Midnight Ambush

Following Krillin's victory, the referee announced the schedule for the next day. The bustling atmosphere of the venue gradually quieted down. After Ziye and the others finished celebrating with Krillin, the sky grew dark, and everyone returned to their hotel to rest.

Back in their room, the group soon drifted off to sleep. A short while later, the door suddenly creaked open. A figure in black crept inside and walked straight toward Ziye's bed. The intruder glanced at the sleeping Ziye, then reached out to throttle him!

Smack!

Suddenly, the attacker's strike was intercepted by a hand that appeared out of nowhere!

"Tien Shinhan, why is it you?"

"Why are you trying to stop me?"

After identifying the newcomer, the figure in black lowered his voice and asked.

"Master, leave this guy's life to me. I want to take him down in the ring!" Tien Shinhan whispered.

"No, this man killed my brother. I must kill him today!" The Crane Hermit shook his head, refusing immediately.

"But you can't kill me!" Ziye snapped his eyes open and said coldly.

Hearing this, the expressions of Tien Shinhan and the Crane Hermit changed drastically as they scrambled backward. At the same time, Goku, Krillin, and Yamcha were startled awake; the three of them leaped up and surrounded the Crane Hermit.

"It's you lot?"

"I didn't expect you to be so despicable, sneaking in to ambush us in the middle of the night!" Goku frowned, sounding rather angry.

"I must avenge my brother, Tao Pai Pai, today!"

The Crane Hermit furrowed his brows, his face twisted with hatred, and he lunged toward Ziye!

"That is, if you have the ability to do so!"

Ziye said dismissively. His body moved with ghostly speed, and before the Crane Hermit could even land, Ziye struck him, sending him flying into the wall with a heavy thud!

"Such... such incredible speed!"

Tien Shinhan's face paled. He had intended to stop the Crane Hermit, but he hadn't expected his master to be defeated before he could even make a move!

"D-damn it, how is this brat so strong?" The Crane Hermit cursed, enduring the sharp pain in his chest as he struggled to stand up!

"Brat, taste this!"

"Bring it on!"

Watching the Crane Hermit prepare for another attack, Ziye said with utter disdain.

Bang!

The Crane Hermit suddenly pulled two smoke bombs from his pocket and slammed them onto the floor. In an instant, the room was filled with smoke, blinding everyone!

"Damn it, he got away!"

After the smoke cleared, the Crane Hermit was gone. Yamcha frowned, sighing in regret.

"What happened here?"

At that moment, Master Roshi, Bulma, and the others, having heard the commotion, rushed over from the next room!

"Master Roshi, these despicable people must have been afraid of losing the tournament, so they came to ambush us in the middle of the night. Unfortunately, the Crane Hermit managed to escape!" Krillin clenched his fists, explaining with indignation.

"What? I never imagined you were so low!" Upon hearing this, Bulma began to berate them loudly.

"Don't talk nonsense! I'm not afraid of you. Master Crane Hermit only did this because this brat killed his brother and he was overcome with anger!" Tien Shinhan pointed at Ziye and retorted.

"Hmph, your master abandoned you and ran away, yet you're still speaking up for him? How pathetic," Yamcha mocked.

"Do you think you can stop me?" Tien Shinhan said defiantly, though he felt uneasy inside; after all, the strength Ziye had just displayed far exceeded his own!

"Tien Shinhan, you can go."

At this moment, Ziye suddenly spoke up.

"You're letting me go?"

Tien Shinhan was stunned, asking in confusion.

"That's right!"

"I wasn't actually asleep just now. I saw you trying to hold the Crane Hermit back, and I don't think you're a bad person."

"However, I have one thing to warn you: you and your master are not on the same path. His character is rotten, and he is unworthy of the martial arts. If you keep following him, he will ruin you sooner or later!"

With that, Ziye signaled for Goku and the others to clear a path for Tien Shinhan. Tien Shinhan didn't stand on ceremony; he turned and left the room.

"Yamcha, I will avenge you in the tournament," Ziye said, walking over to Yamcha.

"Actually, it's no big deal; I've already forgotten about it! If he's like you said, Tien Shinhan isn't a bad guy, so let's drop the revenge. After all, I was just outmatched," Yamcha said, scratching his head with an awkward laugh.

The next day.

After breakfast, Ziye and the others arrived early at the World Martial Arts Tournament venue. The excitement in the arena had not waned; in fact, because of Goku's opponent today, many reporters and young women had shown up!

As Ziye and his friends were chatting happily, a group of beautiful girls suddenly ran over and surrounded them. What made Ziye even more annoyed was that one of the girls was actually touching him, secretly taking advantage of him!

"What a cute bald guy! I saw your match; you were so amazing!"

"Your afro is so sexy, and you even have a tail! I love it!"

"Ziye, you're so handsome, and you're so strong in a fight! You're definitely going to be the champion again this year!"

"Can you guys please sign this for us and take a picture!"

Watching Ziye and the other two surrounded by so many beauties, Master Roshi's face was filled with envy. However, none of the girls nearby were willing to pay him any mind, which made his anger flare up. Beside him, Bulma was already looking like she was ready to commit murder!

"Ahem..."

"Ziye, Goku, Krillin, I'm going to spar with you three today! Let's see if your skills have regressed!" Master Roshi gave a dry cough and said to the three of them.

"Sure thing, Master! Let me go first!"

Seeing the situation, Ziye hurriedly swatted away the hands that kept groping him, squeezed his way out of the crowd, and said excitedly.

"Huh? This..."

"You brat, you'd better be careful!"

Master Roshi leaned into Ziye's ear and muttered in a low voice.

"Don't worry, Master!"

Ziye smiled lightly, gave an OK gesture, and launched his attack!

Of course, Ziye did not use his full strength. Although his fist techniques looked dazzling, any true martial artist could spot the flaws at a glance. However, it was highly entertaining, and Master Roshi was very satisfied with this, using his flashiest moves to parry Ziye's attacks!

"Ziye is so amazing!"

"That old man is really impressive too!"

In an instant, many beauties ran up with cameras and autograph books, surrounding Master Roshi. Some didn't even mind him groping them. Seeing this, Ziye finally breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to himself that women chasing celebrities were truly terrifying!