Li Qingshan spoke lightly, and Manager Zhou was stunned for a moment before unconsciously turning to lead the way.
After only two steps, Cao Shaoyu's excited shout rang out.
"Awesome! A spar! If you don't accept it, fight! That's what martial arts are!"
Little Fatty clenched his fists and cheered loudly.
Wait, what am I doing?
The thought flashed through his mind, and Manager Zhou suddenly stopped in his tracks, finally coming to his senses.
He turned around to face Li Qingshan, his eyes gradually widening.
"You're also Body Tempering Third Level?"
Other than that, he truly could not think of any reason why Li Qingshan would take the initiative to come knocking.
"No." Li Qingshan shook his head.
"Brother Shan, are you really going to spar with Yu Zhuo?"
Zhao Hongzhou spoke in a muffled voice, his brows slightly furrowed.
He knew Li Qingshan's strength best. Forget Body Tempering Third Level—he had not even reached Body Tempering Second Level yet!
"Don't worry. Realm doesn't represent combat strength." Li Qingshan lightly patted Zhao Hongzhou's shoulder.
Zhao Hongzhou nodded and said no more.
Though he did not really understand, he trusted Li Qingshan.
Manager Zhou, however, was not feeling nearly as good. He was so anxious he nearly stamped his feet.
"Li Qingshan, the gap in speed and punching power is huge. You can't even take one of his punches—how are you supposed to fight?"
Yu Zhuo had always been domineering. Now Li Qingshan was delivering himself right to the man's door—wasn't that just asking for a beating?
"If I don't go looking for him, will he stop coming to cause me trouble?"
Li Qingshan asked calmly. Then he lightly raised the chopping knife in his right hand and gestured.
"Manager Zhou, lead the way!"
"You... sigh!"
The Bald Middle-Aged Man wiped the sweat from his forehead and turned to lead them onward.
The best solution, really, was to simply refund Cao Shaoyu and send him away.
But Li Qingshan had clearly set his heart on taking this job.
Gym, third floor.
The hall was filled with all kinds of equipment, and city men and women fresh off work were sweating it out.
Beside it, in a small glass-partitioned room, more than a dozen women in yoga clothes struck various poses.
Yu Zhuo stood with his hands behind his back, pacing among them and occasionally offering "guidance."
Amid the constant peals of feminine laughter, Yu Zhuo was full of pride.
Body Tempering Third Level was nothing remarkable in class, but here at the gym, he was a genuine expert.
Not only was the work easy and the pay good, but no one else in the gym dared casually stroke his tiger's whiskers.
"Brother Yu, someone stole your client!" A male trainer came panting to the doorway.
Yu Zhuo frowned and said in a deep voice,
"What happened? Who dares steal my client?"
"It's someone named Li Qingshan. He seems to be First in the new intake of this year's Martial Arts Class."
"Li Qingshan?" Yu Zhuo was somewhat surprised.
He had heard Li Qingshan's name before.
More precisely, after the Placement Test, the names at the top of the rankings had made their way to the second- and third-years.
But none of the upperclassmen cared.
After all, they had gone through it themselves. Whether these newcomers could remain by their second year was another matter entirely.
Yu Zhuo had not expected that an insignificant junior would dare to push his way onto his turf.
"Not only did he steal your client, that Little Fatty Cao Shaoyu is even offering him a 2,000 class fee!"
Several more trainers gathered at the door, all talking over one another.
"Exactly! Brother Yu only gets 1,000, yet a newcomer dares take 2,000? Isn't he afraid it'll burn his hands?"
"This Li Qingshan is clearly slapping Brother Yu in the face!"
"Interesting..."
A savage smile curled across Yu Zhuo's lips. He flexed his fingers, and his knuckles cracked.
"Looks like the title of First in the new intake has gone to this junior's head."
"Perfect. Let this senior help him clear his head."
"Oh? Looks like the rumors were wrong. They've unfairly tarnished Senior's reputation."
A light laugh rang out as a group of four entered from outside the hall.
The trainers at the entrance stared in stunned silence and voluntarily made way.
