Xu Sanshi: That Punch Almost Sent Me to Meet My Great-Grandma

Jiang Wu: "?"

Seriously, man, did you like using other people's back doors that much?

He had originally thought that changing his sister's fate would change Xu Sanshi's fate as well.

But to his surprise, Xu Sanshi, that wonder of a man, still had the Black Tortoise Shield as his Martial Soul.

Jiang Wu took a deep breath and said, "Martial Soul: Soft Bone Rabbit."

Xu Sanshi froze for a moment when he learned that Jiang Wu's Martial Soul was the Soft Bone Rabbit.

Seeing that both of them were ready, the referee called, "Begin!"

Xu Sanshi came back to his senses and said with a smile, "Junior, as your senior, I'll let you have the first move."

Jiang Wu tilted his head and asked, "Senior, are you sure?"

Xu Sanshi nodded. "Of course. I'm very strong, you know."

When the spectators around them heard Xu Sanshi, they all shook their heads, unable to help feeling sorry for him.

Jiang Wu's performance that day had shown everyone just how strong he was. Among those at the same level, he was invincible.

Anyone who could study at Shrek Academy was considered a genius outside, yet they had to admit that Jiang Wu's talent surpassed theirs.

Quite a few people began to wonder how many of Jiang Wu's punches Xu Sanshi could withstand.

Seeing this, Jiang Wu said earnestly, "Then I won't put my full strength into this punch."

With that, he used Martial Soul Possession, followed immediately by Dragon Transformation on his right arm.

Third Soul Skill: Instant Beast Flash.

The moment Jiang Wu vanished from where he stood, Xu Sanshi still wore that cheerful smile, his fists hanging loosely at his sides. He hadn't even summoned his Martial Soul yet.

The next instant, Jiang Wu appeared less than half a step in front of him.

Xu Sanshi's pupils contracted sharply. The words So fast had only just flashed through his mind when a fist covered in golden dragon scales landed on his stomach.

Jiang Wu had indeed held back. He hadn't activated the Golden Dragon Claw's crushing property, and he had used only thirty percent of the golden scales' amplification. Even so, when the punch slammed into the soft flesh of Xu Sanshi's abdomen, it doubled him over and made the clothes on his back bulge outward.

Xu Sanshi's eyes went round as saucers, his mouth forming an O. A mouthful of sour liquid nearly sprayed from his throat.

He felt as though a charging rhinoceros had rammed him square in the belly. His internal organs were all squeezed together, his head buzzed, and his vision went dark.

Xu Sanshi's vision blurred, and the Soul Fighting Arena vanished. All the faces watching the spectacle from the stands disappeared, replaced by a vast expanse of white light.

A figure emerged from the light, a woman in her thirties. Xu Sanshi recognized her at once as his mother.

"Sanshi, stop practicing. Come eat first."

Xu Sanshi's nose prickled, and his eyes turned red on the spot.

He didn't know what had gotten into him. Looking at that familiar face, he had only one thought left in his head, and his mouth moved faster than his brain. He blurted it out.

"Mom!"

The shout was full of vigor and echoed twice around the quiet Soul Fighting Arena.

The stands fell silent for a moment.

Then the whole crowd burst out laughing.

"Hahahaha, what did he call him? Mom?"

"He must've been hit so hard he's hallucinating!"

"Senior Sanshi must be homesick, hahaha-"

Jiang Wu's fist was still pressed against Xu Sanshi's stomach, and he froze. He looked down at Xu Sanshi's face, with its red-rimmed eyes, prickling nose, and open mouth. Only one thought went round in his head.

What did you call me?

You called me Mom?

Isn't your mom at home? Why are you calling me Mom?

Jiang Wu slowly withdrew his fist and stepped back half a pace. His expression shifted from speechlessness to bewilderment, then from bewilderment to profound exhaustion.

He turned to the referee, his voice impossibly calm. "Referee, can he still fight?"

