Martial Arts Master

Whoa, aren’t you afraid of getting socked? Taken aback by Coach Lü’s reaction, Lou Cheng forgot to even celebrate.

They look ticked at the Shangqing Sect’s seating area. Even the good-natured Taoists like Yun Yan and Ming He are shooting daggers with their eyes.

If you start a fight here, not even the referee can help you.

I mean, look at yourself…You’re a middle-aged man who’s seen it all…Do you need to get so hyped up? Learn something from Sister Ning and Dragon King.

So immature…

As he internally ridiculed Lü Yan, Lou Cheng shifted his eyes to Empress Luo hobbling back. He went to greet her.

“I thought that there was no way Sister Ning could win after getting hit by that,” he praised, smiling.

Supported by Guo Jie, Ning Zitong beamed.

“I was waiting for him to use that! Otherwise, I wouldn’t have lasted much longer.”

“You knew Pri-Peng Leyun was going to use that move?” asked Lou Cheng incredulously.

Ning Zitong took a deep breath to hide the pain. Chuckling, she said, “Given that kid’s personality, once he’s in an arena, I knew he couldn’t resist trying out a new skill.”

Hmm…How does she know him that well? Once again, Lou Cheng was taken aback.

I mean, that’s an accurate description of the Priest, but is it that well known?

Seeing the goofy look on Lou Cheng’s face, Ning Zitong smiled. Half-explaining and half-teasing, she said, “What? Do you think we don’t research a junior’s disposition, habits, and combat style? Once we deduced that it was likely that they’d send Peng Leyun, I considered all the possibilities. I have eaten more salt than the rice you’ve eaten…You know how the Chinese saying goes.”

As expected of a formerly-titled Mighty One. Looks like Priest has been had. What a wily old fox. Now that that was clear, an embarrassing question bugged him.

“What are my disposition, habits, and battle style in the eyes of my seniors?”

Rankled by Lü Yan’s loud celebration, Ning Zitong shot him a dirty look.

“All these years and he’s still so immature. Don’t bother with him. If they beat him up later, just let nature take its course.”

“Alright.” As Lou Cheng finished his sentence, he saw Chen Qitao stand slowly, where before he had been sitting as still as a mountain despite his broken ribs. His face was solemn, but he appeared a little overeager as he walked over to the Shangqing Sect representatives. Still, his demeanor was cool and calm.

With this match, Longhu Club had secured its spot as “First in China” for the year!

Stopping first before Taoist Wuguang, Chen Qitao made a fist and palm salute. He did the same before Qian Donglou, all the while expressionless.

For a moment, Lou Cheng thought he saw hints of joy and pride in the Dragon King. But then again, it could have been his imagination.

If it had been the Dragon King who lost, he would have left without a word when the Warrior Sage came to salute him. Yes, he would do that in a heartbeat. The Warrior Sage, on the other hand, cared a lot about image and face. Plus, his laziness probably prevented him from standing up so soon, thought Lou Cheng. Qian Donglou, despite his dark and gloomy look, returned a decorous bow and uttered humble words of congratulations.

“Jack of all trades, master of none,” was the only thing Chen Qitao said to him after a slight nod. Looking around once more, he nodded to express appreciation, then turned and left.

Lou Cheng saw a vein twitch in Qian Donglou’s head.

At the same time, he saw Coach Lü’s celebratory expedition end abruptly before the Shangqing Sect members as he stopped and looked around blankly, as though he couldn’t remember how he had gotten there.

No one noticed when Taoist Wuguang heaved a long sigh as the Dragon King saluted him, or when he slowly walked towards the passage that led to the bottom of the mountain.

Looking around, Lou Cheng smothered his joyous and sentimental mood and walked towards Peng Leyun.

Before he could say anything, the neat, unworldly, often spaced-out martial artist spoke up on his own, looking a little dazed.

“I thought I was going to win…”

Haha, it’s rare to see him like this. Smothering a laugh, Lou Cheng said seriously, “You were targeted. Empress Luo was waiting for you to use that move.”

“So that’s why…Had I waited a little longer, things might have ended differently.” Compared to Ning Zitong who needed support after the match, Peng Leyun’s wounds weren’t bad enough to stop him from walking, which added to his regret.

Hearing that, Lou Cheng couldn’t stop himself from complaining. “Why didn’t you mention anything about referencing the Forbidden Sect, Shangqing Chapters?”

“Didn’t I?” Distracted, Peng Leyun frowned in contemplation. Then, he answered, “I was going to tell you guys sometime back, but then I suddenly remembered a recent astronomical discovery…”

And that was the end of the story.

