Competition

"Young Master Ronan, aren't you feeling unwell?"

"A little, but since Wei Wei put it that way, it wouldn't be right for me not to go."

"..."

"What's wrong?"

"Miss is actually a very good person."

"I know."

"No... Even when she was unconscious, she kept worrying about you. Actually, she just didn't know what to do. To outsiders, she's an utterly unruly little devil, but only we know that she treats the servants well and has a kind, gentle nature. How could she possibly be some little devil? Everything she deliberately stirred up before was merely to intimidate those who intended to test Yi Lin Manor..."

"...You really know a lot." Ronan was amazed by a maid's insight.

The maid sighed. "I've just seen a lot after being by Miss's side for so long."

At this point, she hesitated instead. "Actually... if you've really never practiced martial arts, going to the martial arts hall now isn't a very good choice. It'll only make it easy for people to seize on your weakness and mock you."

As they spoke, they had already walked quite a distance. The maid felt somewhat conflicted. After walking with him all this way, Young Master Ronan seemed to have no faults she could pick at. If he truly didn't know martial arts, going to the martial arts hall now would likely mean humiliation, perhaps even a bit of suffering.

Yet she saw no fear or unease on Ronan's face. That bearing alone was enough to dispel all her previous messy thoughts.

Not far away, bright light spilled from a tall building.

Ronan smiled lightly. "We're already here, so let's go in and have a look. Thank you. Oh, right, I still don't know your name."

"My name is Na Na." The maid gave a slight bow and finally departed. Ronan nodded, then entered the building alone.

"Wow! Incredible! Young Master Tong's bench press has actually reached 300s already."

"Tch! What's the use of strength alone? Besides, he's already so old. Who knows how much cholesterol he ate and how many hormones he injected to build those pecs? Only people from your own little group can get so worked up over it."

Someone nearby sneered and poured cold water on them.

Both sides immediately argued until their faces turned red.

Ronan slipped inside quietly. Aside from a few people, no one noticed his arrival at all.

The martial arts hall was huge and filled with modern equipment. While some people were scattered around other machines, most had gathered around an area to the east.

He quickly moved closer.

A row of sandbags stood in the center of the area, each with a counter above it. Every time someone performed a Side Kick, numbers flashed across the display. It seemed to be testing the force of their kicks.

"Old Hei, I heard you've been secretly training your leg techniques for a while. You were just hoping to surpass me at a time like this, weren't you?"

A tall man grinned at the dark-skinned fellow not far away.

The crowd immediately began to jeer.

Wei Wei and Christine were naturally among them.

These two were both renowned martial arts experts in aristocratic circles, and both specialized in leg techniques. One was fair-skinned and the other dark-skinned, earning them the title Black and White Duo. Though they appeared to be bitter rivals on the surface, they were actually good friends in private. On top of that, both were quite handsome, making them the perfect pairing in the eyes of many aristocratic fangirls.

"You people only know flashy moves. Big Brother Xiang said that only Military Combat Skill is real martial arts. What does it matter how strong your bench press is or how powerful your Side Kick is? What can you do in actual combat? Even if the two of you came at him together, you wouldn't be Big Brother Xiang's match, much less Brother Nanbei's!"

At that moment, that guy with his built-in taunting effect appeared again.

Everyone looked helplessly at the smug little fellow beside Su Xiao.

The young master of the Su Family paid no attention to the hostility he had stirred up. Instead, he was delighted that everyone's eyes were on him. He seemed to enjoy being watched.

Su Xiao looked utterly helpless and simply took a step back, making it clear that she was drawing a line between herself and her unruly younger brother.

Su Jie swaggered forward and took a deep breath under everyone's gaze.

The next second, he executed an extremely standard Side Kick!

Bang!

A dull thud rang out from the sandbag, and the counter above it began jumping wildly!

Beep! Beep! Beep!

The number climbed rapidly. Under everyone's stunned gazes, it finally reached 506!

"Damn! Isn't that a little too ridiculous? He broke 500 with one kick?"

"Could this kid be the next Li Nanbei? He's only fourteen!"

"Though he definitely still can't compare to the two handsome guys from Black and White Duo, he's already surpassed most people, right? And leg techniques aren't even his main focus... The Su Family really produced both a good daughter and a good son!"

