Chapter 12 Fighting, The Cost

Pei Youguang reached out to part the crowd, intending to personally take care of Xue Jing.

Although the combat power of this pretty boy senior was unexpectedly strong, causing him some surprise, Pei Youguang was confident that he would not be his match.

After all, he had trained in a dojo and had received true transmission!

However, just as he had stepped forward and before he could throw out a few more harsh words, everything went dark before his eyes, and a sharp pain shot through his left eye.

"Ah!!"

Pei Youguang covered his left eye and cried out in pain, with blood flowing out from between his fingers.

He said furiously, "Despicable scoundrel!"

It was Xue Jing who had pulled out a quail egg-sized pebble from his pocket and casually threw it, hitting Pei Youguang's left eye with precision, resulting in a critical weak point attack.

Enraged beyond measure, Pei Youguang, enduring the pain in his left eye, opened only his good right eye and charged at Xue Jing.

He swung a reverse Swing Fist with extreme speed, but because he only had the vision of his right eye, he misjudged the distance. Not only did he miss the dodging Xue Jing, but he also accidentally punched the wall.

"Bang!"

A crisp sound echoed as the brick wall was actually cracked with a small hole from the punch, and seeing the power behind it, Xue Jing's eyes twitched.

'Is this… martial arts?'

Xue Jing took two steps back and pulled out another pebble from his pocket. Seeing this, Pei Youguang, with the psychological shadow of his left eye being damaged, could not help but use his hand to protect his only remaining right eye.

But Xue Jing didn't throw the stone; instead, he mimicked the actions from a martial arts video and delivered a spin kick with built-up force, severely kicking at Pei Youguang's head. Although the latter managed to react in time and put his hand up to block, the power behind the kick was beyond his expectation. It pressed down his blocking arm and still hit his head, causing him to stagger.

"He has trained in martial arts too?" Pei Youguang felt the force of the kick and his color drained away in shock.

"No, that's not right; it was pure physical strength without 'energy.'

But that made even less sense.

How could he, who has not trained in martial arts and relies on brute force, overpower my 'energy'!?

Is this guy really a high school student?

Xue Jing was unaware of Pei Youguang's thoughts or he might have mockingly commented, do you know the value of 'Running' when it comes to explosive leg strength?

Having landed a blow, he immediately followed up with an offensive, closing the distance and raining punches and kicks on Pei Youguang.

Under the relentless assault from Xue Jing, Pei Youguang was unable to regulate his breathing, preventing him from using his 'energy' and forcing him to continuously endure the beating and defend.

Xue Jing used both his hands and feet, getting more fluent and excited with each strike. The fighting moves he had earnestly learned from videos over the past month were being executed more smoothly, gradually becoming more natural to him.

Pei Youguang's lackeys on the sidelines were stunned; this was their first time seeing Pei so embarrassed, getting beaten down like a dog!

Li Ge, who was not far away recording the video on his phone, was trembling with excitement, unable to speak.

Lord Jing, Jing, God Jing!

It was uncertain how much time had passed, but in a moment of 'Fortune Comes to a Prepared Mind,' Xue Jing's previously chaotic and unstructured striking suddenly clicked and was followed by a beautifully executed right Swing Fist.

The angle of his fist was particularly tricky, bypassing Pei Youguang's defensive guard and slipping through the gap, hitting Pei Youguang's face squarely.

Accompanied by the sound of breaking bone, Pei Youguang was lifted off his feet by the punch and fell backwards.

[Conditions met, Skill 'Fighting' activated]

Xue Jing, still maintaining his punching pose, stared blankly at his own fist.

A tingling sensation spread through his muscles, which began to squirm and change internally.

His strength increased, his Flexibility enhanced, more adept at exerting force. It was as if a heavy iron coat had been shed, gifting him a lightness akin to a swallow.

Not only that, but once he stood up straight, his body suddenly cracked with the sound of bones rubbing against each other. He had grown slightly taller.

His skeletal structure had changed, becoming thicker and harder, causing his whole body to appear as if enhanced in proportional size by Photoshop.

"Pei!" Several underlings cried out in alarm, looking at Pei Youguang lying on the ground, his nose caved into his face, a ghastly sight.

Clang clang, everyone involuntarily dropped their weapons, looking at Xue Jing with fear.

Xue Jing closed his eyes and focused, sensing the changes within himself.

The scene fell silent for a moment.

After a while, Xue Jing opened his eyes and looked calmly at the several subordinates of Pei Youguang.

Those whose sight was swept by his gaze felt like prey animals targeted by a top predator, their legs went soft, and they knelt on the ground.

"Xue... Xue," we...

One of them began with trembling lips.

But before he could finish, Xue Jing interrupted, "Pick them up."

"Huh?" The group was puzzled.

"I told you to pick up your weapons."

Xue Jing's tone was unfaltering, instantly sending a chill down the students' spines, like children frightened by the sudden sternness of their father, and they involuntarily picked up the weapons that had been discarded on the ground.

"Attack," he ordered.

"..." The students looked at each other, not daring to move.

"I will only count to three," Xue Jing said, his eyes flashing coldly.

"One."

"Two."

"Ahhhh!!" Unable to withstand the pressure, one of the students raised his baseball bat and swung it maniacally at Xue Jing.

Once one person took the lead, the others, influenced by the herd mentality, charged at Xue Jing together.

"Bang, bang, bang, bang."

The students fell apart like burst sacks, each with a punch or foot imprint caved into their faces.

In the quiet alley, students in Affiliated Middle School uniforms lay twisted and sprawled everywhere, either passed out or groaning while clutching their wounds, with only Xue Jing standing.

He had a cold, intellectual look, untouched by the fight, his clothes only slightly disheveled, and, coupled with the surrounding scenery, he appeared like a gangster in a suit from a movie, an elegant yet violent contrast.

"..." Li Ge stared at the scene, stunned for a long time before slowly regaining his composure and stopping the recording on his phone.

He walked up to Xue Jing, wanting to say something but not quite daring to speak.

Seeing his hesitant look, Xue Jing smiled and said,

"How is it, cool or not?"

With his usual gentle tone, Xue Jing somewhat softened the violent impression from before, and Li Ge relaxed a bit, laughing,

"Cool, insanely cool, from today on, I am Iron-blooded Jing."

Xue Jing patted his head, "Cut the flattery."

He reached out for the phone, "Let me see how well you recorded it."

The video showed the entire process clearly from when Xue Jing entered the alley, except for some shaky segments where Li Ge's excitement caused his hand to tremble; overall, it was well recorded.

It had also followed Xue Jing's directive to turn off the sound and only capture the video.

When the video showed the students being threatened by Xue Jing to pick up their weapons, without sound, it appeared as though the students, still not giving up, picked up their weapons to continue attacking Xue Jing.

Li Ge, puzzled, asked, "Why do this?"

Xue Jing calmly explained, "Under Zhuxia law, in cases where the opponent is armed and intends to commit violent crimes, the victim has the right to unlimited self-defense."

Li Ge scratched his head and said, "Weren't they surrendering at that point?"

"What does their surrender have to do with me?"

Xue Jing seemed to be speaking to Li Ge, yet also as if he was talking to himself.

"People must always pay a price for their mistakes."

...