Chapter 58: The Battle in the Basement

It wasn’t just about picking the lock—what struck him was a powerful sensation that suddenly welled up within. Though Zheng Xiaoming had never amounted to much in the modern middle school—look, he couldn’t even protect his own cousin—he did have a keen nose for certain secrets within the school. He’d heard people talk about Zhang Pu in awed, almost mythical tones, though he’d never seen him in action.

Today, he was about to witness Zhang Pu take on the queen of the modern school bullies with his own eyes. He was genuinely excited. Zhang Pu and Zheng Xiaoming soon arrived at the basement door, just in time to see two students trying to pull down Ke Zhiyuan’s pants.

Ye Xiaoting finally gave her consent; after all, Ke Zhiyuan, in this modern middle school, was no more than a plaything to her—certainly not someone she’d ever consider as a real boyfriend. Besides, since Ke Zhiyuan didn’t know his place, there was no need to respect him. Pretty boys like him transferred in all the time, practically delivered as fresh meat for someone like her.

Suddenly, two students busy with the pants let out simultaneous cries of pain. Looking at their own hands, they saw that both were swollen from being struck by a small stone, and their fingers were instantly powerless.

What had just happened? The students in the basement erupted into noisy confusion. But Ye Xiaoting’s gaze snapped to the entrance. There, someone strode in with their head held high.

It was Zhang Pu, who left Zheng Xiaoming lingering in the shadows behind the doorway. Zhang Pu knew Zheng Xiaoming still harbored doubts about his abilities. Even though he’d previously defeated the school tyrants Zheng Furen and Gao Lixia, Zheng Xiaoming had only heard of it, never witnessed it himself. Naturally, he found it hard to believe one person could take on an entire mob, like something out of a TV drama.

Zhang Pu also considered: if Zheng Xiaoming stayed hidden, he could escape quickly should things go badly here. This arrangement put Zheng Xiaoming’s mind at ease. As for Zhang Pu himself, these petty students were no match for his strength.

“Was it you who threw that little stone just now?” Ye Xiaoting demanded, fixing her gaze on Zhang Pu.

“What do you think?” Zhang Pu replied.

His answer only stoked Ye Xiaoting’s irritation.

“Do you know who I am?” Her queenly arrogance was on full display—she looked as though she was about to snap a riding crop in her hand.

“We go to the same school, don’t we? But I really didn’t know you before today,” Zhang Pu answered truthfully.

To Ye Xiaoting, his tone and words were insufferable. Though unfamiliar with Zhang Pu, she instantly realized he must be from the modern middle school too. Anger flared within her, but she suddenly glanced at the two students nursing their injured hands, clearly in pain but too embarrassed to cry.

It dawned on Ye Xiaoting that Zhang Pu, like herself, was trained in martial arts.

Her reputation as a notorious school bully wasn’t just due to her family background. More importantly, she could fight. Her style was unlike the usual kickboxing or taekwondo favored by the likes of Zheng Furen and Gao Lixia; she’d learned a more unusual form of martial arts from a rather special mentor.

What Zhang Pu didn’t know was that even Zheng Furen and Gao Lixia couldn’t stand up to Ye Xiaoting.

“Are you here to play the hero today?” Ye Xiaoting looked from her defeated subordinates to Zhang Pu, as if trying to discern his true skill.

But she wasn’t skilled enough to judge him without a bout. Without crossing hands, she couldn’t gauge the level of his fighting ability.

“What do you think?” Zhang Pu retorted, still with that insolent air.

Ye Xiaoting’s temper flared. She hadn’t expected Zhang Pu to be so glib.

With a swift glance to her side, she signaled her followers. She didn’t want to act herself just yet—she wanted to see what Zhang Pu was capable of before making her own move.

Her followers, a bunch of hotheads, lacked her cunning. Immediately, three or four students—boys and girls—rushed at Zhang Pu, itching for a fight. Whenever someone talked tough before, a beating had always made them fall in line. People needed to be shown who was boss.

The group surged forward, fists and feet flying in a chaotic assault.

In the shadows, Zheng Xiaoming’s heart leapt into his throat—it had finally erupted into a fight!

Even Ke Zhiyuan, sprawled on the floor, was now worried for Zhang Pu.

Ke Zhiyuan didn’t yet realize that Zhang Pu was the backup Zheng Xiaoming had called in. For someone so different from Ye Xiaoting’s gang to step forward and defend him, his heart was instantly warmed, banishing his earlier despair.

Zhang Pu’s “Shadowless Hands” had reached a level of true mastery. The hotheaded students charging at him still relied on flashy but useless moves.

With four nearly simultaneous thuds, Ye Xiaoting saw her followers sent flying, crashing to the ground. Their groans followed a moment later.

The room was stunned.

Even Zhang Pu was a little surprised. Since when had his Shadowless Hands reached such a formidable level? Oh! Of course—it was because his overall skills had recently improved, and with them, his combat techniques had grown even fiercer.

“So, you really came prepared,” Ye Xiaoting muttered under her breath.

In the shadows, Zheng Xiaoming finally felt a weight lift off his heart.

But suddenly, Ye Xiaoting clapped her hands sharply—her signal for everyone to attack Zhang Pu at once! Some looked at her in surprise, but Zhang Pu’s earlier display had been so terrifying that many hadn’t even seen how he’d struck.

Ye Xiaoting herself quickly retreated, ordering her followers to swarm Zhang Pu. She wanted to see exactly how he fought.

Relying on their numbers, her gang surged forward.

“So you want a brawl? You worthless students…” Zhang Pu cursed inwardly.

With a piercing shriek, the first to rush him—a burly girl—cried out as Zhang Pu stepped on her foot. He swept past her, his Shadowless Hands felling two more boys in quick succession. The third boy was hoisted up by Zhang Pu and used as a weapon to knock down two others.

Zheng Xiaoming, watching from the doorway, was utterly dumbfounded. So was Ke Zhiyuan, who had quietly gotten to his feet and slipped to the side to watch the fight.