Forced Acquisition

He pulled open the iron door. The man outside took a step back and clasped his fists. "Young Master Chen, I've long admired you. Let me introduce myself—I'm Chang Wei from Zhicheng Martial Arts Academy."

"Oh, Coach Chang. May I ask what this is about?" Chen Xu returned the gesture, but kept his body planted in the doorway, showing no intention of letting the instructor inside.

"Something important, something important. I'm sure Young Master Chen will be interested."

As he spoke, he took a document densely covered in writing from the bundle he carried and presented it to Chen Xu with both hands.

Chen Xu accepted the paper and gave it a rough read, his expression turning somewhat meaningful. "Coach Chang, do you not know that I am the current master of the Chen Martial Arts Academy?"

A trace of disdain flashed through Chang Wei's eyes. He hadn't even mastered the academy's signature skills, yet he dared call himself an academy master? If not for the deputy academy master position today, he normally wouldn't even spare this brat a glance.

"Of course I know. But I believe this is a win-win arrangement. You should know the academy's current situation, yes?"

"Your academy has not recruited any new students for nearly two years. Its income..."

Chang Wei's gaze swept over Chen Xu. Seeing no anger on his face, he rubbed his hands together.

"Our Zhicheng Martial Arts Academy is willing to pay to purchase your academy. Not only will you receive a sum of money, you'll also be rid of this burden that brings in not a single coin of income. Surely that's a win-win, isn't it?"

Chen Xu folded his arms and leaned against the door. He wasn't the former owner of this body. If their offer was suitable, it wasn't impossible. "A transfer? Fine. But the price on this paper of yours..."

Before Chen Xu could finish, Chang Wei already understood what he meant. "Everything can be negotiated. But this matter truly isn't suitable for discussion here."

As he spoke, Chang Wei glanced at the pedestrians passing by, signaling Chen Xu.

Turning around, Chen Xu led Chang Wei to the reception room.

The Chen Martial Arts Academy was not large, but though the sparrow was small, it had all five organs. It lacked none of the proper facilities a martial arts academy should have.

The academy had no money to buy tea leaves, so Chen Xu naturally had no tea to serve his guest. The two took their seats as host and guest.

"Abyss Coins, two hundred thousand." Chang Wei held up two fingers and looked at Chen Xu, hoping to see surprise on his face.

Two hundred thousand was no small sum. There were only a handful of people in the commandery who could produce that much money.

"Too little," Chen Xu said flatly. "If this is all the sincerity you have, I don't think there's any need to continue."

Chang Wei met Chen Xu's eyes. The other man's still, ancient-well-like gaze made him instinctively shift his eyes away.

"Three hundred thousand. Young Master Chen, you should understand."

"Other than us, no one else will be interested in this academy. Compared to market price, it may be a little low, but you should understand."

If he could secure this academy for three hundred thousand, Chang Wei knew his position as deputy academy master would be as steady as Mount Tai.

He had already said every good word he could. If this brat still failed to appreciate the favor, Chang Wei's gaze darkened somewhat.

Exchanges between martial arts academies, a little sparring—it was perfectly normal.

Chen Xu shook his head inwardly. This man thought he had him in the palm of his hand. Outside, he had still concealed himself somewhat, but less than five minutes after entering the academy, neither his gaze nor tone made any effort to hide it. He had even deliberately rolled up his sleeves to show off his muscles.

"Please leave." Too lazy to tangle with him any further, Chen Xu assumed the posture of seeing a guest out.

"Young Master Chen, what do you mean by this?" Chang Wei said with a smile that did not reach his eyes, no longer even using honorifics.

"Without one million, I won't sell." Based on the former owner's memories, this academy should have been worth between eight hundred thousand and 1.1 million. The man claimed to be sincere, but in truth had not a shred of sincerity.

"Three hundred thousand is no small amount for a teenager. Take that much money, but be careful you don't end up with no chance to spend it." Seeing that Chen Xu was not easy to fool, Chang Wei simply tore off all pretenses.

He was set on taking this academy today. This brat refused the wine of respect only to drink the wine of punishment. When the time came, he could simply throw him a little money, and he would not be breaking the Martial Pavilion's rules. Forced buying and selling was something he had long done with ease.

"Calling you Young Master Chen doesn't mean you truly count as an academy-master-level figure. You haven't even mastered a ranked martial art, yet you occupy the position of academy master. Are you trying to make people laugh their teeth out?"

"Looks like Coach Chang has decided I'm easy prey?" Chen Xu asked with a half-smile, turning his head slightly.

"That's right. Today, you'll sign these academy transfer terms whether you want to or not!"

Just as Chang Wei was about to cross one leg over the other and enjoy Chen Xu's furious yet helpless expression, he felt a fist wind rush at his face.

"You!" Chang Wei leaned back to dodge. He had not expected this brat to dare strike first.

Bracing himself on the ground with one hand, he grabbed the old wooden chair beneath him with his left and swept it toward Chen Xu.

"Sure enough, relying only on the first layer of Tiger Howl Fist, even a sneak attack makes it hard to subdue him outright." Chen Xu was not surprised in the slightest. Put plainly, the first layer was only the beginning; an academy instructor was not someone a beginner's strength could handle.

"Tianwu, add points for me!" Chen Xu raised Tiger Howl Fist straight to the fifth layer in one go, blasting the wooden chair into fragments.

"How is that possible? His speed and strength rose so much in an instant!" Chang Wei was, after all, one of the academy's veteran instructors. After a brief flash of shock, he steadied himself. Veins bulged across his arms, and his skin took on a faint bronze hue.

The two collided. The surrounding tables and chairs were swept up by the forceful wind, while wood splinters flew in all directions.

"Arghhhh..." Chang Wei smashed through the wall and tumbled out of the reception room.

The Bronze Body Technique he had painstakingly trained had actually been breached in a single collision.

But even more shocking than that was Chen Xu's talent.

"With every strike, there's the faint accompaniment of a tiger's roar, carrying a trace of Tiger Might. Your Tiger Howl Fist has already reached Chen Zhenwu's level!"

The Chen Zhenwu he spoke of was the old academy master from years ago. Among all the martial arts academy masters in Jinning Commandery, his strength had been publicly acknowledged as among the top ten.

And Chen Zhenwu had only reached that level when he was nearing forty.

"How old is this Chen Xu? If I remember correctly, he isn't even eighteen yet."

Seeing Chen Xu step out of the reception room without expression and prepare to throw another punch, Chang Wei hurriedly shouted, "Academy Master Chen is immensely powerful. I was wrong. I think the price you mentioned can be considered."

The fist stopped an inch from Chang Wei's nose. Chang Wei could not help swallowing.

"You damaged my reception room. You'll have to compensate me for that as well." Chen Xu snatched the bundle slung across Chang Wei's shoulder, opened it in front of him, and rummaged through its contents.

Pah, wasn't it you who struck first and destroyed the wooden chair? Chang Wei thought, forcing an ugly smile onto his face.

"Academy Master Chen is right. The compensation will certainly be paid in full."

"Not bad." Chen Xu looked at Chang Wei with a smile. "As for compensation, I think that ranked martial art you practice is quite good. Consider it tuition waived as compensation."

Though it was phrased like a question, Chang Wei heard an unquestionable tone within it. He could only smile apologetically. "I'm merely a lowly instructor. Without the academy master's permission, I wouldn't dare teach the academy's martial arts."

"Academy Master Chen, how about ten thousand Abyss Coins?"