Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
It was on Sunday when the bright sunshine was pouring through the windows of Hongluo Martial Arts School, lightening the whole ground. Lou Cheng felt as if he was walking on a golden road with bare feet, happy and glad, as if having released all his pressures.
He kept looking at Yan Zheke while turning back briskly under the background where all the club’s disciples and students stayed silent.
This was the taste of victory!
Lou Cheng paused to nod at Cai Zongming and the other fellows when he passed by them, not feeling a bit embarrassed for his bare feet.
“What an expert’s demeanor he is showing!”
“He’s not a fighter with physical invulnerability, but yet he can be so powerful that the shoes couldn’t even bear him...”
“Haven’t you seen the cracks and footprints on the stony ground? He could easily knock anyone of us flat! ”
“He’s really something!”
Several girls from the college of art raved. They only had watched competitions between fighters with physical invulnerability before and thus knew little about Dan stage and body refining. For the first time, they got a clear idea how fierce one could be with bare hands, and thus revolutionized their view on the Martial Arts Club.
“Warrior boys are so vigorous and graceful...” Seeing Lin Que stand up and come towards Lou Cheng, the girls kept their eyes lingering between the two and reached a unanimous conclusion.
Listening to their undisguised discussion, Cai Zongming was close to tears. Never had he regretted so much to refuse the special training of Martial Arts Club, otherwise... otherwise... otherwise he still couldn’t be Cheng’s match, either... Cheng was an absolute deviant!
On the other side, Zhang Jingye was feeling a little jealous. Wu Qian noticed it keenly and hurried to comfort him. “We’re just talking gossips, as always when we see a movie star, a singer, a famous warrior, etc. We rarely take it seriously. ”
“Right.” Zhang Jingye was suddenly relieved.
But will Cheng be someone that couldn’t catch up with from this time on?
Qiu Zhigao sighed. “How I envy Cheng... I often dream of that scene. Only in the dream could I see the scene...”
Being a warrior was Qiu Zhigao’s childhood dream. When he was in freshman year, Qiu’s kungfu was already at club level, and now he still liked to show muscle in his dorm. However, Qiu Zhigao had long seen the reality as his talent was growing weaker with age, so he rationally adjusted his goals and poured his time and energy into study.
Staring at the arena in a daze, Qiu Zhigao felt his blood boiling. However, he could do nothing but to sigh and relapse into silence.
May Cheng walk further on his road to pursue advanced martial arts, and to show his fellows how wonderful the brilliant road is...
Being lost in thought, Zhao Qiang blurted out. “Old Qiu, have you noticed how Cheng just said ‘ha’ and won the competition? Maybe he has gotten help from a numinous power at the expense of his life...”
“What?” Qiu Zhigao asked in bewilderment.
“Forget it. You haven’t heard this joke before...” Zhao Qiang lowered his voice and sighed. “However hard we tried to please them all the way, it was Cheng’s performance that impressed them the most.”
Qiu Zhigao giggled. “That’s quite normal. They look favorably on Cheng just like how you prefer beautiful and cute girls.”
“I prefer to study.” Zhao Qiang pushed back up his black-framed spectacles and said seriously, “I’m going to prepare for the postgraduate qualifying examination.”
“Isn’t it too early? You’re still a freshman!” Qiu Zhigao was surprised.
Zhao Qiang smiled, packing up all his emotion. “Everyone has his own strong point and prospects, so it’s unwise of us to blindly follow the trend when it comes to planning for the future. Going for further study is most beneficial to me, and I’ve made up my mind. Anyway, it’s always good to make early preparation, and then I’ll have enough time to better myself. I won’t always remain unheralded, right?”
Qiu Zhigao was stunned at his words. “Qiang, isn’t it my illusion that you’ve gotten more ideological profundity?”
Zhao Qiang again pushed back up his spectacles, on which sunlight glinted.
...
When Lou Cheng approached Songcheng University’s tatami, all his fellows applauded to welcome him following Li Mao. In the crowd, he saw Yan Zheke’s smiling face and sparkly eyes.
