C6 Loving the Beauty but Neglecting the Friend

The kick was executed with the precision and speed of the Five-step Fist's Bullet Kick, striking with ferocity. The boy's arm flailed over his head as the blood-stained art knife slipped from his grasp, tumbling into the flowerbed.

Before the boy could gather his wits, Feng Manlou spun around and delivered a crushing palm strike to his forehead, emitting a dull thud reminiscent of a watermelon being struck.

Lu Feng's head jerked down, and a gush of blood erupted from his nostrils as he collapsed onto the ground.

"Run, what are you waiting for?" Feng Manlou urged, grabbing the startled Ye Qingling. "Press on the wound and hurry!"

Gone was Ye Qingling's earlier indignation at being called ugly; now she was a mix of fear, compliance, and distress as she clutched her arm and dashed away.

"I've got you!" Feng Manlou noticed her unsteady gait, nearly crashing into a pavilion pillar, and quickly supported her as they made their escape.

His lack of experience showed; he hadn't learned the lesson that a snake not killed might bite back. When dealing with a madman, one must ensure they're incapacitated.

As they neared the garden's exit, Ye Qingling glanced back, her pupils shrinking in terror.

"We're in trouble, Lu Feng is coming after us!" she exclaimed, her voice shaking.

"Who's Lu Feng?" Feng Manlou paused, a chill running through him. "Oh no, not that nutcase who confessed to you!"

He turned to see the boy he had slapped, now brandishing a purple art knife, staggering in pursuit.

What kind of person carries two knives?

"Go ahead, call the police, find a teacher, or security," Feng Manlou instructed, exasperated by her naivety. "Don't bother with classmates or friends; they can't help you in this!"

"Please, be careful!" Ye Qingling's eyes welled up as she watched the stranger bravely turn to face the oncoming danger.

He wasn't imposing or muscular, quite slender, in fact.

Yet, he stood resolute, using his modest frame to shield her from the crazed Lu Feng.

Hadn't they said society had become as cold as the Antarctic?

Why are there still guys out there who would risk their lives for others?

He didn't even know his own name, let alone have a clear glimpse of his face!

"My... My name is Ye Qingling. Could you tell me yours?" Ye Qingling's voice trembled as she asked.

Is he insane? Asking for names now—is he planning to make writing my eulogy easier, or does he think he's Makoto Shinkai?

"I'm Feng Manlou. Just get out of here, and stop dragging your feet!" Feng Manlou said, waving his hand in irritation.

"Wait for me. I'll go get a teacher to help you!"

"Forget it. You'd better head to the infirmary first!"

Feng Manlou was genuinely concerned that this naive girl would bring over their frail female teacher, which would only cause more chaos. Lu Feng was already unsteady from the beating; knocking him out again shouldn't be too hard.

Ye Qingling shuddered at his words, her tears now unstoppable.

Even now, he was more concerned about my injuries than his own life.

"No, my injuries are minor. I'm going to get the teacher!" Ye Qingling felt compelled to do something for Feng Manlou, so she turned and sprinted toward the school building.

Once Ye Qingling was out of sight, Feng Manlou finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Good, she's gone. She couldn't help anyway, only made things worse.

System, is there any Fist Technique I can use now that I can also afford?

[Regrettably, the police combat technique requires 40 points to redeem.]

Feng Manlou: "..."

Can't I just owe it?

[Regrettably, this system does not allow credit.]

Well, no matter. If there's nothing available, I'll make do. This guy's still dazed from the fight; I can handle him!

Lu Feng, brandishing an art knife, thought Feng Manlou was too scared to run and sneered maliciously, "You tried to take my Qingling from me; I'll kill you!"

As Feng Manlou prepared to sidestep and counter with a Five-step Fist combo, a figure burst forth from the left.

He soared into the air, delivering a kick reminiscent of Bruce Lee's flying kick, landing squarely on Lu Feng's head.

With a loud thud, Lu Feng tumbled into the bushes like a dry branch caught in a gust of wind.

Someone came to help?

Feng Manlou was thrilled. If someone else had sent Lu Feng flying, he wouldn't have to risk a direct confrontation.

[Heroic rescue successful. Reward: 30 Heroic Points.]

30+30=60. With 60 Heroic Points, he could now exchange them for other Outer Family Boxing techniques!

"Are you okay?"

The boy who had sent Lu Feng flying kicked the art knife aside and asked with concern.

Feng Manlou gave the broad-browed, earnest-faced boy a smile. "I'm fine, thanks."

"Good to hear." The boy let out a relieved breath. "What was that all about? Why the knife? Did you steal his girlfriend?"

"It's a misunderstanding, totally unrelated to me!" Feng Manlou was frustrated to find himself wrongly accused of love theft once again.

Why must college students always fight over romantic issues?

He clarified, "That guy just got rejected by a girl in the garden and decided on a murder-suicide. I was just passing by and ended up saving the girl."

"You stepped in to do the right thing?" The boy's eyes widened in disbelief.

Judging by his build, he didn't seem like a trained fighter. Could it be that there were still young men with an overwhelming sense of justice nowadays?

Students heading to the cafeteria had seen the boy kick Lu Feng and began pulling out their phones to capture the moment.

