martial arts basics in three weeks?

Besides his talent in meditation… What level would he achieve in three months and in one year?

"Senior brother Li Mao said so," Lou Cheng kept it short.

Yan Zheke looked at him blankly. Her dark eyes were like two bottomless ponds. She remained silent for a good while before opening her mouth again.

"You must train harder."

"Yes," Lou Cheng nodded solemnly.

The two didn't slow down their rowing while talking. Great teamwork and good boating techniques soon helped them catch up with Qiu Zhigao and Guo Qing.

As they were passing, Guo Qing suddenly scooped water with her oar at Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke, forcing them to slow down to avoid getting wet.

"Qiu Zhigao, you row the boat. I'll baffle their advance!" Guo Qing shouted complacently.

Yan Zheke found her brusque but amusing. She turned to Lou Cheng. "Counterattack?"

Reading itch in her eyes, Lou Cheng answered with no hesitation.

"Yes!"

"Keep the boat steady." With joy in her eyes, Yan Zheke bit her lips and merrily splashed water with her oar.

Lou Cheng zipped up his jacket and concentrated on the changes of the boat and the waves. He rowed carefully to balance off the force from Yan Zheke's moves and keep the boat advancing smoothly. On the other side, Old Qiu couldn't keep the boat steady upon Guo Qing's big moves, which was kind of holding her back.

Two Yin-Yang Stance masters of course had better control over coordination. Their superiority to others was obvious. Soon enough they passed Guo Qing and Lao Qiu and caught up with the other boats. Screams and splashes rose together with laughter and yell.

Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke took the lead and boated around the island in the lake before returning to the starting point. The pair smiled at each other and the tacit understanding further developed.

"Let's do it again. Doraemon won't lose!" Cai Zongming and You Fangfang, the second to arrive, shouted dramatically using a popular online phrase.

One lap after another, the girls had great fun but also felt exhausted. As the sun was setting, they suggested leaving for the restaurant to beat the line.

Led by Lou Cheng and Cai Zongming, the boys pitched in to cover the expenses.

At the bank, the good runner Lou Cheng got off with ease and no weariness at all. He reached his hands out to Yan Zheke.

Completely worn out, would she jump out directly?

Lou Cheng's heart was beating fast. Yan Zheke didn't hesitate but grabbed his hand to get out of the boat. With all the advantages they had, still her hair got wet. Some threads stuck on her cheeks, making her a gorgeous lotus coming out of clear waters.

"What's wrong?" Yan Zheke tidied up her hair.

Lou Cheng answered delicately, "I always find girls with wet hair in those TV dramas extraordinarily beautiful."

Yan Zheke moved her eyes and flashed a glance at him.

"I'll get changed."

Lou Cheng said with a sudden realization, "In that bag are your clothes?"

"Yeah, clothes can easily get wet while boating. Of course, I have prepared some to change," Yan Zheke said to him smiling. "Careless boys like you probably wouldn't think about it."

"My leather jacket is okay with water," Lou Cheng wiped water off his jacket. "Smart, right?"

Yan Zheke rolled her eyes before pacing toward the luggage storage.

Watching her figure disappear at the women's locker room, Lou Cheng's heart was full of joy. He couldn't stop pacing back and forth.

The politeness sitting between Yan Zheke and him had gone. The frown and supercilious look of her were the best proof.

Still a long way to go till they could hold hands but indeed their relationship had improved.

…

They booked taxis to take them back to the university. The group of ten then went to Old Li Restaurant, a place well known through the town for its stewed pig's trotters with white kidney bean soup. The milky clear broth full of fragrance and soft white kidney beans full of nutrition were very delicious, making the girls' mouths water.

After dinner, the group walked leisurely back to Songcheng University while talking about each other's silly moves and awkward moments from this afternoon. Laughter accompanied them all the way back to the second block of the girls' dormitory.

Yan Zheke lived in the third block, not far from the other girls. Lou Cheng walked her back to the gate.

"See you tomorrow at the training," said and waved Lou Cheng with a big smile.

Yan Zheke smiled with her dimples dancing and waved back. "See you."

Watching her enter the dormitory building, Lou Cheng knew she would be busy taking a shower. He strolled to the lake instead of catching up with Cai Zongming.

What a wonderful day! How could he sleep without some good exercise?

…

In the lakeside grove, Wu Dong, a senior member of the Martial Arts Club, was drinking and smoking with two sophisticated friends. The new campus of Songcheng University was only open to the public on the weekends. Postmen were the exceptions.

"Sigh, it has been terrible recently. Ever since that Lin Que came to the Martial Arts Club, no one paid much attention to me at all," Wu Dong said dispiritedly after a sip of beer.

A young man with a tattoo on his neck responded, "You and senior brother Chen together can't even knock him down?"

"We'll graduate soon. Nobody wants to get in big trouble. With a bad record, how can we find a job?" Wu Dong burnished his image.

Suddenly, he squinted his eyes and grunted.

"What's wrong?" The other young man with short hair followed Wu Dong's eyes and found Lou Cheng running toward their direction with a bright smile.

"A little rat from the Martial Arts Club," Wu Dong said irritably.

The man with tattoos laughed. "What a chance! Wanna have some fun?"

"I'd rather not. If something happened, you guys could run but what could I do?" Wu Dong wanted to give vent to him but was also afraid.

"Don't worry. We know when to stop. Just give him a small lesson." The short-haired man had too much energy to use and continued to instigate. "A fight between students happens every day. Who would bring it to teachers if no major injury is caused? We will do the job. You don't have to take part."

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Chapter 19: Challenge

Translator: Transn Editor: Transn

In the last few days, Wu Dong had been feeling annoyed. Agitated by the short-haired young man, he slowly nodded after a few seconds of silence. "Okay, I'll be on the lookout."

"Deal!" The short-haired youth stood up and started to stretch his body.

The man with tattoos laid down his beer and asked with great caution. "Is he any good? Of which amateur level?

Wu Dong laughed and said, "Don't worry. He's new to martial arts, of no level. One of you would be more than enough to teach him a lesson."

The short-haired youth and the tattooed man both left school early to join a gang. Fights were nothing new to them and they had picked up some martial arts basics. To rise in the gang, they consciously kept Chen Changhua and Wu Dong in their company to learn proper martial arts moves. In the past two years, besides booze and drugs, gambling and whores, they did put a decent amount of time and effort into training and practice and had reached the level of Amateur Seventh Pin. Wu Dong seemed confident that they were superior to Lou Cheng.

"Piece of cake, then? Brother Dong, we won't disappoint you!" The short-haired youth scoffed.

The tattooed man thought for a while. "Hold on. Any of you can put on a northeastern accent? Teach me a line or two."

"Ahh?" Wu Dong and the short-haired man didn't get it.

The tattooed man went on to explain. "After all, Songcheng University is the best university in the city, with a reputation across the country. We could easily get in trouble for starting a fight here. Yeah, we will be measured, but never say never. What if some professor happens to pass by? Now it's dark, and hard to see faces. If I put on some northeastern accent, no way we can be traced in case something goes wrong. Right?"

"Right. Right!" Wu Dong was very afraid of being implicated if they got caught.

The short-haired man seemed still puzzled. "What kind of professor would pass by here at this hour?"

"Isn't it the perfect hour to date a young, fresh student?" The tattooed man answered with a leer.

…

Along the lakeside trail, Lou Cheng was jogging toward his usual spot for stance training. Half of the Weishui Lake was lit by lights from the living quarters and teaching buildings, glittering like a silver sea, whereas the other half was soaked in darkness and tranquility with the reflection of a few street lamps allowing lovers to meet secretly. Lou Cheng was in the dark as well.

Observing was a common habit for all martial artists. After a period of hard training, he had integrated it into his instinct. Noticing two shadows coming out of the lakeside grove while running, he subconsciously took an extra look.

The tattooed man shouted loud, "What are you looking at?"

"Nothing, my bad," replied Lou Cheng meekly as he didn't expect a quarrel from a brief gaze and wanted no trouble.

Martial arts could bolster up one's gut. He was just looking forward to saving his beauty from some rogues. However, when trouble befell, one's true personality and usual practice would still dominate. As Geezer Shi said, militancy and violence could not play the major part in this rule of law society. A martial artist should neither be a coward nor a troublemaker.

"Damn you! Watch your mouth…" These were the only two dialectal lines the tattooed youth learned. Afraid of being recognized, he signaled to the short-haired man to block Lou Cheng's advance while he moved to burn his bridge.

Lou Cheng was no fool. Their aggressive behaviors echoed in his mind and soon he came to the realization, "They are here to cause trouble!"

The way they were approaching from two sides was better than the Amateur Ninth Pin level.

The ordinary people with interests in martial arts usually paid no attention to footwork. Those who could maintain their proper foot moves in a fight must be pros.

The distance between them was close enough for a fight to begin at any second. Right before the short-haired youth's palm fell on Lou Cheng's face, Lou Cheng suddenly dodged sideways and paced up towards the woods.

He ran into the woods…

He ran…

Ran…

The short-haired youth and the tattooed man looked at each other in shock. Did the guy run already?

According to their experience, a conflict was usually followed by a quarrel. When violence became obvious, the cowardly would beg for mercy while the hot-blooded would fight until a bitter defeat. But that guy ran like a rabbit after merely three words.

Damn! "Run? Where can you run!" The two recovered from the shock and started their chase after Lou Cheng. Their faces were twisted with shame.

Under a hot pursuit, Lou Cheng dared not slow down, dodging among trees in the grove that he had learned by heart. Soon he got out of the woods and arrived at a trail usually used in his regular endurance training.

The trail connected the teaching buildings and a small hill of ten meters in height, where the biggest library of the city was established. The path would circle the hill and continue onto the widespread western region under construction. Lou Cheng took a turn and ran toward the hill.

The two young men were thrilled to see Lou Cheng heading toward the hill as they came out of the woods.

"The guy couldn't have picked a better route!"

If he headed toward the teaching buildings, for certain the two wouldn't approach further. However, he went for the quiet hill, a great place to give him some good kicks!

As the two traversed the grove, Wu Dong could sit still no longer. He was concerned that the enraged two would get in some serious trouble and somehow get him involved, so he quietly followed behind.

Lou Cheng ran and ran with them in pursuit behind. The distance between them grew bigger and bigger as the two loafers got worn out. Both of them started to feel like quitting the chase.

"Damn! I once could run five blocks in one breath!"

At this time, they noticed Lou Cheng's slowing down and shared a look of excitement and cruelty.

"We can't run anymore, but neither can that guy!"

"Hang on there and we'll catch him and give him a good lesson!"

They threw out their last strength and made it to the wasteland of the West District on another side of the hill. The distance between them seemed shortened little by little until the short-haired youth could run no more. He stopped and panted heavily.

"Bloody hell! This… this boy… really… can run… "

The tattooed man also stopped not far ahead. He bent over with his hands on his knees for support and watched Lou Cheng's figure get smaller.

"This run… I… My hands… Soft… My legs…" Words jumped out of his mouth as his chest heaved violently.

Wu Dong caught up with them, also panting and sweating. Seeing them standing still, he seemed to lose his breath and to be about to vomit.

"Forget… Forget about it… No point… A waste of time…" Cigarettes had harmed his lung, the core of endurance exercises. After such a long run, Wu Dong was close to fainting.

His voice was still in the air when he saw the dark figure of Lou Cheng running through the desolated area toward them.

"You…" The tattooed youth and the short-haired man both squeezed out a sound amidst their heavy breathing.

"How dare this guy come back?"

Fixing their eyes on Lou Cheng, they noticed how calm his face and breath was with no signs of weariness from the long run.

"Damn! What kind of monster is this?" The two loafers looked terrified.

Looking at the three with a smile on his face, Lou Cheng suddenly stepped up and threw a powerful punch with strength streaming from his feet all the way up to his fist at the short-haired man's chest.

The short-haired man attempted to dodge but with no strength left in his legs he couldn't move fast enough to avoid the punch.

Bam!

The short-haired man was hit at the Danzhong point, which is close to the bottom part of the sternum. His bones ached, and his breath nearly stopped. As he took two steps back, Lou Cheng advanced closely. He grabbed his shoulders and kicked his leg before throwing him at the tattooed youth who was coming up to join the fight. His legs sank under him, dragging his body to the ground.

Lou Cheng surely wouldn't miss this opportunity. He took a step forward and twisted his waist to launch a whip kick at the tattooed man's left shin bone.

"Ahh!"

The tattoo youth gave a horrible shriek. The bone was not broken but the pain was enough to keep him on the ground and out of this fight.

After taking care of them, Lou Cheng turned to Wu Dong with a slight smile.

"So Brother Wu wants to give me a lesson. Please grant instructions, then."

Malicious and gloomy, Wu Dong gasped, "I… I'm tired. Aren't you? We are about the same!

I am of the Amateur Two Pin level! Who the heck are you?"

"Sorry, but I'm not tired at all…" Lou Cheng got in the Fighting Stance calmly with itch and fire in his eyes.

According to their master, although Wu Dong was an Amateur Second Pin, his body had suffered severe effects due to the abuse of booze and smoke. Besides, he was worn out and out of breath at that very moment. How could a martial arts student as Lou Cheng miss this chance to challenge him?

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Chapter 20: Break Rules with Violence

Translator: Transn Editor: Transn

Lou Cheng talked no more but lowered his body and shifted left and right to approach Wu Dong.

After three weeks of martial arts practice, he had mastered basic and simple moves and could put them into practice. Although he hadn't come to complicated techniques, he could observe and imitate, which differentiated humans from animals.

Facing Wu Dong, an opponent much stronger than himself, Lou Cheng subconsciously longed to do better. Chen Changhua's meandering footwork of a terrifying snake in the combat with Lin Que came to his mind.

Comparing to Chen Changhua at that time, Lou Cheng was new to this footwork with little control over subtle movements. However, his grasp of Yin-Yang Stance had strengthened coordination of his body and concentration of his mind. In a semi-meditation, he delicately shifted his weight with ease. When his body leaned to the left, his weight was kept slightly to the right and vice versa. Virtuality and reality could hardly be separated apart and his actual target became unclear.

The experienced martial artist Wu Dong felt cornered. Chen Changhua's snake footwork usually had an opening for him to predict and prepare in their previous combat practice. However, he didn't have a clue when would this martial arts beginner approach. One second he thought for sure he was going for his right but then next he felt unsure about it.

"Is he a beginner of three weeks' training?"

"Has he been playing weak to prey on us?"

Hesitation would bring destruction in combat. With rich actual combat experience from several ranking events, Wu Dong understood this principle thoroughly and had always been sticking to it until that moment, when he felt unable to respond to Lou Cheng's coming close.

If in his normal form, Wu Dong would play on his strength and move about until he saw through the snake footwork. But tired and out of breath as he was at that moment, moving about would be courting death.

Well, all he could do was to play defense!

Wu Dong got in the fighting stance, awaiting Lou Cheng's approach.

Lou Cheng seemed delighted with Wu Dong's careful play as it was exactly what he expected!

Before Wu Dong revealed himself, Lou Cheng had planned to wear those two troublemakers out with his running prowess and then kick their ass. As soon as he spotted Wu Dong, he slowed down on purpose to lure them into more running to further exhaust them. He remembered the master once mentioned that Wu Dong had wasted his body on smoke, booze and women. Suffering severe lung malfunction, he couldn't recover fast once he tired out.

In this state, Wu Dong could no longer bring out his strong points, like agility, speed, and guerrilla hit and sneak attack, and would be forced into a defensive stance.

Lou Cheng shifted his weight and took a big step forward to Wu Dong's right side. His strength sprung from his feet to his right hand through his entire body and formed a metal hammer around his fist. Lou Cheng threw a powerful punch at Wu Dong.

Phew…

The punch went forward with wind. Wu Dong failed to detect the actual target of the snake footwork and missed the best time to respond. He secured his body thoroughly and wielded both hands, one guarding and the other blocking, to receive Lou Cheng's right punch.

As their hands collided, Lou Cheng didn't feel overwhelmed at all and realized that Wu Dong was still short of breath after the run. To be fair, this martial artist of Amateur Second Pin was slightly on the downside.

To push his advantage, Lou Cheng stepped his right foot forward to block Wu Dong's advance while throwing a blast punch with his left hand at Wu Dong's stomach.

Unable to dodge, Wu Dong had to take another heavy strike with his body.

Bang!

As Lou Cheng's punch hit Wu Dong, he pulled strength from his feet and turned sideways to launch an elbow hit.

Considering Wu Dong's current situation, Lou Cheng must stick to a close melee to take advantage of his weakness at close engagement, and thus he would win this fight while Wu Dong was still short of breath.

Once the fight turned into a skirmish fight, Wu Dong would take the chance to catch his breath.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

A few bouts passed but Wu Dong didn't leave Lou Cheng any good opportunity, thanks to his years of martial arts training.

He again and again warded off Lou Cheng's attacks with his hands. Finally, Lou Cheng noticed a slight lean backward of Wu Dong's body.

As if a rock finally loosened in the storm!

Wu Dong was running out of strength!

"Take his life when he's down!" Lou Cheng thought as he strengthened his waist, coordinated the tiniest parts of his body and adjusted his weight before throwing another punch.

Bang!

Wu Dong collapsed and staggered backward. To kill Lou Cheng's attempt of throwing another punch, he dived down to the ground and rolled to the side.

Seeing him rolling on the ground, Lou Cheng was thrilled. He had forced Wu Dong of Amateur Second Pin to roll on the ground! A victory was one step away!

He slid closer and intended to end the fight with a whip kick like what Lin Que did.

At this very moment, Wu Dong showed a squint. He grabbed some dust with his left hand and threw it at Lou Cheng.

It was completely to Lou Cheng's surprise. He acted on instinct, closing his eyes and covering his face with his left hand. His body turned sideways.

Things happened too fast. As dust got into his eyes, Lou Cheng felt sore and couldn't keep them open. All was hurry and confusion. His head was empty and indeed at a loss.

Bang!

Lou Cheng felt pain on his back from a heavy punch. He then lost his balance and staggered forward, about to fall. The familiar situation and experience made him start to meditate by instinct, subtly adjusting his body and shifting weight.

One at peace had a clear mind. During the fall, Lou Cheng resumed his ability to think. He realized how little combat experience he had and forced himself to stay calm in front of Wu Dong's series of attacks.

The Jindan (the Golden Elixir) rotated slowly and the nebula shrank and expanded. His muscles acted coordinately, and adjustments took place naturally. Lou Cheng staggered a few big steps until the balance was restored.

