Martial Arts Master

Yan Xiaoling felt just as dumbfounded as the caster was. The signal had hardly recovered when she saw Fang Tong throwing himself out of the way hurriedly and Lou Cheng chasing after him closely from behind. Before she understood what’s going on, the fight had come to an end.

As satisfactory as the result was, the bewildering and astonishingly short battle made Yan Xiaoling feel as if she was dreaming. She was greatly suspicious that someone had forged the broadcasting and hired two actors with similar looks to fight a fake battle after the signal was interrupted, just like the old gambling movie she had once watched.

The caster finally recovered himself after a short silence.

“Hello, everyone! This is Wang Peng speaking. Welcome to the first live broadcast of the preliminaries in Songcheng. The first match between Fang Tong from the Hongluo Martial Arts School and Lou Cheng from the Songcheng University Martial Arts Club has just ended. The battle was intense, and the winner was decided in just several exchanges, which surprised me a lot. I believe you all are feeling just the same. Let’s review the battle and figure out what happened just now.”

The scene changed, and the replay began. Yan Xiaoling fixed her eyes on the screen, with her mouth slightly agape and her eyes opened wide. Not ten seconds had passed when she suddenly exclaimed,

“Fire!”

With her cry still echoing in the air, she came to realize what was happening for she had immersed herself in the network for a long time. Giving out an unrestrained laugh, she murmured to herself in both surprise and delight.

“Lou Cheng has got supernatural ability!”

“He has never used it before, quite low-profile! Aha, I like him!”

Picking up her cell phone, she sent a voice message to Brahman.

“Brahman, haven’t you seen it? Lou Cheng is so handsome, quite a handsome boy!”

Brahman replied her with a voice message in an excited tone. “Yeah! Yeah! I’ve seen it. Quite handsome! It has never come to my mind that Lou Cheng has a supernatural ability. He deserves the title as a cryptic and mysterious expert! Step aside, I can’t quit my anthomaniac for him!”

After a burst of a melodious laugh, she said like sleep talking, “With his Power of Blaze and his potential in martial arts, Lou Cheng will probably become a well-known fighter. Till then, when I ask him for his autograph, I can say to him proudly that I’m his fan from the earliest time and I’ve witnessed his growth little by little!”

Yan Xiaoling said with her hands clamped on her chest, “My heart’s crying…You have robbed the title as the first fan!”

Brahman chuckled. “How could you use the word ‘rob’? I’m truly his first fan! By the way, it was rude for you to call me like just then, and you should call me Daddy!”

The two girls joked and laughed for a while. Excited as she was, “Brahman” waited for the fight of the second round, while she opened the “Longhu Club” forum, expecting to review the comments from familiar net friends.

There was no reply for almost one minute from the release of the fighting results. Then within a dozen or twenty seconds, plenty of posts appeared.

“Unparalleled Dragon King” replied with a “NIKE Mouth” emoji: “I’ve finally figured out the cause and effect of his last burst when he fought with Ye Youting…He has awakened the Power of Blaze!”

“Road to the Arena” followed afterward: “… It’s not too pitiful for me to lose. Besides his Power of Blaze, he has the roughness and coolness to grasp the opportunity. Watching his later strikes, I have the sense of feeling that I’d be killed by him if there was no judge when I fight with him one more time…”

The “Invincible Punch” Jin Tao also replied in a complicated tone: “Each time when I watch his competition, I have the feeling that the gap between us has enlarged a bit more. I’m ambitious to chase after his steps. But now, I guess I’ll just be myself…”

“Beautiful World” consoled Jin Tao and said: “Little Punch, don’t be so upset. You can still become an outstanding young fighter if you reach the Professional Ninth Pin and get better Kongfu of Haiyuan Martial Arts School this year. Don’t compare yourself with this “cheater,” he’s just a lucky guy…”

Though she still got no fondness for Lou Cheng, she had to admit that he was fast in his martial arts improvement, which weakened her courage to slander him.

“Outspoken” replied: “Did he win this fight by supernatural ability? Why are you taking it so seriously? He would lose the game if Hongluo Martial Arts School made an adequate preparation.”

“King of Fancy Leg Attacks” said jokingly: “A young fighter with strong potentials and the Power of Blaze is well suited with our Longhu Club. It’s perfect to match the unique skill of Fire Sect of the Taoist School with the Power of Blaze! Maybe one day Lou Cheng will join our club.”

Brahman took no different attitude on cordial or defiant replies. Feeling good, she watched smilingly yet made no reply, and just pressed like button at the comment from the “King of Fancy Leg Attacks” and sent a ” 10086″, wondering about his new idol joining her favorite martial arts circle.

That would be awesome!