Seeing Lin Que stand up and come up to him, Lou Cheng smiled and raised his hand to get ready for a high-five.
Though that was a bit surprising to Lin Que, finally he gave Lou Cheng a high-five as expected when he passed by the boy at a rapid pace.
“Come on!” Lou Cheng said with a smile. “My brother-in-law,” he added in his heart.
Lin Que nodded while looking at his opponent on the arena over Lou Cheng’s shoulder.
Brushing past Lin Que, Lou Cheng came back to his tatami and sat next to Guo Qing and Yan Zheke.
“Cool!”
“Cheng, you’re brilliant!”
“The Ranking Event in April is in your bag!”
Li Mao, Sun Jian, Chen Changhua and other fellows gave Lou Cheng the thumbs-up sign, which greatly pleased him.
When Lou Cheng was about to return a salute, he felt a surge of pain in both arms and hands and hurried to roll up his sleeves, only to find a few bruises and swellings. Meanwhile, his bones began to ache.
“All you okay? I put the ointment in the locker room.” Yan Zheke squeezed in and asked anxiously.
“What?” The crowd’s eyes were all attracted by the girl, and then lingered between Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke.
Realizing that her initiative behavior had made her the center of attention, Yan Zheke blushed with shame.
For Lou Cheng, the girl’s words sent a pulse racing. “Go to apply the ointment in the locker room? Just the two of us?”
He asked tentatively, “Lin Que is going to fight. As his teammates, isn’t it proper for us to be absent?”
Sun Jian could not bear his ‘hypocrisy’ and heckled him. “Don’t worry. Lin Que’s opponent was only of Amateur First Pin and it must be a one-horse race. Hurry to apply the ointment in case of any invisible injuries that may affect you in the next week’s competition!”
“Okay!” Hearing what he wanted to hear, Lou Cheng seized the opportunity to stand up and look at Yan Zheke.
Yan Zheke had already regretted making that suggestion. When she was about to give Lou Cheng a reproachful stare, all those injuries softened her heart in an instant. Making up her mind, the girl turned towards the locker room with a blushing face.
Lou Cheng hurried to follow her with a pounding heart, leaving his fellows’ cachinnation behind.
“Tsk-tsk, junior brothers today were much better than us!” Sighed Chen Changhua.
Being in the same martial arts club, why did I make myself remain single in the past four years?
Li Mao also sighed. “I had never expected that he could succeed in chasing her...”
Just like the comment he had made on Lou Cheng’s martial arts prospect...
There was no one else in the locker room. Yan Zheke turned around and began to complain, hands behind her back.
“Tell me, why did you agree with me and come here? You could ask me to fetch the ointment and help yourself to apply it!”
Being pleased by her coquetry, Lou Cheng replies with innocence, “I’m unable to do it myself. Both my arms were injured, and they have been aching.”
“Really?” Yan Zheke hurried to examine his wounds, and then sighed with relief. “Didn’t hurt the bones. Sit still, I’ll get the ointment.” Born in a martial arts aristocratic family, Yan Zheke was quite familiar with these things.
She ran to the locker, took out the ointment, and then applied it to Lou Cheng’s right hand in a special manipulation maneuver.
Being drawn to Yan Zheke’s delicate skin, florid cheek and soft lips, Lou Cheng never took his eyes from the girl. “She was concerning about me.” Lou Cheng found himself enjoying everything at the moment though his right hand was still aching under external stress.
How he wished the moment could become eternal.
Having eliminated the bruises on Lou Cheng’s hands, Yan Zheke said with a forced calm, “Where’s your locker? Shall I fetch your shoes since keeping barefoot will harm you?”
“That one.” Lou Cheng pointed at a locker, submerging himself in the girl’s tenderness.
“Keep massaging it yourself.” Yan Zheke wiped her hands and turned towards the locker.
Yan Zheke blocked Lou Cheng’s view with her back when she took out the sneakers and took a quick glance at their size. When coming back with the shoes, the girl could not conceal her smile.
“Why are you so happy?” Lou Cheng asked curiously.