Meanwhile, he took steps toward different directions to get away from Wu Dong's strikes from behind.

Lou Cheng's feet finally stabilized, but his eyes still hurt badly. Tears ran down along his face as if he was crying from the fight. Surrounded by utter blackness, Lou Cheng had no idea from which direction Wu Dong would launch the next attack. Moreover, he didn't hit the vital part of the two rogues so they could maybe rejoin the fight at any second.

Calm…

Calm!

Lou Cheng quickly made up his mind. Focusing on the process of water concreting into ice, he felt his thoughts also concreting into ice and his senses became extraordinarily sharp.

Ice Sect's Condensation Stance!

Everything seemed calm and peaceful. While the Yin-Yang Stance emphasized the subtle feeling within oneself, the Condensation Stance was all about the surroundings. A gentle breeze along with a light patter of feet sounded in his ears, and a faint fragrance of alcohol prevailed in the air.

In a trance, Lou Cheng's ear sensed someone coming from the left.

While maintaining his composure, Lou Cheng lifted his hands into a defensive pose and waited patiently for his vision to recover.

A heavy breath came to his ear. His focus turned to a silver flash of lightning shooting down to a tree and starting a fierce fire.

Thunder Sect's Lightning and Fire Stance!

The emergence of fire and lightning triggered his muscles to wiggle. Lou Cheng's tailbone was warmly numb and his body became heavy. A hot stream flew along his spine through his waist down to his left leg as if struck by a lightning bolt, blocking all his pores and preparing for a terrifying explosion.

His left leg launched a powerful kick without warning.

Bang!

Lou Cheng knew his kick landed on something—probably a bone—before a horrible scream came from the ground.

"Got it…" He kept calm without lowering his guard. Lou Cheng raised one hand to rub his eyes. Tears had finally got the dust out and his vision was restored.

From blur and dim to clearness was the image of Wu Dong wallowing in dust with pain in his thigh. The short-haired youth and the tattooed man were still on the ground, gradually recovering from the earlier punches.

"Phew… Actual combat is very different from pair exercise…" Lou Cheng heaved a sigh of relief when the ache became clear on his back.

Had he not achieved inward vision through Yin-Yang Stance and Jindan, sharpened his senses and concentration through Condensation Stance or mastered the sudden intense burst of Lightning and Fire Stance, he would have been clobbered by the well experienced Wu Dong!

The keys of Yin-Yang Stance, Condensation Stance and Lightning and Fire Stance seemed simple, as if anyone could do it. However, as the basic stance training of the Thunder Sect and Ice Sect, they surely had their own difficulties—how to reach peace, how to focus and what to focus on. Without explanation and guidance on these matters, possibly only one out of a thousand students was talented enough to master them simply according to their description.

The basic of all the basics, Yin-Yang Stance was all about how to reach peace, how to focus, how to Remain in One and how to focus on one. Geezer Shi taught them this during their very first session and then spent three weeks to guide them through it and correct their mistakes. Yet, only Yan Zheke and Lou Cheng himself could achieve peace by focusing on one. Guo Qing, Li Mao and Sun Jian were not there yet, whereas Lin Que wasn't new to this.

After this thrilling and intense combat, Lou Cheng's stance training and fighting moves had reached a new level of integration and harmony. The level of his martial arts skills was unclear.

As Lou Cheng began to relax, fear came to his mind. His momentary hot blood and gallantry had pushed him into this fight but worries quickly grew once his Qi and blood calmed down. He could be punished by the University for this or even be locked away if their injuries were severe.

Fortunately, he didn't go for the two rogues' vital parts and although Lou Cheng couldn't see or control, his final kick at Wu Dong shouldn't be too bad as Wu Dong was still wallowing and rubbing his leg.

The saying "warriors break rules with violence" was so true… Lou Cheng packed away his concerns and remained placid as he turned to Wu Dong with a smile.

"Senior Brother Wu, you are in your final year, aren't you?"

Holding tight on his leg, Wu Dong looked up at Lou Cheng blankly. This freshman, calm and mature, had gone straight for his weak point without any trepidation. Recalling the swiftness of his last kick and the calmness when he lost his vision, Wu Dong no longer believed the information he had on Lou Cheng.

Under Lou Cheng's gaze, Wu Dong looked away.

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Chapter 21: Flaunting and Partaking

Translator: Transn Editor: Transn

"Is it still that unripe freshman?"

"Is it still the same dude who was in a tearing hurry during the pair exercise three weeks ago?"

For the very first time, Wu Dong started to doubt his brain. With no special admission for martial arts talents, all students in Songcheng University who enrolled in martial arts were fairly smart. However, the contradiction between Lou Cheng's previous performance and his current level completely messed up Wu Dong's cognition of the world.

"Am I in a dream?"

Staring at the stunned Wu Dong, Lou Cheng heaved a breath of relief before putting on a profound tone. "The campus recruitment will start in October, Brother Wu. I'm surprised you can still find time to hang out with these two rogues. Thank you anyway for your instructions earlier, a great push for my martial arts progress."

Campus recruitment fairs were mostly held in the first term of the school year for the senior students with very few exceptions happening during the second term. Lou Cheng was implying Wu Dong had better take this fight like a martial arts practice and put his mind on job hunting. Being involved in a fight where two rogues attempted to bully a freshman wasn't something he would want to blow up at this point of his university life. However, when it came to Lou Cheng the freshman, if that got public he would very likely be praised for standing up against the bully or at worse be given some disciplinary measure which would probably be written off by the time he became a senior.

After a good moment of thought, Wu Dong said sternly, "Junior Lou, you've improved a lot, ready to replace the old. I'm glad to offer you some instructions. No big deal."

Often in touch with ancient stuff, martial arts practitioners inclined to talk in a classic, traditional manner.

"Thank you very much, Brother Wu," said Lou Cheng with a relaxed smile as he bowed slightly. After a quick glance at the two rogues, he resumed his running steps.

Once the matter was settled on Wu Dong's side, Lou Cheng felt relieved. He didn't give a damn about the two rogues since they wouldn't have the balls to take revenge on the campus of the best university in the city. Also, they wouldn't have the time and effort to wait for Lou Cheng outside as that was only a fight after all. Once the fever went away, trouble would only take place upon rare encounters.

Watching Lou Cheng running by them quickly and lightly with a refreshing breeze, the short-haired youth and the tattooed man were filled with astonishment and helplessness.

"Holy cow! He's a real runner!" said the short-haired youth as if a UFO just flew by.

"He gotta be a monster…" muttered the tattooed man as he rubbed his eyes.

More fear for this inhuman monster developed in their minds.

…

Back to the dorm, Lou Cheng didn't feel like queuing up for the shower. Instead, he had a quick rinse in their bathroom. Thanks to the rich kid Qin Mo, their private lavatory had a water pipe, a showerhead, and even a washing machine. Qin Mo himself probably used it just once in the past considering his rare presence in the dorm. Their counselor never came to the living quarters. It had been two months into the term, and Lou Cheng saw him only four times in total. A few student leaders were enough for the management as nothing major could happen on this closed campus.

Walking out of the bathroom in fresh clothes while drying his hair, Lou Cheng bumped into Cai Zongming, who was watching a martial arts match in the living room.

"Hey, Cheng! Where did you go? What took you so long? Did you succeed? In the grove?" asked Cai Zongming, winking excitedly for some hot gossip.

Lou Cheng paused to think before answering with another question, "What do you think?"

"I think… Not yet. The revolution is not yet completed, and you must struggle on. Your goddess doesn't look like an easy target, or it won't be your turn. However, constant dropping will wear away a stone. Keep your good deeds up and your tomorrow is bright. It's no news that a fresh flower is being stuck on a heap of cow dung. A blind cat will meet a dead rat in the end." Cai Zongming's encouragement sounded more like a jest.

Lou Cheng stared at him and took a seat on the couch. Before he leaned to the backrest, a sharp pain came from his back, sending a chill down his throat.

Wu Dong was not bad!

"Little Ming, help massage my bruises," said Lou Cheng as he stood up to head back to his room. Bruises on his back needed help from someone else.

"Err?" Cai Zongming looked at a loss. "Were you beaten up by your goddess for trying too hard?"

"What the heck is wrong with your head?" Lou Cheng said roughly.

In Lou Cheng's bedroom, Zhao Qiang was working on his homework, trying to cool himself down from the pleasant boat trip with Zhuang Xiaojun this afternoon. Zhang Jingye had got Pan Xue's QQ number during the meetup and was busy digging gossip about her roommates while watching a movie. Qiu Zhigao, standing by the window and gazing at the street lamps, was deeply lost in thought.

Lou Cheng stopped himself from laughing and returned to the living room with the bottle of ointment given to him by Yan Zheke. He passed the bottle to Cai Zongming before taking a seat with his t-shirt off, revealing his bruised back.

"Holy crap! What did you do?" Cai Zongming was confused and shocked.

"I was walking Yan Zheke back to her dorm. Thrilled by the big progress we made today, I was unable to calm down. So I went to the lake for some standing stance practice," explained Lou Cheng honestly.

Cai Zongming sneered while opening the bottle. "Are you a lost brother of Qiang's? He's seeking calmness within his homework, and you went for standing stance by the lake to calm yourself down. Ha-hah. Young girls suffer from the spring fever. So do the boys. Hmm… Very horny!"

Lou Cheng ignored his tease and continued. "I ran into three rogues and had a fight."

"No wonder." Cai Zongming poured some ointment into his hand and then spread it gently on Lou Cheng's bruised back. "The martial arts training has lent you balls. Were you bullied?"

As the chill penetrated into the bruise, the ache was relieved. Lou Cheng showed a squint out of comfort and said, "No. I put down all three of them."

"Good job, bro! Three weeks of martial arts training only. Did Geezer Shi teach you something incredible in secret?" Cai Zongming laid down the bottle on the couch and started to put forth his strength to rub the ointment, making Lou Cheng grimace in pain, "Any idea which department are they from? We can't leave it like this."

"Wu Dong, from the Martial Arts Club," said Lou Cheng easily with a gentle cough.

"Wu Dong, from the Martial Arts Club. So we can go back with Old Qiu. Wait! Wu Dong from the Martial Arts Club? Wu Dong the senior?" Cai Zongming raised his voice and lost control over his strength, almost causing Lou Cheng to jump with pain.

"Damn! Bad timing for playing cool…" Lou Cheng regretted deeply, "Yeah. The one who recruited us into the club."

Cai Zongming froze. "Cheng, don't trick me."

"If you could defeat Wu Dong, I would challenge Lin Que!"

Lou Cheng tried to conceal his pride, "Seriously, Wu Dong has wasted his body on smoke, booze and girls. I ran away immediately upon seeing the three of them. Then, they were all exhausted and I went back. Wu Dong was really good. He almost kicked my ass."

Cai Zongming came to realization and continued to rub Lou Cheng's bruises, "I knew it! You're not a match for Wu Dong normally. But being able to defeat him and two more rogues… You must be at least of Amateur Ninth Pin now?"

"Brother Li Mao said I was getting there," answered Lou Cheng calmly.

"Three weeks only and you are of Amateur Ninth Pin now…" Cai Zongming remained silent for a while before putting on a dramatic voice, "Coach, I want to join the special training!"

Lou Cheng laughed. "Talking suits you better."

Cai Zongming weaved a sigh while rubbing Lou Cheng's bruises. "Honestly, I'm surprised to see how big a progress you have made. Your great effort for the martial arts club's dream has touched me. The last time I was this serious was when I was after my current girlfriend."

"Come if you really want!" Lou Cheng turned to the TV where the Shizhou School was fighting against the Guanwai League in a Professional Martial Arts Competition. The two teams were both of the top level and specialized in body forging. Besides the metallic shine on their skin was their recovery capability. Seemingly they would never be exhausted and no wound would stay on their body.

Cai Zongming laughed mirthlessly. "I'm just a talker. As much as I want to train with you guys, I just can't give up my sleeping and game hours."

"How did you practice martial arts before?" Lou Cheng found it hard to imagine how Cai Zongming made it before.

Cai Zongming was done rubbing. He tapped Lou Cheng on his shoulder and complimented. "All firm and tight now. How did I? The son of the richest man in my hometown was kidnapped and killed, even though the family paid a fortune. Fear spread quickly through the city. My parents, who have a decent income, were so worried that they sent me to learn martial arts. All martial arts clubs were in great business those years."

"So you need supervision. By the way, did they catch those kidnappers?" asked Lou Cheng, full of curiosity.

"Sure. The Martial Arts Management Office of the Police Department sent down a unit and had those villains killed in the mountain by random shots. I heard their bodies were torn apart…" Cai Zongming recalled an old tragedy from his hometown.

While chatting, Lou Cheng logged in his QQ and sent a smiley to Yan Zheke.

"What a great day!"

Thousands of words and tons of thrill and joy were concentrated into this sentence.

The Martial Arts Competition ended with a narrow victory from Shizhou School. Lou Cheng went back to his room and finally received a smile from Yan Zheke. "Likewise."

The short reply sent a touch of warmth to Lou Cheng.

Yan Zheke continued. "I was watching the Shizhou School's match. Lion King is still the same mighty like years ago when we were little."

The "Lion King" Shang Youde, the No. 1 martial artist of the Shizhou School was close to his 50s. With six titles, including the king title "Lion King", he had always been a great master and idol in Lou Cheng's memory.

"Hah… I watched it as well! But only got the second half of it. Had a combat by the lake earlier." Lou Cheng couldn't wait to share with Yan Zheke his practical fight.

Due to the defect of her body, she, a fanatical martial arts fan, must be interested in this kind of story.

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Yan Zheke soon replied, "Combat practice? Are you injured?" She added a shocked face emoji.

She put his safety first, which warmed Lou Cheng's heart and curved his lips. He sent a smiling face, hands fluttering across the keyboard. "Nothing serious. Just some bruises on the back. Little Ming helped me with using your ointment to massage my back. It's pretty effective."

"Of course. I chose it!" Yan Zheke sent a proud face. "Why did you go to the lakeside? We just said goodbye then. Was it a combat practice or a fight?"

Noticing her curiosity, Lou Cheng replied carefully to not look like a bad boy with violence issues. "I was overjoyed and went to the lakeside for a stance training to cool myself down."

"You are so funny!" Yan Zheke replied.

Lou Cheng continued, "I came across two punks there. I didn't want to get involved but they approached me, accompanied by an acquaintance of ours."

"An acquaintance?" Yan Zheke sent a cute face with question marks above its head.

"Yeah. Wu Dong, from the Martial Arts Club." Lou Cheng didn't keep her guessing.

"Wu Dong? How did you defeat them alone? Are you okay?" Yan Zheke sent a few questions in a roll with no stickers.

"Nothing serious. I'm still here chatting and laughing," Lou Cheng said humorously.

Yan Zheke sent her favorite doge emoji. "Then what happened? Wu Dong is of Amateur Second Pin but you only got minor injuries…"

"In normal times I wouldn't be able to defeat him. Also, those two punks were probably of Amateur Eighth or Ninth Pin based on their footwork. I had only one thing in mind at that moment." Lou Cheng deliberately kept her in suspense to keep the conversation interesting.

"What was that?" Yan Zheke sent a curious face.

"Out of thirty-six strategies, retreat is the best. I couldn't defeat them so I ran." Lou Cheng sent a laughing emoji and continued, "Really fast I ran toward the lakeside grove before they reached me."

Yan Zheke sent a cute emoji of Ultraman and a small monster eating ice cream side by side. "Clever! So how did the fight begin? They caught up with you?"

"Not really." Lou Cheng sent a goofy face scratching its head. "I ran all the way to the library hill, intending to seek help from teachers and security guards there. When I found Wu Dong and his fellows gasping and slowing down, I saw a good opportunity to practice actual combat and take advantage of their weariness."

Lou Cheng slightly modified this part so he wouldn't look like a troublemaker who planned this all up in advance. Most girls after puberty were no longer attracted to bad boys who had a wide range of friends.

"Emm… What happened then?" Yan Zheke sent an emoji of big blinking eyes.

"I changed my mind and ran around the hill toward the west district, slowing down on purpose for them to catch up so they wouldn't quit chasing me." Lou Cheng continued with his story, pausing here and there to keep Yan Zheke dangling. "As soon as they stopped, out of breath, I turned around and went back."

"Weren't you tired of them?" Yan Zheke sent an emoji of a flashing question mark above its head.

"He-heh. To be honest with you, I'm a pretty good long-distance runner with great endurance. I played it low in high school." Lou Cheng bragged.

"Hmm." Yan Zheke ended the topic with an emoji of blinking eyes. "You started with the two punks first?"

"Yeah. That's very clever of you!" Lou Cheng appeared lavish in his praise for the girl.

No one would hate compliments as long as not too exaggerate or dramatic. Whenever talking to a girl, praise her when opportunities present themselves or create such opportunities if needed. Certainly nothing would work for all. For those fond of masochism, tease them with jests.

Yan Zheke sent back a blushing face and then Lou Cheng continued, "I was concerned that the two punks might be armed with knives or daggers and they seemed much weaker than Wu Dong. So I went for them first to clear the ground to avoid a tangled fight which would be really bad for me, a beginner with no practical experience.

He gave as many details as possible as Yan Zheke should enjoy all the body movements and mental activities of actual combat.

"Can't agree more!" Yan Zheke sent a proud face.

"Great minds think alike!" Lou Chen threw another compliment. "The two guys were out of breath and tired out. I stepped up and easily knocked one down with a forward punch, which almost choked him. Then I threw him at the other one and finished him with a whip kick at his shin, which killed his combat ability temporarily. After all this, I challenged Wu Dong formally. Which approach do you think was my best try then?"

Yan Zheke sent a pondering face. "Wu Dong is not known for his physical strength but very flexible and nimble. Considering he was already worn out after the run, a close melee would be the best."

"Correct. Very clever! That was exactly what I thought!" Lou Cheng just created an opportunity to praise her. "Coach Shi mentioned that smoking had damaged Wu Dong's body. Press him harder and he won't be able to catch his breath. So I approached him with Snake Steps and kept the distance between us short. He couldn't maintain himself standing after a few bouts and had to roll over to dodge my attacks."

"And then? What happened to your back?" Yan Zheke asked with an emoji of blinking eyes and question marks.

Lying on his side, Lou Cheng smiled. "I was about to push my advance when Wu Dong grabbed a handful of dirt and threw it at my eyes. Completely out of my expectation, I had to turn sideways to protect my eyes but still some sand got in and I could hardly open my eyes."

