Since We're Already Here

"What are you thinking? Women don't practice the Iron Shirt."

Seeing Gao Fei's horrified expression, Gao Linyue shot him a glare.

Everyone in the courtyard heard that. Gao Fei smiled awkwardly, too embarrassed to remain there, and returned to his room.

The next day.

After breakfast, Gao Linyue, Gao Fei, and Gao Yan headed to the martial arts hall.

The martial arts hall's front courtyard was packed with people.

The moment Gao Fei entered, the clamor inside made him frown slightly.

"Why are there so many people today?"

Gao Linyue answered with a smile.

"When do you ever come here? People used to look down on that little Qi-Blood Soup, but the Five-Viscera Stabilizing Pill is different. Anyone with a chance will come."

"There's another kind who wants to make a showing. Yueyang County's two great lineages select people from the tournament every year to fill out their household guards."

"The Martial Suppression Guard used to come and recruit people too, but they probably won't this year."

As they spoke, he led the two beneath the fighting platform.

"Second Uncle, do I need to register? What are the rules?"

"You don't need to worry about it. I've taken care of it for you. Just go up when your name is called. The rules will be announced shortly. Sit on the ground and wait; first, these students will put on exhibition matches. I'm going to get busy."

After saying that, Gao Linyue walked onto the platform.

"Quiet, everyone."

Only after the crowd below fell silent did Gao Linyue continue.

"When the hall master left, he said that the martial arts hall's annual tournament could not be stopped. The rewards were prepared long ago. This year, the two of us instructors will be in charge."

"This year's rules are the same as before. No eye-gouging, no grabbing peaches, and anyone competing with weapons must be at least in the Mid Skin Tempering Realm."

"Now, free challenges for one hour."

After Gao Linyue finished speaking, he stepped aside to serve as a referee. Another martial arts hall instructor slowly walked up from below the stage as well, each taking a corner.

For a moment, the atmosphere went cold. More than a dozen breaths passed without anyone stepping onto the platform.

From within the crowd, Gao Fei saw Lin Shaokun and the other four inner-courtyard students walking over from afar.

They were followed by more than a dozen people in their late twenties, all unfamiliar faces. Every gesture of theirs dripped with flattery toward the four, and most of them were dressed as guards.

"Gao Fei, it's been three days. Isn't it time to return the three thousand taels of silver you borrowed from my younger brother?"

"No. I'll owe it for now! Or have your younger brother come collect it."

Gao Fei did not fall for that at all. The debtor was the uncle here, and besides, he had never intended to repay it. He even wanted to go to their home and rob the rich.

"So he's Gao Fei—the idiot with the Four-Pillar Pure-Yang Body who broke his virginity right after entering the hall."

"Yeah! I was at the martial arts hall then. I've never seen such an idiot. If the 'Singlehood Sacred Physique' were mine, I definitely would have cultivated to the Peak Spirit-Absorption Realm before breaking my virginity."

"I'd even reach the Martial Dao Golden Core..."

"A fallen genius. What a pity."

"What's there to pity? A person like him has no perseverance at all. He'd be useless even if he stayed in the system."

"Gao Fei, how about we go up and have a match? Don't worry, I only joined a year ago."

Gao Fei glanced at the challenger. The childishness had yet to fade from his face, and he was not much older than Gao Yan.

At such a young age, he was already learning to flatter others. He had to be taught a lesson.

"You go up first. I'll be right there. I've been sitting too long, and my legs are a little numb!"

"Fine, I'll wait for you up there."

As he spoke, he headed toward the platform.

After stepping onto the stage, he kept staring in Gao Fei's direction, while Gao Fei remained seated on the ground.

A few breaths passed. Then more than a dozen...

Suddenly, a voice rang out behind him. "I'll have a match with you!"

"Wait! This isn't right. I'm waiting for someone..."

After he explained the situation to his opponent, the other man glanced at the referees on both sides and said nothing.

"Since you're already here, fight first!"

As he spoke, he stepped forward and threw a punch.

