Xiang Ri coldly watched the Taekwondo beauty, the numbness in his arm reminding him that had he not reacted quickly, he'd likely be lying on the ground, incapacitated. Since this woman was so ruthless, he wouldn't hold back either.
"You want to play for real? Fine, I'll play along!" As soon as these words left his mouth, Xiang Ri seemed to transform. His body straightened, his eyes sharpened, and an intangible but palpable aura of dominance began to emanate from him.
If earlier he had been a docile lamb, now he was a dangerous wolf.
The composed young man's expression changed drastically. This kind of presence—he'd only felt it from a handful of people, all of whom commanded vast armies. This kid, who at first glance seemed like nothing more than a petty thug, was now exuding an aura that was impossible to ignore. He'd have to interrogate Chuchu carefully later. Just who was her boyfriend?
"Go, Qing Jie! Beat him up! I'm rooting for you!" For some reason, Chuchu felt a bit relieved that the pervert wasn't flattened, but her mouth still refused to show any mercy.
Shi Qing dared not be distracted, fearing her opponent might suddenly launch an attack. She could only smile bitterly in her heart: My dear Chuchu, can't you see how strong your boyfriend is? Yet, a sense of defiance surged within her. So what if I'm not as strong as you? I, Shi Qing, have never feared anyone!
"Come on, I'm waiting!" Xiang Ri teasingly beckoned to the Taekwondo beauty with a finger.
Shi Qing's blood boiled, feeling humiliated. She charged forward with a low kick aimed at his groin. Xiang Ri dodged smoothly, grabbed her arm, and flung her several meters away.
With a loud crash, Shi Qing hit the ground heavily. The spectators cringed. That guy was brutal, treating a beautiful woman like that. Still, some couldn't help but feel a twisted satisfaction, having been beaten by Shi Qing in the past and now witnessing her take a fall.
The female trainees were not having it, though. Qing Jie was their idol, and seeing her bullied stirred them up, almost ready to jump in and avenge her.
In truth, Xiang Ri hadn't used much force. Though the Taekwondo beauty fell hard, she wasn't seriously hurt, perhaps just a little sore.
Rising with determination, Shi Qing quickly regained her composure. From the brief exchange, she had gathered some valuable insights.
In terms of speed, she couldn't match him; as for strength, there was no comparison. The only thing left was technique. She just hoped he wasn't as monstrous in that regard.
Shi Qing launched another sidekick at the man's left temple. Xiang Ri's eyes gleamed—this move again? He raised his left arm to block, only to realize he'd been tricked! The next thing he knew, a gust of wind swept toward his chest. He hurriedly retreated just in time to avoid the blow.
"Well, well, didn't expect you to have a few tricks up your sleeve," Xiang Ri quipped, though his heart grew more cautious.
Shi Qing snorted coldly and continued her assault, ignoring him.
Irritated, Xiang Ri muttered to himself, "I just gave you a compliment, and now you're pushing it. Fine, let me knock you down a peg."
"Too slow! The angle's wrong!"
"Raise your right hand higher. Idiot! What's the point of aiming at the nose? The eyes are the real target."
"Too much force, no follow-up. Your movements are disjointed—you'd be dead by now!"
"Hm, not bad this time. But your strike's too weak. Even if it hits, it's useless."
"Fool! Can't you use your hands too? There you go, that's how you keep your opponent off balance."
"..."
The onlookers were speechless. This wasn't a fight; it was more like a master instructing a disciple. The Taekwondo club's top fighter had been reduced to a punching bag. How pitiful.
Chuchu's gaze lingered on the confident man. They had been classmates for a year, and she thought she knew him well. But now, it seemed she knew nothing at all. Timid? Reclusive? All lies, a façade! How infuriating. She'd thought he would be easy to control, even preparing something special for him. What a waste!
Gao Fei couldn't believe that this kid possessed such strength. Shi Qing, whom he could barely hold his own against, was being toyed with. Thank goodness Xiang Ri hadn't chosen to challenge him earlier—just the thought made him shudder.
"Hey, beauty, if you don't stop soon, I won't have time to keep playing with you," Xiang Ri said, growing impatient. He had been her sparring partner long enough. As beautiful as she was, it was starting to get old.
"If you don't stop, I'm going to hit back... Don't blame me, you're forcing my hand!" Seeing the Taekwondo beauty continue her frenzied attacks, Xiang Ri clenched his fist, measured his strength, and punched her in the abdomen.