Yan Zheke immediately sent a sticker of a cat dropping its dried fish out of fear. "And then? How did you turn the tide? How did you manage to dodge all but one blow on your back without eyesight?"

"In a terrible panic, I was lucky enough to receive only one hit on my back as I had already turned sideways. But that one hit almost knocked me over. My improved body coordination through Yin-Yang Stance training saved me from falling to the ground. I managed to adjust my weight and stabilize my body after taking a few big steps. I continued to shift weight and change directions and successfully dodged Wu Dong's attacks." Lou Cheng went on to share his feelings. "Standing on my feet firmly, I was surrounded by darkness, unable to see anything with tears in my eyes and fear in my heart. Luckily, Coach Shi noticed my gift in stance training and taught me the Ice Sect's Condensation Stance and the Thunder Sect's Lightning and Fire Stance in secret."

"The Condensation Stance can keep you calm, sharpen your senses and improve your concentration, well suited for a fight in the dark." Yan Zheke sent a sigh of relief. She had a solid command of knowledge in all fields of martial arts.

Lou Cheng sent a proud smile. "The Condensation Stance calmed me down. I heard Wu Dong's deliberately-lightened footsteps and smelled his alcoholic breath. I pretended to be at a loss while listening carefully to his approach. When he got close enough, I suddenly changed to the Lightning and Fire Stance and took the initiative to attack first. I gave him a good kick, which sent him rolling on the ground with no strength to get up."

"How exciting! Even better than tonight's competition." Yan Zheke sent a grinning dog. "Cheng, maybe one day you will become my idol!"

Happy and proud, Lou Cheng tried to stay cool. "Don't praise me like that or I'll become conceited! By the way, do you have any actual combat experience?"

Asking proper questions was the key when talking to a girl. Instead of keeping the microphone, one should seek opportunities to make her talk. And whatever she said, the listener would love it!

Obviously, not every question worked. Nosing around her family matters was embarrassing and annoying.

"Me?" Yan Zheke sent a pondering emoji facing the sky. "I haven't attended the Amateur Ranking Event and only got involved in two actual combats. In Grade Nine, I indulged in homework and stayed in school late one day. Soon after I walked out the school gate, someone patted me from behind. I was so terrified that I gave him a buttock subconsciously, only to find out it was my dad coming to pick me up… How miserable my dad's life is, thrown around by my mom in his youth and again by me in his middle ages… Dad, forgive me, please!"

"I want to be treated like that! How lucky my future father-in-law is!" Lou Cheng thought to himself shamelessly while trying to ingratiate himself with Yan Zheke. "He's probably already used to it. What about the other one?"

"So I accompanied my best friend to visit a scumbag who was using her hard-saved money while cheating on her with another girl. When we got there, the girl attempted to hit my friend and that jerk took her side. I was so outraged that I kicked both of them. They had some basic martial arts training so it could be considered an actual combat…" Yan Zheke sent a flame of fury sticker.

"Scrumbag! He should be gelded!" Lou Cheng took the girls' side with no hesitation. "Your friend was blinded by love… Didn't know you were such a heroine!"

They stayed on this topic until 10:30 without any awkward silence. Lou Cheng said goodbye with reluctance and then fell asleep with a big smile.

…

The next day by the lake, Lou Cheng couldn't wait to show off his practical combat experience to Geezer Shi.

"Master, I defeated Wu Dong last night!"

Geezer Shi raised his eyebrows and responded, "Wu Dong? You must have worn him out with your immerse endurance in the long run before the fight!"

Err… He was seen through at once… Lou Cheng was speechless.

"Even my big toe could figure out the story. Don't be too pleased with yourself until you can defeat Wu Dong in the ring and become a leading player of the Martial Arts Club," Geezer Shi, proud and complacent, added, "For this year's National Martial Arts Competition, you can join the cheering squad or the logistical support. Watch the competition on site, observe and learn."

Lou Cheng was neither surprised nor disappointed as he knew he had only trained for three weeks.

"Master, the partition contest of the competition will start next weekend, right?"

"That's right, and the opening ceremony will be held in Songcheng University. A martial arts master of Professional First Pin will come as a special guest," said Geezer Shi.

"Who? Who's coming?" Lou Cheng seemed thrilled by the news. He was curious, and so would Yan Zheke be!

Geezer Shi answered with a smile, "Not a titled master. It's Liang Yifan from Xinghai Club."

"I see. Terrific! I'm a fan." Lou Cheng felt very glad.

A late bloomer, Liang Yifan suffered in his youth and practiced basic martial arts as a sparring partner in a martial arts club. He was of Amateur Second Pin only at the age of 22, older than Chen Changhua. However, he kept training and made progress through hardships, which earned him appreciation and opportunities. The saying "one won't succeed in martial arts if he can't reach the physical invulnerability by 30" didn't stop him. Liang Yifan achieved the Upper Three Pin level at 32. A family-oriented man, he was always sedated and amiable.

For martial arts fans like Lou Cheng, Liang Yifan was their role model and a perfect example of "grand talents mature slowly"!

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Chapter 23: Preparation

Translator: Transn Editor: Transn

"Idol?" Geezer Shi smacked his lips with disdain for the shallow thoughts of enthusiastic martial arts amateurs like Lou Cheng. "Defeating him will be the best way to show him your respect."

"Defeat him if I idolize him and respect him?" Something inside Lou Cheng flamed up upon hearing Geezer Shi's words. Something called ambition!

"Can I? Really?"

Trembling slightly with his ambition burning, Lou Cheng threw away his arrogance and complacency from defeating Wu Dong with wits, tact, and strength completely.

He quickly changed the topic. "Master, can we make our way to the National Finals this time?"

The National University Martial Arts Competitions consisted of eight conferences, of which the top two of each could advance to the final stage. Divisional tournaments took place from November to January every year and the finals started in May.

Geezer Shi rolled his eyes. "Your master is not almighty! Wanna be one of the top two after a one-month special training?"

"But we've got Lin Que…" Lou Cheng's voice faded as he continued, "Master, how does our Martial Arts Club stack up against other universities in this division?"

"Better than many but definitely not one of the top four. The top eight is possible." Geezer Shi thought about it and added, "Professional Ninth Pin is a very impressive level for a freshman but not as big deal for the seniors. Songcheng University is not the only one with great talents, profound cultural foundation and highly qualified coaches. Last year's top eight each had at least one fighter in Professional Ninth Pin. One year has passed. Some of them may have graduated but the rest won't stay and wait for us to catch up."

"Maybe they have become undisciplined and regressed." Lou Cheng kept the thought to himself.

"How many students in Professional Ninth Pin does Shanbei University have?" Lou Cheng asked curiously.

The national champion of last year!

Geezer Shi smiled. "What does it have to do with you? Don't overreach yourself! Peng Leyun was of Professional Eighth Pin last year. Considering his talent and hard work, one year is more than enough for him to move up one level before achieving the physical invulnerability state. Their manager Xu Wannian is also of Ninth Pin but don't underestimate him as he's gifted with some supernatural abilities. Another Professional-Ninth-Pin student has graduated but I heard they've got a freshman of the same level. For martial arts talents, schools like Shanbei are much more appealing than Songcheng University."

The gap between Songcheng University and Shanbei University in martial arts sounded huge. "Xu Wannian alone might defeat our entire club. Not to mention Peng Leyun." Lou Cheng thought.

"Is this the distance between a good martial arts university and the national champion?"

Looking at Lou Cheng's darkened face, Geezer Shi laughed out. "Take this year's competition as a warm-up. When Lin Que becomes stronger, you grow mature enough, and other members improve significantly, it will be our turn to shine in the finals."

"You grow mature enough…" Lou Cheng felt thrilled and proud and blurted out. "Master, you are thinking very highly of me!"

He scratched his head and giggled in the manner of Crayon Shin-chan.

Geezer Shi replied, "Err… Just saying. Don't take me too seriously."

"…" Lou Cheng faced up to cover his awkwardness.

Luckily Geezer Shi soon changed the topic. "The fight with Wu Dong yesterday must have taught you much. I've been watching your pair exercise with Li Mao. You are kind of proficient in basic moves. So from today I'll teach you moves and styles of the Body Refining stage."

What Lou Cheng had learned before was merely a combination of basic moves and skills in exerting strength.

Restraining his excitement, Lou Cheng bowed.

"Thank you, master. Which move shall we start with?"

Geezer Shi put away his casualness after a cough. "The root of my lineage is the Ice Magical Kung Fu, the lost knowledge of the Ice Sect. The nature and attributes of your moves and styles don't matter much in the Body Refining stage. It won't affect your achievement of the physical invulnerability state in the future. Today I'll teach you a body refining set derived from the lost knowledge of the Ice Sect, 24 Blizzard Strikes."

"24 Blizzard Strikes?" At this thrilling moment, Cai Zongming's face appeared in Lou Cheng's head. If he was here, for sure he would joke about the set, "24 Blizzard Strikes? The first move must be Call Me Daddy!"

Geezer Shi continued while Lou Cheng was tripping, "This set is known for its ferociousness and craziness but don't let it take over your mind. Keep your head cool like water slowly becoming ice. Pairing with the explosive force of the Lightning and Fire Stance, it is definitely among the best of the Body Refining stage…" Geezer Shi began introducing the set.

Lou Cheng listened carefully. This would be his very first martial arts set.

Soon it was time for the martial arts club's daily special training when Lou Cheng had just roughly memorized the key points of the 24 strikes.

…

Standing in front of the remaining 12 members, Geezer Shi put on a coarse voice.

"Due to an accidental injury, Wu Dong is unable to continue with the special training. We have one week left before the divisional contest of the National Martial Arts Competitions. Now let me announce our leading fighters and substitutes."

Li Mao and other potential candidates dared not to breathe, straining the atmosphere. Yet Yan Zheke nodded slightly at Wu Dong's misfortune and exchanged a smile with Lou Cheng.

"Three leading players are Lin Que, Chen Changhua and Sun Jian." Of course.

Wu Dong wasn't a match for Sun Jian based on his previous performance, even if he was not injured. Chen Changhua's hands had fully recovered after over half a month.

Geezer Shi took a glance at Chen Changhua. "You senior students will graduate next July. We might never see each other again after that. It's perfectly understandable if you don't want to fight your best in this divisional contest. However, after spending three years here, of which two years as the manager, don't you have any special feeling for this club? Four years end quickly. Don't you want to leave something here? Don't you want to be remembered by your junior sisters and brothers as the one who has led the Songcheng University Martial Arts Club to rise again? "

Very few people could live without longing for fame and wealth. Chen Changhua's expressionless face started to glow as he nodded solemnly.

"Coach Shi, here I give you my words. I'll do my best in the competition. If we can make it to the top eight, my years of training here will be worth it."

Geezer Shi looked pleased with his good attitude.

"To the top eight we have a good chance!"

He turned to look at the others. "Three substitutes. Li Mao, Lin Hua and Guo Qing."

Most martial arts team events required each team to have three members who take turns to fight one of the three opponent fighters of another team. The winner of each fight would stay for the next challenge until one team's three members were all defeated. As the list of fighters and the lineup were decided by the coach right before the contest, it was critical to predict the opponent team's members and strategy thus to accordingly adjust their own tactics like exchange, counteraction, and dissipation.

Amateur competitions could be as fierce and brutal as those among professional martial artists with weapon license. However attentive and experienced the coaches and supervisors were, injuries couldn't be completely prevented, making substitutes essential for the event.

Guo Qing was surprised upon hearing her own name but soon burst into a hooray and had a high-five with Yan Zheke as if she was already the champion.

"Good physical fitness, great potential plus the three-week training. You are outstanding among Amateur Five Pin fighters if not already at the level of Amateur Fourth Pin," Geezer Shi was always kinder and sweeter to girls.

While Wu Dong was injured, all members of sophomores and juniors except Li Mao, Lin Hua and Sun Jian were of Amateur Fifth Pin, it made perfect sense to choose Guo Qing.

"What a pity Little Ming didn't attend the special training…" Lou Cheng sighed to himself.

"Yan Zheke and Li Xiaowen, gather some girls on your martial arts lessons to form a cheering squad, enlivening the atmosphere on the stand. Lou Cheng and Wu Meng, call for two to three dozen boys to help the university guards and student union with security work," Geezer Shi continued.

Everyone was lost. After a good while, Chen Changhua asked, "Coach Shi, what security work are we talking about?"

Geezer Shi laughed. "Don't you know this year's opening ceremony will be hosted in Songcheng University and we'll have a special guest of First Pin? Don't worry about his safety. He alone can take all of you single-handed…"

He was cut off by the students' cheers and shouts.

"Which master?"

"Who? Who's that?"

"Can we ask for autographs?"

Geezer Shi cleared his throat and continued, "You will soon find out. The First-Pin master needs no protection from us but should protect us. Our security work will be to help school guards and the student union to block reporters, supporters and fan club members and maintain order on campus. If there's a chance, I'll try to help with the autograph."

"Long live coach Shi!" The members yelled together as if the pain and weariness from the special training had all gone.

After the cheers, they looked at each other with gentle eyes and a sense of belonging—even Chen Changhua's gaze at Lin Que was softened.

Geezer Shi smiled and reached his hand out to quiet them down, "The conference contest is coming and we have loads to prepare. First, collect information. Split the work and gather all information and videos from last year's regional and national competitions. As soon as the draw results are announced, all leading fights and substitutes shall start to watch the corresponding parts to learn about your opponents."

Lin Que raised his hand. "Coach Shi, I have all this information."

"Good. Very good. Don't forget to send it to me. " Geezer Shi nodded in satisfaction.

Lou Cheng had never heard so many words from Lin Que since he joined the Martial Arts Club. As Talker would say, everyone would sympathize with Songcheng University Martial Arts Club in future competitions since commentators will introduce Lin Que, the chief fighter, as a tough-minded deaf-mute…

"Secondly, in this one last week, I'll teach you 12 strikes, the first 12 moves of 24 Blizzard Strikes from the Ice Sect." Geezer Shi stretched his muscles and bones.

"Hehe. I can learn 24 strikes, but you can only learn half. This is my privilege…" Feeling very pleased with himself, Lou Cheng took the opportunity to review what he had already grasped.

At noon, Lou Cheng approached Yan Zheke and Guo Qing once again as always after his pair exercise.

"Which First-Pin master will come this time?" Yan Zheke took the initiative to ask, showing great curiosity.

Lou Cheng replied with a smile, "I know."

"Who's that?" Yan Zheke's black eyes were shining, capturing all Lou Cheng's attention.

"Liang Yifan from Xinghai Club." Lou Cheng didn't want to keep her guessing.

"Liang Yifan?" Yan Zheke's thin face was lightened up. "He is also my idol!"

Guo Qing was the same excited.

"Many idols you have…" Lou Cheng teased.

Yan Zheke pouted her lips to make a naughty expression. "If it was the Dragon King, Cheng, would you let me break in?"

"I'm already a betrayer!" Lou Cheng answered firmly.

They both burst into laughter but soon Yan Zheke sighed. "I hope Coach Shi will get his autograph for all of us."

"Autograph… " Lou Cheng kept it in mind.

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Chapter 24: Coach, I Want to Join Special Training

Translator: Transn Editor: Transn

A week later, although it was already 1:00 a.m., the night was hardly peaceful near the Songcheng University Hotel.

Wearing the special exercise clothes and pinning the walkie-talkies, Lou Cheng and Cai Zongming stood guard by the door. Behind them was the hotel lobby that remained as brightly lit as ever, scattering silhouettes and shadows of the security department, student council and other club members who stood around.

"The school is stingy. They make us do overnight guard duty, and all they provide is a set of martial arts suit." Cai Zongming tugged his martial arts suit and said grudgingly, "If it weren't because my darling likes Liang Yifan and wants his autograph, I wouldn't even care enough to be here."

Lou Cheng shot him a death glare. "Talker, that was not what you said. You said we are sworn brothers for life, and 'Cheng, if you couldn't depend on me, who else could you depend on…' Though I am also doing this and trying so hard to get the autograph for Yan Zheke!"

"Ha-ha," Cai Zongming laughed dryly. "If I only wanted the autograph, I could just ask you to get it for me. Didn't Qin Mo say that if you could get him an autograph, he would pay for your meals for a week? If it was not because of our brotherhood, why would I bother to burn the night and accompany you? Where's that Liang Yifan? "

"The flight was supposed to arrive at 12:05 a.m.. It has been more than 40 minutes already, right? Flights are seldom late." Lou Cheng looked outside, only to see people everywhere, mainly young ones. There were people walking to and fro, people holding banners, people whispering, people holding cameras, people excited, and people just simply squatting around.

Cai Zongming looked around in awe and said, "It's already the wee hours of the morning, and we still have a few hundred fans waiting here. The appeal of a First-Pin expert is incredible."

"Plus, this is only what is within our sight." Lou Cheng sniggered, "Lucky for us, I managed to pull some strings with Geezer Shi. Else, we would not even get this near the door. See, the student council and security department are turning green with envy. "

It was a great position to be close enough to the star!

"Cheng, yes, yes, I will say many good things about you!" Cai Zongming gave a thumbs-up. "So, after we end our shift in the morning, are you still going for martial arts practice?"

Lou Cheng could hide his 5 a.m. mornings from everyone except his roommates. He had explained that the extra training was mere to strengthen his martial arts.

"I must go. Sleep comes after training. If I skip training because of small matters like this, I will lose discipline and start to slack," Lou Cheng answered matter-of-factly. It was not a tiring chore to him. It was something he had to do anyway.

As they talked, the scene outside began to become restless. Three black sedan cars rolled into view.

As the cars approached, the crowd exploded into continuous screams, cheers and the people started to chant.

"Liang Yifan! Liang Yifan! Liang Yifan!"

Banners were lifted, partly hidden and partly visible under the lights of the hotel, matching with the fluorescent light. The characters "Liang Yifan Songcheng Fan Club" on the banners were distinct and added a heated atmosphere to the chaotic spot.

"Hey, hey, hey. You, at the door, move! Make sure you block off the fans and the reporters," the walkie-talkies hanging on Lou Cheng and Cai Zongming started to buzz loudly.

The pair was a little taken aback by the chaotic scene and only regained senses when they met each other's eyes. In quick strides, the pair joined the other security guards at the door of the car that just came to a stop. Together with the professional security officers, they locked their arms and formed a huge circle like a fence against the frenzied fans and sneaky reporters.

