Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
Ye Youting shivered when she noticed Jiang Lan’s stare. Her eyes regained their luster as she said somewhat in a daze,
“Sister Lan, you can’t sleep either?”
Jiang Lan stared at her for a while before answering with a soft laugh, “Were you shocked?”
Ye Youting fell silent for a dozen or so seconds before sighing quietly.
“A little...”
“I thought that I had become much more mature and strong both regarding mentality and strength after the experience in the preliminaries, but it’s only after I watched his latest match videos that I realize what they call complacency...”
Before this, she was more surprised than anything else when she recalled her previous opponent. She didn’t expect the kid she thought she had in her palm to suddenly awaken a supernatural ability and exhibit a short-term burst of strength that caught her off guard. If they were to fight another match again, she believed that the results wouldn’t be the same!
However, in just less than four months of time, that young and inexperienced fellow had completely transformed into a fearsome opponent. Be it his Ice Sect’s core force or his seemingly limitless chain of Tremor Punch, they were all things that she couldn’t attain right now.
If she were to encounter him again at this period, the chance of her victory was very, very slim...
Jiang Lan shook her head slightly and laughed in self-derision. “I’m a little shocked. Tremor Punch is one thing; with the proper inheritance and guidance, it isn’t too shocking to find someone who can master it in half a year. However, the core force of the Ice Sect is more than enough to turn plenty of Eighth Pin Dan stage fighters green with envy. Didn’t they usually say that mastering a visualization diagram’s essence and rhythm is pretty difficult? He shouldn’t have that much of an advantage even if he is largely accomplished in meditation...”
She learned Tremor Punch by herself. At first, she gradually figured out its inner workings after sparring with similar martial arts non-stop. Then, she spent her Martial Artist Association points to consult about the key to visualization. Finally, she created her own Tremor Punch in a year’s time. The mere fine control of muscles wasn’t enough to bog down a Dan stage fighter who had reached the stage where her force had become a perfect whole like her!
As for ‘Force’, there was no point in learning visualization diagrams that didn’t require comprehension just like Hongluo Martial Arts School’s ‘Flaming Force’, because they were all of the low rank. A large accomplishment in meditation wasn’t recommended, but necessary in grasping the essence and rhythm of a visualization diagram, and even then the fighter still had— as the saying goes—’eighty one bout of hardships’ waiting for him.
Ye Youting felt a lot better after listening to Jiang Lan’s confession. “I thought I was the only one who got upset because of him, but I guess you were also shocked, Sister Lan. Sigh, he may even exceed me regarding rank before I know it...”
“This, you don’t need to worry about too much. Normally, the faster a fighter advances at the beginning, the longer the time they take to gather themselves before the threshold of Dan stage unless they have the knowledge of a lifetime to build their foundation.” Jiang Lan consoled her. “Plus, haven’t you reached the threshold of Dan stage and is only one step away from grasping the meaning of ‘withdraw’?”
Ye Youting pulled the hair strands beside her lips childishly, inhaled once and said,
“Sister Lan, you don’t have to comfort me. You know that I’m a little nitwitted. I recover from shocks in the blink of an eye! Plus, I guess it’s not a bad thing to receive a little stimulus now. I’ve always been quite well regarded among my peers in the past. Not only was I born with inhuman strength, my rank had improved rather swiftly as well. I was always able to overcome most people. So to be frank it made me a, a little proud and arrogant. But now? Now I’ve met my match, my foil, hehe. That’s why I was hurt. That’s how I realized that I’m nothing at all. If I wish to improve further, then I must be able to calm down and become as steady as a rock.”
Jiang Lan nodded ponderingly.
“Perhaps this really is a good thing for you...”
...
Saturday morning 10 a.m., inside a bullet train zipping towards Donglin.
Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke sat close to each other and chatted idly about some recent popular news. They responsibly and diligently played their role as a spectator who bantered flirtatiously with each other from time to time. Suddenly, his cell phone let out a beep.
When he picked up his cell phone and glanced at it, he saw a gladdening message:
“You’ve received ¥20,000.00 on your debit card with the tail number XXXX. Your current balance is ¥25,813.74...”
“The prize money’s been transferred into my account already!” Lou Cheng pushed his cell phone in front of Yan Zheke, not attempting to hide the exact amount of his private money at all.
After the draw ceremony had ended, the committee distributed the bonus of the broadcast to each participating team, but as usual Songcheng University practiced its policy of procrastination and took until Friday afternoon before it finally finished the verification process and sent a member of finance to the bank.
Martial arts prize money like this was normally the amount paid by the committee after withholding and paying said income tax
“Mine hasn’t arrived yet...” Yan Zheke’s thin, black and long eyebrows wrinkled as she exclaimed in half doubt and joy.
“Maybe it’s because of a bank difference, and it’s a weekend. It won’t arrive this soon.” Lou Cheng made a guess.
Perhaps it was because the timing of the university finance department’s visit to several banks at once was a little awkward, but some transfers were successful now whereas some had to wait until Monday. It was possible that the message notification he received was due to a lag in the system.
“It’s fine.” Yan Zheke pursed her lips into a smile. She couldn’t help but look at Lou Cheng’s cell phone screen in curiosity.
Cheng’s only has five thousand or so left in his private money, I see...
I can’t let him book such an expensive hotel the next time we go on a trip...
