About Sparring During Lunch / Sparring (A One-Sided Beating), Two-in-One

"That's very much in that guy's style. What gift did you give Griseo last time?" Chen couldn't help but complain before asking.

"It's a pen and ink set that my sister Muelsyse helped me choose." Faced with Chen's question, Griseo didn't hide anything and answered after thinking for a moment.

"Although Talulah didn't tell me her preferences... my sister Alina told me privately that for gifts, I could buy something practical..."

"Something practical... I understand." After hearing Griseo's words, Chen nodded gently, remembering who Alina was.

Since her older sister's current friends have all said so, she's decided to follow that line of thinking when buying a gift, and ask her to think of something practical yet tasteful that would make a suitable present...

Of course, while he was thinking about it, he still needed to make travel plans, so Chen looked at the person next to him and asked again, "Oh right, I almost forgot, what does Griseo plan to buy for Talulah this time?"

"Hmm... I'm planning to have some clothes custom-made for Talulah and Alina this time. After all, a leader should dress with a certain presence?" Griseo said softly, stroking her chin, when suddenly asked this question.

"Leaders... Come to think of it, I've always been curious about what kind of organization the Reunion Movement is." Upon hearing this, Chen first sighed softly, then asked the question that had been on his mind.

Chen Zhen didn't know much about the Reunion Movement; her only source of information came from her older sister's letters. The letters contained a considerable amount of text, showing her her sister's ideals and how the organization was built, but that was about it.

"Well... it's probably the Swarm people who have suffered hardships banded together, and then they were moved by Sister Talulah and attracted by her personal charm, so they came together?" Faced with Chen's increasingly difficult-to-explain questions, Griseo answered somewhat uncertainly in her childish voice.

"Attracted by Talulah?"

"Well, Sister Hui-chieh hasn't seen it before, so she doesn't know..."

Seeing the questioning look on the person next to her, Griseo gave her a cute, slight smile and said:

"Talulah is a warm, protective, and idealistic leader. The reason why so many people in the Reunion Movement have come together is entirely because they endorse her."

"Did you know? When she's saving others, when she's giving a speech in front of a crowd... Talulah radiates a warm, golden glow!"

"Is that so? It seems you have a high opinion of Talulah Griseo." Hearing Griseo's description, Chen couldn't help but show a hint of longing in his eyes, which he quickly concealed, murmuring, "What a pity..."

"Hmm... I saw it. There's nothing to regret. Hui-chieh and Talulah will meet again someday. Not only you, she's looking forward to it too..." Griseo noticed Chen's expression and gently comforted him.

"Speaking of which, Talulah has been wanting to introduce you to your older sister Alina, so you can look forward to it!"

"... Yes, I will. Just like you said, Griseo, there will be a day when we meet again. I look forward to seeing the radiant Talulah you spoke of."

"Alright, alright, let's put this topic aside for now. Is there anywhere Griseo would like to go?"

"Ugh, let me think..."

P. S.: Goodness, now comes the ultimate challenge! How am I supposed to finish writing and posting this in one hour? Ugh! I'll correct any typos after 6 PM, I'm so sorry!

Chapter 134: The Sparring at Lunchtime

"Hey, you old fogey, you really don't need to stick to me like that!" Senti complained as she walked down the street, looking at Hua who was always by her side.

"Sigh... Senti, you know there's no room for discussion on this. I'll be watching you today, and even if you still want to do it, you'll have to take me with you." Hearing the words of the person beside him, Hua couldn't help but sigh helplessly, and then said in a rare, somewhat forceful tone.

"It's just a friendly spar, I'm not really going to kill that guy, is it really necessary to make such a fuss?!" Upon hearing this, Senti puffed out his cheeks and said, slightly agitated.

"While it's true, as you said, Chen may not suffer any physical harm, but I'm worried she might experience psychological trauma..." As she finished speaking, Hua raised an eyebrow and stared intently at the person beside her.

"Uh... cough, it's not as old as you make it out to be!" Under Hua's gaze, a hint of guilt flashed in Senti's eyes. He then coughed lightly and tried to explain.

Seeing Senti's expression, Hua's eyes flashed with helplessness, and then he explained in a calm tone.

"I'm not afraid that Senti, are deliberately acting with the intention of harming disabled people. The reason I care so much about this is simply because the people here are too mentally fragile..."

"Fine, fine, old fogey, you can come along if you want, but don't get in my way! I'm going to teach that guy a lesson!" Upon hearing this, Senti, arms crossed, remained silent for a moment before finally backing down and compromising.

Actually, she didn't want to compromise so quickly, but since the old man had already put it this way, and she couldn't simply get rid of him, she figured it was better to avoid trouble...

"..."

Looking at the childlike Senti in front of him, Hua didn't press him any further, but just shook his head with a mixture of affection and helplessness.

"Huh?! You old fogey, what kind of look is that? You're treating me like a child again!"

"So, Senti, when do you plan to go find Griseo and the others?" Ignoring Senti's protest, Hua skillfully changed the subject.

Clearly, her method was quite effective. Senti's attention was immediately diverted by her sudden question. After thinking for a moment, she replied, "Ah... well, if nothing unexpected happens, it should be around noon. After all, we can't disturb Griseo's shopping."

