Sparring

As the explosive crack rang out.

A searing pain burst across his left cheekbone.

Warm liquid gushed out at once, ran down his cheek, and dripped into the corner of his mouth.

Salty. Metallic.

Zhou Kai instinctively stepped back half a pace and casually wiped at his face.

"Not bad reactions."

Chen Ping lowered his fist. There wasn't the slightest hint of apology on his face—not even a flicker of emotion.

His gaze was as still as a deep pool.

"But you can be faster!"

As he spoke, Chen Ping settled back into his stance, that solid killing intent locking onto Zhou Kai once more.

"Again!"

Zhou Kai took a deep breath, drawing air mixed with the smell of blood into his lungs.

The stinging pain from the wound on his face felt like it had opened some valve in his adrenal system.

Here it came... that familiar feeling.

His heartbeat pounded like a war drum, his blood surging and roaring through his veins.

A fine tremor ran through his whole body—not from fear, but excitement.

"Good! Again!"

Zhou Kai grinned, smiling with satisfaction. He licked the blood at the corner of his mouth, and the clarity in his eyes gave way to a kind of madness.

The world rapidly faded in his perception until only black and white remained.

Chen Ping was no longer a coach, but a collection of countless vital points and weaknesses.

Throat, eye sockets, temples, knee joints...

Boom!

Zhou Kai stomped hard on the floor and shot forward like a cannonball.

He stopped defending and dodging. Instead, he melded every skill he had learned over the past few days—[Comprehensive Combat], [Light Footwork], [Soraka Swordsmanship]...

Everything into the most primitive, purest attack!

A smile appeared at the corner of Chen Ping's mouth, too.

That's it!

This is the one I had my eye on!

The dull thud of fists and palms colliding and the sharp crack of bones striking each other echoed wildly through the enclosed space.

From three in the afternoon until nine at night.

Six whole hours.

Zhou Kai had lost count of how many times he'd been knocked down. He'd also lost count of how many times excruciating pain had dragged him back from the edge of unconsciousness.

His left arm had been dislocated three times, and Chen Ping had casually popped it back into place each time.

The muscles in his right leg had torn, and they still burned with pain...

At 9:01 p.m., when Zhou Kai tried to get up off the ground again, his body finally gave out.

No amount of adrenaline could restart a machine pushed to the brink of its limits.

He leaned against the weapon rack, every inch of his body trembling.

Across from him, Chen Ping had only a slight sheen of sweat on his forehead.

"Coach Chen." Zhou Kai's voice was hoarse. "Is this also an effect of ancient martial arts?"

"Yes." Chen Ping casually picked up a single-edged saber and twirled it as if at random. The blade flashed in the light, cold and chilling.

"How much strength were you using when you fought me?"

Chen Ping raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "I don't want to undermine your confidence. I'll tell you another time."

"Is that so..."

Zhou Kai didn't press him.

There was no point asking.

The gap in strength had to be measured with fists.

He'd find out sooner or later.

He closed his eyes and looked at the lines showing his gains.

[Comprehensive Combat experience +5]

[Light Footwork experience +7]

...Worth it.

As he focused on recovering, Chen Ping suddenly spoke. "There's one thing you did that was beyond my expectations. Very few people at your stage can use their emotions instead of being controlled by them."

Zhou Kai opened his eyes. His gaze was still clear—or rather, it held a unique kind of calm.

Chen Ping set down the saber and praised him without reservation. "Learning to use your hormones and emotions, and to treat your body like a machine you can overclock at will, is a prerequisite for becoming a competent martial fighter. You already have the key to controlling greater power."

Zhou Kai raised a hand and gently touched the scabbed wound on his cheekbone.

"I see. That punch of yours was to get me into the zone..."

"No." Chen Ping shook his head, a look of innocence on his face. "I was just getting carried away and misjudged my strength for a moment."

Zhou Kai: "..."

"Go have dinner." Chen Ping turned away. "My offer still stands. If you can come back, I'll be here until tomorrow morning."

A glint flashed in Zhou Kai's eyes. He nodded. "All right. I need a few hours. I'll come back in the early hours of the morning."

He planned to return to the Nightmare and use the fireplace to recover from his exhaustion.

Downstairs at Falcon Wing Boxing Gym, Lu Yan had been waiting with her bag for over an hour.

The moment she saw Zhou Kai come downstairs, she hurried over. Her sharp eyes caught the wound on his face, and her brows immediately drew together.

"Why didn't you answer your phone? That coach did this again, didn't he? What does he think he's doing? This is unacceptable—I'm reporting him!"

The thought that someone had been waiting for him the whole time eased the faint tension in Zhou Kai's heart, though it also left him even more exhausted.

He raised a hand and stopped her from dialing.

"Hey, it's a misunderstanding. Coach Chen was doing it for my sake."

Lu Yan froze under his gaze, her cheeks turning slightly red. She awkwardly pushed his hand aside and rolled her eyes. "Great. So much for worrying about you!"

Zhou Kai smiled, wearing just the right amount of guilt. "Let me buy you dinner today?"

As soon as he said it, he seemed to remember something: Oh, right. You were the one who sent me the money for dinner yesterday.

Lu Yan put on a haughty expression, planted her hands on her hips, and nodded. "Who wants dinner from a broke kid like you?"

But twenty minutes later...

At the food stall, Lu Yan happily snatched a pan-fried bun from in front of Zhou Kai.

They were both working out, so they had healthy appetites.

They'd finished the first round of dishes, and were barely half full.

Lu Yan called the server over to order more.

While they waited for the extra dishes, Zhou Kai asked as casually as he could, "Yan Zi, has my sister recently made a friend named Sui Die?"

Lu Yan had been Zhou Qing's college roommate and best friend. They were close enough to be sisters...

So close that Zhou Kai practically thought of her as his own big sister.

Lu Yan froze, the corners of her mouth twitching as her gaze shifted away. "Ha... she's already introduced you two?"

Zhou Kai narrowed his eyes. "Who is she, exactly?"

Lu Yan seemed to be hiding something. She stammered, "I don't really know. I just know the two of them... met last year."

Last year?

Zhou Kai felt reassured. His earlier guess had been confirmed.

As for whatever Sui Die was up to with his sister, it was probably best not to pry.

Zhou Kai and Lu Yan exchanged glances, each with the sense that they knew what the other was thinking.

Lu Yan gave an awkward laugh, indicating that some things were better left unsaid.

"It's all in the juice!"

Lu Yan raised her orange juice.

Zhou Kai raised his lychee soda, too.

After eating and drinking their fill.

"I'll pay. You stay here."

Lu Yan had said she'd quit drinking, but after one glass of juice, she seemed a little restless.

Before long, she'd downed six liang of baijiu. It went straight to her head, and she slumped over the table like a puddle of mush.

For Zhou Kai, this was entirely unexpected.

"Looks like I need to figure out how to get Yan Zi home first."

Zhou Kai shook his head and patted Lu Yan's shoulder, telling her not to move around.

He hurried to the counter.

"Check, please."

But to his surprise, the girl at the counter's jaw was practically on the countertop. Her head bobbed up and down like a roly-poly toy.