Consecutive Victories, Come At Me Together

After a while, Jin Ming returned, apologizing repeatedly, "My apologies, my apologies, I've kept Brother Lu waiting for a long time."

"It is no matter." Lu Chen smiled.

He was not surprised by what Jin Ming had said upstairs.

Ever since the other man had proactively sought to befriend him, he had guessed that this person had a hidden agenda. Since he had already figured out the game, he felt at ease instead. If someone was willing to spend money to treat him to a meal, why not take advantage of it? It just so happened that practicing martial arts consumed a lot of energy, and he usually couldn't bear to eat well; this meal today could be considered a windfall.

After finishing the table of dishes, Lu Chen took the initiative to ask, "Could you order some more food? I haven't had my fill."

Jin Ming was stunned, then immediately laughed, "Naturally, naturally! Waiter, add two more hearty dishes!"

Lu Chen did not stand on ceremony and ate quite a bit more until his stomach was full and his body felt warm, only then did he set down his chopsticks.

Jin Ming settled the bill, and the two walked out of the restaurant. The afternoon sun was dazzling, and they returned to the martial arts hall by carriage.

In the afternoon, the drawing of lots continued.

Because there were only seventeen people who had advanced, one person drew a bye this time, entering the next round without needing to compete. This luck caused many disciples to look around, wanting to see who had picked up this bargain.

Lu Chen drew number five this time, and his opponent was a young woman whose family ran a medicinal herb shop.

Her martial arts were weaker than Li Wen's, and Lu Chen didn't spend much effort to win this match.

In the third round, nine people drew lots, and one person was left out again.

Lu Chen drew number two, and his opponent was a lean, wiry man. His stance was very steady, and it was clear he had put in hard work, but unfortunately, he had run into Lu Chen.

As soon as the two exchanged blows, the man felt a heavy, deep force pressing down on him; the stability he had painstakingly practiced could not withstand it.

Lu Chen stepped in and threw a punch. His speed did not seem particularly fast, yet it forced the man to block head-on, causing him to stagger back four or five steps until his back hit the courtyard wall.

He caught his breath and cupped his fists, saying, "I have lost."

Lu Chen won once again.

Three consecutive victories.

The way the disciples on the sidelines looked at him had changed.

How long had Lu Chen been at the martial arts hall? To be able to win consecutive battles in his first time participating in the minor trials—this level of strength was something no one could afford to underestimate.

No one was more excited than Jin Ming; he had truly bet on a treasure this time.

He could already envision how majestic and convenient it would be to have such a capable, daring, and obedient subordinate by his side when he took charge of his family's business in the future.

The Master's wife smiled in her eyes and whispered to Master Deng, who was sitting to the side looking listless:

"This child, Lu Chen, has solid bones and a steady temperament. He truly has some talent in the path of martial arts."

Master Deng curled his lip:

"So what if he has talent? In this world, only with money can one buy high-quality medicinal herbs to nourish the body, and only with connections can one obtain those precious pills that help increase power and break through bottlenecks. Just knowing how to practice blindly? That's just the life of a dog guarding a gate for others."

As he spoke, he grinned, his smile mixed with a bit of a rogue's smugness, and he tilted his head to glance at the Master's wife:

"Look at me, I don't know a lick of martial arts, yet didn't I still steadily marry a beautiful external-strength martial artist like you and hold you in my arms?"

The Master's wife heard this and glanced at him with some helplessness. Her beautiful eyes seemed to hold both reproach and a sigh, but in the end, she said nothing more.

Liu Qi held the bamboo tube and stepped forward, clearing his throat: "Next round, draw lots!"

However, Lu Chen took a step forward, walked into the center of the courtyard, and cupped his fists toward the Master's wife: "Mistress, this disciple has something to say."

The Master's wife nodded, signaling for him to speak.

He raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the four people remaining on the field.

"Drawing lots is too troublesome. Let the four of them come at me together."

As his words fell, the entire courtyard went silent.

The next moment, gasps and discussions erupted:

"Is he crazy?!"

"Four against one? Aren't these four the very best in the hall?"

"Has he become this arrogant after winning four matches?"

Even Master Deng, who had been leaning in his chair, opened his eyes slightly, looking at Lu Chen as if he were a fool.

