Chapter 13: Test
Chapter 13: Chapter 13: Test
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.
"Come in."
Fang Chen pushed the door open and walked in.
Though called a private room, the interior was incredibly spacious, comparable in size to a classroom. A single office desk sat by the window at the very back, occupied by a man in his forties wearing a suit. His solid muscles stretched the fabric of his suit taut, and his sharp gaze suggested he was also a trained fighter. Standing across the desk were four other men, their muscles bulging as they constantly stretched their necks and shoulders.
Fang Chen approached the desk and spoke in a calm tone. "Hello, Manager Wang. I’m here to apply as a fighter."
Wang Xian lifted his eyelids and glanced at him. "A student, right?"
"Yes," Fang Chen replied.
Wang Xian pushed a glass half-filled with water toward him. "You reached the True Martial Realm at such a young age? Come, use your True Qi to boil this water."
"Alright."
Fang Chen picked up the glass with one hand. With a shift of his thoughts, True Qi surged from his Dantian and flowed straight through his meridians into his palm. A warm sensation emanated from his hand. As he continuously circulated his True Qi, the water in the glass quickly began to steam, emitting a soft HISS before coming to a complete boil shortly after.
Wang Xian checked his watch, a hint of surprise flashing across his face. "Thirty-two seconds. Not bad, kid. Your True Qi is quite robust." He nodded, acknowledging Fang Chen’s basic qualifications. "However, the process still requires a combat test," he said, pointing at the men behind Fang Chen. "The few of you are all here to apply today. Although our club doesn’t host major tournaments, we still have to ensure our customers are thoroughly entertained, so we don’t just take anyone."
Hearing this, the other men flexed their muscles even harder, trying to look as tough as possible.
Wang Xian ignored their posturing and addressed the group. "I will arrange for our club’s Martial Artist to spar with you as an entrance test. Only by passing can you become an official fighter and be scheduled for matches.
"Before you fight, I’ll clarify some procedures so you don’t fight for nothing and end up unable to join." He paused, sweeping his gaze over the crowd. Seeing that no one spoke, he continued, "Actually, the most controversial part is that once selected, you must pay a ten thousand yuan deposit."
Fang Chen and the others revealed confused expressions. Someone couldn’t help but ask, "Manager Wang, why do we have to pay? We’re here to make money. Why are we paying before we even fight?"
"Yeah!" another person chimed in.
Wang Xian pressed his hands down in a calming gesture, signaling them to be quiet. "This deposit is to maintain the stability of the matches. It prevents a situation where you’re scheduled to fight, your opponent arrives, but you don’t show up, which ruins the audience’s mood. Rest assured, the deposit is refundable. Our club has always done things fairly.
"Of course, the rewards are also high," he said, shifting his tone to offer an incentive. "For a True Martial Realm match, the base prize for winning one round is twenty thousand yuan. You’ll make it back in just one fight, and your value will continuously rise as your rank increases."
Hearing this, Fang Chen felt there was no reason to lie about this; otherwise, the club wouldn’t attract so many Martial Artists. He put down his backpack and took out a cloth bundle from a small inner compartment, which contained the twenty thousand yuan his Fourth Aunt had given him. He had carried it with him, originally intending to try his luck at a casino, but ultimately decided that underground boxing was a safer bet.
"Manager Wang, here is ten thousand yuan. Please verify it." Fang Chen placed the money on the desk, his tone polite.
Wang Xian nodded slightly at his decisive action but gently pushed the money back. "Defeat our Martial Artist first. It won’t be too late to pay after that."
"Alright, understood." Fang Chen took the money back.
Seeing this, the other men also nodded in agreement, expressing their willingness to pay the deposit.
A moment later, the door was pushed open, and a man walked in briskly. He was around thirty years old and only about 1.6 meters tall. With dark skin and lean but unexaggerated muscles, he looked incredibly ordinary, forming a stark contrast with the muscular giants in the room. He walked straight to Wang Xian’s desk and cupped his fists. "Mr. Wang."
Wang Xian introduced him to the crowd. "This is our club’s Martial Artist, Zhong Bao. He is also a Martial Artist at the True Martial Realm. Your test later will be fighting him."
Zhong Bao turned around and gave a simple cupped-fist salute to Fang Chen and the other four men.
At this moment, the applicant who was nearly 1.9 meters tall, heavily built, and sporting a full beard spoke up, his voice booming like a bell. "Manager Wang, are the five of us going to take turns fighting him?"
"That’s right," Wang Xian replied.
The bearded giant grinned. "Heh, then we’re getting off easy. Wouldn’t the fifth person to fight have the biggest advantage?" He patted his chest, looking quite confident. "Don’t worry, I, Li Jun, don’t take advantage of others! If I win because my opponent is exhausted or injured, it’s a hollow victory! I’ll take the test first!"
Wang Xian chuckled at his words. "Don’t underestimate him. Although Zhong Bao is at the Mid-Stage True Martial Realm, many experts at the Late Stage of True Martial Realm might not even gain the upper hand against him." His gaze swept over the applicants, including Fang Chen. "I’m worried that you guys might not even make him sweat. The test requirements aren’t high; you aren’t expected to win. As long as you can last thirty seconds against him without going down, you pass."
Li Jun remained unconcerned. "Heh, Manager Wang, just wait and see! I’ve never lost a fight in my life!" He turned to Zhong Bao and cupped his fists. "Master Zhong, please!"
Zhong Bao calmly returned the salute. "Please."
The two of them took their positions in the center of the room. The space was large enough, clearly indicating it was frequently used as a sparring arena.
Seeing that both sides were ready, Wang Xian gave the order. "Begin!"
Following the rules, the two tapped their left and right fists together three times, signaling the official start of the bout.
Despite his big talk, Li Jun appeared very cautious in actual combat. Instead of attacking rashly, he kept moving his feet, circling Zhong Bao to probe for openings. In contrast, Zhong Bao barely moved from his spot. He lightly shifted his center of gravity to match Li Jun’s movements, his eyes as sharp as a leopard about to pounce.
Fang Chen observed carefully from the sidelines, judging that the winner would be decided within five moves.
In the arena, Li Jun made the first move. He stepped forward and launched a straight punch at his opponent’s face. His Fist Wind howled, carrying terrifying momentum.
Zhong Bao did not dodge or evade; he simply raised his forearm and firmly blocked the strike.
Li Jun seemed to have expected this. The moment his punch was blocked, his right elbow swept horizontally, aiming straight for Zhong Bao’s temple!
However, Fang Chen’s eyes narrowed slightly. No, both of those were feints. The real Killing Technique was in his legs!
Sure enough, using the elbow strike as cover, Li Jun viciously drove his left knee up, aiming straight for the opening in Zhong Bao’s chest and abdomen!
It was as if Zhong Bao had seen through it all along. Before Li Jun’s elbow could connect, he lowered his head and sank his body, narrowly evading the strike. At the same time, his elbows clamped down like iron gates, forcefully blocking the knee strike.
But right at the moment Zhong Bao’s posture was at its lowest, Li Jun actually changed his move again! Relying on his powerful core strength, he violently leaned his upper body forward, slamming his forehead down like a heavy hammer toward Zhong Bao’s face!
A headbutt!