The rules of revenge are useless to Lei Xiaofeng. Only students who are used to being bullied would think of following such ridiculous rules. True strongmen are the ones who set the rules, but unfortunately Zhang Lei doesn't understand this yet.
Just as predicted, Zhang Lei didn't pull off any surprises. He left the classroom with a bruised and swollen face. The only thing he could be proud of was that he also punched Lei Xiaofeng in the face.
Zhang Lei was unaware that Lei Xiaofeng had deliberately let himself be hit by that punch. This punch made the fight between them just a student brawl, not simply Lei Xiaofeng bullying Zhang Lei. The nature of the fight was very different. Otherwise, given that Zhang Lei was completely stunned by the punch, it would have been impossible for him to land a hit.
If Xiong Yong is a clumsy bear, then Lei Xiaofeng is just like his appearance—a clever monkey, except that he doesn't put his energy into studying, or, as the teachers analyzed, he has some ADHD.
To be honest, Zhang Lei did give Lei Xiaofeng a little surprise. At the beginning, when Zhang Lei still had enough internal energy, his first few punches were quite impressive. If it weren't for the fact that Lei Xiaofeng's experience was indeed far superior to Zhang Lei's, he might not have been able to dodge those first few attacks.
Lei Xiaofeng actually held back the first time; he was more playing the game. He figured he could take things one step at a time, and he would get his revenge on the former homeroom teacher's child day by day—there was no need to rush.
From that day on, Zhang Lei was forced to fight Lei Xiaofeng every day. Fortunately, his internal energy healing ability was truly remarkable. Although Lei Xiaofeng was only hit once or twice a day, if you came to see him the next morning, there would be absolutely no marks on Zhang Lei's face. On the contrary, Lei Xiaofeng might still have a dark brown eye. If you hadn't watched the fight the previous afternoon, you might have thought that Zhang Lei was the victor.
However, Lei Xiaofeng rarely has anyone watching when he fights. This guy might be a bit crazy; when he gets really into a fight, he often attacks even the bystanders. Even if he's not afraid, there's no need for him to go looking for trouble.
Lei Xiaofeng was already on the teacher's radar anyway, so it was perfectly normal for him to get into fights. Although no one knew who could leave scars on his face, no teacher would take responsibility or care about him, not even his homeroom teacher.
Actually, Zhang Lei's facial injury had already healed before he even got home, but because he had been pestered by Lei Xiaofeng all this time, the friends who were supposed to travel with him didn't dare to stay and wait for him.
However, Zhang Lei didn't always go home alone. During this time, he actually made a new friend, Leng Weifeng, who had ranked first in the last midterm exam. He was originally Xiong Yong's top lieutenant, but after his family encountered problems, he seemed to mature overnight. Although he still maintained a close relationship with Xiong Yong and the others, he always intentionally or unintentionally showed goodwill towards Zhang Lei.
Perhaps he had some ulterior motive, but Zhang Lei couldn't care less. During this time, even Xiong Yong avoided Zhang Lei, fearing any association with him. Leng Weifeng, on the other hand, went against the grain, and Zhang Lei was truly grateful. Moreover, going home alone was really desolate and boring. Zhang Lei missed the "wonderful" feeling of walking together with everyone a while ago, chatting and laughing, and arriving home without even realizing it.
Xiao Zhang Lei is a bit introverted and prefers quiet to activity, but deep down he is a person who is very afraid of being alone. The time when he is fighting with Lei Xiaofeng is the time when he is least lonely. Therefore, he feels a little grateful to Leng Weifeng, whom he met during his lonely time.
Actually, you can't blame those classmates. Lei Xiaofeng is notorious for taking his anger out on others. Think about it, when he's fighting, if he's even slightly unhappy, he'll beat up the audience too. What would happen if someone like that were to act a little closer to Zhang Lei?
Zhang Lei had considered asking Leng Weifeng to stay away from him, but that would make him feel too miserable. Lei Xiaofeng didn't know that Zhang Lei had stopped hating the time he spent fighting with Leng Weifeng and even started to look forward to it. Otherwise, after so long, anyone else would have sought help from their teachers or parents.
At first, Lei Xiaofeng did intentionally let Zhang Lei hit him twice, but later, seeing that Zhang Lei didn't complain at all, and that the injuries on his face and body healed too quickly, while Lei Xiaofeng himself seemed to be beaten up every day, it's clear that Lei Xiaofeng is either a masochist or mentally ill for intentionally letting Zhang Lei hit him again.