It was almost rhythmic, like strong tides crashing on the shore, wave after wave. The human fence almost could not hold its form. Fortunately, Cai Zongming's Amateur Fifth Pin's strength and Lou Cheng's internal coordination had strengthened enough to help the fence hold it together. Frustrated fans who had been unable to get any closer to their idol could not help but shoot angry glares at them.

"Who knows? Maybe we are on a live broadcast on the Xinghai Club or Liang Yifan fan forum, and have all the people there scolding us, calling us hooligans or unreasonable guards. What do you think?" Despite the squeeze, Cai Zongming could not restrain himself and found an opportunity to talk to Lou Cheng.

Lou Cheng held on to his position tensely, and replied distractedly, "Perhaps they would even accuse us of hitting people and make use of the messy situation just to stir some trouble and create news."

Just then, the car door opened. From the even more intense screams of the fans, Lou Cheng could tell that Liang Yifan has appeared. It was a pity that his back was facing Liang Yifan. He could not catch a glimpse of the star at all.

The rhythmic waves of the crowd grew stronger and faster. The screams of the fans became louder and shriller. Just as Lou Cheng felt that his arms could no longer hold off the crowd, a crisp and mellow voice said, "Everyone, please calm down. I am honored to receive such generous love from all of you, but it is already late in the night. We can't be selfish and affect other people's resting time. Please be quiet. I am here with all of you."

In such a rowdy environment, though his voice was just like any other, the crowd actually fell silent. People stopped pushing, and the area outside the hotel went back to being quiet like how it should be at such hours.

Lou Cheng and Cai Zongming turned toward the voice. On the stage, outside the hotel main entrance where all the lights were shining on, stood an average-built male who was approximately the same height as Lou Cheng. In a dark blue traditional martial arts suit, the figure's presence was strong, with an indescribable aura, an aura so strong yet calm, that no one cared that he had the most ordinary-looking facial features.

"That's the real Liang Yifan…" Cai Zongming mumbled softly.

Liang Yifan was 30 plus years old, the perfect age when men were most mature and yet still didn't look too old. While facing the fans' stares of admiration, he smiled gently and said, "I am always thankful, and I can never repay the love that you all have given me. So, I decided that I will sign an autograph for every single one of you here, until there is no one without my signature. So, please be orderly and line up. We are learned people, so as long as we do not get too loud, I will continue signing till the last fan standing."

His words moved the fans. Some girls were even weeping and exclaiming how good Liang Yifan was.

The walkie-talkies of Lou Cheng and team buzzed again, "Keep them in order. Let them line up without noise."

With the change of their duties, Lou Cheng and Cai Zongming started to get busy again. They guided the fans into a line and stopped those who were trying to cut the queue. One by one, the fans went up the stage to receive his autograph and the reporters at the side clicked away, capturing the moment.

As the night turned quiet, Cai Zongming started to observe the figure who was continuously signing autographs under the lights, and then turned to watch the fans and reporters who were in the queue. With an unexpected twist of his head toward Lou Cheng, Cai Zongming said in a low tone, "Cheng…"

"What?" Lou Cheng responded, seemingly uninterested.

Cai Zongming took a deep breath and with the seriousness he never had, he said, "I want to join the special training now."

"Uh…" Lou Cheng looked at him intensely and pursed his lips, as though he could read Cai Zongming's mind.

He did not say anything else while they continued to maintain the order of the crowd. Time passed, and soon it was 3 a.m. There were not many left in the autograph queue, but many still lingered around, reluctant to leave.

Seeing that the queue was getting shorter and about to end, Lou Cheng heaved a sigh and stepped out of the security team formation. Relying on where he already was, he took a couple of steps and was already at the end of the queue, with only three fans before him.

"Hey, you there! What are you doing? Return to your position!" the walkie-talkie blasted.

Without hesitation, Lou Cheng flicked his walkie-talkie's switch off and felt exceptionally manly for doing so.

"They can't punish me for such a minor matter, right? Even if they do, I will be happy to accept it!"

Cai Zongming's jaw dropped. He came out of his dazed state rather quickly and jumped right behind Lou Cheng, turning his walkie-talkie off at the same time.

"Cheng, you have my respect today!" he said softly.

Lou Cheng was already in front of Liang Yifan. He took out a small, cute looking notebook and said nervously,

"Mr. Liang, my friend and I admire you very much. I hope you could sign here for me."

Liang Yifan smiled gently, "Of course, no worries at all. I know and I can see that the team has worked hard tonight. Just spill into batches to come and get your autographs."

Though he did not announce it loudly, the news spread quickly. All the students who had volunteered to be security personnel cheered quietly.

Upon seeing Liang Yifan flip and sign on three pages of his notebook, Lou Cheng was overwhelmed.

"Thank you, thank you!"

…

Half an hour later, at the hotel entrance.

"We are lucky that nothing happened this time. You cannot even afford to take the responsibility if anything went wrong because of your reckless behavior! It wouldn't even be unreasonable of us to fire you two…" the deputy head of the security department hollered furiously at Lou Cheng and Cai Zongming.

After a long pause, he said reluctantly, "I will be reporting this incident to your department head. Whether you will receive a disciplinary order will depend on whether you admit and have reflected on what you have done wrong."

"Sir! You are right, absolutely right. We have done wrong. We were too hot-headed and impulsive." Cai Zongming glibly apologized for their mistake, and Lou Cheng followed suit. It did not bother the pair in any way since they had already got the autographs they wanted!

If the matter went back to their school, it would be better for them. There would be more space for negotiation and they could probably wiggle their way out of trouble since covering up for each other had always been a great tradition of every team.

After greeting goodbye to the deputy head, Lou Cheng let out a sigh of relief. "He's really something. Indeed someone who had been a Professional Seventh Pin. Even after all these years of sitting in an office, his yelling had such an impact. I almost couldn't keep my spirit and Qi steady."

"You were in a still stance just now?" Cai Zongming looked at Lou Cheng with curiosity.

"Of course, it was too boring," Lou Cheng answered matter-of-factly.

It was almost 5 a.m.. The crowd was dispersing, and the hotel's surroundings had become strangely peaceful. With the gentle autumn breeze ruffling their clothes, Cai Zongming and Lou Cheng subconsciously fell silent.

After noticing the lights in the hotel lobby and feeling the chilly winds of autumn, Lou Cheng suddenly said, "Talker, are you serious about joining the martial arts special training? Don't you care that you wouldn't have time for your girlfriend? Or have time to sleep or play games?"

Cai Zongming said determinedly, "My girl has always been tops in studies. I will persuade her to take a second major. The time for games? I will use that to video call her. My plan is to make a trip to the Capital during Christmas and spend some time on the New Year's Day with her, so I got to make some money now."

He was from a decent family and received twice the pocket money that Lou Cheng did. Although he had at least 3,000 yuan a month, he was quite a spendthrift too, never leaving any by the end of the month. As for classes, since many helped to report in for his attendance, and excluding holidays and the weekends, he probably only skipped three or four days of class.

Not waiting for Lou Cheng to respond, Cai Zongming continued to talk,

"I kinda thought it through. After graduating, we will have to step into the real society. We will not have the energy and time like now. We will not have the passion and free spirit to do what we like now. I've always liked martial arts. Although I'm a little lazy, sometimes I do fantasize. If we have no ideal or dream, how different are we from a walking dead? I don't really want to spend four years in college just in classes, exams, and games.

"I think I have some talent. Since I am already at Amateur Fifth Pin, I probably have some hope to enter the professional martial arts community. No harm trying anyway, who knows… Maybe I'll make it? Just like how you are chasing your goddess. Maybe I'll just be lucky enough to hit the jackpot?"

Lou Cheng glared at Cai Zongming. "You can go on being all sentimental and romantic about your dreams, why do you have to add in those few lines of sarcasm?"

"Used to it," Cai Zongming answered with a smirk.

They looked at each other and grinned, then, at the same time they said, "Life is short, you live only once, why not try?"

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Chapter 25: Corvine Mouth

Translator: Transn Editor: Transn

The next night, Songcheng University's martial arts hall was brightly lit and packed with people. Everyone was waiting eagerly for the opening ceremony of the annual National University Martial Arts Competitions.

Lou Cheng waited for Yan Zheke outside the women's locker room. When she came out, he passed her the cute notebook with a grin and said, "Liang Yifan's autograph. I tore a page for myself."

Yan Zheke's eyes widened with surprise. She took the notebook and flipped to the two pages where Liang Yifan had signed and exclaimed.

"You, you managed to get his autograph… Thank you very much!"

Lou Cheng tried his best to remain as calm and collected as possible. He smiled warmly and said, "You're welcome! You don't need to thank me. Didn't you also give me some medicine?"

Reciprocating her favor was only an excuse that he was using so that the situation would not become too awkward for the two of them.

"Oh yes, I did." With a thoughtful look, Yan Zheke nodded lightly, and said, "I was about to say I could treat you to a meal, but since you have said it, thank you for the autographs anyway."

"Huh? Treat me to a meal? So this means a date? Did I just miss my perfect chance?" Lou Cheng was stunned. He was filled with regret for talking so much! For explaining so much!

"Actually, I don't mind a treat…" he said shyly.

Yan Zheke said with her eyes glittered. "Didn't I already return the favor with the ointment? Why do I still have to treat you to a meal?" Without waiting for Lou Cheng to respond, Yan Zheke beamed and with her pretty dimples showing, she added, "Since you have missed this opportunity, you can only wait for the next chance."

"I will pick an expensive place next time!" Lou Cheng tried to use a joke to soothe the pain and regret in him.

"Expensive meal? Then I will probably not give a treat then…" Yan Zheke teased.

"Alright, alright. My fault. If Yan Zheke treats, even if it's street food, I will gobble it down like it is the most delicious thing in the world!" Lou Cheng clasped his hands together and answered her in a joking manner.

Yan Zheke tilted her head and good-naturedly said, "Gobble it down? Can you eat a lot? Maybe I shouldn't treat you then…"

"… Just look at my sincere eyes," Lou Cheng felt an urgent need to make an expression that could be found in a sticker pack of a chat application.

"Oh yes, why do you have such a girly notebook?" Yan Zheke giggled and tried to change the topic.

"I bought it especially for the autographs. A manly guy like me will never use a notebook," Lou Cheng joked.

"Oh…" Yan Zheke looked at him, amused by his words. She was about to say something when Guo Qing waved to her.

"Cheng, I'll go over first. I have some stuff to settle." Yan Zheke pointed at Guo Qing.

The cheerleaders would be trying to get the crowd fired up tonight. They need to warm up the people, get them to clap and cheer, especially since this was a live broadcast, so they couldn't afford quiet moments on the screen.

As Lou Cheng waved goodbye, Cai Zongming, who was nearby, leaned over and said seriously, "Cheng, do you know how I feel after hearing your conversation?"

"What?" Lou Cheng braced himself for a sarcastic attack.

"I was trying so hard not to laugh! Can't hold back any longer! Hahaha!" Cai Zongming cracked up. "You talked too much! You looked for an excuse! You didn't ask me for advice! Your date is gone now, right? Filled with regret yet? Heart aching yet?"

Lou Cheng glared at him. "Little Ming, come here."

"For what?" Cai Zongming asked with caution.

"Let me strangle you!" Lou Cheng said sternly. "We should go and maintain order."

Today's event required some order. The pair in Songcheng University martial arts suits moved toward the holding area for guests. Presidents, vice-presidents, and coaches of the various schools from the Partition Contest were present. As for the top two Martial Arts Club of the Partition Contest, which were also the representatives of the host district, Shanbei University Martial Arts Club and Sanjiang College Martial Arts Club, both their main and substitute members were invited to join the competition.

In their midst, Shanbei University Martial Arts Club as the defending champion would have to go on stage later to draw lots to determine the competing order of the rest of the competitors.

…

After Yan Zheke walked to Guo Qing, she did not mention anything about the notebook and Liang Yifan's autograph. She only talked about how the cheerleading team could help warm the crowd up.

During their discussion, when they touched on the topic of Liang Yifan hosting the drawing lots segment, Guo Qing seemed to recall something, and said, "Ke Ke, I heard that last night Cheng was crazy cool."

"What did he do?" Yan Zheke asked curiously.

"While the deputy head of the security team was watching, he stepped out from the security team formation and asked for Liang Yifan's autograph. When the deputy head demanded that he returned to his position through the walkie-talkies, Lou Cheng simply switched his walkie-talkie off! Totally calm and collected, without any fear." Guo Qing continued with her gossip, "Fortunately, Liang Yifan did not mind, and the deputy head just reprimanded him and he was off the hook…"

While listening to Guo Qing, Yan Zheke bit her lips and a subtle glow came into her eyes. Her lips arched slightly and her right hand stroked the notebook's cover lightly.

…

A young man, smartly dressed in a black tuxedo and tie, stood at the aisle of the guest holding area. His position overlooked the male locker room of the Songcheng University Martial Arts Club. He sniggered and whispered to his partner beside him, "This year Songcheng University has Lin Que in their team. It will be worth watching. Catch the matches, if you can."

"Club Manager, so what if there's Lin Que. Why should we, Sanjiang College, care about them? In the old days, you would have been worshiped as a God!" Next to him, a tall but childish-looking youth casually passed a blandishing statement.

"No, no, you flatter me. It would only be because the people in the old days didn't know better and hadn't seen enough." The tuxedo man beamed proudly. When he did so, his feet left the ground and he was floating at least 10 centimeters above the ground!

He kept his floating stance and drifted along the aisle to the seats at the back of the guest area.

The rows of the guest area were arranged in an inclined slope. As the tuxedo man floated past a few rows, a familiar voice called out to him. "Qu Hui, you haven't changed a bit, as shameless as ever."

The tuxedo man, Qu Hui, turned around to find out who called out to him. A young man in a white martial arts suit stood at the edge of a row, with his arms crossed in front of his chest. He was about 1.80 meters tall, with thick bushy eyebrows and heavy dark eye rings. He seemed fatigued and had not slept for many nights.

"Hey, Xu Wannian, you also haven't changed at all. Still the same ruffian look." Qu Hui sneered. "No matter how shameless I am, at least I wouldn't be defeated by a new member of the club."

Shanbei University Martial Arts Club President, Xu Wannian, gave a tight smile and said, "There's no need to provoke me or stir anything. I respect my Junior Peng's ability and have nothing to be ashamed about. Alright, I'll stop bickering with you. Watch your step and don't fall."

After watching him return to his seat, Qu Hui continued drifting toward the rows at the back and questioned the youth beside him, "There must be something wrong with Xu Wannian. Since when was he so quick to stop?"

"Yes, there must be something amiss, or else he wouldn't have missed the chance to curse that you'd trip and fall. You're floating in midair, how would you trip and fall?" The tall, childish-looking young man said in a joking manner.

"If there is anyone who would fall in this crowd, it would not be you, our President!" The other Sanjiang College Martial Arts Club members echoed.

Qu Hui was little confused and felt funny. He could not help but turn back to look toward Xu Wannian while drifting to his seat.

"Is there anything else between those lines?"

Bam!

Just as Qu Hui turned back, he bumped face-first on to a pillar that was supporting the roof of the dome. His nose was so sore that tears trickled down his cheeks. Then, at that moment, he forgot to maintain his supernatural ability and fell backward. The rest of the team members tried to catch him.

"Damned! What kind of building is this! A pillar in the middle of a walking path!" The childish-looking young man angrily started to blame the pillar.

At this moment, they were nearly at the last row.

Qu Hui floated again. His tuxedo was still crisp and neat with no signs of wrinkles. He looked at Xu Wannian grudgingly and said, "I actually tripped…"

Such a big pillar, but no one, including himself, had noticed it!

After seeing Qu Hui's pillar knocking scene, Xu Wannian turned to the rows occupied by his club members, the Shanbei University representatives, and said, "See that?"

"Senior Brother Xu, is that your supernatural ability?" The members of the Martial Arts Club asked openly. A good-looking young man with a freckled face pursed his lips while some thoughts ran through his mind.

Xu Wannian proudly said, "Right. In the past, I never thought so, I always assumed that I was just a 'Corvine Mouth', the good things I speak of may never come true, but the bad ones always will. Fortunately, Junior Xu noticed it, and he looked for someone to help me hone this special ability."

While sharing his history, he patted the shoulders of a young man next to him.

"Huh?" Looking lost, that young man turned to look at who had tapped on his shoulder.

While everyone was chatting happily, he was actually out of sorts and in his own world.

"Nothing, Junior Peng. You can continue to ponder about your biological challenges and life goals." Xu Wannian let out two laughs and patted Peng Leyun's shoulder again.

Peng Leyun's skin was as smooth as that of a girl, with some facial hair around his mouth. His looks were not outstanding, but he looked clean. After he heard Xu Wannian's words, he turned back, and with a blank stare, he said, "Think about life."

"Senior brother Xu, this supernatural ability of yours, to what extent can it be used?" The junior with a freckled face asked.

Xu Wannian replied good-naturedly, "For now it just interferes with my opponent. The worst is a splitting headache and no side effects."

After saying that, he pointed at the two people who were making their way up the rows and said arrogantly, "I'll show you all again."

Following instructions blasting from the walkie-talkies, Lou Cheng and Cai Zongming walked toward their assigned positions. Just as they had climbed a few steps, they heard a voice. "Hey, you there."

Lou Cheng turned toward the voice and saw the bunch of young students dressed in the Shanbei University martial arts suit. He was puzzled as to why they would call him.

"What do they want from me? Is Peng Leyun here?"

With a questionable smile, Xu Wannian said, "It's a little slippery in the front. Someone fell just now. You should be careful too and not fall too."

"Oh, thank you," Lou Cheng responded with gratitude.

Suddenly, the Jindan in his abdomen did a little jump, and the nebula began to expand and contract quickly.

Uh? Lou Cheng stopped in his tracks. The Jindan reverted to its original form and stopped acting up.

"What's wrong?" He frowned while thinking. Though he was trying to understand what just happened, he continued to walk up the steps with Cai Zongming.

One step, two steps, three steps… they reached the last row and turned to look over the entire stadium.

"What? Why didn't it work?" The Shanbei University Martial Arts Club members who were waiting to see Lou Cheng fall were shocked.

Nothing happened to him!

Xu Wannian was also surprised. He stood up and stepped onto the aisle to make sure that he did not miss anything. Lou Cheng was truly still standing upright and smiling brightly.

What went wrong? Xu Wannian was confused and he turned back.

At this moment, he missed a step! He could not regain his balance in time and was about to roll to the bottom of the steps!

A hand stretched out and held on to him firmly, helping him to regain his balance, preventing that embarrassing fall.

