Chapter 83
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Chapter 83: Part-Time Job, Social Circle
“Lie down.”
Hearing Song Hailong’s words, Zhang Yu turned to look at Bai Zhenzhen beside him. “Lie down? Is my job description this broad? Is earning this 5,000 yuan supposed to be this hard?”
Song Hailong cracked his neck and said, “I mean, let’s not waste time. We’ll start with ground combat practice right away.”
“I lost because of my ground game. Of course, I’m spending money to win it back on that front.”
As he spoke, Song Hailong walked over to a button panel on the wall and asked, “What scent do you prefer?”
Zhang Yu looked at the panel, assuming it was for the air conditioning, and asked uncertainly, “You mean a scent for the air conditioner? An air freshener?”
Song Hailong was speechless. “Of course, I’m talking about the cognitive enhancer scent. I usually prefer peach or mint…”
Seeing Zhang Yu’s bewildered expression, Song Hailong remembered he was from Songyang High School and said casually, “Never mind, let’s just go with mint.”
As Song Hailong pressed a button on the panel a few times, Zhang Yu gradually began to smell a minty scent in the air. His blood slowly started to race, and his mind grew alert and excited.
Song Hailong then pointed to a nearby faucet and said, “The pipe on the right is filled with energy drinks. If your stamina gets low later, just drink from it.”
Zhang Yu was speechless, thinking to himself, Stimulants in the AC and Red Bull in the water pipes… Damn, these people are too rich.
Seeing Zhang Yu’s astonished expression, Song Hailong said with a hint of pride, “You shouldn’t be surprised. After all, many outsiders call Bailong High School ‘the place where potions and syringes flow.’ You can even detect traces of Dao Heart buffer agent in the bathwater.”
“A few years ago, a group of poor students secretly snuck into the sewers here, trying to steal and drink the water our school discharged. Heh… a bunch of people who couldn’t get into high school and never studied the Dao of Immortality, thinking that drinking a bit of our wastewater would let them achieve Immortal Ascension.”
“Some of them did get stronger, but others couldn’t withstand the medicinal power and died on the spot. The whole affair was uncovered later.”
Zhang Yu felt increasingly speechless. Damn, so this is the “mortals stealing immortal elixirs” trope, huh? But he couldn’t help asking, “What was this stolen water?”
Song Hailong chuckled. “It was just wastewater from the restrooms and bathhouses. It often contains residual traces of potions, which those lawless poor folk would steal to use.”
“It’s a good thing they were caught,” Zhang Yu said. “So there are no more victims now, right?”
Song Hailong nodded and smiled. “That’s right. The school later decided to sell the gutter water to the poor themselves. Since then, there haven’t been any more thefts from the sewers.”
Damn it… so in Bailong High School’s eyes, the only victim was Bailong High School? Zhang Yu was rendered speechless and decided to just start warming up instead.
A few moments later, seeing that Zhang Yu had finished his warm-up, Song Hailong laid out the rules for the training.
As soon as the topic turned to training, the smile vanished from his face, replaced by a serious expression. “There’s no need to use deadly force. If you can pin me down, it’s my loss.”
“If the fight drags on until your strength wanes and you’re no longer at your peak, and I still haven’t restrained you, that also counts as my loss.”
“If I can restrain you, then I win.”
“If you cannot win against me even once in these two hours, then the tutoring ends here, and you do not need to come back.”
Zhang Yu understood. Little Song wanted to defeat him in a head-on confrontation while he was at his peak.
Then Song Hailong turned to Bai Zhenzhen and said, “As for you, Bai Zhenzhen, based on what you said earlier, you can either fight me or offer me some guidance from the sidelines.”
“But if you cannot defeat me, or if I find your advice useless, then you do not need to come back either.”
Zhang Yu then stepped forward, and in an instant, he was locked in combat with Song Hailong on the ground.
Their hands clashed repeatedly as they grappled and countered each other with the Dragon-Back Mountain-Toppling Hand, each trying to immobilize the other.
By now, Zhang Yu had already pushed his Dragon-Back Mountain-Toppling Hand to the 10th level.
Even without actively revealing this, he maintained the appearance of a Level 2 proficiency. However, his understanding of this martial art and his mastery of grappling and throwing techniques far surpassed anything Song Hailong could compare to.
In particular, Zhang Yu had been experimenting with integrating the Dragon-Back Mountain-Toppling Hand into the Formless Cloud Gang Qi of the Limitless Cloud Hands, using Gang Qi to assist his various grappling and throwing maneuvers.
Song Hailong felt as if Zhang Yu had completely deciphered his every move. The white Gang Qi not only deflected his power but could also mimic the techniques of the Dragon-Back Mountain-Toppling Hand.
Therefore… from almost the moment the fight began, Song Hailong found himself at a disadvantage. He was forced to rely solely on his brute strength and physique to forcefully break through Zhang Yu’s techniques.
This left Song Hailong deeply astonished. This Zhang Yu… his skills have improved dramatically since yesterday.
How could he progress so rapidly in just one day?
A sudden realization struck him. This brat must have been frantically practicing the Dragon-Back Mountain-Toppling Hand after going back, all for the sake of defeating me again today.
Why would he think this?
Because ever since the match ended yesterday, Song Hailong himself had been frantically finding people to train the Dragon-Back Mountain-Toppling Hand with.
