A Legally Protected Bet

A Legally Protected Bet

"It wasn't opened by me." Wan Xiao waved his hands repeatedly.

The Martial Arts Room had excellent soundproofing, but with the door wide open and Li Yuan's sharp hearing, he naturally heard the voices outside.

He could not help turning to look.

He saw a short-haired boy in a black martial arts uniform, well-proportioned in build, take several quick steps and arrive at the entrance of the 4011 Martial Arts Room.

The boy was half a head shorter than Wan Xiao, about the same height as Li Yuan, with rather delicate features.

"Wan Xiao, how could you climb through the window... Huh! How did this Martial Arts Room suddenly get an owner?" The boy had just begun to speak when he noticed the green indicator on the door.

The entrances to these Martial Arts Rooms all had three indicators, showing different states—owner present, vacant, and intruded upon.

A green indicator meant it had been opened normally by its owner.

"Wasn't 4011 empty... Who are you? How do you have permission for 4011?" Only then did the boy notice Li Yuan inside the Martial Arts Room, his face full of confusion.

The boy was not stupid.

He had initially thought Wan Xiao had opened the Martial Arts Room by climbing through the window.

But from Wan Xiao's words and the green indicator at the door, he instantly concluded—Li Yuan was the owner of the Martial Arts Room.

"Wan Xiao, aren't you going to introduce us?" Li Yuan smiled.

He could tell the boy meant no harm. He was merely blunt and had little scheming in him.

"Gu Qianghan from Grade 12 Class 1." Wan Xiao introduced the boy with a smile. "His nickname is 'Not Qianghan.'"

Class 1 of every grade was an Elite Class.

"Wan Xiao, I'll say this one more time. Call me Gu Qiang. If you call me by my full name again, I'll really get mad." The boy looked displeased.

Wan Xiao merely smiled and ignored him, then pointed at Li Yuan. "Gu Qiang, after Teacher Xu's class a few days ago, weren't you constantly talking about Li Yuan? There, he's Li Yuan."

The boy's previously unhappy eyes lit up at once as he stared at Li Yuan. "You're the Li Yuan Teacher Xu Bo mentioned, the one with terrifyingly good spear skills?"

"Uh, good spear skills?" Li Yuan smiled. "My spear skills aren't that good, but if Teacher Xu Bo meant Li Yuan from Class 2, Grade 3, then that should be me."

Li Yuan already knew who the boy was.

When he had checked the Year 11 final rankings, he had naturally paid attention to the top ten students from the previous year.

Gu Qianghan had ranked third in Martial Arts Score in the Year 11 final examinations.

Still, his appearance was somewhat beyond Li Yuan's expectations. He had a delicate look that did not quite match his name.

"If Teacher Xu said you're good, then you must be." Gu Qianghan's eyes shone. "I checked. In last semester's final exams, your Martial Arts Technique score was first in the entire grade."

"Mm." Li Yuan looked at the boy with interest.

"I want to challenge you." Gu Qianghan stared at Li Yuan, excitement written all over his face as he itched to give it a try.

"Li Yuan, don't underestimate him."

"This kid is sly as hell. When I first got to the Elite Class, I got fooled by his appearance too." Wan Xiao hurriedly spoke up from the side.

"What do you mean, fooled by me? It's not like I ambushed you. I openly and honestly asked you for a spar." Gu Qianghan looked at him with disdain. "You look like a bear, yet you couldn't even take ten of my punches. And you've got the nerve to say that?"

Wan Xiao choked.

He had no words to refute him.

When he had first entered the Elite Class, Gu Qianghan had challenged him. Seeing how refined and harmless the other boy looked, Wan Xiao had assumed he would be easy to handle. The result... he had lost miserably.

"Ten punches?" Li Yuan nodded slightly, unsurprised.

Judging purely by the Year 11 final scores, Gu Qianghan's raw score had even been a little higher than his own. It was perfectly normal for him to defeat Wan Xiao.

"So?" Gu Qianghan stared at Li Yuan. "Let's fight in full armor. I want to test your spear skills."

Battle intent blazed in Gu Qianghan's gleaming eyes.

Li Yuan smiled.

From their earlier conversation, Li Yuan had already guessed why the other boy wanted to challenge him.

Teacher Xu had probably used his spear skills as an example in the Elite Class and said some rather unpleasant things.

For example: "You call yourselves an Elite Class? In my opinion, not one of you can compare to Li Yuan from Class 2, Grade 3."

"Li Yuan hasn't even awakened Martial Arts Spirituality, yet his spear skills could still knock every last one of you flat."

Using students from other classes as examples to suppress the students they taught was a tactic many teachers commonly used.

At the same time, it had invisibly drawn a huge pile of resentment toward Li Yuan from the Elite Class.

"Li Yuan, if you're a martial artist, accept my challenge." Gu Qianghan looked at Li Yuan.

Li Yuan gave Wan Xiao a rather strange look. It had been a long time since he had heard such a cringeworthy line.

Wan Xiao spread his hands, indicating, "He's always been this cringeworthy."

"I refuse." Li Yuan shook his head.

Gu Qianghan widened his eyes. "Li Yuan, do you have any martial artist spirit?"

"I'm not even a martial artist, so naturally I don't have any martial artist spirit yet." Li Yuan rolled his eyes at Gu Qianghan.

"Enough. This is my Martial Arts Room. I need to train."

