In the office of Martial Arts Club, there were not only veteran players like Lou Cheng and Lin Que, but also new members like He Zi, Mu Jinnian and Wang Dali, who had just been trained for two weeks. Shu Rui was also here guiding the cameraman to record the daily life in this club.
It was in later October, so the weather has gradually turned cold. Shu Rui, who often came here recently, was wearing a casual thin sweater and a skirt with the length down to the knees instead of dressing professionally. Wearing in such a youthful style made her look like a college student, while Li Mao, Wang Dali and other fellows would take a glance at her occasionally.
"Take it easy, don't care about the camera. Just pretend that you haven't seen us and keep chatting in the way as you usually do ." Looking around with her sharp eyes, Shu Rui was trying to find topics for them.
No one took her words seriously, for they all wanted to show their good image to the audience in front of the screen through this interview.
While all the new members like He Zi were so nervous that they kept moving slowly to hide behind someone's back, Old Shi, who was still enjoying his wine and spicy peanut, seemed that he didn't care about the reporter at all. On the other side, Lin Que was standing quietly with his hands buried in the pockets. From this angle, Shu Rui could see his sharp profile and tightly-closed mouth.
On the computer screen, those several special guests were still making their boring speech.
Leaning back in his seat, Lou Cheng took out his cellphone to text Yan Zheke, who was sitting next to him. "I feel so uncomfortable in front of the camera," followed by a crying emoji.
Having been informed in advance that Shu Rui would come to take videos of them, Yan Zheke even made up before she went to the martial arts club today. While keeping her make up simple, she was wearing a cotton skirt and silk stockings, which made her as pretty as a picture in the interior light. Lou Cheng had been praising her as a little fairy.
Noticing what her boyfriend was doing, Yan Zheke also took out her cellphone to reply Lou Cheng with a "laughing behind hand" emoji. "Isn't it weird? Why can't we chat face to face?"
"We have no choice since the reporter is staring at us!" Lou Cheng sent a painful emoji.
"Can't you keep quiet for a while instead of annoying me?" Yan Zheke replied with a "looking upwards" emoji, pretending to get angry. But she was actually feeling happy.
Lou Cheng replied with finality. "I can't!"
Yan Zheke arched her eyes and eyebrows and sent a "touch your head" emoji. "Okay, let elder sister take care of you~!"
"Hehe, I find you so cute each time you call yourself senior sister." Lou Cheng "giggled".
"Really? So only under such condition will you feel me cute?" Yan Zheke replied with a "sit and wait for praise with a lovely face" emoji.
"Not exactly. You are even cuter when you call me Pervert!" Lou Cheng replied with a sinister smile.
Puff… Yan Zheke bit her pink lip as soon as she saw the text. Her body was trembling as she was making an effort to stifle a laugh and the urge to give her boyfriend a supercilious look as well as a kick. Gnashing her teeth, the girl typed with great force.
"I'll call the police!"
Lou Cheng's mouth twitched with laughter unconsciously, and it took him great effort to control his facial expression. In Shu Rui and other fellows' eyes, who didn't know they were flirting, the two of them were just playing their cellphone as a retreat from the boring speech.
After a while, Lou Cheng suddenly recalled something, so he sent an emoji with a question mark above its head.
"Ke, isn't it said that when someone reaches the Inhuman level, his root pulp will gradually change and his offspring might be born with supernatural ability? Why doesn't your cousin awaken any abilities?"
He had been considering how to enhance Lin Que's vulnerabilities in stamina, and then the question occurred to him.
Ke's grandpa Ji Jianzhang was an elder of Shushan Study, who had already reached First-Pin with physical invulnerability decades ago. Ke's grandma, Dou Ning, was also an elder of Shushan Study, so it was of great possibility that their kids might awaken some supernatural ability.
"Stupid Cheng, just as you said, great possibility doesn't mean certainty~" Yan Zheke replied with an emoji laughing with tears, "besides, root pulp change in inhuman level is actually so small and unstable, so most of the kids were unable to inherit their supernatural ability unless their parents had both became physical-invulnerability warriors before giving birth to them. My uncle and aunt were born in the period when my grandpa was in low-level Dan stage and inhuman level, so neither of them inherited any supernatural abilities, or their abilities hasn't appeared yet. My mother was the only child born in the period when my grandparents had both gained physical invulnerability, and that was why she had awakened her supernatural ability."
