Chapitre 22: Competition Approaching

Yan Zheke soon replied, "Combat practice? Are you injured?" She added a shocked face emoji.

She put his safety first, which warmed Lou Cheng's heart and curved his lips. He sent a smiling face, hands fluttering across the keyboard. "Nothing serious. Just some bruises on the back. Little Ming helped me with using your ointment to massage my back. It's pretty effective."

"Of course. I chose it!" Yan Zheke sent a proud face. "Why did you go to the lakeside? We just said goodbye then. Was it a combat practice or a fight?"

Noticing her curiosity, Lou Cheng replied carefully to not look like a bad boy with violence issues. "I was overjoyed and went to the lakeside for a stance training to cool myself down."

"You are so funny!" Yan Zheke replied.

Lou Cheng continued, "I came across two punks there. I didn't want to get involved but they approached me, accompanied by an acquaintance of ours."

"An acquaintance?" Yan Zheke sent a cute face with question marks above its head.

"Yeah. Wu Dong, from the Martial Arts Club." Lou Cheng didn't keep her guessing.

"Wu Dong? How did you defeat them alone? Are you okay?" Yan Zheke sent a few questions in a roll with no stickers.

"Nothing serious. I'm still here chatting and laughing," Lou Cheng said humorously.

Yan Zheke sent her favorite doge emoji. "Then what happened? Wu Dong is of Amateur Second Pin but you only got minor injuries…"

"In normal times I wouldn’t be able to defeat him. Also, those two punks were probably of Amateur Eighth or Ninth Pin based on their footwork. I had only one thing in mind at that moment." Lou Cheng deliberately kept her in suspense to keep the conversation interesting.

"What was that?" Yan Zheke sent a curious face.

"Out of thirty-six strategies, retreat is the best. I couldn’t defeat them so I ran." Lou Cheng sent a laughing emoji and continued, "Really fast I ran toward the lakeside grove before they reached me."

Yan Zheke sent a cute emoji of Ultraman and a small monster eating ice cream side by side. "Clever! So how did the fight begin? They caught up with you?"

"Not really." Lou Cheng sent a goofy face scratching its head. "I ran all the way to the library hill, intending to seek help from teachers and security guards there. When I found Wu Dong and his fellows gasping and slowing down, I saw a good opportunity to practice actual combat and take advantage of their weariness."

Lou Cheng slightly modified this part so he wouldn’t look like a troublemaker who planned this all up in advance. Most girls after puberty were no longer attracted to bad boys who had a wide range of friends.

"Emm… What happened then?" Yan Zheke sent an emoji of big blinking eyes.

"I changed my mind and ran around the hill toward the west district, slowing down on purpose for them to catch up so they wouldn’t quit chasing me." Lou Cheng continued with his story, pausing here and there to keep Yan Zheke dangling. "As soon as they stopped, out of breath, I turned around and went back."

"Weren’t you tired of them?" Yan Zheke sent an emoji of a flashing question mark above its head.

"He-heh. To be honest with you, I'm a pretty good long-distance runner with great endurance. I played it low in high school." Lou Cheng bragged.

"Hmm." Yan Zheke ended the topic with an emoji of blinking eyes. "You started with the two punks first?"

"Yeah. That's very clever of you!" Lou Cheng appeared lavish in his praise for the girl.

No one would hate compliments as long as not too exaggerate or dramatic. Whenever talking to a girl, praise her when opportunities present themselves or create such opportunities if needed. Certainly nothing would work for all. For those fond of masochism, tease them with jests.

Yan Zheke sent back a blushing face and then Lou Cheng continued, "I was concerned that the two punks might be armed with knives or daggers and they seemed much weaker than Wu Dong. So I went for them first to clear the ground to avoid a tangled fight which would be really bad for me, a beginner with no practical experience.

He gave as many details as possible as Yan Zheke should enjoy all the body movements and mental activities of actual combat.

"Can’t agree more!" Yan Zheke sent a proud face.

"Great minds think alike!" Lou Chen threw another compliment. "The two guys were out of breath and tired out. I stepped up and easily knocked one down with a forward punch, which almost choked him. Then I threw him at the other one and finished him with a whip kick at his shin, which killed his combat ability temporarily. After all this, I challenged Wu Dong formally. Which approach do you think was my best try then?"

Yan Zheke sent a pondering face. "Wu Dong is not known for his physical strength but very flexible and nimble. Considering he was already worn out after the run, a close melee would be the best."

"Correct. Very clever! That was exactly what I thought!" Lou Cheng just created an opportunity to praise her. "Coach Shi mentioned that smoking had damaged Wu Dong's body. Press him harder and he won’t be able to catch his breath. So I approached him with Snake Steps and kept the distance between us short. He couldn't maintain himself standing after a few bouts and had to roll over to dodge my attacks."

"And then? What happened to your back?" Yan Zheke asked with an emoji of blinking eyes and question marks.

Lying on his side, Lou Cheng smiled. "I was about to push my advance when Wu Dong grabbed a handful of dirt and threw it at my eyes. Completely out of my expectation, I had to turn sideways to protect my eyes but still some sand got in and I could hardly open my eyes."