The referee's face was red from holding back laughter. He cleared his throat, walked over to Xu Sanshi, and crouched down. "Student Xu Sanshi, can you continue?"

The question brought Xu Sanshi back to his senses. The flashback faded, and he blinked as his vision came back into focus. He saw Jiang Wu standing two steps away, looking at him with a complicated expression, and heard the hum of laughter from the stands. It took his brain a couple of turns to register what he had just done.

His face turned red in a flash, from the base of his neck to the top of his head. The color was even more authentic than Tang Ya's red-braised pork.

"I... I just..."

"You called me Mom." Jiang Wu's face was expressionless.

"I wasn't..."

"You called it pretty loud."

Xu Sanshi opened and closed his mouth, then closed and opened it again. After struggling for a long while, he managed to say, "That was... that was because I saw my mom!"

The laughter in the stands grew even louder. Some people slapped their thighs, while Wang Dong'er had collapsed against Huo Yutong's shoulder in the audience, unable to sit back up, her shoulders shaking. Huo Yutong was laughing just as hard, but she also felt embarrassed. She covered her mouth with one hand and used the other to keep Wang Dong'er from laughing herself under her chair. Gu Yue stood in the back row, the corners of her mouth twitching as she showed a rare hint of a smile.

Bei Bei held a hand to his forehead in the stands, while Tang Ya laughed so hard beside him that she stamped her feet.

Jiang Wu took a deep breath and crouched down to look Xu Sanshi in the eye. His tone was utterly sincere. "Senior, your mom's perfectly fine at home. Don't go mistaking people for her."

Xu Sanshi was so mortified he wished he could find a crack in the ground and crawl into it. But he had recovered by now, and most of the pain in his stomach had faded. He stiffened his neck and insisted, "Who... who mistook anyone? I was just... just knocked silly by your punch. I wasn't thinking straight!"

"Are you thinking straight now?"

"Yes!"

"Still want to fight?"

Xu Sanshi was silent for a moment before saying, "No, no more. I admit defeat."

It was just too embarrassing. He really couldn't go on fighting.

Xu Sanshi climbed to his feet, pulled the little porcelain bottle from his Storage Soul Tool, and slapped it into Jiang Wu's hand.

"The Mystic Water Pill is yours." After saying that, Xu Sanshi added, "But calling you Mom just now was an accident. It doesn't count."

Jiang Wu took the porcelain bottle and looked at his face, which was still a little red. He nodded seriously. "I know. You didn't mean to say it."

Xu Sanshi breathed a sigh of relief. "Right, I didn't mean to."

"You just said it."

Xu Sanshi's face turned red again. "...Do you have to bring it up?"

Jiang Wu patted him on the shoulder, his tone sincere. "Senior, next time you fight, leave your brain at home first. If you bring it along, you might lose it."

Xu Sanshi choked. After a long while, he managed to say, "Kid, your mouth is tougher than my shield."

Jiang Wu paid him no further attention. He put the porcelain bottle away and turned to leave the arena. Wang Dong'er was already waiting by the side. When she saw him coming, she held back a laugh and gave him a thumbs-up. "Mom, that punch was so cool."

"Shut up."

"Okay, Mom."

Jiang Wu raised a hand and rapped her on the head.

Huo Yutong followed behind, her face still flushed from laughing. She said softly, "Jiang Wu, thank you."

Jiang Wu pressed the Mystic Water Pill into her hand. "Take it. Sell it for capital, or take it yourself to cleanse your meridians and transform your marrow. You decide."

Huo Yutong looked down at the little porcelain bottle in her hand and opened her mouth. Her eyes grew a little hot, but in the end she said nothing. She gripped the bottle tightly and put it in her Storage Soul Tool.

Bei Bei and Tang Ya came down from the stands. Bei Bei patted Jiang Wu on the shoulder. "Nicely done. Sanshi talks tough, but he's softhearted. He can take a loss. I'll treat him to a meal later, and he'll be fine."

Tang Ya laughed beside him. "Don't forget to make him take back that 'Mom.'"