Chapter 19 - 15: I Have to Beg You for a Fight?

I’m here waiting for you to get on stage for our duel!

I’m here waiting to beat you senseless!

Not to stand here like I’m in detention!

Shen Jianfeng was roaring in his mind. He was on the verge of throwing caution to the wind, charging down, and giving Shen Lang a vicious beating.

’But things are different now. There must be several hundred pairs of eyes on me, including who knows how many pretty junior schoolmates, and tutors... Composure! I must maintain my composure!’

"Shen Lang, stop right there!" Shen Jianfeng roared. "Are you a man or not? Are you going to go back on your word? We agreed to fight today! You lied to me and made everyone wait for so long!"

Just as Shen Jianfeng intended, his words sent a stir through the crowd. Everyone began to murmur, their criticism aimed squarely at Shen Lang.

He was very clever. When he first started building hype for the duel, he had people work hard to inflate Shen Lang’s reputation, weakening his "trash" moniker considerably.

He even exaggerated the story of Shen Lang’s victory over his younger brother, Shen Daofeng, making Shen Lang sound like a peerless master, an existence in Tayun Academy on par with Chu Qingcheng.

Ordinarily, for someone of Shen Jianfeng’s Cultivation to fight a piece of trash like Shen Lang, it would be unjustifiable. No one would care even if he won.

A famous piece of trash. If it weren’t for Xue Dangdang’s protection, who in this academy couldn’t beat him?

What’s there to show off about defeating such a waste?

No, to put it another way, what kind of hero bullies such a waste?

Public opinion should have trended that way, but Shen Jianfeng couldn’t let himself become the target of criticism. Since his initial plan to find Shen Lang and beat him up privately had failed, he decided to do as Shen Lang had suggested and blow the whole affair up into a massive spectacle.

He made it known to the entire academy. That way, not only could he properly vent his frustrations, but he could also boost his own reputation a little. He had been overshadowed by Chu Qingcheng for too long. Damn it, whenever Chu Qingcheng showed up, even the Dean would be all smiles, but Shen Jianfeng had never received such treatment.

And so, his efforts truly hadn’t been in vain. Everyone here now wanted to see just how strong this Shen Lang—the one who had supposedly defeated Shen Daofeng of the Power Martial Realm Ninth Heaven—really was. Why had a piece of trash suddenly become so powerful?

Subconsciously, everyone had already put Shen Lang on the same level as Shen Daofeng.

And in what he had just said, Shen Jianfeng had cleverly shifted the focus. He said, "You lied to me and made *everyone* wait for so long," not "You lied to me and made *me* wait for so long"!

Upon hearing this, the crowd below the platform couldn’t hold back their anger. ’This is outrageous! He agreed to a duel here today, and we were all ready for a good show. We came here and waited for so long—we’ve already had breakfast and lunch, and it’s almost time for dinner—and he only shows up now? And now that he’s here, he wants to leave?!’

’Is he toying with us or treating us like a bunch of monkeys!’

’This is absolutely preposterous!’

Meanwhile, Shen Lang saw the incensed crowd and the unfriendly looks most people were giving him, and he couldn’t help but feel a little admiration for Shen Jianfeng.

’This poser might make a fool of himself often, but he’s not stupid. To build this much hype in just three days... he really has some skill.’

’Beating up a piece of trash is a demeaning act, something one should only do in secret, yet he’s managed to turn it into a grand event...’

Shen Lang shrugged and smiled. "Oh, you mean this? I’d almost forgotten about it."

"What the hell! That’s unbelievable! He said he almost forgot! What does he take us for?!"

"Exactly! He’s just asking for a beating! To see this match, I didn’t even hang out with my girlfriend today..."

"At first, I kind of despised Shen Jianfeng, but now I feel like this Shen Lang guy is even more hateable. I hope Shen Jianfeng wins!"

"Idiot, how could he possibly beat Shen Jianfeng? Shen Jianfeng is at the Qi Martial Realm Third Heaven! Even though he defeated Shen Daofeng, there’s still a huge gap in their strength!"

Up on the platform, Shen Jianfeng was about to explode with rage. ’After all the trouble I went through, the main character of this whole drama didn’t even take it seriously?’

’Did I bake in the sun all day for nothing?’

’This won’t do!’

Shen Jianfeng put on an act, letting out a long sigh. "Forget it. If you can so casually trample on your own honor, there’s no point in this fight. You can go. I, Shen Jianfeng, wouldn’t deign to duel someone like you!"

As he spoke, he gazed up at the sky, his expression grave, wearing a look of sorrow like someone who couldn’t find a public restroom.

’Damn it, you little bastard. Do I really have to beg you for a fight?’

Seeing public opinion turn completely against him, Lin Feng and Su Hen ran anxiously to Shen Lang’s side, worried for him.

But Shen Lang wasn’t worried. How could a little trick like this possibly work on him?

He smiled faintly and said, "I, Shen Lang, may not say much, but my word is my bond, and I always do what I say. Cousin, you’re overthinking things. I only said I’d *almost* forgotten, not that I *had* forgotten, nor that I wouldn’t fight. But I have to consider this carefully. Your Cultivation is so much higher than mine... What ’duel’? You just want to beat me up, don’t you? And you had to find such a high-sounding excuse for it. Since you’re the one who wants to beat me up, if I came running over here first thing in the morning just to let you do it, wouldn’t that make me a complete idiot?"

"HAHAHA..." The crowd burst into laughter.

Although what Shen Lang said was a bit crude, when they thought about it, it actually made perfect sense.

Shen Jianfeng took a deep breath. "Then what do you want? Are we fighting or not?! If not, just say so, and we won’t have to wait for you like this!"

He was using his old trick again, holding the crowd’s will hostage.

