Martial Arts Master

The drawing of lots ended as the representatives returned to their respective changing rooms, starting their preparations for the first round of double-elimination matches.

A message came from Yan Zheke. “I’m so pissed! The broadcast for your match clashes with my lesson time! [Crying doggo]”

Lou Cheng sat down on the long bench in the changing room, typing on his phone with his head down.

“[Strokes head to console] Don’t worry about it. You can watch the rebroadcast. It’s going to be my win anyway,” he replied.

“Woah, Cheng! Someone’s getting better at talking big…[Shocked doggo]” she replied. “Ichiei Sakata has supernatural power and can shoot waves at you. He’s basically an inferior version of Mouko Yamashita, and among those below the Inhuman stage he’s definitely top 10.”

“If we are talking about those below the Inhuman stage, then I’m undoubtedly number one. Where’s your confidence in me classmate Ke? [Hands on hips, proud]” replied Lou Cheng.

“I…I know my Cheng can morph anything he wants to, but, but, but wasn’t I just trying to accumulate good karma for you? Hurry and apologize to me, how can you not understand your Big Sister’s good intentions! [dumbfounded],” replied Yan Zheke.

“Sorry!” replied Lou Cheng as a smile surfaced. “I must confess, I was only running my mouth just now… [sighs with hand covering face]”

Pfft… Yan Zheke almost spit out her milk. She replied with a meme after recollecting herself—”Are you trying to inherit my debts by killing me with laughter?”

Ji Mingyu who was sitting opposite her daughter threw her a resigned glance.

“Ke Ke, since you were young I have taught you not to play with your phone while you eat. You are getting worse now, typing away even when you are drinking milk,” she reprimanded.

“Mother, but I didn’t have a phone when I was young,” objected Yan Zheke as she quickly adjusted her posture.

“…” Ji Mingyu was rendered speechless for a moment. “Focus on the main point…”

“Okayyy,” answered Yan Zheke as she quickly devoured her breakfast in small and elegant bites.

Wiping her lips with a napkin, she picked up and unlocked her phone to see Lou Cheng’s reply.

“I’m fairly confident that I’m stronger than Ichiei Sakata, but since I have not yet morphed, the gap between us isn’t huge, therefore I ought to take him seriously and go all out, especially since I need the prize money for plane tickets to visit my little fairy! [earnest smile]”

“Glad you remember~” Yan Zheke was pleased at his reply, her dimpled smile sweet and gentle. “How would you like me to cheer for you? I won’t say anything too mushy though!”

“Give me a kiss! [snickering]” replied Lou Cheng, suddenly feeling a little nostalgic. “Ke Ke, it feels as if I’m back to the Warrior Sage Candidate Challenge Tournament …”

It was a familiar situation, Ke Ke not being able to cheer for him on the spot since they were an ocean apart, idly chatting on QQ and cherishing each others’ presences, her long distance cheering. The only difference was that they were merely friends at that time, but now with time their relationship had strengthened to the point where the two had promised to spend the rest of their lives together.

“Yeah.” Yan Zheke bit her lips as she fell silent.

She paused, typing with tender emotions.

“Cheng, I miss you.”

She stared at her messages shortly, then deleted the words one by one. She did not want to affect his mood before his match.

She drew a deep breath and replied,

“It’s different, at that time you earned the money for yourself, but now it’s for the sake of seeing me…[blushing and smiling]”

“That’s true,” replied Lou Cheng, feeling motivated.

After chatting for a while, Yan Zheke began to get ready for school, tying her hair up, putting on her glasses and packing her school bag. Lou Cheng looked up to see Peng Leyun leaning against the wall with dead-fish eyes in a daydreamy state. Ann Chaoyang was rocking his body to the rhythm of the music in his headphones. Ren Li’ had her phone in her hands, playing videos of her opponents’ past matches, but her eyes were fixed on the floor admiring the bricks that bore a unique and exotic pattern.

Bunch of losers… , this unfitting phrase popped up in Lou Cheng’s mind.

He shook his head in a resigned manner and began to look through the data on Ichiei Sakata in his phone, that was when he was interrupted by two loud claps.

Zhong Ningtao was clapping to wake the “losers” up and when he had their attention, he announced,

“You are more or less representing China in this King of Youth Pro League, therefore standardized Martial Arts suits have been prepared for you. Go get yourself changed. When the match officially starts in 15 minutes, you can either stay in the changing room or head down to the grandstand. Make sure you listen to the radio announcements. Be at your respective arenas one match in advance. Don’t nod blindly, Ren Li, you must follow me.”

“Ah…” whimpered Ren Li.

It’s just a Martial Arts stadium…It’s not as if I can’t find the arena on my own, she thought.

Holding his laugh, Lou Cheng took the Martial Arts suits from Guide Zhong. There were two sets of the same design with differing colors meant to distinguish between opponents from the same country in matches after Top 16s.

The first set looked really cool: pure white in color except for a red stripe that went from shoulder to waist like a ribbon. The second set was more showy, red in color and embroidered with golden stars.

Lou Cheng changed into the first set in the changing room, topping it off with customized white Martial Arts shoes from Wu Qinggui’s company.

When he stepped out of the changing room, he saw Peng Leyun and Ann Chaoyang in the same outfit, only Ren Li seemed to prefer the red one. Their shoes all differed since they all had different sponsors.

