Library of Heaven’s Path

”Ah?”

Upon hearing Zhang Xuan laoshi’s words, Zheng Yang and the others were on the verge of tears.

[Teacher, can’t you tell?

We aren’t afraid of you being unable to account for the matter if we were to beat him to death, but that we are unable to match up to him.

Yet, you still went on and chose Yuan Tao to fight in our stead. He is still at Fighter 1-dan primary stage, how do you expect him to defeat his pinnacle expert before us?]

”Beat me up into a pig-head and compensate for your door? Haha!”

Zhu Hong laughed so hard that he almost failed to catch his breath. He knew what the level of strength the others were at when they crossed blows, especially for Yuan Tao, the one who scored the worst in the entrance examination. Yet, he dispatched him out to beat him up into a pig-head?

He had long heard that Zhang laoshi was terrible at teaching, but he didn’t expect his eye of discernment would be so terrible as well.

After which, with a trace of mock in his eyes, he declared, ”Alright, if any of you can defeat me, not only will I pay for your door, I will compensate him with a thousand gold coins!”

As the saying went, the poor studied while the rich trained. For Zhu Hong to possess formidable strength at such a young age, this showed the wealth his family possessed. A thousand gold coins wasn’t a small sum, but it was still something he could take out easily.

”You will compensate anyone who defeats you?” Zhang Xuan asked.

”Of course!” With both of his hands behind his back, Zhu Hong sneered coldly with a smug look on his face.

They have just crossed blows, and these people wouldn’t be able to defeat him even if they were to cultivate for another decade!

”Your time to earn money has come!” Zhang Xuan waved his hand. Looking at his students, he said, ”Yuan Tao, it would be best for you to make a move first. Remember teacher’s words, go easy with your blows!”

”I...”

Yuan Tao’s face knitted into lumps.

[This fellow is so powerful that even Zhao Ya xiaojie was unable to defeat him. How could I fight against him?]

”If I say that you can win, you will win!” Knowing what he was thinking about, Zhang Xuan walked up to the podium and sat on the chair there. ”That is because you are my students. You are all Zhang Xuan’s students!”

Zhang Xuan’s students?

Upon hearing these words, Zhu Hong burst into laughter once more.

[The name of Zhang Xuan laoshi is indeed immense, almost rivaling with that of Lu Xun laoshi, but that’s notoriety alright?

I might find it difficult to win against the students of other teachers, but your students…]

Zhu Hong’s face was filled with disdain.

While he was chuckling scornfully, Yuan Tao jolted. Hot blood surged through his body and the bitter look on his face disappeared.

[That’s right, despite the incredible capabilities of Zhang laoshi, he is being mocked at at this very instant. As his student, it is my responsibility to safeguard his honor!

Even if it means my death, I mustn’t allow him to be scorned by others!]

At this point, zeal sprouted in his heart and he no longer felt fear. Thus, he stepped forward, ready to make a move against him.

”Don’t rush!” Seeing that he was about to rush over, Zhang Xuan waved his hand once more to stop him.

”Why? Does Zhang laoshi intend to go back on his words?” Zhu Hong snickered.

”Go back on my words?” Zhang Xuan shook his head. ”You are overthinking it. Yuan Tao is too incredible, it wouldn’t look good on me if he were to kill you accidentally. How about this, Yuan Tao, come over. I will teach you three basic punching moves.”

”Three basic punching moves?”

Yuan Tao and the others were perplexed over what this teacher of theirs was trying to do.

”A last minute training? Learning battle techniques right now? I’m afraid that it’s too late!”

Zhu Hong was filled with contempt.

[What kind of joke is this?

Every single battle technique requires countless hours of practice, training for days and nights, enduring the heat and cold, and only then will one be accomplished in it. Do you think that you can make them triumph over me by teaching them something at the last moment?

Dream on!]

”Teacher...”

Yuan Tao had the same thoughts as well. He walked forward hesitantly and reflected on his face was confusion.

Yuan Tao was truly unable to comprehend the rationale behind Zhang laoshi’s actions.

Assuming that Zhang Xuan wanted to help them redress their grievances, his choice of sending Yuan Tao forward would only embarrass them further if he were to lose against Zhu Hong.

”Yuan Tao, trust our teacher. He must have an idea in mind for him to say such words!” Liu Yang had witnessed the happenings in the Enlightenment Will Trial with his own eyes. He knew how formidable this notorious Zhang laoshi in front of them was and he had complete trust in him.

