Sparring with Tang San
"I..." A rare look of panic appeared on Zhu Zhuqing's face, but she did not let go. Instead, she subconsciously hugged Jiang Lan even tighter.
"We've been waiting for you in the corridor for ages, and you actually ran out to sneak out and eat all by yourself?" Ning Rongrong was the first to react, rushing over in three steps, putting the snack box on the stone platform next to her, and reaching out to snatch Jiang Lan's food.
"What do you mean by stealing food for yourself? I met him first!" Zhu Zhuqing hugged Jiang Lan and shrank to the side, her tone surprisingly serious.
"Nonsense, Rongrong and I met him first!" Xiao Wu joined the fray, grabbing Jiang Lan's leg with both hands.
"First come, first served; he came to find me first." Zhu Zhuqing refused to budge an inch.
"Hold him tight, he can't breathe." Xiao Wu wouldn't budge an inch.
He likes it this way.
"He's not moving at all!"
"He's enjoying himself."
Jiang Lan's face was completely buried, with only one eye and half of her penguin hat showing. Her eye was filled with distress signals, but unfortunately, no one present received them.
Three girls engaged in a fierce tug-of-war in the courtyard over a tiny creature dressed in a Penguin Suit.
Jiang Lan was like a catnip being targeted by three cats at the same time, being pulled around, rubbed, and kissed. She was passed back and forth between the three embraces, her Penguin Suit was wrinkled, her hat was tilted to the back of her head, and her webbed feet were kicking helplessly in the air.
"Mine! I got it first!"
"It's only fair that each person gets a hug!"
"And what about me? Where did you put me?"
"Rongrong, why didn't you say it was fair when you were holding the snack box?"
"Because I didn't expect him to be so soft!"
Jiang Lan was thrown around so much in the chaotic fight between the three girls that she was completely disoriented. Finally, she caught a break and yelled at the top of her lungs, "Little Guga —Help!"
The Little Guga sound was incredibly powerful, and the three girls stopped simultaneously.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Jiang Lan nimbly twisted and broke free from Zhu Zhuqing's embrace, then slid away from Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong's hands, tumbling and crawling three meters away, hiding behind a pillar with only half her head showing, panting heavily.
"Don't come any closer! If you do, I'll call for help!" Jiang Lan huddled behind a pillar, only half of her chubby little face showing.
The penguin hat on his head was completely askew from the earlier scuffle, making him look like Little Penguin who had just escaped a storm.
"Go ahead and scream, no one will come to save you no matter how hard you scream." Xiao Wu put her hands on her hips, a mischievous smile on her face, and approached Jiang Lan step by step.
Although Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing didn't speak, the light in their eyes betrayed them.
The three girls slowly surrounded it in a fan shape, the scene resembling three cats cornering a little sparrow with nowhere to run.
Just at this critical moment, footsteps sounded behind them.
"Xiao Wu, what are you all doing outside? The whole corridor could hear you shouting." Dai Mubai was the first to come out of the room, followed by Oscar, Ma Hongjun, and Tang San. He raised an eyebrow when he saw the scene in the courtyard. "A little kid? Where did he come from?"
"Xiao Wu!" Ning Rongrong turned around and excitedly pointed behind the pillar. "It's Jiang Lan! The little boy we met in the Star Dou Great Forest! He's come to the Heaven Dou Royal Academy!"
"Jiang Lan?" Dai Mubai and Oscar exchanged glances, then both looked at Ma Hongjun.
Ma Hongjun's face turned green.
How could he not remember this child? In the restaurant of the small town outside the Star Dou Great Forest, this little guy in Penguin Suit punched him and sent him flying, embedding him in a pile of firewood.
The bruises on his face took more than a week to fade, but what he found even more unforgettable was the humiliation he felt from that beating.
"Hey, isn't this Ma Hongjun?" Jiang Lan peeked out from behind a pillar and immediately spotted Ma Hongjun huddled at the back of the crowd. Her eyes lit up instantly. "Is your face all better? Did you hurt yourself when you flew out last time?"
Dai Mubai and Oscar both looked at Ma Hongjun at the same time, their shoulders shaking as they tried to suppress their laughter.
Ma Hongjun's face turned from green to red, then from red to a deep liver color. His lips trembled several times, but he ultimately didn't dare utter a single harsh word.
He was truly terrified of being beaten; he still remembered the force of that punch clearly—it was no different from being sent flying by a Soul Beast.
"What are you laughing at! If you're so capable, go and try taking a punch! I wasn't prepared!" Ma Hongjun retorted, then quickly shrank behind Tang San, afraid that Jiang Lan might suddenly decide to do it again.
Jiang Lan took two steps forward, looked up at Tang San, and pointed at him with a chubby finger. "Tang San, I challenge you."
There was a moment of silence in the courtyard, then Oscar and Dai Mubai simultaneously let out a meaningful "oh".
Ma Hongjun's eyes lit up, and he immediately popped out from behind Tang San with an expression of anticipation.
Tang San was visibly taken aback.
He never expected that this little one would suddenly challenge him.
Tang San glanced around and, seeing that everyone's eyes were on him, frowned almost imperceptibly. "Little kid, are you sure you want to fight me? I'm several years older than you, and I don't want to bully someone younger."
"I'm sure!" Jiang Lan puffed out her chest, her belly bulging out from under her Penguin Suit, and said earnestly, "My Mom Bo Saixi, said, 'Let's see what they're made of.' Don't worry, I won't use my full strength; I promise I won't send you to the hospital."
Dai Mubai laughed so hard his shoulders were shaking, while Oscar covered his mouth and squatted down on the ground.
Ma Hongjun added fuel to the fire, saying, "Third Brother, go for it! Let everyone see what the difference in strength is! But be careful, this kid's punches are really weird!"
After saying that, he subconsciously touched his cheek.
Tang San sighed helplessly.
He really didn't want to fight a six-year-old child, but seeing Jiang Lan's relentless attitude, he had no choice.
Tang San nodded and walked towards the open space in the center of the courtyard. "Alright, let's stop here."
Jiang Lan immediately ran excitedly to the opposite side of Tang San.
The others quickly stepped aside. Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing found good spots to watch the battle, and Ning Rongrong even took out a piece of osmanthus cake from the snack box and ate it while watching.
Doro had somehow slipped over and squatted down at Ning Rongrong's feet, staring up at the osmanthus cake in her hand, his purple eyes sparkling.
"You make the first move," Tang San said, standing still and looking at Jiang Lan.
Second Soul Skill: Martial Arts Guga.
Jiang Lan clasped his hands together in front of his chest, and a dark blue light rose from beneath his feet. He appeared in a long Blue Robe robe, and his high ponytail fluttered gently in the courtyard breeze.