The crowd discussed it animatedly, full of amazement.

Su Jie's performance was indeed enough to make people see him in a new light.

Even Su Xiao was slightly stunned.

Su Jie looked smugly at the crowd. "Last time, I went to Blackwater Fortress. Brother Nanbei happened to be video-calling Uncle Li, and he taught me a few little tricks for generating force. I practiced a bit, and this was the result."

"So I told you, no matter who you are, none of you can surpass Brother Nanbei!"

With Su Jie saying that, everyone could only shake their heads helplessly.

Li Nanbei was such a monster that merely giving his little brother a few pointers could produce such outstanding results. He truly deserved his reputation as a genius.

The fair-skinned man gave a bitter smile. "Of course we can't compare to Li Nanbei."

"But just because we can't catch up to others doesn't mean we should give up trying, right?"

Everyone nodded in agreement. This man held quite a bit of prestige among the young aristocrats of Bo Ning District.

At his words, Su Jie merely curled his lip and quietly returned to Su Xiao's side.

"Alright, it's our turn. Who's going first?" the fair-skinned man asked with a smile.

"I will." The darker-skinned man seemed rather quiet and simply stepped forward without a word.

Everyone watched the scene tensely. Some troublemakers had even opened betting pools, wagering on which of the two would win.

After listening for a moment, Ronan understood what was going on. These two seemed to compete frequently, with victories and defeats on both sides. It was practically a tradition among the Bo Ning District aristocrats. They clashed several times every year.

Even several girls quietly placed bets, their faces full of anticipation.

And during this process, someone noticed Ronan.

His appearance did cause a small wave of startled cries, but most people remained focused on the two competitors.

After all, this was Yi Lin Manor. Ronan could come and go as he pleased, and they had no say in the matter.

Only Wei Wei and Su Xiao each had their own concerns. Wei Wei's feelings were complicated, and she didn't know why Ronan had returned after leaving. Su Xiao, meanwhile, worried that this guy who loved to show off would force himself into the spotlight again. She was even more worried that her younger brother would once again say something offensive.

Unfortunately, she couldn't stop that lawless younger brother of hers.

The instant Ronan appeared, Su Jie's eyes locked onto him, filled with hostility!

But Ronan did not even spare him a glance.

He merely watched the center of the area calmly.

"It's starting," someone reminded them.

The dark-skinned man strode forward and steadied himself. The next second, he let out an angry roar!

A lightning-fast kick shot out, leaving even a faint afterimage behind!

Bang!

A dull boom rang out! A brief dent even appeared in the sandbag!

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

The counter kept jumping, soaring past 800 in the blink of an eye!

The crowd instantly erupted!

Because the number finally stopped at 809!

That was already an utterly terrifying number! Don't be fooled by the fact that 809 was only 300 higher than 500—the gap between them required untold sweat and hardship to bridge.

"It's over! Little White is going to lose this time."

One girl wailed, "Old Hei has this in the bag! Last time, he only got a little over 600."

Wang Xiaoman also shook her head and sighed. "Mr. Jason should have lost, right? Mr. Bitter Tea really seems to have put in a lot of work behind the scenes."

Christine's eyes shifted. "Not necessarily. Wei Wei, what do you think?"

"Huh?" Wei Wei, who had been distracted, suddenly panicked when her best friend asked her a question.

Christine chuckled softly and said nothing. Wang Xiaoman looked completely confused.

In the center, the fair-skinned man, Jason, smiled bitterly. "809... Looks like I'm going to lose."

"But I still have to give it a try. Maybe the counter's broken."

He laughed at himself and warmed up, immediately drawing applause from the crowd.

"This Jason really knows how to handle himself."

Christine commented with a smile, and Wei Wei responded with an "Mm." But her mind was not here at all!

The moment she saw Ronan, her heart had already become a mess.

She wanted to know why Ronan had come here.

Unfortunately, too many people stood between them, and she couldn't ask him.

And at that moment, the fair-skinned Jason completed his final preparatory movements.

Everyone's eyes focused on him.

The new book is currently seventh on the rankings, just one step away from sixth! Everyone, help me out! Recommendation votes! A major climax is coming soon!