Chapter 14: Applying for a Sparring Partner
Tianyi Sword Art Hall.
Three whole stories, luxuriously decorated.
Colorful ribbons fluttered above the entrance, and a string of words scrolled across the naked-eye 3D screen on the outer wall: Grand Opening Promotion, 1-Hour Sparring Session for only 1000 Yuan!
A female receptionist with a good figure immediately greeted him.
Even though Chen Yu looked like a student, he still carried the undeniable air of a child from a prominent family.
The receptionist smiled inwardly. Business is here.
Her tone was humble, and she wore a standard smile on her face as she said."Hello, handsome. Are you looking for a coach or a sparring partner?"
"I see you aren't very old. Are you an Awakened One from this year's batch? If you want to improve your strength quickly before military training, I suggest you find a sparring partner."
"Learning from a coach for a month isn't as effective for improving combat skills as practicing with a sparring partner."
"Our sparring partners here are only one thousand per hour. It's a great deal!"
Hearing this, Chen Yu's eyes lit up as if he had thought of something.
Seeing Chen Yu's interest, the receptionist became even more enthusiastic. She saw her commission waving at her.
Just as she was preparing to continue introducing the programs at Tianyi Sword Art Hall, Chen Yu shook his head and stopped her, speaking excitedly: "Are you short of sparring partners?"
"I'm not looking for a sparring partner, nor a coach! I want to apply to be a sparring partner at your place!"
Being a sparring partner is great. I can grind proficiency and earn some money at the same time.
His excited appearance made the receptionist's smile freeze instantly.
Her enthusiasm had truly been fed to the dogs. She thought some young master had come to spend money.
Turns out it was just a beast of burden looking for work.
She replied stiffly, "I can't decide on hiring matters. Please wait a moment; I'll go call our Deputy Director."
After speaking, she walked away without looking back. Simply bad luck!
Not long after, a middle-aged man wearing a black martial arts uniform walked up to Chen Yu.
He was about the same height as Chen Yu. There was a scar on his face, but his eyes were sharp, and his aura was like a sharp sword.
He spoke expressionlessly.
"I am Zhao Hongbin, the Deputy Director of Tianyi Sword Art Hall. I heard from the receptionist girl..."
He looked Chen Yu up and down, a strange expression appearing on his emotionless face.
"You want to be a sparring partner?"
The opponent's aura was unstable; he had probably just awakened. Although his figure wasn't thin and weak, and he should have practiced Body Arts...
But this was a Sword Art Hall, and this kid didn't have the slightest aura of a sword cultivator.
Is he here to play tricks on my Tianyi Sword Art Hall?
Chen Yu nodded and confirmed,
"That's right! Is the salary for sparring partners here calculated by the hour or by the day? Can it be settled daily?"
Zhao Hongbin frowned slightly, deciding to see what the other party was planning.
So he raised his hand and said, "Let's not talk about money first. Do you know how to use a sword?"
Chen Yu pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, my level should be okay."
The Lv1 Swordsmanship from the Roger panel was Elite Swordsmanship. Being a sparring partner should be no problem.
At the very least, sparring with some entry-level rookies would be fine.
Seeing his uncertain appearance, Director Zhao had an idea in his mind.
He's probably just here to test the sparring prices or sent by a local martial arts hall to probe our reality.
Thinking this, he also made his own calculation.
Since he wasn't here to apply sincerely, there was no need to be too scrupulous.
Coincidentally, a difficult student had come to the hall recently.
They had changed a whole batch of coaches, and not one was to his liking.
It was the perfect chance to make this kid retreat in the face of difficulty.
Zhao Hongbin's gaze fell on the southeast corner of the hall, where a few bodyguard-looking people surrounded a rest area.
Surrounded in the middle was a young man wearing a custom-made silver-gray kendo uniform.
"See that one?" Zhao Hongbin's voice carried a deliberate coldness.
"He's been at our hall for half a month and has changed seven coaches. Yesterday, he even made our hall's most senior Coach Li unable to step down from the stage, saying the man's posture holding the sword looked like he was planting rice seedlings."
He turned his face sideways. "Didn't you want to be a sparring partner? Go make him nod."
"If he says 'not bad,' I'll let you sign the contract today."
"Pfft!"
The receptionist to the side laughed out loud, then quickly covered her mouth.
The mockery in her eyes was about to overflow.
"Director Zhao, stop teasing. This little brother looks like he's never even practiced the sword."
"That is the Mayor's son, Young Master Zhou Mingxuan. A Primary-Rank Mid-Stage Awakened One."
"He entered the Awakened Academy for advanced studies last year. He's just here to kill time."
Zhao Hongbin didn't stop her. He looked at Chen Yu with disdain. "Do you dare?"