Yan Zheke smiled. “You would come back with bare feet if you hadn’t brought the shoes!”
“Nobody will carry a pair of martial arts shoes as daily necessities.” Lou Cheng felt relaxed.
He had to wear shoes without socks, for the latter had also been torn just now.
...
“Wow! Lou Cheng was so cool!” Yan Xiaoling was sending a voice message to Brahman while staring fixedly at the large screen, where it showed a playback of Lou Cheng’s competition.
Brahman giggled. “Have you seen him exit with bare feet? It perfectly fulfills my fantasy about a mysterious martial arts expert!”
“According to the commentator, Lou Cheng’s opponent was a strong one of Professional Ninth Pin and close to Dan stage. Ha ha, the commentator speaks highly of Lou Cheng and has been telling everyone how talented he is as to reach Professional Ninth Pin within half a year. Besides, Lou Cheng is good at seizing every opportunity in actual combat...” Yan Xiaoling was quite satisfied with the comment.
While talking and joking with her friend, Yan Xiaoling opened the web page and logged in the forum, getting ready to post something related to the preliminaries.
Suddenly she rubbed her eyes, being greatly shocked by the refreshed fan numbers shown on the web page.
There were just 4 fans yesterday, how come the number becomes 368 now?
How many times has it increased?
“Brahman, Brahman, go to see the forum! I think there’s something wrong with my eyes!” Yan Xiaoling sent a message to Brahman.
After a while, Brahman replied in a weak voice, “There must be something wrong with my eyes, too.”
Unparalleled Dragon King had just made a post in the forum:
“Lou Cheng’s Files”
“Name: Lou Cheng”
“Profession: Student”
“Age: 19”
“School: Songcheng University”
“Martial Arts Rank: Advanced Professional Ninth Pin”
...
While most disciples and students in Hongluo Martial Arts School had already lost hope, those who knew Pan Chengyun’s true level were still waiting for the game result, expecting that he could turn the tables as the secret weapon of their school.
As long as Lin Que was defeated, Songcheng University would be no threat to them since their third opponent wasn’t even an Amateur First Pin warrior!
Standing opposite Lin Que, Pan Chengyun was controlling his respiratory rate. It was their first play, so they didn’t need time to restore the body’s vigor. But the referee was in no hurry to start the round, but instead, he asked some stuff to clean the arena for the forthcoming competitions.
When everything’s ready, the referee waved his hand and announced,
“Fight!”
Pan Chengyun knew Lin Que would soon see through his true level as Professional Ninth Pin accordingly, so he intended to go all out from the beginning when Lin Que was still kept in the dark and thus underestimated him.
Visualizing spreading blaze which “lit” his body, Pan Chengyun tightened his back muscles, rose on his toes, and then pounced on Lin Que a few meters away.
Instead of retreating, Lin Que strode forward and then came to an abrupt pause. Quick as a flash, he finished the outbreak of strength and gave Pan Chengyun a meteor-like punch with his right hand.
At the same time, Pan Chengyun also finished his first outbreak of strength and hit down on Lou Cheng as if he was holding a hammer.
Bang!
The moment they collided with each other, Pan Chengyun began to shake as if being hit by a bomb. He felt his bones trembling, qi and blood burning, vital organs groaning, and was unable to make any movements.
Lin Que approached him, whipped out the left hand and stopped it beside his neck.
“The third round, Liu Que wins!” The referee resisted an impulse to smile. The third round finished even earlier than the first one, so there was indeed a large strength gap between Professional Ninth Pin and Amateur First Pin.
Without taking a glance at Pan Chengyun, Lin Que lost in thought while whispering to himself,
“Sure enough it’s best to strain with all my might from the beginning just like him?”
Meanwhile, Lin Que saluted his opponent and then left the arena with his emotionless face. There was nothing to be happy about since the one he had defeated was mere of Amateur First Pin.
Watching Lin Que’s back with a blank expression, Pan Chengyun felt an urge to tell the truth to everyone here.
I’m of Professional Ninth Pin, not Amateur First Pin!