There's an Expert, but Just How High Does He Stand?

At that moment, the Shanhai Martial Arts School's sign had been torn down and trampled to pieces. The school's courtyard was a complete mess.

A crowd had gathered in the school's main hall. They all wore martial arts uniforms bearing different characters, each representing a different school.

Qin Chen made his way into the crowd. No one noticed him, and he said nothing, merely standing there and watching the two groups surrounded by the crowd.

One group wore uniforms bearing the characters for Shanhai. They were members of the Shanhai Martial Arts School, but the person leading them now was not its master, Wang Shanhai. Instead, it was Qin Chen's classmate and friend, Wang Hai.

Wang Hai's face was ashen, and his clothes were disheveled. He looked as though he had just taken a beating.

The other group's uniforms bore the characters for Dragon Tiger. Qin Chen didn't remember any school by that name on this street. Clearly, these people had come from Yang City.

Their leader was a middle-aged man with a bushy beard and a square face. He wore an imposing expression as he looked down at Wang Hai's group.

"Shanhai Martial Arts School, did they send you out to call the shots today? Is this all the most prosperous martial arts school in Rongcheng amounts to?" the square-faced man asked Wang Hai coldly.

"And you people from all these schools-there isn't a single one of you who can fight. What a disappointment!" He swept his gaze over the onlookers and spoke without the slightest courtesy.

At once, the people from the various schools were angry but dared not speak.

Their schools had all been challenged. They had originally come here today to discuss matters together, but when they arrived, the other side gave them no face at all. They had struck Wang Hai of the Shanhai Martial Arts School first, giving everyone a show of force before sitting down.

"Tian Hu, you've already challenged our school, and my dad is still bedridden from the beating you gave him. We haven't tried to stop you from opening a school, so what more do you want?" Wang Hai asked the square-faced man, his expression grim.

Qin Chen watched Wang Hai from the crowd and saw that he had changed a great deal. As he spoke, the Shanhai Martial Arts School's disciples seemed to accept his leadership.

"I told you long ago. Call Qin Chen here, then transfer your Shanhai Martial Arts School to my Dragon Tiger Martial Arts School. It's that simple," Tian Hu said mildly.

"You..." Wang Hai's face turned ashen.

Many people had already seen through the other side's objective.

Ever since Qin Chen had lent his name to the Shanhai Martial Arts School, business had boomed, with people signing up to learn almost every day. So they wanted to bring Qin Chen here and defeat him to make a name for themselves.

They also wanted to rename the Shanhai Martial Arts School the Dragon Tiger Martial Arts School. That way, they would gain both fame and the existing premises, killing two birds with one stone.

But how could Wang Hai possibly send for Qin Chen just for this? Besides, Qin Chen was still at the training camp, and Wang Hai didn't want this matter to affect him.

Even if Qin Chen came, he couldn't resolve it. After all, Tian Hu was already a Three-Star Martial Artist.

"It seems you're still unwilling." Tian Hu looked at Wang Hai. "That's fine. For every day you refuse, I'll keep challenging your school, until he comes. And every other school on this street will be challenged daily too, because he hasn't come!"

"Tian Hu, you've gone too far!"

Hearing Tian Hu's words, the people from the other schools around them couldn't help shouting in anger.

Tian Hu glanced at them. "If you open a martial arts school, you have to be prepared for challenges. How have I gone too far? If you're not strong enough, don't open a school. It's that simple!"

"You..." Everyone's expressions darkened.

"What? Are you going to come at me together? Do you dare?" Tian Hu smiled, utterly unconcerned by their anger.

If they all swarmed him, he might not be their match. But then none of them could expect to keep their schools open afterward.

Martial arts schools had their own rules. Challenges were normal, but for people from different schools to gang up on a challenger would break those rules.

"I'll call him!" Just then, Wang Hai took out his phone.

"Xiao Hai!"

A voice suddenly came from a room at the back of the hall. Immediately afterward, a Shanhai Martial Arts School disciple helped a man walk out.

"Dad!" When Wang Hai saw the man, he hurried forward to support him.

There was no color in Wang Shanhai's face.