"Okay, then I'll go with you at noon. Now, Senti, do you want to go to the arcade? Didn't you say last time that the match wasn't decided?" Hearing this, Hua nodded slightly, then continued to ask in a calm tone.

"Of course I'll go! You're doomed to lose this time, old antique, I'll be the winner!" Asked by Hua, Senti instantly perked up, completely forgetting the earlier incident, and replied.

"Let's go then. Should we go to the same place as last time, or find a new one?"

"Let's go with the same place as last time!"

"Good."

While Senti and Hua were heading to the arcade together, Griseo and Chen had also finalized their travel plans and were getting ready to go.

Time flies when you're focused on something.

Mr. Chen felt that he hadn't been out for long with Griseo when it was already noon. Although it was only April or May, the earth seemed to have become slightly hot.

"Griseo, are you tired? If you are, let's go buy some drinks and then see what we should have for lunch." Chen gently shook Gresh's hand and asked, looking at Griseo, who was wearing a wide-brimmed sun hat, beside him.

"Hmm... I'm fine, Sister Hui-chieh, you can decide." Upon hearing this, Griseo withdrew her gaze from the surrounding streets and slightly lifted the brim of her hat to look at Chen Dao.

To be honest, the little girl realized that the sun hat she was wearing was great in every way—it provided good sun protection and matched her dress perfectly—but it was a bit of a hindrance to her vision... especially when she wanted to look at people taller than her.

"Heh~"

Seeing Griseo's adorable expression as she lifted her hat and looked at him, Chen couldn't help but chuckle and said, "Then let's go buy some drinks, and then see what to have for lunch... It's getting hot lately, so let's not go out too much at noon."

"Hmm..." Griseo nodded without objection.

More than the trivial matter of what to eat for lunch, the little girl was concerned about Senti's earlier notification that he was coming. Although she knew that with Hua and herself accompanying her, Chen would be fine, she still couldn't help but worry.

Just as Hua had worried, their concern was never that Senti would resort to poison, but rather that Chen was too weak...

Okay, I'll remind you later, and then just be more careful afterwards.

Actually, Griseo and Hua weren't without ways to force an end to this "sparring," but if they did, Xiao Shi would definitely throw Senti, which would cause a lot of trouble...

Furthermore, this "sparring" wasn't entirely without benefit for Chen; in fact, it was quite beneficial, depending on how much she could learn from it.

It was precisely because of these two combined reasons that Hua and Griseo tacitly accepted the existence of this "sparring match".

"Since you have no objections, Griseo, let's eat here. I remember the food is pretty good." Chen looked at the restaurant in front of him, holding his drink, then turned to Griseo.

"Hmm, let's go with this one then..." Griseo nodded slightly upon hearing this. She really wasn't picky when it came to food; she could accept anything, from all kinds of delicious food to roasted potatoes.

"Let's go in then."

"Um."

After the two found a corner to sit down and ordered their food, Griseo seemed to remember something and tugged at Chen's sleeve, saying, "Sister Senti should be coming soon, Sister Hui-chieh, please keep an eye on things."

"But don't worry, I'm here... I'll protect you, sister." As she spoke, Griseo summoned her paintbrush and waved it with a serious expression.

"She's coming over...?"

Chen hadn't realized anything was wrong after hearing only the first half of the conversation, but after Griseo's earnest assurance, he belatedly realized what was happening, his lips twitching as he said, "Wait, you're protecting me? That guy's not going to fight me in the restaurant, is he?!"

The thought of this possibility left Chen speechless. What the hell? If you really took her to a proper place for a sparring match, she could accept it; it would just mean getting beaten up.

But to challenge someone to a duel while they're eating, seriously?

P. S.: It's only a few minutes until 6 o'clock. I've won the gamble! I'll start checking and making changes now. Please wait a moment.

Chapter 135 Sparring (A Slap in the Face) 2-in-1

"Wait, you're going to protect me? That guy's not going to fight me in the restaurant, is he?!"

"Hmm... it shouldn't be that exaggerated. Even if she wanted to do something reckless, Sister Hua would definitely not allow it." Hearing this, Griseo gently shook her head, rejecting Chen's guess.

"That's good... Sparring is fine, but if it really affects or even harms ordinary people, then even with Griseo here, I will still lock her up!" Hearing Griseo's words, Chen breathed a sigh of relief and finally said seriously.

"Uh-huh."

Griseo nodded in agreement with Chen's words. Even if the Lungmen Guard Department could capture Senti, what would that have to do with this poor, weak, and adorable little girl?

The kind of trouble that comes with getting someone out of the police station is probably that of dear Sister Hua!

"The food is served, let's eat first."

"Good."

Throughout lunch, thanks to Griseo's earlier reminder, Chen kept a close eye on his surroundings to prevent the Herrscher of Reason from resorting to sneak attacks.

Finally, after finishing his lunch at a leisurely pace without anything happening, Chen Cai finally breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed.

