Chapter 72: Clash of Experts

Lin Jian released his grip, stood up, and took a step back before cupping his hands. "Thank you for yielding!"

"That doesn’t count!" Qi’s face flushed beet red. "Let’s fight again."

"That’s enough, Qi." Xu Fengbin stood up. "Qi, you are no match for him!"

Qi’s face darkened. "I refuse to accept this! I didn’t even get to show my strengths!" He felt his loss was completely unjustified. He hadn’t even had the chance to unleash his elbow strikes or kicks. His opponent’s fighting style was practically cheating, relying entirely on wrestling maneuvers.

Xu Fengbin shook his head. "Even if you did use your strengths, you still wouldn’t necessarily win. He can predict your moves!" With that said, Xu Fengbin looked at Lin Jian with keen interest. "Did you anticipate Qi’s movements and adjust your stance at the last second?"

Lin Jian gave him a thumbs-up. "You have a sharp eye, sir. Brilliant!"

Xu Fengbin smiled faintly. "Who is your master?"

Lin Jian shook his head. "No one in particular. I just messed around at a sports academy."

Seeing his reluctance to elaborate, Xu Fengbin didn’t press the matter. Instead, he chuckled. "How about we have a round, too? Shall we raise the stakes?"

"Well, doesn’t that mean I already have three million in the bag?" Lin Jian asked, looking toward Master Chen.

Master Chen was momentarily speechless but nodded straightforwardly. "I didn’t bring my checkbook today. Give me your bank account number, and I’ll have someone transfer it to you!"

"There’s no rush." Lin Jian nodded. "Boss Chen, you said earlier that if I beat the men you brought, that one million would be mine, and our slate would be wiped clean!"

"Yes, I did say that. However, even though you beat Qi, it doesn’t count as a total victory. Didn’t you notice the master in the robe? He is the real expert you need to exchange blows with today!" Master Chen chuckled. "My one million isn’t that easy to win."

Lin Jian scratched his head. "Can we just not fight?"

Master Chen immediately burst into laughter. "I don’t think so. It’s not up to you to decide whether we fight or not. After all, we’re down three million, aren’t we?"

"That’s exactly why I’m saying we shouldn’t fight," Lin Jian said. "If I win again, you’ll go back and regret it. You’ll have lost so much money that you’ll want to get revenge, and then you’ll just keep coming after me endlessly.

"So, I don’t want the three million, and I don’t want the one million, either. Just have Long apologize to me, and we’ll consider all our debts settled. How does that sound?"

The other party valued talent, and Lin Jian didn’t want to completely offend them. Forgoing the money in exchange for a simple apology was the best way to resolve this. Otherwise, how could they possibly let things go after losing so much money?

"Haha!" Hearing Lin Jian’s words, Master Chen laughed heartily. "Young man, you really don’t understand what kind of person I, Chen Zhiyuan, am.

"If I say the slate is wiped clean, then it truly is. Let alone a few million or ten million, even hundreds of millions wouldn’t make me go back on my word. So don’t judge me through your narrow lens. I survive in the underworld by living up to one word: loyalty. I have both brotherhood and moral principles!

"Therefore, if you defeat Feng Bin today, you’ll walk away with at least four million. You can’t refuse it. If you refuse, you’ll be making me look like an unrighteous man, understand? And I promise I will absolutely not cause you any trouble in the future!

"Of course, whatever extra stakes Feng Bin wants to bet with you is none of my business. That’s between the two of you!"

"Alright, alright." At this point, Xu Fengbin interrupted their conversation. "Actually, it’s not that complicated. San heard about your deeds and appreciated your talent, so he wants to take you under his wing. As for me, I’m just hired muscle San called over!

"So, if you defeat me, all the grudges and grievances between you two will be wiped clean. If you can’t win, you’ll obediently follow San. You’ll live a life of luxury every month, and we’ll all be on the same side. Isn’t that right?"

"Fine, then let’s fight!" Lin Jian nodded.

"No, no, we need to add a bet!" Xu Fengbin grinned. "If you lose, you become my disciple. If I lose, I’ll give you another four million. So today, you could make eight million in less than half an hour. It’s truly like a pie falling from the sky!"

"COUGH COUGH COUGH!"

Lin Jian knew this pie might just choke him to death. So, after a few coughs, he said, "Sir, you are a master of Inner Boxing. Your Qi flows through your entire body, and your Dantian is as vast as the sea. Later, if I can’t beat you, you have to go easy on me. Don’t go breaking any of my parts. I still have to work for Boss Chen and be his muscle, right? You’ve got to leave me in one piece."

Hearing Lin Jian’s words, Xu Fengbin was greatly shocked. He wondered how his opponent knew that his Qi flowed through his entire body and that his Dantian was as vast as the sea. Master Chen was also incredibly surprised, but he remained silent.

Lin Jian walked back to the center of the courtyard, cupped his hands, and bowed. "Senior, please show some mercy later."

"Heh, it seems you have some skills, kid. Then I’ll test you out!" Xu Fengbin said, striding toward Lin Jian!

While it looked like he was simply walking forward, every step he took utilized the Plum Blossom Step Skill. As he took large, alternating strides, it was impossible to tell where his center of gravity lay! This was what defined a true expert, a genuine master!

Lin Jian took a deep breath. This battle would be the toughest one of his entire life! His opponent was a master of Inner Boxing—a man whose Qi was like a vast sea, possessing Inner Strength and True Qi. He was someone capable of injuring people without leaving a trace. If he wasn’t careful, he would end up as someone else’s lackey and hired muscle.

WHOOSH!

Xu Fengbin’s Great Capturing Hand suddenly thrust forward. It didn’t seem fast, but it was flawless. Even while on the offensive, he left no openings for Lin Jian to exploit! However, Lin Jian possessed his Thought, granting him incredibly fast reflexes. Almost the instant his opponent’s hand reached out, he dodged sideways like a slippery loach, simultaneously throwing a left punch and blocking downward with his right arm.

BANG!

Xu Fengbin’s subtle maneuver was blocked by Lin Jian’s right arm, causing Xu Fengbin to let out a soft gasp of surprise. He thought, "This kid’s anticipation is so accurate; he actually knew the attack would come down the middle."

However, the kid’s left punch was merely a feint, carrying no power behind it at all. Instead, the fist turned into a palm, aiming to slap Xu Fengbin’s face with the back of his hand! That was right—this kid actually wanted to backhand him across the face! Fortunately, Xu Fengbin’s reflexes were sharp. Otherwise, if that slap had landed, he would have been thoroughly humiliated.

Xu Fengbin finally cast aside any feelings of underestimation. As soon as they exchanged blows, he realized his opponent was also a combat expert!

In reality, Lin Jian wasn’t a true combat expert. All he had was his Thought—a power that allowed him to perceive everything and slow down his perception of time! So, when he applied his Thought to fighting, didn’t that practically make him a combat expert?

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

The two sides began to trade rapid attacks. Their blurs darted all around the courtyard, moving so fast that it left the onlookers dizzy. The beautiful Jiang Xue had stars in her eyes. In this moment, she even felt a hint of admiration for Lin Jian. She thought, "Even though this bastard is a pervert, he really looks handsome when he fights."

BOOM!

After an unknown number of exchanges, the two suddenly separated. Xu Fengbin smiled. "Kid, if this is all you’ve got, then I won’t hold back anymore."

"Senior, I was just warming up with you earlier. Are you all warmed up now? Because I’m about to get serious. I really am going to walk away with your eight million today!" Lin Jian flashed a sudden grin and launched a proactive assault.

He had already figured out how to take his opponent down!