The others noticed what was happening on the platform, as well as Gao Fei's unconcerned expression.

"You went back on your word."

"Shameless!"

Even Yue Qinghe, the girl next door, stared at Gao Fei for quite a while.

Gao Yan, sitting beside him, tugged on Gao Fei's arm and whispered in his ear.

"Brother, that's the hall master's only daughter, Yue Qinghe! You used to chase after her every day. Why aren't you talking to her?"

Gao Fei turned to look at his cousin. Who would have thought he was such a gossip?

"I don't like her anymore. I changed targets."

"The ice-cold beauty, Zhang Xinyu of the Zhang Family, is here too. You chased her for a month as well."

"Any others?"

"There are more. Among the normal ones, there's Widow Wang from our street, Niu Niu..."

"Stop! We're not talking about this. Let's watch the sparring!"

Gao Fei was truly convinced. What exactly had the original owner been doing? Any woman he knew who was even remotely pleasant to look at, he had gone and confessed to!

As Gao Yan spoke, he kept his eyes on the platform and did not notice Gao Fei's embarrassment.

"The person who challenged you was knocked off the platform. Looks like he wants to make a move on you. Do you want my help?"

"Sure, you go up later..."

"Aren't we going together?"

Gao Yan instantly sprang to his feet. "I can't beat him alone."

This cousin of his was something else. From the look of him, if a word went wrong, he would turn and run.

At that moment, the young man who had been knocked off the platform approached Gao Fei. His face was slightly swollen, his eyes bloodshot, and he raised a leg to kick.

His fury had made him lose all reason.

Gao Fei caught his leg with one hand, rose to his feet, and kicked. The young man flew back onto the platform once more.

Gao Linyue was not standing far away and had long noticed the commotion below. Seeing the young man back on the platform, he said,

"You've already lost. Get down! Those who refuse to obey discipline will be expelled from the martial arts hall."

A burst of laughter erupted below the stage.

The young man clutched his stomach, got to his feet, and walked down from the platform step by step.

His earlier pride and fury were gone. He had attacked with all his strength and even had the advantage of a sneak attack, yet he had still lost. He had nothing to say.

Gao Fei had held back on that kick. Otherwise, someone in the Middle Qi-Blood Realm like him would have gone straight to see the King of Hell.

Most of those who had just mocked Gao Fei now shut their mouths.

After all, if they themselves had been sitting on the ground, they absolutely could not have kicked someone onto the platform so effortlessly.

There was no need to offend Gao Fei, someone who might become an expert, for the sake of a Lin Family they had not even successfully latched onto.

Lin Shaokun swept his gaze around, his face full of disdain for those around him.

But there were still hotheads. To show that he was different from the others, one stepped forward and shouted at Gao Fei.

"If certain people weren't relying on an instructor backing them, they would have been expelled from the academy long ago."

"Second Uncle, someone says I used the back door!"

Gao Yan burst out laughing at Gao Fei's words. "You're so grown up, yet you're still tattling. Even I wouldn't do that."

Gao Linyue merely glanced in their direction before withdrawing his gaze, ignoring the matters below the stage.

After that, no one came looking for trouble anymore.

"Second Uncle's reputation is still useful!"

"Of course!"

Seeing Gao Yan's pride, Gao Fei really wanted to give him a smack.

Your old man isn't as great as you think. He even squeezes silver out of his juniors...

"How many of the hall master's disciples are here?"

"Ten are present. The others went to Qing Province or joined the Martial Suppression Guard."

Gao Fei had no interest whatsoever in the apprentices fighting on the platform. They were all in the Blood-Qi Realm, their martial skills were terrible, and watching them made him sleepy.

After enduring for an hour, it was finally their turn.

"The first participant, Gao Fei, will face Lin Yong."

Gao Fei strode quickly to the weapon rack, picked up a spear, and walked onto the platform.

Seeing this, Lin Yong also ran over, took a spear, and followed him up.

The two began their standoff.

"You're from the Lin Family?"

"Yes!"