Chen Yu looked suspiciously toward the source of the voice and saw a young man around twenty years old, with dyed blond hair, an earring, a sleeveless black shirt, and dark skin clearly exposed on his arms.
"Yo, guys, come take a look! I found a real panda! There are actually still people who believe in Chinese kung fu these days, practicing this ancient qigong in the park?"
The blond-haired youth shouted loudly, his voice dripping with mockery as he laughed. A group of young men with hair dyed every color of the rainbow hurried over. More than a dozen of them crowded around, pointing at Chen Yu as if they were looking at an animal in a zoo.
"Probably some student who's been brainwashed by movies. Does he really think Chinese kung fu is useful? His punches and blocks aren't even as good as turtle boxing. What a joke."
"Hey, hey, don't beat him up yet. Maybe he's like that guy who came to challenge the martial arts gym a few days ago—the real deal. One breath from him and bulls went flying everywhere. Ha-ha!"
It had just gotten light, and there was no one else in the park besides them. Only an elderly man with a deathly pale face was taking a walk with a little girl whose two braids hung loose like ponytails. Hearing the commotion, they both turned to look.
Chen Yu frowned. He had not expected to run into these irritating people right after finishing his cultivation. His cheerful mood instantly turned sour.
When a Celestial Venerable grew angry, corpses piled up for a thousand miles. Even if he was only a senior in high school now, he was not some stray cat or dog that just anyone could humiliate.
Just as Chen Yu was about to lose his temper, a booming roar suddenly rang out in the distance.
"You little punks! Why aren't you practicing your punches? What are you all doing gathered over here?"
Following the voice, a huge man nearly 1.9 meters tall walked over. His chest was bare, his muscles bulging, and every step radiated an oppressive force.
"Brother Zhao is here! He hates that fake Chinese kung fu movie crap more than anything. Perfect—he can deal with this guy!"
The blond-haired youth ran over and said, "Brother Zhao, we saw this student practicing Chinese qigong. He's got something wrong with his head. Help cure him."
The big man immediately knitted his brows and turned his gaze toward Chen Yu. Their eyes met, and suddenly his whole body trembled slightly. But the sensation came and went so quickly that he assumed he had caught a chill the night before.
"Hmph! You little brat. Of all the things to learn, you chose this fake nonsense!" he barked. "Let me tell you, Chinese martial arts are all a scam! If you want to learn real kung fu, come to the Zhao Family Muay Thai Gym and take me, Zhao Kai, as your master. Fifty-eight hundred a month, and I guarantee you'll become the toughest guy in school!"
The elderly man, who had been walking nearby, froze when he heard this and muttered,
"I never expected him to be Zhao Kai."
"Grandpa, you know him?"
The little girl with two braids opened her round eyes wide, looking puzzled.
"This Zhao Kai practices Muay Thai. A few days ago, he had a friendly match against someone who practiced traditional martial arts in a public bout. His opponent was knocked unconscious in less than thirty seconds. That's when I learned someone like him existed."
"Then he must be really powerful!" the little girl exclaimed.
The elderly man shook his head disdainfully. "That traditional martial artist was merely a showman. Losing to Zhao Kai was inevitable. But once you've reached the Ming Jin realm, if he faced you, he wouldn't last three rounds."
The elderly man glanced at Chen Yu and sighed.
"What a pity. This boy is passionate about Chinese kung fu, but he has no renowned master to guide him. Practicing on his own like this, if he runs into someone like Zhao Kai—vicious hands and a black heart—he's bound to suffer."
The little girl with the two braids looked at Chen Yu. Her round eyes spun a few times before she giggled.
"Let's go. I'll help you! Zhao Kai wants him as his disciple? Then I'll take his disciple first!"
The elderly man stared at his granddaughter in shock, then turned to Chen Yu and sighed.
"I really don't know where this kid stole such good luck, to have you take him as your student."