The Master's wife was also stunned, staring at him fixedly for several seconds.

"Lu Chen." The Master's wife's voice was stern, "Do you know that these four are all the elite of the hall? Han Fei's movement technique is treacherous, Feng Xudong has been training for five years, Liu Chuan is peerlessly fierce, and Zhao Qin is no weakling either. You want to take on four by yourself?"

"Yes." Lu Chen answered crisply.

Jin Ming frowned, snorting inwardly: Getting carried away after just a few wins; with a temperament like this, what can he achieve in the future?

Han Fei sneered. Feng Xudong's eyes narrowed slightly. Liu Chuan grinned, twisting his neck in excitement. Zhao Qin's face flushed red, both ashamed and angry.

The Master's wife was silent for a moment, but finally stood up: "Since that is the case, this battle shall be the final battle."

She looked at the four of them: "Do you have any objections?"

"None!" Liu Chuan roared first.

Han Fei: "Just as well."

Feng Xudong nodded.

Zhao Qin gritted his teeth: "This disciple obeys."

"Begin."

As the word fell, the air in the courtyard suddenly tightened.

The four of them surrounded Lu Chen, yet they did not strike immediately.

Liu Chuan spat on the ground, his face full of disdain: "Lu, who do you think you are? Just because you won a few matches, you dare to have all four of us come at you at once? Do you really think you're someone special? A mud-legged brat from South City, do you even deserve to stand on the same stage as us?"

Han Fei's voice was cold: "You don't know the immensity of heaven and earth. Do you think this is a street brawl in South City where you can win with brute force?"

Feng Xudong's expression was indifferent as he spoke slowly: "Junior Brother Lu, your talent is not bad. But for a martial artist, the greatest taboo is a restless and arrogant heart. You've won four consecutive matches, and now you're so arrogant that I fear you're going to take a massive fall. Take my advice: retract that statement now, and it's not too late."

Zhao Qin's face flushed red as he added: "That's right! You—you're looking down on us!"

Lu Chen stood where he was, listening to their words with no expression on his face, only saying calmly: "Are you finished?"

The four of them were stunned.

"Then let's begin."

"You're courting death!"

Liu Chuan roared and lunged forward first. He was burly, and this pounce was powerful and heavy; he threw both fists out, smashing toward Lu Chen's head like heavy hammers.

Lu Chen did not dodge or evade, swinging his right fist out to meet the impact!

Bang!

As the two fists collided, Liu Chuan's face turned deathly pale instantly. With a muffled groan, he staggered backward, his entire right arm hanging limp—it was a bone fracture.

Before he could even steady himself, Lu Chen closed the distance and slammed a fist hard into his chest.

Crack!

The sound of ribs breaking was clearly audible.

Liu Chuan spat out a mouthful of blood, his massive body crashing to the ground, curling into a ball, unable to get back up.

The first.

Han Fei's expression changed drastically; she let out a sharp cry and attacked from the left.

Lu Chen didn't even look, his left leg sweeping out like a whip, arriving before she could complete her move.

Han Fei cried out in pain, losing her balance. Lu Chen backhanded her across the face, and under the immense force, she flew backward uncontrollably, crashing to the ground in a wretched state.

The second.

Feng Xudong's pupils contracted sharply. Daring not to hold back any longer, he struck out with his full power; the wind of his palm whistled as it aimed straight for Lu Chen's back.

Lu Chen spun around abruptly, his left arm parrying the palm strike while his right hand formed a claw. Fast as lightning, he seized Feng Xudong's wrist and snapped it downward!

"Ah!" Feng Xudong screamed. Before he could react, Lu Chen raised his foot and kicked him squarely in the abdomen.

Feng Xudong groaned and flew backward, slamming into the courtyard wall before sliding down. His face was twisted in pain, and he found it difficult to rise.

The third.

Seeing the situation turn dire, Zhao Qin's face turned ghastly pale, and he turned to retreat.

Lu Chen would not give him the chance. Pushing off the ground, he caught up in an instant, his right fist landing solidly on Zhao Qin's back.

Pfft! Zhao Qin spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed to the ground. He struggled twice, then went still.

The fourth.

From start to finish, it took no more than three breaths of time.

All four were down.