Qin Changqing?!
This name was utterly alien to everyone present. Not a single soul had ever caught wind of it before.
Hu Hai cast his gaze upon Qin Xuan's impassive countenance and felt a twinge of unease in his heart. Initially, he'd dismissed the lad as an ordinary student, hardly worth a second glance. But now, as he beheld the young man saunter in with such an air of nonchalance, a realization dawned on him.
Could an average student really have bested Zhao Mingyu?
Zhao Mingyu's prowess was there for all to see. Among the dojo trainees, he ranked squarely in the upper echelons. If this youngster could inflict such grievous harm on Zhao Mingyu, there was no way he could be just an ordinary Joe.
Most of the surrounding trainees seethed with anger towards Qin Xuan. A handful, with a bit more discernment, sensed something extraordinary about him but didn't give it much thought. After all, this was the Han Feng Dojo, their turf. What kind of ruckus could a student possibly stir up?
"What's Qin Xuan babbling about?" Outside, some students exchanged puzzled glances. Too far removed from Qin Xuan to make out his words, they could only catch a distant glimpse of his silhouette.
"Maybe he's introducing himself before the throwdown, like in those martial arts shows!" someone ventured a guess.
Under the collective scrutiny of all present, Qin Xuan calmly swept his eyes across the scene. In the inky depths of his pupils, a flicker of fury danced.
"Who snatched the Buddhist scriptures?"
Qin Xuan's voice, though soft, cut through the air. Among the throng, Gao Tian and Zhao Yujun's expressions twitched ever so slightly.
Without missing a beat, the two strutted forward, wearing smug grins that reeked of arrogance. "Kid, we nabbed 'em. What are you gonna do about it?"
"We never figured you'd be this dense. A little goading, and you come running like a lamb to the slaughter?"
Their taunts set off a peal of laughter among the crowd. The surrounding trainees sprang into action, quickly forming a semicircle that hemmed Qin Xuan in.
Over thirty of them, decked out in taekwondo garb, presented a formidable front, like a wall of bronze and iron. The sheer intimidation had the onlookers from afar quaking in their boots, faces blanching.
Qin Xuan's coal-black eyes narrowed, zeroing in on Gao Tian and Zhao Yujun.
In the blink of an eye, he sprang into motion. A blur streaked through the air, and before anyone could blink, he materialized right in front of the duo.
His fingers curled like talons, clenching together with a series of sharp cracks. Then, Qin Xuan's fist hurtled forward, slamming into Gao Tian's chest with the force of a freight train.
Crack!
The sound of shattering bone rang out, reverberating through the dojo like a clap of thunder, echoing and refusing to die down.
Gao Tian's body was sent hurtling backward, a human cannonball. Trainees behind him, caught off guard, were bowled over like tenpins.
Blood gushed from Gao Tian's mouth, painting a vivid crimson arc in the air before spattering the ground.
That punch was lightning-fast!
The surrounding trainees were still slack-jawed in shock. By the time they snapped out of it and lunged forward, it was too late.
Bang!
Another deafening boom. Qin Xuan's fist found its mark on Zhao Yujun's chest, dead center.
Qin Xuan's face remained an emotionless mask. His fists were like hammers of iron. With each blow, a figure would go flying, coughing up blood. Each step he took left a trail of bruised and battered bodies.
The students watching from afar were rooted to the spot, mouths agape. Gazing at the seemingly unstoppable Qin Xuan, their faces morphed from disbelief to sheer astonishment.
One man, taking on over thirty of the Han Feng Dojo's finest and turning the tables on them... Was he even human?
They'd never witnessed anything like it. It was as if a legendary martial arts master from ancient times had come to life, invincible and untouchable.
Bang!
Another punch landed, and a trainee from the Han Feng Dojo was sent reeling, blood spraying from his lips.
The remaining handful of trainees were visibly trembling, eyes wide with horror as they stared at Qin Xuan, unable to fathom what they were seeing.
The floor was littered with writhing bodies, the blood pooling and staining the ground a nightmarish shade of red, as if the very gates of hell had opened up.
He was a force of nature!
Even the three coaches, for all their skills, might have buckled under the weight of such a coordinated assault.
And yet, this lone young man had single-handedly decimated the dojo's trainees.
Qin Xuan pressed on, his gaze shifting ever so slightly to land on Hu Hai and Qian Bai Song.
"Aren't you going to make a move?"
Hu Hai's expression hardened, his eyes locked on Qin Xuan. The young man's strength was off the charts, far beyond anything he'd anticipated. A shiver of fear coursed through him, and his heart skipped a beat.
"Qin Changqing, you've gone too far!" Hu Hai sucked in a deep breath. Glancing at the chaos of fallen trainees, a fire of rage kindled in his eyes.
These trainees were his pride and joy, the fruits of his labor. To see them cut down so easily was a bitter pill to swallow.
Hu Hai coiled his muscles and launched himself into the air, a human hawk. His legs whipped downward with a vengeance, splitting the air with a sharp hiss.
