{Zhen Li POV}
I tilted my head to the left, leaving my opponent punching air. Taking the opportunity, I stepped into his guard and let loose a straight punch to his gut.
"Geh." His body curled forward like a shrimp at the strike.
Stepping back, I raised my leg until my sole faced the ceiling and then dropped it upon his head.
"AHH!"
The boy in similar martial arts gear as me slammed face-first into the ground. Although I did not reinforce my movements with blood qi, the force was still enough for his face to bounce off the floor.
I raised my fist to continue the assault before I heard a loud voice chime in, causing me to halt the finishing blow.
"ENOUGH! Zhen Li wins!" Shouted Instructor Yao, standing to the side with his perpetual scowl.
I lowered my stance and stood opposite my "opponent" lying on the ground. Shakily he stood up in a daze.
I bowed slightly, and seeing my actions, he attempted to mimic it but stumbled and almost fell before Instructor Yao caught him. The instructor grabbed his face and looked into his eyes for a second before shaking his head.
"Tsk. Bao, go to the clinic and rest at home for the next three days." Instuctor Yao let go of the boy.
"Instruct-"
"Go. Now." Instructor Yao interrupted his slurred speech, and after giving the boy a fierce glare, the boy ran off with his tail between his legs.
After ensuring the trainee had followed his instructions, the instructor's glare turned towards me.
"Li, why is it every time I pair you with someone other than Song Chu, they always need to go to the clinic afterward?" Instructor Yao asked me with his arms crossed and his finger tapping against his biceps.
'Because other than that idiot Song Chu, everyone here is too weak,' I thought privately.
Forcing my face into an apologetic mask, I cupped my fist and bowed towards him.
"My apologies, Instructor Yao. I thought that Junior Brother Bao would have been able to block in time. I will reflect on my actions." I spoke with a tone that expressed utmost sincerity. It would have fooled almost anyone.
Not Instructor Yao. Not this time.
"You always seem to be 'apologizing' or 'reflecting,' but you then proceed to do the same thing. I am starting to think that Song Chu's nickname for you is correct." Instructor Yao said with an irritating voice.
It took effort to keep my face neutral and not to say anything. I simply stayed bowed and waited for the man to finish his lecture. Suprisingly, it ended there.
"Song Chu!" Instructor Yao called out.
Looking up, I saw that Song Chu had finished his opponent as well, though less decisively than me, considering his opponent was able to give a proper bow.
Hearing the instructor, Song Chu ran over like a dog wagging his tail.
"Yes, Instructor Yao!" he answered respectfully.
"Song Chu, it's your turn to spar with Zhen Li. Do not break my Martial Hall this time." Instructor Yao glared at both of us, giving off an aura unique to masters that caused both of our blood qi to surge disobediently, causing both of our faces to pale. There was an overwhelming feeling of my body feeling cold, as I was drained of all my blood and thrown into a snowstorm.
"Am I understood?" While the man did not yell, his order felt as though it was being etched on our bodies.
"Yes, Instructor Yao!" "Yes, Instructor Yao!" We both shouted.
"Good, just spar with each other for the rest of the day." The feeling of pressure faded immediately. He turned and left to supervise another spar.
Taking another breath, I brought my blood qi back under control, and I could feel the chill leaving my body.
'This old man! Just because you started training before me, you think you can talk to me any kind of way? By the time I'm your age, I'll be a grandmaster; then we will see what you have to say then.'
"Careful, fake nice guy. Your thoughts are leaking out on your face." Song Chu took the opportunity to mock me.
I wanted to curse him, but he was right. I forced my gaze to soften, my brows to unfurrow, and my fist to unclench. I then looked around to see if anyone had seen me. However, I only saw other disciples training, and those resting purposefully did not look at us as if afraid of being dragged into something.
'Weak'
"Relax, Mr. Golem, no one saw you mask slip. Now, are you going to spend the rest of the day looking at other people, or are we going to fight? What? Is the high and mighty Marshal Li getting rusty?
My face, which I was relaxing, suddenly started to tense up again, and a mocking grin appeared on my face.
"Me getting rusty would be the only way that you could ever get a win. Not that that would ever happen.
He did not reply, but his face grew serious as well. He entered his stance. Legs shoulder-width apart, knees bent, and right leg forward.
I mirrored his stance. Unlike my prior match, I did not refrain from using my blood qi. I felt my qi exit the lower half of my dantian and flow into my muscles. My heart started to race, and I heard its beat in my ears.
At the same time, we launched ourselves at each other. He had the slight advantage in speed as he launched himself into a front kick. It landed heavily on my guard and managed to push me back slightly.
Song Chu, seeing this, sent a flurry of jabs towards me. I continued to step back while steadying my breathing and sent a portion of blood chi into my waist and legs, waiting for the opportunity to counterattack. Finally, Song Chu overcommitted and threw a heavy punch towards my face.
