C8 – Sanda
“Do you know that?” sneered the young thug, his foot pressing down on Qi Ning’s chest. “Xiao Qing will never like you in this lifetime!” With that, he raised his foot to kick at Qi Ning’s head.
Qi Ning instinctively raised his hand to block the blow. “You dare to block?” The thug felt insulted by Qi Ning’s reflexive defense and continued to aim kicks at Qi Ning’s head. Qi Ning, in turn, kept blocking the attacks with his hands.
Soon, a vicious look twisted the thug’s face. He yelled to his companions who were spectating, “What are you staring at? Come and help!” They quickly moved in.
Seizing the moment of distraction as the thug called for backup, Qi Ning attempted to rise and flee. However, the thug spotted him. As Qi Ning turned to run, a powerful kick landed on his back, sending him tumbling forward. The icy puddle water rushed up his nose, the choking sensation flooding his entire body.
“You dare to run?” The thug kicked at Qi Ning, sprawled on the ground. Qi Ning realized escape was impossible today. He curled up, burying his head into his chest to protect himself.
“Are you a turtle?” taunted the thug, continuing his assault. His companion now closed in. “He really does look like a turtle!”
“Kid, you’d better remember that Mr. Pei is not someone you can mess with,” they jeered. “Mr. Pei is one of Linshan’s guys. You’re not going to have an easy time from now on.”
Their punches and kicks rained down on Qi Ning like a tempest, relentlessly striking his back. At first, Qi Ning felt each blow’s pain, but as time wore on, the pain gave way to numbness.
Qi Ning had considered fighting back, but he was acutely aware that he was no match for them. Resisting now would only bring more violence upon him.
“Ding! Would you like to spend 1 AFK point to learn the skill, Pugilist?”
After a minute of the brutal beating, a voice unexpectedly echoed in Qi Ning’s mind. At first, he thought it was a hallucination, but something didn’t feel right. He then noticed a flyer under his feet, which turned out to be an advertisement for a Pugilist Club.
“Study!”
Qi Ning bellowed with fury.
His roar startled the young man.
“What are you yelling about?”
The young man, in an attempt to mask his embarrassment, hastened his movements.
Crouched on the ground, Qi Ning was absorbing some fundamental insights into hand-to-hand combat.
Clearly, practical experience was valued over set routines in fighting.
Much of the information was instructing Qi Ning on the finer points of ‘brawling’!
The transmission lasted only a few seconds.
“Let’s go!” Excitement sparkled in Qi Ning’s eyes.
Seizing the moment when the young man and his companion left an opening, Qi Ning sprang to his feet.
His ascent was so swift that the young man couldn’t react in time.