Chen Yu's expression turned strange. His cultivation had just broken through, and his five senses had been enhanced. Even the chirping of insects within roughly a hundred feet reached his ears clearly. He heard every word of the conversation between the old man and the little girl.
Two ordinary mortals—one demanding a monthly tuition of fifty-eight hundred, the other merely a girl about his age—both wanted the Cangyu Celestial Venerable to become their disciple?
At that thought, Chen Yu felt as if the world were spinning. Mortals knew nothing. They had no idea what kind of terrifying existence the teenage student before them truly was!
"Hey! You little brat, what are you spacing out for? From now on, this park is the training ground of the Zhao Family Muay Thai Gym. If you won't become my student, then get lost! Don't stand around here shamelessly making a fool of yourself!"
Zhao Kai was acting arrogantly, but right then, an even more overbearing voice rang out:
"Zhao Kai! You said traditional martial arts are useless? Today, I'll show you what Chinese kung fu really is! And starting today, this guy is my disciple! From now on, you're forbidden from setting foot in this park! Get out of here! Don't keep shamelessly stinking up the place!"
The little girl with the two braids stepped in front of Chen Yu, blinking her big eyes. She tried to act mature and gave a light cough.
"Ahem, disciple, don't be scared. Your master has your back!"
Though her intentions were good, Chen Yu could only stare at the girl with a strange look on his face, at a loss for words.
Zhao Kai was stunned, then laughed in his fury.
"How interesting! Just the other day, I dealt with an old quack, and today another little scam artist shows up! I don't care if you're a girl—I won't hold back!"
"Get out of my way!"
Zhao Kai roared and sprang forward two steps, launching a powerful high kick straight at the girl's head. If it landed, the mildest consequence would be a concussion!
But the girl was not afraid in the slightest. Instead, she smiled faintly, ducked beneath the kick, and darted close to Zhao Kai in a single step. Before he could react, she drove a punch into his stomach.
The punch looked feather-light, yet Zhao Kai, all 200 pounds of him, went flying like a kite with its string cut!
The exchange was over in a flash—the victor was decided!
"Ugh!"
Zhao Kai dropped to his knees and clutched his stomach, vomiting nonstop until it felt as if even his bile would spill out. The delinquent youths beside him were terrified, their faces deathly pale as they stared at the girl like she was a monster.
Zhao Kai had practiced Muay Thai for more than ten years. Even if all ten of them rushed him together, they still would not be able to beat him—and yet this girl had taken him down with one punch?
What the hell... was she even human?
But in Chen Yu's eyes, that punch had far too many flaws. He merely shook his head.
Zhao Kai knelt on one leg and glared at the girl with burning hatred, his rage soaring to the heavens. He had never imagined he would fall at the hands of a little girl!
"Who the hell are you? Do you dare leave your name behind?"
"Zhao Kai, if you still have questions, come to Dongchuan and look for me at the Ye family residence! My name is Ye Donglai, and this is my granddaughter, Ye Wushuang."
The elderly man stepped forward with his hands clasped behind his back, his cold gaze fixed on Zhao Kai. A fierce, blood-soaked killing intent suddenly surged from him.
Chen Yu nodded faintly. Although the old man's aura was weak, it was clear he had once walked onto a battlefield. Any ordinary person standing before him would naturally become flustered.
When Zhao Kai heard the words "the Ye family of Dongchuan," it was as if thunder had exploded beneath a clear sky. He knew very well that this was the true leading power in Dongchuan—not some insignificant shrimp like him that could afford to offend them!
His lips trembled violently. "This lowly one was blind and failed to recognize your distinguished presence. I... I didn't mean anything by it!"
At this point, forget revenge—even if the other party truly wanted to cripple him, he would not dare say a word.
Ye Donglai gave a slight nod and turned toward Chen Yu. He was just about to speak when Chen Yu interrupted him.
"Though I did not take the initiative today, I am still indebted to you. I will not accept you as my disciples, but I can teach you one move."
The moment the words left his mouth, everyone froze and stared at Chen Yu wide-eyed.