Taking Kickbacks (Please Follow)

Half an hour later

Guo Heng's eyes lit up as he said energetically, "This should be enough."

"Brother, be careful!"

With that, his aura surged forth, his blood and vitality roiling as he erupted with full force.

"Roar~"

Guo Heng shouted, using his qi to drive his strength, boosting his power by a huge margin.

Power coursed through his fingertips like a tiger swiping its claws!

Guo Heng threw a punch, pouncing like an Evil Tiger. His momentum was fierce, stirring up a Fierce Wind.

His fingers were thick, his nails rounded and hooked into claws, like Tiger Claws Tearing through everything.

Angry Tiger Pierces Forest!

"Bang!"

Sensing danger, Lin Qi also unleashed his greatest power and struck out fiercely.

"Roar~"

Lin Qi let out a roar like a tiger's howl. His feet gripped the floor, his spine curved like a bow, and strength surged through both arms.

"Bang!"

With a tremendous crash, their Tiger Claws collided in a contest of strength.

There was a crackling sound. Lin Qi tasted sweetness in his throat, and Guo Heng before him seemed to shrink as his body involuntarily staggered several steps backward.

Intense pain passed through his protective gear and spread throughout his body, especially in his chest, where bursts of cracking sounds rang out.

Lin Qi dropped to one knee, cold sweat pouring down his face. Without the protective gear, his ribs would definitely have been broken.

Guo Heng also retreated several steps.

A satisfied smile appeared on his face. "That was satisfying!"

"You're very good."

"Rest for a bit. Send in another one!"

With that, he immediately turned and left. Reaching his seat, he clutched his chest.

I was careless. This kid's blood and vitality value and Fist Technique are both lower than mine, yet he actually held out against me for half an hour.

Where the hell did this genius come from?

Lin Qi slowly got to his feet and silently walked to the side.

His arms trembling, he removed his protective gear and spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva. Sweat dripped from his hair.

"Qi Ge, have some water!"

Jiang Tao came over and handed him a bottle of red sports drink.

Lin Qi took it, unscrewed the cap, raised his head, and drank. His Adam's apple bobbed rapidly.

"Tao Zi, that guy really didn't Hold Back at all. Without the protective gear, I feel like he would've beaten me to death."

Lin Qi set down the drink and pressed a hand to his chest as he warned him.

"You need to be careful too!"

"By the way, where did you get this sports drink?"

"They gave it to us. It was free."

"Alright, my turn."

After their brief chat, Jiang Tao patted Lin Qi's shoulder, put on a set of protective gear, and went forward.

As for Lin Qi, he dropped onto the black bench.

"Phew~"

Sweat dripped from his forehead as he kept breathing heavily. At the same time, a light screen that only he could see appeared before his eyes.

[You watched Guo Heng perform Tiger Form Fist and gained a new understanding of Tiger Form Fist. Fist Technique +0.5%]

[You gained a new insight into Fist Technique... Fist Technique +0.5%]

[Fist Technique: First Realm 85.6% → 86.6%]

Lin Qi clenched his fists. His body was exhausted, but his heart was delighted.

Fighting Guo Heng actually raised my Fist Technique realm by 1%. I thought it would take another day or two.

Sure enough, sparring with others is more effective for improving Fist Technique.

Lin Qi usually sparred with Jiang Tao as well, but neither of them dared to use too much force for fear of getting injured.

They were in their final year of high school. If they got injured and it affected their martial arts training, it would be far too great a loss. But things were different now.

So they usually held back when they fought, but today was different. Since they could make money, Lin Qi had rarely been able to unleash his full strength like this.

Guo Heng is only a little stronger than me. Give me a bit more time, and I'll surpass him.

Lin Qi suddenly thought.

"Bang!!"

"Aah!!"

The battle in the center of the Martial Arts Room drew Lin Qi's attention again.

In the arena, Guo Heng struck out with Tiger Claws. His punches were fierce, making the air crack with sharp sounds.

This was power penetrating the body through Fist Technique—he had grasped its essence. As the saying went, a single crack was worth a thousand gold.

