With a slight raise of his hand, the two silent, crew-cut youths who had been standing behind him stepped forward in unison, standing in front of Zhou Ping. These two men had ordinary appearances, but sharp features; their faces were pockmarked with healed scars from past injuries. They wore clean, tidy, slightly faded gray bodysuits. Their piercing eyes shone with a cold, ruthless light.
"Let me introduce you. These two are my friends. They've both won championships in underground fighting arenas and have incredible strength. I heard that you, Lingyun, are also quite skilled, so I came here specifically to ask for your guidance. Lingyun, you wouldn't refuse even this small favor, would you?" Zhou Ping casually pulled out a pack of premium Furongwang cigarettes from the pocket of his expensive suit jacket. Just as he took one out and put it in his mouth, the short boy ingratiatingly lit it for him with a lighter.
A young man with sword-like eyebrows stepped forward, clenching his fist. "Young man, we're in this business of taking money and solving problems. Sorry for the inconvenience, but don't worry, I won't kill you." As he spoke, his fist clenched so tightly it cracked.
Zhou Ping laughed so hard he almost fell over: "Ling Yun, did you hear that clearly? My friend won't kill you. Although you might be bedridden for the rest of your life and need someone to take care of you when you need to poop or pee, you still have hope of living, haha."
Ling Yun smiled faintly, about to speak. Suddenly, a crisp sound, like pearls falling onto a plate, rang out.
"Hehe, I heard everything. There's such a thing? Senior students from Jinghua University are retaliating against freshmen by hiring two veteran underground boxers. They're really ruthless. Although I'm just a passerby and don't want to get involved, I can't stand by and watch. Hey boy, don't be afraid. I'll cover for you. Let's see who dares to lay a finger on you!"
As the clear voice fell, a spirited girl suddenly appeared behind the city wall.
Chapter Thirty: One Kick to the Ground
Everyone's eyes lit up. The girl was strikingly beautiful, dressed in a neutral style. She wore tight dark jeans that accentuated her long, straight legs, like a model's, and a snow-white shirt with one button undone at the collar, revealing a glimpse of fair skin. She had a stylish short Sassoon hairstyle, but her face was lightly powdered, revealing a delicate nose, a pretty mouth, and exquisitely beautiful features. Her fresh, spirited demeanor was tinged with a captivating charm.
The crowd couldn't help but secretly applaud: What a beautiful girl!
The girl had extremely long legs. She walked over to Ling Yun in a few steps and patted him on the shoulder in a casual manner: "Brother, are you also a freshman at Jinghua University this year?"
Ling Yun looked at the girl with a haughty air, speaking in a thick martial arts slang, and honestly replied, "Yes, my name is Ling Yun, and I'm a freshman majoring in bioengineering. May I ask who you are?"
The girl laughed loudly, "Haha, brother, you don't even recognize me? You're so ignorant! Haven't you heard of the four famous beauties among this year's freshmen at Jinghua University? I'm one of them."
Everyone was stunned. Who was this girl? They had seen beautiful women before, but they had never seen such a narcissistic one!
The girl patted Ling Yun's shoulder triumphantly again: "Hey Ling Yun, you're a guy too, and we're in the same year, yet you don't even know the Four Beauties? How did you manage? And looking at you so honest, are you a repressed pervert?" She then burst into laughter again. However, she couldn't quite pull off that kind of boisterous, unrestrained laughter. Although she tried to imitate it, it came across as awkward and instead revealed a cute, girlish charm.
Ling Yun was speechless, not knowing what to say. He thought to himself, "Where did this lively character come from? She looks like a freshman too. Xia Zhen just mentioned the Four Beauties. What a coincidence, I've met two of them in one day."
The girl nonchalantly stepped forward and pointed at Zhou Ping and the others: "I think your surname is Zhou, right? I don't know why you bullied an honest freshman like him? And you even hired a black market expert to do this. That's a bit too ruthless. Since I saw it, I'm going to take care of it."
Zhou Ping was also amused by the girl's antics, so he looked at her with interest and said, "I've heard a bit about the four beauties of your new class. I heard they're Yang Yuqi from the Art Department, Su Bingyan from the Computer Science Department, Lin Naimei from the History Department, and Chen Jiaxuan from the Physical Education Department. It's said that Chen Jiaxuan from the Physical Education Department comes from a martial arts family and has been practicing martial arts since childhood, so she's exceptionally skilled. Since you're going to stand up for Ling Yun and you're so confident in yourself, hehe, you must be Chen Jiaxuan from the Physical Education Department?"
