Chapter 4  : Slapping Face

StarveCleric Editor: Thaddpole&Tortex

“I…”

The tremor from the Library of Heaven’s Path just now caused his attention to be concentrated in his mind and he is still in a dazed state. Furthermore, he doesn’t even know what the other person’s punching routine is, so how the hell could he guide him!

“Teacher Zhang, please correct my flaws!”

Liu Yang steps forward and bends over completely.

By one side, Wang Ying blinks her eyes. She wants to see how this ‘expert’ she has just met would guide him.

“Keng!”

Everyone’s gaze concentrates on him. If he doesn’t speak soon, he will only end in embarrassment. Just as Zhang Xuan is about to spout bullshit, he suddenly remembers Liu Yang’s flaws that were recorded in the book in the library.

He doesn’t know whether what is recorded on it is true or not. However, given the situation, it is probably impossible for him to make something up on the spot. Thus, he could only buck up his courage to say, “There are many flaws in your punch routine, a total of 12 of them!”

“Haha, he said that there are many flaws in there, 12 of them? I didn’t hear wrongly, did I!”

“This is the funniest joke I have heard!”

“This Soaring Flower Fist may not be very advanced, but it is one of the most common skills in the entire kingdom and is known as the Basic Fist. After thousands of years of simplification and refining, although it cannot be considered as perfect, he actually says that there are 12 flaws?”

“A bunch of lies! He probably couldn’t discern anything, that’s why he decided to make things up!”

……

Initially, the surrounding crowd was still pondering over what he could say. The moment he opened his mouth, everyone of them bursts into laughter.

Soaring Flower Fist is one of the most basic punching routines of the Tianxuan Kingdom. It is similar to the Taizu Changquan, as long as one is practicing martial arts, they would have to learn it first. After thousands of years of refinement by countless experts, though it doesn’t hold much might, but it is well-reputed for its lack of flaws. Even more so, some people call it the ‘Flawless Fists’.

For such a punching routine, that fellow actually claims that there are 12 flaws in it… What kind of joke is it!

Ignoring the fact that he scored zero for his Teacher Qualification Examination, even if the principal were to come over, he probably won’t be able to point out so many flaws!

“Oh? Teacher Zhang sure is a genius, to be able to find 12 flaws in the Soaring Flower Fists. Do enlighten us!”

Apparently, Cao Xiong didn’t expect Zhang Xuan to be so boastful and to say such words the moment he opens his mouth. Excited, his eyes twinkled. He purposely said those words to push Zhang Xuan into a corner.

Even despite hearing the words from the crowd, Zhang Xuan remains expressionless. However, his heart couldn’t help but beat erratically. He didn’t expect that the Liu Yang fellow would use a punch routine everyone is aware of.

His previous self would definitely be aware of it. However, given that he just transcended over, the other person’s memory has yet to fully merge with his!

However, even though he is a librarian in his previous life, he is still a transcender with an entirely different set of knowledge. Not to mention, his skin is thick. After rolling his eyes, he says, “Why, you don’t believe it? It isn’t that I don’t want to guide him, but that you all do not trust me. Since you don’t want to do as I guided you to… Then, you all can’t blame me for it! Wang Ying, let’s go. This kind of gamble is pointless!”

“Hold it there, we trust you! Do enlighten us!”

Seeing that he is on the verge of leaving, Cao Xiong immediately stops him.

He can tell that the other party is intentionally coming up with exaggerated figures so that other people would refuse to trust him and he could make use of this opportunity to sneak away. However, it wasn’t easy for him to grasp hold of this opportunity to teach him a lesson, so how could he give up at this point!

“That…”

Seeing that he is unable to sneak away, Zhang Xuan can only take out the book compiled by the library once again.

“If I die, so be it!”

Since there’s no backing out now, he stares at the flaws recorded in the book and looks through the 12 of them once again. Then, his gaze falls on the last one. He grinds his teeth and speaks, “The punch routine you just used is right-handed. Let me give you a suggestion. Try using your left hand to strike the stone pillar!”

Since it is a special privilege granted to a transcender, there is a chance it could be correct. Besides, even if the information on it isn’t accurate, he can’t think of a better reason to worm his way out at this point.

“Try using the left-handed version?”

“This can be also considered as guidance?”

“What kind of joke is this. One’s left hand is normally weak. If he were to execute it with his left fist, won’t he be screwing up the entire punch routine?”

……

The crowd first stuns before a commotion breaks out. All of them stares at Zhang Xuan with looks of despise.

Everyone knows that the left-hand is weaker than the right. Given the shock wave from the fist Liu Yang just executed, he obviously isn’t left-handed. Yet now, to ask him to execute it with his left hand… What kind of joke is this?

“Liu Yang, try using Teacher Zhang’s method so that he can give it up!”

Apparently, Cao Xiong didn’t expect Zhang Xuan to say that. He is so excited that he is on the verge of skipping with joy but he still yells a command to Liu Yang.

Even though he just accepted him as a student, he is extremely sure that Liu Yang is more skilled with his right and that he isn’t a left-handed. If he were to really execute it that way, the force behind it probably wouldn’t even hit 30kg!

For a student to hit 62kg before guidance and before 30kg after guidance, this will definitely cause Zhang Xuan’s reputation to fall to the gutters!

