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墨書 Inktalez
Date: October 7th
"Uh, Yang Xiaoyou was just joking around with Qi Menglu as usual, trying to cover up his recent counterattack, but he overlooked the environment here.
“Cough, sorry, I’m just used to playing around with my friends. It was a joke, really sorry about that.” Normally, Yang Xiaoyou was quite good-natured, and he realized he had indeed gone too far this time. He turned away without much of an explanation or apology.
Behind him stood a man dressed similarly to the earlier Instructor Park, about the same age, though not as good-looking; he could still be considered handsome.
However, in Yang Xiaoyou's judgment, this man's stability was far superior to that of the earlier man named Park.
Taekwondo itself places great emphasis on technique; this man's achievements in aspects of the sport should surpass those of Instructor Park by quite a bit. However, without seeing him in action, it would be difficult to draw a definitive conclusion.
“A joke, is it? But this isn’t really a place for jokes. You must take responsibility for your words. However, since you are a guest here, I won’t make things difficult for you. Just prove your so-called impressive fighting skills on the mat with me,” the man said with a stern expression.
“Come on, Instructor, don’t be too harsh. This annoying fellow is just being casual; he behaves like this all the time. Look at his fighting ability—if he gets bullied later on by others in the Association, that would be bad,” Qi Menglu interjected, temporarily setting aside her annoyance with Yang Xiaoyou. She grabbed his hand and leaned back against him while playfully wrapping her arm around his neck.
Whether there was any hint of revenge in her actions remained unclear.
With Qi Menglu’s hand around his neck and feeling her soft touch against his back, Yang Xiaoyou felt a strange sensation flash through his heart.
At the same time, Qi Menglu whispered in his ear, “You’re in trouble; this guy is Director’s prized disciple. Today our instructor is on leave, and he’s here to fill in.”
Meanwhile, Ye Shi, who had brought the two in, was recovering from the shock of Qi Menglu’s appearance and was preparing to speak up. Although she didn’t particularly like Yang Xiaoyou’s manner of speaking either, she knew she had to defend him at this moment; otherwise, that somewhat stern fellow might take things too far.
"That's enough. I just want to spar with him; it's not like I'm not allowing him to fight back. It's a completely fair competition. Also, you can go gather your group; I'll demonstrate the practical applications of Taekwondo for you and see if it looks good but is useless." The somewhat rigid fellow gestured to Qi Menglu, while Chen Hao, who had been silent until now, stepped forward to face Yang Xiaoyou and the others. He spoke in a calm tone, "So what if it looks good but is useless? Did I step on your toes? You're jumping around so much; let me say this in front of you: things like yours that are flashy but impractical are indeed just for show. It seems like you're only trying to impress the ladies. At most, you're just bullying those who are inexperienced. You might as well give up; Menglu and Youcai are..."
His provocative words carried an unexpected hint of politeness, giving off a feeling of 'courtesy before conflict.' Aside from those directly involved, it didn't seem to offend anyone else.
However, before he could finish, he was interrupted by Qi Menglu's fierce kick. At that moment, her face bore a flush that hinted at either anger or embarrassment as she stammered, "What were you just thinking? Do you want to die? Who do you think you are?" With that, she instinctively tightened her grip on Yang Xiaoyou's neck, seemingly ready to choke him.
"Hey? What do you think I am? I'm just an opponent. Let go; you're about to strangle him," Chen Hao feigned ignorance, though a hint of amusement flickered in his eyes. Given his usual demeanor, such words were quite deceptive.
Seeing the group in front of him openly mock him while nearly ignoring his presence made Jiang Richeng's face flash with anger.
Ever since he followed his master to the Chinese Empire, when had he ever been treated this way? He had initially come to help substitute teach and discovered an exceptionally talented student, intending to give them some guidance. He never expected to encounter such a situation.
At first, the seemingly weak fellow had behaved exactly as Jiang expected. Although he had managed to catch that student off guard initially, he quickly apologized as Jiang anticipated. He had planned to educate the other party slightly and showcase his own abilities to the beautiful female student.
He didn't intend to go too far; it was merely a normal desire for beauty. Of course, he wouldn't reject the possibility of a deeper understanding.
But then that fellow had said something like this:
"It seems like you want to take his place for a sparring session. Go ahead; let me see what real skills look like." Taking a deep breath, Jiang Richeng steadied his emotions. Since that fellow dared to step up next, he must have some skill himself; he needed to maintain a good mindset against his opponent.
Seeing the other party's reaction, Yang Xiaoyou felt relieved as the pressure on his neck was released. The martial artist's mindset was indeed already at an entry level; being able to stabilize one's emotions before a fight was commendable.
However, Chen Hao found handling this situation completely manageable. If he hadn't regained his memories, he might have been as confused as Qi Menglu right now. But in his memories, he knew he would become one of the selected mecha testers among pilots nationwide!