"The soul of language can sometimes fail, and when it does, there will be a boomerang effect," Peng Leyun said with an unfathomable look in his eyes. Nobody noticed when Peng Leyun left his world and returned to everyone else's world.

"Huh? Junior Peng, what just happened?" The now standing steady, Xu Wannian asked in a surprised tone.

Why would he fail?

Peng Leyun shook his head to express that he did not know the reason for the failure. Then, he looked away and mumbled to himself.

"I smell the scent of the stars…"

His eyes went back to being empty and blank.

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Chapter 26: Drawing Lots

Translator: Transn Editor: Transn

Xu Wannian still hadn't recovered from his shock before the launching of the opening ceremony of the National University Martial Arts Competitions, which began with an instrumental performance by the philharmonic orchestra of Songcheng University, followed by the graceful dancing of the young and lively dance company.

"We can sleep for a while after watching the dance." Cai Zongming yawned naturally.

Lou Cheng deliberately made an expression of fear. "At the school's opening ceremony, the principal talked nonsense for over an hour and a half. Think he'd get knocked out if he did the same thing again?"

"I can't tell whether he will be hit today, but he's not the only one who has been talking nonsense. I watched a video a couple days ago about last year's opening ceremony. The chairman of the Martial Arts Federation made a speech that was so long it both remained fresh in my mind and also nearly put me to sleep." Cai Zongming said with a "righteous" look on his face.

Honored guests of the Martial Arts Club of Shanbei University were seated in the front row. Listening to the speech of the president of Songcheng University, Xu Wannian looked weary. He wanted to sleep yet didn't dare to, since it a live telecast.

"He's just going on and on…" a delicate-looking boy with freckles on his face next to him said as his mouth twitched. "Brother Xu, could you use your 'Misfortune Seer' tactic on the old man to make him forget what he was going to say, or lose his notes, or make his blood pressure go up, something like that?"

After a short silence, Xu Wannian sighed. "I want to, but he's too f*cking far away!"

He looked toward Peng Leyun next to him. "In times like this, I admire and worship Junior Brother Peng the most. He can reflect on life and go on a mental journey whether or not there's someone around talking nonsense. I honestly suspect that he just has a supernatural ability to sleep with his eyes open!"

"I also envy Brother Leyun. He can be lost in thought while he is still talking." Another member of the Martial Arts Club echoed the opinion.

"All of you, lower your voices," said the instructor of the Martial Arts Club of Shanbei University sitting in the front row after turning his head. With his hair all white in middle age, he had sunken eyes and an old-fashioned temperament. He was well respected in the Martial Arts Club, so everyone shut their mouths immediately.

Half an hour later, Cai Zongming became drowsy, his eyes glazing over.

"Cheng, we should talk to each other. Otherwise, I will fall asleep and roll down from the steps. If that happened, I'd be a running joke all over the country!"

"I guess the principal may finish his talk soon. There are so many guests today, and every one of them has to say a few words. If the principal takes too long, the opening ceremony won't finish until dawn." Lou Cheng attempted to comfort himself.

The atmosphere that had been created by the music and dance a moment ago had already frozen over.

Lou Cheng had barely finished speaking when the principal abruptly brought his speech to an end, made a salute and got down from the platform. It seemed that the principal was unsatisfied about the time limit of the speech.

Clap! Clap! Clap!

There came a roar of thunderous applause in the gym, practically blowing the roof off the place.

Feeling as if they'd escaped from a great catastrophe, Lou Cheng and Cai Zongming also clapped their hands forcibly, showing their thanks to the principal for his mercy by releasing them from the long-winded speech.

"Next, we shall invite Mr. Fang Jingjue, the Chairman of the National College Martial Arts Federation to give a speech." The host invited the next guest.

"…" With his mouth agape, Cai Zongming said, "Cheng, we'd better talk to each other."

Eyeing the front, Lou Cheng watched the cameras at each position and murmured.

"About what?"

"Do you know about the special competition format for martial arts competitions in teams?" Cai Zongming threw himself into the topic with his heart and soul.

"I don't live under a rock, how could I not know? Under normal circumstances, each party may send three fighters to fight one by one in single combat, during which the winner stays and the loser leaves. The first party to have all three candidates defeated is out of the competition. However, sometimes it's allowed to apply for a special competition format in which all three candidates from each party come on the stage to fight. That way they can fully display all the unique aspects of that certain kind of martial arts." Lou Cheng casually talked about the special competition format, while listening to the unending speech by Chairman Fang Jingjue.

Cai Zongming answered with a smirk, "Then do you know what they say about the special competition format?"

"What?" Lou Cheng became interested.

Cai Zongming grinned. "It is said that during the initial establishment of the Professional Martial Arts Competition, the Xuanwu School went to the leader of the martial arts realm at that time, Master Lin Zhongxun. They said to Master Lin that the competition format was not fair, for their school-based itself on swords formation and was good at the 'Sanyuan Dingguan Swords Array (three-man swords array).' If they were going to fight one by one in single combat, what was to stop the others from taking advantage of their weakness?"

"Ah, that's right! Some schools are better at joint formation than single combat. The ordinary competition format truly is unfair to them," said Lou Cheng.

Cai Zongming replied with a laugh, "Master Lin also thought so. So he formulated a special competition format where if the application was put forth in advance, one school could send three disciples in at the same time to do a set swords formation. The opponent could fight with a three-person formation or have the three substitute fighters together."

"This sounds quite fair, a school poor at formation holds the advantage in number. Why is that so funny?" Lou Cheng gazed at Cai Zongming, puzzled.

Cai Zongming stifled his smile and said, "Hearing this, the Master of Kongtong School couldn't help but go to Master Lin to seek equal treatment. He said to Master Lin that Kongtong School was good at 'Five Directions and Five Elements Formation', and three disciples were far too few to meet the demand."

"Seems to make sense…" Lou Cheng said in hesitation.

Cai Zongming continued. "The Shangqing was beside the Kongtong School, and they couldn't ignore it hearing them talk like this. How else could they suffer such an injustice? 'Master Lin, please show some consideration for the 'Big Dipper Sword Formation' of Shangqing Sect!' What do you think, didn't this put Master Lin in an awkward position?"

"This truly was a specific problem. Master Lin would have to rack his brain to find a more comprehensive competition format…" Lou Cheng said, furrowing his brow.

"At that time, the Buddhist abbot of the Daxing Temple came in. He stared at Master Lin and mentioned the Five Hundred Arhats Formation…" Clapping his hands, Cai Zongming continued, "Well, Master Lin just told them to get out!"

Lou Cheng couldn't help but burst into laughter. "That's true. There is nothing in the world that can satisfy everyone."

They seemed to be entirely absorbed in listening to the speech with a smile on their face when they were chatting with each other. Talking and laughing, one guest came up after another. They enjoyed the song and dance in between, waiting until "Light in Still Night" Liang Yifan, came onto the stage.

It was necessary for Yan Zheke and others to take the lead, as the martial arts gym had exploded in the clamor.

This was not only because of the personal charm of Liang Yifan, but also due to the "efforts" made by the guests in the front row!

"I'm not the best speaker, and I know that you all are eager to see the results from the drawing. So at this moment I just want to declare my sincere wish that National University Martial Arts Competitions will be better and better, have a deep lasting impact and provide an opportunity for the youth who had missed training when they were younger!" Liang Yifan said knowingly.

"Great!" Cai Zongming, Xu Wannian and others were amongst the first to applaud. Seeing the smiles of everyone in the gymnasium, one could clearly sense the feeling of warmth amongst the people there.

The projector started and behind Liang Yifan a screen showed up, on which there was the roster for the district contest. However, the fighting competitors were still left blank.

According to the competition format, there would be four groups within this region. The top four participants of the region last year would enter the group competition directly as seeded players, while other schools should enter corresponding groups through two rounds or three rounds of individual competitions. The one who got the left side during drawing lots would enjoy home advantage.

The group competition was carried out in a single cycle, and the home field was determined according to last years results. The top eight would enter the Top Eight Knockout, and the top two Knockout would participate in the national finals as representatives of their region.

The master of ceremonies and the host then put two boxes, a large one and a small one, on the stand in front of Liang Yifan. He drew out the seeded team of each group from the small box.

"Group A," Stretching his hand inside, Liang Yifan took out a piece of paper, then unfolded it and said out loud, "Shannan University Martial Arts Club."

They had gotten third place last year.

"Group B… Shanbei University Martial Arts Club!" Liang Yifan didn't skip a beat as the coaches in the gym stared at each other in dismay; the other participants on group B could only fight for second place.

"Group C… Sanjiang College… Group D… Haiyuan School." After drawing the seeded player of each group, Liang Yifan made a bow with his hands folded in front and left the platform, while the other guests continued to draw for the teams in each knockout.

Lou Cheng's heart was in his throat, and he realized that he already cared about the honor of the Martial Arts Club.

The fact that Songcheng University Martial Arts Club was not among the Knockouts of Group A made him somewhat regretful. Compared to Shanbei and Sanjiang, the other two martial arts clubs were not so scary.

"Group B, the third Knockout, Home Field…" Drawing out the paper, the guest spoke out, "Songcheng University Martial Arts Club!"

"Holy shit! Turns out to the most difficult group…" Lou Cheng felt a little depressed.

"No big deal, perhaps the other opponents were weak? It's OK if we can make second place." Cai Zongming always looked on the bright side of things.

The guest then drew out the opponent for Songcheng University – Neihai Normal School.

"That's okay." Lou Cheng breathed a heavy sigh of relief as Neihai Normal School was known as a weak team.

As the opponent for the second round of Knockouts would come from Qin Yang and the other weak school, the odds would favor Songcheng to enter the group competition.

When the drawing was finished, it was already late into the night. After coming back to their dorms, they were all too exhausted to pay attention to the news and went to sleep one after the other.

The next day, Lou Cheng returned to the dorm in the afternoon. He searched for news about the opening ceremony of the National University Martial Arts Competitions. Everyone was still following everything quite closely due to Liang Yifan attending.

In the Longhu Club forum, Lou Cheng found some posts below the front page where there were video news and a featured program made by Songcheng TV Station.

"Featured program?" Without reading the comments below, Lou Cheng skimmed one time through the news video and set his mind at rest after verifying there was no footage of him and Cai Zongming chatting and laughing. However, when he clicked the feature program of Songcheng TV Station, he caught sight of his own face!

"Very excited and thrilled. Umm, I'm really honored," said dimwittedly, with an idiotic smile on his face.

That was the time they were interviewed as onlookers outside the Martial Arts Club during the orientation conducted inside… Recalling past events, Lou Cheng opened the door of his dorm and shouted toward the opposite side. "Talker! Little Ming! Come and watch this, we're on the TV!"

Originally, when the interview had finished, they'd both eagerly looked forward to seeing their faces on TV, and would watch the Songcheng TV Station now and then. However, they never saw their faces and soon forgot about it. Who'd have known that this interview was part of the program? They hadn't thought it wouldn't be broadcast until the opening ceremony of the martial arts competitions.

"Really?" Cai Zongming came in and asked Lou Cheng to play it back. "Whew! Nice! I've got a handsome smile, not like a certain someone who seems clumsy and dumbfounded. Let's take a look at the comments, any words of praise for me?"

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Chapter 27: Source of Income

Translator: Transn Editor: Transn

Honestly, Lou Cheng felt awkward seeing online friends he was familiar with judge him from the viewpoint of strangers. He didn't know how to face it. For a moment he just wanted to ignore the comments and bury his head in the sand like an ostrich. However, he couldn't stand the exhilarated Little Ming's constant pushing and was compelled to roll over to the pages below.

Except for several people ahead who raced to take the second floor and comment with supportive words, "Unparalleled Dragon King", the martial maniac replied first: "Lin Que is alright, but it's hard for him to prosper in the future as he has encountered sessions with numerous Mighty Ones in the past 10 years. For example, Peng Leyun from Shanbei, Ren Li from the Capital, Ann Chaoyang from Huahai, and Zhen Huansheng from Guangnan are all well-known genius fighters, amongst which the former two are the martial heirs of their respective school, and the latter two have been appointed by Xinghai. Not to speak of other famous individuals, among freshmen of this year, Li Xiaoyuan from Guangnan and Fang Zhirong from Shanbei are also said to be better than Lin Que."

"Jesus! Who is this? He knows martial arts like the back of his hand!" Cai Zongming was shocked by the reply from "Unparalleled Dragon King".

With a look of worship, Lou Cheng said, "He is an addicted martial maniac and is the best choice for you to inquire data about martial arts. It is said that he is a rich kid returning from studying abroad and has been staying at home all the time."

"A Plumber Eating Mushroom" also replied, "Peng Leyun and Ren Li are both freshmen of the last year, and there's no hope for other schools before they graduate."

"Why?" The user "Brahman" sent a blank expression. She was the favorite of the forum. Graduated from elementary school last year, she was quite childish.

"A Plumber Eating Mushroom" replied, "Whoops, didn't you quit the forum this year? Think about it! During the enrollment of Peng Leyun and Ren Li and sessions before that, the one who has attained the Danqi Realm of Professional Eighth Pin were qualified to fight for the national champion. But it won't work this time since they both passed the Ranking Event in October and are Professional Seventh Pins. Their aptitude is only going to increase every year through their hard work. How could the latecomers possibly surpass them?"

"Maybe someone can attain the Danqi Realm in one year and surpass them in two years?" "Brahman" was not convinced.

"Invincible Punch" sighed below, "I've failed in my Ranking Event once again. Thinking about Peng Leyun and Lin Que, I wish I were dead. The meaning of someone's existence is to make your life meaningless."

Reading a lot of comments, Lou Cheng and Cai Zongming looked each other in the eyes and sighed.

"Lin Que's become famous."

Through this live broadcast and the feature program, he had won a nationwide reputation.

Looking at the comments again, the old hand "No Hooligans" had said, "Am I the only one thinking that the journalist in the feature program is a beauty?"

"Okamoto's Fan" followed, "Nine points at least! Sister, I want to…"

"Above the Sky", who had a portrait of a rocker girl, replied using a similar tone, "Am I the only one thinking that the boy in the interview is handsome?"

Cai Zongming sighed with emotion. "Don't cast pearls before swine. How fortunate to have a normal girl here!"

The little girl "Wonton Seller" replied with hesitation, "Which boy do you mean?"

"The one who looks silly. He's so cute saying about how he's honored or something like that." "Above the Sky" answered quickly.

"Her tastes are all screwed up!" Seeing the answer, Cai Zongming cursed in disappointment.

Lou Cheng burst into prideful laughter. He realized there was no longer the awkward feeling he had experienced before. Instead, he found it interesting to read the comments made by intimate online friends when they had no idea about his true identity.

"Talker, not all is lost!" He patted Cai Zongming's shoulder.

"I can't believe this!" Cai Zongming grabbed the mouse from Lou Cheng and flicked through pages himself.

After glancing over two pages, he finally found the reply from "Beautiful World": "The boy beside the goofy-looking one is handsome. Songcheng University boys aren't bad, they're handsome even in a casual interview."

She was a popular girl on the forum and a student at a famous school in the Capital. There were many replies from men and women, all expressing agreement with the opinion that boys of Songcheng University were not bad.

"How touching!" Putting the mouse down, Cai Zongming made a gesture of wiping away tears.

Lou Cheng stood by his side playing with QQ, and sent the link of the feature interview to Yan Zheke. "Had I known that the interview would be broadcast, I would have been more serious!"

After sending out the message, he turned his head to look at Cai Zongming by his side. "Talker, you said you would participate in the special training before. Do you still want to? Which time would you like to join us? I can mention it to Coach Shi."

"I said that from the bottom of my heart, are you questioning me now? Look at my eyes!" Cai Zongming answered dramatically. "But I can't do it this year. With my family, there's not enough time to mess with a second major. I'll join special training at the beginning of next semester."

Lou Cheng drew out his words, "One today is worth two tomorrows."

"I swear!" Cai Zongming said resolutely and decisively, "I'm preparing to fly myself to the Capital, and I need to save money from now on."

While talking, he ran back to his own bedroom and came back with a glass jar.

Lou Cheng looked at the jar with a fixed gaze and gulped.

"Chinese chili sauce!"

Did Little Ming save up money for his date by saving money on food?"

Cai Zongming replied with a righteous look on his face, "I can't fly to the capital for my date without any money. I intend to save up all of my living costs for the next two months, which should be enough for a good trip with a private hotel room."

"Save everything?" said Lou Cheng in shock.

"Well, the phone bill is filled up for three months. I'll quit smoking, drinking, social interaction, beverages, games, online shopping as well as feasting. Instead, for my meals every day, I'll have two steamed buns in the morning and fifty cents of rice along with Chinese chili sauce for lunch and supper, respectively. I may also allocate twenty yuan to have a fried dish. I've done the calculations; since the charge for the water heater and internet is less than two hundred, I can save up 2800 yuan each month, which will make 5600 in two months…" Cai Zongming talked about his money-saving almost in a stream of consciousness.

Lou Cheng couldn't help but shudder at his vivid description.

"Chinese chili sauce with rice every day?"

Would he throw up?

Little Ming was working his butt off for a date with his girlfriend in the Capital!

With this perseverance and willpower, was there anything he couldn't accomplish?

"Well, I'll eat anything when I'm hungry," Cai Zongming said fearlessly as he took in a deep breath.

He gave the extra autograph to his roommate Qin Mo. Instead of asking him to take care of his board expenses for a week, Cai Zongming just required him to treat all members of the dorm to a barbecue.

Giving a thumbs up, Lou Cheng said, "Hearing your miserable story, I nearly want to lend you some money. But on second thought, I don't have any money to lend to you…"

Ever since the beginning of his martial arts training, Lou Cheng had acquired a huge appetite. In addition, Geezer Shi offered a special suggestion on a balanced diet which, though it might not be as delicate as what a foreign dietitian would prescribe, met the basic requirements. Afterward, Lou Cheng's outgoing expenses each month shot straight up, became twice as much as the 600 before and got up to 1200. However, his quota living expenses for each month was 1300. If it weren't for the cheap and generous portions of the food in the canteen, he would hardly be able to afford the martial arts training, and that was even at a fee that was lower than what an ordinary person had to pay to undergo training. As the saying went, "The poor go for academics and the rich go for martial arts."

Fortunately, when he went to college, his parents had given him 2000 more for miscellaneous expenses. With 1000 left and the 800 his mother had given to him, Lou Cheng just made ends meet for the social meetup.