He had even had his meals directly delivered into his stomach and veins for absorption via tubes, all to advance with fierce diligence and close the technical gap with Zhang Yu as quickly as possible.
Sensing Zhang Yu’s progress, Song Hailong thought to himself, So he had the same idea as me? As expected of the man who narrowly defeated me.
At this thought, a defiant expression appeared on Song Hailong’s face. His qi and blood surged wildly, and a torrent of magic power flowed ceaselessly into his physical body. This fueled bursts of frenzied strength as he gritted his teeth and resisted Zhang Yu’s relentless assault.
He felt as if he were trapped in a raging, stormy ocean. Zhang Yu’s hands were like treacherous undercurrents and the Gang Qi was like crashing waves, relentlessly dragging him down into the deep abyss.
As for Zhang Yu’s perspective… it felt like trying to bind a furious dragon. Even though he would repeatedly shackle it with chains of technique, the beast always broke free every time through sheer, savage force.
As for Song Hailong’s technique, Zhang Yu wondered if there had been any improvement at all. Any progress was likely too minor for him to notice.
Meanwhile, Bai Zhenzhen stood to the side and observed the battle, thinking to herself, These two… one has an absolute physical advantage, and the other has an absolute technical advantage.
Song Hailong’s attacks are often countered by Zhang Yu’s skill.
And Zhang Yu’s attacks are often broken by Song Hailong’s superior strength.
She could not help but frown. Without the arena and out-of-bounds rules of the Martial Arts Tournament today, Yu Zi can’t rely on tricks to win.
I’m afraid they’ll have to fight until Yu Zi’s stamina gives out.
Just as she predicted, about three minutes later, Song Hailong suddenly stopped. “Your strength is weakening and you’re no longer at your peak. I concede this round. Take a break and prepare for the next one.”
While the two rested, Bai Zhenzhen began to analyze their recent fight and their respective flaws.
Initially, Song Hailong dismissed her observations, but he quickly grew attentive and his gaze toward Bai Zhenzhen subtly shifted. This woman’s insight is remarkably sharp. I originally thought she was just a bonus, but it seems inviting her wasn’t a waste after all.
During the break, Zhang Yu curiously opened a nearby faucet and drank some of the energy drink. Instantly, he felt a fiery surge in his stomach as his stamina rapidly recovered.
It works that well?
Zhang Yu made up his mind to bring a basin next time he visited Bailong High School to fill it up.
The sparring continued in fits and starts, with Zhang Yu and Song Hailong repeatedly grappled with each other. However, nearly every bout ended due to Zhang Yu’s lack of stamina. The only exception was a single instance where Zhang Yu managed to control Song Hailong’s joints to secure a victory.
Zhang Yu rubbed his slightly sore and weak hands, thinking, He said he lost, but in a real fight, I would be the one to lose once my stamina declined, right?
Song Hailong is just too durable. Without the rule about being forced out of the arena, it would be very difficult for me to defeat him before my stamina runs out.
As I thought, I really need to increase my physical strength.
At that moment, Zhang Yu felt an even more urgent desire to make his physique stronger.
Before they left Bailong High School, Song Hailong transferred their payment to them. He then turned to Zhang Yu and offered a reminder, “I won’t stop improving my physical strength just because I’m training with you.”
“By the time the sports competitions officially begin in two months, my physical strength will be at least level 4.0 or higher.”
“So I hope you’ll work hard to keep up. Otherwise, if the gap in our physical strength becomes too great, this training will be meaningless.”
The moment they stepped out of the Bailong High School gates, Bai Zhenzhen grabbed Zhang Yu and they ran toward the subway station.
Zhang Yu asked in confusion, “A-Zhen, why are you in such a hurry?”
Bai Zhenzhen said, “I drank too much of that energy drink and I have to go to the bathroom!”
“That trash Bailong High School charges 10 yuan to use the restroom. It’s their fault I’ve had to hold it this whole time.”
***
Meanwhile, just as Zhang Yu and Song Hailong were grappling…
In a quiet room at Purple Cloud High School.
Le Mulan slowly dissipated the Purple Saint Heart Method that she had been circulating in her mind. She tried her best to stop the intrusive thought that the rich were pure, wise, kind, and powerful, while the poor were filthy, foolish, evil, and weak.
Under the influence of the Purple Saint Heart Method, she only needed to check her bank balance and her stock profits each day. As the numbers grew larger, the technique would flow more smoothly, which had a greater effect on enhancing her Dao Heart and made her mind increasingly calm and stable.
But as a consequence, her disgust and disdain for poverty and the poor had also grown steadily stronger.
The old Le Mulan would not have thought there was any problem with this. Whether it was poverty or the poor themselves, money could always shield her from them.
That was until she encountered Zhang Yu in the arena.
At this thought, she took a deep breath and tapped open Zhang Yu’s social media feed.
A poor person’s social media feed… here I come, she encouraged herself inwardly.
The first thing that met her eyes was a selfie of Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen standing in front of the Bailong High School gate.
The accompanying text announced that they were back at Bailong High School again. It said that Song Hailong, the top student of the first-year class, had invited them to provide some coaching. The post added that anyone else interested in coaching should feel free to get in touch.
Song Hailong actually spent money to hire that poor person, Zhang Yu, to coach him?
As Le Mulan read this, her eyes brightened slightly. He refused 400,000 yuan, but he’s willing to be paid for a coaching session?
