One-Punch Man!

(Ah Yin, Xiao Wu)

Osler and Yu Feng hadn't even reacted when they saw a fist rapidly growing larger in their field of vision.

"Thud—!"

The punch slammed into Osler's chest. He flew backward like a kite with its strings cut, crashed heavily into the railing at the edge of the ring, bounced off, and landed face-down on the ground, motionless.

Yu Feng turned to run, but just as he took a step—

"Thud!"

Someone grabbed him by the collar and hurled him away with tremendous force. He landed on top of Osler, and the two of them ended up in a heap.

The ring fell silent.

The stands fell silent.

The host's mouth hung open, and the Amplifying Soul Tool in his hand nearly fell to the ground.

Ye Lingling stood frozen in place, looking first at the Wind Leopard Duo lying motionless over there, then at Lin Jiang standing in front of her, dusting off his hands.

Her mind went blank.

That was it... They'd won?

One punch each?

Lin Jiang glanced back at her, his tone as calm as if he'd just finished fishing and come home.

"Let's go. Get ready for the next match."

Ye Lingling nodded dazedly and followed him off the ring.

Her steps felt unsteady, as if she were walking on clouds.

Only after walking a few steps did she realize they'd won.

Their opponents were the Wind Leopard Duo, on a twenty-three-match winning streak.

One punch each.

She sneaked a look at Lin Jiang's back, remembering what Dugu Yan had said: "He's definitely even stronger than I am."

"Strong" didn't begin to cover it.

Was this guy a monster?

After three seconds of silence, the stands erupted.

"Holy crap! One punch?!"

"What kind of monster is that kid?!"

"One-Punch Man?!"

"My Gold Soul Coins—!!!"

The pile of Gold Soul Coins in front of the bookmaker, stacked as high as a mountain, was swept away in a clatter.

Only one person had bet on the Golden Leaf Duo to win.

Lin Jiang.

He'd gone over to the bookmaker before the match even started and bet every Gold Soul Coin he had on himself.

The odds were one to a hundred.

Now the mountain of Gold Soul Coins had all gone into his pocket.

Lin Jiang weighed the heavy money pouch in his hand, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

That was a pretty quick way to make money.

On the ring, Yu Feng was still lying on top of Osler. The two of them were tangled together and couldn't get up for a long while.

"Impossible... What happened..." Yu Feng murmured to himself, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Osler spat out a mouthful of blood and gritted his teeth. "That kid... How is he so strong..."

The little brat who'd crouched in a corner six years ago had now knocked both of them flat with one punch?

Yu Feng struggled to his feet, bracing himself against the railing as he glared after Lin Jiang's retreating figure.

"Find the boss... Have him avenge us..."

Osler gritted his teeth. "All right!"

The two helped each other up and limped off the ring, ignoring the boos from the stands.

Below the ring,

Lin Jiang swept away like a passing cloud, leaving not a trace behind, his stride calm and unhurried.

Ye Lingling hurried after him, breaking into a jog just to catch up.

She stole a glance at him, then quickly lowered her head.

How can he be so strong?!

One punch each to defeat the Wind Leopard Duo, who'd won twenty-three matches in a row—and he hadn't even used his Martial Soul?

Who was this man, anyway?

What happened next shocked Ye Lingling even more.

Lin Jiang signed the two of them up for several two-on-two matches in a row.

One match.

Two matches.

Three matches.

Every single one ended in an instant.

Their opponents ranged from Iron Soul Fighters to Bronze Soul Fighters, and from those who had just reached level thirty to those nearing level forty. Not one of them could last three seconds against Lin Jiang.

A punch. A kick. A shoulder throw.

Clean and decisive, without the slightest wasted motion.

From beginning to end, Lin Jiang never even used his Martial Soul.

Standing behind him, Ye Lingling didn't use a single healing Soul Skill from start to finish.

Because there was no need.

Every time she'd just gathered her Soul Power, her opponent was already face-down on the ground.

She stood behind him like a decoration, watching Lin Jiang punch one little guy after another.

Her feelings shifted from shock to numbness, then from numbness to... boredom.

So this was what it felt like to be a decoration.

The mood in the stands was quietly changing too.

"It's that Golden Scale again! How many matches has he fought today?"

"Five! And every one was an instant win!"

"He hasn't even used his Martial Soul?! Is he even human?"

"That girl next to him is from the Nine Heart Begonia Ye family, right? She's just stood there watching the whole time. She hasn't even raised a hand."

"They might as well change the duo's name to 'Golden Scale and His Accessory.'"

Ye Lingling heard them, blushed, and silently edged farther behind Lin Jiang.

By the sixth match, Lin Jiang finally began to find things a little troublesome.

It wasn't that his opponents had gotten stronger.

There were just more spectators.

After every match, another ring of onlookers gathered around.

By the time the sixth match was about to begin, the division of the Soul Fighting Arena where the Golden Leaf Duo was competing was packed to the brim.

"That's him! The guy who knocks everyone out with one punch!"

"The one wearing a mask? I can't see his face."

"Can't say if he's handsome, but he's definitely strong!"

Listening to the chatter around him, Lin Jiang rubbed his chin.

After the previous match, he'd gone outside and spent a few Copper Soul Coins on the most ordinary black mask he could find, then pulled it over his face.

It covered most of his face, leaving only his eyes visible.

Ye Lingling watched him put on the mask and blinked.

How could he look so handsome even with a mask on?

She quickly lowered her head, blushing again.

The sixth match.

Their opponents were two level-thirty-nine Soul Elders, both fairly well-known in the Soul Fighting Arena.

The two stepped onto the ring full of confidence. Seeing Lin Jiang's mask, they even mocked him: "What are you trying to hide?"

Three seconds later,

the two of them lay beneath the ring, questioning their lives.

No one in the stands cheered anymore.

Everyone had grown numb to it.

Standing behind Lin Jiang, Ye Lingling looked down at the tips of her shoes.

What did I even come here for today?

That night,

when the Soul Fighting Arena closed, Lin Jiang and Ye Lingling walked out the main entrance.

Ye Lingling had completed half of her required wins for the month in a single day.

She lowered her head and said softly, "Thank you."

Lin Jiang waved a hand. "It was nothing."

Ye Lingling hesitated, then couldn't help asking, "Who... are you, really?"

Lin Jiang thought for a moment. "Just an ordinary person."

Ye Lingling: "..."

Was that what an ordinary person was?

She'd watched six instant wins today and still hadn't seen what Lin Jiang's Martial Soul looked like.

Just how many trump cards did he have?

She stole a glance at Lin Jiang.

Beneath the moonlight, he wore a black mask, leaving only his sharply defined jaw and a pair of calm eyes visible.

Ye Lingling's heart inexplicably skipped several beats.

She quickly looked away and lowered her head.

"Um... could I ask you to help me again tomorrow?"

Her voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz.

Lin Jiang nodded. "Sure."

The corners of Ye Lingling's mouth lifted slightly, and her steps grew lighter.

After walking a few steps, she couldn't help asking, "Why do you wear a mask?"

Lin Jiang touched the mask on his face and replied coolly, "I'm afraid being too handsome would affect my opponents' performance."

Ye Lingling froze for a moment.

Then she burst into laughter, quickly covering her mouth.

At the fork in the road, Ye Lingling stopped.

Moonlight spilled across the flagstones, stretching their shadows long behind them.

She lowered her head, twisting the corner of her clothes, and traced circles on the ground with her toe, dawdling for a long while.

At last, she gathered her courage...