The playground on the left side of the school grounds served as the arena. A large platform was erected with an iron frame, allowing everyone to spar and hone their martial arts.
Below, a crowd had already gathered, eagerly awaiting the matches. All-day training offered little in the way of entertainment, making the arena the most anticipated event.
Jiang Shaoqing and Jiang Siyun stood together. On the stage, Jiang Yukuo, clad in a white school uniform, intently faced Xiao Zeyue. Xiao Zeyue, however,’s gaze was fixed on Jiang Siyun in the audience, her small face devoid of a smile. He thought her fair and tender cheeks were incredibly cute, wondering how beautiful she would be when she grew up.
Jiang Yukuo followed his gaze, sensing that Xiao Zeyue harbored intentions toward his dear sister. Jiang Shaoqing also noticed Xiao Zeyue’s stare. He glanced at his sister beside him, noting that despite her young age, she was the most adorable in the entire school, having earned the title of campus belle on her very first day. This was no idle claim; computer analysis of her bone structure predicted she would grow into a peerless beauty.
“Come on, Xiao Zeyue, let’s begin. Best two out of three,” Jiang Yukuo declared, feeling indignant as Xiao Zeyue had been the one to provoke him.
Xiao Zeyue finally withdrew his gaze from Jiang Siyun’s face.
Jiang Siyun felt her face flush.
The entire school, students and teachers alike, had turned out to watch the match. Jiang Yukuo’s homeroom teacher served as the referee. With the resounding boom of a drum, the competition between the child and the young man officially commenced.
Both utilized combat techniques, their footwork incredibly swift. Their leg techniques were the first to clash. The speed of both was astonishing, igniting the passion of the onlookers, who found themselves mesmerized. Jiang Yukuo had been practicing martial arts since the age of three, starting his training no later than Xiao Zeyue.
Jiang Shaoqing secretly pulled out his phone, hiding behind Jiang Siyun to record a video and send it to Mu Jiuchen. Mu Jiuchen, bored, saw the video notification and opened it. It showed a large and a small figure sparring on an arena. The smaller one was his son; he identified him as the elder son. Mu Jiuchen blinked in surprise. Had He Mingrun driven him mad? The message was from his second son, so the person on the stage was undoubtedly his eldest.
\[Darling, what is your brother doing?\]
Jiang Shaoqing: \[Fighting in an arena.\]
Mu Jiuchen: \[Why?\]
Jiang Shaoqing: \[The opponent challenged my brother first. I don’t know why. But I suspect my brother might lose to him.\]
Mu Jiuchen: \[My son is always the best.\]
Jiang Shaoqing: \[You’re speaking from a position of comfort. This is a real fight. My brother is in good condition, but the opponent is fighting with an absolute determination to win and is older than my brother.\]
“Jiang Shaoqing, you’re on your phone again. Go do horse stance!”
“Ah…” Jiang Shaoqing looked at the stern, chubby teacher not far away, his face contorted in agony. He quickly replied: \[Ninth Master, your unlucky constitution means I get roped in every time we chat. I’ve been caught again and have to do horse stance. This is infuriating.\]
Mu Jiuchen: “…” He looked at himself – broad shoulders, narrow waist, long legs, attractive everywhere. How could he have an unlucky constitution? “This brat, he clearly breaks school rules himself and then blames me every time.”
Mu Jiuchen opened the video again. Who was this person fighting his son? He looked to be about eight or nine, maybe ten years old. How could he dare challenge such a young child? This way, he wouldn’t know the outcome!
Mu Jiuchen tried messaging his little darling.
\[Darling, tell me who wins later.\]
Jiang Siyun: \[My brother loses!\]
Mu Jiuchen: \[You have so little confidence in your brother?\]
Jiang Siyun: \[The opponent is very strong!\]
Jiang Siyun looked up and saw that Jiang Yukuo had already lost two rounds. Jiang Siyun shook her head slightly. She was right; he had lost. Xiao Zeyue was indeed the strongest in this elite academy. Jiang Siyun glanced at Jiang Shaoqing, who was leaving with a teacher. Her beautiful face broke into a cunning smile. She replied: \[My brother lost. My second brother is doing horse stance, and I’m going to sleep.\]
Mu Jiuchen: \[Go ahead, little girls need to sleep and wake early.\]
Jiang Siyun: \[Yes, I understand, Dad. See you on the weekend.\]
Mu Jiuchen: \[Okay!\] My, this little darling’s hands must be God’s hands; she types so fast.
On the stage, Jiang Yukuo looked at Xiao Zeyue. “Xiao Zeyue, I lost. Next month, on Monday, let’s have another match. I will definitely win against you then.”
Xiao Zeyue smiled. “Okay! Let’s have another match then.” As he spoke, his gaze swept over Jiang Siyun. Jiang Siyun happened to be looking at him. A flicker of unease crossed the young man’s face. He turned and jumped off the stage.
“Wow! God Xiao is God Xiao, as always, so powerful.”
“But winning like this feels a bit unsportsmanlike. The opponent is just a six-year-old child.”
“No matter the age, standing on the stage is a legitimate competition.”
A few girls watching Xiao Zeyue’s retreating figure shouted loudly, “God Xiao, you’re too amazing! Just move your finger, and the opponent faces a million ways to die.”
Jiang Siyun suddenly turned to look at the shouting girl, who was in the same class as Xiao Zeyue. She was also the former campus belle; after she arrived, she snatched the title, and this young lady was never happy to see her. The girl met Jiang Siyun’s thoughtful gaze and smiled provocatively. Jiang Siyun merely glanced past her, ignoring her completely, leaving the other girl's provocation to fall flat.
“Brother, you were great! You’ll definitely beat him next time.”
Jiang Yukuo looked at her silently. “From now on, don’t smile in front of outsiders. Get your hair cut, the same length as mine.”
Jiang Siyun: “…” She looked utterly bewildered. “Brother, my hair isn’t affecting you.” Jiang Siyun turned to leave, having intended to comfort him, but it seemed he didn’t need it.
Jiang Yukuo watched his sister’s retreating back, a strange feeling settling in his heart. No, it was more like Xiao Zeyue’s gaze at his sister felt peculiar.
Xiao Zeyue walked to a less crowded spot and turned back, looking at the small figure disappearing into the crowd. Thank heavens, today he had witnessed his own divine footwork, a guiding light. That beautiful little girl had looked at him. Little girl, I’ll wait for you to grow up. Xiao Zeyue smiled and turned back to the dormitory.
This arena match wasn’t particularly spectacular; such events happened frequently at school, so people didn’t find it unusual. After the competition, everyone returned to their dormitories to rest.
However, Jiang Yukuo did not go back to rest. Instead, he sought out his teacher, Yin Feng. The teacher seemed to be waiting for him. Seeing that he had lost, Jiang Yukuo wasn’t dejected but faced the outcome with composure. Jiang Yukuo looked at his teacher with determination. “Teacher, please help me. I want to become stronger.”
Yin Feng was a senior instructor at the elite academy. He possessed astonishing martial arts talent from a young age. After graduation, he stayed to teach students, earning a substantial salary. The three Jiang siblings were all excellent prospects, rare talents appearing once a century. Yin Feng looked at him with a stern face and asked, “What is the reason you want to become stronger? Is it to defeat the person on the arena?”