The girl raised her chin, and a sharp glint suddenly flashed in her nonchalant phoenix eyes: "Zhou Ping, I've heard a little about you. I heard you're a notorious playboy at Jinghua University, always pursuing the campus beauty Xia Zhen, but Xia Zhen ignores you, so you take it out on her suitors. On the day of freshman registration, you tried to make things difficult for a freshman that Xia Zhen knew, but unfortunately, you ended up embarrassing yourself and even ripped your pants?"
Zhou Ping's face suddenly turned ashen. He pointed at Chen Jiaxuan and said sternly, "Chen Jiaxuan, so you've been pretending all along. I'm only letting you off the hook because you're a girl and have nothing to do with this. Get out of here right now, or don't blame me for being rude to you."
"Hehe." Chen Jiaxuan smiled contemptuously. "I've never backed down from anything I'm going to do. Let me tell you, Zhou Ping, I've got Ling Yun under my protection. From now on, if you dare to cause trouble for him, you're causing trouble for me. Didn't you find two experts in underground boxing? Why don't you let them try out my methods?"
As she spoke, Chen Jiaxuan turned to Ling Yun and said, "Ling Yun, you don't need to feel embarrassed that I, a girl, am standing up for you. There's no need to worry about saving face. You may have some skills, but you are far inferior to me. To be honest, someone asked me to protect you, otherwise how could I have happened to be passing by here?"
Ling Yun glanced at Chen Jiaxuan indifferently and nodded calmly: "Thank you."
"Hehe, interesting. I really can't figure you out." A hint of surprise flashed in Chen Jiaxuan's clear phoenix eyes. "I hope you won't disappoint me in the future!"
Zhou Ping's face was gloomy as he hesitated whether to deal with Chen Jiaxuan as well. He was no fool. Before taking action against Ling Yun, he had specifically investigated Ling Yun's background through various channels. He learned that Ling Yun was just an ordinary person and that his acquaintance with Xia Zhen was purely accidental. Only then did he make up his mind to take revenge.
To avoid taking responsibility, he specifically hired two black market boxers. Even if he were traced back to this ordinary student with no background, he could simply smooth things over and spend some money. But Chen Jiaxuan was different. Zhou Ping had only vaguely heard that she came from an extraordinary family, apparently a well-known martial arts family in the country. Such families usually had deep backgrounds and were not to be trifled with.
Chen Jiaxuan's seemingly rough but actually confident attitude made Zhou Ping even more wary. He had just heard her say that someone was secretly protecting Ling Yun? Zhou Ping wondered if it was Xia Zhen. Zhou Ping had also investigated Xia Zhen's background, but he couldn't find anything. This school beauty seemed very ordinary, but Zhou Ping just felt that she was hiding something. Otherwise, he would have already taken forceful measures to force himself on her.
But to let it go today would not only make things more difficult for Ling Yun later if he became wary, but it would also be a loss of face. A senior student, a prominent figure on campus, couldn't even outshine two inexperienced freshmen; it would be a laughingstock. How could Zhou Ping possibly tolerate this? He thought for a moment and then made up his mind. He walked over to the two crew-cut youths and whispered a few words to each of them.
The young man with sword-like eyebrows and the other young man with a crew cut were both hired by him. They only cared about money and didn't care about people. They would do whatever their employer said. The young man with sword-like eyebrows stepped forward, his face still expressionless, and said loudly, "Young lady, we originally wanted to spar with that young man. If you stick your neck out for him, you might offend him."
Chen Jiaxuan's phoenix eyes narrowed, and she stretched her long legs forward into a standard horse stance. Her left hand clenched into a fist and turned inward, while her right hand, with its snow-white palm, made a diagonal cut. She beckoned to the sword-browed youth with her five fingers, meaning, "Since that's the case, then please come at me."
A cruel smile crept across the young man's lips. He'd seen plenty of martial arts masters who could only put on a show, but against a true free-fighting expert, they were utterly helpless. This little girl had delicate skin; even if she'd trained since childhood, how much strength could she possibly have? He feared that under his relentless onslaught, a single punch or kick would be enough to kill her. However, he remembered his employer's instructions: to be measured in his attacks, and simply knock the girl unconscious would suffice.
The young man with sword-like eyebrows slowly approached Chen Jiaxuan, his bulging fists cracking involuntarily. He was pondering how to knock her unconscious with a single punch without injuring her when a faint smile appeared on Chen Jiaxuan's lips. Suddenly, she closed in with lightning speed, her long, straight, shapely leg rising high and sweeping swiftly towards the young man's forehead. As it passed through the air, it even produced a faint sound like wind and thunder cutting through the air.
