The Farm Girl’s Charismatic Fortune
Chapter 131 - 128 Despicable Scoundrel

Chapter 131: Chapter 128 Despicable Scoundrel

The second round of the competition featured ten stages, and Ruo Zhou, eager to obtain the exemption from the tuition fee, was the first to leap onto the stage.

Others continued to jump onto the other stages as well.

Those who had the courage to be the first to step onto the stage were all very confident in their martial skills!

However, when Ruo Zhou jumped onto the stage and stood there, nobody challenged him.

The other participants who leapt onto the stages soon had people lining up below them, and before long, there were long queues forming.

Ruo Xuan said, "Those people are all afraid of big brother, and don’t dare to challenge him."

Yan Huan then said, "This is very normal; Gao Teng had a bit of fame in the county, and many students recognize him. Big brother Ruo Zhou knocked Gao Teng out of the ring with a single punch, what were the others thinking to challenge him?"

Zhang Lian said, "Unless someone’s brain isn’t functioning right, nobody would challenge him first. If others dare not challenge big brother Ruo Zhou, he can challenge someone else."

Yan Feng also explained to Ruo Xuan why nobody was challenging Ruo Zhou at the moment, "There’s a big difference between Dengfeng Martial Arts Academy and the Academy. Students of the Martial Arts Academy must find their own masters to apprentice after they get admitted."

"While in the Academy, students are arranged into different graded classes according to their admission test scores, taught by different teachers, and do not need to find a master themselves."

"So now everyone wants to fight for a good ranking in the stage competition, which will make it easier to find a martial arts master with a high reputation. To challenge Ruo Zhou first thing is like asking to be placed last, isn’t it? No one is that foolish!"

In truth, there were still those who wanted to challenge Ruo Zhou.

One of them was Zhang Ting!

But Zhang Ting’s servant held him back, coaxing him to occupy a stage himself, and not to show any less prowess than Ruo Zhou. Waiting until the end to challenge Ruo Zhou would mean that by then, Ruo Zhou would surely have defeated many students, and defeating him would further prove his outstanding strength.

Zhang Ting thought it made sense and was tempted, so he did not challenge Ruo Zhou.

Seeing that no one came up to challenge him, Ruo Zhou stepped down from the stage and went to line up in Zhang Ting’s queue.

Zhang Ting saw Ruo Zhou joining his challenge queue and smirked. Fine, if he came by himself, he would beat him so badly that he wouldn’t be able to get out of bed later.

Mrs. Zhou, sitting in the spectator stands, saw Ruo Zhou join Zhang Ting’s queue and frowned: What was Ruo Zhou trying to do? By challenging her Ting, was he deliberately trying to lower Ting’s ranking?

Moreover, with his incredible strength, what if he injured Ting?

Not reassured, Mrs. Zhou left the spectator stands to find Zhang Ting’s servant, instructing him to talk to Ruo Zhou and have him change queues, forbidding him from challenging Zhang Ting.

During the competition, family members were not allowed to approach the stage, but the servants of the students who were competing could bring towels to wipe sweat or apply medicines for injuries and such to their masters.

So after receiving Mrs. Zhou’s orders, Zhang Ting’s servant took a cloth towel under the pretense of wiping off sweat for Ruo Zhou, then said, "Master Ruo Zhou, my mistress has ordered you to switch to another queue and forbids you from challenging our young master."

Ruo Zhou acted as if he hadn’t heard a thing.

Seeing no reaction from him, Zhang Ting’s servant whispered harshly, "My mistress says she knows your family is poor, and if you switch to another queue, she can sponsor you with fifty taels of silver. Otherwise, the financial support previously promised won’t be given to you—a single coin."

Ruo Zhou’s expression remained unchanged, not showing the slightest reaction.

Zhang Ting’s servant, unable to hide his contempt, said, "One shouldn’t forget their roots. It was my mistress who helped you secure a recommendation letter for Dengfeng Academy and agreed to pay your tuition, which is why you’re eligible to stand on this stage. I advise you to switch queues quickly, else even if you have already passed this round, my master and mistress can still make sure you’re compelled to leave the academy!"

It was only then that Ruo Zhou reacted—but instead of speaking to the servant, he raised his hand and called out loudly to the referee in the distance, "Sir, this person claims to be Zhang Ting’s servant, and he says that if I don’t leave this queue, even if I pass the competition, his master and mistress will make sure I can’t stay at the academy!"

Ruo Zhou’s words were loud, not only did the referees and students on the stage hear them, but even some people in the surrounding audience seats heard them too.

Gao Teng, like Ruo Zhou, was also at the very end of the queue.

He heard what Zhang Ting’s servant said and became angry, shouting, "Who do you think you are? Such arrogance! If one didn’t know any better, they might think the Dengfeng Martial Arts Academy belongs to your family!"

The referee’s face darkened immediately, "The academy does not allow any threats or bullying. Otherwise, qualifications for the competition and student status will be revoked."

The servant was almost scared to death. How dare this country bumpkin talk like that?

In a hurry, he said, "No, you’ve misunderstood, Young Master Ruo! That’s not what I meant! My lady just sent me to check on Young Master Ruo and offer him a handkerchief to wipe his sweat!"

After speaking, he hurriedly ran off.

Madam Zhou was shaking with anger. Ruo Zhou was trying to stop Brother Ting from entering Dengfeng Academy to study martial arts, so that she would not be able to hold her head up at home!

She still held the title of a general’s wife largely because she had given birth to such an outstanding son as Brother Ting.

She knew that the Zhang Family treated her with respect because of Brother Ting’s face.

If Brother Ting lost his qualification for enrollment in Dengfeng Academy because of her, the Zhang Family would not let her off!

This son really is as dark-hearted as the Ruo Family, never wishing to see others do well!

Zhang Ting was furious, "Don’t spout nonsense! I never told you not to queue up. I even want to challenge you and see who is stronger!"

The referee sternly warned, "Let’s not have a repeat; as long as a student enters Dengfeng Academy through their own strength, abides by the academy’s rules, and conforms to the law and discipline, no one has the right to make our academy’s students unable to stay in the academy. Our academy is the Imperial Court’s academy, not some individual’s academy!"

Madam Zhou’s face looked extremely ugly as she lowered her head, not daring to speak.

After giving the warning, the referee announced that all ten arenas were ready and said, "The second round of the competition officially begins!"

The sound of the horn signaled the start of the arena competition.

Ruo Zhou watched Zhang Ting’s competition with another, and with just two moves, he had knocked the person out of the arena.

Zhang Ting’s martial arts foundation was indeed very solid, and impressive.

Basically, students who went up to challenge Zhang Ting would be beaten out of bounds within ten moves.

At just eight years old, he was stronger than many students who were one to four years older than him; this was already considered a martial arts prodigy.

Many of the referee masters nodded continuously as they watched Zhang Ting.

All ten arenas began their challenges at the same time, and Zhang Ting was the most outstanding.

Soon it was Ruo Zhou’s turn to go on stage.

Zhang Ting looked at this half-brother from the same mother, saluted with his hands, and whispered, "Despicable wretch!"

Ruo Zhou saluted back, "Low-life."