Chapter 20: Zheng Fushi’s Encounter While Catching a Thief

Opening the electronic map, I walked out of the station.

Since there was a subway line leading directly to the Martial Artists Guild, Yang Feng didn't bother to hail a taxi. Although he wasn't short on money anymore, his long-standing habit of frugality led him to choose the subway.

However, shortly after he stepped out of the subway with his backpack and turned into an alley, he heard a shrill cry from a middle-aged woman.

"Ah! Thief! Stop that thief!"

Immediately after, a young man came barreling around the corner. He was clutching a red handbag tightly to his chest, his face full of panic—he was clearly the thief.

A month ago, Yang Feng would have chosen to look the other way without hesitation. But now, as a martial artist, he didn't mind lending a hand if it was within his power.

Just as he prepared to step forward to intercept the thief, the man seemed to anticipate his move. Dozens of meters away, the thief suddenly stopped, pivoted, and vaulted over a wall to the right. Once atop the wall, the thief even threw Yang Feng a smug look.

As a seasoned veteran of theft, he had managed to evade capture in multiple crimes not just through luck, but primarily through keen observation. In his line of work, he often ran into meddlesome young hotheads. After enough encounters, he had learned to spot at a glance who would stick their nose into other people's business. When he caught sight of Yang Feng from a distance, his intuition told him the boy would try to stop him.

He wasn't particularly panicked; he was far too familiar with this area. If the road was blocked, he could just climb over a wall. This trick worked every time. He had shaken off every meddlesome person he’d encountered this way, without exception. That was why, from his perch on the wall, he couldn't help but offer a mocking grin at the young man who had tried to interfere. He thought to himself that the kid was a hundred years too early if he wanted to catch him.

However, the smile froze on his face almost immediately.

The young man didn't just run; with a simple sprint, he followed him straight up the wall. Unlike the thief's laborious climb, the boy had vaulted up with a light, effortless leap.

In an instant, the thief felt a chill run down his spine. He couldn't be so unlucky as to have run into a martial artist, could he? Panicked, he immediately bolted toward the nearest building. Because the building was so close, Yang Feng couldn't cut him off in time and was forced to chase him inside.

***

At the main entrance of the same building, a major competition was underway.

Zhengfu City recognized ten young martial arts prodigies. They were considered "prodigies" because each of them had achieved the rank of martial artist before the age of eighteen. However, because these ten came from different high schools, they had never had the chance to face off and determine who was truly the best.

Now, with graduation approaching and all ten having been specially admitted into various institutions, they had no more concerns holding them back. If they didn't compete now, they might never have the chance to crown the true number one of Zhengfu City.

Lin Xiaorong, a student at Zhengfu No. 1 High School, had rallied the support of countless eager students and finally gathered all ten prodigies to face off. This very building was the venue for their tournament.

As the chief organizer, Lin Xiaorong sat at the central control station, her eyes glued to the computer screen displaying the surveillance footage from inside the building. Beside her, along with a dozen staff members, hundreds of students from various schools were watching, their eyes fixed on the massive monitor in front of the building.

As a senior, she had poured an immense amount of time and energy into organizing this event. She had spent countless hours persuading these ten geniuses to gather for this tournament. She could not allow any accidents to occur; they had to determine the strongest of Zhengfu City's younger generation.

Suddenly, several people cried out in surprise.

"Whoa, two people just entered the building!"
"It really is them!"

More and more people noticed the two figures that had suddenly appeared, and a wave of murmurs broke out across the crowd.

Lin Xiaorong also noticed the two strangers breaking in through the back door and grew furious. "Where is the security team at the back door? Do they know how long we’ve prepared for this? How dare they neglect their duties now!"

A girl beside her whispered, "Xiaorong, maybe the security guards went to the restroom?"

"Who are these two? What are they trying to do?" Her questions went unanswered.

"Xiaorong, look at his clothes!" Lin Xiaorong squinted at the screen. She zoomed in on the footage and clearly saw the words "Songshi No. 1 High School" embroidered on Yang Feng's clothing.

"A student from Songshi No. 1 High School? Dammit, what is a student from Songshi doing in our city causing trouble?" Lin Xiaorong could only fume in frustration.

"Xiaorong, what should we do? Should we pause the competition and clear out the unauthorized personnel?"

"It’s too late to go in now. We can only pray these two leave quickly," Zheng Xiaorong said, feeling helpless.

***

However, things often go exactly as one fears. Instead of running toward the front exit, the panicked thief scrambled up the stairs into a dead end. Yang Feng chased him up, but wary of the unfamiliar environment, he slowed his pace slightly. He projected his spiritual energy, remaining on high alert for any sudden developments.

The moment he stepped onto the third floor, a black shadow lunged at him. In the dim light, the assailant moved with decisive, clean strikes. Yang Feng raised his arms to block, and the moment they collided, a dull sound of impact echoed through the hall.

*Bang!*

Yang Feng’s gaze sharpened. The force behind the blow was immense; the assailant was also a martial artist! An accomplice of the thief!

As the shadow moved again, Yang Feng stopped holding back. He intended to subdue the opponent immediately. While martial artists usually held back during sparring, the situation here was uncertain, so Yang Feng unleashed his "Crushing Fist."

With his mastery of the Crushing Fist at the pinnacle level, Yang Feng was more than capable of handling a second-tier martial artist. Once he unleashed the technique, the outcome was decided.

The shadow, a boy named Li Ning, was the top genius of Zhengfu High School. Since the tournament rules required defeating the other nine competitors to take first place, and the lighting was dim, he mistook Yang Feng for one of his rivals. He had attacked with everything he had. To his shock, his ambush was easily parried.

When Yang Feng retaliated, the punch felt unavoidable. It was absurd—no matter how he dodged or blocked, it felt like there was no defense against it. The only time he had ever felt this way was when sparring with his second-tier teacher. Could it be? Was this guy a second-tier martial artist?

An absurd thought crossed his mind: had one of the other nine already broken through to the second tier?

Yang Feng’s fist landed squarely on his face. Li Ning’s vision went black, and he lost consciousness entirely.

Li Ning, the top genius of Zhengfu No. 1 High School, had been defeated!