Start?

Start what?

Who said anything about starting?

Li Fan's face had gone green, and his heart was engulfed by towering waves, each higher than the last, crashing directly upon his Divine Spirit. He had seen someone shatter a wooden training post with a single punch. It was precisely because he had seen it that he understood the skill and terror involved.

That was a third-tier Fist Master, at least. And I've just barely stepped into the first tier. To put it bluntly, one punch from him and I'll end up just like that exploded post, completely unable to fight back. How am I supposed to fight this?

Li Fan was on the verge of tears. How did I provoke such a monster? At this moment, he wished he could find a crack to crawl into and disappear from everyone's sight. Gripped by terror, he furiously cursed Li Qiang, that treacherous bastard. If it hadn't been for his rotten idea, how would he have ended up in such a dilemma?

"Fight! Fan, beat him to a pulp! Show him how unbeatable you are!"

"Fan, we all believe in you! Mwah!"

"How dare he challenge our Fan? Let's show him why the flowers are so red!"

Seeing that Chen Yang wasn't just unafraid but was actually growing more arrogant and provocative, the crowd of supporters was instantly infuriated. In their eyes, Chen Yang should have been trembling with fear, perhaps even kneeling and begging for mercy. To actively provoke them? He was courting death!

However, facing this wave of support, Li Fan almost coughed up a mouthful of blood. Damn it all! Can't you just shut your mouths? What are you all blabbering about? They're trying to praise me to death!

If looks could kill, not a single spectator would have been left alive.

What… what should I do now?

Just as Li Fan hesitated, struggling to think of a strategy, Chen Yang beckoned again, a half-smile on his face. "Why haven't we started yet? I'm eager to see just how powerful Wing Chun Fist is."

"He's way too arrogant! Fan, take him down and show him what you're made of!"

"Get him!"

The ones shouting were the male students, many of them from the Martial Arts Society. They held a blind trust and adoration for Li Fan. How could they stand by and watch someone challenge him so contemptuously?

Li Fan's expression twisted, his teeth nearly grinding to dust. He wanted to rush forward but didn't dare. After all, he was the one who had schemed first, and his heart was filled with trepidation. Plus, the other man wasn't a student, which meant he might not hold back. But if he didn't step up… not only would he lose all face, but how could he possibly hold his head high at this school in the future?

But Chen Yang wasn't going to wait that long. Without another word, he started walking straight toward him.

TAP. TAP.

Chen had only taken two steps when Li Fan's mental defenses instantly collapsed. He scrambled backward, retreating even faster than Chen had advanced.

Chen Yang grinned. "Why are you running?"

"I… I concede," Li Fan said.

With those words, the previously boisterous gymnasium suddenly fell deathly silent, as if Medusa herself had cast a spell. Every single person froze in place, as if petrified. Even the atmosphere seemed to congeal.

"Concede?"

"Fan conceded? Did I hear that right? I must have misheard!"

It took a long moment before murmurs rippled through the crowd, their words filled with disbelief.

Chen Yang laughed. "We haven't even fought yet. How can you concede? Come on, let's get started."

"I… I really do concede! I'm no match for you!" Li Fan said, biting the bullet.

Chen Yang walked up to him and patted his shoulder. "What's all this about? Your adoring fangirls, your support group… they're all still waiting for you to beat me to a pulp."

"No, no, no! I'm not your match, don't listen to their nonsense," Li Fan waved his hands frantically, tears welling in his eyes. What in the world have I gotten myself into?

Chen Yang's expression suddenly turned dark, his gaze as sharp as a knife. He said in a low voice, "But, you see, the words 'I concede' don't exist in my vocabulary."

Instantly, a chill shot through Li Fan from head to toe, and he collapsed to one knee.

That look… it's terrifying! What kind of entity did I provoke?

Drenched in a cold sweat, Li Fan stammered fearfully, "I'm… I'm sorry! I'm really not your match, I sincerely concede! And I apologize for my baseless provocation."

"Oh? Tell me, how exactly did you provoke me?" Chen Yang asked with a smile.

"You never challenged me. I wanted to stand up for Su Ziyan, so I invented this excuse to force you out here. I was planning to defeat you on this stage and humiliate you!"

"And then take credit with Su Ziyan afterward?" Chen Yang inquired.

Li Fan nodded.

Instantly, the people who had already prepared excuses for Li Fan found the words stuck in their throats, their eyes wide with disbelief. This was just too despicable, wasn't it? And he did all of this just to curry favor with Su Ziyan?

"Get lost!"

"You despicable wretch, go die! I must have been blind to have ever idolized you!"

"So this is the kind of person you are. It's disgusting."

The higher they had once held Li Fan, the more viciously they now cursed him. It was the sting of betrayal, of being stabbed in the back. The deeper the love, the deeper the wound. If they could, they would have spit right in his face.

Li Fan hung his head low, wishing he could bury it in the ground.

Chen Yang patted his cheek. "Young man, I advise you to be kind."

"Yes, yes, I understand!"

Without another glance, Chen Yang walked off the stage and left the gymnasium.

While he found their immaturity vexing, he couldn't help but reflect that this truly was an age when one could be blindly devoted to a girl. Was this, perhaps, youth? Unfortunately, Chen Yang had missed out on that part of his life. At their age, hadn't he just been promoted to Chiliarch? The battle at Night Quiet Valley, where he routed an enemy force of two thousand with just five hundred soldiers, had solidified his status in the Martial Department. One could say that in his twenties, Chen Yang was either on a battlefield or on his way to one. Though he had missed out on that period of youth, he felt no regrets upon reflection.

「On campus.」

The cold wind bit at him under the bleak moonlight. Chen Yang strolled with his hands in his pockets, a faint smile playing on his lips.

Perhaps he should be grateful for following that old Martial Guard into the Martial Department; otherwise, how would he have had such thrilling and glorious experiences?

At that thought, Chen Yang's gaze softened. He looked up at the bright moon and murmured, "It's about time I went to see that old guy."

「Meanwhile.」

"Uncle, wait for me!" Zheng Xiaoduo chased after him, panting. Her eyes were fixed on Chen Yang, sparkling as if she had just found a treasure. "Uncle, you're amazing! To conquer without even a battle!"

"From this day forward, you are my idol."

Chen Yang rolled his eyes. "Aren't you a little too quick to switch idols?"

"That despicable jerk! What qualifies him to be my idol?" As she spoke, Zheng Xiaoduo grabbed Chen Yang's arm and wrapped her own around it tightly, shaking it coquettishly. "Uncle, would you take me as your disciple?"

Chen Yang: "…"

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