Takashi Sanyo stood up and walked toward the entrance of the dojo.
He had a fairly sturdy build, but still fell short compared to the bald man, which made the apprentices worry he might not be a match for his opponent.
“What’s the meaning of all of you surrounding my dojo’s entrance?” Takashi Sanyo swept his gaze over the crowd. Over a dozen men, all clearly trained martial artists, and the bald man, like himself, had already reached F-rank.
He glanced back at his apprentices. “Go inside and wait. I’ll continue your lessons after I deal with this.”
A few of the older boys, who had some skill themselves, stepped forward with a sense of loyalty. “Sensei, we’ll help you.”
“Are you deaf? Get back inside!” Takashi Sanyo barked angrily, sending them scurrying back into the building in a flash.
Only Su Mo remained, acting as if nothing was happening, casually sweeping the already spotless courtyard with a broom.
Suddenly, the red-haired guy who had been subdued by Su Mo the previous day shrieked, pointing at her. “It’s her! That’s the woman who beat me up yesterday! Brother, you have to get revenge for me!”
The bald man’s eyes sharpened, fixing on Su Mo in the courtyard. “Her?”
In his eyes, Su Mo looked slender and delicate, more suited to dancing than fighting… the idea seemed almost unbelievable.
Takashi Sanyo was also puzzled. It seems this girl has hidden her strength.
But then it made sense. After all, he had prejudged her as someone who got by on connections, never giving her a chance to show her true capability.
Still, he was curious. Just what level was Su Mo’s skill?
“Sensei Takashi, I hope you can give me an explanation.” As the bald man spoke, his dozen men closed in, radiating intense pressure.
Unfazed, Takashi Sanyo stepped forward to meet it. “She is merely a cleaner at my dojo. Your brother here must have inherited your skills; surely he wouldn’t lose to someone like her.”
The red-haired man flared up immediately. “Don’t talk nonsense! She was fast and ruthless! If I hadn’t run quickly, she might have crippled me!”
Takashi Sanyo could see these men weren’t here for a peaceful resolution today. He cupped his hands toward the bald man. “We are all martial artists. Shall we settle this according to the rules?”
“Good! I was waiting for you to say that!” The bald man waved his hand, and a burly man nearly two meters tall stepped forward. “If any of you can defeat him, I’ll let today’s matter go. Otherwise, I’ll be taking over your Loyalty Dojo!”
Takashi Sanyo sized up the giant. Also F-rank, but his physique was clearly superior. He probably wasn’t a match.
But then he thought, Su Mo has powerful backing. If something happens to her here… Forget it. He had to risk it.
“Agreed!”
Both parties moved to the dojo’s training hall. The bald man and his crew watched quietly as Takashi Sanyo faced off against the giant.
Su Mo continued sweeping with her broom in the distance, showing not the slightest interest in the duel.
Inside the building.
A spirited young man gazed at Su Mo’s figure with admiration. She’s so calm… not nervous at all…
A tall boy beside him slung an arm over his shoulders, grinning. “Higashino-kun, do you like Chiba-san? I’ve seen you staring at her for a long time.”
Higashino Kokuichi ignored the teasing, his eyes still on Su Mo. “You wouldn’t understand.”
The tall boy was taken aback. Higashino-kun is putting on such airs…
Others started egging him on. “If you like her, be bold! Chiba-san is so gentle. Even if she rejects you, she surely wouldn’t embarrass you.”
Higashino swept his eyes over the hecklers, a strange sense of pride swelling in his heart. Only he knew Chiba-san’s true nature.
Gentle, yes. But when she moved to action, she held nothing back.
Just then, a dark-skinned boy said coldly, “Sensei is out there fighting a duel, and we’re hiding in here. And you all have the nerve to laugh?”
The noise ceased abruptly.
Outside, the duel continued. Takashi Sanyo held the upper hand for the first thirty exchanges, but gradually found himself outmatched.
Suddenly, the giant stomped down hard, sending fragments of floor tiles flying. As Takashi Sanyo tried to retreat and create distance, the giant’s figure seemed to wobble unsteadily, as if he had put too much force into that stomp.
Seizing the opening, Takashi Sanyo mustered his strength and landed a fierce punch to the giant’s abdomen. The giant offered no resistance, collapsing straight onto his back, eyes rolling white, limbs twitching.
Takashi Sanyo stared at his own fist, bewildered. Am I… that powerful?
The bald man and his crew looked grim. The red-haired man swore angrily. “Did you pull some trick? Why is he like this?”
Takashi Sanyo thought, I don’t know either!
But in his heart, he already had a suspicion.
The bald man took a deep breath. “Someone, carry him away.”
“Brother! That woman beat me! Are we just letting it go?”
“A bet is a bet. We leave!” The bald man grabbed his brother’s arm and left the dojo. As he went, he shot a final, unfriendly glance at Su Mo.
After they had all gone, Takashi Sanyo bowed deeply to Su Mo. “Thank you, Chiba-san!”
Su Mo took a surprised step back. “Sensei Takashi, what are you doing?”
“If you hadn’t intervened just now, Chiba-san, I likely wouldn’t have been that man’s match.” The look in his eyes when he regarded Su Mo had changed, shifting from initial disdain to genuine respect.
“It wasn’t me,” Su Mo continued to feign ignorance.
Takashi Sanyo said, “But there’s no one else here—”
He stopped mid-sentence as Su Mo pointed to the side. He followed her gesture and saw a figure leap from a tree over ten meters high, landing in the distance.
“It was him! It must have been him! Daring to jump from such a height—he must be the expert who helped you secretly.”
Takashi Sanyo suddenly found this logical. He only knew someone had helped him from the shadows but hadn’t seen how it was done. Therefore, that person must be a true master.
As for Chiba-san here… she might have some skill, but she probably wasn’t a master-level expert.
So who was the mysterious expert who helped him?
Ah, of course. It must be someone secretly protecting Chiba-san.
In that case, it seemed she had still helped him, albeit indirectly.
Takashi Sanyo sighed. “I offended you before. Please don’t hold it against me, Chiba-san. From now on, you are an official instructor of my Loyalty Dojo.”
Su Mo smiled sweetly. “It’s fine. As long as I get paid, I’m happy to take it easy.”
Takashi Sanyo didn’t believe her words. In his view, she was clearly someone from a high position slumming it for the experience. Talking about the salary was just an excuse.
“By the way, Chiba-san, what style of martial arts are you proficient in?”
Su Mo thought for a moment. “What do you need?”
Takashi Sanyo’s eyes lit up. An all-rounder!
“Any style is fine, as long as you can instruct the apprentices.”
Su Mo nodded. “Then I know a bit of everything, though only superficially. But I suppose it should be enough to teach them.”
…
Outside the dojo.
A figure landed softly on the ground, utterly perplexed. Why did Chiba-san go out of her way to expose my position? And even point me out to someone else?
I don’t understand…