It meant that one's Fist Technique had been trained to the proper level. The way force was exerted had formed muscle memory. Whenever he struck, power began from the spine and erupted through all the muscles in his body.

Yet under his fierce assault, Jiang Tao defended with surprising ease. He practiced Ape Form Fist from the Five Form Fist, which emphasized extending one's reach to strike from afar.

His two arms were tough yet flexible, able to redirect force with every move. He and Guo Heng exchanged blows evenly.

"Bang bang bang!!"

Before long, as punch after punch came at him, Jiang Tao felt as if he were being besieged by a ferocious tiger, about to be Devoured.

A few dozen seconds later

"Aah!"

Jiang Tao's body flew backward, skidding across the floor for some distance before coming to a stop.

Guo Heng also stumbled back several steps, panting heavily and drenched in sweat. Only after a moment did he speak.

"Very good. Your strength is excellent. You'd rank among the best even in our school."

"You've helped me improve tremendously. If I keep this up for a few more days, my Tiger Form Fist will make huge progress."

"Then I can focus on cultivating my saber technique."

"Sister Lian, just these two."

Guo Heng pointed at Lin Qi and Jiang Tao, having made his decision. He was extremely satisfied. Today had been strange indeed—two geniuses had appeared in a row, and neither was simple.

Sister Lian, standing nearby, nodded. "Understood, Young Master."

Jiang Tao removed his helmet, spat out a mouthful of blood, and thanked him with a smile.

"Thank you, Young Master Guo!"

He exchanged a glance with Lin Qi.

Lin Qi was delighted. If this kind of part-time job could continue long-term, the money they earned would be quite considerable.

"However, Young Master Guo, you can see that my friend and I lasted longer than the others."

"I held on for nearly half an hour, and my injuries aren't light either. I'll need to rest and recuperate properly. So..."

Jiang Tao suddenly smiled and made a gesture with his hand.

The woman in blue frowned and rebuked him.

"We agreed on 1,000 Xia Guo Bi an hour. That's already the highest market rate."

"Don't be too greedy!"

Jiang Tao did not get angry and continued smiling.

"You can't put it that way. High-quality sparring partners like us aren't easy to find."

"Besides, our injuries aren't light, and we'll need to buy a large amount of medicine for treatment."

"1,000 Xia Guo Bi really is a little too little..."

"So we need more money!"

"We need more money!"

Lin Qi stood up and chimed in.

"Impossible!"

The woman in blue's expression changed drastically as she immediately refused.

"Wait a moment, Sister Lian. Didn't my father set the price at 2,000 Xia Guo Bi an hour?"

Guo Heng spoke up in confusion. His gaze was as sharp as an eagle's, instantly locking onto Sister Lian.

"2,000 Xia Guo Bi an hour?"

Lin Qi and Jiang Tao exchanged puzzled glances, then looked once more at Sister Lian, the woman in blue.

Good heavens, was she taking kickbacks?

She had taken half of it outright. That was truly excessive.

At present, they had only seen four people.

At 1,000 Xia Guo Bi per person, she could pocket 4,000 Xia Guo Bi in a single day.

That kind of money was truly enough to make anyone jealous.

Jiang Tao and Lin Qi were no exception.

Feeling Guo Heng's sharp gaze, Sister Lian immediately broke out in a cold sweat.

"Th-this..."

A few minutes later

Guo Heng looked at Lin Qi and Jiang Tao and said, "This woman has already been fired. Someone else will contact you afterward, and the sparring rate will also be 2,000 Xia Guo Bi an hour."

Lin Qi and Jiang Tao exchanged a glance, both wearing satisfied smiles.

"Thank you, Young Master Guo!"

"Alright, I'll be leaving first. My reserved time is almost up."

Guo Heng nodded, picked up his backpack, and prepared to leave.

"Young Master Guo, do you still want these Energy Drinks?"

Jiang Tao's cheerful voice suddenly came from behind him.

"They're all yours."

Guo Heng waved a hand indifferently.

"Great!"