"Ugh…" Shi Qing let out a pained groan, her face paling as she collapsed, clutching her stomach.
"Qing Jie!" Her supporters rushed to her side, glaring at the man who clearly didn't know how to show mercy.
"Calm down! I told her to stop, but she didn't listen! Besides, she's not seriously hurt—I barely used any force!" Xiang Ri hastily explained as hostile gazes locked onto him.
"Sisters! Avenge Qing Jie, beat him to a pulp!"
"Yeah, get him!"
"Charge!"
Dealing with one woman was easy, but a group of them? Xiang Ri grew nervous. He couldn't hit them too hard, but if he went too easy, they wouldn't back off. With no other choice, he resorted to throwing them. Any woman who came within a meter of him was promptly grabbed and tossed aside.
Groans of pain filled the air. After a dozen female trainees had been thrown aside, the rest no longer dared to approach.
Xiang Ri felt quite pleased with himself, but he had forgotten about the angry men watching, whose girlfriends, lovers, or crushes had just been thrown like ragdolls. His arrogance had finally sparked a collective outrage.
Under the banner of "ridding the world of evil," a horde of men ignored the president's orders and charged in unison.
Xiang Ri felt his blood surge with excitement—he hadn't encountered such a grand spectacle in ages. The last time he remembered such chaos was three years ago, when he single-handedly chased hundreds of gangsters through three streets. Compared to that, this was nothing to be afraid of!
Instead of retreating, he plunged into the crowd, his iron fists flying in all directions, sending people crashing to the ground, wailing and screaming. What a thrill!
"Qing Jie, are you alright?" Shi Qing stood frozen, watching the chaos unfold, as Chuchu's concerned voice came from behind.
"I'm fine," she replied, her eyes still locked on the figure cutting through the crowd like a whirlwind.
After a while, Shi Qing turned abruptly to Chuchu, "Chuchu, if I asked him to take me as his disciple, do you think he'd agree?"
"What!" Chuchu's mouth fell open in shock. "You're crazy! He just humiliated you!"
"Precisely because he's stronger than me, I must become his disciple!" Shi Qing's eyes shone with determination.
"Hopeless," Chuchu sighed inwardly, knowing her best friend's stubbornness. Once Shi Qing made up her mind, nothing could change it.
Xiang Ri was exhilarated. After just one round of fighting, he had scattered over a hundred people. Yet, his excitement wasn't sated, and he chased down those who tried to flee.
The members of the Judo Club were miserable. They had originally planned to escape, but now they found, to their horror, that the exits had been blocked for fear someone might slip away. With no way out, they could only accept their fate.
Eventually, they realized that Xiang Ri only targeted those who were still standing, so they all played dead on the ground. In the end, aside from Chuchu and the female students, not a single person remained standing.
Xiang Ri was left at a loss. Everyone had already fallen—he couldn't very well drag them up just to beat them again, could he?
"Xiang Kui!" Chuchu called from a distance.
"What do you want?" Xiang Ri responded irritably, walking over. This whole mess had been her doing.
Chuchu pouted and didn't answer, but Shi Qing, standing beside her, bowed deeply to Xiang Ri. "Thank you for showing mercy."
"You're welcome," Xiang Ri replied nonchalantly.
"May I ask... would you accept me as your disciple?" Shi Qing bent forward again, her manner earnest.
"Disciple?" Xiang Ri's eyes widened, and from his vantage point, he couldn't help but notice the generous view of the Taekwondo beauty's chest.
"You really want to be my disciple?" Xiang Ri swallowed hard.
"Please, accept me!" Shi Qing's gaze was unwavering.
"Then you'll have to listen to me," Xiang Ri's mind drifted toward less than noble thoughts.
"Yes!" Shi Qing, oblivious to the potential implications, assumed listening meant helping with small tasks for her teacher.
"Heavens! You're really agreeing? Do you even know how perverted he is? What if he asks you to..." Chuchu interjected, feeling uneasy about her friend becoming someone's disciple, as if something precious was being taken away.
"Mind your own business! Stay out of this!" Xiang Ri snorted, then turned to the Taekwondo beauty. "Alright, since that's the case, I agree. From this moment on, you're my first disciple."
"Yes, teacher!" Shi Qing exhaled in relief, having worried he might refuse.
"Good! To test your determination, tonight... uh, you'll stay at my place for the night!"