Also, Lou Cheng didn't want to ask for any more money from his family before he had achieved something in martial arts training. He was obsessed with the idea that it might make him seem like he was slacking off when it came to his studies.

Cai Zongming shook his head and grinned. "I don't like to borrow money from others. I just save up the money myself if I can, unless I'm at the end of my rope. However, if that happened, would I still be foolish enough to not ask for money from them?"

"We're brothers! I'd help you out however I could!" Lou Cheng said, thinking of himself. He murmured enviously, "I have no idea when I will have the opportunity to ask Yan Zheke out on a date."

Excluding the board expenses, he had 700 yuan left, which would be enough for several dates combined with the money he'd received during the New Year, and everything he'd scrounged up. But how could he talk to his parents about increasing his living expenses after he used up the money he'd been given?

It was a sad state of affairs for students that didn't have any other sources of income…

"Not to mention whether you two are close enough or if you'll even have the chance. Looking at your upcoming schedule is pretty hopeless as well since you don't have much time available." Cai Zongming laughed. "With special training every day and your duty for the martial arts club competition during the weekend, how can you spare any time for dating? By the time the group competition is over within mid-December, assuming we haven't been knocked out, you may have some time for yourself. The Amateur Ranking Event at the end of December would be a good excuse for a date, so start saving up money now!"

"I'll stop myself from carelessly spending the 700 yuan!" Lou Cheng nodded his head.

Jeez, he was too busy even to have a part-time job!

After chatting with Cai Zongming, Lou Cheng noticed a reply from Yan Zheke. She also joked about his silly smiling during the interview, which would be a blemish if it were made into a sticker pack.

With a silly smile on his face, Lou Cheng held his cell phone and chatted with her eagerly.

…

At the end of November, winter had already arrived and the wind blew with a chill. However, the gym of Songcheng University Martial Arts Club was in bursting with excitement and the noises inside were loud enough to shake the heavens.

It was not only the first battle of the regional group competition of the National University Martial Arts Competitions, but also the most important for the Songcheng University Martial Arts Club.

During the previous knockouts, Lin Que had fully displayed his might and defeated Neihai Normal School. In his fight with Qinyang University, he had won two rounds consecutively and brought the two strongest opponents down, but bowed out of the third round due to exhaustion. Afterward, except for the second fighter Sun Jian unexpectedly suffering an injury while entering the ring, Songcheng University Martial Arts Club had joined the group competition smoothly.

Teachers and students of the whole university had greater expectations than previous years due to Lin Que and his excellent performance. After such a long time, the martial arts gym was once again filled to the max with spectators!

Besides Songcheng University, the group consisted of Shanbei University, Guannan School, and Liucheng University of Science and Technology. Among these, Shanbei University was The Champion last year. They had all of the same leading players as before and were far more superior than Songcheng University at the moment, while Liucheng University of Science and Technology was weak and had reached the group competition by chance during the drawing.

For Songcheng University, Guannan School, which was at the same level as they were, was the major obstacle blocking them from entering the Top Eight of the Division.

The first match of the Group Competition, Songcheng University VS Guannan School!

…

"Guannan is actually a bit stronger than us. However, they ran into Sanjiang College and were defeated in the first round of the knockout with a result worse than ours. So, we have the home advantage and are evenly matched with Guannan." Wearing a black old man cap, Geezer Shi was explaining the situation of Guannan School Martial Arts Club to the leading players and substitutes.

The women's locker room had been given to Guannan for their usage. Lin Hua and Guo Qing were also in the men's locker room, in which the bathroom was separated by compartments.

Acting as the logistics officer, Lou Cheng stood to the side, listening to Geezer Shi's introduction with curiosity. Now and then, shouting could be heard from outside.

"Songcheng University! Songcheng University!"

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Chapter 28: Journey to Glory

Translator: Transn Editor: Transn

"Songcheng University! Songcheng University!"

The deafening shouts bore a sea of enthusiasm. Standing among thousands of cheering fans, Lou Cheng felt his head numb and body trembling. His blood was boiling and he wished he could be the next to fight for Songcheng University Martial Arts Club.

After one month of hard training, he had pretty much mastered the meditation and all moves of 24 Blizzard Strikes. Practice after practice and progress after progress. He had no idea which level he was of as the pair exercise had been removed from the special training since the start of the partition contest.

Bringing himself from wild thoughts back to Geezer Shi's talk, he returned to reality of his first ever Martial Arts Competition event and pre-combat locker room experience.

Geezer Shi, of the same unconcerned old man look, appeared more serious than usual. Facing his leading players, Lin Que and Chen Changhua, and some substitutes, he said, "The strongest player of Guannan is Gu Yue, the manager of their Martial Arts Club and the son of their coach Gu Zhen."

Lou Cheng could hardly hold his laughter. Instead of giving a solemn speech, Geezer Shi began with the opponent's family background.

Geezer Shi suddenly switched the thread of his talk, "Don't you feel relieved knowing he has used backdoor connections to get to this position? Hey, he has his backdoor connections but he also has solid skills. He took part in the Professional Ranking Event this April for the very first time and got the Ninth Pin certificate smoothly—around the same time as your qualification, Lin Que."

Lin Que nodded slightly as if it were no news to him.

"Gu Yue is tall and sturdy, firmly built with great might. He's a very tough fighter. Hear me clearly. Very tough!" Geezer Shi cleared his throat before continuing, "I believe you've watched his fights. Here I'll focus on three aspects. First, don't be fooled by his great might and tough moves into ignoring his advantage in physical strength. Except for one time when he was defeated by Qu Hui from Sanjiang, he was always the one to take the lead of his club and fought through the three rounds without showing much fatigue."

He took a quick glance at Lou Cheng, the monster that never felt tired, as if crying for a match of endurance for him to win. Lou Cheng nodded silently and felt sorry, thinking, "If I was to fight him in physical endurance, he would submit and worship me after a run!"

"The second, he is very cool-headed and able to defend himself calmly in front of an opponent specialized in skirmish fight. Instead of following about blindly, he usually waits patiently for the rival to make moves and then react accordingly. He either drains the opponent's physical strength or leaves a weak point on purpose to lure the rival into a lock. Afraid of neither injuries nor shortage of energy, he inclines to finish a fight quickly by playing tough." Geezer Shi took another look at Lou Cheng, wishing he was strong enough to be the nemesis of Gu Yue as his physical strength would never run low to reveal weak points.

"We could do it in his way for three days without a stop. It would all come to a point who felt sleepy the first…" Lou Cheng let his imagination go wild. "Sadly, it wouldn't be a good match for the audience. They would probably give fingers to me and my deceased ancestors… Also who would possibly want to watch my fight ever again? Better keep it in my mind."

Geezer Shi took out a metal wine pot like a magician. He had a big sip and enjoyed it loudly. "The last, according to my observation and the information Lin Hua has gathered, Gu Yue is very proud and arrogant. Certainly, he will be the first one to fight today as he doesn't expect any of his club mates to sap Lin Que's strength."

Lin Hua's best friend, a student of Guannan School, had become a secret informer.

"Lin Que, you go first. Meet strength with strength. Defeat Gu Yue and bring down Guannan's morale. A victory from the first round will boost our chance of entering the next stage to 70%." Geezer Shi gazed at Lin Que.

Lin Que, in the black-edged white martial arts suit of Songcheng University, clean and fresh, answered with no facial expression to Geezer Shi's arrangement, "Okay."

"You can pretend to play skirmish fight today to trick Gu Yue into leaving an opening and grab this opportunity to defeat him with 24 Blizzard Strikes. Injuries may happen and you may run low on physical strength quickly but go wild and suppress him completely. Knock him out as fast as you can and don't give him any chance to counterattack," continued Geezer Shi with his tactical plan.

Lin Que thought about it and nodded to give his consent.

"In this way, you won't have much strength left for the second round. If Ji Lan is your next opponent, do your best and we have a chance to score another win. However, if it's Fei Sanli, exhaust him and enrage him to earn a good start for our second fighter, Chen Changhua." Geezer Shi turned his eyes to the thick-eyebrowed Chen Changhua. "Fei Sanli is more or less of your league. Known for his brutal and vicious style, he often goes for the rival's eyes and hair. An actual combat has no limitation so his moves, maybe annoying and unpleasant for the audience, are perfectly acceptable. Protect yourself from his nasty moves or all the work we've done will be wasted."

Chen Changhua conned his words carefully and then answered, "Yes. I'll be careful."

"As long as nothing goes too wrong, it shouldn't be a problem for you to take Fei Sanli down. Unless you are injured, play hard in the last round. Ji Lan was recently qualified for Amateur Second Pin. Press her hard enough and she will break down and miss your shortage of strength." Geezer Shi went on to analyze and arrange.

His words had obviously strengthened their confidence in winning this contest.

"In case you are wounded by Fei Sanli, push it close to drain Ji Lan's energy, building up advantages for our last fighter, Li Mao." Geezer Shi fixed his eyes on Li Mao and said, "You are one level lower than Ji Lan but a victory over her shouldn't be hard as long as Lin Que and Chen Changhua can finish their share."

"What a pity that Brother Sun Jian is injured and Brother Wu Dong has quit the club. Otherwise, the victory would be in our bag," said Guo Qing with a tinge of emotion.

Wu Dong left the Martial Arts Club after his recovery as he was ashamed of the defeat dealt by Lou Cheng and busy with job hunting. His every encounter with Lou Cheng felt like loud slaps right on his face.

Geezer Shi sneered loud, "Wu Dong? He's pretty much wasted. He wouldn't be a match for Li Mao if he was here. Li Mao, are you doing alright?"

Li Mao swallowed a spittle. Listening to the loud hooray outside, he nodded heavily.

"So our fighters and the order are set. Lin Hua and Guo Qing, you are the substitutes." Geezer Shi signaled Lou Cheng to write down the arrangement for the match supervisor who was waiting by the side.

Before a fighter got in the ring, in case of a reoccurrence of some old injury or any special circumstance, a substitute could go in instead. However, if the fighter was already in the ring, he couldn't be replaced and would lose the combat even if he passed out before the fight started.

Lou Cheng quickly wrote down the list Geezer Shi had just arranged and gave it to the match supervisor waiting by the door.

The supervisor accepted the piece of paper and strode out. A few seconds of sudden silence was followed by a loud cheering, "Come on, Songcheng University!"

"Come on, Lin Que!"

"Lin Que! Lin Que!"

The hooray hit Lou Cheng's heart like an electric current. He longed to fight more than ever, to be the one at the center of the ring for these wild and surging screams and attention!

"Next year…" He quietly tightened his fist.

The shouts and cheers quieted down both locker rooms.

"The martial arts atmosphere is awesome in Songcheng University. Indeed a great martial arts school with a long tradition." The bald Fei Sanli from Guannan School was stunned.

Sitting on the metal bench calmly, Gu Yue slowly put on his bracers and then suddenly stood up, with his strongly built body bringing an intense oppression to the people around him.

"A great martial arts school with a long tradition? Maybe ten years ago. Now it's a group of losers, not a match for our Guannan." Gu Yue moved his neck left and right and turned to his father, Gu Zhen.

"Let's go." Gu Zhen and Gu Yue shared a very similar face with a high-bridged nose and deep eyes as if they were both multiracials. The most significant difference lied in their hair—one had turned grey and the other was short and spiky.

Gu Yue rubbed his hands against each other before making his way toward the door.

"Let's go!"

"Let's go!" Fei Sanli, Ji Lan and other members of the Martial Arts Club got up at the same time as if they were going on an expedition.

…

In Songcheng University's locker room, Lou Cheng stood by the door, browsing across the full auditorium in search of Yan Zheke. When he withdrew his eyes, Lin Que had put down his black thermos and stood up.

"Lin Que! Lin Que!"

The loud shouts and cries shocked Chen Changhua.

Every new member of the Club dreamed about glow and shine, and admiration and fondness from their schoolmates. Who didn't long to defeat the opponents and bring honor to their Club?

In his freshman year, he ran errands for the Club, jealous of his elder brothers and sisters who were welcomed with cheers and screams.

Then, in the second year, he finally became one of the leading players and fought in two knockout competitions and three group competitions for Songcheng University Martial Arts Club, where his name Chen Changhua was shouted and cried out loud. That was the moment of glory he would never forget. However, year after year their defeat drained the passion of their supporters and the Martial Arts Club was no longer the hit in their university. He gradually lost his ambition in winning the match and began to worry not to fall. All that still mattered to him was his position.

When it came to his third year, they lost in the second round of the knockout stage. Few people sitting in the auditorium shouted his name. They also didn't suppress the opponent team's fans.

Today, when he was about to bid farewell to Songcheng University, the passionate audience and loud cheers were back just like before. However, this time they were there for Lin Que.

"Lin Que!" He abruptly called Lin Que to stop by the door.

Lin Que stopped and turned around without any emotion. Lou Cheng and other members of the Club were unable to breathe with fear for any drama to take place at that very moment.

Chen Changhua stood up and walked up to Lin Que. He reached out his right hand and took a deep breath.

"Good luck, Lin Que!"

Lin Que seemed astonished. So did Lou Cheng and other members of the Club.

A few seconds passed and Lin Que still had the same face. He stretched out his right hand and held Chen Changhua's hand.

The grasp was tight.

Lin Que turned around. Members of the Martial Arts Club stepped out of the locker room and into the massive stadium with deafening cheers coming from the frenzied audience. A flight of stone stairs led to the ring.

This was a journey to glory, a trip to honor!

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Chapter 29: 24 Blizzard Strikes

Translator: Transn Editor: Transn

"Songcheng University!"

Thunderous shouts and screams surged hard, raising the roof of the stadium. Bringing up the rear, Lou Cheng noticed a brief halt of Chen Changhua, Li Mao and Guo Qing. Even the quiet, calm and collected Lin Que seemed to have slowed down a bit.

How could anyone stay cool in front of such blood-tingling enthusiasm?

The referee, a wide-faced man in his 40s, was already at the heart of the ring. The Martial Arts Alliance required that referees and supervisors of any formal competition must be at least two pins higher than the combatants to minimize the possibility of accidental death or serious injuries. However, it didn't apply to matches between martial arts masters of Third Pin or higher with physical invulnerability, as the role played by the referees and supervisors was weakened to barely existent. Fortunately, fighters of that league could be defeated but severe injuries would rarely happen to them since they all had a secret move or two that could save their life.

The gentleman of Professional Seventh Pin took a good look at Songcheng University Martial Arts Club and Guannan School Martial Arts Club in their respective resting area. He shouted sonorously after a deep breath, "Competition between Songcheng University Martial Arts Club and Guannan School Martial Arts Club, round one."

"Lin Que versus Gu Yue!"

Without Liang Yifan's talent, he had to seek help from a megaphone to send his voice out above the screaming audience.

More screams and louder cheers. The atmosphere inside the stadium was pushed to the apex.

The leading player of both teams would fight in the first round?

Gu Yue loosened his limbs and shook the robe off his shoulders. In a sky blue martial arts suit, he strode ahead to the stone stairs.

"Good luck, Gu Yue!" The pep squad of Guannan School burst into cheers.

Their voice was instantly suppressed. There seemed fire of passion burning in every corner of the stadium.

"Come on, Lin Que!"

"Come on, Lin Que!"

Gu Yue stepped into the ring, facing a figure in a black-edged white suit. Lin Que touched the school logo of "all peaks under my feet" on his chest as his face twitched slightly which was soon replaced by his usual calmness and coldness. He bowed with no emotion at all.

"I don't understand why you are such an idiot, choosing Songcheng University. Don't you know the Martial Arts Club there has become another name for a garbage dump? If you came to Guannan, you could fight into the national finals this year!" In accordance with established practice, the referee announced a three-minute conversation time prior to the actual fight where the two combatants could catch up or throw some hurtful remarks. Gu Yue didn't waste this spiritual combat.

This practice applied to the first round only. Before the second and last rounds, fighters weren't even given time to catch breath.

Lin Que calmly stared at him without a word.

"Why not say something? Afraid of revealing the rage or regret deep in your heart?" Gu Yue pushed and pushed like a jerk, attempting to tear off Lin Que's annoying calm face before the actual fight.

…

The timer of three minutes would soon tick but Lin Que's face remained the same, which started to bring frustration to Gu Yue. Words jumped out of his mouth, "Do you have autism? Or are you a natural deaf?"

He didn't expect an answer but to his surprise, Lin Que began to talk in a cold, flat tone, "To the weak I have nothing to say."

Nothing to say to the weak? The weak? All of a sudden, rage flooded into Gu Yue's head, turning his eyes blood red.

At this moment, the referee stretched out his hand and pressed down the timer.

"Fight!"

Gu Yue dashed forward on his side in an aggressive manner, trying to force Lin Que into a close melee.

Lin Que moved to the side and swayed his hip to throw a powerful punch with each of his hands at Gu Yue's left and right temples.

His feet seemed to be solidly planted on the ground. Gu Yue leisurely lowered his center of mass and raised his hands to block Lin Que's strike. He then turned into grasping hands to lock Lin Que.

Lin Que took another step sideways to dodge the catch. His body twisted and waist pulled to launch a low kick at the opponent's shin. As soon as the kick was blocked, he quickly changed his position and put on a classic skirmish fight posture.

"Skirmish fight… According to the information we have collected, his endurance is not a match for mine. Skirmish fight will consume his strength faster than me playing defensive. Why would he feed my advantage with his weak point? Would it be a trap?" As Gu Yue thought about all possibilities, his hands in the form of two iron plates worked together with his legs to provide perfect defense.

Lin Que stepped to the left and Gu Yue shifted his position and weight accordingly. Suddenly, Lin Que straightened his spine and moved his weight back to the previous position like a snake. His palm cut to the opening Gu Yue left on the side.

What the heck! In a little frenzy, Gu Yue's head was clear and fast at making decisions. He bent over with his knees twisted and got away from Lin Que's palm. He quickly adjusted his weight and raised his hands to block Lin Que's further attacks.

Bang!

Seeing no opportunity, Lin Que moved away and continued with skirmish fight, throwing surprise punches at Gu Yue here and there.

"That was close. Lin Que's control and adjustment of weight have almost reached the Danqi stage. No wonder he has chosen skirmish fight. He's seeking opportunities to take me ruthlessly by surprise." Gu Yue played a safe defense while speculating,"I can't play defensive forever. I need to create an opportunity to drag him closer. If his swiftness plays on, there will be more problems I'll have to deal with!"

As this idea became clear, Gu Yue acted to be out of patience. Upon another sneak strike from Lin Que, he stepped out to counterattack, leaving his footwork in chaos.