In truth, Li Yuan was unwilling to accept the challenge not because he feared Gu Qianghan.

It was because there was no point, and there was risk involved.

When sparring with Teacher Xu Bo, the teacher's strength far surpassed the students', allowing him to control the entire match and ensure no one got hurt.

But when two students of similar strength sparred with cold weapons, it was impossible for them to fully control themselves.

Even in full armor and using unsharpened cold weapons, serious injury or even death could easily occur.

Such incidents were not uncommon.

Li Yuan had no desire to take risks for something that brought him no benefit.

"You..." Gu Qianghan still wanted to speak.

"Gu Qianghan, who gave you the nerve to seek someone out for a private fight?" A low shout suddenly came from outside the door.

Gu Qianghan's expression stiffened. Rather than getting angry at hearing his full name, a trace of fear flashed through his eyes.

"Sis—" Gu Qianghan abruptly turned around, placed a hand on Li Yuan's shoulder, and broke into a wide smile. "Li Yuan and I were just joking around, right? Isn't that so, Li Yuan?"

Li Yuan froze for a moment, caught completely off guard.

Wan Xiao shrugged, clearly used to this.

Gu Qianghan vigorously shook Li Yuan's shoulder, frantically signaling him with his eyes.

But Li Yuan stood rooted to the spot like an unshakable boulder, his gaze already fixed on the figure at the doorway.

She was a girl of about seventeen or eighteen, wearing a crimson, form-fitting training uniform. Her exquisite face carried no lack of strength; she had bright eyes and pearly teeth, while a sharp yet resolute aura shone between her brows.

Her black, waterfall-like hair was coiled high behind her head, making her look especially capable.

However, what drew the most attention was the fiery red longsword hanging at her waist.

"Hello, Li Yuan. I'm Lin Lanyue from Grade 12 Class 1." The girl looked at Li Yuan as well and took the initiative to say, "I apologize on behalf of my younger cousin. He's always the type to get wild when there's an audience. I hope you won't take it to heart."

"I'm fine." Li Yuan smiled and waved his hand.

The girl nodded. Her gaze turned sharp again as it fell back on Gu Qianghan, making his scalp tingle.

"Sis!" Gu Qianghan instinctively removed his hand from Li Yuan's shoulder.

"If I find out you're looking for private fights again, even calling me Mom won't save you." The girl spoke coldly.

Gu Qianghan awkwardly scratched his head and did not dare say anything.

Ever since childhood, Gu Qianghan had held an instinctive fear toward this cousin who was only half a year older than him.

"It's all a minor matter."

"There's no need to blame him. None of us got hurt." Li Yuan smiled.

Li Yuan recognized the person before him at a glance.

She had spoken at school assemblies more than once.

Since entering the school, her name had remained hanging on the honor roll.

The top-ranked martial arts student in Grade 12, and the martial arts genius widely acknowledged to have the greatest chance of entering Starry Sky University—Lin Lanyue.

"It's good that you don't mind."

The girl nodded, but her eyes remained fixed on Li Yuan. "Li Yuan, my cousin was wrong to seek you out for a private fight, but Teacher Xu said your Martial Arts Technique is stronger than everyone in our class. It's not just my cousin who refuses to accept that."

"Actually, I don't accept it either."

Li Yuan was taken aback.

Wan Xiao was taken aback as well.

Gu Qianghan's eyes lit up, his face full of excitement. He knew his cousin's personality all too well.

She looked gentle on the surface, but her bones were hard as iron.

"I also want to ask you for some guidance and see just how formidable the spear skills are of the person Teacher Xu called nearly at Unity. But not in an actual fight." The girl stared at Li Yuan. "How about a match on the Starry Sky Fighting Net?"

The Starry Sky Fighting Net was virtual combat. No one would get hurt.

"What do I get out of it?" Li Yuan shrugged with a smile. "I never do anything that brings me no benefit."

"A benefit?" Lin Lanyue frowned.

"How about this? Let's make a bet." Li Yuan smiled. "If you win, I'll publicly acknowledge that you're the number one in Martial Arts Technique in the entire grade."

"If I win, you pay me two thousand Blue Star Coins. How about it?" Li Yuan smiled.

"What kind of bet is that?" Gu Qianghan glared. "You can't lose. What a beautiful dream."

"Up to you."

Li Yuan smiled. "If you don't agree, please leave. Don't delay my training."

"Fine, I agree." Lin Lanyue looked at Li Yuan.

"Sis!" Gu Qianghan stared at her in shock.

"Shut up." Lin Lanyue frowned.

"Then Sunday at two in the afternoon. How does that sound?" Li Yuan smiled. "Let's add each other on V first. Then I'll send you my account name."

"Fine."

Very quickly, the two became friends on the Virtual Network.

"Gu Qiang, let's go." Lin Lanyue turned and left, while Gu Qianghan followed after her helplessly.

Only Li Yuan and Wan Xiao remained.

"Li Yuan, you got the short end of the stick." Wan Xiao could not help saying. "You don't know this, but Lin Lanyue's family is rich. If you'd just bet five thousand, or even ten thousand Blue Star Coins, I think she would have agreed."

Li Yuan shook his head. "Idiot."

"Xia Country law stipulates that bets on the Starry Sky Fighting Net cannot exceed two thousand Blue Star Coins for minors."

"Anything over two thousand Blue Star Coins is not protected by law."

(End of Chapter)