Mm-hmm, I’ll take the initiative and invite him to date tomorrow. I also have my own private money!
The fact that the prize money was transferred to his account before the match was a huge boost of morale to Lou Cheng. It made him feel less nervous and more eager for battle.
If they could beat ‘Donglin Squad’ and enter the semifinals, then there would be even more prize money waiting for him!
After two and a half hours later, at 12:15 p.m., the Martial Arts Club group arrived at Donglin North Station and saw the bus sent over by the welcoming staff of the committee.
When they saw this scene, Sun Jian and the others immediately recalled their experience at Yimo. He asked with a foreboding feeling, “How many audiences are there this time?”
Yimo’s atmosphere had been so terrifying that it felt as if they would consume all challengers alive!
“Not many.” the staff answered after thinking for a moment, “the match will be held in ‘Wensheng School’s’ stadium. It’s halfway up the mountain and could only fit a few hundred people at best.”
Phew... Li Mao exhaled and exchanged smiled with Sun Jian and Lin Hua. This revelation made them feel at ease.
After climbing up the bus, Yan Zheke examined the sceneries outside the window and exclaimed suddenly.
“When I used to watch professional martial arts competitions in the past, I especially like and envy those die-hard fans who would follow their squad on away expeditions...”
Lou Cheng understood her meaning before she even finished her sentence. He moved his head beside hers, followed her gaze and said,
“This can’t be rush. The Martial Arts Club had only started to emerge as a contender as of late, so there’s no way everyone will care too much about it. It’s a five-hour to-and-fro trip after all. Hehe, in the past I thought of earning enough money after I graduate and act as a Longhu Club’s squad following fan whenever there’s a vacation. An atmosphere like that must feel pretty great.”
Most of the students felt nothing about the meandering people outside the window.
“You may be too embarrassed to try that when you actually graduate from university...” A thought flashed across Yan Zheke’s mind, and she smiled with deep dimples when she thought of a funny scene, “It must be pretty interesting if someone realizes a certain leading player of a club had become a squad following fan of the Longhu Club~”
As long as Cheng successfully ascends to Dan stage while he was still in university, then he’d be powerful enough to act as the leading player within the third level of the Nanbei district contest with his Frost Force and Thunder Roar Zen alone.
If he ascended faster and reached the tremendous rate of growth of one Pin per year such as the likes of Peng Leyun and Ren Li, then he might be taken in directly by Wuyue Club or Longhu Club and nurtured as a substitute talent!
“It’ll also be pretty embarrassing...” Lou Cheng thought seriously for a moment before saying.
But I don’t need to graduate to earn money now. If there is the chance, I can totally bring Ke and let her have a try with me. She seems pretty interested in it as well!
Plus, ‘Little Wonton’ would be graduating in another year’s time, and Longhu Club’s forum would soon be organizing a meetup. They might very well plan a joint match viewing or something!
While speaking, his eyes suddenly became transfixed at a particular spot. This was because he saw a few familiar figures.
Wasn’t that guy standing and facing away from the entrance Cai Zongming?
He was also followed by Zhao Qiang, Qiu Zhigao, Zhang Jingye and his girlfriend Wu Qian. Wu Qian’s three roommates had come over as well!
“Look over there...” Lou Cheng patted Yan Zheke’s shoulder once.
Yan Zheke gazed over and looked startled. “Are they your roommates?”
She recognized Cai Zongming and Qiu Zhigao.
Cai Zongming, Zhao Qiang and the others seemed to notice their gazes as well as they looked over, waved both hands excitedly and put on a cheering pose.
“Do you think they count as our first squad following fans?” Yan Zheke let out a low chuckle as her eyes turned.
Lou Cheng answered seriously and sincerely,
“I think they’re just taking the opportunity to do a dorm social meetup...”
They used following the Martial Arts Club on their Donglin expedition and cheering for them as an excuse to invite the girls from another dorm to have fun on foreign ground, putting a new spin on social meetups. What a brilliant tactic!
We’ve been roommates for almost a year. How can their intentions possibly escape my notice?
This must be student Little Ming’s plan!
As the vehicle drove on, Lou Cheng’s group slowly moved further away from Cai Zongming and the others. Half an hour of travel time and lunch midway later, they arrived at the foot of Wensheng Mountain at 2 p.m.
Then, the bus went up the winding road and spent 40 minutes to make its way halfway up the mountain and reach Wensheng School stadium entrance.
The match would begin at three thirty sharp!
“This is a different kind of home advantage, isn’t it?” Yan Zheke walked down the bus, inhaled the refreshing mountain air and looked up.
Lou Cheng also noticed this as he nodded solemnly.
“Mm!”
‘Wensheng School’ had not purposely created a home atmosphere like Yimo’s. Instead, they chose to wait at ease for their exhausted enemy!
It took them almost six hours to depart from Songcheng University new school campus area and reach this place. Although they had taken a short nap midway, the effects ultimately weren’t too effective. Except for himself, everyone else pretty much suffered from travel fatigue and became a lot weaker without knowing it.
We should have departed last night and stayed overnight at Donglin!
We’re inexperienced, so it’s pretty normal for us to overlook this. But why hasn’t master reminded us about this? Why hasn’t he made arrangements beforehand?
Geezer Shi walked down the bus in high spirits and stretched his back sloppily. He coughed twice and said,
“Let’s head in!”
Did you think my life as a spy was easy?