Returning to the Mysterious Era

"Oh, that's easy. Just get some of the instructors outside the school to teach you a few moves and you'll see immediate results—as long as you're willing to pay the price," Milo said.

"Hongta Street?"

"Yes."

"Are you familiar with that area? I've never been to Hongta Street."

"I can get familiar with it if you treat me to dinner."

"Asshole!" Phil laughed and punched Milo.

"No talking, pay attention to the lesson!" The teacher on the podium continued writing on the blackboard, not even bothering to turn his head. "Ahem."

The two looked up, pretending to listen to the lesson.

Behind his textbook, Phil signaled an "okay" sign to Milo. On his left, Milo gave him a thumbs up.

The school bell rang, echoing throughout the campus. Students in various colorful clothing poured out of the school almost immediately. Edelweiss Middle School certainly had a stylish uniform, but since the school didn't enforce a strict dress code, everyone simply dressed as they pleased.

"Phil, want to go for some barbecue? Oh, Milo, you're here too? Come join us for some barbecue, we have about eight people."

A red-haired boy with a black backpack, standing not too far away, waved his hand. Beside him were some other classmates, around three boys and four girls. One of them was the beautiful class belle Euphy.

She wore a lake-blue dress that highlighted her slender waist and her fair skin looked as delicate as cream. Her black hair was braided to one side, exuding purity and elegance. She occasionally tucked the loose strands of hair behind her ears as the wind blew.

Needless to say, many boys of her age found Euphy attractive. Everywhere she went, they would shoot discreet glances in her direction as they passed.

The red-haired boy waved. "So, what do you think? Want to join us?"

"Forget it, Milo and I have something to do. We’ll join next time, yeah?" Phil pushed Milo's shoulder as they walked away. They passed through the avenue lined with trees and once they circled around a flower bed, they were finally outside of the school gate. Milo couldn't help speaking up.

"Phil, why didn't we go for barbecue with them? Do you know how rare it is for Euphy to hang out?" Milo asked. He ran his fingers through his hair, glancing back at the avenue where a small group of eight people were chatting and laughing in the distance.

"Euphy? What's so special about her? She's no Senior Sister Tifa," Phil said, switching his black shoulder bag from his left to right.

"But Euphy is much prettier than Senior Sister Tifa."

"Yeah, but I never said I liked Senior Sister Tifa because of her looks... Ai, anyway, you wouldn't understand, let's go."

The two ate dinner at a place nearby before making their way to Hongta Street. Phil and Milo were both sixteen years old and first-year students at Edelweiss Middle School; Phil was in the Combat Club while Milo was in the Fencing Club.

Milo's family was neither rich nor poor, a typical middle-class family. But Phil's family owned a business with operations in several nearby cities so it was usually him who paid for their meals and outings.

"We're here. Finally." Phil took a swig of his cold drink and threw it into the trash can. He looked in front of him.

The afternoon sunlight slanted onto the cobblestone road, creating a slight reflection. The roadside was gilded with a layer of golden-red grass, and a few people hung rows of small flags on the trees, seemingly preparing for an upcoming event.

Milo and Phil walked along one side of the sidewalk, traversing deeper into Hongta Street. A few pedestrians walked back and forth and, after passing through an archway, the buildings up ahead became more packed. There were occasional signs of a martial arts gym or training hall.

Finally, Milo stopped at a corner.

Phil looked up and saw a sign—Gray Seal Martial Arts Hall. The wall beside it had two posters; one with exaggerated bold black letters that said "Combat!" and the other simply depicted a large fist with an explosive effect around it. Below were some notices about enrollment and fees.

"How is this martial arts hall different from all the others?" Phil asked.

"Hehe, I only found out two or three days ago. Ten days ago, this Gray Seal Martial Arts Hall hired a new instructor. Very skilled and capable, plus he offers the service I told you about: combat techniques that are easy and quick to master. It’s expensive, but very effective."

Milo took a sip of his drink and continued, "Yesterday, I came here with Xina from the Fencing Club, and we saw him knock Coach Kosia back in just three moves during a sparring match."

"Coach Kosia?!" Phil was a bit stunned. Coach Kosia was one of the three combat coaches Edelweiss Middle School had officially hired. He was undoubtedly skilled; Coach Kosia liked to visit nearby martial arts halls to spar with the other coaches in his spare time. He rarely lost and the most he'd concede would be a tie. To say that it was surprising that he suffered a defeat here yesterday would be an understatement.

"Let's go in and take a look." Milo led Phil straight through the door. The only person in the hall was a receptionist who was quietly sitting and holding a gray-white copy of the Baichuan Evening News.

The newspaper lowered, revealing a slightly wrinkled elderly face. His hair was bald in the middle but flared dramatically on the sides, like a pair of gray-white bat wings. "Hello, are you here to learn martial arts or to find an instructor?"

"Ah, we're just looking around for now," Milo said.

The two left the hall and walked along the stone road. A public exercise area was just ahead, with a paid gym further in the back. In the public area, many men and women in tight workout clothes were sweating profusely. Some were punching sandbags nonstop, some were doing squats, and others were using the equipment.

Everyone here, regardless of gender, seemed to be quite fit. They all had prominent muscles and most of them had a white towel hanging around their necks. The atmosphere here was much better than that of the school's Combat Club.

They continued walking and reached a training field. A crowd had gathered around, whispering and pointing.

"Look, it’s Coach Kosia," Milo quickly pointed out.

Phil also looked up in surprise.

On the field, two figures were facing off. The short-haired, burly man on the left was Coach Kosia from the Combat Club, and the tall young man with black hair on the right was wearing a beige combat attire.

At this moment, the atmosphere between the combatants was charged, with both continuously adjusting their positions. Kosia watched his opponent warily. He took a deep breath, and his leg muscles tightened.

Coach Kosia made his move!

A fierce straight punch was thrown! One! Two! And in three moves, Coach Kosia was defeated!

"Impressive! Have you formally trained in Combat Arts?" Kosia said, clutching his shoulder and wincing in pain. His face twitched slightly.

"You could say that." The black-haired young man raised his hands in a fist salute.

"Ah, no wonder." Kosia also saluted with his fists and sighed.

"That's amazing! Milo, is this the instructor you were talking about? What's his name?" Phil excitedly patted his friend's shoulder.

"Li Wei. His name is Li Wei."

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