A little while later, Jin Ming returned, apologizing repeatedly. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry for the wait, Brother Lu."
"No worries." Lu Chen smiled.
He hadn't been surprised by what Jin Ming had said upstairs.
He'd guessed the man had an ulterior motive as soon as he'd gone out of his way to befriend him. Now that he knew the score, he felt at ease. Why turn down a free meal? Training took plenty of energy, and he usually couldn't bring himself to splurge on good food. He'd struck gold with this meal.
After finishing the food on the table, Lu Chen asked, "Could we order a little more? I'm not full yet."
Jin Ming blinked, then smiled. "Of course, of course! Waiter, bring us two more hearty dishes!"
Lu Chen didn't hold back. He ate quite a bit more, stopping only when his stomach was full and warmth spread through his body.
Jin Ming paid the bill, and the two left the restaurant. The afternoon sun was glaring, and they rode a carriage back to the martial arts school.
That afternoon, the drawing of lots continued.
With only seventeen contestants advancing, one person would receive a bye and move straight to the next round without fighting. The luck of the draw had many disciples craning their necks to see who'd gotten such a bargain.
This time, Lu Chen drew number five. His opponent was a young woman whose family ran an herbal medicine shop.
Her fists and kicks were weaker than Li Wen's. Lu Chen won without much effort.
In the third round, nine people drew lots, leaving one more bye.
Lu Chen drew number two. His opponent was a lean man with a steady stance, clearly the product of hard training. Unfortunately for him, he'd drawn Lu Chen.
As soon as they crossed hands, the man felt a deep, weighty force bearing down on him. Even the strength he'd honed through years of practice could barely withstand it.
Lu Chen stepped in and threw a punch. He wasn't especially fast, but the man had no choice but to block head-on. He staggered back four or five steps, stopping only when his back hit the courtyard wall.
The man caught his breath and cupped his fists. "I concede."
Lu Chen won again.
Three victories in a row.
The disciples at the edge of the courtyard looked at him differently now.
How long had Lu Chen been at the martial arts school? At his first small tournament, he'd already won fight after fight. No one could afford to underestimate his strength.
No one was more excited than Jin Ming. He'd truly struck gold this time.
He could already picture himself running the family business one day, with a subordinate like this at his side—skilled in a fight, daring, and obedient. What a formidable and useful ally he'd be.
The Master's Wife smiled as she murmured to Master Deng, who was slouched beside her, looking bored.
"Lu Chen has a sturdy frame and a steady temperament. He really does have some talent for martial arts."
Master Deng twisted his mouth into a sneer.
"So what if he's talented? In this world, you need money to buy the best medicinal herbs and nourish your body. You need connections to get those precious pills that boost your power and help you break through bottlenecks. If all you do is train like a fool, you'll end up fit only to guard someone's gate."
He grinned, his expression smug and roguish, then tilted his head to glance at the Master's Wife.
"Just look at me. I don't know the first thing about fighting, yet I still managed to marry a beautiful External Force martial artist like you and hold you snugly in my arms."
The Master's Wife gave him a helpless sidelong glance. Her lovely eyes held a mix of reproach and resignation, but in the end, she said nothing.
Liu Qi stepped forward with the drawing tube and cleared his throat. "Next round, draw lots!"
But Lu Chen took a step forward and walked into the center of the courtyard. He cupped his fists toward the Master's Wife. "Master's Wife, I have something to say."
The Master's Wife nodded, inviting him to continue.
He looked up, his gaze sweeping across the four people still in the contest.
"Drawing lots is too much trouble. Let all four of them come at me at once."
Silence fell over the courtyard.
The next moment, shocked cries and a roar of discussion erupted.
"Has he lost his mind?!"
"One against four? Aren't these four some of the best in the school?"
"Three straight wins and he's already gotten carried away?"
Even Master Deng, who had been slouched in his chair, opened his eyes a little wider and looked at Lu Chen as if he were an idiot.
The Master's Wife was stunned, too. She stared at him for several breaths.