“Want to go to the grandstand?” suggested Lou Cheng as he remembered his task of live-reporting the event with texts and photos.

“Sure!” replied Ren Li enthusiastically, before turning to look at Guide Zhong meekly.

“Let’s go together. The experience is better to view from the outside,” smiled Zhong Yueyun, throwing a glance at Zhong Ningtao while Ann Chaoyang nodded in agreement.

“Okay then,” Zhong Ningtao turned around, pushed the changing room door open and quickly returned to Ren Li’s side, not wanting to take any risks.

The planning committee had left extra seats for the fighters in order to prevent them from running into the public audience.

Lou Cheng and the others chose a spot far away from other representative teams. Some of them started to review the past matches of their opponents. Others planned their fights while Lou Chang, having done both, began snapping pictures for Yan Zheke and “Unparalleled Dragon King”.

A live-streaming thread had already appeared in the Longhu Club, where “Unparalleled Dragon King” had dumped Lou Cheng’s pictures and commentaries.”

“Heartfelt thanks goes out to our reporter, Little Tiger, who will now bring us the live text commentary of the important matches that do not get broadcast. (Please clap.)”

“Clap clap clap! [lurking]” The first reply was from “Eternal Nightfall”,Yan Xiaoling, who rarely came to that side of the forum.

“Little Tiger, Little Tiger have you seen my idol?””Brahman” was the next to reply.

“Yes…” replied Lou Cheng as he turned his head to look at Peng Leyun, only to see his own reflection in his distracted, filmy eyes.

“For reals? Quick, quick, hurry up and take a picture, if you do I won’t ever badmouth you again! [excited]” replied Brahman.

“I just want to see Ren Li… [drooling]” replied “Okamoto’s Fan.”

“Yes, get a picture of Peng Leyun and Ann Chaoyang too,” replied “Unparalleled Dragon King”.

This isn’t easy…, thought Lou Cheng as he winced.

He looked around and got an idea. “Let’s take a picture together!” he suggested.

“Sure,” answered Ann Chaoyang and the others nonchalantly.

Lou Cheng smiled and passed the phone to Zhong Ningtao.

“Do us a favor, Guide Zhong.”

“Ha ha, taking a commemorative picture? Don’t worry. With your talents and progresses, there will be many more opportunities of fighting side by side in the future,” said Zhong Ningtao, camera in hand, taking a few steps back and angling his shots like a professional.

Snap, snap, snap!

After a round of flashes, he handed the phone back to Lou Cheng. “Check through the photos, if they are not good I can retake them.”

“Not bad. Way better than the pictures I take at least,” replied Lou Cheng happily. Then he noticed that he, Peng Leyun and Ann Chaoyang were stiff like aliens in the pictures. Ren Li, on the other hand, looked great with her faint smile and handsome figure.

He sent the photo to Ke first and received her teasing, then forwarded it to the “main characters,” and lastly to the live-stream thread.

“Wait, how did you get right in front of them?””Unparalleled Dragon King” and the others immediately noticed the glaring oddity.

…I messed up… , thought Lou Cheng as he covered his face. “That’s how professional I am! [smirking]”

“You the man, Little Tiger! (pats shoulder)!” replied “”Wonton Seller”.

“Keep going Little Tiger! I’ll call you brother,daddy,or even grandpa! [starry eyes]” replied Yan Xiaoling.

“If I become your relative, my seniority will eventually decrease… [Disdain].” replied Lou Cheng.

“I’m so jealous! I’m so jealous! [rolling on the ground throwing a tantrum]” replied “Brahman”.

Lou Cheng didn’t give any further replies. He spent the majority of his energy focusing on the match and sharing details with Yan Zheke here and there, only taking pictures and giving commentaries for the exciting parts that did not get broadcast, occasionally exchanging opinions with the others and including their views in his commentary.

This induced many exclamations from “Unparalleled Dragon King”, such as “‘Little Tiger is so professional”, “he can already be a commentator”, and “his views sometimes are better than the actual commentators”.

“I’m not fighting alone,” replied Lou Cheng.

In that period, Peng Leyun and Ren Li went up successively for their own matches. Against opponents who have yet to reach the Sixth Pin, their victories were flawless, yet the viciousness and ferocity of Shengxiang boxing had left an impression on all of them.

Miluo and Nanzheng boxing were similar, except the former had flashier moves including kicks while the latter was more of an assassin’s nature, malicious and underhanded.

Soon, it was Ann Chaoyang’s turn. He did not have a huge advantage and only managed to defeat his opponent, a mighty Nanzheng boxer, after a tough battle that lasted more than ten minutes, fully experiencing the viciousness and cruelty of Zhahe Boxing in the process.

As the first round of double-elimination matches were coming to an end, Lou Cheng excused himself in the forums, stood up and walked towards the middle arena.

His match was starting, and it was on broadcast too!

Over at the Japanese Representative side, Ichiei Sakata took a deep breath and stood up slowly, his expression was grave.

Tang Zexun and Mouko Yamashita, who had completed their individual matches, tossed their gazes towards them.

“Do not fear, do not cower,” pepped the Japanese Guide, his face solemn.

“Yes!” Bowed Ichiei Sakata, turning and walking towards the arena.