Chapter 116: Teaching

"Senior, it's a deal: you can only use Tai Chi," Pei Xin said.

Jiang Zheng had never agreed to such a thing; it was entirely Pei Xin's own invention.

"Fine," Jiang Zheng replied.

His intention all along was to let Pei Xin experience the efficacy of Tai Chi. Whether she asked for it or not, he had only ever planned to use Tai Chi.

Pei Xin took a stance and said, "Senior, come at me!"

Taking a look, Jiang Zheng noticed her posture resembled Sanda—standard and professional. It seemed she had some training. Someone without experience wouldn't be able to hold such a textbook stance.

Jiang Zheng assumed the starting posture, his gaze steady as he watched Pei Xin.

"Senior, watch out!" Pei Xin let out a sharp cry.

She lunged at Jiang Zheng with fierce intensity. Her demeanor while attacking was a stark contrast to her appearance. It was hard to imagine that such a petite and cute girl could be so ferocious in a fight.

Using Tai Chi techniques to neutralize her offensive, Jiang Zheng deflected her punches in just two moves, his fingers coming to a stop at her throat.

"How was that?" Jiang Zheng asked.

Pei Xin ignored him, took a half-step back, and launched another attack.

Jiang Zheng frowned. After neutralizing her assault, he stopped a punch just inches from her brow.

"That should be enough now," Jiang Zheng said in a deep voice.

Pei Xin pressed her lips together tightly, dodged his fist, and aimed for his lower body. Her attacks, however, were full of openings in Jiang Zheng's eyes. He easily dissolved her movements and countered by pinning her arm behind her back.

"Do you want to continue?" Jiang Zheng asked sternly.

Pei Xin’s expression darkened, and the smile that had been on her face vanished. After a long moment, she finally smiled and said, "No need." The smile was clearly forced.

"I used only Tai Chi techniques just now, as you’ve seen. I’ll ask you one more time: do you want to learn? If not, I’m leaving."

"Learn, of course I want to learn," Pei Xin said.

"If you want to learn, you must be serious. If you can't master it in a week, I won't teach you anymore," Jiang Zheng stated. If she couldn't master it in a week, he wouldn't be able to teach her anyway, and the mission would be a failure.

Pei Xin’s eyes darted around, and she said with a smile, "Senior, how about a bet? If I master it within a week, you have to teach me other things."

"We'll see," Jiang Zheng said.

"I’ll take that as a yes," Pei Xin said.

Jiang Zheng remained noncommittal.

"Senior, hurry and teach me! I will definitely be serious," Pei Xin said.

Jiang Zheng nodded and began to explain the fundamentals of Tai Chi. Martial arts were never easy to master; they required persistence. Jiang Zheng’s instructions were concise, always using terms that were easiest for Pei Xin to grasp.

Time passed slowly as one taught and the other listened. Jiang Zheng would demonstrate, then correct her faulty movements. As the sky gradually darkened, Jiang Zheng checked the time and said, "That’s all for today. Go back and think over what I told you. I’ll teach you more tomorrow."

Pei Xin nodded and agreed obediently. She was no novice who had never touched martial arts; she could see that Jiang Zheng’s teaching level was exceptionally high, and he was clearly a formidable fighter himself. Her admiration for him grew. After all, Jiang Zheng had real combat achievements to back him up, unlike those who only knew flowery theoretical moves.

"Senior, let me buy you a drink. You must be tired after teaching so much," Pei Xin offered.

"No need. I'm leaving," Jiang Zheng said, and he walked away without hesitation.

"Senior!" Pei Xin called out from behind, but Jiang Zheng didn't even look back.

On his way back, Jiang Zheng reflected. During today's session, he realized Pei Xin had a solid foundation—a surprisingly good one. She understood his explanations immediately, rarely requiring further clarification. Many of her movements were already quite standard, saving him from having to teach from scratch.

Even more pleasantly surprising was her raw talent. She learned quickly; once he explained something, she could remember it and make the necessary adjustments. Martial arts talent was crucial, as training was time-consuming. If one lacked talent, the process could be agonizing. After all, few people today were willing to invest so much time into martial arts, and in some situations, a skilled practitioner might still lose to someone with a kitchen knife.

Of course, Jiang Zheng didn't care how far she progressed. The better her talent, the higher his chance of completing the mission. The system's deadline was tight; for most people, learning a martial art in a week was nearly impossible. It wasn't about reaching a deep level of mastery—just learning the basics was difficult enough.

Jiang Zheng hadn't been sure if he could complete the task, but now he felt confident, all thanks to Pei Xin's foundation and talent. In a good mood, he hummed a tune all the way back.

As soon as he returned, Liu Hua spoke up, "Fourth, you're finally back! Hurry and help me rank up."

"Sure, but wait a second, let me take a shower first," Jiang Zheng said.

"Alright, Fourth, I'll wait for you," Liu Hua said.

Jiang Zheng went to the bathroom. When he came out, he felt refreshed.

"Boss, get on! Fourth is out," Liu Hua shouted.

"Coming, coming." Zhou Quanyi closed his stream and logged into his game account. Playing with Jiang Zheng was a treat because his skill level was high. While his game sense was slightly lacking, his mechanical skill more than made up for it. As long as Jiang Zheng was there and the others didn't collapse, Jiang Zheng could carry them to victory. That was why Zhou Quanyi stopped watching his stream as soon as he heard Jiang Zheng was playing.

Soon, the sounds of gaming filled the dorm.

Yang Po returned from his part-time job and collapsed onto his bed, not wanting to move. Nowadays, he worked part-time not just on weekends, but also for two or three hours after his daily classes ended. These jobs paid poorly—barely better than nothing—and were time-consuming. Jiang Zheng hadn't chosen that type of work when he was looking for jobs; he preferred to spend half a day or even a full day on the weekend to earn more.

Yang Po was driven by the pressure of his debts. Even though no one was dunning him, the internal pressure was immense, making him willing to take these low-paying jobs. Anything to earn a bit more.

Not long after Yang Po returned, Yu Qingkui, who had been at the library, also came back.