Yan Zheke immediately sent a sticker of a cat dropping its dried fish out of fear. "And then? How did you turn the tide? How did you manage to dodge all but one blow on your back without eyesight?"

"In a terrible panic, I was lucky enough to receive only one hit on my back as I had already turned sideways. But that one hit almost knocked me over. My improved body coordination through Yin-Yang Stance training saved me from falling to the ground. I managed to adjust my weight and stabilize my body after taking a few big steps. I continued to shift weight and change directions and successfully dodged Wu Dong's attacks." Lou Cheng went on to share his feelings. "Standing on my feet firmly, I was surrounded by darkness, unable to see anything with tears in my eyes and fear in my heart. Luckily, Coach Shi noticed my gift in stance training and taught me the Ice Sect’s Condensation Stance and the Thunder Sect’s Lightning and Fire Stance in secret."

"The Condensation Stance can keep you calm, sharpen your senses and improve your concentration, well suited for a fight in the dark." Yan Zheke sent a sigh of relief. She had a solid command of knowledge in all fields of martial arts.

Lou Cheng sent a proud smile. "The Condensation Stance calmed me down. I heard Wu Dong's deliberately-lightened footsteps and smelled his alcoholic breath. I pretended to be at a loss while listening carefully to his approach. When he got close enough, I suddenly changed to the Lightning and Fire Stance and took the initiative to attack first. I gave him a good kick, which sent him rolling on the ground with no strength to get up."

"How exciting! Even better than tonight's competition." Yan Zheke sent a grinning dog. "Cheng, maybe one day you will become my idol!"

Happy and proud, Lou Cheng tried to stay cool. "Don't praise me like that or I'll become conceited! By the way, do you have any actual combat experience?"

Asking proper questions was the key when talking to a girl. Instead of keeping the microphone, one should seek opportunities to make her talk. And whatever she said, the listener would love it!

Obviously, not every question worked. Nosing around her family matters was embarrassing and annoying.

"Me?" Yan Zheke sent a pondering emoji facing the sky. "I haven't attended the Amateur Ranking Event and only got involved in two actual combats. In Grade Nine, I indulged in homework and stayed in school late one day. Soon after I walked out the school gate, someone patted me from behind. I was so terrified that I gave him a buttock subconsciously, only to find out it was my dad coming to pick me up… How miserable my dad’s life is, thrown around by my mom in his youth and again by me in his middle ages… Dad, forgive me, please!"

"I want to be treated like that! How lucky my future father-in-law is!" Lou Cheng thought to himself shamelessly while trying to ingratiate himself with Yan Zheke. "He’s probably already used to it. What about the other one?"

"So I accompanied my best friend to visit a scumbag who was using her hard-saved money while cheating on her with another girl. When we got there, the girl attempted to hit my friend and that jerk took her side. I was so outraged that I kicked both of them. They had some basic martial arts training so it could be considered an actual combat…" Yan Zheke sent a flame of fury sticker.

"Scrumbag! He should be gelded!" Lou Cheng took the girls’ side with no hesitation. "Your friend was blinded by love… Didn’t know you were such a heroine!"

They stayed on this topic until 10:30 without any awkward silence. Lou Cheng said goodbye with reluctance and then fell asleep with a big smile.

...

The next day by the lake, Lou Cheng couldn’t wait to show off his practical combat experience to Geezer Shi.

"Master, I defeated Wu Dong last night!"

Geezer Shi raised his eyebrows and responded, "Wu Dong? You must have worn him out with your immerse endurance in the long run before the fight!"

Err... He was seen through at once... Lou Cheng was speechless.

"Even my big toe could figure out the story. Don’t be too pleased with yourself until you can defeat Wu Dong in the ring and become a leading player of the Martial Arts Club," Geezer Shi, proud and complacent, added, "For this year's National Martial Arts Competition, you can join the cheering squad or the logistical support. Watch the competition on site, observe and learn."

Lou Cheng was neither surprised nor disappointed as he knew he had only trained for three weeks.

"Master, the partition contest of the competition will start next weekend, right?"

"That’s right, and the opening ceremony will be held in Songcheng University. A martial arts master of Professional First Pin will come as a special guest," said Geezer Shi.

"Who? Who's coming?" Lou Cheng seemed thrilled by the news. He was curious, and so would Yan Zheke be!

Geezer Shi answered with a smile, "Not a titled master. It’s Liang Yifan from Xinghai Club."

"I see. Terrific! I’m a fan." Lou Cheng felt very glad.

A late bloomer, Liang Yifan suffered in his youth and practiced basic martial arts as a sparring partner in a martial arts club. He was of Amateur Second Pin only at the age of 22, older than Chen Changhua. However, he kept training and made progress through hardships, which earned him appreciation and opportunities. The saying "one won’t succeed in martial arts if he can’t reach the physical invulnerability by 30" didn’t stop him. Liang Yifan achieved the Upper Three Pin level at 32. A family-oriented man, he was always sedated and amiable.

For martial arts fans like Lou Cheng, Liang Yifan was their role model and a perfect example of "grand talents mature slowly"!

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