…

Inside the Hongluo Martial Arts School, over a hundred audiences suddenly fell into an incredible irritancy. There was a short silence among them, just like they got patted on the shoulder unexpectedly when they were enjoying pissing, only to find they had to contain their piss forcibly.

Honest speaking, they were mentally prepared for the possibility that Fang Tong might lose the competition, which had been chosen by Songcheng TV Station for broadcasting on the presumption that the two sides had the strength of similar level. Also, they had got the impression of Lou Cheng—the rising star early through data and oral teachings. They understood that it would be normal for Lou Cheng to win over Fang Tong because this genius fighter had once defeated an expert of Professional Ninth Pin, and they would just felt depressed for a moment at most.

But it was absolutely beyond their minds that Lou Cheng could win so quickly and swiftly!

They had hardly organized to cheer up for Fang Tong when interrupted by Lou Cheng’s Power of Blaze. Screeching to a halt, they focused on the following situation nervously and worriedly. When Fang Tong avoided Lou Cheng’s attack with “Flaming Body” tactic, they raised hope once again, trying to shout out and cheer Fang Tong up. While Lou Cheng seized the time to get close to Fang Tong and ended the fight swiftly.

The cheering atmosphere was interrupted for two times successively, and the professional expert whom they counted on was defeated. That would be normal for them to feel depressed and fall into silence.

When Yan Zheke sat upright, she looked just like an ancient noble woman. But at this time, she held her red cheeks with the left hand unconsciously, tipped her head a little, and watched Lou Cheng on the platform with sparkling eyes.

She didn’t show the slightest degree of surprise at Lou Cheng’s quick winning. Not just because she had already known about his Power of Blaze, but also because she had inquired Lou Cheng about the details of his fight with the Ninth Pin Fighter of the Dark Sect and was deeply impressed by the breathtaking scenes. Thus she could imagine the result when Lou Cheng decided to go all out and spared no efforts at first while his opponent had no idea of his moves.

She was delighted about Lou Cheng’s imperturbability and calmness after he had created the opportunity with the Power of Blaze.

—The opportunity wasn’t the guarantee of winning, and the opponent still had tactics to fight back. Just like the Ninth Pin Fighter of the Dark Sect who had once created an advantageous position with the secret discipline of mind aura and the Poison Sting Force, finally died in his shoes for he had lost the opportunity.

And just when Lou Cheng had made the strike, he continued his victorious pursuit and thoroughly destroyed Fang Tong’s hope with the calmness and toughness exceeding his ages. The accurate control of the change of fighting as well as the position which left his opponent in despair, banished Fang Tong’s struggle in the air.

When Yan Zheke was falling into a reverie, she suddenly realized Lou Cheng had turned his body with his eyes gazing at herself in the distance. Lou Cheng, with his eyes glittering with a smile, was varying the mouth shapes by opening and shutting his lips.

Although she knew nothing about the lip language, she suddenly got to understand it with the feeling of empathic intuneness that Lou Cheng was saying.

“Thank you for your instructions, Coach Yan!”

“Still that silly Cheng…” Yan Zheke couldn’t help laughing. Slightly showing her teeth, she smiled with dimples on her face while her face was turning red.

A sudden dizziness overpowered Lou Cheng on the arena. He had never thought that the pretty and smart Yan Zheke, though under nineteen years old, showed a bewitching beauty without even looking back.

Their interaction was nearly unnoticed by the whole audience who were still immersed in shock and astonishment. There was only one exception, Geezer Shi, who twitched his mouth and coughed.

“Coach Yan? Didn’t you know that I understand lip language? Damn kid, you dare to favor the pretty over your teacher! I’ll throw you out if I hadn’t behaved like you in the old days!”

When he murmured in silent judgment, Li Mao and Sun Jian who were standing beside him stared at each other, both with a complicated smile on their face.

“I have never expected that he has the Power of Blaze!”

“This kind of junior brother leaves us in despair…”

They opened their mouths simultaneously making different comments. Chen Changhua, who was sitting behind them, murmured with a wry smile. “The junior brothers nowadays should be feared. Time makes it inevitable that in every profession, young men replace the old.”

Still emotionless as Lin Que was, his eyes bright with a slight excitement. While Guo Qing, who was sitting on his right side, made a fuss and said,

“How cryptic Cheng was, when did he bring out the supernatural ability?”

Marveling at Lou Cheng for a while, Guo Qing turned back to Yan Zheke at her side and joked.

“Ke, were you moved by him? Cheng looked so cool and impressive just then…”

She had hardly finished her words when she saw Yan Zheke watching at the arena with her face turned red and her eyes bright and gentle. Guo Qing got startled, lowered her voice, and then said in mandarin to Yan Zheke, “Are you seriously moved by him? I was just kidding before! You can’t accept Cheng as your boyfriend. He’s so good at hiding himself and cheating others! He has become awesome suddenly and got the Power of Blaze unexpectedly…”

“I know all about these…” Yan Zheke interrupted her words in a low voice.

