Chapter 149: His Name is Tang Mubei!
On the arena platform.
The first contestant to step up was a tall young man. Tilting his head, he looked Tang Mubai up and down before breaking into a mocking grin.
“Well, well. I haven’t seen you for more than two months, and you’ve already become a professional martial artist. Impressive, impressive!”
Though his words were praise, the scorn on his face and the mockery in his eyes made it perfectly clear that he looked down on Tang Mubai.
Tang Mubai, however, acted as though he had not heard him at all.
He merely turned toward the referee standing nearby and asked calmly, “Can we begin?”
“…Yes.”
The referee glanced at Tang Mubai, then at the furious Wang Yuan, and nodded.
“Tang Mubai, what are you putting on airs for?”
Wang Yuan roared. Clenching both fists, he charged at Tang Mubai while shouting, “Others may not know what you’re really like, but do you think I don’t? You’re nothing but a good-for-nothing, a piece of trash, a rotten salted fish! Just watch how I teach—”
Thud!
A muffled impact rang out. Wang Yuan suddenly pitched forward and sprawled face-down on the ground.
Before he could get back up, pain struck his backside, and his entire body shot forward.
Like a fish gliding through water, he slid more than thirty feet across the ground, flew off the arena, and landed in the sand deliberately spread around its perimeter, going down face-first.
Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?
Wang Yuan raised his sandy face, utterly bewildered.
All around the square, however, the crowd erupted.
“So fast!”
“Which one was that? Wang Yuan or Tang Mubai? That movement speed is insanely fast! He’s the fastest of the fast!”
“Tsk. As expected, the promotion matches are the only ones worth watching.”
“I know him. His name is Tang Mubai!”
“…”
The spectators shouted excitedly.
Wang Yuan had no idea what had happened. The onlookers, however, had seen everything from beginning to end.
The instant Wang Yuan charged at Tang Mubai, Tang Mubai had suddenly appeared at his side, tripped him with one foot, then kicked him in the butt and sent him flying off the arena.
The entire process had taken less than two seconds. Wang Yuan had been eliminated just like that.
Compared with the previous match, in which two youths had exchanged blows for five full minutes before one finally emerged victorious, Tang Mubai had needed less than five seconds.
Yet his match had been even more spectacular.
That was because Tang Mubai had displayed movement speed far beyond the ordinary.
Such an advantage was exceptionally rare.
With footwork like that, barring any accidents, Tang Mubai was certain to reach the finals.
In a world ruled by martial power, those with real skill would always attract attention.
Even the referee took a long, thoughtful look at Tang Mubai before announcing the result.
As the crowd cheered, Tang Mubai walked slowly down from the arena.
He passed Wang Yuan, who had finally recovered and was climbing out of the sand pit with a face flushed scarlet. Without even turning his eyes, Tang Mubai brushed past him.
Humiliated beyond endurance, Wang Yuan lost his temper. He leaped up and charged at Tang Mubai from behind, attempting a sneak attack.
“Wa—”
Bang!
Another muffled impact rang out.
Under the eyes of the entire crowd, Tang Mubai turned and kicked Wang Yuan flying once more. Then he turned back and continued walking at the same leisurely pace.
The entire sequence had taken less than a second.
For an instant, the square, packed with thousands of people, fell into deathly silence.
Only after a full three minutes did the crowd finally explode into an uproar.
“That’s incredible! Absolutely incredible!”
“I’ll bet this guy can make the top ten in the junior division finals! Who wants to wager with me?”
“Tang Mubai? I’m remembering that name!”
“…”
The spectators were in a frenzy.
The Martial Arts Association official overseeing the competition and the representatives from the Governor’s Office exchanged glances, their expressions varied.
They, too, had committed the name Tang Mubai to memory.
As for Wang Yuan…
People remembered him as well—but only as a representative of shamelessness, treachery, and pettiness.
…
“Brother Night is the best! Hmph, ha-ha!”
When Tang Mubai returned to his seat, his little cousin immediately jumped to her feet. Hugging Bao, she waved her fists and kicked her legs, defending him with all her might.
“That man was awful! You should have beaten him until even his grandfather couldn’t recognize him! Hmph!”
“All right. If I see him again, I’ll beat him up properly.”
Tang Mubai soothed the little girl and coaxed her back into her seat.
Nearby, Xu Dalu and Fang Shuixian were grinning from ear to ear as they excitedly recounted the match.
Tang Mubai had defeated Wang Yuan so effortlessly that reaching the top ten of the junior division really did seem possible.
Tang Mubai merely smiled without comment.
Wang Yuan had been his classmate in high school, and the two had clashed before.
He had forgotten the exact cause. It seemed to have involved a pretty girl.
In any case, Wang Yuan had disliked Tang Mubai, and Tang Mubai had disliked him right back.
The difference was that Wang Yuan possessed decent martial talent. After taking the martial arts entrance examination, he had been admitted to a local martial arts university in Red Leaf City.
Tang Mubai, meanwhile, had gone straight home to live off his family.
This time, luck had thrown the two of them into the same promotion match. It was truly a case of enemies meeting on a narrow road.
The result had been exhilarating as well. Tang Mubai had revealed his talent for the first time, while Wang Yuan had earned the jeers of thousands.
He had lost the match and humiliated himself. The days awaiting him after he returned to school would probably be miserable.
Tang Mubai paid him no further attention and soon forgot about him.
More than two hundred contestants had entered the promotion round. According to their numbers, each person would be called up to face whichever opponent they drew.
Naturally, one morning was not enough.
Tang Mubai had taken the stage only once before the morning’s matches came to an end.
The adult division was held in the afternoon. After lunch, Tang Mubai hurried back to the square.
His little cousin and the others did not come with him. He had not told them about it—just as he had not told Xu Dalu and the others about his participation in the adult division’s elimination round.
If he told them beforehand, Xu Dalu and Fang Shuixian would most likely worry.
Once the competition began, however, everything would be different after he won a match onstage.
For that reason, Xu Dalu, his little cousin, and the others stayed home to watch the event on television, while Tang Mubai went to the venue alone.
The adult division was stronger than the junior division, and the battles were even more thrilling.
Tang Mubai sat in the audience, watching with great interest.
Only when his name was called did he stop enjoying the spectacle and slowly walk up onto the arena.
A stir rose from all around the square.
“Tang Mubai? Isn’t he in the junior division? What’s he doing in the adult division too?”
“Uh, I don’t think the rules say someone can’t enter both divisions.”
“Damn, this guy’s bold. The junior division wasn’t enough for him, so he’s entered the adult division too. I wonder if he can actually advance.”
“Why guess? He’ll obviously be eliminated. The strongest people in the junior division might barely reach the professional level, but the adult division even has master-level fighters!”
“Wanting to swallow an elephant after biting off more than you can chew. Tang Mubai seems pretty arrogant.”
“Maybe he just wants more real combat experience?”
“…”
The spectators who recognized Tang Mubai began discussing him among themselves.
The officials from the Martial Arts Association and the Governor’s Office also wore expressions of surprise.
Still, no one said anything. They simply waited to see the result.
“You’re Tang Mubai, right?”
The opponent who had drawn Tang Mubai was a portly middle-aged man with a large belly. He smiled as he spoke.
“You’ve got good footwork, kid, and I admire your courage. But the adult division is different from the junior division. You’ll need to be careful. Once you step onto the arena, your uncle here won’t be showing you any mercy!”