Chapter 66: Unforeseen Changes
Chapter 66: Unforeseen Changes
Several senior members exchanged glances, unsure of what to do. They weren't as skilled as the new recruit, who had managed to hold his own against Zeng Shixiong while wielding a pair of sticks.
It was a real fight, not a staged demonstration.
When Jiang Cheng's gaze fell upon them, one of the members took a step forward, clenching his teeth. "Zeng Shixiong, I'll put on the protective gear and face you."
Zeng Zhiting nodded in agreement.
In no time, the member was geared up, holding a wooden sword in his hand.
It was clear that he had trained in sword techniques.
Zeng Zhiting, upon seeing this, discarded one of his short sticks, holding only one in his right hand.
The senior member with the sword felt a twinge of shame as he realized that Zeng Shixiong was facing him with just one hand.
"The rules are the same as always—the first one to get hit loses," Zeng Zhiting stated.
"Yes, Zeng Shixiong!" the member replied.
"Come on, then," Zeng Zhiting urged.
The member hesitated for a moment, eyeing Zeng Zhiting from a distance of several meters, then charged forward with a shout.
As the member's sword slashed down, Zeng Zhiting effortlessly dodged the attack with a swift movement, countering with a strike to the member's chest.
"Thud, thud, thud."
The member stumbled backward, his face filled with shame.
It was a humiliating defeat.
As the saying goes, it's not about not recognizing quality, but about comparing goods.
The new recruit had managed to hold his own against Zeng Shixiong for several rounds, and even won a few times by chance.
Yet, this member couldn't even last a single round before being struck.
"Again," Zeng Zhiting's voice rang out, devoid of emotion.
The remaining senior members felt a sense of shared sorrow, knowing that they would likely face a similar fate.
As expected, it was soon their turn to face Zeng Zhiting's relentless attacks.
Jiang Cheng observed for a while, then averted his gaze. He took a sip of water and turned his attention to his proficiency panel.
In just over ten minutes, the amount of experience gained from sparring with Zeng Zhiting was comparable to what Jiang Cheng would earn in an hour of solo training, a sixfold increase in efficiency! This meant that instead of spending twenty hours to master the double stick technique, he could achieve the same level of proficiency by sparring with Zeng Shixiong for just over three hours.
"It's a shame my stamina is still a bit lacking," Jiang Cheng thought as he watched Zeng Zhiting spar with the other members.
Zeng Zhiting showed no signs of fatigue.
"Could it be the effect of his foundation training and martial arts, or is it the secret martial arts?" Jiang Cheng pondered.
After another ten minutes, the remaining senior members had all been defeated by Zeng Zhiting.
"Zeng Shixiong, you're too strong. We're no match for you," one of the defeated members said, sitting on the ground with a bitter smile.
Zeng Zhiting didn't respond but turned to Jiang Cheng and asked, "Are you ready to spar now?"
"Yes," Jiang Cheng replied without hesitation.
Jiang Cheng had been eagerly waiting for this moment. He quickly donned his helmet and held the short stick in both hands as he stepped forward.
After two rounds of sparring, Jiang Cheng was drenched in sweat, and it was getting late. Although he wanted to continue sparring with Zeng Shixiong for the rest of the afternoon, he had to earn a living.
"Zeng Shixiong, let's call it a day. I need to sell roasted sweet potatoes on the street this afternoon. There will be more customers, and business will be better," Jiang Cheng said with a smile, feeling no embarrassment as he believed there was no shame in earning an honest living.
"Oh," Zeng Zhiting replied, suddenly understanding. His gaze toward Jiang Cheng shifted once more, "Alright, you go ahead. Although I won't be the one guiding you tomorrow, you can still send someone to let me know if you want to spar. I'll come down when I'm free."
"I won't trouble you, Zeng Shixiong. I can spar with Zhao Shidi and the others tomorrow. When it's your turn again, I'll make sure to challenge you properly. Who knows, by then, my stick techniques might have improved even further."
Jiang Cheng politely declined.
He was a man with boundaries, especially with others around. If he went to find Zeng Shixiong, what would others think?
Does he look down on me?
"Okay, I'm looking forward to it."
Zeng Zhiting smiled and nodded.
After returning the protective gear, Jiang Cheng took the double sticks he brought and headed downstairs alone.
He didn't notice the complex expressions on the faces of Sun Xiaoli and the others behind him.
...
On his way home, Jiang Cheng felt incredibly refreshed.
Sparring with Zeng Shixiong for half an hour in the morning directly saved him three hours of short stick practice.
He didn't know who it would be tomorrow.
As long as it wasn't Xiao Shixiong, he could spar with anyone.
After all, the enemies he would face in the future would have all sorts of weapons, so it was best to gain some experience beforehand.
When he returned home, seeing Jiang Cheng drenched in sweat, the elder was also very surprised.
He knew that Jiang Cheng had gone to the martial arts academy, and those who didn't know might have thought he went to take a shower.
However, compared to this, she was more concerned about Jiang Cheng setting up a stall on the street.
"Xiaocheng, later when you go to the street, you really don't need to pay the stall fee again, right? Just in case, why don't you take some money from home?"
"No need, Grandma. I told you, as a senior member of the martial arts academy, I don't need to pay it anymore. Otherwise, why would I even bother with their membership?"
"You really don't need to pay again?"
"I really don't."
Jiang Cheng couldn't help but smile wryly.
These past few days, he had answered this question countless times.
But he understood; after so many years of paying the stall fee, suddenly not paying it would naturally make them feel uneasy.
Just then, footsteps sounded from outside, and Chen Sao also came over.
Knowing today was the day to pay the stall fee, she also felt a bit nervous. After all, rumors were just rumors, and only by experiencing it would one know the truth.
"Xiaocheng, why don't you carry some money, just in case..."
She wanted to say more but stopped.
"Don't worry, Chen Sao. If they really give me a hard time, the Falcon Fist Martial Hall is also on the street. At that time, I'll directly ask the people from the academy to talk to them. Moreover, the Wild Wolf Gang will leave after more than ten days; I'll just give the money to them. It's not like they're homeless dogs that bite the hand that feeds them."
"That's true. Look at me."
Chen Sao smiled bitterly.
"Alright, Grandma, Chen Sao, I'm off."
Jiang Cheng put down his bowl and chopsticks and wiped his mouth with a face towel.
"Be careful."
"I'll remember to speak to them nicely."
Words of caution came from behind.
"Got it."
Jiang Cheng pushed the tricycle and responded without turning back.
Of course, he knew that the more it was at this moment, the more he couldn't afford to clash with the Wild Wolf Gang members. After all, they were now a bunch of homeless dogs, and in their desperation, they would do anything.
Jiang Cheng walked through the bumpy alleys, under the watchful eyes of various onlookers, and emerged onto the main street.
As noon approached, the flow of people increased, and there were street vendors, but at a glance, there were significantly fewer of them.
The shops seemed unaffected and were all open.
"There are much fewer vendors, so business might pick up a bit."
After walking just a few steps, he saw Wild Wolf Gang members loitering not far away, glancing at him while whispering to each other.
When he reached his stall, three Wild Wolf Gang members immediately headed towards him.
Jiang Cheng had anticipated this, but he couldn't help feeling a bit nervous.
After all, this was his first time facing the Wild Wolf Gang members since he crossed over half a month ago.
He didn't know if they would simply leave after seeing his senior membership card or if they would make things difficult for him.
(End of Chapter)
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