Chapter 24 : Defeat Ji Xingyu
In the Taekwondo’s ranking system, the ranks were denoted by the colors of the belt, and the ranks were as followed: white, yellow, green, blue, red and black, The black belt was the highest rank and the white belt the lowest. In addition, the black belt was further divided into seven “Dans.” Once a black belt reached the second dan, the practice would have earned the right to open a Taekwondo school.
Chen Fan’s white belt meant that he was a newbie in Taekwondo
“Why does Ji Xingyu challenge a white belt?”
“No kidding! A blue belt up against a white belt, this is not a fair fight.”
“Isn’t he the transfer student who had ticked off Ji Xingyu?”
Many people were curious about Ji Yingyu’s decision. Most of the students at Ivy League Middle School had joined the Taekwondo class either during semesters or summer break. Therefore, it was not uncommon to find someone who was still in the rank of white-belt, such as Chen Fan.
Even the students from 10th and 11th grades were also confused by the development.
Only those who had seen the confrontation between Chen Fan and Ji Xingyu this afternoon knew what was going on. Most of those people were on Ji Xingyu’s side.
The coach furrowed his brows and said:
“Are you sure you want to challenge this new student?”
and then he turned to look at Chen Fan and then said:
“Since your rank is way below his, you have the right to refuse the challenge.”
Ji Xingyu looked at Chen Fan expectantly. He taunted: “Hey, Kid! Are you afraid? Why don’t you come up here, and let’s duke it out!”
Si Yinxia knitted his brows and was going to put a stop to this folly. However, Chang Wen stopped him.
“I don’t know taekwondo.” Chen Fan shook his head.
“That’s fine; you can use whatever fighting style you know.” Ji Xingyu said confidently.
“Oh?” Chen Fan managed a smile and then said, “So you are not going to change your mind?”
“No. Are you afraid?” Ji Xingyu pointed to his puffed chest and asked.
“If you are afraid of me, then be quiet next time. This is the Ivy League High School, not your little backwater country county. Chen Fan snorted and then said, “Yes, I am afraid. But what I am afraid of is that I would hurt you.”
“You will hurt me?” Ji Xingyu wondered if he had heard the boy’s words correctly.
He turned around and shouted to the people around him:” This kid said that he was going to hurt me. Isn’t that funny?”
Everyone laughed with Ji Xingyu for Chen Fan’s absurd claim.
“He is a nut job! He thinks Ji Xingyu is not a worthy opponent!”
“Ji Xingyu is the second best fighter in our class. No one other than Si Yinxia would be so confident in a fight against him.”
“Maybe he is a hidden martial arts master? Haha!”
Sensing the commotion, many students passed their exercise and joined the already swelling ranks of onlookers.
Seeing the new-boy was much smaller and shorter than the hulking blue-belt, most of the audience naturally felt sympathetic for Chen Fan.
However, Chen Fan’s arrogant remarks didn’t sit well with his sympathizers, and many of them switched sides.
Those who have practiced Taekwondo knew that although the color of the belt did not always dictate the outcome of a fight, the gap between a white belt and a blue belt was unbridgeable. Chen Fan was doomed to fail in this match unless he had received other forms of martial arts training elsewhere.
“Come on. Let me fix you up.” Ji Xingyu gestured a provocation at Chen Fan with a hooked finger.
He posed in a standard starting stance in Taekwondo and then volleyed two back-flip-flash-kicks in the air. His snappy and overbearing movement had paled many of girl’s faces.
After gathered himself, he gave Chen Fan a look that read, “You are fucked.”
To his surprise, Chen Fan was unfazed by the display of skills; he simply snorted and then said, “What a pretty move.”
Once Chen Fan blurted out his sarcastic remark, the words stabbed at not only Ji Xingyu, but also at Coach Wu and Si Yingxia. It was not only an insult to one person, but also the Taekwondo community as a whole.
By then, the final shred of sympathy the onlookers had for Chen Fan had disappeared.
No one would sympathize with a weakling who readily threw arrogant insults to invite trouble.
“Go, teach him a lesson!” Someone shouted.
“Kid, you are courting death.”
Unable to suppress his anger, Ji Xingyu threw himself at Chen Fan.
Chen Fan noticed that Ji Xingyu’s movement was much faster and more powerful than that of an ordinary person. If he were to land a kick on the head of his opponent, it would be an instant knockout.