However, the injury on his face only stopped for two days before it started to reappear, and it seemed to be getting worse. Even the homeroom teacher, who had never paid attention to it before, couldn't stand it anymore and asked him about it twice. Zhang Lei didn't directly report it, so Lei Xiaofeng was even less likely to do so. If he did, his reputation would be ruined, and who would be afraid of him? San Leizi lived by relying on others' fear; what was the point of him living if no one was afraid of him?
Just like playing chess, constantly playing against a novice won't significantly improve your skills. However, if you play against a master every day, as long as you have some understanding, your skill level will improve very quickly.
Although San Leizi wouldn't kindly guide Zhang Lei, Zhang Lei seemed to have a strong aptitude for this. In just over a month, although he still lost every battle, the odds on the field had at least become 20/80. That is to say, if Lei Xiaofeng landed eight punches on him, Zhang Lei would usually land two. Moreover, Zhang Lei's main target was his face; Zhang Lei was just trying to humiliate him.
Zhang Lei was well aware of the effects of his internal energy on healing. He wasted his internal energy every day to treat the scars on his face not only to avoid being discovered, but more importantly, to create a stark contrast with Lei Xiaofeng and to make others question Lei Xiaofeng's personality. Was this guy looking for trouble every day to beat people up or to get beaten up?
The level of skill is relative. Right now, San Leizi is definitely a top-tier player compared to Zhang Lei.
Zhang Lei's classroom was at one end of the building, and beyond that were the chemistry and physics labs, which were usually empty. The lights on the other side of the corridor were never turned on, and the glass was covered by thick curtains. Although it wasn't pitch black, you had to get very close to see what was happening inside.
This is Zhang Lei and Lei Xiaofeng's main battlefield. Fighting here is even safer than fighting outside, and there are fewer people who can see it.
After more than half a year of fighting in sixth grade, Zhang Lei's personality has changed a lot. However, this may have been a part of his personality all along. He might back down before a fight breaks out, but once a fight starts, Zhang Lei has never backed down, regardless of winning or losing.
"Bang!" Lei Xiaofeng tilted his head, and Zhang Lei's fist hit the wall behind his head again. However, Zhang Lei was prepared, as he was already wearing a cotton glove.
San Leizi pressed down on Zhang Lei's arm and twisted it, then struck Zhang Lei's hastily raised shoulder with a backhand. Zhang Lei didn't feel much force. San Leizi wasn't a burly type; on the contrary, he appeared lean and wiry. Although he had some strength, he lacked momentum, so his punch wasn't very heavy.
But San Leizi was very fast. If Zhang Lei hadn't been used to his routine, he wouldn't have shrugged. Although he knew that San Leizi would definitely retaliate with his other hand after he missed, he still didn't have time to block with his hand or arm. Shrugging his shoulder was the best solution Zhang Lei could think of.
Lei Xiaofeng was a natural-born fighter; his reaction speed was simply astounding to Zhang Lei. Unless the opportunity was perfect, Zhang Lei's punches would almost always miss. If it weren't for his opponent, Zhang Lei might even have admired him. This wasn't the first time Zhang Lei had suffered this loss, which is why he decided to wear such a glove and learned to add a retraction to his punches.
Cotton gloves offer virtually no protection against punches; the feeling of being hit on the body or face is roughly the same. In fact, the rough texture of the gloves can easily cause chafing and abrasions when used on the face. They are also popular in winter because they help prevent hands from getting cold during bare-handed fights. However, it's important to understand that if your hands are freezing cold when you hit someone in winter, it's hard to say who will feel more pain.
Although this place is indoors, the temperature in the corridor is relatively low, and wearing these gloves can also provide protection when you hit the wall like that.
Zhang Lei wasn't that ruthless. A few days ago, Leng Weifeng told him a secret: fill your gloves with sand, and when you slap someone, their whole face will swell up and their eyes will be squeezed shut, leaving them with nothing to do.
Despite being the top fighter, Zhang Lei didn't dare use it. He knew that San Leizi's knowledge in this area was no less than Leng Weifeng's, and using it once would only give him an advantage. If San Leizi remembered those things, he would be the one who suffered. Moreover, slapping someone isn't as simple as punching them in the face. A slap is too big and obvious, and Zhang Lei wasn't confident he could land a hit on Lei Xiaofeng like that.
Moreover, Zhang Lei had always suspected that this San Leizi might not have been using his full strength, otherwise he wouldn't have been so easy to deal with.
Zhang Lei was well aware that if he exhausted his internal energy, he would be in a one-sided beating against San Leizi. Therefore, he cherished the use of his internal energy immensely, ensuring that every punch he threw landed on San Leizi's face, preferably his nose. Strictly speaking, San Leizi's nose was more prominent than Zhang Lei's, which Zhang Lei found unpleasant. This was actually the beginning of Zhang Lei's habit of hitting people he didn't like, but at this point, Zhang Lei was the one getting beaten more often.