"What? Your mother has supernatural ability?" Lou Cheng was stunned.
Yan Zheke replied with a "Cheers!" emoji, which was preferred by those aged ones. "Bingo!"
"Since she never paid much attention to martial arts and supernatural ability training, she's at most a eighth-pin fighter now…" Yan Zheke added, "my aunt was born in the period when my grandparents were both in Inhuman level, so she might have inherited the changed root pulp and my brother might awaken something one day…" Sign, though I'm supposed to awaken supernatural ability in this respect, my congenitally deficient might prevent me from inheriting it…"
Lou Cheng replied her with a "hug", "Don't worry. The technique and Martial Arts were both developing, and it's likely that your congenitally deficient will be cured one day!"
"You are copying my words~!" Yan Zheke complained.
"I'm actually reviewing coach Yan's instruction!" Lou Cheng seized the opportunity to praise her.
Yan Zheke put both hands on her hips and shook her head to show her pride, then she again laughed behind one hand. "Actually it doesn't matter now for I've already been used to it and let it go~ To be honest I even feel a little lucky."
"Feel lucky for what?" Lou Cheng asked in confusion.
"Hehe, I'll tell you later~" Yan Zheke replied with soft voice and lowered eyes.
If she hadn't been born congenitally deficient, she would have lived a different life, in which it was unlikely for her to stay in Xiushan during senior high and come to Congcheng for university, and then they would remain unfamiliar with each other instead of getting the opportunity to encounter, hug and kiss each other.
It's the luckiest thing for me to meet you in the best years of my life.
When our hair turns grey and we are still together hand in hand, I'll tell you then.
At this time, the performance on the stage came to its end as the guests finally finished their speech. Then the mighty one of physical invulnerability stepped onto the stage, who was invited to draw the lots in this ceremony.
She was Qian Hui the Witch, who had just reached physical-invulnerability level in the first half of the year. This 27-year-old girl was the leading player of Haiyuan Club, an second-class club, and they were aiming at the first class.
Qian Hui was closely related to the University Martial Arts Competition, and that was why she was invited by the committee to attend the ceremony as a new mighty one.
Before Peng Leyun, Ren Li and other talented fighters flooded into the university martial arts circle, Qian Hui was already the representative character in this circle as one of the scarce samples who were able to climb to the top of martial arts step by step after graduating from university. The symbolism of her success was of great importance to the junior brothers and sisters following her.
Qian Hui had cropped her hair as a brush cut, which made her like a feminine boy. But her eyes were as deep as the sea with magical charm, and even the hostess dared not to make eye contact with her, who had to turn her gaze aside unnaturally while reading the following procedure.
In the most popular version of the Witch's story, she would hypnotize anyone who dared to look into her eyes.
While Qian Hui was making her short speech, the television camera turned to the stands to catch the top two teams in the last competition, Shanbei University Martial Arts Club and Sanjiang College Martial Arts Club.
Peng Leyun was leaning back in his seat with unfocused eyes to relax himself in his imaginary world. While those familiar with him knew it was his habit and unique style, the one who didn't know him well might regard it as an arrogant behavior that meant he didn'e pay attention to his opponents and the lot-drawing ceremony at all.
Xu Wannian, who was still wearing heavy pouches as usual, straightened his body unconsciously while focusing on the oncoming ceremony. The one sitting beside him was Fan Zhirong, a good-looking boy with a freckled face, who was now wearing tameless a look.
In Sanjiang College's area, Qu Hui was wearing a tail coat and looked poised and composed. But he had changed the position of his hands unconsciously as locking his fingers before his belly, which gave out his tension.
It didn't take Qian Hui much time before turning the subject to the adjustment of the University Martial Arts Competition this year on behalf of the committee.
The first part of competition remained unchanged as four groups with four seeded players, and the other teams would draw lots and joined in two to three rounds of knockouts and finally entered the corresponding group. The teams drew the left position would compete at home. Group competition also adopted the single round robin system and the only the first two would remain in the competition.
Then there would be cross duels as the first would fight against the second as the knockout of the top-eight, and only four of them would remain in the arena.
In the old system of competition, the top-four groups would join in another round of the knockout and the winner would come to the capital. But in order not to let the promising teams lose their opportunity because of the competition against each other in advance, the committee adjusted the rule and the top-four teams would again adopt the single round robin system and the top two of them would finally went to the capital for the National Finals.
