Chapter 84: Violently Beating Zhu Hong (Part 1)

"Huh?"

Upon hearing Teacher Zhang Xuan's words, Zheng Yang and the others were almost in tears.

"Teacher, can't you see? It's not that we're afraid of the consequences if we beat him to death; it's that... we can't defeat him at all! And you're asking Yuan Tao to make a move... He's just started cultivating, only at the initial stage of Martial Artist First Realm, Qi Gathering. How could he possibly defeat this peak expert in front of us?"

"'Beat me into a pig's head and even pay for the door? Haha!'" Zhu Hong laughed so hard he could barely breathe. He knew the students' strength from their brief encounter, especially Yuan Tao, who ranked last in the entrance exam. "He wants to beat me into a pig's head? I'd heard Teacher Zhang was a poor instructor, but I never expected his judgment to be even worse!" After his laughter subsided, a playful look entered his eyes: "Alright, if any of you can defeat me, I'll not only pay for your door but also compensate him with a thousand gold coins!" The saying went, "Poverty for scholars, wealth for martial artists." Zhu Hong having such strength at his age indicated a significant family background; a thousand gold coins, while a considerable sum, would be easy for him to produce.

"You'll pay if anyone wins?" Zhang Xuan asked.

"Of course!" Zhu Hong replied, hands clasped behind his back, a cold sneer on his face, radiating arrogance. They had just fought, and these students wouldn't be able to defeat him even if they trained for another ten years!

"Your chance to earn money has arrived!" Zhang Xuan waved his hand, looking at the students before him. "Yuan Tao, you go first. Remember what your teacher said: go easy on him!"

"Me...?" Yuan Tao's face crumpled. "This guy is so powerful, even Miss Zhao Ya couldn't beat him. How can I?"

"If I say you can win, you definitely can!" Knowing what he was thinking, Zhang Xuan sat on a chair by the podium. "Because... you are my student, Zhang Xuan's student!"

"Zhang Xuan's student?" Hearing this, Zhu Hong burst into laughter again. "Teacher Zhang Xuan, your reputation is indeed significant, almost overshadowing Teacher Lu Xun, but... that's a *bad* reputation, isn't it? If it were someone else's student, I might genuinely find it difficult to win, but your student..." Zhu Hong's face was filled with disdain.

While Zhu Hong was sneering, Yuan Tao's expression became serious, and a surge of passion coursed through him, dispelling his previous mournful look. "That's right," he thought. "Teacher Zhang is so amazing, yet he's ridiculed. As his student, I have an obligation to clear his name! Even if I'm beaten to death, I won't allow him to be looked down upon!" With this thought, a fierce determination rose within him. All fear vanished, and he stepped forward, ready to act.

"Hold on!" Seeing him about to charge, Zhang Xuan waved his hand again.

"What? Does Teacher Zhang want to go back on his word?" Zhu Hong sneered.

"Go back on my word?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "You're overthinking it... Yuan Tao is too powerful. I'm afraid he might accidentally kill you, and that wouldn't look good. How about this, Yuan Tao, come here. I'll teach you three simple fist techniques."

"Three fist techniques?" Yuan Tao and the others had no idea what their teacher was planning.

"Sharpening the spear on the battlefield? Learning martial arts now? It's probably too late!" Zhu Hong's face was filled with contempt.

"What a joke! Every martial technique requires countless hours of diligent practice, day and night, through all seasons, to achieve mastery. And now he wants to teach someone to surpass me? He must be dreaming!"

"Teacher..." Yuan Tao shared this thought. He hesitated as he walked forward, his face full of bewilderment. He truly couldn't understand Teacher Zhang's objective in doing this. If the goal was truly to avenge them, then a defeat would be even more humiliating, leaving them with no dignity.

"Yuan Tao, trust the teacher. If he says so, he definitely has a way!" Liu Yang, who had personally experienced the "Heart of Study Inquisition," knew just how formidable this infamous Teacher Zhang was, and he was full of confidence. "If he can make someone break through a cultivation level that normally takes half a year in just ten minutes, what can't he do?"

"Alright!" Hearing this, Yuan Tao gritted his teeth. He'd already been beaten once anyway. At worst, he'd get beaten again. Besides, he had thick skin and wasn't particularly afraid!

"The rest of you should also learn these. It'll help you win the bet later!" Zhang Xuan looked at Zhao Ya and the others.

"Yes!" All five of them came over.

"Watch closely, this is the first move!" Zhang Xuan spread his five fingers and grasped forward with his left hand. This movement was very simple; anyone, not just martial artists, could understand it at a glance.

"Second move!" Without pausing, Zhang Xuan shifted his feet, moving from left to right.

"Third move!" He clenched his right hand into a fist and hammered downwards towards his chest. He then retracted his fist and stood still.

"Teacher Zhang... this... is that all?" Seeing no further movements from him, everyone's faces were filled with bewilderment.

"Teacher Zhang, you must be joking. These three moves are trash, like street thugs fighting, with no technique whatsoever... Can we really win with just these three moves? You're not kidding, are you?" Zhao Ya and the others were almost in tears. Even Zhu Hong, standing to the side, widened his eyes, almost going mad.

"You talk big about beating me into a pig's head, and I thought you'd teach some profound secret technique... but what is *this*? Is this even called a martial technique?! And the most crucial part is... when you teach, it's best to do it discreetly, without anyone knowing. But you're teaching such trashy moves openly, right in front of me, and then you expect to use them against me... Do you think I'm dead?"

"Alright, these three moves are very simple. Yuan Tao, go ahead. As long as you use them well, defeating this guy won't be a problem!" Zhang Xuan waved his hand.

"I..." Yuan Tao's face was a picture of misery. He knew he wasn't reliable, but what Teacher Zhang had just taught was even *less* reliable! He wouldn't even use these three moves in a street fight because... they were too pathetic. They had no technical skill whatsoever. Forget a person; even a dog could easily dodge them.

"Go!" Zhang Xuan's expression hardened.

"Yes!" Gritting his teeth and with a spirit of heroic sacrifice, Yuan Tao walked up to Zhu Hong. "Let's fight!"

"You really want to fight me?" Zhu Hong looked at him as if he were an idiot. "Truly a bizarre teacher, with bizarre students. You learned three peasant moves and you think you can win against me... If word gets out, how will I ever live it down?"

"Hmph!" Ignoring the other party, Yuan Tao, who was already prepared to take a beating, didn't waste words. With a roar, he charged forward. His moves were completely disorganized, no different from a street ruffian fighting. He didn't use a single one of the moves Zhang Xuan had just taught him. In his opinion, he was going to get beaten anyway, so he might as well not embarrass himself further...

"You're courting death!" With a cold laugh, Zhu Hong stepped back, dodged the attack, and casually pushed. *Thud!* Yuan Tao flew sideways and fell to the ground. However, being thick-skinned, he barely felt the fall. He immediately stood up, gritted his teeth, and charged again. He had been studying martial arts for too short a time, essentially knowing nothing. He could only fight based on his old instincts from brawling. Such moves might work against petty thugs, but against Zhu Hong, who had undergone specialized training, they were as ridiculous as a child's game.

He had decided that, to save Teacher Zhang Xuan's reputation, he would never give up, even if it meant being beaten to death! Just as he was about to charge again and fight with all his might, Teacher Zhang's voice transmission sounded in his ear.