Chapter 54: Pathetic

Words : 1034 Updated : Sep 17th, 2025

Chapter 54: Pathetic After Lin Fan had been scraped off the ground and dragged to the side by Mu Qianxue. She then clapped her hands once, drawing attention: "We’ll now move into paired drills. Application of the form is just as important as the form itself. You can only understand a stance once you’ve felt it in motion." Mu Qianxue’s eyes swept across—and paused briefly on two figures. "Hei Long. Bai Luoluo. You two, together." Bai Luoluo blinked. "Wait—him?" She turned her gaze to Hei Long, who was already walking toward her with his usual relaxed smile. His hands were folded behind his back like he had all the time in the world. "Don’t hold back," Hei Long said smoothly: "I’d like to see what you can do." "Tch. I wasn’t planning on it," Bai Luoluo replied, narrowing her eye: "And don’t go easy on me just because I’m a girl." "I wouldn’t dream of it," Hei Long responded. They stood across from one another, circling slowly. Mu Qianxue nodded from the front. "Begin." Bai Luoluo was the first to strike, surging forward with aggressive precision. Her palm shot toward Hei Long’s chest, her stance strong, grounded. She followed with a rapid spin-kick aimed toward his side. But Hei Long didn’t flinch. He sidestepped the strike with minimal movement, letting her momentum glide right past him. He caught her ankle mid-kick with one hand—firm but controlled—and gently twisted. Bai Luoluo’s eyes widened. ’He read my movement... before I even committed to it?!’ In the next instant, she found herself flipped—not as hard as Lin Fan, but enough to land her flat on her back with a light thud. Hei Long stepped back with perfect posture, offering a single polite nod. "You have good instincts," he said.: "But too much aggression up front. You gave away your rhythm too early." Bai Luoluo sat up slowly, her face flushed—half from impact, half from irritation: "I wasn’t even warmed up yet." Hei Long smiled. "Then let’s go again." Bai Luoluo shot to her feet: "Fine." Mu Qianxue didn’t say a word. She would allow it. The second round began just as fierce—Bai Luoluo using sharper footwork, more calculated steps. But no matter how she adjusted, Hei Long moved like water, slipping through every attempt to land a solid hit. His counters were smooth, efficient, and never unnecessarily harsh—just enough to knock her off balance, just enough to frustrate her more. Bai Luoluo landed on the dirt, she slapped the ground and growled: "I said don’t go easy on me!" "I’m not," Hei Long replied with a small shrug: "This is me taking you seriously." That only made it worse... Bai Luoluo’s fists clenched: "You arrogant—!" Mu Qianxue interrupted calmly: "That’s enough." She walked toward them, her tone even: "Bai Luoluo, your foundation is strong, but your anger is throwing off your rhythm. Martial arts are not just power—they are patience. You’re allowing emotion to dictate your flow." Bai Luoluo bit her tongue, then bowed stiffly. "Understood." Hei Long gave a respectful nod of his own: "Thank you for the spar." Bai Luoluo gave him a look that said: "Don’t thank me yet." Meanwhile, Lin Fan—still recovering—lifted his head weakly and muttered: "I could’ve totally dodged that if I wasn’t distracted..." "Shut up," Bai Luoluo and Mu Qianxue said at the same time. Hei Long just smiled. However— Randomly— "I’ll go!" They all turned. Lin Fan wanted to spar. Mu Qianxue narrowed her eyes: "You can barely stand." Lin Fan cracked his neck, winced, and then grinned through the pain: "I may be injured... but my fighting spirit burns eternal!" Bai Luoluo snorted. "You want to spar? Haven’t you had enough humiliation for one day?" Lin Fan pointed at her dramatically: "Exactly! You humiliated me with your glare earlier. I—Lin Fan—will restore my honor with my fists!" Hei Long smirked: "This should be good." Mu Qianxue gave a long sigh: "Fine. One round. If you get knocked out, I’m not helping." Lin Fan stepped forward, shaking out his arms: "Don’t hold back, senior sister. I want your real strength." Bai Luoluo grinned darkly: "Oh, trust me—I wasn’t planning to go easy." They bowed. Mu Qianxue raised her hand. "Begin." Lin Fan shot forward like a lightning bolt: "RAAAH!" His fists flailed wildly in Bai Luoluo’s direction. The form was... creative. Possibly a new style called "Desperate Windmill Technique." Lin Fan clearly thought speed would overwhelm her. It didn’t. Bai Luoluo calmly sidestepped the first swing, ducked under the second, and in one smooth motion drove her fist squarely into Lin Fan’s stomach. BOOM. The air whooshed from Lin Fan’s lungs. His feet left the ground. Time slowed. Hei Long casually reached into his robes and took out a small snack. ’This is too funny...’ Bai Luoluo wasn’t done. She caught Lin Fan’s wrist mid-fall, spun him midair, and slammed him shoulder-first into the ground. The impact shook the ground. "AAACK—MY BACK—MY LUNGS—MY EVERYTHING!" Lin Fan wheezed. Mu Qianxue exhaled through her nose, already walking forward. "Alright. That’s enough. He’s done." Bai Luoluo dusted off her robes: "He asked for it." Lin Fan twitched on the ground: "Worth it... I saw the angle... the angle of your... elbow strike... it was majestic..." Mu Qianxue rubbed her temples: "You’re a fool." Then she crouched and placed two fingers on his wrist, channeling a bit of Qi to check his state: "...You’ve cracked a rib. Possibly two. I told you this would happen." Lin Fan gave a thumbs up: "Totally worth it..." Mu Qianxue stood up: "Take yourself to the medicine hall." "Yes, Master..." Lin Fan groaned, forcing himself to his feet. Pain flared through every inch of his body as he staggered upright. With slow, limping strides, he began to shuffle away, wincing with every breath. "So pathetic..." Hei Long muttered under his breath, arms crossed. He couldn’t help but question—again—if this was really supposed to be the protagonist of the novel. Sure, Hei Long remembered the early Chapters: Lin Fan had always been weak, cocky, and embarrassingly immature. But this? This was just sad. Hei Long shook his head. ’How did anyone read this novel seriously?’

Chapter 54: Pathetic

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