Feng Manlou had no desire to become a viral sensation, which could lead the previous night's thugs right to him. He walked back to the garden, picked up the bloodied art knife, showed it to the boy, then placed it on the pavilion bench and left from the opposite end.

The boy stared at the art knife for a moment, then suddenly said, "My name is Jiang Gongyin, vice president of the Martial Inheriting Society. What's your name?"

Martial Inheriting Society?

Feng Manlou paused.

He had recently acquired the Great Hero Ultimate Technique System and had already used the basic Five-step Fist to handle the thugs and Lu Feng. Now, he found himself genuinely interested in the Martial Inheriting Society.

"My name is Feng Manlou, a freshman majoring in business management."

"Feng Manlou..." Jiang Gongyin repeated the name, when he suddenly realized he had walked out of the garden. He quickly added, "Drop by the Martial Inheriting Society when you have some time. We can share our insights on martial arts!"

To rescue a girl from someone wielding an art knife without a scratch likely meant he was well-trained in martial arts!

Feng Manlou gave an OK sign. Noticing someone had followed him with a phone, he hurriedly ducked into the cafeteria.

A few minutes later.

Having purchased a bag of buns, six bottles of milk, and six tea eggs, Feng Manlou stealthily glanced at the garden on his way back to the dorm.

The clumsy girl, Ye Qingling, had already arrived with security and a teacher.

Seeing her still pressing on her arm, with blood seeping through her fingers, she was anxiously speaking with Jiang Gongyin. Feng Manlou felt moved.

Though the girl seemed a bit naive and overly concerned with appearances, she was undeniably kind-hearted.

He considered saying hello once the crowd dispersed, so she wouldn't worry.

However, after waiting from a distance, he noticed an increasing number of students recording videos. With a sigh, he decided to postpone the greeting.

Back in the dorm, Du Xinbo and Lee Fann were brushing their teeth, sticking out their backsides. The smell of smoke wafting from the toilet across the washbasin left no doubt that Zhou Sihai was inside—only he liked to smoke and play on his phone while using the restroom.

Tossing his ID card on the table, Feng Manlou announced, "I've got buns and milk for breakfast. Let's head to class after eating. By the way, Da Bai, your red envelope funds were all spent on breakfast."

"OK," Du Xinbo said, spitting out toothpaste foam.

After breakfast, they all headed to class together.

...

"Wow, the Six Wolves all together—that's a rare sight!"

Upon entering the classroom, Lee Nan's girlfriend, Liu Yuxin, greeted them with a playful smile.

Liu Yuxin looked sophisticated with her gold-rimmed glasses, yet she had a refreshingly frank personality. She often showered Lee Nan with affection, much to Feng Manlou and the others' chagrin, but she was genuinely nice, so they all got along well.

"Sigh, we can't keep skipping classes. If we end up not graduating, it'll be too late for tears," Du Xinbo said with a shrug.

Lee Fann greeted with a sycophantic smile, "Good morning, sister-in-law. You look even more beautiful and radiant than last night."

"Lame!"

The others looked at him with scorn, simultaneously raising their pinky fingers in derision.

In his eagerness to have Liu Yuxin set him up with a girlfriend, this guy was fawning over her like a eunuch, bringing shame to the Six Wolves.

"You've got a way with words," Liu Yuxin said, nodding in approval. "Relax, Nan and I have a date at noon, and Xiaomeng will be there too. You should come along, so she doesn't keep calling you a third wheel."

Thinking of Xiaomeng's selfie on WeChat, Lee Fann immediately flashed a lecherous grin and bowed with his hands clasped, "Thank you, sister-in-law. If things work out with Xiaomeng, I'll be forever grateful for your great kindness."

"Enough with the sweet talk. You're buying lunch," Lee Nan said with a chuckle.

"Deal, deal. If it means I can stop being single, I'm willing to live on tap water and buns for the whole month!"

Feng Manlou watched Lee Fann and couldn't help feeling a pang of emotion. This was the hunger of youth — ready to endure an empty stomach just for the chance at love!

Yet, he remained skeptical about the chances of success.

Business administration was one of the more gender-balanced majors, aside from secretarial and accounting, with a good number of female students. If they couldn't make any connections in such a fertile environment, trying to charm girls from other schools seemed like a fool's errand.

"Ring—ring—ring—"

The class bell sounded, and Feng Manlou and the others made their way back to their seats. Shortly after, a teacher arrived to begin the lesson.

...

At noon, with a simple beckoning of her finger, Liu Yuxin had Lee Nan forsaking his friends for her company. Lee Fann, that rascal, had no qualms about tagging along, completely forgetting the original plan to gather evidence at the snack street.

"Hai Zi, Sanqiu, Da Bai, you guys head to the snack street on your own. We're not going to join you!"

"Scram, jerk!"

"Those two are nothing but selfish animals," Du Xinbo lamented as he watched the trio walk away.

"Big Bai, why do I get the feeling that your face is showing a mix of envy, jealousy, and resentment?" Ren Haoqiu stroked his chin and mused.

"Ridiculous, why would I envy that? A real man doesn't need a girlfriend. Isn't it better to play video games, shoot hoops, or do whatever I want by myself?" Du Xinbo said, his face streaked with tears.

"Hey, try to see the bright side. If it's meant to be, it'll happen; if not, there's no use in forcing it," Feng Manlou offered, patting his shoulder with a compassion that belied his own single status.