A Challenge Issued to Provoke a Duel
The east wind blows, the war drums thunder, and the new book rankings are a battlefield of heroes. There are only two days left in the new book rankings for this novel, and I truly wish to climb a few more places! I hope everyone can log in, click, and vote for me—please, lend me your support! I sincerely hope you can help me reach higher! There will still be three updates tomorrow!
---
Qi Xi showed no fear. Looking at Kotaro Maruyama, he smiled and said, “You can’t beat me up, because I’ll tell the teacher. If you gang up on a classmate, the teacher will definitely punish you, maybe even call your parents.”
At these words, the lackeys nearby hesitated, but Kotaro Maruyama only sneered, full of contempt. “Ha! How naïve—ridiculously naïve. Do you really think you can stop me from giving you a beating with that? Let me tell you, even if you tell the teacher, the worst we’ll get is a scolding. There’s a Chinese saying: ‘The law does not punish the masses.’ Understand? And if you do tell the teacher, we’ll just beat you up again. Tell her again, and we’ll beat you again. Let’s see what’s tougher—your mouth or our fists!”
Qi Xi, of course, knew that such a simple threat wouldn’t make them back down. He glanced around at the crowd and said, “So many of you bullying just me—does that take any skill? What are you if not maggots? Hmph! Kotaro Maruyama, if you want to prove you’re not a maggot, then fight me one-on-one. If you don’t have the guts, I won’t say more—except that you’re just a coward. Well, your choice!”
It was a simple goading tactic. For adults, it might fail eight times out of ten, but for these overconfident students, it was almost foolproof.
Sure enough, the students around burst out laughing at Qi Xi’s words.
“Hahaha! Did I hear that right? Shirazawa Chikada actually dares to challenge Boss Maruyama to a one-on-one fight?”
“Is this a comedy routine? Since when did Chikada have that kind of skill?”
“Chikada really doesn’t know his own limits, challenging Boss Maruyama like that. I can already see him being beaten half to death! How pitiful! Hahaha!”
Kotaro Maruyama, however, looked at Qi Xi in surprise. He didn’t join the others in laughter; instead, a serious look briefly crossed his face. He could finally tell that something was different about Shirazawa Chikada today.
The difference was obvious. Today, Shirazawa Chikada was like a sharp blade—anyone who approached with malice would be wounded. In the past, Shirazawa Chikada had been nothing more than a rock—no, a pile of dog filth, utterly insignificant. Such a dramatic shift left Kotaro Maruyama confused. What had changed in Shirazawa Chikada to bring this about?
---
Seeing Kotaro Maruyama lost in thought, Qi Xi inwardly cursed—was this guy really not going to fall for the one-on-one challenge? That was completely unexpected!
He raised his voice: “Kotaro Maruyama! Are you in or not? Do you even have the guts? Say something!”
Kotaro Maruyama finally snapped back to reality. Everyone turned to him, waiting for his answer. Though he sensed something was off, his pride burned hotter. With so many watching, if he backed down now, how could he remain the boss? He couldn’t refuse. So, Kotaro Maruyama didn’t hesitate anymore. “Fine! One-on-one it is. I’ll have you flat on the ground in three moves. And don’t start crying when you lose!”
“Crying?” Qi Xi smirked, as if he’d just heard a joke. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”
With a shout, Kotaro Maruyama charged, wasting no words. Everyone jumped aside to avoid getting caught in his attack.
Qi Xi had already read his move. After traveling between two worlds, his strength and physique might not match even half of Kotaro Maruyama’s, but Qi Xi was confident he could win with ease.
He slipped aside, dodging. Kotaro Maruyama’s kick came down hard on the tatami floor—there was a loud crack as the mat split under the force.
Qi Xi didn’t flinch. He bent low, leaped back, and at the same time stretched out his arm, striking hard at Kotaro Maruyama’s abdomen.
Kotaro Maruyama braced himself, taking the punch directly to his chest.
Qi Xi felt as though he’d punched a stone—his fist ached from the impact. He was a little speechless. Was this guy’s body really so tough? No, it wasn’t that Maruyama was so strong, but rather that Shirazawa Chikada was so pitifully weak. Qi Xi couldn’t help but be frustrated to have crossed into such a feeble body. If he’d arrived with his original physique, he could have taken on all ten of these students by himself.
Despite taking the hit, Kotaro Maruyama’s blood surged and his face flushed red. The pain only fueled his anger, and his eyes seemed to glow with a fiery light. With a roar, he launched into a spinning kick.
---
Qi Xi anticipated the move. He reached behind himself, lay swiftly down on the tatami, and then kicked hard at Maruyama’s supporting leg.
With that kick, Kotaro Maruyama was sent sprawling, tumbling to the floor in a daze. Qi Xi didn’t let up. He rolled to his feet and was about to land another kick when Maruyama, supporting himself with both hands, lashed out with both feet.
The fact that he could still pull off such a move showed he’d had some training.
For an ordinary person, it would have landed. But against Qi Xi, such a technique was useless. He dodged easily, stepping aside, and then kicked hard into Maruyama’s abdomen.
The kick sent Maruyama flying into a nearby cabinet. If Qi Xi had been stronger, he might have shattered the cabinet altogether, but with this frail body, all he could do was send Maruyama crashing into it.
By now, everyone present was completely stunned.
They stared, jaws dropped, too shocked to speak. They simply couldn’t believe what they were seeing—Shirazawa Chikada, the boy they’d always bullied at will, was now thrashing Kotaro Maruyama, their so-called “expert.”
To think that Maruyama hadn’t even managed to land a single blow on Chikada!
The difference was enormous. Since when had Chikada become so formidable? Every movement he made, even the most casual gestures, seemed to hold hidden meaning. At first glance, some of his actions looked pointless, even foolish, yet as soon as Maruyama made his next move, those very actions became brilliant preemptive counters, leaving everyone in awe.