Writing Novels Will Make You Invincible

Chapter 50 : If Not Me, Then Who?

If Not Me, Then Who?

It was five in the afternoon.

Chu Tianxing was heading to the city sports center with Qin Ling for the first round of eliminations.

"Tianxing, have you figured out your grand entrance yet?”

"Hmm, I’ve got a few ideas. I haven't decided which one to use yet. I figure I’ll wait until I get there, see what everyone else is doing, and then pick one. How about you?”

“I’m just gonna do a few punches… Hey, what's that little package in your sleeve?"

"Flour."

"Why are you hiding flour in your sleeve? You're not planning to throw flour in people's eyes during the match, are you? That's against the rules; you'll get disqualified."

“Relax. Do I look like someone who needs to cheat? It’s for my entrance.”

"Huh?"

"Picture this, Ling'er. When I make my entrance using lightness skills, leaping into the air and doing aerial footwork, every time I kick or swing my arms, flour will puff out dramatically... Doesn't that sound super cool and immortal-like?"

"Uh... that'll just make people think you're lazy and haven't washed your clothes in ages."

"..."

Chu Tianxing was speechless.

Whenever Boss Qiao made his entrance carrying that ost, wasn't there always dust flying everywhere?

Even when he was fighting, clouds of dust would explode on the impact of his fists and feet.

Although it might make people think he was some Beggar Gang disciple who never washed his clothes, you had to admit it looked pretty damn cool...

So this time, Chu Tianxing had not only hidden small packets of flour in both sleeves, but also tucked some into his pant cuffs and belt.

Unfortunately, Qin Ling clearly didn't appreciate the artistry.

Not only that, she kept twisting the knife.

"If you want that mystical vibe, carrying around flour packets is pretty useless. You’d be better off hiring a few beauties, each with a basket of flower petals. Then, as you walk in slow motion, they can scatter petals on you. That is what you’d call a celestial aura.”

Chu Tianxing's mouth twitched slightly as he inexplicably thought of a certain playboy and his four beauties...

“And what’s with the Walkman on your belt?”

"Oh, I saw how cool DJ Tathagata's personal BGM was, so I recorded a track to play as background music during my entrance."

"...Tianxing, can we please not do all this fancy stuff? DJ Tathagata’s music is literally a weapon. What’s your little tape recorder going to do? Besides, those things are so quiet, nobody’s even gonna hear them.”

“I thought of that,” he said with a sigh. “But it’s not like I own a boombox.”

Qin Ling's eyes widened. "So if you could find speakers with built-in playback, you'd actually carry speakers on stage?"

Chu Tianxing smiled slightly with a smug look. "Carry it? Please. Do I look like an idiot? I’d just turn it up all the way and set it down by the sidelines before making my entrance."

"..."

Now Qin Ling didn't even know how to respond.

The two chatted as they walked, their pace looking leisurely but actually quite fast. In just over ten minutes, they reached the sports center.

And, of course, just as they got there, Xiao Hu pulled up in an imposing muscle car with a few of his buddies.

The moment he saw them, his eyes widened in rage. “You have got to be kidding me! They’re wearing matching outfits now!"

Chu Tianxing was indeed wearing the black replica Imperial Guard uniform that Qin Ling had bought him, complete with combat boots. He looked sharp, powerful, and ridiculously cool when he walked.

Qin Ling was also wearing a replica Imperial Guard uniform, but her trench coat was pure white with a blooming peony embroidered in pale gold thread across the chest.

The white coat and boots made her skin look flawless and showed off her long legs and tiny waist. She looked like a graceful heroine in wuxia movies.

The two of them, one in black and one in white, walking side-by-side, made a strikingly perfect pair.

The more Xiao Hu looked, the more irritated he became. He roared past them, then stopped right beside them. Rolling down his window, he turned to look at Chu Tianxing while patting his steering wheel smugly. "My dad bought me this new car. Cost seventy-five thousand on the road. How about that, Chu Tianxing? You've never driven a car this nice, have you?"

Beside him, Li Xiaofei chimed in with his routine brown-nosing.

"Brother Hu, that’s a low blow... I mean, has this guy ever even touched a steering wheel before? You're just rubbing salt in the wound here!"

Qin Ling's eyebrows shot up; she looked ready to start a fight, but Chu Tianxing stopped her.

He smiled at Xiao Hu and Li Xiaofei without any resentment, then said to Qin Ling.

"Ling'er, you have to face reality. What they said isn't wrong. In my whole life… I have never touched a car's steering wheel this cheap.”

Then he turned back to Xiao Hu with a soft smile.

"Keep it up, Xiao Hu. I hope you make it to the provincial competition, maybe even nationals. Then we can all go to the capital together and bring honor to our hometown."

And with that lovely blessing, he led Qin Ling away toward the entrance.

"Brother Hu, did I hear that wrong?"

