Chapter 129: The Arena for a Duel

Chuchu and Shiqing had walked over, and when they realized that the person speaking with Xiang Ri was an unexpected acquaintance, both of them revealed a rather awkward expression. "An'an, what are you doing here?"

"You two know each other?" Now it was Xiang Ri's turn to be surprised. He knew that his apprentice was familiar with the young lady named An, but he hadn't expected her to be acquainted with Chuchu as well. Upon further reflection, however, it made sense. Since An knew Bing Jie, it wasn't that strange that she also knew Chuchu.

"Qingqing? Chuchu?" Anxin, too, hadn't anticipated meeting them here. For a moment, joy surged within her, but as she noticed the intimate closeness between the two beauties and that detestable man, jealousy soon eclipsed her excitement.

"Anxin, are these your friends?" Jin Shenmin, having noticed the two stunning women, immediately brightened, only to regain his composure and smile his brightest, asking in what he assumed was a charmingly polite manner.

"Don't talk," Anxin snapped irritably. "I asked you to help me fight, not to be nosy!" Her words, sharp and biting, carried no trace of courtesy, especially directed at this detestable man she despised.

Jin Shenmin, taken aback, was undeterred, however. He didn't walk away but awkwardly smiled. Despite his embarrassment, he knew that the business interests between his family and Anxin's were too significant to disregard, and with the two beautiful women present, he wasn't about to back off.

To the self-proclaimed "number one ladies' killer" in Korea, encountering such exquisite beauties was an opportunity too rare to let slip. And being in a school setting only made things more appealing; in his mind, students were the easiest targets. With his looks, he believed that even without throwing money at them, he could easily win them over.

Unaware of the vile thoughts swirling in the man's head, Anxin's gaze hardened as she glared at the man with the missing hand, especially since that hand was resting on Chuchu's shoulder, making her envy flare. "Chuchu, you know this jerk too?" Her finger pointed directly at Xiang Ri.

Chuchu was startled and shot a confused glance at Xiang Ri. "An'an, is there some misunderstanding between you two?"

"Misunderstanding?" Anxin's anger flared. "What misunderstanding? This brat... he—he dared to hit me yesterday!" Her temper flared so intensely that she almost blurted out the whole embarrassing story, but remembering how humiliating it would be to reveal it, she stopped herself, changing her words mid-sentence.

Xiang Ri, listening nearby, was drenched in cold sweat, relieved that the little girl didn't spill the beans about the kiss; if she had, the consequences would have been disastrous.

He sighed inwardly but then noticed his apprentice's gaze. It held an odd, almost knowing look, making him uneasy. Did she suspect something?

"What's wrong, teacher? You seem nervous?" Sure enough, Shiqing didn't miss the opportunity to poke at him.

Her words caught Chuchu's attention, and she looked at Xiang Ri with a strange expression. "Xiang Kui, tell me the truth, did you really bully An'an?"

"This..." Xiang Ri carefully chose his words. "I don't think so?" Since Anxin hadn't openly confessed, he suspected there was some hidden reason behind her silence, and he was content to leave things ambiguous.

"You still dare to deny it!" Anxin's eyes narrowed, her anger palpable. "You bastard, my bodyguards are still in the hospital. Do you want me to get someone to confront you?"

Xiang Ri shrugged indifferently, about to make a sarcastic remark, when Chuchu spoke first, her tone turning serious. "Xiang Kui, did you really hit An'an?" Her eyes were filled with an uncharacteristic gravity that made Xiang Ri's heart sink. "It was just a joke, yes, just a joke!" he quickly interjected.

"Since you've admitted it, then it's settled," Anxin said with a satisfied smirk. She wasn't concerned with whether Xiang Ri called it a joke or not—her goal was simply to get revenge. "I'm here to settle the score. If you fight one of my people and win, everything will be forgiven."

"Is it really that simple?" Xiang Ri's eyes widened in disbelief, deliberately ignoring the dark expression that appeared on Jin Shenmin's face at his words.

"That's how cheap it is, but if you let him get hurt or crippled, don't blame me!" Miss An said with a smile, though the venom in her tone sent a chill down one's spine.

In truth, her intentions were far from benevolent. In her mind, she was already certain that today, someone would meet a grim fate! Regardless of the outcome, whether things were reconciled or not, it hardly mattered to her.

Chuchu, unaware of the underlying tension, hurriedly attempted to intervene. "An'an, this matter—"

Anxin sharply interrupted her, "Chuchu, stay out of this. I have a score to settle with this guy!"

"But—"

"No buts! One way or another, they're fighting today!" Anxin declared imperiously.

Chuchu opened her mouth to argue, but was stopped by Shiqing, who gently pulled her aside. "Chuchu, if they must fight, let them. Don't forget, someone here has quite the illustrious record." In fact, Shiqing knew that Chuchu's concern wasn't about creating friction with a friend who had particular tastes, but rather about the possibility of an accident during the fight. So, she pointed out the fact that someone had once faced down hundreds of opponents, hoping to reassure her.

Moreover, Shiqing was well aware that even though their teacher was left with only one functioning hand, defeating the man across from them wouldn't be a challenge. For Shiqing, who adored taekwondo, the man was easily recognizable: Jin Shenmin, the five-time champion of Korea's national taekwondo competition. But in terms of strength, he was no match for their teacher, especially in a one-on-one confrontation, which was nothing short of folly on his part.

Chuchu, reassured by Shiqing's words, finally gave her consent, but only with one condition: the duel must take place in the judo club's activity room. The reasoning was that the space was spacious enough, and there would be no interference from the school authorities. Whether this reasoning was true or not, only Miss An knew for sure.

Upon hearing Chuchu's agreement, Anxin showed no resistance, immediately urging them to head to the judo club. She was certain she wouldn't lose; from her "knowledge" of the Korean man's capabilities, the likelihood of her victory was high.

Though the man with the disability had some strength, Anxin remembered seeing the Korean man's display of power on the street, when his punch sent several people flying. He wasn't weak by any means. And since the disabled man could only use one hand, this time, even if he survived, he'd definitely be left battered.

Unfortunately, she misjudged the situation. In reality, when Jin Shenmin had caused the street battle to unfold, it was only a performance designed to impress Anxin. While he could easily knock one person flying with a punch, sending several people flying was far too exaggerated, and the power involved was somewhat overstated.

Yet, Jin Shenmin didn't regard Xiang Ri as a worthy adversary. He deemed such a weak opponent beneath his attention.

A frail body, one that he could easily knock over with a single finger—especially since the man had one hand injured—was like a grown adult with a weapon bullying an infant barely learning to crawl.

However, Jin Shenmin harbored no thoughts of mercy, not just because the man had offended him by coming between him and his chosen woman, but also because of the way the two stunning students seemed to rely on Xiang Ri, fueling his jealousy. He decided it was time to teach this weak man a lesson, to embarrass him thoroughly, and if possible, he even planned to cripple his other hand.

The group arrived at the judo club's activity room. As it was still early, no one else had arrived, and the room was quiet, providing the perfect setting for a one-on-one fight.