Flower-Destroying Ruthless Hands Fengcheng Xumu

The scar-faced Charizard kept his word. Having lost to Greninja, he stopped acting so arrogantly.

After resting on the ground for a while, he led the others back into the Secret Realm and sent out more than a dozen Pokémon Eggs.

One egg was noticeably brighter than the rest. It held his own offspring.

The offspring of a Master Class powerhouse...

With a wave of his hand, Lin Haiyuan accepted the Pokémon Eggs and declared Charizard's recklessness forgiven.

Then he handed the special egg to Xu Mu.

"Kid, you're impressive."

Xu Mu scratched his head and smiled calmly.

Seeing Xu Mu remain neither arrogant nor servile, Lin Haiyuan admired him even more.

"Keep working hard. The future is yours. Sooner or later, you'll become a powerful Trainer."

At that, Xu Mu's smile vanished and his face darkened.

Clutching the Pokémon Egg, he promptly said goodbye.

Lin Haiyuan's no good. He actually wants me to become a Trainer?

Doesn't he know Trainers die young?

If I hadn't stepped in today, who knows how many of you would've died?

And he wants to push me into such a dangerous profession? He's definitely got an ulterior motive.

Just like the Damn System. Neither of them is any good...

Xu Mu left muttering under his breath and cursing to himself.

Lin Haiyuan stood there, baffled.

Did I say something wrong?

That kid really is an oddball.

With a rueful smile, Lin Haiyuan turned away and reported the incident at Charizard Valley.

The matches continued, though the contestants looked rather less enthusiastic now.

Xu Mu could take on someone at Master Peak all by himself!

Yet he was still competing in the Rookie League!

Did he have no shame?

When Xu Mu returned to the waiting area, he spotted the young woman who had challenged him earlier.

Smiling, he waved and greeted her.

But the moment she saw him, she turned and hurried away as if she'd seen a demon.

"Come on, I've already forgiven you. Do you have to be like that?"

"You can't just bully me because you're pretty..."

"Forget it. You can't force a connection. Things are better when the feeling's mutual. I'm not about to become some desperate admirer!"

Muttering to himself, Xu Mu found an empty seat.

There, he waited for the matches to begin.

As luck would have it, Xu Mu's opponent in the round of sixty-four was that young woman, Yue Fan.

"Hello!"

Even as he stood on the battlefield, Xu Mu looked cheerful and friendly.

Yue Fan gave a cold snort and didn't answer.

She felt like a complete clown.

Xu Mu was clearly so strong, yet she'd gone up and challenged him!

How embarrassing...

Xu Mu might have looked cheerful, even a little meek after Yue Fan's cold response.

But his thoughts were anything but friendly.

"Charmander, hit her with everything you've got. Don't hold back!"

Xu Mu summoned Charmander and gave him a warm, big-brotherly smile, but his voice was ice-cold.

Charmander glanced at his opponent across the field. It was a Braixen.

"Chirp!"

Don't worry! I won't give her any chance to turn this around!

Xu Mu nodded, still smiling brightly.

"Good. Don't let your guard down just because she's a woman. Sometimes the prettier they are, the more ruthless they get!"

"Chirp!"

I get it! That Fennekin may be female, but I won't hold back!

The frog told me: when you fight a female, go for the face. Hit hard, keep hitting, and once you scare her, you win!

Well, would you look at that. Trainer and Pokémon were completely in sync!

With tempers like theirs, it would be a crime against nature if they didn't stay single for life.

The moment the referee announced the start of the match, a nightmare descended on Yue Fan and her female Braixen!

Ten minutes later, Yue Fan ran from the battlefield in tears.

The spectators in the stands were utterly silent.

The referee stood stunned and speechless for a long while.

Xu Mu hummed a tune as he returned to the contestants' waiting room, picked up his things, and sauntered off.

"But a woman always loves too deeply, gives her youth without regret, and falls further and further in~"

"But a woman makes love her very soul. She can give her whole life for the one she loves..."

Humming "Wen" left Xu Mu feeling unbearably forlorn.

When will I meet the girl I love?

There are plenty of pretty girls, but not one of them is mine. It's so unfair!

I, Xu Mu, am so outstanding—dignified, handsome, charming, elegant, and learned beyond compare...

And I'm still single!

That's just too much!

"Holy shit, wasn't that Gym Leader Chen Qi's young apprentice?"

"Yeah, that was Yue Fan! She's our school beauty!"

"And he made her cry!"

"Damn it, that Xu Mu is ruthless!"

"He made my goddess cry! Xu Mu, you and I are enemies for life!"

"He went that hard on her. Is there something wrong with Xu Mu? Does he hate girls?"

"Now that you mention it, I'd better tell my sister to surrender immediately if she faces Xu Mu!"

"Speaking of which, why is someone who's already as strong as a Tianwu Master competing in the Rookie League?"

"Because he only got his Starter Pokémon this year..."

"But can you really call that monster a rookie?"

Only long after Xu Mu had left did the spectators finally come to their senses.

Some were outraged on Yue Fan's behalf, beating their chests and vowing to teach Xu Mu a lesson.

Others decided Xu Mu must hate girls, and that was why he'd been so brutal.

Whatever the reason, Xu Mu had certainly made a name for himself this time.

If nothing else, the schoolgirls of Flame City would remember his name.

If they ever faced Xu Mu in a match, they would surrender at once.

Flower-Destroying Ruthless Hands—Fengcheng Xumu!

Xu Mu had no idea he'd earned this illustrious title.

He had barely returned to the hotel when an excited Yu Hailong grabbed him!

"You little freak! How the hell did you win that?"

Xu Mu pulled free, speechless, and dropped onto the bed.

He said disdainfully, "Director, your reaction's a bit slow, isn't it? That happened ages ago."

Yu Hailong was speechless. If he'd been able to find Xu Mu earlier, would he still be this worked up?

"Anyway, what are you planning to do with the Pokémon Egg the city lord gave you?"

Yu Hailong collected himself, sat down in a chair, and got to the point.

Xu Mu already had a Charmander. Raising another one probably wouldn't make much sense.

"I'll ask him."

Xu Mu let Charmander out and asked,

"That egg holds the scar-faced Charizard's offspring. It might be a pretty little girl. What do you think—should I find you a wife?"

The instant Charmander heard that, he sprang off the floor and dove straight into his Poké Ball.

Women? Ha, ha, ha. Anyone who wants one can have one! I sure don't!