Chapter 10: Kickbacks
Chapter 10: Kickbacks (Please Read Through!)
Half an hour later
Guo Heng’s eyes gleamed with excitement as he grinned broadly. “Time to wrap this up.”
“Watch yourself, brother!”
With a roar, he unleashed his aura, his vital energy surging as he poured all his strength into a single strike.
“Haaah!”
Guo Heng bellowed, channeling his energy into force, his power skyrocketing.
His fingers shot forward like tiger claws, sharp and unrelenting!
He lunged like a ravenous tiger, his punch whipping up a fierce gale, his thick fingers curled into deadly talons that seemed to tear through the air.
Furious Tiger Rakes the Forest!
“Boom!”
Sensing the danger, Lin Qi also unleashed his full strength, roaring in response.
“Haaah!”
His tiger-like roar shook the ground as he planted his feet, his spine arching like a drawn bow, his physical strength surging into his arms.
“Crash!”
The two tiger-claw strikes collided with an earth-shaking impact.
A cracking sound rang out—Lin Qi tasted blood, his vision blurring as Guo Heng’s figure seemed to shrink. His body involuntarily staggered backward.
Pain seared through his chest despite his protective gear, the force reverberating through his body.
Kneeling on the ground, sweat poured from Lin Qi’s face. Without the gear, his ribs would’ve shattered.
Guo Heng himself stumbled back a few steps, grinning widely. “Now that was exhilarating!”
“You’re not bad at all.”
“Take a breather. Next opponent!”
He turned away, heading to a bench and clutching his chest.
“Damn it… this kid’s vital energy stat and fist techniques are lower than mine, yet he matched me blow-for-blow for half an hour.”
“What the hell… where’d this genius come from?”
…
Lin Qi slowly rose, stepping aside. His arms trembled as he removed his gear, spitting out a mouthful of blood. Sweat dripped from his hair.
“Qi-ge, have some water!”
Jiang Tao handed him a red-labeled sports drink.
Lin Qi took the bottle, tilting his head back to drink deeply, his throat working rapidly.
“Tao-zi, that guy didn’t hold back at all. Without the gear, I think I’d be dead.”
He lowered the drink, clutching his chest.
“You’d better be careful too.”
“By the way, where’d you get this sports drink?”
“They gave it to us. Free.”
“Alright, my turn.”
After a quick chat, Jiang Tao clapped Lin Qi’s shoulder, donned his own gear, and stepped forward.
Lin Qi slumped onto a black bench.
“Haaah…”
Sweat dripped from his brow as he panted. Suddenly, a translucent data overlay screen flickered in his pupils—only he could see it.
[You observed Guo Heng’s Tiger Form Fist. New understanding gained. Fist Techniques +0.5%]
[New insight into Fist Techniques… Fist Techniques +0.5%]
Fist Techniques: Stage One 85.6% → 86.6%
…
Lin Qi clenched his fist, exhaustion in his body but joy in his heart.
“After sparring with Guo Heng, my Fist Techniques jumped 1%? I thought it’d take days.”
“Training with others does accelerate progress.”
He’d sparred with Jiang Tao before, but always cautiously—no one wanted injuries. In senior year, a martial arts injury would be catastrophic. But today was different.
Today, there was money to be made.
…
“Boom!!”
“Ahhh!!”
The Martial Arts Training Hall erupted again, drawing Lin Qi’s attention.
In the center, Guo Heng’s tiger claw struck with thunderous force, the air itself cracking with each blow.
This was the pinnacle of Fist Techniques—“A Thousand Gold for a Single Sound”—a perfected strike etched into muscle memory, erupting from the spine into every fiber.
Yet Jiang Tao parried effortlessly, his Ape Form Fist from Five Elements Boxing flowing like water, his arms hard yet flexible, redirecting each strike.
“Crash! Bang! Smash!!”
Soon, Jiang Tao felt like he was trapped in a tiger’s den, every strike threatening to devour him.
After dozens of seconds—
“Ahhh!”
Jiang Tao flew backward, skidding across the floor before stopping.
Guo Heng staggered back too, gasping for breath, drenched in sweat. After a pause, he grinned.
“Great! You’re top-tier even in our school. This sparring boosted my Tiger Form Fist significantly.”
“Once this is done, I’ll focus on Blade Techniques.”
“Lian Jie, these two are the ones.”
Guo Heng pointed at Lin Qi and Jiang Tao, satisfied. Two geniuses in one day? Unbelievable.
The blue-robed woman nodded. “Understood, young master.”
Jiang Tao removed his helmet, spat blood, and grinned.
“Thanks, Master Guo!”
Their eyes met, both sharing the same thought: If this part-time job lasts, the money’s insane.
“But Master Guo, you saw how much longer we lasted compared to others.”
“I lasted nearly half an hour! And the injuries? I’ll need expensive meds. So…”
He winked, flashing a hand signal.
The woman frowned. “The rate’s 1,000 Xia Kingdom Coins per hour—that’s already the highest market rate.”
“Don’t get greedy.”
Jiang Tao chuckled. “But quality sparring partners are rare. And the medical costs?”
“1,000 coins feels low…”
“We deserve a raise!”
Lin Qi stood, backing him up.
“Impossible!” The woman snapped.
“Wait.” Guo Heng’s sharp gaze cut through. “Didn’t my father set the rate at 2,000 coins per hour?”
Lian Jie froze, sweat pouring.
“2,000 coins per hour?!” Lin Qi and Jiang Tao exchanged glances.
So she’s skimming half? What a greedy witch.
Four people at 1,000 coins each—4,000 coins a day profit. A fortune.
…
Minutes later, Guo Heng addressed the pair.
“She’s fired. Someone else will contact you. The rate’s 2,000 coins per hour now.”
The two exchanged satisfied smirks.
“Thanks, Master Guo!”
Guo Heng nodded, slinging his bag. “I’ve got to go. My time’s up.”
“Master Guo, what about these Energy Brews?” Jiang Tao called.
“Yours,” Guo Heng waved offhandedly.
“Sweet!”
…
(End of Chapter)
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