At that time, there were only two experimental machines and four testers across the country. Perhaps due to the emphasis on piloting skills, physical fitness and combat ability couldn't be considered the strongest in the military, but they were certainly among the top tier. Even though he was still in the growth phase now, he was far from being comparable to such characters. Yang Xiaoyou felt reassured and continued cheering from behind according to their previous division of roles.
Qi Menglu appeared quite nervous, but with Chen Hao's words out in the open, she understood from her knowledge of his character that he wouldn't back down. Besides, Chen Hao's combat prowess seemed to be quite strong, much better than Yang Xiaoyou, who was more like a punching bag.
As the chaos unfolded, the surrounding training sessions came to a halt, and some visiting guests gathered around to watch. After all, nothing was as thrilling as real combat, and it seemed unlikely that both sides would hold back—this was bound to be more entertaining than a regular match.
The young instructor who had previously mocked Yang Xiaoyou approached with a smug expression, looking at them while whispering something to Jiang Richeng, seemingly adding fuel to the fire.
When he caught sight of Qi Menglu, a glimmer of surprise flashed in his eyes before he shot a jealous glance at Chen Hao.
"Since you insist so much, I can't back down either. But if I hurt you, you won't expect me to cover your medical expenses, right?" Chen Hao adjusted his glasses nonchalantly.
"Don't worry; just prepare your own medical fees. If things go too far, our Association will provide some assistance," the initial Instructor Park replied sarcastically on behalf of the Jiang instructor.
"As long as I don't have to pay for anything, that's fine. With so many witnesses here, I trust you won't try to weasel out of it. Menglu, pay attention; what you're learning now doesn't seem very practical," Chen Hao said as he took off his protective glasses and handed them to Yang Xiaoyou before removing his jacket and stepping into the center of the arena.
The training group had already dispersed early on, and the spectators—both trainees and visitors—were all wearing excited expressions.
"Use your hands as skillfully as you talk," Jiang Richeng said lightly as he entered the arena too, adopting a fighting stance without any formalities beforehand. It seemed he was signaling that this time he wasn't going to hold back.
Compared to Jiang Richeng's somewhat flashy stance that could adjust rhythmically at any moment, Chen Hao's movements appeared rather stiff. He pulled his right hand back while holding his left hand horizontally in a defensive posture without moving his feet at all. While Chen Hao's appearance might have been appealing, his stance certainly left much to be desired.
After a brief standoff between both sides, Jiang Richeng adjusted his rhythm and made the first move.
Seeing him launch a direct attack aimed at the lower body, Yang Xiaoyou couldn't help but scoff. Attacking without understanding the opponent's strength was reckless; no matter how stable your lower body is trained, facing an opponent of equal or greater skill would likely lead to disaster—just like her previous match against Liu Lianyue.
There had been a chance for Chen Hao to showcase his skills and maintain some dignity, but now that opportunity was gone.
With just a simple maneuver that resembled a car crash, Chen Hao absorbed Jiang Richeng's attack while simultaneously breaking his balance. He locked onto Jiang's attacking leg while sweeping his foot under him. The sharp crack of bones echoed through the audience's ears, sending chills down their spines.
Jiang Richeng, who had been carelessly thrown to the ground, was now sweating profusely as he clutched his left side. Despite his predicament, he managed to maintain a semblance of composure, only letting out a muffled groan instead of a full-blown wail. Unfortunately, no amount of bravado could erase the humiliation of defeat; his grand opening move and flashy attack had only resulted in being bested, seemingly confirming Chen Hao's earlier words.
Jiang Richeng was not weak by any means, but most of his sparring partners were fellow practitioners of Taekwondo, accustomed to engaging in exchanges that began with footwork. His mindset, strength, and technique were all at a respectable level, yet due to his lack of experience, he had made such a blunder that the surrounding audience couldn't help but express their disapproval with a chorus of boos.
At that moment, Chen Hao's already sunny and handsome image seemed to shine even brighter. What had appeared to be a rigid and clumsy routine now seemed profound and impressive in the eyes of the spectators, with several people even attempting to mimic him on the spot.
Among those who understood Jiang Richeng's capabilities were some students and instructors who looked on in disbelief. Even Qi Menglu was taken aback; she knew Chen Hao was skilled in fighting, but she couldn't quite discern the nuances of strength in combat.
"Not bad, a very clean technique. It's my fault for not teaching this ungrateful disciple how to handle techniques from other styles," she admitted.
Just as Chen Hao picked up his jacket and prepared to leave the arena, a voice came through—slightly hoarse yet gentle. Upon hearing it, Yang Xiaoyou furrowed her brows and turned toward the source of the sound.
Although the tone was calm, Yang Xiaoyou sensed an almost imperceptible hint of malice within it. If there were no surprises, the owner of that voice was someone truly formidable.
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