Let’s see whether he can still remain so smug!

“Yes!” Liu Yang snickers coldly and executes the punch routine again.

He is very aware of the fact that he isn’t left-handed. To get him to execute the blow with his left-hand… A load of bullshit.

Soaring Flower Fist is the basic fist he has been practicing since young. Although he isn’t very used with the inversion of left and right, he soon got over it. Even though the shock wave from the fist creates a strong gale, regardless of whether it is his strength or proficiency, it seems to be worse than the previous one.

“Could it be… my privilege as a transcender is a sham?”

Zhang Xuan is very nervous.

Other people’s privilege when they transcend includes an old grandfather who could just casually enlighten them. As long as they were to follow his instruction devotedly, there would bound to be no problems. Yet, he just has to get a library with all sorts of messy things written in the book. If what is written in the book is false, he would definitely get expelled from the school!

Hu!

Very quickly, he finishes the routine. Liu Yang walks over to the stone pillar and raising his left fist, he smashes it in.

Weng!

A series of digits appear.

“One. Haha, to think it would be in the tens…”

When the digit ‘1’ appears on it, Cao Xiong bursts into laughter as an exhilarated expression appears on his face. However, before he could finish his words, they got stuck in his throat. His eyeballs are about to fall onto the ground.

“123?”

“123kg?”

The crowd who had intended to mock him are scared foolish and they tremble uncontrollably.

Previously, Liu Yang’s blow did 62kg and now that it has risen to 123kg, that is almost a single fold! That is… almost a 100% increase!

Is that for real?

Even the teacher who scored first in the Teacher Qualification Examination throughout the campus, during his first guidance, can’t possibly cause his student’s result to increase by a single fold!

“I… I… Is this from me?”

Even the person in question, Liu Yang, is stunned.

He stares foolishly at the rock pillar in disbelief.

He knows that he isn’t left-handed. However, never could he imagine that his left strength would hold so much strength! That is a single fold compared to his right!

The crowd is astonished. Zhang Xuan almost leaps from all the joy surging through his body.

“It’s true!”

At this instant, he can finally confirm that the flaws compiled by the library are true.

To be able to see through the skills a person is cultivating in and his weakness… This privilege of a transcender is really going to bash through the heavens!

“So, how was it? Your guidance has led to a 20% improvement while mine has led to a 100% improvement. Teacher Cao, what else do you want to say?” Zhang Xuan snickers.

“I…” Cao Xiong’s face turns pale as he feels a burning sensation on his face.

Initially, he proposed this competition to see the other party make a fool out of himself. In the end, the one who was made a fool of is himself.

Retrieving a jade token from his embrace, he bites on his finger and a drop of fresh blood falls on it. “Liu Yang, I am revoking your status as my student. You can now acknowledge Teacher Zhang as your teacher!”

After saying that, he glances at Zhang Xuan, “You don’t have to be too smug about it. This time, you were lucky. The next time we compete, I will make sure that your reputation is ruined…”

Then, he turns around to leave.

This time, not only did his reputation take a blow, he lost a student and even got slapped hard on his face.

It is one thing to lose to other teachers. However, the main crux of the problem is that this fellow is the one who scored a zero in the Teacher Qualification Examination, the worst teacher in the entire academy…

“Teacher, teacher…”

Watching as Cao Xiong departs, Liu Yang’s face darkens.

Although he managed to achieve a good result under Zhang Xuan’s guidance, he, like Cao Xiong, believes that it was only luck. He doesn’t believe that he would have this kind of skills.

“Alright, you are now my student. Hurry up and take out your identity card!”

Zhang Xuan doesn’t care what he is thinking about. A victory in a bet has given him a new student, so he is still busy celebrating over it. He casually tosses a jade token over.

Although Liu Yang isn’t really willing to become his student, he knows that he has to give into the results of the bet. If he doesn’t acknowledge this Zhang Xuan as his teacher, the other teachers would definitely reject him. Thus, he could only drip his blood onto this jade token to complete the verification.

“Tomorrow, meet here for lessons!”

After finish dealing with Liu Yang, Zhang Xuan doesn’t say anything excessive. He looks at Wang Ying and said those words faintly before walking out of the canteen.

Returning back to his lecture hall, Zhang Xuan delves into his mind without second thoughts to examine the Library of Heaven’s Path closely.

After examining for awhile, he finally understands a thing or two about it.

As long as the person executes his skill or martial art before him, it would immediately compile into a book of their flaws.

“Haha, I have really struck it rich this time! With this thing in my hand, I would be able to see through any flaws at one go. I don’t believe that I will still score a zero for the next Teacher Qualification Examination!”

Frenzied joy races through his heart. As a transcender, Zhang Xuan finally feels some enthusiasm for the future.

Taizu Changquan -> Literally means Ancestor Long Fist.

A brief introduction of Long Fist: It is a close-combat skill which emphasises stretching one’s limbs to the maximum. It is a high aggressive style whose motto is ‘the best defense is a long offense’ (Source: Wikipedia)

Taizu Changquan is known as one of the 6 Great Long Fists in China. There are multiple names to it (depending on the region) but it is well-established and influenced the creation of many other fists in the future, thus giving it the title of ‘Mother of a Hundred Fists’ (Source: Baidu)