"Xiao Hai, don't call. If you bring Xiao Chen here, you'll be falling right into his trap. At worst, we'll close the school!" Wang Shanhai coughed a few times and spoke weakly.

"Dad, I'm calling Qin Chen, but not to get him to solve the problem. I want to tell him we won't use his name anymore."

Now that things had come to this, it no longer mattered whether the Shanhai Martial Arts School could stay open. He didn't want to drag every school on the street down with them.

"If we close the school, naturally we won't be using his name anymore!" Wang Shanhai said, shaking his head.

"How can that be allowed?"

A voice suddenly rang out.

Wang Hai's expression changed. "Then what do you wan-"

Before he finished speaking, he realized something was wrong. He turned and saw Qin Chen emerge from the crowd.

"Qin Chen!" He was startled.

Everyone looked at Qin Chen in surprise.

"He's Qin Chen?"

"The Two-Star Martial Artist who isn't even eighteen yet, the number one genius in Rongcheng."

Qin Chen's sudden appearance took everyone by surprise.

"Why are you here?" Wang Hai asked quietly, anxiety written on his face.

Now that Qin Chen had suddenly appeared, it would probably be hard for today's affair to blow over easily.

Qin Chen smiled. "You were the one who said you'd use my name, and now you're the one saying you won't. Have you considered what I, the person concerned, think about it?"

"Stop fooling around!" Wang Hai said sternly.

"You're Qin Chen?"

At that moment, Tian Hu spoke.

"What? Don't I look like him?" Qin Chen turned, then glanced at the information about the Shanhai Martial Arts School's members on the wall of the hall. His portrait, like Wang Shanhai's, was in the first row, easy to see at a glance.

Tian Hu glanced at it too and nodded. "You do. You really are a fine-looking young man!"

"But to think a genius like you would lend his name to such a garbage school."

As he spoke, he shook his head.

"Tian Hu, what exactly do you want?" Seeing that Tian Hu wouldn't let the matter rest, Wang Hai asked angrily.

Tian Hu ignored him entirely and continued looking at Qin Chen. "When I originally came here to open a martial arts school, I wanted to recruit you into mine. But after giving it some thought, I decided defeating you would make a bigger splash!"

Recruiting Qin Chen would naturally bring business to his school, but once word of him defeating Qin Chen got out, probably even more people would come.

"How are you going to defeat me?" Qin Chen asked, looking completely at ease.

Tian Hu smiled. "I know some important people in Rongcheng value you. But now, as a martial arts school master, I'm challenging you in your capacity as a martial instructor who has lent his name to this school. I imagine that even if I injure you, no one will have anything to say about it."

"Are you ready-"

Before he could finish, his pupils suddenly contracted. Qin Chen vanished from where he stood and charged at him.

"You're courting death!" Tian Hu snorted coldly, abruptly stepped forward, and sent a punch hurtling toward Qin Chen's chest.

Yet in the next instant, a hand seized his fist in a vise-like grip.

A powerful force traveled up his arm. He hurriedly clenched his other hand into a fist, but before he could throw a punch, a sharp crack rang out-the sound of his wrist bones breaking.

"Ah!" Tian Hu screamed. With one hand held in Qin Chen's grip, he couldn't help dropping to his knees.

"Master of the Dragon Tiger Martial Arts School, how are you going to defeat me?" Qin Chen asked the same question again.

Tian Hu's face was deathly pale, and he couldn't speak at all. Qin Chen continued, "I hear the Dragon Tiger Martial Arts School stands unchallenged in Yang City. As it happens, I'll be going there in a couple of days. When I do, I'll come by and ask for some pointers."

"You... you'll regret it if you go!" Tian Hu managed to say.

"So there's an expert there. I wonder just how high he stands?"

With that, Qin Chen kicked out.

Bang!

Tian Hu's body flew straight out of the hall and crashed to the ground like a dead dog.

"Why aren't you scramming yet?!" Qin Chen looked coldly at the other Dragon Tiger Martial Arts School disciples.

The men trembled all over and hurried out of the hall. After picking Tian Hu up, they ran out through the school gates without daring to linger for a moment.