Learning by doing in isolation is not as good as having someone to spar with. In the constant fighting, Zhang Lei not only learned all sorts of unique and effective moves that San Leizi used, but Zhang Lei also gained something more than him—he trained his own internal energy.
For example, when Zhang Lei used to punch, he would only channel his internal energy into his arm and then use all his strength to throw a powerful punch.
Episode 1: Internal Strength Like a Drug, Chapter 8: Ambush
After sparring with Lei Xiaofeng many times, Zhang Lei gradually changed his approach. He didn't learn it from Lei Xiaofeng, who hadn't developed any internal energy.
This is purely derived from practice. Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth. There is a battle to fight with Lei Xiaofeng every day. As long as Zhang Lei has a new idea every day, he can successfully experiment with it. Zhang Lei can draw conclusions from practice about which method is more effective and which method saves internal energy.
The only factor affecting the punch is the instant of release. Unless the punch's trajectory is changed mid-strike, there's no need to continuously apply force. This is a conclusion Zhang Lei reached after countless experiments. Therefore, it's sufficient to use internal energy to assist at the very moment of release; there's no need to waste it afterwards. Perhaps transmitting internal energy at the instant of impact to further damage the body would be more powerful, but that requires a high level of skill, and Zhang Lei couldn't achieve it even once in dozens of attempts, thus wasting a considerable amount of internal energy.
Since discovering the method to conserve internal energy, Zhang Lei is now reluctant to waste it all in combat, as this internal energy was originally intended to slow down and counteract physical weakness.
Besides using his internal energy to repair himself, Zhang Lei also started exercising. Actually, this was forced by the fighting; nobody wants to keep getting beaten up.
This is a complex process of progress and regression. Adolescents develop relatively quickly, and their bodies can be said to change every day, which is progress. The internal energy vortex and Zhang Lei's extraction of vital energy from the tissues during his training are currently causing regression. In addition, Zhang Lei's use of absorbed internal energy to strengthen his body is also beneficial, and the repeated filling and releasing of the body tissues has also enhanced the absorption of internal energy, which is equivalent to weakening the impact of extracting internal energy.
This increased physical training was forced upon him by his constant battles with Lei Xiaofeng, but its effects are real. However, without experienced guidance, Zhang Lei's training was somewhat haphazard. Fortunately, he could use his internal energy to help heal any strains or contusions, which indirectly improved the effectiveness of his training.
In just one month, Zhang Lei's physique changed dramatically. From behind, apart from his height, he already looked like a grown man, with a standard inverted triangle shape below his shoulders, and the muscles on both arms were clearly defined. However, his legs didn't change much. Zhang Lei only knew to focus on training whichever muscle he used, and he mainly strengthened his arms, at most his waist and abdomen, while neglecting his legs.
Zhang Lei knew that using his legs would be more effective, but Lei Xiaofeng was too skilled in fighting, and his reactions were incredibly fast. He couldn't kick Lei Xiaofeng; if he did, Lei Xiaofeng would almost certainly grab him, and he'd be thrown to the ground without a doubt. Getting back up after that was difficult. Punching, on the other hand, had fewer openings, and if he got caught, the consequences weren't as severe. This was a choice forced upon Zhang Lei by his position as the weaker party.
Aside from causing Zhang Lei some discomfort, alienation from friends, and a slightly more withdrawn personality at the time, the fight with Lei Xiaofeng didn't actually have many negative consequences in the long run. On the contrary, it was very beneficial to Zhang Lei's growth. Many bad things or bad luck, when viewed in hindsight, seem more like a kind of trial in life.
Of course, neither Zhang Lei nor Lei Xiaofeng would agree with this view at the time. As Zhang Lei's punches became heavier and hit Lei Xiaofeng more and more often, Lei Xiaofeng seemed to be getting angry as well. He didn't have Zhang Lei's ability to heal with internal energy, and the bruises on his face were not fading. His head was becoming more and more like a baby pig than a monkey.
Actually, it's impossible for the teacher not to have noticed anything during this period, but Teacher Cui simply didn't intend to intervene. The situation was already out of control, and even if she intervened, it wouldn't have any practical effect. Another reason might be that she had conflicts with Zhang Lei's parents; otherwise, she wouldn't have arranged for the two of them to sit at the same table.
"Zhang Lei, Teacher Cui said today that we should make up!" Lei Xiaofeng said smugly. What, you can't hold on anymore, are you? You're asking for help first, you're giving in first. Actually, Lei Xiaofeng was already reaching his limit. He also wanted to end this situation. Although he could still dominate Zhang Lei, his advantage was diminishing.