Martial Arts Master

In the early summer in early August, the air was humid and warm. It was so stifling that it made people feel like they were in a sauna.

Lou Cheng sat by the bed, his emotions as he keenly felt the remnants of his passion. He wanted to take a cold shower to calm himself, but he recalled the effects of Cold Force and gave up on that idea. Since he had to be in tip top form for the matches tomorrow, he could not do anything else either.

Shaking his head while laughing at himself, he picked up his phone and sent a message to Yan Zheke with a pitiful emoji.

“I don’t dare to turn on the air-conditioner or to take cold shower, I can only keep my mind clear and cool down naturally… ”

…

In the lift, Yan Zheke could still feel the heat from Lou Cheng’s hand touching her waist earlier. She scoffed and pursed her lips. She took out a pocket mirror from her bag and stared at her reflection.

Flushing cheeks, moist lips, and watery eyes with joy and embarrassment in it. With just one glance at her, anyone could tell she was up to no good…

“That pervert Cheng!” She quietly cursed him. After stepping out of the elevator, she stayed in the lobby, not daring to directly meet Gu Shuang and Xing Jingjing.

After a few minutes, she checked her reflection and made sure her face was back to normal. Only then did she stepped out of the hotel and returned to Gu Shuang’s car.

When she opened the co-driver’s door and was about to sit down, she saw her close friends carefully looking at her from top to bottom.

Gu Shuang giggled. “I still feel like I’ve ruined your little rendezvous!”

“It’s not a rendezvous!” Yan Zheke replied gruffly.

It was obviously an evildoing!

Being a wise person, why was she so irrational as to fool around with Cheng knowing he has a match tomorrow? She must be bewitched!

Yeah, she must be infected by him!

“I can’t quite believe you,” Gu Shuang giggled. “While relishing in the passion of winning a key match and with a beauty like you by his side, I wouldn’t be able to control myself if I’m him. I don’t believe your Cheng, as an ordinary man, will be able to bear it!”

“What can’t you bear?” Yan Zheke dared not to continue this topic. Instead, she grasped a certain point and used that as her reply.

Gu Shuang who was twisting her car keys stopped, laughing her head off. “I was just talking with Sister Jingjing about it!”

“What?” Yan Zheke wore a blank expression and looked at Xing Jingjing, who was sitting in the back seat with a neutral and innocent expression.

“We were saying you have a good figure. I get envious whenever I see it. I want to make it mine!” Gu Shuang’s laughter rang throughout the car. “Look! My thighs are thicker than yours, my waist is fatter than yours, even your breasts are firmer than mine. I really want to cry… ”

“At least you’re busty,” Xing Jingjing complained.

“You’re right. When you put it that way, I’ve regained my confidence.” Gu Shuang raised her chin and turned the key to start the car.

“You female hooligan! It’s time for you to lose weight!” Yan Zheke scolded jokingly. When she took out her phone, she saw Lou Cheng’s text.

Cool down naturally… The girl once again blushed as she typed a gruff reply.

“Dirty hooligan! Pervert Cheng!”

Lou Cheng sent an astonished emoji. “It’s a misunderstanding! I meant the weather. The room is too hot without air-conditioning.”

“Hmph, aren’t you called the Walking Air-Conditioner? Are you still afraid of the hot weather?” Yan Zheke replied with an emoji that said ‘there is only one truth’.

What a bad guy! He was definitely referring to that thing.

“I’m worried I’ll trigger the remnants of Cold Force.” Lou Cheng forcibly gave an excuse.

“Oh.” Yan Zheke sent an angry emoji. “If you can’t turn on the air-conditioner or cool yourself with the Power of Frost, why are you still asking me to stay there? Did you want to die of heat? Or do you want me to keep my mind calm to cool down naturally?”

“I-I’m wrong… ” Stunned, Lou Cheng soon began laughing.

Damn it. Ke tricked him again!

Yan Zheke curved her lips, showing dimples. She was happy and relaxed.

“Tsk, tsk.” A driving Gu Shuang glanced at her.

…

After laughing and chatting with Yan Zheke for a while longer, Lou Cheng finally felt calm and cool enough. He went to the window and drew the curtain partially. Breathing in the warm, dry night air, he dialed his master’s number.

“Hey, you brat. You still remember you have a master?” Geezer Shi could not help teasing him.

“No, no such thing. I just don’t want to bother you with small issues. ” Lou Cheng grinned. “Master, I’ve reached the Dan stage! I’ve made it to the top 4 of our provincial Youth Tournament. The semi-finals are tomorrow!”

Lou Cheng showed off his achievements to surprise, no, please his master.

“Not bad. Your progress is a little quicker than I’d expected,” Geezer Shi emphasized the word ‘a little’ in his calm reply. “As for the so-called Youth Tournament, do you think I care about such a low-level competition? But it’s good that you made the top 4. I’d be ashamed of you otherwise.”

He chuckled and continued, “Did you mix the elements necessary for cultivation when entering the Dan stage?”

“I did. That’s also what I want to consult you about,” Lou Cheng replied frankly.

Geezer Shi grinned. “Let me guess. Did you get inspired by Longhu Immortal’s method of forming a Taiji Bagua within one’s body with ice and flame as yin and yang to balance his condensed Dan? And then apply such a balance into your Force Concentration?”

“Ah… Master, how did you know?” Lou Cheng was confused.

He said as if he had witnessed it! No, it was impossible to determine such an abstract thing even if he had witnessed the whole process!

Geezer Shi laughed cheerfully. “I can guess it even with my toes! Without any other reference materials, that’s about the only thing you can do… What’s your plans for future martial arts learning and practicing?”