Thus there would be an extra round of competition this time, and that was why the district contest of martial arts competition this year was held a week earlier than before, which was on the next week of the end of the Professional Ranking Event.
"Good news!" Cai Zongming put on a big smile.
It meant that Songcheng University Martial Arts Club was still likely to get the opportunity for national finals even if it encountered Shanbei University's team in advance.
"It seemed that we'll fight against Shanbei University for at least one time." Li Mao sighed.
The top-four teams would fight in the single round robin system!
Exchanging a look and a smile with Yan Zheke, Lou Cheng turned his gaze at Lin Que, his Brother-in-law, and gave him a victory sign as clenching his fist.
Peng Leyun came as expected!
Withdrawing his hands from his pocket, Lin Que replied Lou Cheng with the same gesture, flame was burning in his eyes!
Geezer Shi let out a 'heh' and poured the last drop of wine into his throat.
"Group A, Shanbei University… Group B, Haiyuan School… Group C, Shannan University… Group D, Sanjiang College…" Qian Hui drew the seed groups first.
These dominant teams were also the top-four last year.
As the lot-drawing continued, groups were picked one by one. While some of them immediately appeared to be happy, some of them put on a sad look.
"Group C, the fifth Knockout, Home Field, Songcheng University Martial Arts Club!" The special guest's eyes were immediately lit up.
Lou Cheng and Lin Que were both well-known warriors!
"Fight against Shannan University in the group competition…" Murmuring to herself, Yan Zheke smiled and showed her dimples.
While Shannan and Haiyuan were both weaker than Sanjiang, Sanjiang was much weaker than Shanbei.
Failing to hide their joy, Li Mao and other team members began pumping fists to celebrate their good luck, ignoring the television camera recording their actions.
Lou Cheng cleared his throat and warned them,
"Shannan was not as weak as you suppose, for they have three professional-ninth-pin warriors this year with Mu Yu as the leading player. Mu Yu was also a warrior with supernatural ability, who was called Bane and known as a tough guy."
"Yes!" Several members of the Martial Arts Club agreed gladly.
Why should we be scared of Bane since you and Lin Que are with us?
In the area of Shannan University, the team members also gathered together to wait for the drawing result.
Hearing that Songcheng University was in Group C, they immediately held breath and froze along with the atmosphere.
"Nothing serious, we are still able to remain as the second even if we fail to them." After a long while, Mu Yu broke the silence with comforting words.
Looking like a man in his forties, twice his real age, Mu Yu got a nick name Old Fellow Mu from his fellows. His supernatural ability was Misfortune and all of his opponents would be ill-fated during the match. But the use of his supernatural ability was at the expense of fortune of all those familiar with him, for each time he won a match, one of his friends would be a bit unlucky in the following three days.
That was why there was no coach or counselor in Shannan University Martial Arts Club…
"Maybe we'll win them? Captain, though I used to believe in science, now you are my only faith!" Lin Xiaozhi, another leading player of their Martial Arts Club was taking the effort to cheer the others up.
Though Lin Xiaozhi's ponytail gave her a fresh and clean look, her dressing style was actually weird and funny. She was wearing a necklace strung with Taoist amulet, a string of blessed Buddhist beads on her left wrist and a small and exquisite cross in her right hand. Even her cloth was embroidered with Arabic prayer words. Obviously, she was trying every method from all kinds of religions to resist misfortune came from her dear captain.
"Let's have a try, and then we will get the truth!" Mu Yu clenched his teeth and fist.
"The fifth knockout, Opponent's Field..." The special guest drew out the Songcheng University's opponent in the first round of the knockout, "Guannan School."
"Guannan School!" In Songcheng University Martial Arts Club's office, Li Mao, Sun Jian and Cai Zongming were stunned but soon began cheering.
They had failed to Guannan School last year and thus lost the opportunity to advance, which they would never forget!
Now they got the chance to wreak revenge as every dog had its day!
Blinking his eyes to calm himself down, Lin Que again put his right hand into his pocket where he clenched the fist secretly.
Lou Cheng was suddenly cheered up by the news and gave Yan Zheke a joyful look. Then he gave the television camera, which had just turned to him, a big smile.
What a good opponent!
They would get up from where they once had fallen!