That’s exactly something you would do. Before Lou Cheng could poke fun at him, Peng Leyun snapped out of his contemplation and sighed.

Smiling, he said, “If I don’t do this, you’ll leave me in the dust. By fusing martial arts and cultivation, you’ve created your own path. Ever since the three of us made it to the Physical Invulnerability stage, you’ve been advancing at the fastest rate…”

Loy Cheng hadnever hid his inventions from Peng Leyun, Ren Li, and the others. With their social status, ability, and keen eyes, they would find things out one way or another.

“And so, you succeeded in referencing it?” Lou Cheng felt like clamping a hand over his face.

Priest isn’t going to give anything up, is he…

In today’s match, the Warrior Sage was certainly stronger than the Dragon King. Taoist…Wuguang was a cut above Empress Luo. I am the only one slightly stronger than my opponent, Peng Leyun?

On paper, our chance of victory was beyond slim. However, with tactical arrangements and an accurate prediction of Peng Leyun taking the stage rather than Yun Yan, Longhu managed to win by a hair.

Hm…Does this mean I’m about to receive my first championship in a top-tier pro match?

Am I about to become a member of the team that’s “First in China”?

Lou Cheng was awed when the realization dawned upon him.

Perhaps his brewing emotions had yet to reach their conclusion after participating in only one match, and that’s why the victory didn’t feel real to him.

Not wanting to overstay their welcome at another Sect, the Longhu Club members soon went down the mountain to meet with their assistants.

“Are you that happy?” asked Lou Cheng nonchalantly, noticing Auman’s expression as he sat down by the window.

Without hiding her joy, Auman beamed. “We are ‘First in China’ now! And, well…we get a bonus for this too…”

And it wasn’t a small sum either!

“Ah, that explains it,” nodded Lou Cheng.

That explains why she’s even happier than me!

By now, his phone was getting reception again. He had received many congratulation messages.

Skimming through, he saw Yan Zheke’s message:

“[firecracker emoji] It’s your first championship in a top-tier pro match!”

Exactly what I thought…

“I only fought two rounds. It still feels unreal to me…”

“Heh heh! You’ll get used to it. In the future, you’ll win more of these. [laughing emoji]” wrote Yan Zheke. “Now tell me honestly! Did you dream of winning a championship in a top-tier pro match when you were younger? Does this count as a childhood dream come true?”

“Actually, it does. But this time doesn’t count…Not until I become a powerhouse on the team! [clenched fist]”

“Of course! [sparkly eyes]” wrote Yan Zheke. “Now for the interview! How did it feel to fight against the Warrior Sage?”

“Um…The gap between us is huge. You know, I’ve been thinking lately…Could Priest be Warrior Sage’s illegitimate son? They’re really similar when it comes to some things! [snickering emoji]” wrote Lou Cheng. “He actually stuck to his promise and used his left-handed palm knife for most of the fight! I mean, even if his right arm was injured, he had plenty of other options…”

That wasn’t to say the Warrior’s Sage’s left-handed palm knife was unimpressive. In fact, it was on par with Physical Invulnerability secret arts that had been created through blood and sweat. Still, there was no reason for him to limit himself to it.

“Who knows, maybe it’s a Sect thing…[thinking emoji],” wrote Yan Zheke. “What about the fight with Taoist Wuguang? He always gives off the impression of a nobody. How did he become Shangqing Sect Master and a titled Mighty One?”

“As for him…” Lou Cheng tried hard to remember. Then it hit him. “Oh! He uses Sword Manipulation! And he has a supernatural ability that makes others forget about him! I have to write this down!”

He had almost forgotten!

Thank goodness Ke Ke was there to remind him.

He took out a notebook to jot down his reflections.

“Wow, that sounds impressive…Wait, what notebook! You’ve never mentioned it before! [shocked emoji]”

“I think I have. It’s nothing special, just where I write down what happens during the day, like the things between us, our chats, and…”

He keeps a record of those? That’s even more thorough than me…Surprised, Yan Zheke’s eyes twinkled. “Let me read it sometime! [begging emoji]”

From there, they began reminiscing on happy memories. The conversation continued until she left the hotel for the summit meeting.

After chatting with Cai Zongming and some others, Lou Cheng looked out the window. The refreshing mountain scenery was festooned with sleeves of cloud and mist.

What a wonderful day, he thought.

Now all I have to wait for is for Ke Ke to come back to China on her winter break.