Li Yundong's sparring partner was a hulking senior from the Physical Education department, powerfully built and ranked just below Zeng Qing and Zhao Yujian in the Taekwondo club.
Li Yundong could clearly detect the raw repulsion and hostility radiating from the senior’s face; it was obvious the man did not want to partner with him.
However, Li Yundong’s prior performance in the club had instilled a certain level of fear in the senior, and out of duty to the Taekwondo club’s reputation, he had no choice but to summon his focus.
Although Li Yundong had never formally trained in Taekwondo for a single day, his body had been tempered by the Renyuan Jindan (Human Essence Golden Core). It was akin to Zhang Wuji mastering both the Nine Yang Divine Art and the Heaven and Earth Great Shift; all martial arts in this world held no barrier or mystery for him. He could master them effortlessly. Though the nuances of internal force application might differ slightly, an outsider could never discern any flaw in his power or posture.
Li Yundong and the senior bowed respectfully to each other before settling into their stances, ready to spar.
This demonstration was purely a form exercise. The audience below watched with great interest, though in reality, the two men hadn't exchanged a single touch.
Yet, every move Li Yundong executed carried an undeniable sense of power. When he threw a punch, the resulting wind shear whistled sharply, causing the sparring senior secretively to tremble. He desperately feared accidentally taking a real hit, which would land him in the hospital alongside Zhao Yujian!
“Damn it, this kid is a monster!” the senior cursed inwardly. “Just two days ago, he looked like a complete novice who’d never touched Taekwondo, and now every move appears even more standard than the coach’s!”
As the saying goes, an expert reveals their skill with the first move.
The instant Li Yundong moved, the rigid power and majestic momentum within his strikes were undeniably real. Students and teachers watching the rehearsal in the auditorium nodded in approval.
The female students’ eyes sparkled, though some cast jealous glances at Su Chan, harboring resentment: why hadn’t they spotted this uncut jade named Li Yundong sooner? And now, this little fox spirit had landed him?
From backstage, Zhuang Hui watched the dynamic display as Li Yundong sparred with the senior. Especially the loud shouts Li Yundong let out during the routine—his voice was resonant and masculine, like rolling thunder. With every cry, her heart gave a significant jolt.
Zhuang Hui involuntarily turned her head to look at her former dance partner, whom she had once considered devastatingly handsome. A wave of regret washed over her: why did he now seem so effeminate and unbearable? Comparison truly revealed disparity; she regretted having been so absolute in her previous rejection. If only Feng Na hadn't whispered a few more words in Li Yundong’s ear, she would have been completely out of luck.
But Zhuang Hui was also a proud and arrogant girl. She thought to herself: So what if I’m out of luck? What’s the big deal? There are plenty of handsome guys in the world!
Yet, despite her outward resolve, her heart ached intensely, and tears welled up in her eyes.
When Li Yundong and the senior concluded their demonstration, immediate applause erupted from both the stage and the audience.
After loosening his limbs, Li Yundong’s meridians felt thoroughly relaxed, and he appeared even more spirited and composed. In contrast, his senior partner, having been constrained throughout the routine, was left panting heavily.
“You really can’t judge a book by its cover…” Ding Nan murmured to herself from the audience. “I never expected this guy to be such a hidden master!”
Zhou Qin finished watching the performance, suppressing the surging curiosity and agitation deep within her heart, and said coolly, “Let’s go.”
Ding Nan protested, “Hey, there’s more coming up!”
As soon as she spoke, the female host approached the stage, microphone in hand, clapping enthusiastically. She smiled at Li Yundong and said, “Impressive, truly impressive. You must be a trained martial artist, right?”
Li Yundong shook his head. “No, I’m not.”
The host gave him a curious look, assuming he was being modest. She smiled, glanced down at the program list, and her expression suddenly became very strange. “Next up, student Li Yundong will present a truly unique and traditional performance for us.”
Li Yundong frowned, turning to look at Feng Na. “There’s more?”
Feng Na felt a flicker of guilt, but recalling the embarrassment she had recently suffered in front of Li Yundong, she gritted her teeth and pressed on, “Of course! Who would watch a show with so few acts?”
Li Yundong considered this. He thought to himself, Right, in those old television shows, didn't they always have someone breaking bricks or boards?
At that moment, Li Yundong felt an inexhaustible surge of strength coursing through his body. He was curious to know if he could break bricks, and how many he could manage. With characteristic bluntness, he declared, “Fine, bring it on. Who’s afraid of whom?”
The host’s expression became even more animated—a mixture of admiration and amusement. She looked at Li Yundong and said, “Wonderful! Then let’s welcome student Li Yundong with his traditional act: Breaking a Stone Slab on the Chest!”
The moment these words left her mouth, Su Chan, who was sipping bubble tea, let out a choking sound, spraying the tea directly out of her nostrils.
Li Yundong, who was stretching his legs to warm up, heard this and instantly fell onto the ground with a thump. His face registered utter bewilderment. He yelled loudly, “What? Say that again?”
The students and teachers both on and off the stage were momentarily stunned into silence. Then, the entire hall erupted in laughter.
Zhuang Hui, who had been brooding silently, couldn't help but let out a sudden giggle, wiping away her tears. Zhou Qin, who had been turning to leave, froze momentarily, the corner of her mouth twitching. She covered her mouth, seemingly trying to suppress a laugh, her back shaking rhythmically.
Li Yundong looked up at the host. “Are you mistaken?”
The host blinked innocently. “No, I’m not. Look for yourself if you don’t believe me!”
Li Yundong took the program list and looked. Sure enough, the very last item was listed as his specialty performance: Breaking a Stone Slab on the Chest!