The spectators in the distance gasped in unison. He Yu's face drained of color, and she clutched Xiao Wu's sleeve as if it were a lifeline.
This was a coach from the Han Feng Dojo, a veteran of the provincial martial arts circuit. Could Qin Xuan hold his own against such a foe?
Facing Hu Hai's blistering attack, Qin Xuan merely smirked and uttered four words, his voice dripping with disdain.
"Nothing to write home about."
His body tensed, a coiled spring ready to unleash. As Hu Hai's foot descended, Qin Xuan's arm snapped upward like a piston, colliding with the descending limb.
The impact was like a thunderclap. In the stunned silence that followed, Hu Hai's form froze in mid-air.
Everyone held their breath, time itself seeming to grind to a halt.
Qin Xuan's lips curled into a knowing smile. Hu Hai crashed to the ground, his legs wobbling like jelly, beads of sweat popping up on his forehead.
Crack!
A bone-splitting sound pierced the stillness, echoing throughout the dojo.
Qian Bai Song and the trainees' eyes widened in shock. Hu Hai let out a gut-wrenching scream. His body crumpled to the side, writhing in agony, drenched in a cold sweat.
"That punch shattered Hu Hai's leg bone!"
Qian Bai Song's eyes glinted with a mix of shock and begrudging respect. When fist met foot, the odds were usually stacked against the fist. But here, it was Hu Hai's leg that had given way. What kind of brute force was required for that?
Even Li Xisheng, the aloof champion, couldn't help but furrow his brow at this display.
"I never thought I'd see such a talent in China." A glimmer of interest flashed in Li Xisheng's eyes.
Qian Bai Song plastered on a fake smile and stepped forward, slowly and deliberately. "Young fella, why so hot-headed? You've insulted taekwondo, and now you've roughed up so many. A simple apology wouldn't kill you. Let's keep things civil, shall we?"
Qin Xuan's gaze slid over Qian Bai Song like ice, his voice cold and unyielding. "You expect me to apologize? You're not worthy."
The words hit like a slap in the face. Anger flared in the eyes of both Qian Bai Song and Li Xisheng.
Qian Bai Song's eyes darkened to a sinister shade, his lips twisting into a menacing grin.
"Fine. You asked for it. Don't blame me for snapping your bones one by one."
With a guttural laugh, Qian Bai Song pounced. If Hu Hai was a hawk, Qian Bai Song was a venomous snake slithering through the grass.
His footwork was a maddening blur, impossibly quick. In the blink of an eye, he was behind Qin Xuan, one leg hoisted high like a guillotine, ready to strike.
Qin Xuan's eyes twinkled with amusement. With a deft shuffle of his feet, he sidestepped the lethal blow.
When Qian Bai Song's foot came crashing down, it met nothing but air. In his horrified gaze, Qin Xuan's form dissipated like a mirage.
It was a residual image!
How old was this kid? To have mastered such a technique at his age was unthinkable.
Before Qian Bai Song could process the shock, a searing pain ripped through his back. He let out a blood-curdling scream and pitched forward, helpless.
Qin Xuan's fists rained down on him like a hailstorm, each blow finding its mark. The sickening crunch of breaking bones filled the air. In the end, Qian Bai Song was a broken heap on the ground.
Qin Xuan withdrew his fists, not sparing the fallen man a second glance. His eyes bored into Li Xisheng, cold and unflinching.
At this moment, Li Xisheng finally deigned to stand up. He towered over the scene, his body as straight as a ramrod, his eyes narrowed, gauging Qin Xuan.
"I had it in my head that Chinese martial arts were on the wane. Little did I expect to find such a gem right here in Jing Shui City." Li Xisheng's voice was as cold as the Arctic, but a flicker of excitement danced in his eyes. "It's been years since I had a worthy foe. Let's see if you can last a few rounds with me."
Qin Xuan's face betrayed a hint of incredulity. He stared at Li Xisheng and shook his head, a sigh escaping his lips.
"With your meager skills, you think you can pass judgment on China?
"A frog in a well. In this vast land of China, masters are as common as stars in the sky. You're not even worthy of their notice.
"An opponent? You think you're fit to be my Qin Changqing's opponent?"
Each barb struck home, and Li Xisheng's face grew darker and darker, until it was as black as pitch.
"Chinese martial arts have sunk to this low because of fools like you. Taekwondo reigns supreme over the hundreds of Chinese martial arts. Today, I'll show you what true taekwondo is all about!" Li Xisheng took a step forward, his footfalls like thunder, his aura swelling like a storm about to break.
Qin Xuan shoved his hands in his pockets, a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth.
Taekwondo?
This upstart art, thinking it could lord it over the rest. What a joke. With Li Xisheng's strength, he was only at the half-step inner strength level. Forget about Mo Zhengfeng he'd encountered before, even Mo Qinglian was leagues ahead.
And yet, he had the gall to claim taekwondo was above the hundreds of Chinese martial arts.
Qin Xuan heaved a silent sigh. Looking at Li Xisheng, he spat out two words, his voice laced with contempt.
"Idiot."