The young man with sword-like eyebrows was terrified. This girl was incredibly fast, and even with his experience and keen eye, he had only ever seen such speed and power in a handful of skilled fighters in underground fighting arenas. In that critical moment, he didn't have time to think. He swiftly raised his strong, powerful arm and managed to block Chen Jiaxuan's kick without serious injury.
A sharp pain immediately shot through the area where their arms met. The girl's delicate, long leg, when it struck his arm, was no less powerful than a full-force blow from a hard steel rod. The sword-browed youth was both shocked and furious. He staggered back several steps, shouting, "This is free fighting, not martial arts!"
Chen Jiaxuan sneered, "You think I'm just a performer who only knows how to put on fancy moves? My fists are for killing, not for putting on a show for others. Show me all the skills you have for underground free fighting, or I really will kill you." As she spoke, the girl swung her fist horizontally, and the cute and carefree girl who had just seemed so much transformed into a cold and sharp sword that had been drawn from its sheath.
The sword-browed youth roared, his powerful muscles bulging, and the buttons of his coat taut. Years of life-or-death struggle in underground boxing had made him exceptionally sensitive. From this girl, he sensed an extremely dangerous aura. If she said she would kill, she really meant it; it wasn't just empty threats.
At this moment, he no longer cared about his employer's orders. Forget knocking the girl unconscious; even victory was uncertain. The sword-browed youth stared intently at Chen Jiaxuan, then pounced like a leopard. His left fist struck Chen Jiaxuan's face, while his right hand transformed into a blade, slashing fiercely at the girl's delicate neck. This attack was delivered with all his might.
Mercy to the enemy is cruelty to oneself; even the weakest opponent can kill a powerful one with a single blow. Regardless of the opponent's strength, the sword-browed youth always attacks with all his might—this is the most valuable experience he has gained from countless life-or-death trials.
Chen Jiaxuan sneered, taking only a step back to dodge the sword-browed youth's left fist. Then, without warning, she raised her right leg high, colliding with the sword-browed youth's palm with a muffled thud.
The young man with sword-like eyebrows snorted, his right arm trembling slightly, as if it had lost all its strength and was no longer under his control. The girl's legs were unusually hard, as if they were not made of flesh, but rather an incredibly hard iron rod.
There was no time for him to continue thinking. Chen Jiaxuan jumped up and suddenly spun around in mid-air. Her left leg brought a strong whooshing sound as it swept powerfully toward the head of the sword-browed youth. If this kick landed, it might even break the sword-browed youth's neck.
The young man with sword-like eyebrows gritted his teeth, his anger burning fiercely. When had he, the king of underground fighting, ever been so powerfully suppressed like a whirlwind, especially by such a young girl? He had never felt so humiliated. His eyes widened in fury, and with an expression of utter rage, he dodged Chen Jiaxuan's leg strike again, then charged forward to engage her in a head-on clash.
Apart from Ling Yun, everyone else was stunned. The kung fu performances they had seen on TV were so different from real combat. This was true kung fu; every punch and kick could kill in an instant.
Zhou Ping calmed himself down, secretly relieved that he hadn't provoked this terrifying girl, otherwise he would have been kicked to the ground long ago. Although he was also a seventh-dan in karate, he was naturally far inferior to underground fighting masters.
Zhou Ping glanced across at Ling Yun, who was casually watching the fight between the sword-browed youth and Chen Jiaxuan. He felt a surge of anger, rolled his eyes, and walked over to another crew-cut youth who was watching the fight intently. He whispered, "Now is a good time. That woman is entangled. Hurry up and take care of that kid."
The crew-cut youth glanced at Ling Yun, nodded expressionlessly, and quickly walked towards Ling Yun. Ling Yun seemed completely oblivious, still casually watching Chen Jiaxuan and the other man fight.
Although Chen Jiaxuan was fighting with the sword-browed youth, she kept her eyes and ears open. Seeing that Ling Yun was still watching like a meditating monk, she couldn't help but shout urgently, "Idiot, come to my side quickly, that person is very powerful."
As she spoke, she swept out several kicks in succession, trying to force the sword-browed youth back before rushing towards Ling Yun. However, the sword-browed youth was driven by lust, letting out a low roar like a wild beast. Although he had taken several kicks from Chen Jiaxuan, he did not retreat but instead advanced, relentlessly entangled with the girl.
Although Chen Jiaxuan was more skilled than the sword-browed youth, she was unable to break free for the time being. Seeing the crew-cut youth getting closer and closer to Ling Yun, she became anxious and could only shout loudly to attract Ling Yun's attention.
It wasn't until the crew-cut youth was almost in front of Ling Yun that Ling Yun looked at him as if he had just realized something.