Caught in the Act

Xiao Wu raised her leg, and Tang San's fingers moved.

He was about to strike.

But before he could flick out the pebbles, a hand clamped around his wrist.

It was Nezha.

Tang San's pupils contracted sharply. He had not noticed at all when Nezha had come to stand beside him.

"Tang San, attacking from the shadows isn't a very good habit," Nezha said coldly.

Tang San's expression changed instantly.

Hearing that and seeing the pebbles in Tang San's hand, Xiao Chenyu immediately understood what had happened.

A mocking sneer tugged at his lips. "Just as expected of a work-study student. Such underhanded tricks. Can't win head-on, so you resort to sneak attacks?"

The surrounding students all turned to look. Several self-funded students joined in the jeering, pointing fingers at Tang San.

Tang San's face turned ugly to the extreme. He wanted to argue, but he had yet to hide the pebbles in his hand. The evidence was irrefutable.

Just then, a dull thud sounded from the field.

Xiao Wu's kick landed squarely on the back of Wang Sheng's neck. His eyes rolled back, and his entire body went limp as he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

The work-study students hurried over and dragged Wang Sheng off the field.

Xiao Wu clapped her hands, about to happily call for the next opponent, but when she turned around, she saw Nezha and Xiao Chenyu surrounding Tang San. Something was clearly wrong.

She walked over in confusion and tugged on Nezha's sleeve. "What happened?"

A self-funded student beside them rushed to recount what had just occurred.

After listening, Xiao Wu turned to Tang San. Undisguised disgust appeared on her pretty face. "Disgusting. All you know is how to use dirty tricks."

Tang San clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. "I didn't. I was just holding some pebbles. What proof do you have that I was going to launch a sneak attack?"

That was not entirely sophistry.

Nezha had indeed caught him before he had the chance to act. The pebbles were still in his hand and had not been flicked out. Strictly speaking, no sneak attack had actually taken place.

Xiao Chenyu snorted. "You weren't sneak attacking? Then why were you holding pebbles? Planning to give them to her as a gift?"

Tang San quickly calmed down and said in a low voice, "What does it have to do with you that I'm holding pebbles? And who can be certain I was going to sneak attack?"

Tang San's words were airtight. Although everyone knew he was lying, no one could produce evidence to expose him.

Nezha glanced at him, released his wrist, and said nothing more.

This was Notting Academy, not Star Dou Forest. He could not just kill people here.

Besides, Tang San had not actually had time to strike. Even if they pursued the matter, they had no solid footing.

Xiao Wu gave a cold snort and could not be bothered to waste any more words on Tang San. She turned and returned to the center of the clearing, pointing at the self-funded students. "Next!"

Wang Sheng was still unconscious after being carried off the field. Bruises covered his round face, and it looked painful just to see.

Tang San stood where he was as the pointing and whispering around him stabbed at him like needles.

"Is this how work-study students act?"

"Can't win, so he sneak attacks. What a disgrace."

Tang San's face was as dark as water, and his fists clenched inside his sleeves until his knuckles turned white.

Nezha.

He would remember that name.

That meddlesome bastard. Sooner or later, I'll make him pay the price.

Tang San did not take Nezha seriously at all. In his eyes, Nezha and Xiao Wu were nothing more than natives of this world.

He, on the other hand, was a lofty disciple of the Tang Sect, having crossed over from another world with the Tang Sect's centuries-old martial arts inheritance and the Twin Martial Souls that appeared only once in a century on Douluo Continent.

Dealing with a few natives would be effortless.

He would settle today's score sooner or later.

"Ling Feng, you're up."

Xiao Chenyu withdrew his gaze and crooked a finger at someone behind him.

A tall, skinny boy stepped out from the crowd.

Ling Feng was a sixth-year student, an agility-attack battle soul master whose martial soul was the Swiftwind Swallow. Though he had not yet obtained a soul ring, his speed was famously fast throughout the entire sixth year.

Xiao Chenyu's plan was simple. Xiao Wu had just finished a match, so she had surely spent a good deal of stamina. He would send the agility-attack type Ling Feng out to wear her down with speed and force her to exhaust all her remaining strength. That would give him much better odds when he faced her himself later.

Xiao Wu glanced at Ling Feng and nodded. "Make your move."

Ling Feng did not hesitate. He kicked off with both legs and soared into the air, spreading his arms like a swallow. He glided two meters through the air, then used his height to pounce toward Xiao Wu's head.

He really was fast. The few lower-year students watching could only see a gray blur streak past.

But Xiao Wu remained completely still.

She even had the leisure to let out a small yawn.

Ling Feng gritted his teeth. She was looking down on him.

Just as he was about to pounce in front of Xiao Wu, he shook his arms, forcibly twisted his body in midair, and abruptly changed direction. He wanted to flip over Xiao Wu's head, land behind her, and attack from there.

But Xiao Wu gave him no such chance.

She bent at the waist and threw her entire upper body backward, bracing herself on the ground with both hands as her legs sprang upward like coils. The movement was clean and sharp, without the slightest wasted motion.

Her foot struck Ling Feng squarely in the stomach.

Bang.

Ling Feng was kicked flying. He flipped twice through the air before crashing heavily onto the ground, sending dust flying.

He struggled to push himself up, but the searing pain in his abdomen made his arms go limp, and he collapsed back down. No matter what he did, he could not get up.

After watching Xiao Wu's match with Wang Sheng, she had already figured out that these little brats were stubborn to the core. Unless she beat them until they could not move, they would never admit defeat. So she had put far more force into this kick than before.

Xiao Chenyu's face turned completely black.

Ling Feng's strength was nearly on par with his own. If Xiao Chenyu had not obtained a soul ring, he might not even have been able to defeat Ling Feng in a direct fight.

Yet Xiao Wu had kicked Ling Feng down with a single blow, without even using a soul skill.

Xiao Chenyu stared fixedly at the little girl in the pink dress on the field, already beginning to regret agreeing to this match.

The referee sucked in a breath, then finally came back to his senses and shouted, "Xiao Wu wins!"

The work-study students' side was deathly silent. The self-funded students' side was even quieter.

Two consecutive victories, both ending with a clean, decisive kick.

Tang San stood at the edge of the field, his expression growing slightly grave.

Xiao Wu's speed and flexibility far exceeded his expectations. In particular, her ability to evade and counterattack at extremely close range resembled his Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track in many ways, but her body was clearly far more flexible.

If he faced Xiao Wu himself, he likely would not gain any advantage in close combat.

Nezha shifted his gaze from Xiao Wu to Tang San at the side of the field.

By the order of turns, Tang San was the next work-study student to take the field.

Nezha frowned slightly.

Tang San was not a pure soul master. He was an assassin who had crossed over from the Tang Sect, proficient in lightness skills, hidden weapons, and poison.

Nezha had exposed his attempted sneak attack in public just now. With Tang San's vindictive nature, he would never let the matter rest.

Xiao Wu might be fast, but Tang San's Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track was no slower. If he found an opportunity to strike viciously with hidden weapons, Xiao Wu might not be able to dodge.