He was able to help someone break through within ten minutes for what that would have taken the other party half a year. With such capabilities, what else could he possibly be incapable of?

”Alright then!”

Hearing those words, Yuan Tao clenched his jaws.

Since he had been beaten up a while ago, the worst situation that could get was for him to be beaten up once more. Anyway, he had a thick skin and was resilient to beatings, so there was nothing for him to fear!

”The few of you should come over to learn it as well, it will help you all win the bet later on!”

Zhang Xuan looked at Zhao Ya and the others.

”Yes!”

The five of them walked over.

”Look closely, this is the first move!”

Stretching apart his five fingers, Zhang Xuan’s left hand grabbed at the empty air before him.

The movement was so simple that even ordinary humans could comprehend and execute it, needless to say, them, who were well-versed in martial arts.

”The second move!”

Without a pause in his actions, Zhang Xuan sidestepped from the left to the right.

”The third move!”

With his right hand clenched into the shape of a fist, he sent an downward punch towards the other party’s chest.

Withdrawing his fist, he straightened his posture.

”Zhang laoshi, is that all?”

Seeing that there weren’t any more movements to it, everyone was dumbfounded.

[Zhang laoshi, you must be joking! These three moves are as trashy as the fighting methods of those ruffians outside, there isn’t a single depth to them at all!

We can achieve victory with these three moves?

Are you sure you aren’t joking!]

Zhao Ya and the others could feel tears welling in their eyes.

Even Zhu Hong had his eyes widened in complete circles. He felt as though the world had gone insane.

[You declared that your students will beat me up into a pig-head, so I thought that you will teach them some profound moves. What the heck is this toy?

You call this battle technique?

Furthermore, when you were teaching them, you didn’t even try to conceal them from my sight. Teaching such trashy moves in front of me, do you take me for a corpse?]

”Alright, these three moves are extremely simple, so you all should have comprehended them already. Yuan Tao, go. As long as you use them well, defeating this fellow isn’t a problem!”

Zhang Xuan ushered him over.

”I...”

Yuan Tao’s face was filled with bitterness.

He knew that he wasn’t a reliable person, but what Zhang laoshi had just taught them was even more unreliable!

He wouldn’t even use these three moves in his usual fights against others because they were too lousy.

There was not a single depth behind them at all. Even a dog could dodge those easily, not to mention, a human.

”Go!” Zhang Xuan’s face darkened.

”Yes!”

Gritting his teeth, with the emotions of a brave warrior charging to his death, Yuan Tao walked over to Zhu Hong and declared, ”Let’s get on with it!”

”Are you sure you want to fight with me?”

Zhu Hong looked at him as though he was looking at a fool.

[Truly eccentric teachers and students.

If you could defeat me after learning three farmer brawling techniques, I should just kill myself.]

”Hmph!”

Ignoring the other party, Yuan Tao, who was already prepared to be pummeled, roared and lunged forward.

There was no depth to the techniques he was using at all, and there wasn’t much difference between his fighting style and those ruffians in the alleys.

He didn’t use the movements Zhang Xuan had just taught him.

In his perspective, since he was going to be beaten up, it was best for him to not to make a fool of himself.

”You are courting death!”

With a cold sneer, Zhu Hong took a step back, dodging the other party’s offense. At the same time, he pushed him with his palm.

Padah!

Flying straight out, Yuan Tao crashed onto the floor.

However, due to his thick skin, he didn’t feel any pain from the fall. He stood up and charged forth once more with clenched jaws.

It hadn’t been long since he started learning battle techniques. He didn’t have time to comprehend or execute any techniques and thus, he could only rely on the instinctive brawling techniques that he used in the past.

These moves might work against those ruffians by the alley, but to Zhu Hong, a cultivator, it was as laughable as playing house.

He had already decided to fight for Zhang Xuan laoshi’s honor. Even if he was beaten to death, he would not give up!

In the midst of his charge to go all out against the other party, Zhang laoshi’s voice rang by his ear.

穷文富武 ’The poor studies while the rich trains.’

As long as the poor has books, regardless of their condition, they are able to study. (In fact, some went as far as catching fireflies or camping outside the rich households with light at night just to cram a little more in) If they were to strike it out big, they would be able to bring riches and glory back to their province/town. On the other hand, to learn martial arts, one has to first find a capable teacher. Furthermore, they would need money to feed themselves correctly to strengthen their body as well.