Contradiction

"Otherwise, if I don't know my own strength later and end up hurting you, it won't be easy to explain to Senior Brother Chen."

Wang Jinquan cracked his knuckles, one by one.

He grinned, looking like a motionless bullfrog preparing to catch a fly.

Du Feng's lips moved, wanting to say something, but his gaze swept over Wang Jinquan and then over the followers behind him, led by Yang Jing and Chi Wen.

Every one of them was brawny and broad-shouldered.

The mouth he had opened eventually closed, and he retreated silently.

"Fine... fine, then let Senior Brother Wang instruct everyone today."

Du Feng's voice was listless, his face burning as if he had been slapped.

He kept his head down, lost in his own thoughts.

Seeing this, Wang Jinquan laughed triumphantly: "Hahaha! Little Du is still so refined and easygoing. I think you should stop practicing martial arts and go find a desk job!"

As he spoke, he reached out and shoved Du Feng.

Du Feng stumbled, taking several steps back before he could barely steady himself.

He looked left and right, but not a single person stepped forward to speak up for him.

He had no choice but to force a smile uglier than a cry and continue retreating until he disappeared into the crowd.

Du Feng's expression was gloomy, his heart filled with a frustration he had nowhere to vent.

"Damn it, apart from Senior Brother Chen, there isn't a single decent person in this place!"

Although Chen Ping often beat him up too, Du Feng knew in his heart that in the entire gym, the only person who treated him like a human being was Chen Ping.

But precisely because Chen Ping treated everyone equally, many people were actually dissatisfied with him.

Wang Jinquan... was one of them.

"Coward." Wang Jinquan glanced at Du Feng and spat in disdain.

He turned around to face the dozen or so members preparing for the minor assessment, his chin held high: "Which one of you is coming first?"

"You?"

His gaze landed on Ma Yifan, who was standing at the very front, and the expression on his face instantly turned mocking.

"I..."

Ma Yifan's face went pale, and his legs began to tremble.

He remembered this short, stocky guy very clearly; he had been a formal student for at least two months.

His strength was far above Du Feng's.

And looking at him now... he clearly didn't intend to go easy on him once they started, did he?

"I what? Are you fighting or not? Give me a straight answer!"

"I hate you sissies the most!"

"Get over here!"

Wang Jinquan waited a few seconds, and seeing Ma Yifan still hesitating on the spot, the smile on his face vanished instantly.

He took a few steps, rushed in front of Ma Yifan, and clamped his fan-sized palm onto his neck.

The members only saw a blur of motion before Ma Yifan was dragged stumbling into the center of the arena like a little chick.

On the students' side, some were arm-in-arm with Yang Jing and the others, laughing and making comments.

"Take it easy, Old Wang. Don't go and break the kid's bones."

"Yeah, if this kid goes out and starts running his mouth, the reputation of our Falcon Wing will be ruined."

"Haha, Brother Wang knows what he's doing." A student with high cheekbones sneered mockingly; it was Yang Jing, who had previously had his wrist twisted by Zhou Kai. "But then again, since he came to practice martial arts... wouldn't it be strange if he didn't break a few bones?"

Hearing these people's outrageous remarks, Du Feng felt even more disgusted. He looked at the bewildered Ma Yifan in the arena, his face full of worry.

Among the first-floor students, Wang Jinquan's strength was considered top-tier.

It was said that he was considered one of the most likely candidates to be taken on as a formal disciple before autumn this year.

He himself was no match for him... he only dared to talk back when Senior Brother Chen was around.

Now that Senior Brother Chen was nowhere to be found, sigh...

"Fight! Move!"

"Are you scared stupid? Don't just stand there like a hen!"

Ma Yifan shuddered at the roar and had no choice but to bite the bullet and attack stiffly.

Wang Jinquan didn't even move, showing no intention of sparring by the rules.

He casually lifted his leg to trip Ma Yifan, then slammed his sturdy upper body directly into him.

Thud!

A dull sound echoed, like a sandbag being struck by brute force.

Ma Yifan was knocked clean off his feet, his breath trapped in his chest, his vision blacking out as he slammed heavily into the ground, unable to crawl back up for a long time.

"Hahaha!"

Wang Jinquan let out a sneer.

He hadn't expected the kid to be finished after just a casual bump.

Too weak.

The intense physical pain and the public humiliation caused Ma Yifan's features to contort in distress.

He shouted in shame and anger, "This isn't fair! The assessment isn't supposed to be like this!"

Wang Jinquan didn't care in the slightest, snorting coldly, "You piece of trash, with only this much skill, you still want to be a trainee and train for free?"

"Don't mistake Chen Ping's standards for the rules of our Falcon Wing!"

"There's more and more garbage... just wasting resources!"

As he said this, his gaze drifted intentionally or otherwise toward Du Feng and the other trainees of similar caliber.

Those caught in his sweep felt their faces burn, but they could only clench their fists, daring to be angry but not to speak.

The resources allocated to trainees by Falcon Wing were limited; the more people there were, the less each person received.

Unless one could truly become an apprentice and shed the trainee status... this conflict would exist forever.

"Get lost, you're disqualified!"

Wang Jinquan raised his foot, intending to stomp down on Ma Yifan's shoulder.

Ma Yifan struggled to dodge, but he couldn't even stand, so he could only grit his teeth and close his eyes.

But in that very instant.

The air in the room seemed to freeze.

Just as Wang Jinquan's foot was about to descend, a figure flashed.

A faint sound, almost imperceptible.

Wang Jinquan's raised leg suddenly went limp, and like a shoddy statue with its base shattered, he crashed down onto one knee!

"He's already lost, there's no need to keep attacking, is there?"

Zhou Kai reached out to pull Ma Yifan up, his expression indifferent as he looked down at Wang Jinquan kneeling on the floor.

The surrounding trainees were deathly silent.

Wang Jinquan... was forced to his knees? By a member?

A new member who had been here for less than a month and hadn't even finished learning the basic combat routines?

Someone recognized Zhou Kai and muttered subconsciously, "Isn't this... the kid that Senior Brother Chen has been training privately lately? Could it be that he's actually got some real skill?"

Seeing this, Yang Jing and Chi Wen immediately bristled, striding over while shouting sharply, "You brat, it's you again! How the hell dare you ambush Brother Wang?"

"With Chen Ping gone, you still dare to act so cocky?"

Yang Jing had suffered a loss last time, and now that he had found an opportunity, he wasn't about to let it go.

He signaled his companions, and they had already surrounded Zhou Kai completely.

"Get lost!"

The one who spoke was Wang Jinquan.

His face was as dark as the bottom of a pot as he slowly stood up.

Chi Wen looked confused, "Brother Wang, you..."

Wang Jinquan ignored him, the anger on his face gradually fading, replaced by a sinister grin as he stared fixedly at Zhou Kai.

"Kid, I remember you were in line earlier, right?"

"Very good!"

"I can pretend your sneak attack on me never happened."

"But on one condition... you have to pass the assessment."

"From my hands."