Bang! Lin Que didn't let go of this opportunity. He moved to the front of Gu Yue and hit his right shoulder blade with his palm.

"Excellent!" Cheers came from the audience.

A ferocious grin climbed on Gu Yue's face. His left hand, seemingly well prepared, rolled up to grab Lin Que's arm as his feet stepped forward to stay close enough to Lin Que to give a fatal dash.

At this time, a sharp sound of wind came to his ears and a scene of a winter blizzard flashed across his mind. His face actually felt a stabbing pain.

Lin Que advanced straightforwardly with calmness and craziness coexisting in his eyes. He curled his free hand into a fist and punched madly like a barbarian. The speed of his punches was beyond imagination!

Gu Yue dared not show slackness in this bout and quitted his powerful dashing move after weighing the good and bad. His right hand flicked and left hand blocked his head, resuming the safe defence.

Lin Que's punch was followed by a powerful kick, an elbow hit and a knee kick. Gu Yue felt that he was standing in a vast ice field, facing an overwhelming snowstorm. He could barely breathe.

In Songcheng University Martial Arts Club's resting area, Lou Cheng stood up subconsciously. "This is the first eight hits of 24 Blizzard Strikes!"

He watched Lin Que's offense become intenser and intenser, draining his strength while taking some energy from Gu Yue's blocks by constantly adjusting his weight and muscles. The pair seemed connected by a spring. One taking a step backwards would result in the other to advance faster, pushing the craziness and fierceness of Blizzard Strikes to the next level.

Fear grew in Gu Yue's mind as the fight continued. He felt exposed in a fierce snowstorm. He would die if he sat put. But he would soon run out of strength if he struggled. Less and less strength was left. Colder and colder his heart became.

"This is the essence of 24 Blizzard Strikes! It doesn't lie in a move or a style… " Lou Cheng was stunned. Every single detail of his one-month practice replayed in his mind. He broke them down and then blended them into one. His hands were itchy and he felt desperate to try it out.

24 Blizzard Strikes consisted of three groups of eight moves each. Lin Que was performing the essence of the first group, Brutal Blizzard.

Pong! Bang! Sounds of physical collisionss gradually covered the screams from the audience.

Bang!

A figure repeatedly retreated until another kick at his chest sent him down the ring.

After a brief silence, waves of hooray broke out again, "Lin Que!"

Lin Que won!

Gu Yue got up, breathing heavily. He couldn't believe he had been defeated like this with very few opportunities to fight back. The ache in his chest was unbearable.

He squinted at Lin Que who was standing in the ring panting. He let out a low hum and returned to the resting area. Gu Yue spoke to Fei Sanli through grinded teeth, "Don't give him the time to catch breath. He can't hang on much longer!"

Fei Sanli touched his bald head and laughed. He ran up the stone stairs and got in the ring.

Without the referee's announcement, he started his footwork and dashed into Lin Que.

Lin Que didn't dodge. Instead, he took a step sideways to close up the distance between Fei Sanli and himself and started a tough hand-to-hand combat.

Fei Sanli refused to back off. He threw different strikes at Lin Que.

His two fingers rubbed by Lin Que's eyelids while Lin Que's fist touched his stomach. He grabbed Lin Que's hair with his right hand whereas Lin Que's palm blade cut his arm… The fight had gone wild, leaving the referee extremely nervous about accidental injuries.

The combatants of a formal Martial Arts Competition were bound by the waiver. However, the referee would still be investigated for any intent or improper disregard.

After two or three minutes, the two figure suddenly separated. Lin Que was trembling with his eyes squinted and nose bleeding. Fei Sanli's face was badly beaten and legs shivering as if he was about to rub his bruises right in the ring.

The referee looked at them carefully and raised his right hand.

"Fei Sanli won!"

The outcome was clear. He stopped them before things went too far.

Earth-shattering boos broke out. The audience was disgusted by Fei Sanli's hooligan style.

Lin Que held a breath and went out of the ring with no delay as he didn't want to give Fei Sanli any time to recover.

Chen Changhua suddenly stood up, shaking his arm muscles. He strode up the stone stairs, brushing past Lin Que.

Lou Cheng stepped forward to give Lin Que a hand. He felt Lin Que was extremely weak, just a breath away from passing out.

"Thanks…" Lin Que murmured quietly.

"You're welcome," said Lou Cheng sincerely with his eyes locked on him. "Your 24 Blizzard Strikes is brilliant!"

"It drained his strength in a terrifying way. Lin Que could barely make it through the first round. Err… What a perfect match with my style!

"I have no concern about running out of strength!

"Master has chosen this martial art set for me for a reason…"

Chen Changhua was in the ring, facing the fiercely beaten Fei Sanli, who breathed heavily.

The scene changed suddenly as if he went back to his very first fight for Songcheng University Martial Arts Club. It had been a really long time but everything was vivid like yesterday.

"I was once high-spirited and vigorous…

"I was once full of patriotic fervor…

"I was once here with glory and shine!"

Cheers and hooray echoed by his ears, loud and intense!

"Come on, Chen Changhua!"

"Come on, Chen Changhua!"

Come on, Chen Changhua… Chen Changhua looked lost, unsure if he was in a dream.

His eyes slightly flamed with emotion. He gazed at Fei Sanli like a hungry tiger and sprang at him in his Snake Steps.

"At the end of my youth, I can burn another fire!

"I am the manager of Songcheng University Martial Arts Club!"

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Chapter 30: Rubbing on the Ground

Translator: Transn Editor: Transn

Keeping his center of mass low, Chen Changhua made his way up with his zigzag snake steps as if a heavy truck was about to run over Fei Sanli.

The fight between Fei Sanli and Lin Que was diamond cutting diamond. Although his vital parts were missed and those punches he failed to dodge were not with full strength, Fei Sanli was still hit black and blue with his legs sore and body aching. Facing the much taller, heavier and stronger Chen Changhua, he dared not take it lightly. Considering his current body condition, he swiftly made a step to the left to avoid frontal conflict.

Similar to the round with Lin Que, Fei Sanli's moves seemed predictable. As soon as he made his move, Chen Changhua instantly changed his footwork and picked up his speed, charging at the opponent like a heavy water buffalo with sharp horns. His overwhelming bearing and terrifying strength shook the ground under Fei Sanli.

With no knowledge of Yin-Yang Stance, Fei Sanli was unable to coordinate his body, withdraw his weight and fight off inertia in this position. However, it was not the first time he was cornered in such a situation during his years of martial arts practice. He shrank his body immediately and squatted down to avoid the bump. Meanwhile, his right hand stretched out toward Chen Changhua's crotch, the most vulnerable part of every man.

Watching the fierce confrontation on big screens, many male students in the audience felt a chill down their crotch. It seemed like Chen Changhua's vital part would be grabbed before they collided. If he attempted to overcome the inertia with a rush dodge, his footwork would be completely messed up.

"This one will hurt…"

"What to do?"

The audience was on edge. Fei Sanli was delighted with his quick reaction which would successfully turn the tide and put the rival into a very dangerous dilemma.

"Chen Changhua is too impatient and reckless!"

All of a sudden, his eyes dazzled as Chen Changhua's feet were both off the ground.

Off the ground?

"Isn't it the taboo move in the body refining stage? How can he keep his footwork and control his weight to prepare his body for attacks with both feet off the ground? Can Chen Changhua fly?"

As thoughts mingled in his head, Fei Sanli looked up to a black shadow falling to his head.

Chen Changhua was no Qu Hui and of course he couldn't fly. To avoid Fei Sanli's crotch-grasping movement, he jumped up and threw his entire body at Fei Sanli.

This unconventional move gave the already cornered Fei Sanli no chance to respond. Chen Changhua's long and heavy body, strengthened by the inertia, was coming down like the Mount Tai.

Fei Sanli attempted to curl up and roll forward to avoid the attack, but it was too late. Chen Changhua fell on him heavily.

Pong!

The two were both down on all fours. Chen Changhua took this opportunity to grab the dazed Fei Sanli by the wrists and was about to strangle his lower body to prevent knee kicks. This basic technique of the casting and throwing genre pulled the fight into Chen Changhua's field.

Fei Sanli would not sit still for his defeat. His legs struggled to break free and his hands flicked to fight the catch.

Cai Zongming in the auditorium, having his lips half open, murmured.

"Looks like a damn raping scene…"

Lou Cheng shoot at the mouth and whispered to himself,

"It is literally rubbing on the ground…"

Abruptly, Fei Sanli went for a headbutt at Chen Changhua's nose to break away from this difficult position at all costs.

The experienced Chen Changhua stayed calm and got away from the headbutt by flipping over with strength from his waist and back. Lying under Fei Sanli, Chen Changhua then tightened his legs and started rolling.

The pair rolled on the ground where one attempted to control and the other tried hard to break free. There were collisions and catch moves here and there as the fight went on. Suddenly Chen Changhua let out a loud shout and threw a headbutt to give Fei Sanli a taste of his own medicine.

Bam!

As two heads smashed into each other, the two both felt dizzy accompanied by a sharp pain and tinnitus. There seemed golden stars jumping in front of their eyes. The scuffle came to a halt.

Chen Changhua on top of the exhausted Fei Sanli came back to consciousness first and tightly locked Fei Sanli's hands behind his back. He pressed the opponent's face to the ground.

"Chen Changhua won!" The referee observed the situation closely and announced the result.

"Terrific!"

"Chen Changhua! Chen Changhua! Chen Changhua!"

The audience burst into a thunderous hooray, filling up the entire stadium. Chen Changhua rose unsteadily to his feet. Dizziness was still there in his head but his eyes were filled with excitement and joy.

"I can do this!

"I'm here enjoying cheers and applause!

"I'm the manager of Songcheng University Martial Arts Club!"

"Wouldn't that cause a concussion?" said Lou Cheng, touching his forehead.

Martial arts competition was not something for the show. It was so brutal that accidental injuries and death occurred every year.

Geezer Shi standing next to him answered leisurely, "It would, but nothing severe. Once you are in the ring, forget about injuries and death. Leave those to the referee."

Lou Cheng took a deep breath and swallowed down his words. He was only a young student.

A dead silence hovered over the resting area of Guannan School. Coach Gu Zhen and Manager Gu Yue said no word.

They had one last combatant left. But the opponent seemed still capable…

"Ji Lan, he's suffering from the concussion. Play skirmish fight to worsen his dizziness and seize any opportunity to knock him out!" Gu Zhen turned to the girl next to him.

Ji Lan, with short and thin hair, was very boyish. She pursed her lips and left her seat. Up the flight of stairs, she went when Fei Sanli staggered down with dizziness as if lines were circling in his eyes.

In the ring, Ji Lan approached and threw a kick at Chen Changhua, which was blocked. She drew back to create some distance and kept her footwork. She seemed better at kicks.

Sidekicks, low kicks and swing kicks, she moved agilely with her flexible footwork and great strength in her lower body, little by little pushing the giddy Chen Changhua into a frenzy.

Ji Lan suddenly dived forward and targeted Chen Changhua's shin with her right foot, to which Chen Changhua appeared unable to respond.

As Ji Lan's foot reached his shin, Chen Changhua abruptly grabbed her shoulders. His face was distorted with pain but his body pressed forward instead of leaning back.

Tightening his grasps and pressing his body, Chen Changhua, ignoring the possible injuries, attempted to pin Ji Lan down with the same trick and win another fight in his field of specialization.

A chill hit Ji Lan's heart. Her legs span and strangled Chen Changhua's upper body like a pair of scissors. She managed to use the power from her fall to throw her opponent out.

Pong!

They both fell to the ground, dizzy and close to fainting.

Taking advantage of Chen Changhua's giddiness, Ji Lan played the Carp Jumping Move and advanced to lock his throat with her right hand.

"Ji Lan won!" announced the referee tersely.

Chen Changhua slowly stood up, shaking his head. As he wobbled down the flight of stairs, he murmured to their third combatant Li Mao, "The fall was heavy, consuming her a lot. Stay calm and you got this."

Li Mao gazed into a distance nervously and nodded slightly to the information. Making no eye contact with Chen Changhua, he looked lost in the loud cheers of his name.

"Phew… That was close. I don't think Ji Lan has much strength left," commented Guo Qing to Lin Hua in the auditorium, with obvious joy on her face.

Lou Cheng shared the same view but sadly Yan Zheke was too busy leading the pep squad to talk to him on QQ.

Gazing at the ring, Lou Cheng sent his encouragement to brother Li Mao silently. His face turned pale when he noticed that Li Mao's body was trembling.

Suddenly, Li Mao's words flashed back,

"… Sigh… I can't do it. I was so nervous that my body was shaking in the Amateur Ranking Event. Luckily my opponents were either very weak or more nervous than I was."

"Damn it! I hope brother Li Mao won't get too nervous!"

Lou Cheng could tell Li Mao's abnormality, and so could Ji Lan. She clenched her teeth and made a bold decision—giving up her strong point skirmish fight and playing offensive!

"Give him no chance to calm down!"

She advanced and threw a sidekick!

Li Mao's head was in a swim. In front of Ji Lan's strikes, he didn't know what to do or how to get out of this situation.

"I can't let down the audience…

"I can't disappoint the coach…

"I can't waste Lin Que and Chen Changhua's effort…"

The more he thought, the worse he felt. He could hardly breathe among the loud cheers of his name. His mind was a hell of emptiness.

He raised his arms into a defensive position by instinct but it was too late. Ji Lan's kick landed on his chest, forcing him to stumble back.

The chest pain brought him back to reality. Li Mao imagined it to be a pair exercise. However, before he could stabilize his body, Ji Lan's kicks came one after another.

Pong! Pong! Pong!

Li Mao received several kicks in a roll. He tried to block them but was still forced to move backward until he fell off the ring.

The scorching hot atmosphere in the stadium instantly dropped to the freezing point. They had got the key to victory and taken the absolute superiority. What happened in less than one minute? How was the tide turned?

Lin Que rose with his fists clenched tightly. Chen Changhua, expressionless, was wondering if he was still in a dream that suddenly turned into a nightmare.

Lou Cheng looked blankly with only one thought in his mind, "This year's martial arts competition is over? Over in just a simple and unreal way? Over together with our two-month hard, painstaking training?"

That was the martial arts competition. The winner collected all the honors and cheers whereas the loser would soon be forgotten.

On the stand, Yan Zheke stood quietly with red eyes. Lin Hua, Guo Qing and other supporters from Songcheng University had the same facial expression.

No one could understand such pain and grief without experiencing the failure on the verge of success in person.

In Guannan School's resting area, Gu Yue and other members were not prepared for this shocking result. It took them a good while to finally raise their hands and cry with joy and secret relief.

Lou Cheng returned to the locker room after helping the supervisors pack up dully. He was welcomed by the extreme depression and a dead silence.

The always distant and cold Lin Que stripped to the waist. Sitting on the metal bench with his head, completely wrapped up by that black-edged white suit, resting on his hands in front of his bare chest, he was silent like a stone statue. Chen Changhua, standing in a corner facing a distorted closet door with blood dripping down from his right hand, kept murmuring, "How is it possible? How?"

Li Mao was in the middle of the room, terrified, and kept his head low. His face was filled with pain, misery, and guilt. "It's my fault. My fault… My fault…"

Guo Qing and Lin Hua had tears on their face, silently weeping.

The massive grief became an actual, physical substance, ramming into Lou Cheng with all its strength. He opened his mouth but was unable to speak.

"It's my fault. It's my fault… My fault…" Tears blurred his vision. He repeated his apology, helpless and wretched like a poor child.

A black shadow appeared by his feet.

He looked up and saw Geezer Shi's hoary face with a few wrinkles.

"You think it's your fault. Then make up for it next year," said Geezer Shi gently.

Li Mao burst into tears and cried, "Yes, Coach!"

Lou Cheng's eyes were wet. For a long, long time, he would not forget this moment.

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Chapter 31: Cliche Can't Catch up with Changes

Translator: Transn Editor: Transn

The Martial Arts Club's morale stayed low for a long time until a beautiful defeat over Liucheng University of Science and Technology. They also went all the way to Shanbei to challenge the national champion team led by Xu Wannian where Lin Que, Chen Changhua and even Sun Jian who had just returned from injury were all out of kilter, which completely shocked Lou Cheng. At the post-match meeting, Geezer Shi revealed that Xu Wannian bore the soul of language.

The group competition lasted until late December when business owners started to get busy with Christmas decoration.

Lou Cheng walked out of his dorm room and took a seat in the living room next to Cai Zongming whose full attention was riveted on a martial arts competition. Lou Cheng said, "Talker, may I ask you a question, please?"

"Very polite and very solicitous. Something is happening…" replied Cai Zongming with a jeer. "Is it about your goddess?"

"He-heh," laughed Lou Cheng to admit.

"How is it going with your goddess? Look at the big leer on your face every day! I bet you are doing well," asked Cai Zongming casually.

Lou Cheng took a moment to think about it with corners of his mouth upward and then answered, "She was marked by low spirits for a long time after our loss to Guannan. Every day I wracked my brains to cheer her up and finally it worked. I think our relationship has developed a bit as we climbed out of depression together…"

"The first one of the top three illusions in life," Cai Zongming responded mercilessly. "Relationship is furthered when she becomes willing to share her private matters or her family stories with you."

"That's right. Recently she often brought up her personal stuff to me, quite different from the Yan Zheke I knew before. I used to fall for that fabled beauty. Now… Now…" Feeling shy speaking of his feelings for her in front of Cai Zongming, Lou Cheng cut back to the beginning of the conversation. "I remember you advised me to ask her out alone in December after the group competition in the name of the amateur Ranking Event?"

"What if someone else takes advantage of the special day Christmas if I don't take action?"

That was what we called crisis awareness!

Cai Zongming laughed, "Do you need my help on such a simple matter? Your goddess' martial arts level has improved considerably after three months of hard training. Will she miss the amateur Ranking Event? Doesn't she want to find out how good she is now?"

The Amateur Ranking Event was held four times a year with slight difference on dates. In Songcheng it took place on the last two days of March, June, September, and December. The Professional Ranking Event was hosted twice a year in April and October across the country.

"Emm… During our talks, she seems to care a lot about her martial arts accomplishments." Lou Cheng agreed.

"You have also trained for three months. You were of Amateur Ninth Pin before, right? Aren't you curious about your current level?" Cai Zongming threw another question.

"Of course." Lou Cheng didn't disprove.

