Lu Ze smiled and said, "That depends on what you do, Junior Brother, and how you interpret it."
"Heh, and what if I said I quite like Qingyou Pool? That I enjoy running back and forth to get some exercise?"
Upon hearing this, a cold glint flashed in Lu Ze's eyes, and his expression turned frigid.
Before Lu Ze could do anything, the hot-tempered Zhang Xiu, who had been standing behind him, heard this and charged straight at Zhang Deming.
This time, Lu Ze didn't stop him, merely watching with a detached expression.
For the past ten years, besides farming and Cultivation, Zhang Deming had also been exercising from time to time.
His initial days in the Miscellaneous Affairs Courtyard had been anything but peaceful.
There were hints from above, bullying from his peers, and trouble from the Stewards.
At first, to avoid being beaten and bullied, he had studied the martial arts he learned in his past life on his own.
Although they were originally just for fitness.
But after a few years of hands-on experience in the Miscellaneous Affairs Courtyard, they proved to be somewhat effective. At the very least, he could handle a few people there.
Later, as things calmed down and everything returned to normal, Zhang Deming didn't let his training slide.
Especially after learning Techniques, Zhang Deming was even more diligent, training every day to stay in shape.
So when Zhang Xiu charged, Zhang Deming's expression turned cold as he assumed a standard fighting stance.
His left hand parried, deflecting the incoming punch, while his right fist shot straight for his opponent's nose.
Although it wasn't some profound fighting style, it was more than enough to handle most ordinary Outer Disciples.
But when Zhang Xiu's punch was parried and swept aside by Zhang Deming's left hand, his expression changed.
He instantly raised his own left hand and blocked the fist heading for his face.
'Hm?'
'He blocked it?'
'He knows close combat, and he's quite skilled—even better than me. Is he a specialist in Close Combat Techniques?'
The thought flashed through Zhang Deming's mind as he began to change his moves.
The two moved almost simultaneously. As they crossed paths, Zhang Deming employed a fluid, unorthodox style of kickboxing.
Caught off guard and unfamiliar with this freestyle kickboxing, Zhang Xiu seemed flustered and clumsy at first.
"Senior Brother, isn't he a Spirit Farmer? Why does he know such a strange fighting style?" another one of Lu Ze's followers asked, confused, as he watched Zhang Deming seemingly gain the upper hand against Zhang Xiu.
Lu Ze frowned slightly. "It looks self-taught. I guess he must have picked up a few moves somewhere."
After a moment of flustered defense, Zhang Xiu might have overheard the conversation beside him, and his face flushed with anger.
A faint light flickered around his fists, his aura changing in an instant as he threw another punch at Zhang Deming.
'So he really is a Close Combat specialist. Is that the Basic Boxing Technique?'
Zhang Deming's expression changed as he saw the faintly glowing fists.
Without a second thought, he did a backflip, barely managing to dodge the attack.
At the same time, his hands finished forming a series of seals.
With a cold expression, he casually took out a seed. Countless roots wrapped around his wrist, and in an instant, a green Vine sprouted from his hand.
CRACK...
Before Zhang Xiu could react, the Vine lashed out like a whip, striking his arm.
The immense force of the blow instantly left a bloody welt on his arm.
Seeing this, Zhang Xiu's face contorted with rage. The glow on his fists intensified as he charged at Zhang Deming.
Zhang Deming tossed out several seeds with his left hand. The moment Zhang Xiu charged, Vines erupted from the ground, binding him tightly like a rice dumpling.
The powerful Vines continued to tighten, causing Zhang Xiu's face to turn beet red as veins bulged on his skin.
As a far more versatile and difficult-to-master Technique, the Growth Technique was clearly much stronger than the Basic Boxing Technique.
Everything had happened so fast. From the start of the fight to Zhang Xiu being tied up like a dumpling, less than a minute had passed.
Only when it was all over did the surrounding crowd of onlookers begin to react.
"Holy cow, who is that? Starting a fight right in front of the Dharma Transmission Hall at the slightest disagreement."
"You're so ignorant. The ones on Little Hui Peak who specialize in Close Combat Techniques, don't do daily assigned chores, and only take on individual tasks—there are only a few groups of them."
"Who says they aren't assigned? Where do you think the Law Enforcement Team gets its people?"
"Sigh, the Law Enforcement Team, the Dharma Transmission Hall... that's not really an 'assignment,' is it? After all, can an ordinary person get assigned there? For us folks who are just assigned to muddle through our days, this is our lot in life."
"Yeah, it's not in the cards for us."
"That was the Growth Technique, right? Not a basic Entry-Level Technique?"
"Probably one of the Close Combat guys too. Looks like a control-type combat style."
"I don't think so. I've never seen his face before. Aren't all those Close Combat specialists on Little Hui Peak familiar faces?"
After tying the man up, Zhang Deming ignored the buzzing crowd. He looked down at Zhang Xiu and said, "Senior Brother, attacking a fellow disciple with a Technique without cause is punishable by a period of solitary reflection."
Zhang Xiu's face was flushed and he was struggling to breathe, unable to utter a single word.
The Vine in Zhang Deming's hand swayed, and he considered taking the opportunity to whip him a few more times.
"I didn't see anything else," Lu Ze said suddenly. "But I did see you using the advantage of your Technique to bully a fellow disciple. And the evidence is right here."
"Heh, you think everyone here is blind?" Zhang Deming scoffed.
"Is that so? Then why don't you ask them? Am I wrong?" Lu Ze said confidently.
Zhang Deming's brow furrowed. He looked around and saw everyone avoiding his gaze. Many even turned and left, deciding to go eat rather than get involved in this mess.
"Impressive. Truly impressive, Senior Brother. Calling a deer a horse right in public. I've really seen something new today."
"Haha, you flatter me, Junior Brother."
"Hah. So what if I did bully him?" As Zhang Deming spoke, he put more force into his grip, and the Vines on the ground instantly began to constrict even more tightly.
"Aaargh..."
Zhang Xiu couldn't bear it any longer and let out a pained scream.
Zhang Deming's unpredictable move left Lu Ze momentarily stunned. His face then darkened. "You've got some nerve, Junior Brother."
"If I just swallowed my anger and took it, would you have let the matter drop, Senior Brother?
I don't think so!
I just wanted to live a quiet life, but you, Senior Brother, wouldn't allow it.
Since that's the case, why should I take this abuse?" Zhang Deming said, looking at Lu Ze with a calm expression.
But Lu Ze just smiled. "Is that right? Do you know, for those who cultivate Close Combat Techniques and focus on Combat from the start, aside from not being assigned chores and just taking tasks from the Task Department, what is the one and only other place they're assigned to?"
"Of course, I do. Didn't you make it obvious when you were calling a deer a horse just now? You must have some good connections in the Law Enforcement Team, right, Senior Brother?"
Lu Ze, who had been smiling, looked at the unfazed Zhang Deming and froze for a second. This reaction was completely different from what he'd expected.
'Could it be?'
'Is there some background of his we didn't uncover?'
'Or was something deliberately erased?'
'He's not just an Ordinary Disciple?'
'Did we stumble onto the truth by accident, just like the rumors said? Did he get into Qingyou Pool not by luck, but by some other means?'
'No, that can't be right. If he really had some powerful backer, what kind of idiot would be content to stay in a place like Little Qing Mountain for ten whole years?'
Lu Ze's expression flickered as a thousand thoughts raced through his mind.
Zhang Deming, however, remained silent, locked in the standoff. At the same time, he secretly increased the pressure, causing the Vines to tighten around several of Zhang Xiu's vital points.