C8 I Lost I Lost

Upon entering the school grounds, Feng Manlou spotted a secluded trash bin and discarded his mask before swiftly heading to his dormitory.

He snapped the door shut and exhaled deeply.

Good grief, two heroic deeds in one day – that's a bit much.

[Keep it up! To attain peerless martial skills and be awesomely powerful, strive to be even more heroic!]

'Even more heroic?'

Do they think I'm too foolish to feel exhaustion?

Ignoring the system's pep talk, Feng Manlou concentrated on his fried noodles.

Once finished, he delved into studying the Outer Family Boxing techniques available for 120 points.

The system's classification was straightforward:

Fist Techniques that were bold and forceful were categorized as Outer Family Boxing.

Those that were supple and tranquil, emphasizing the use of internal Qi, fell under Inner Family Boxing.

The primary distinction was that Outer Family Boxing focused on strengthening muscles, bones, and skin, while Inner Family Boxing honed internal energy.

The division was crystal clear.

Yet, as Feng Manlou perused the Martial World Ultimate Technique options, he noticed that techniques like the Spiritual Finger, Lee's Flying Dagger, Flying God of the Heavens, Dragon Subduing Palm, Dejected Soul Palm, and the Nine Yin Nine Yang Divine Technique all advocated a combination of both Inner and Outer practices.

It appeared that with sufficient mastery, the distinction between Inner and Outer became irrelevant, merging into a unified form.

When considering Outer Family Boxing, Feng Manlou naturally gravitated towards Fist Techniques frequently featured in films and television, such as Hong Fist, Cai Li Buddha, Drunken Fist, Spring Chant Fist, and the Eight Extremes of Opening Door.

These Fist Techniques had been screen-tested for their prowess, and more importantly, they looked impressive and were easily recognizable in action!

Assuming a fighting stance, he would coolly declare, "I am Feng Manlou of East Sea Institute, or Feng Manlou of the Eight Fists."

Indeed, he was a hero whose allure could make countless admirers swoon.

Unfortunately...

"Damn it! Why are all these flashy Fist Techniques so expensive? Not a single one is under 400 points! System, are you intentionally ripping people off?!"

[Quality Fist Techniques are priced high, while ordinary Fist Techniques are more affordable. This pricing is justified and would pass the scrutiny of the Bureau of Virtual Commodity Prices.]

Well, he couldn't argue with that.

All he could do was grumble about the system exploiting the common folk as he scrolled back through the menu.

Long Fist... It looked graceful, but its combat effectiveness was barely better than that of the Five-step Fist.

Wandering Fist... It was powerful in one-on-one fights, but not so great against multiple opponents. Plus, the movements lacked the elegance and heroism he was looking for.

After some searching, Feng Manlou finally found an Outer Family Boxing technique that was both powerful and stylish.

[Clothes Moistening Eighteen Falls: 120 Heroic Points]

"Retreat and transform, leveraging momentum, shifting and evading, drawing in and causing the opponent to miss, avoiding the edge, and swiftly changing direction, striking diagonally against a direct attack, breaking through with a horizontal move, and outsmarting brute force with finesse.

In real combat, this enables you to exploit fleeting openings and weaknesses, to control and lock down your opponent, combining defense and attack, and to forcefully bring down your adversary."

As Feng Manlou read the system's description of Clothes Moistening Eighteen Falls, he stroked his chin and murmured, "This looks pretty fierce. Maybe I should switch to this?"

Imagining how he could swiftly throw down some overly cocky opponents, Feng Manlou couldn't suppress a sly grin.

"This is the one, Clothes Moistening Eighteen Falls!"

He was about to make the exchange when he suddenly paused.

No, no, I need to keep a cool head.

Feng Manlou took a deep breath to steady himself.

I can't be rash. Once I spend these 120 Heroic Points, they're gone. If I want to get those Fist Techniques that make you invincible as soon as the background music starts, I'll have to save up from scratch.

After much deliberation, Feng Manlou decided to take a break. An impulsive decision now might lead to regret later.

After a rigorous session of Five-step Fist, Feng Manlou, drenched in sweat, took a refreshing shower and hit the hay for some shut-eye.

...

"Who would've guessed that guy had such guts, yelling at a thief right there on the street?"

"So, the madman actually took down a couple of thugs?"

"Looks like he wasn't just talking big."

"It's all about the girl's influence. I bet if she hadn't been so attractive, he wouldn't have had the courage!"

"Totally agree!"

Who's gossiping about me right in front of my face?

What happened to civility and decency? Where's the sense of shame?

Feng Manlou, who had been sleeping soundly, was rudely awakened by the chatter. Opening his eyes, he saw that Big White and his two buddies had returned.

"Did you find the surveillance footage?"

"Yeah, we've got it. Each of us has saved a copy to the cloud, foolproof." Zhou Sihai stated.

"Great." Feng Manlou, rubbing his face, expressed his gratitude, "Thanks, guys."

"Don't mention it. We brought you some fried chicken and stinky tofu. If you're hungry, have it with some instant noodles." Zhou Sihai offered, "We already grabbed a bite at the snack street."

"Awesome, that saves me a meal!" Feng Manlou perked up at the news and sprang up with a smack onto the bed.