Chen Yu didn't speak. He stared at the sword in Zhou Mingxuan's hand.
It was a modified competitive sword. There was slight wear on the ridge of the blade, clearly used often, but the wrapping on the handle was brand new.
This means the user has problems with their force exertion habits, always wearing out the handle unconsciously.
He withdrew his gaze and said sincerely, "I can try."
???
Zhao Hongbin and the receptionist were both stunned.
Call you fat and you start panting?! (Chinese idiom: You take a mile when given an inch/get arrogant easily).
Chen Yu walked directly up to Zhou Mingxuan. "Hello, I am..."
"Ha!" Zhou Mingxuan had just smashed the mineral water bottle in his hand onto the ground. Hearing the voice, he turned his head and laughed when he saw Chen Yu.
"Yo?!"
"Isn't this Young Master Chen from the Chen family? Why are you here to be a sparring partner?"
Chen Yu was stunned. "We know each other?"
______________________
At this moment, in a room on the top floor of Tianyi Martial Arts Hall.
A man with gold-rimmed glasses and a refined temperament sat opposite a white-haired old man.
The refined man looked a bit anxious. He cupped his hands to the white-haired old man and said, "Elder Wei, this junior has come presumptuously today not only to visit you but also to ask for help with an urgent matter."
Wei Tianyi raised an eyebrow. "Hehehe, I was wondering why a great inventor like you would come to this old man's place if you had nothing to do."
"Speak, what is it?"
Ling Wenhe pressed his lips together in embarrassment.
"It's my daughter, Ling Yue," Ling Wenhe sighed, his tone full of helplessness.
"This girl is stubborn. She ran to Lanjiang without telling the family, saying she wants to... to break off the engagement."
"By the time I chased after her, she was long gone."
"I'm not familiar with Lanjiang. I thought since Wei Hailai and Brother Wei have wide connections in Lanjiang, I would ask him to help keep an eye out."
"See if we can find traces of this girl. Don't let anything go wrong with her while she's outside."
Wei Tianyi stroked his beard.
"Hailai... that brat hasn't been here for a while. He's probably busy at the Night Patrol Bureau."
"Hmph, that brat is never home!" Wei Tianyi cursed, then changed his expression. "This Ling girl still has an engagement?"
"Mm... Yue'er's mother back then..." Ling Wenhe briefly explained the situation of the engagement.
"Mm... Finding the Ling girl is a small matter, but I'm afraid this engagement won't be easy to break..."
Ling Wenhe was stunned. "Why..."
Before he could finish speaking, bursts of noise came from downstairs.
Meanwhile, downstairs.
Zhou Mingxuan's mouth curled up. "Sigh, your reputation has been huge recently."
"Not choosing a Natural Type, forcing the Mistress to kneel, cutting off relations."
Zhou Mingxuan clicked his tongue and shook his head.
"Military training is coming up soon. Instead of improving your strength, you came here to be a sparring partner?"
The surrounding onlookers were startled one after another.
"He is that thing that forced the Mistress to kneel?"
"Hmph, he probably ran out of money and came here to find work."
"He did it to himself. Not choosing an SSS-Class Natural Type ability and choosing an F-Class character template. Serves him right!"
"Truly interesting." Zhou Mingxuan looked Chen Yu up and down with interest. "You know how to use a sword? How many years have you practiced?"
"Not long," Chen Yu said truthfully.
A burst of laughter immediately erupted around them.
"You dare come to teach Young Master Zhou after 'not long'?"
"I'm afraid he can't even distinguish the front and back of a sword tassel, right?"
"I bet his sword will be flicked away by Young Master Zhou within three moves."
Zhao Hongbin leaned against the railing with his arms crossed, taking out his phone to check the time, clearly not putting Chen Yu in his eyes.
The receptionist held a cup of coffee, sipping it leisurely, waiting to see Chen Yu make a fool of himself.
Everyone wanted to see an "unfilial" person like Chen Yu suffer a setback.
Zhou Mingxuan pulled a practice sword from the rack and threw it over. "Take it."
"Abusing you will be more interesting than abusing those coaches."
Chen Yu caught the sword and turned his wrist lightly.
The blade traced a silver arc under the light and stopped steadily at his side.
His posture was so standard that the old coach organizing equipment in the corner couldn't help but look up and take a second glance.
"Come." Zhou Mingxuan assumed a stance, the sword tip pointing diagonally at the ground. It was the opening stance in competitive
swordsmanship, the "Flat Thrust Stance."
But his left shoulder was raised slightly. Clearly, long-term improper exertion of force had caused muscle strain in his shoulder.
Chen Yu didn't move; he just looked at him. "Your opening stance is wrong."
Zhou Mingxuan's face darkened instantly. "What did you say?"