"Isn't that simple? Two good friends both want to take part in the next Ranking Event. It makes total sense for you two to go together! But your goddess will probably take Guo Qing with her. So you follow suit and bring Old Qiu along. Then you give her signals to leave Old Qiu and Guo Qing alone. Your goddess will certainly say yes and the pair of you can also have some alone time. Cai Zongming gave Lou Cheng a contemptuous gaze.

"And then?" Lou Cheng went on with his questions.

Cai Zongming answered with a smirk, "If she passes the Ranking Event and achieves her expected pin, ask her out for dinner to celebrate. But if she fails the event, invite her out for a meal to comfort her. Anyway, you can always make up some reason to go out with her alone. If you have some time to kill before the meal, watch a movie or have a coffee together. Pick somewhere quiet."

"My goodness. It's all cliche…" Lou Cheng was tempted to write everything down.

Cai Zongming started to rub his stomach and said with a frown, "I'll go to the bathroom first. Talk more later."

Watching him go in the washroom, Lou Cheng withdrew his eyes and fell in a trance thinking about asking Yan Zheke out.

"Such a nice girl as her must have many admirers. Someone else might forestall me if I hesitate and wait. But are we close enough for a date? Will she go out with me? Isn't it too brusque? What if we couldn't be friends anymore? Does she have unrequited love for someone?"

Swayed by considerations of loss and gain, he felt sweet then sour as different possibilities screened in his mind.

Lou Cheng lost track of time until the commentator started to review the fight at the end of the Martial Arts Competition. "Where am I? What am I doing?"

"Uh… I'm seeking advice from Little Ming…"

"Where is Little Ming?"

"Still in the toilet?"

Lou Cheng turned around to the direction of the bathroom. "It's been over half an hour. Even the competition is over. How come Cai Zongming is still in there? Does he faint?"

He heard toilet flushing as his concerns grew. The toilet door was open and Cai Zongming slowly came out, leaning against the wall with no strength in his feet.

"Talker, are you alright?" Lou Cheng got up and made his way to Cai Zongming.

Cai Zongming answered through clenched teeth,

"Bloody hell! Terrible constipation!"

Terrible constipation… Constipation… Lou Cheng didn't get it at first then suddenly came to realization.

"Ha-hah!" laughed him out aloud. "Plain rice with chili sauce every day. You deserve it! Ha-hah! You asked for it!"

"No wonder he was in there so long!"

Little Ming didn't strictly follow his money-saving plan but he was doing pretty well. At least one meal each day of his was plain rice with chili sauce. It had lasted for days prior to Christmas until he got constipation!

Ha-hah!

Cai Zongming sat down helplessly, putting up with Lou Cheng's ridicule, and joked along, "Damn it! My bum hole hurts."

Lou Cheng wiped tears of joy off his eyes and said, "I'll write this one down for my solemn speech at your wedding. I'll tell everyone you once sacrificed so much for love. How touching!"

"Only a few days left until my flight to the capital. Sigh… I'm done with saving up. From now on I'll eat like a king!" Cai Zongming sighed before changing the subject. "On your date with your goddess, do not learn from those stupid online lectures such as agreeing to go out with you signals the beginning of your relationship and seizing every opportunity to grab her hand boldly. Every girl is different. Your goddess won't buy these dating rules. But you should show her how much you care about her and this date or she will be misled by your indifference into accepting some other boy, which will be a sad ending for you."

"Show her how much I care?" Lou Cheng looked like a diligent pupil.

"Be attentive and be sweet. Praise her and keep your eyes on her. Don't make it clear to her but give her enough hints to enjoy such attention and fondness. Keep it in mind that don't confess your love too early. Confession is the final move, not for beginners. No one will accept a stranger's sudden love with the extremely handsome admirer an exception. Get closer to her and flirt with her. Girls are inclined to hesitations which will be worsened by confession. They will gradually lose joy and pleasure and the balance will tilt to the defeated side. As the old Chinese saying goes, "When water flows, a channel is formed." That's the moment to propose." Cai Zongming played the Casanova role to the full.

With tips stacked in his head, Lou Cheng went back to his dorm and turned his computer on to gather information on the next Amateur Ranking Event. He logged on his QQ and shot a message to Yan Zheke, "I'm thinking to sign up for the next amateur Ranking Event. What about you?"

Yan Zheke was online. She immediately sent back to an encouraging fist emoji, "I was just about to ask you the same question. I'm signing up for sure."

"He-heh. Something in common." Lou Cheng wanted to say "Our hearts beat in unison" but instead he typed, "I've checked the application form. It costs 500 yuan and will take place in the Songcheng Martial Arts Stadium. Which level are you signing up for?"

"Fifth pin!" Yan Zheke sent a wicked smiling dog emoji and added, "Everyone needs a goal! What about you?"

Me? Lou Cheng lost breath. "Which level should I apply?"

"Over a month ago, I was already of Amateur Ninth Pin. Then I trained diligently after a fierce fight with Wu Dong, practiced the meditation and the basic moves of 24 Blizzard Strikes, and watched and studied a Martial Arts Competition on site. I must be stronger now but how strong? With the pair exercise halted, I have no idea which level I am at now. "

"Seventh pin!" Lou Cheng sent an "I'm awesome" emoji.

"Seventh pin? If you fail the ranking event, don't tell people we know each other!" Yan Zheke sent a sneer emoji and continued, "Send me the form. Let's sign up today. By the way, ask Old Qiu to apply also and I'll work on Qing, giving them another opportunity together!"

"Great minds think alike!" Lou Cheng sent an emoji of a satisfied guy wearing a pair of sunglasses.

He suddenly noticed the date at the head of the form before he clicked the forward button. "Hmm? January?"

Surfing the Internet, Lou Cheng came across an old piece of news from a few days ago stating the martial arts stadium of Songcheng gradually disintegrated with age was under repair, putting off the December Amateur Ranking Event for almost a month to the middle of January.

"Crap!" He quickly sent Yan Zheke a link to the news alongside a sobbing emoji. "The Ranking Event has been put off to the middle of January."

"Seriously? I will have many exams around that time… No time for this…" Yan Zheke sent an emoji with giddy eyes.

Mid-January was Songcheng University's exam season!

"We'll have to wait until March." Lou Cheng's heart ached. He sent a pitiful face.

Casanova's plan became wasted effort. Plans couldn't keep up with the changes!

"Well, I have got other stuff to take care of anyway." Yan Zheke sent an emoji of a kitten nodding.

"What's that?" Lou Cheng asked casually despite the nerves in his heart.

"A date?"

Yan Zheke sent a silly emoji of a bunny chewing a carrot and answered, "I planned to study hard for the exams but my aunt suddenly came to visit as she heard my cousin was not in his best form these days. She'll stay until the beginning of January and I'll be her company whenever I can…"

"Your cousin is also studying in Songcheng? Or working?" Lou Cheng's broken heart instantly recovered upon hearing Yan Zheke talking about her relatives.

According to Casanova, that was a sign for moving forth of their relationship!

Yan Zheke replied with a cheeky grin, "Actually you know him."

"I know him?" Lou Cheng was puzzled. "Who?"

"When was I acquainted with Yan Zheke's cousin?"

It didn't ring a bell!

"Guess," Yan Zheke replied.

"The gorilla?" Lou Cheng brought up Chen Changhua to tease her.

"People that Yan Zheke knows that I know are either from my class or from the Martial Arts Club special training…

"Pooh! What do I have in common with him? When was I ever thickly built?" Yan Zheke sent a despised face. "Try again!"

Something in common? Lou Cheng suddenly saw the light and sent Yan Zheke's favorite stunned dog emoji.

"Don't tell me it's Lin Que!"

"Not bad." Yan Zheke sent a proud smile and added, "He's always been my idol!"

Lou Cheng's hands stopped from typing as a large flock run across his heart.

"Holy crap! Breaking news!"

"Fortunately, I didn't develop any unnecessary jealousy. I admire Lin Que but never envy or hate him. I can't wait to call him "my dear cousin-in-law" while clinging to his thigh!"

"But you barely talk to each other," asked Lou Cheng, confused.

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Chapter 32: Invitation

Translator: Transn Editor: Transn

Yan Zheke didn't use emoji this time. "Sigh… Ever since my uncle-in-law passed away, my cousin became a bit introverted. I don't know how to talk to him… Besides, all those girls would bore me to death with love letters for him, dinner plans for him, his QQ number if they knew we are related. Very troublesome!"

"Ha-hah. Lin Que would have the same kind of trouble if guys found out he's your cousin!" Lou Cheng gave Yan Zheke an implicit compliment.

Yan Zheke replied a shy smile.

The conversation replayed in Lou Cheng's head. He sent an emoji saying "Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing" and continued,

"So you chose Songcheng University over those in the capital for your cousin?"

Yan Zheke had always been an excellent student in school and never had a drop of form in any exam. It wouldn't be a problem for her to get in those top universities in the capital Huahai. Lou Cheng didn't expect to see her here in Songcheng University at all.

"Perhaps this is destiny?"

"Fate brings people together from a thousand li away!"

"Yeah, I'm charged with heavy responsibilities to keep an eye on him and keep him out of trouble. Hmm! Feels like I was the older one!" Yan Zheke sent a cute emoji of lifting a table. The secret vivacity hidden deep in her heart was gradually revealed as the two became closer, especially during their chats online. She seemed quite different from her usual delicate and elegance.

People were all complicated with many sides.

"At the beginning, I felt sorry for you to have missed the capital Huahai. However, now I'm grateful that you are here. At least I have this chance to tell you how I feel…" Lou Cheng added a silly smile.

Following Casanova's instructions, he implied his fondness. Simple friendly chats would not take them any further.

Yan Zheke sent an exhaling image from the divine beast sticker pack and said, "It's okay. No need to feel sorry for me. My results were not good enough to get me in the top three universities in Huahai. Other options are of the same league with Songcheng University. Also, I have some special feelings for Songcheng University because of my uncle-in-law."

"Your uncle-in-law was related to Songcheng University?" Lou Cheng was very interested in finding out more about this girl on the other end of the mobile.

"Didn't I tell you already that my uncle-in-law was my first martial arts teacher? A disciple of my grandpa, he and my aunt were childhood sweethearts. He was of Professional Sixth Pin at his peak and fought in the second level of professional martial arts competition. When he had to retire due to injuries, he became a coach of the Songcheng University Martial Arts Club. Those years our club was also at the peak, making all the way up to the national final but lost to Capital College sadly." Yan Zheke typed a long message, showing her desire to unload.

Lou Cheng sent a comforting sticker of touching head. "Your uncle couldn't get it over? So your cousin came to Songcheng University to make up for his regret after his death?"

"Correct," answered Yan Zheke. "My cousin was very close to my uncle-in-law… On his deathbed, there are only two things he couldn't let go besides his family. One was that Songcheng University Martial Arts Club didn't get the championship. And the other was his injuries that forced him out of the professional martial arts circle."

"Your cousin will make it up for him!" Lou Cheng sent a sticker to cheer her up and tried to change a topic to pull her out of the sorrow. "Didn't know your family has such a long martial arts history!"

Her grandfather, mother, uncle-in-law, aunt, and cousin were all martial artists!

Yan Zheke replied a sticker of a pair of sunglasses. "That's right. Scared? I have ancestral martial arts techniques!"

"Very! I'm shaking here. Please accept my bow!" Lou Cheng played a gag.

Yan Zheke sent a sneer emoji. "Unfortunately, I didn't learn…"

"Why?" Lou Cheng used the emoji of a numb face.

"My parents practiced free love but my maternal grandparents didn't like my dad, a fair-skinned man from another city. He-heh… My dad was really good looking in his youth. Anyway, they couldn't stop my mom so they set up a rule to prevent her from passing on their ancestral martial arts skills to the Yan family. That's why I started my martial arts training with my uncle-in-law." Yan Zheke sent an emoji of a little monster licking ice cream.

Lou Cheng read her words carefully as if it was more important than the reading comprehension part of the college entrance exam. He replied a wiping sweat sticker. "Sounds like you don't have resentment against your grandparents. Are you close to them?"

"Of course. Lovely and clever as me… How could they not adore me? Those harsh words were just some water in their brains. Bearing a great sense of pride, they couldn't go back on their own words, so they sent my uncle-in-law to teach me." Yan Zheke sent a smiley behind sleeves and added, "The true reason is I grew up in Xiushan, very far away from them. And my uncle-in-law passed away early. I ended up spending all my time on study and didn't learn our family martial arts."

Getting to know Yan Zheke better little by little, Lou Cheng gradually threw away the disappointment of no chance asking her out before Christmas and almost forgot about time.

…

Dean's office in the lakeside building.

Geezer Shi sat at one side of the tea table facing the Principal who had his hair combed to the back. In his hand was an old bottle of Chinese wine and on the table were two plates of peanuts and boiled beans.

"How's your private disciple doing? Will he be ready to represent the Martial Arts Club next year?" The principal took a sip.

Geezer Shi answered after a big swallow, "He's not bad, but you know, young people are not humble. He's feeling too good about himself and thinking he's ready to fight."

"Ha-hah. It's the same everywhere. Wasn't you like that in your youth? Wasn't I the same?" The principal laughed out.

Geezer Shi tapped his left index finger and a peanut jumped out of the plate into his mouth.

"He needs some setback to understand his current strength. Emm…"

…

Time went by fast and it was already January. Cai Zongming returned from the capital with happiness radiating on his face. Lou Cheng's concerns about his long-distance relationship were finally relieved. He gave a thumb up as Casanova was matchless regarding love.

Lou Cheng developed a great admiration for this miraculous girl who was able to tame this wild horse. Little Ming was handsome, rich and charming, but he remained loyal for an entire term for her.

The Martial Arts Club's special training and all club activities were halted for the stressful and busy exam season in January. Lou Cheng continued to get up at five in the morning to train by the lake every day although often Geezer Shi slept in and didn't show up.

One after another exam wore Lou Cheng out physically and mentally. Taking exams is intenser than martial arts training. He didn't neglect his studies for martial arts throughout the term but he couldn't put much effort into it after classes with most of his time dedicated to the special training. His exam results were not a match for the super student Zhao Qiang's.

"It was ok, just above average but not good enough for the scholarship." Lou Cheng reported his record to his mother on the phone.

Hoping to comfort him, Lou Cheng's mom replied, "The scholarship is not for everyone. The first term in university is all about adapting yourself."

"Mom, you have changed." Under Talker's influence, Lou Cheng joked noticeably more often.

"Changed how?" Lou Cheng's mom sounded confused.

"You used to care so much about my grades and press me so hard on my studies. You have changed. You are not concerned about it anymore." Lou Cheng answered gladly.

"You're in university now. Should I still watch over your study?" Lou Cheng's mom said humorously.

For many parents, grades were no longer a big deal once the kid got in university.

They had chatted for a while when Lou Cheng's mom brought up the date for his return home. With the intention to figure out Yan Zheke's dates and go back to Xiushan together, Lou Cheng claimed there was more stuff to deal with, so he couldn't confirm at that time. Also, travel expenses were covered by that month's living expenses as he would only be in school for half of January.

After the phone call, Lou Cheng calculated the finishing time for the afternoon exam. He logged on his QQ and shot a line to Yan Zheke,

"All exams were done?"

He added a cheering smiley for liberation.

A while later, Yan Zheke replied with a firecracker sticker, "Done! "All done!"

"Sounds like you have done great!" Lou Cheng sent an evil smile.

"He-heh," answered Yan Zheke with some laughter.

Lou Cheng took a deep breath quietly before directly hitting the point. "By the way, when do you plan to go back to Xiushan?" Let's go together so we can keep an eye on each other. Also, I'll be your coolie!"

He added a sticker of muscle.

"Unfortunately, I can't have this coolie." Yan Zheke used a giggle emoji before continuing, "This year we are all going back to my grandparents' home for Chinese New Year. So, I have to travel to Jiangnan."

In the deepest disappointment, Lou Cheng still aimed at good humor. "Must be a big celebration over there?"

"Yeah. Grandpa, grandma, two uncles and their wife, one aunt, two elder female cousins, one elder male cousin, one younger male cousin, one niece, and the three of us…" Yan Zheke ended it with a sticker of counting fingers.

With pity and disappointment buried deep inside, Lou Cheng quickly had his good spirits back and put on a smile which Cai Zongming would call a leer.

The chat went on and on until dinner time. Lou Cheng was looking for Cai Zongming to dine at the cafeteria when Zhao Qiang, Qiu Zhigao, and Zhang Jingye came back together.

"Holy cow! Don't tell me you went to the study hall right after the final exam!" Lou Cheng asked casually.

Lou Cheng answered with a grin, "No. We planned to buy some local products for our family in the city but ended up having a drink and dinner with Guo Qing and her roommates."

"Not bad," Lou Cheng teased. "Any progress? With Guo Qing, and that Zhuang Xiaojun?"

"Don't bring it up! Zhuang Xiaojun has accepted that admirer." Zhao Qiang weaved a deep sigh. "We waited too long."

Old Qiu laughed. "Qiang, how many sighs you have weaved all this way? Don't be disappointed in love. You haven't fallen in love yet."

"Leave Qiang alone. I don't know if he can handle this right now." Zhang Jingye joked along.

That the beautiful girl from their dormitory meetup had got a boyfriend was always a sad piece of news even if they were not really sad about it.

Zhao Qiang gave his black-framed glasses a gentle push and responded, "You are all about love. Too young, too simple. I've been working on improving my knowledge level these days."

"What knowledge level? You've been weird recently whenever you are on your laptop or mobile." interrupted Lou Cheng.

Zhao Qiang smirked. "Next time."

He picked up some clothes and went to the public bathroom.

The rest three were left confused. They were not sure if Qiang had erred from the right path.

…

The next morning Lou Cheng showed up by the lake for endurance training and worked on still stance and 24 Blizzard Strikes.

"Master, what's your plan for the holiday? If nothing is going on, I'll book a train ticket to go home." Lou Cheng asked Geezer Shi who stood there free from restraint.

Geezer Shi sneered. "Good question. You often complained you had no practical combat experience and felt unsure about your current martial arts level. I've got this invitation for a new Martial Arts Competition. Have a try and we'll find out which place you can get."

An invitation for a Martial Arts Competition? Martial arts competition? Lou Cheng was astonished by confusion on his face.

Am I going to participate in a martial art competition?

Which place can I get?

Accepting the invitation, he opened it up and saw neat regular script in black ink saying

"Phoenix Cup Warrior Sage Candidate Challenge Tournament"!

PS: A chapter ready in the early morning. Advanced update. Please recommend it.

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