“This has to be a mistake!” Li Yundong muttered, torn between laughter and distress, turning toward Feng Na. He saw the senior student and Cheng Cheng both doubled over with laughter.
Li Yundong instantly understood: Damn it, this girl is setting me up! Fine, I’ll remember this!
He strode over to Feng Na, shaking the program list furiously. “What kind of trickery is this?”
Feng Na fought to contain her laughter, puffing out her chest slightly. “What trickery? Didn't you say it yourself?”
Li Yundong frowned. “When did I say that?”
Feng Na replied, “I asked what you were performing, and you said: Breaking a Stone Slab on the Chest!” She then turned to Cheng Cheng. “Hey, didn’t I?”
Cheng Cheng, rubbing her stomach and struggling to suppress her laughter, dared not look at Li Yundong’s face for fear of rupturing something if she saw his priceless expression. “Yes, yes, I can testify!”
Li Yundong was furious, the anger rising like a tidal wave, then sinking into utter defeat!
Is she treating me like an idiot?
“Hey, do you think I’m a fool?” Li Yundong roared. “What century is this? Does anyone still perform breaking stones on their chest?”
Hearing this, the masses of onlookers—students and teachers alike—once again burst into hysterical laughter, nearly collapsing.
Feng Na adopted an air of solemnity. “Don’t forget our original agreement! I’ll handle your business, and you handle mine!”
Li Yundong was choked with anger. “But you can’t prank me like this!”
Feng Na declared righteously, “Who’s pranking you? Don’t you know that breaking a stone on the chest is a preserved traditional specialty of our nation and our people? With the upcoming exchange event with the University of Pennsylvania in the US, performing such an ancient and culturally distinctive act is the best choice!”
Li Yundong’s eye twitched. He inwardly seethed and turned to look at Su Chan, hoping for backup, only to see the girl already bent over on the floor, rubbing her aching cheeks from laughing so hard.
The heartless one! Li Yundong cursed internally.
“Fine, I’ll do it!” Li Yundong hardened his resolve, displaying the fearless spirit of Feng Xiao Xiao Xi Yi Shui Han (a classical reference to resolute departure), but his next words immediately betrayed his fear: “However, I never agreed to perform the part where I lie on the stone slab!”
Seeing Li Yundong attempting to renege, Feng Na stated bluntly, “Fine. I’ll play the one swinging the sledgehammer. You can choose whether you want to be the slab or the hammer!”
The students below, delighted by the chaos, laughed so hard they almost died. Li Yundong felt so frustrated he wanted to vomit blood. He began to regret his somewhat rough initial handling of this senior student in the classroom: Damn it, who said women and petty men are hard to deal with? Was that Confucius? Great Confucius, I admire you! What you said is absolutely true!
Never offend women, especially beautiful ones!
Li Yundong took a profound lesson from this incident and decided to surrender. “Alright, you win. I’ll play the one lying on the stone slab.”
Feng Na beamed triumphantly. “That’s more like it!”
Li Yundong steeled himself and shouted, “Bring over the sledgehammer! I really don’t believe you actually prepared a sledgehammer!”
Feng Na let out a laugh and told Cheng Cheng, “Go fetch the tools!”
Cheng Cheng, rubbing her stomach with one hand and her cheek with the other, trotted backstage. She then reappeared, dragging a massive sledgehammer that scraped along the floor with a loud clang-clang-clang.
The crowd roared with laughter seeing Cheng Cheng dragging out an actual sledgehammer.
Zhou Qin, who had been holding back her laughter, was about to lose control; the tightly pursed corners of her mouth occasionally let out little puffs of sound. Ding Nan beside her was already convulsing with laughter, alternately pounding the seat and whistling through her fingers—her demeanor was utterly uninhibited.
Li Yundong stared, dumbfounded, at the sledgehammer Cheng Cheng was dragging. He exclaimed in shock, “Holy hell, you’re serious! Which construction site did you steal this hammer from? It’s enormous!”
Feng Na was so amused she crouched down on stage. “Nonsense! I went to the hardware store specifically to buy it!”
Li Yundong gave her a thumbs-up. “Good! Very good! Excellent! So, what about the stone? I refuse to believe you could buy that easily too!”
Feng Na suppressed a laugh and snapped her fingers at Cheng Cheng. “Why buy it? They’re everywhere; just pick one up!”
Li Yundong listened, skeptical. Where could a stone slab that big be lying around casually? However, this girl was clearly prepared. What if she actually brought out a huge slab? Could he endure it?
Thinking this, Li Yundong couldn't help but plead with Feng Na with a forced smile, “Look, Senior, we all have to see each other around. There’s no need to be so merciless, right? This stone slab is too big and too heavy; I can’t handle it!”
Feng Na assumed an expression of boundless mercy, like a bodhisattva saving sentient beings. “Don't worry, I specially prepared a slightly smaller one for you!”
Saying this, Cheng Cheng ran out from backstage. Everyone’s gaze fixed on her hands, but she held nothing. As they wondered in confusion, Cheng Cheng approached Li Yundong, struggling to suppress her laughter, and slipped something into his palm. “Here, the stone is here!”
Li Yundong took it, nearly spitting up three liters of blood in shock. Holding up the object, he yelled, “God in heaven! You want me to perform breaking a stone on my chest, fine! But at least get me a proper stone slab! Okay, if you can’t find a proper slab, you could at least get a half-decent sewer cover slab! Fine, I’ll even tolerate that. You can’t even manage that, so how about a brick? You can’t even find a brick, so why did you bring me a river pebble? What is the meaning of this?”
As he finished speaking, every teacher and student in the hall laughed so hard they nearly perished. Zhou Qin, who had been restraining herself, could hold back no longer and erupted into boisterous, shaking laughter.