Chapter 15 — Section Fourteen: The Melee Expert

Amori perked up as well, pricking his ears.

"The Sky Road." A look of reminiscence surfaced on Wei Zheng's face, tinged with a trace of bewilderment. "It is a place both dangerous and full of opportunity."

He glanced at Tang Tang and Amori, and his tone shifted. "All right, the Sky Road is still far off for you two. Let us discuss a more practical matter."

"A more practical matter?" Tang Tang curled his lip in contempt. "Hey, old man, you're not trying to trick us into some dirty work again, are you?"

Amori looked astonished. "Basic Tang, you saw through his scheme too?"

"Of course!" Tang Tang looked smug. "Before a man like a god, all demons and monsters are forced back to their true forms! With a personality as sleazy as his, why would he treat us to roast meat? Unprovoked kindness means either treachery or theft!"

"Exactly! Treachery or theft!" Amori raised his voice in agreement.

Wei Zheng: "..."

"No use denying it, old man. Seeing as you're our principal—mm, we can discuss anything." Tang Tang wore an expression that said "you know what I mean."

"Right, open with an outrageous price, settle at a fair one!" Amori added.

Wei Zheng was silent for a moment, then slapped his thigh hard. "Truly worthy of two geniuses! Nothing escapes your eyes. Good, then I'll speak plainly."

The two sat motionless, watching Wei Zheng.

Wei Zheng suddenly felt some pressure and cleared his throat. "Well, you see, a couple of days ago I checked our school's points, and it turned out we don't quite have enough. As you know, if a school's points fall short, it can have its qualification revoked. Mm, the Star Wind Martial Meet is coming up soon—if you participate and earn decent results, the school's points should be about enough. As the school's geniuses, you can't just watch the school decline like this, can you?"

"Can't you?" Tang Tang suddenly turned his head and asked Amori.

Amori looked baffled. "Why can't I?"

Tang Tang withdrew his gaze, his face full of righteous indignation. "I can't either."

Wei Zheng choked, then flew into a rage. "As students of this school, how can you be so indifferent to its fate? Has your blood run cold? Are you still men? You—"

The two squatted there, eyes wide, looking at Wei Zheng with utterly innocent faces, their gazes pure and flawless.

Seeing the tactic fail, Wei Zheng gritted his teeth. "Fine, tell me—what are your terms?"

"Fly Cow, you do it!" Tang Tang waved his hand with the air of a boss.

Amori's big bell-like eyes glittered, and his carrot-thick fingers began gesturing rapidly. "Points are hard to come by these days, and the Star Wind Martial Meet is open to every student in the city. Oh oh oh, just think of that brutal process—it's simply outrageous, how many people we'll have to fight..."

Spittle flew as he talked on and on.

Crackle crackle crack—Amori went on for a full three minutes before stopping.

Wei Zheng smiled brightly. "Finished?"

Amori and Tang Tang exchanged a glance, a bad premonition rising in their hearts.

Wei Zheng spread his hands, utterly shameless. "I forgot to mention—I already signed you both up."

Tang Tang: "..."

Amori: "..."

Facts proved that a profiteer is no match for a scoundrel.

Having gained nothing, Tang Tang and Amori looked a bit deflated.

"A third-rank mind technique—young man, any thoughts?" Wei Zheng looked at Tang Tang and suddenly said, "Your true force has already reached the peak of second rank. You ought to enter third rank as soon as possible—that's the proper path!"

"A third-rank mind technique? Any suggestions?" Tang Tang asked casually.

"You've asked the right person!" Wei Zheng wore a look of "this one is worth teaching." "To enter third rank, beyond the mind technique, what's more important is that you must begin to clarify your development path. Greedily chasing too much will only scatter your energy and leave you achieving nothing."

Tang Tang was stunned. "That actually sounds quite reasonable."

"Spending so much time on basic martial techniques—frankly, you've already missed the golden period." Wei Zheng's expression turned grave. "For a person, the golden five years are between twelve and seventeen. You spent all five of those years on basic martial techniques. Many would say you wasted your time, but I think it has both advantages and disadvantages."

"Oh, tell me, tell me!" Tang Tang perked up. For all these years, almost everyone who spoke of him did so with regret and incomprehension. This was the first time he had heard anyone say it had advantages.

"You spent a full five years on basic martial techniques. Your foundation is extremely solid, and quite comprehensive. This will greatly help your future training in martial techniques. You can pick up other techniques quickly. As long as you persevere, the lost time can definitely be made up. Young man, I have high hopes for you!"

Tang Tang nodded without a shred of modesty. "Hahaha, old man, you've got a good eye!"

"Haha!" Wei Zheng laughed heartily. "But your path is destined to be bumpy—you'd better be mentally prepared."

Tang Tang shook his head carelessly. "Before a young man like a god, every bump is just trash!"

"That's the spirit! I love spirited young men!" Wei Zheng chuckled. "Let's talk about your development path. Your physique is excellent, your foundation solid, your reactions fast, your presence powerful, fierce and domineering—these are all your strengths. Do you know what this suits?"

Tang Tang listened, entranced, and quickly asked, "What does it suit?"

"Close-quarters combat!" Wei Zheng bit out the four words with force. "Close-quarters combat demands balanced physical qualities, extraordinary reaction speed, a ferocious presence, a heart that fears nothing, and especially high requirements for basic martial techniques. How about it, young man? Doesn't it sound flavorful? Melee expert—what a handsome title!"

Tang Tang's eyes shone as he nodded repeatedly. "I like this! I love fighting most! Old man, I couldn't tell—you've got some tricks up your sleeve!"

"Heh heh, when you grow up—mm—your woman will like that title too!" Wei Zheng's face was utterly lewd.

"Will Qianhui like it too?" Tang Tang's eyes sparkled.

"Mm, of course!" Wei Zheng nearly choked on his own saliva and coughed a few times. "However, you're still a long way from being a melee expert. To become a qualified melee expert, besides the traits you already possess, you need outstanding qinggong—you must close the distance between you and your opponent swiftly. If your qinggong is poor, you're dead for sure."

"Exactly!" Tang Tang clapped his hands. "I definitely need to train qinggong!"

"You need a variety of unarmed skills. Remember, you're a close-quarters melee expert, not a boxer. Fist techniques, palm techniques, finger techniques, joint locks—you must study them all. You need to ensure that after closing the distance, you have enough means to swiftly finish your opponent."

"Makes sense! Train them all!"

"You need to further strengthen your reaction speed, so you can strike more accurately in a shorter time."

"Absolutely right! Must strengthen!"

Wei Zheng said, "As long as you can do all this, you can become a qualified—even an excellent—melee expert."

Amori raised both hands high. "I want to be a melee expert too!"

Wei Zheng ignored him.

Tang Tang said nothing, instead looking at Wei Zheng strangely.

Wei Zheng was taken aback by Tang Tang's gaze and touched his face. "Is there something on my face?"

"Qualified? Excellent? I want to be a melee expert like a god!" Tang Tang looked utterly matter-of-fact, then immediately grew greatly displeased. "You actually underestimate me! Hmph! That's just mean!"

Wei Zheng reacted quickly and laughed heartily. "That's the spirit, but even a qualified melee expert has to endure some hardship."

"I'm not afraid of hardship," Tang Tang shook his head and said seriously.