However, just as she put down her chopsticks and looked at Griseo to ask about the afternoon's outing, the scene before her eyes rapidly distorted and changed, and by the time she came to her senses, she was already in a completely unfamiliar place.

A crimson mist enveloped every area, and the bewitching crimson sky replaced the blue sky and white clouds outside the restaurant. The clear blue sky was instantly filled with crimson clouds. Countless huge stone swords, like mountain peaks, stretched out in front of Chen, and each sword seemed to have been meticulously carved by a master craftsman, connected together by long and thick iron chains.

"So it's finally here..." Chen frowned as he looked at the unfamiliar and eerie place before him, raising his guard to its maximum and muttering to himself.

To be honest, she was really caught off guard by this move. But since she had gained the upper hand verbally before, and her opponent clearly had no intention of letting her off the hook, her only option now was to fight back.

Just as Chen was quickly thinking and being wary of his surroundings, the thick crimson mist quietly dissipated.

Then, Chen noticed the culprit of this trip at a glance. He saw that the Herrscher of Reason was leaning on a throne not far away, looking at him with a mocking gaze, like a beast sizing up its prey and preparing to pounce.

"You've come here and seen me, yet you still haven't drawn your sword. What are you waiting for? Are you planning to admit defeat right now?" As she spoke, Senti's aura, which she had never shown to Chen before, suddenly erupted, pressing down on her like a storm.

"Of course, although I don't like hitting a punching bag that can't fight back, I wouldn't mind if that punching bag were you, hahaha!"

"Buzz!!"

The moment Senti's overwhelming aura pressed down, the Chixiao, held by Chen, couldn't help but emit a sharp, piercing buzzing sound, reminding its unacknowledged master that the opponent was an extremely terrifying being.

"Hmph, what... aren't you going to make a move yet? Since you're not going to make a move, then I'll go first!" Seeing that Chen was still not making any move, Senti snorted coldly, a hint of excitement flashing in his eyes, and was about to make a move.

However, at that very moment, a crimson sword light suddenly flashed!

Just as Senti finished speaking and before he could act, Chixiao was instantly drawn. The two were only seven meters apart. Chen took a step forward, placed one hand on Chixiao, and murmured to himself.

Chixiao: Draws his sword

The magnificent sword energy arced through the Chixiao, cleaving the jade throne and the excitedly smiling Senti in two...?

However, if the Herrscher of Reason could be so easily defeated, then she wouldn't deserve to be called the Herrscher of Reason...

In an instant, the battle-hardened Chen sensed something was wrong with her touch. What she had cleaved wasn't a person at all, but merely a brown afterimage. Realizing this, she retreated rapidly, her nerves taut as she scanned her surroundings.

She realized that neither the Herrscher of Reason nor Griseo had lied about their strength; not only were their Originium Arts incredibly powerful, but their martial arts were also extremely strong!

"What are you looking at, you idiot?!"

Just as Chen looked around trying to find Senti, her voice suddenly rang out, and a fist appeared from three inches below her with a strong gust of wind.

The punch was powerful and heavy. Although Senti had held back, it was still quite forceful. After all, she had pulled the person into her consciousness space and brought them into her hands. Why not teach them a lesson... no, a good spar? If she didn't give them a proper beating, wouldn't she be at a huge loss?

Upon taking the punch, Chen instantly felt as if she had been hit by a train loaded with heavy loads. She was sent flying backward, not to mention the punches that followed... two punches... three punches! She flew around the arena like a stone skipping across water, kicking up clouds of dust.

"Hey, hey, hey, if you're going to fight me with just your eyes, you'll really just be a punching bag!" Seeing that Chen was completely unable to fight back, Senti temporarily stopped her attack and swung her fist at her, saying:

"Oh dear, I've lowered my standards so much and only used my fists, yet you still have no ability to fight back. Is this all the martial arts taught by the Governor of Lungmen? No way, no way!"

Chen, who had been sent flying and landed heavily, felt pain all over his body and struggled to his feet, looking at the person not far away who was constantly mocking him.

She wasn't stupid; she could see through the other person's intentions. They were provoking her to unleash even greater power.

"This isn't Lungmen, it's not even really the real world. Here, dying a million times wouldn't matter. The sword's been sitting in its sheath the whole time—does it mean you've forgotten how to use it?!"

"Or is it that your kung fu really only involves three legs?"

At this moment, Senti's face was full of mockery and ridicule as he looked at the disheveled Chen. "Oh dear, I didn't want to waste so much time talking, but it's really getting boring to just treat him like a punching bag!"

"Hurry up and fight back, that'll give me the feeling of toying with my prey, hahahahaha!!"

After laughing, Senti looked at Chen with an extremely imposing gaze again, only to see her suddenly clap her hands lightly.

Then, in an instant, Chen felt all the pain in his body disappear without a trace, and he returned to normal.

"Now, focus on feeling! Feel the momentum, feel the killing intent... feel my anger!" Senti shouted, then disappeared from his spot. The distance of less than 10 meters was nothing in the face of his terrifying martial arts skills; it was merely a step away.

"!"

Seeing the person suddenly disappear before his eyes, Chen was startled at first, but then he remembered Senti's words, calmed down, and focused on sensing...