"A fight isn’t out of the question," Shen Lang said lightly. "How about this: let’s make a bet. If you lose, you’ll have your old man hand over the Spirit Field he seized from my father all those years ago."

Shen Jianfeng was taken aback. "And if you lose?"

"If I lose, I’ll take a beating. You can hit me however you want," Shen Lang said with a shrug. "Isn’t that what you’ve wanted all along? What, as a grand master of the Qi Martial Realm Third Heaven, are you actually worried you’ll lose to me? I’m the most famous ’trash’ in Tayun Academy. If you don’t even have that much confidence, then let’s not fight at all."

"That’s right. If you don’t even have that much confidence, there’s really no need to fight. Shen Lang, let’s go." A cold, clear voice sounded from behind Shen Lang. It was Xue Dangdang, who had just walked over.

Shen Lang’s whole body stiffened, and his expression turned a little awkward. He subconsciously took a few steps forward.

"This way, not that way!" Xue Dangdang snapped.

Everyone’s gaze immediately converged on Xue Dangdang. The Little Witch was truly a terrifying figure in Tayun Academy; almost everyone knew who she was.

"Alright then. Since Cousin Jianfeng hasn’t made up his mind, take your time thinking it over. I’m going to get something to eat with Dingdang. We can talk later." Shen Lang forced himself to turn back. Just seeing Xue Dangdang now made his skin crawl. Although his Cultivation had increased significantly, he knew he still couldn’t beat her in a real fight.

Besides, it was impossible for him to raise a hand against Xue Dangdang anyway...

With Xue Dangdang’s interruption, Shen Jianfeng, on the platform above, seemed to have a realization. ’That’s right! This piece of trash has always relied on Xue Dangdang’s protection to avoid being bullied. Otherwise, he would have lost a limb or two long ago!’

"Fine! I accept your terms! It’s just one Spirit Field. If I lose, I’ll ask my father to return it to your family! Get up here! My fists are thirsting for a fight!"

"Thirsting, I’m sure. You’ve been baking in the sun all day and must have sweated a lot. You must be both hungry and thirsty," Shen Lang retorted sarcastically, then executed a clean somersault, landing steadily on the platform opposite Shen Jianfeng.

He turned toward a pavilion in the distance and bowed respectfully. "I must ask the esteemed seniors there to act as witnesses, lest someone tries to renege on our deal."

The crowd was startled. Following his gaze, they could indeed make out several shadowy figures within the pavilion.

Just then, an aged voice came from the window. "Very well. I, Sima Yan, will act as your witness and referee. You may proceed without holding back."

"ROAR!"

The crowd in the Martial Arts Arena was in an uproar. There was absolutely no one in Tayun Academy who didn’t know the name Sima Yan. He was the Dean of the Alchemy Institute and was even rumored to be the top candidate for the academy’s next Vice Dean!

To think that even he was paying attention to a duel between two mere students!

Down below, Xue Dangdang sat in a chair with her arms crossed, her gaze fixed on Shen Lang on the platform with a complicated expression. It was as if no one else existed in her eyes; even the sound of Sima Yan’s voice didn’t cause her gaze to flicker in the slightest.

Meanwhile, in the crowd, Ye Qinghan gave the pavilion a strange look and fell into thought. In her opinion, a duel between Shen Jianfeng and Chu Qingcheng might be worthy of such a person’s attention, but Shen Lang...

"From so far away, how did that bastard discover the experts hidden in the pavilion?" A sharp glint flashed in Ye Qinghan’s eyes. "Even though he defeated Shen Daofeng, there’s a world of difference between Shen Daofeng’s and Shen Jianfeng’s Cultivation. Where does he get this nerve and confidence?"

Looking at the black-clad youth on the platform, Ye Qinghan’s expression grew complicated.

Back then, Shen Lang’s father, Shen Haotian, had gone to the Ye Family to propose a marriage. At the time, Shen Haotian was still the Clan Leader of the Shen Family. In a way, it was a gesture of high esteem toward the Ye Family, as their power was no match for the Shen Family’s.

But Ye Qinghan was unwilling to have her future arranged for her, and what’s more, Shen Lang was a waste who couldn’t cultivate Martial Arts. So she had flatly refused, causing Shen Haotian to lose face in front of many important figures...

’If Shen Lang really defeats Shen Jianfeng... If he’s truly not the piece of trash I imagined him to be... If I had known back then what kind of person he was, would I... still have refused?’

Ye Qinghan’s heart was thrown into inexplicable turmoil. She looked up at the slender, black-clad youth. His features were sharp and well-defined, seemingly no different than usual. He still wore that same look of calm confidence, that same air of casual composure. The slight upturn of his lips formed a familiar, slightly wicked smile, and even his thick eyebrows seemed to ripple softly...

However, with her sharp eyes, Ye Qinghan finally detected the thunderous volatility and restlessness surging beneath his calm exterior. He was like the Nine Heavens Thunderbolt, hidden within dark clouds, ready to unleash destructive power at any moment...

At that moment, Shen Jianfeng, who had been baking in the sun all day, straightened his expression. His thick, coarse eyebrows shot up like swords as he sneered, "It seems you’re quite confident in yourself. A pity. The outcome of a Martial Arts duel isn’t decided by blind confidence alone. Today, you will pay the price for what you did to Daofeng!"

"Earth-Sundering Hammer!"

Without waiting for Shen Lang’s reply, Shen Jianfeng raised his right foot high, then slammed it down violently!

A muffled BOOM resounded. Immediately after, amidst the shocked gasps of the crowd, a crack half a foot wide shot out from under his foot. Accompanied by a series of explosive cracks, the fissure shot forward like a python slithering beneath the ground, reaching Shen Lang’s feet in an instant...