"Lu Chen," she said, her voice growing stern. "Do you understand that these four are all among the school's best? Han Fei's footwork is elusive, Feng Xudong has been training here for five years, Liu Chuan is unmatched in sheer force, and Zhao Qin is no pushover. You want to face all four at once?"
"Yes." Lu Chen answered without hesitation.
Jin Ming furrowed his brow and scoffed inwardly. He's gotten carried away after winning a few fights. With a temperament like that, how can he ever amount to anything?
Han Fei sneered. Feng Xudong's gaze sharpened. Liu Chuan grinned, excitedly rolling his neck. Zhao Qin flushed red, humiliated and furious.
The Master's Wife was silent for a moment, then finally rose. "Very well. This will be the final match."
She looked at the four. "Do you have any objections?"
"None!" Liu Chuan shouted first.
"Just as well," Han Fei said.
Feng Xudong nodded.
Zhao Qin gritted his teeth. "I'll do as you say, Master's Wife."
"Begin."
At that single word, the air in the courtyard went taut.
The four surrounded Lu Chen but didn't attack right away.
Liu Chuan spat on the ground, his face full of disdain. "Who do you think you are, Lu? You've won a few fights and now you think the four of us should take you on at once? You really think you're somebody? You're just a bumpkin from South City. What makes you think you belong in the same ring as us?"
Han Fei's voice was cold. "You don't know the limits of the sky. Do you think this is a street brawl back in South City, where brute force alone can win?"
Feng Xudong remained composed as he spoke slowly. "Junior Brother Lu, you have talent. But impatience is the greatest taboo for a martial artist. You've won four matches and already grown this arrogant. You're liable to take a hard fall. Take my advice: withdraw your challenge now, while you still can."
Zhao Qin, red in the face, chimed in, "That's right! You—you're looking down on us!"
Lu Chen stood where he was, listening without any change in expression. Then he said mildly, "Are you done?"
The four were taken aback.
"Then let's fight."
"You're asking for death!"
Liu Chuan roared and charged first. His burly frame made the rush heavy and powerful. He threw both fists, hammering toward Lu Chen's head.
Lu Chen didn't dodge. He swung his right fist to meet them head-on.
Bang!
Their fists collided. Liu Chuan's face went deathly pale in an instant. With a muffled groan, he staggered backward, his right arm hanging limp. His bone had cracked.
Before he could steady himself, Lu Chen closed in and slammed a punch into his chest.
Crack!
The sound of breaking ribs rang out clearly.
Liu Chuan spat out a mouthful of blood and crashed to the ground. He curled into a ball and couldn't get back up.
The first.
Han Fei's expression changed drastically. With a sharp cry, she attacked from the left.
Lu Chen didn't even look at her. His left leg lashed out like a whip, striking first.
Han Fei cried out in pain and lost her balance. Lu Chen followed with a backhanded punch that caught her squarely in the face. A tremendous force sent her flying backward, and she hit the ground in a pitiful heap.
The second.
Feng Xudong's pupils contracted. He no longer dared to hold back. He drove his palm forward with all his might, its force whistling straight toward Lu Chen's back.
Lu Chen spun around and knocked the palm aside with his left arm. His right hand formed a claw, fast as lightning, and clamped onto Feng Xudong's wrist. He wrenched it downward!
"Ah!" Feng Xudong screamed. Before he could react, Lu Chen kicked him squarely in the stomach.
Feng Xudong grunted and flew backward, slamming into the courtyard wall before sliding down to the ground. His face twisted in pain, and he couldn't get up for a while.
The third.
Seeing the situation turn against him, Zhao Qin went deathly pale and turned to flee.
Lu Chen wasn't about to give him the chance. He pushed off and caught up in an instant, then slammed his right fist into Zhao Qin's back.
Pfft! Zhao Qin spat out blood and fell flat on his face. He struggled twice, then lay still.
The fourth.
From beginning to end, it had taken no more than three breaths.
All four were down.
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