Li Xiaofei scratched his head, looking completely bewildered. “Did Chu Tianxing just say he’s never touched the wheel of a car… ‘this cheap’?”

Xiao Hu sneered. "You heard right. That bastard Chu Tianxing was just bullshitting to save face in front of Qin Ling. Like anyone would believe that.”

Li Xiaofei said worriedly. “I don’t know, Brother Hu. When it comes to Qin Ling… I think it’s a lost cause. She liked him even when he was a total loser. She liked him when he could only write shitty poetry and will like him even more now that he can fight well. You said it yourself, you called him the Central Divine. I think… I think he was right. We should probably just face reality.”

"Shut up!" Xiao Hu snorted coldly. "Do I look like someone who gives up easily? Even if Chu Tianxing has become some literary and martial arts genius, I still have areas where I don't lose to him!"

One of his buddies nodded in agreement. “Brother Hu is right. Let’s not even talk about family background. While Chu Tianxing might make it big with his martial arts, they won’t necessarily be enough to impress Qin Ling. I mean, look at her, she is talented enough not to worry about her own future and career.”

"But our Brother Hu here is the whole package! He can sing, dance, play basketball, do calligraphy, play the piano… he’s a renaissance man!. And on top of all that, he’s handsome! Not a pretty boy like Chu Tianxing, but with a rugged and dependable look.”

Li Xiaofei quickly jumped on board.

"Exactly, exactly! I was being shallow earlier. Brother Hu has that mature, steady look that makes you feel safe. Qin Ling’s just too young to get it yet. But when she grows up a little and her taste gets more refined, she’ll see what a real man looks like.”

All this praise went straight to Xiao Hu’s head. He looked smug and pleased with himself, like he’d had a few drinks.

Finally, when the compliments started to get ridiculous, he actually showed a little self-awareness and cut them off. “Alright, alright, don’t inflate my ego too much. I know what kind of person I am.”

“Besides my ruggedly handsome face that makes people feel secure, I’m only good at singing, dancing, basketball, calligraphy, piano, and appreciating fine literature. I guess in a fight, I’m probably still a little weaker than Chu Tianxing…”

"You’re too modest, Brother Hu!” they all chorused.

Meanwhile…

“He was trying to get a rise out of you again,” Qin Ling said indignantly. “You can fold him  in half now, so why do you still put up with him?"

Chu Tianxing smiled. “We live in a harmonious society. What's the point of all that fighting? Besides, Xiao Hu might be obnoxiously annoying on the surface, but he's actually pretty decent deep down. We've fought side by side before; we're practically blood brothers.

“And you have to admit, he’s reliable in a fight. He was the first one to charge those monsters to protect everyone.”

Qin Ling considered it and admitted that when they encountered those fish monsters, Xiao Hu had performed quite well in that battle.

He was the first to rush out and protect the students on deck during the evacuation. Later, when they formed battle formations, he always stayed on the front lines without retreating even once.

“Okay, fine. He’s useful in a fight. But in daily life, he's just too damn annoying."

Qin Ling puffed out her cheeks angrily. "The Youth Division finals will probably be between me and him. When that happens, I’m going to mop the floor with him.”

Chu Tianxing said. “Don’t get cocky. Xiao Hu has been through real combat, and his skills have improved significantly. I've watched his match recordings. You're only slightly stronger than him, and he is naturally gifted when it comes to physical abilities. If he gets serious about fighting you, your chances of winning won't exceed sixty percent."

Qin Ling laughed. "Don't worry. We're not in the same bracket and won't meet for a while. And thanks to those pills you gave me, my body and my power are leveling up super fast. Though I can’t open my Eight Extraordinary Meridians due to time limits, my body and internal energy have improved by miles already. By the finals, I'll definitely be much stronger than him."

Chu Tianxing nodded. "Good. I'll train with you every day before the finals to help improve your fighting techniques."

Qin Ling asked:

"What about you, Tianxing?” She asked. “You’re in the division with guys up to twenty-nine years old. Age isn’t everything, but older fighters have had more time to build up their internal energy. I’ve checked the data. The strongest contestant in your Young Adult Division has opened seven of the Eight Extraordinary Meridians. He’s just one away from opening all of them.”

Chu Tianxing chuckled softly. "While martial arts does have the concept of late bloomers, true late bloomers are extremely rare. According to my research, all nine Astral Qi Realm masters in our Great Ming Dynasty reached the peak of Inner Force Realm and began attempting to condense True Qi seeds before age twenty.”

"Our Canghe City's top expert also opened all his meridians and condensed his True Qi seed before thirty.”

“That twenty-nine-year-old guy is not a threat to me.” He shook his head and said leisurely.

"Sword Sovereign Xingyun once told me that young people should have a domineering attitude. I'm usually modest and low-key, but today I have to say: when it comes to the champion of this tournament… if not me, then who?”