They had rushed up to deliver the news and never imagined Li Qingshan would actually dare to come to him himself.
"I heard Senior Yu Zhuo was domineering before. Who knew he was actually so enthusiastic?"
At the request of our readers, we now offer an ad-free VIP membership feature
Click to view
Li Qingshan stood at the doorway with a smile on his lips.
The moment his words fell, everyone around them shuddered inwardly and exchanged looks.
Everyone in the gym knew full well how domineering Yu Zhuo was, but Li Qingshan was the first to say it to his face!
Several trainers secretly glanced at Li Qingshan, their eyes carrying a trace of admiration.
No matter how strong he was, at least this "First in the new intake" had guts!
Beside him, Manager Zhou's face had turned red, sweat beads covering his bald head.
His eyes twitched as he frantically winked at Li Qingshan.
Was there any need for this?
It would have been one thing to say it in private, but you had to go all out right in his face? Weren't you afraid of being beaten to death later?
"Li Qingshan, you actually dared to come to me yourself?"
Yu Zhuo laughed in extreme anger and waved for the women doing yoga around him to move away.
More than a dozen women immediately stopped what they were doing and skillfully gathered to one side, their eyes shining.
This was not the first time something like this had happened. They were about to watch Coach Yu show off his power again.
"First in the new intake?"
Yu Zhuo let out a scornful laugh, his gaze suddenly turning fierce as he stared at Li Qingshan.
"You're only Body Tempering First Level. Who gave you the nerve to provoke me?"
"Or do you think the title of 'First in the new intake' is enough to let you defeat the strong while weak?"
"Wrong. I have never believed that 'the weak defeating the strong' truly exists."
Li Qingshan interrupted him and said seriously,
"And you've gotten the relationship between strength and weakness backward."
"Between you and me, you are weak, and I am strong!"
The moment those words came out, everyone's expressions turned strange.
Body Tempering First Level: speed of 11 meters per second, punching power of 250 kilograms.
Body Tempering Third Level: speed of 15 meters per second, punching power of 500 kilograms.
With such a massive gap, how did Li Qingshan dare claim he was stronger than Yu Zhuo?
"So he's a Madman!"
Yu Zhuo smiled disdainfully and flexed his fingers, his knuckles cracking.
"Then let's try it in the ring. Let me see exactly where you're stronger than me."
"It's only one slash. There's no need to make it so troublesome."
Li Qingshan gently shook his head, drew his chopping knife, and asked politely,
"Senior, are you ready?"
"You're courting death!"
Yu Zhuo flew into a rage. His right foot kicked off the ground, and he lunged forward, his violent aura like a fierce tiger bursting from its cage.
Li Qingshan stood where he was without taking a single step.
"Scared stupid?"
The thought flashed through Yu Zhuo's mind. A savage smile formed on his lips as he clenched his right hand into a fist.
The distance of more than ten meters vanished in an instant, and his heavy punch crashed down.
His fist struck nothing but air, throwing his body off balance as well.
"Where is he?"
Yu Zhuo stared blankly at the empty space before him, his eyes full of confusion.
It had not even been a second. How could his opponent have vanished from right in front of him?
Just then,
he suddenly noticed that the trainers and Manager Zhou watching ahead of him had all widened their eyes and were staring at him in disbelief.
"They're looking at me?... No, Li Qingshan is behind me!"
Yu Zhuo reacted quickly and was just about to turn around.
Splat!
A piercing blade wind swept past, tearing through his crotch.
Yu Zhuo instantly felt a chill between his legs. His knees went weak, and he dropped to the ground.
Though the blade wind had vanished in a flash, the coldness of that instant was like a bone-piercing gale that bored in through his pores and scraped all the way to his heart.
Yu Zhuo's hair stood on end. His entire body trembled, and his lips quivered.
Just a little closer, and he would have become a eunuch from an ancient dynasty!
Just a little closer!
"Phew! Good thing it was just a little close!"
Li Qingshan let out a long breath, sheathed his chopping knife, and said apologetically,
"Sorry, Senior. It was force of habit. I nearly failed to stop my hand."
Before you continue