However, Chen Fan knew that Ji Xingyu was even weaker than A-Biao much less the elderly man’s granddaughter: Wei Ziqin.
Chen Fan linked hands behind his back and evaded a few roundhouse kicks and knee bashes.
Seeing his opponent’s hostility, Chen Fan let out a deep growl and lifted his one leg high up into the air before he slammed it down like a giant ax.
Ji Xingyu was not prepared for the sudden counter-attack. He threw two arms out to cushion to blow, but the force of the strike went straight through his arm and collapsed him down to his floor.
Fortunately, the ground was padded cushion. Otherwise, he would have to stay in bed for at least six months.
“WHAT!”
The audience was thrown into disarray by the development.
Jiang Tanqiu was so shocked that he thought his eyeballs were going to pop out.
He had been convinced that Chen Fan was doomed, but he had defeated Ji Xingyu with a single kick.
“I told you Ji Xingyu was overrated. He couldn’t even finish off a newbie.”
“This new-boy kicks some ass!”
The audience was filled with excitement and surprise. They had already started to view Chen Fan under a very different light.
As reality set in, the audience had to admit that they were wrong. Chen Fan was not a worthless charlatan. Otherwise, he would not be able to defeat Ji Xingyu.
Surprise and confusion were written all over Chang Wen’s face. Never had she thought that Chen Fan could win the match so easily.
“Ji Xingyu had always boasted his strength in front of me, but he is weaker than a puddle of water. How dare he fool me to think that he was the second best fighter in the class?” Chang Wen complained to herself.
Si Yinxia, on the other hand, remained calm, but the furrow in his brows deepened.
He walked over to Ji Xingyu and noticed that he had passed out but was unharmed. He then turned around to Chen Fan and castigated him:
“We are all classmates and share the same classroom. Why did you attack him so heavy-handedly.”
“He started it first. It’s just a kick, no big deal.” Chen Fan replied lightly.
Si Yinxia suddenly felt at a loss for words.
He registered that Chen Fan could have landed that kick on Ji Xingyu’s head, but he didn’t. Although such kick would cause only minor injury to an ordinary person, Ji Xingyu’s hulking frame and heavyweight meant that such an attack would give him a severe brain injury.
In that sense, Chen Fan had already shown him mercy.
Nonetheless, he couldn’t just let the matter rest. Ji Xingyu was his best friend, and he had challenged Chen Fan for Chang Wen, the girl whom he was dating.
So thinking, Si Yinxia stood up and said:
“Why don’t you fight with someone who is your equal ?”
Chang Wen’s face paled as she was about to rush to Si Yinxia to stop him. Si Yinxia reached out a hand, willing Chang Wen to remain where she was.
Si Yinxia was very impressed by Chen Fan’s move. It was powerful, swift, and effective. No one without years of martial arts training would be able to deliver such perfect execution.
However, Si Yinxia was confident that he would be able to overcome the new boy.
He had been obsessed with Taekwondo ever since he saw it on TV when he was a child. By now, he had accumulated over a decade of training. If he could get past his laziness and attend the qualification test, he would have already ranked above, even Coach Wu. Of all the teachers and students, only the Taekwondo club’s founder might have a slim chance of defeating him.
“Sure, why not,” Chen Fan replied.
The fact that Si Yinxia dared challenge Chen Fan even after seeing what he was capable of told Chen Fan that Si Yinxia could be a worthy opponent.
“But I have to warn you that I will show you no mercy.” Chen Fan said lightly.
“Asshole! Do you really think that you could defeat Si Yingxia?” Chen Fan’s remark didn’t sit well with most of the girls in the class. Some of them started to protest.
“No kidding! You are just a bit faster and stronger than Ji Xingyu. Si Yinxi, on the other, was not only faster, stronger, but also much prettier than your ugly face” Another girl piped up vehemently.
Half of the girls in the class were ardent admirers of Si Yinxia.
Chen Fan was not sure what to think of the girls’ hilarious remarks. He conceded that he should have provoked their ire.
The fact that these girls brushed so lightly over strength and speed: two of the most critical factors in combat meant that they knew nothing about fighting. Most of the time, skills and forms were irrelevant, and the outcome of the fight came down to only those two factors: speed and strength.