Seeing my chance, I spun my body, narrowly dodging his punch. Using my spin and the enhanced muscles of my waist, I sent a sidekick at his solar plexus. He hastily put up a block, but with the momentum he had built up, he basically collided head-on with my kick.
When my foot landed on his hastily constructed block, Song Chu was blasted back more than five meters, his feet temporarily leaving the ground. I immediately chased him, hoping to end this fast but knowing that it was most likely futile.
While that one move would have taken out any other disciple, Song Chu was different. He landed in a backward somersault and managed to defuse much of the force.
His eyes snapped up as he managed to dodge my follow-up punch by stepping to the side. In retaliation, he launched a flurry of punches towards me, mostly targeting my chin and throat and even occasionally aiming for my stomach.
Not to be outmatched I stood my ground and met his strikes with my own. Those I could meet I met. Those that I could not, I shrugged off with my superior defenses. The sound of our first meeting each other echoed throughout the room for several minutes before I saw my opportunity.
Song Chu may have been slightly faster than me, but my stamina is absolutely greater than his. I felt his punches slow down as more and more of my attacks managed to slip through his defenses. Suddenly, I feigned an attack towards his right eye. Seeing this, he shut that eye and attempted to backpedal.
Darting around his right side, I swept his legs, causing him to fall on his back. Before he could get up, I slammed my heel on his stomach, pinning him to the ground and making him cough up a bit of saliva.
"That's another win for me." A self-satisfied smile appeared on my face. Beating weaklings gave me no satisfaction. But Song Chu always made me work for it. What's the point of playing a game you know you are going to win?
"Fine, yeah, you win this time. Are you going to move your foot, or are you just going to stand there all day like a statue?" He asked me irritably. His left hand is trying to move my foot away.
For a second I considered pressing down harder and mocking him further, but I eventually removed my foot.
"So are we going again or are you going to quit?" I asked with a grin. I already knew his answer before he even opened his mouth.
"Huuuh? Who said anything about quitting? I'm not stopping today until I get a win in." He said while reentering his stance. The smile on his face mirrored mine.
Entering my own stance, I could not help but be glad I entered Martial Hall.
'Only here would I find the perfect punching ba—I mean, the perfect friend.'
...
{A few hours later}
Taking the cap off my canteen, I took a long sip of water. After wiping my mouth with an arm, I passed the canteen to Song Chu, who sat to my right with an annoying smile.
"Don't be so happy that you got one win out of three. Don't you feel ashamed?" I barked out while keeping my face carefully neutral. He took the fact that he won our last round of the day as if he had won a medal or something.
What's wrong? Can't take losing Mr. Golem? Don't worry! This young master, Chu, will allow you to challenge me tomorrow. "Song Chu spoke in an irritating manner as if he were the son of some wealthy merchant.
"Don't talk in such a sickening manner," I spoke bluntly.
Song Chu didn't say much and simply chuckled while drinking from the canteen.
After passing the canteen back, he asked a question that seemed to be on his mind for a while.
"So. How is it working in the city lord's manor?" He asked, trying to sound nonchalant.
I gathered my thoughts for a second before replying.
"It's fine. I didn't have to do much so far other than lend some guards to the other councilers and train them a bit. The City Lord said that he would have a task for me soon in the last meeting we had," I replied.
Talking about this brought back the request Lord Meng gave me afterwards.
"I need you to find me someone strong who needs work." Lord Meng spoke in the hall after everyone else had left.
"Someone strong? Could I ask why, City Lord?" I asked, confused. If he needed labor, then calling for his guards should be enough.
"I'm testing out some materials, and I need someone to test out their strength. I hear those of you in Martial Hall are martial artists who have surpassed their limits. I also need someone who can tutor me in wielding a staff." Lord Meng spoke in that excited tone that had become familiar in the past few months.
He only ever took that tone if it was something that he was personally interested in; otherwise, he would paste on a fake smile and go through the motions.
"You want me to recommend a tutor from Martial Hall?"
I was brought back to the present when Song Chu patted me on the shoulder.
"Did you hear me? I said to put in a good word for me. With how weak the city lord is, we can fleece him for all he's worth." He spoke in a whispered voice.
I thought things through for a moment while working my jaw. While I was staying quiet, Song Chu, perhaps smelling blood in the water, continued.
"You and Miss Tong are getting married soon, right? I'll cut you in, and you can buy her a large house with plenty of room for children. I just need an opportunity," he tempted me.
Thinking about Tong Qi, I made up my mind.
"You used to practice the staff, right?" I asked while making sure we weren't overheard.
Song Chu did not reply, but his grin stretched from ear to ear.
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