He dared not to say more, worried that Lou Cheng might sense his excitement.

“I want to get used to the Dan stage first and review the basics to thoroughly understand each detail and relearn them. Then I’ll ask for your protection in the new semester when I’m once again enhancing my ice and flame supernatural abilities,” Lou Cheng explained his plans.

“Not bad. You’re patient and didn’t lose your head from your victories. You’re calm too,” said Geezer Shi, praising him. “Many brats devote themselves to pursuing more powerful kungfu as soon as they reached the Dan stage. They completely forgot to lay a solid foundation or understand the process of the physical body gradually breaking its limits. These are all useful for refining your root pulp in the future. Don’t worry. I’ll teach you the corresponding knowledge to the Dan stage in the new semester.”

“Okay, master!” Lou Cheng answered joyfully.

He hung up the phone. Lou Cheng then checked the time, lied down in bed, and said good night to Yan Zheke. He began meditating with concealment of spirit and qi, basking in the natural wind.

…

The next day, Lou Cheng woke up on time. He felt fresh and energetic, without any signs of catching a cold.

He continued to practice the martial arts movements and fighting style he had learned into his cultivation of the Dan stage in his morning exercise. The key point was the 24 Blizzard Strikes.

For the whole day, Yan Zheke worried that Lou Cheng’s little outbreak of passion would ruin his tip top condition. Thus she refused Cheng’s invitation to come to his hotel room and chose to use video calling for their discussion instead. In the end, Lou Cheng had to bury himself in videos of Zhang Zhutong, Han Zhifei, and Liu Xunzhen’s matches to familiarize himself with their fighting styles and come up with countermeasures. He would occasionally stand up to rehearse those moves.

Though there were many obstructive items in the room, he never knocked down or stumbled over anything no matter how he stepped back and forth, throw his fists and kick his legs. Cupping her face with one hand, Yan Zheke could see nothing in the screen, but Lou Cheng’s figure.

Lou Cheng turned off the laptop when evening came. He took a shower and dressed. Overlooking the martial arts stadium not far away, he could see a crowd outside and heavy traffic on the roads.

Fastening the last button his shirt, he turned and walked to the door.

It was the final night of the Youth Tournament!

…

The familiar procedure and process remained unchanged, except for fewer seats for the fighters. At 7.30 in the evening, the ceremony finally came to the drawing lots segment after the opening song, speech, and review of previous matches.

This was the last lots drawing.

Chairman of Xing Province Martial Artist Association, Yin Huaming reached his hand into the drawing box and drew a ball. He read the name printed on it.

“First seed Zhang Zhutong.”

Cheers burst from the audience in the stands and pushed the atmosphere to an exciting climax. They soon calmed down and held their breaths in anticipation for the birth of the first match.

Outside the Xing province satellite TV studio, the woman wearing half-rimless glasses was reporting to her leader in excitement.

“The ratings record is broken! The record is broken!”

Despite his excitement, he only smiled gently. “Not bad. Everyone did well.”

First they published a major scoop and sensationalized the issue, then they paid for headlines on major news channels. If the ratings did not skyrocket, then that would be a huge problem!

Yanling.

Coming home after her additional evening training, Ye Youting took a shower and lied on her bed. She began browsing Weibo out of habit.

After watching Zhou Zhengquan’s match against Lou Cheng and Lin Que, she was deeply shocked. She immediately went home and trained for the Yanling Division Play-Offs. Washing away her worries, she overcame the effects of her innate superhuman strength and finally reached the ‘withdrawing’ three days ago.

If she made progress step by step, she will be a master of the Dan stage in a few months!

Buoyed by joy with her thoughts, she noticed a post with a familiar name in it.

“Who will be the No. 1 of Xing province? The Youth Tournament of Xing province is in full swing and will reach its climax tonight. We’re going crown the winner. Zhang Zhutong, Han Zhifei, Lou Cheng and Liu Xunzhen: Who will be the No. 1 young warrior in the Xing province?”

Lou Cheng? No. 1 of the Xing province? Ye Youting subconsciously clicked into the post and saw photos of the fighters, confirming it was indeed the Lou Cheng that she knew. She read his brief introduction.

Eighth Pin warrior at Dan stage!

Eighth Pin? Ye Youting went blank as she looked at herself.

This guy was really inhuman…

…

Under the watchful eyes of the audience, Yin Huaming drew the second ball from the box. He took a look at the ball and smiled.

“No. 18 Lou Cheng!”

“The first round of the semi-finals: first seed Zhang Zhutong versus No. 18 Lou Cheng!”

“Zhang Zhutong… ” Lou Cheng closed his eyes. He was neither surprised nor disappointed. There were only three fighters left as his opponents. It was the same no matter who it was.

Coming from a martial arts club background, Zhang Zhutong had mastered a unique martial arts method named Wind Flame Disaster along with Furnace Force. He was now a member of the Gaofen Shenhuo martial arts club, currently busy joining the North-South Division Tournament.

He became a Ninth Pin fighter at the age of 18, Eighth Pin at 20, and Seventh-Pin at 22. He made the top 8 of the last Youth Tournament as a new Eighth Pin three years ago, but was defeated by the champion Gao Zhen, who was now a Sixth Pin fighter.

Since his Furnace Force was not too powerful and only caused minimal burden to his body, he could use it as a normal move. But its effects could be stacked and activated gradually. It was that fearsome.

In other words, it would be more dangerous for Lou Cheng the longer he fought Zhang Zhutong.

Information about the first seed flashed through Lou Cheng’s mind and he instantly developed a direct impression of Zhang Zhutong.

No wonder he was the first seed!