“Know what? You know that he tells lies? Or you know that he has the Power of Blaze?” Guo Qing asked in surprise.

Yan Zheke puckered her face in a smile. “He hasn’t hidden anything from me.”

Guo Qing fell into astonishment. She stared at Yan Zheke for a while and suddenly came to realize the truth. “Have you guys already started dating?”

Face flushing to the ear, Yan Zheke lowered her head and said,

“Yes.”

…

Behind the audience seats of the guest team, Shu Rui got astonished and excited. She was very anxious to climb across the arena and make another interview of Lou Cheng.

Worthy of being the fighter I choose!

He has made the topic himself!

Sooner or later we shall depend on him as a topic of the big news!

Cai Zongming was sitting in the front. Although he knew about Lou Cheng’s Power of Blaze, he had never expected that he could win over Fang Tong so fast and so unconventionally. Getting dumbfounded for a while, he muttered to himself,

“Spring is coming, and everything on earth comes to life. It’s the season for mating of animals on the prairie. And Lou Cheng, in his estrus, becomes too aggressive and unapproachable…”

Hearing this, Wu Qian and other girls sniggered and looked at Lou Cheng with surprise and admiration.

“Quite handsome!”

“He’s truly an expert.”

“Haha, have you taken a fancy to him? Why don’t you ask Wu Qian to get his contact number?”

In the hushed whispers, Wu Qian dragged Zhang Jingye smilingly.

“Has your classmate got a girlfriend?”

Thinking for a while, Zhang Jingye answered, “Not yet, but he has set his heart on someone.”

When they joined the social meetup earlier, the boys all became aware that Lou Cheng had a feeling for Yan Zheke.

“Who?” Wu Qian and the others asked in a gossiping tone.

Pointing at Yan Zheke, Zhang Jingye said, “That girl.”

Looking at Yan Zheke with a fixed gaze, the girls got dumbfounded and said a long while,

“How beautiful is the girl…”

Zhao Qiang and Qiu Zhigao didn’t join their discussion. Instead, they cast a glimpse to each other, both astonished at the charm of Lou Cheng on the arena.

Although Lou Cheng had changed a lot since this semester, they didn’t notice that they were inconspicuous and even ordinary roommate had gotten the demeanor of an expert until now, because they met him every day and became insensitive to his changes.

…

Seeing Fang Tong came back in low spirit yet unwillingly, Wang Hui swallowed his words of consolation and straightened his face.

“Do you think your opponent has trounced you easily all because he used his supernatural ability unexpectedly?”

“No…” Fang Tong answered in a muffled voice, but the expression on his face was indicating the opposite meaning.

With a snort, Wang Hui said, “What he showed out during the later confrontation was not that simple. It seems that he had once engaged in a life-and-death struggle…”

“Life-and-death struggle?” Jiang Guosheng and Pan Chengyun asked in one voice, and Fang Tong also raised his head.

“Yes, once he fights with the others, he’d spare no effort to win the fight with just several tough and forceful tactics.” Wang Hui said with his eyes closed, “Surviving from the life-and-death struggle indicates one thing that he killed his opponent…”

Hearing this, Jiang Guosheng was terrified. He had experienced the street battle before, but it was just like helping his friends to bully fighters inferior to himself, which would be useless to face a fighter survived from the life-and-death struggle. Thus he felt a bit weak in the momentum suddenly.

I can’t imagine what kind of life-and-death struggle it is!

Hadn’t he got any trouble?

Serious hit or if some other Mighty Ones was coming forward to stop the fight?

Seeing that Fang Tong’s unwillingness and anger had disappeared, Wang Hui laughed and said,

“But you might not be afraid. As far as I know, Lou Cheng’s Power of Blaze is still weak and his overall strength is inferior to Guosheng. It’s undoubted that Guosheng can defeat him under full preparation.”

“Also, we don’t need to worry about the thing I was afraid before. It was the awakening of gift that Lou Cheng had inspired when he fought with Ye Youting at last. It’s hard to happen for the second time.”

Jiang Guosheng settled down gradually and recovered faith. Both Pan Chengyun and Fang Tong nodded their heads, smoothing their former moods.

Just then, the judge waved his hand to the crowd of Hongluo Martial Arts School, signaling them to send the second fighter to the arena.

During the broadcasting, there would be a little longer time between each competition, to spare the TV station or video website with the opportunity to make comments, introduce and interact. But the time wouldn’t be too much to surpass the limit for rest of the fighter who had won the previous competition.

Lou Cheng didn’t mind this at all.

Wang Hui nodded his head and said to Jiang Guosheng,

“Go and take him down!”

Squinting his eyes, Jiang Guosheng stepped toward the arena in a steady pace.