The trio jumped in surprise. "What the heck are you practicing, a turtle flip?"

"Scram, I'm perfecting my carp flip."

Enjoying the piping hot instant noodles with the crispy chicken and pungently aromatic stinky tofu was a unique delight.

After slurping down half a bowl of the broth, Feng Manlou let out a contented sigh, "That hit the spot..."

"Up for some gaming?" Big White inquired.

"Nah, my old rig can barely handle videos, let alone games."

Noticing the lingering smell from the instant noodle bowls and seeing the trash can overflowing with last night's remnants, Feng Manlou glanced at the clock.

6:15 p.m.

It was time to take out the trash. Slipping on a T-shirt and shorts, Feng Manlou shoved his feet into flip-flops and headed downstairs to dispose of the garbage.

Nowadays, trash sorting was a global initiative, and East Sea Institute was no exception. Trash could only be discarded between 5 and 8 p.m. each evening.

Carrying a bag of trash out of the dorm, Manlou found a line of twenty to thirty people waiting for the student union's inspection.

Finally, it was his turn, and the guy with the red armband spoke in a way that made him want to punch someone.

"What kind of trash are you?"

"Uh..."

Manlou nearly burst into a tirade.

You fool, can't you just ask politely?

"Jia Ping, how can you use that online joke on a fellow student!" A girl approached, her brows slightly furrowed, "We're all alumni here, can't you speak more respectfully?!"

The guys sorting trash turned to look and couldn't help but exclaim.

"She's so pretty!"

"I wonder if she's single."

"Hey, why is there a bandage on her arm? Did she get hurt?"

"Senior, I'm sorry," Jia Ping apologized to Manlou, "Classmate, I misspoke earlier. Please accept my apology."

Manlou grunted noncommittally, not bothering to engage in further conversation.

If it hadn't been for the senior's intervention, this guy wouldn't be apologizing. He'd probably still be smug about using his internet joke to mock someone.

After tossing his instant noodle bowl into the dry waste bin, Manlou glanced at the outspoken senior.

Their eyes met in the fading light, both taken aback.

"It's you?!"

"You were in the cafeteria this morning..." Ye Qingling started, but Manlou interrupted her, pulling her aside.

"Jia Ping, I need to talk to your senior sister. Can you sort my trash for me?"

"What? I should sort your trash? Are you kidding me?!" Jia Ping was livid.

The apology was only for the senior sister's sake. How dare you push your luck?

"Jia Ping, I need to talk to my friend. Please help sort the trash, and I'll buy you a drink later," Qingling interjected.

"Okay, senior sister," Jia Ping's attitude changed instantly, smiling as he nodded, "Take your time talking. I'll handle this bag of trash for you. I won't make any mistakes!"

As he watched them walk away, a cunning glint flashed in Jia Ping's eyes. He pulled out his phone and hurriedly sent a WeChat message:

[President, there's trouble. Senior sister just got taken away by some guy!]

...

Due to the scarcity of land in the city center, a significant portion of the newly established East Sea City's comprehensive university town was situated on the outskirts, where the traffic was average but the scenery was quite pleasant. There were rice fields nearby and mountains in the distance.

Feng Manlou, holding onto Ye Qingling's wrist, walked towards the west where the mountains stood against the backdrop of a stunning red sunset. He only released her hand when they were a good distance from the garbage collection area.

Turning his back to Ye Qingling, a thought suddenly struck him.

Wasn't it too impulsive and inappropriate to drag a girl away in front of everyone?

No, he had to say something to alleviate the awkwardness.

"Ye, you cut your hand—shouldn't you be resting in your dorm?"

Ye Qingling was taken aback by his concern, then her lips curved into a smile.

He really was kind-hearted, worrying about my injury first and foremost.

"It's okay, it's just a minor cut. I've had a tetanus shot, and the doctor said it wasn't serious, so there's no need to stay in bed."

"That's a relief... Just remember not to eat soy sauce or roast duck; they can cause scarring."

"Got it, thanks."

Ye Qingling nodded, her bright, twinkling eyes never straying from Feng Manlou's face. This was a bit overwhelming for Feng Manlou, who had been single in his past two lives.

Sigh, I guess I'm better off chatting with someone shy and sweet like Xia Lan—at least I wouldn't feel as awkward and on the spot as I do now.

Please, can you stop staring at me?

I get it, your eyes are big and expressive!

Despite his internal protest, Ye Qingling kept smiling at him, her gaze as piercing as daggers, her eyes as electrifying as lightning.

With no other choice, Feng Manlou scrambled for something else to say.

Finding himself at a loss for words, Feng Manlou tried to keep the conversation going.

"The most important thing is to avoid getting the area wet for the next few days, or it could become inflamed."

"Mhm, got it," Ye Qingling responded with a cheerful nod.

"Uh..."

"And don't forget to take your anti-inflammatory medication. Avoid any vigorous movements that might pull at the wound."

"Mhm, got it," she continued, still smiling and nodding.

"Uh..."

"Also, try to steer clear of exercise to prevent sweating."

"Mhm, got it."

"..."

With a sigh, Feng Manlou finally conceded, "Alright, Student Ye, you've bested me. I'm at a loss for words under your intense scrutiny." He raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Is there anything you'd like to add?"