Chapter 469 - 4: Back to the Boxing Gym

Looking into the Jinshi Boxing Hall, a vast concrete field stretched out, flanked by flower beds planted with numerous trees. Under the bleak autumn wind, withered leaves drifted down from the branches.

In the center of the field, continuous shouts and thuds echoed.

"Hah!"

"Charge!"

"BANG!"

Hundreds of ordinary students underwent physical training on the field. Leapfrogs, tire flips, endurance runs, weightlifting... Even in autumn, sweat flew freely. The thinly clad young men trained with bitter dedication, steam rising from many of their heads.

This familiar yet strange scene made Lu Chao pause briefly. Once upon a time, he had been one of them. It had taken him three full days to pass the test, formally enter the boxing hall, and become an official disciple. As his thoughts drifted, a hint of nostalgia welled up in his heart.

Soon, as if noticing his unfamiliarity, a figure walked over from the direction of the Training Building.

"Junior brother, are you looking to practice martial arts?"

The newcomer had an average build, a buzz cut, thick eyebrows, and large eyes. He wore the boxing hall’s gray-and-white training uniform. Looking about twenty-three or four years old, he carried an amiable smile on his face.

"I just want to take a look," Lu Chao said with a smile. At this moment, he had disguised his physique and appearance, adopting the face of an ordinary young man.

The other party wasn’t surprised. He smiled, gesturing for Lu Chao to follow, and led the way. "Perfect timing. You might as well take a tour with me.

"This field is the training area for ordinary students, focusing on physical conditioning. The Training Building is the practice ground for official disciples, equipped with plenty of professional Martial Arts equipment..."

He explained patiently, introducing himself as Zhang Chen.

Lu Chao nodded slightly and followed. His intuition sensed that the other party’s Life Energy had just barely reached the Fighting Level. He figured this must be a new disciple taken in by the boxing hall within the last year or two.

STEP, STEP.

With steady strides, Lu Chao followed him from the field toward the Training Building. There wasn’t a single familiar face among the ordinary students, as the roster changed monthly with new faces. Along the way, he spotted two teenagers who had been playfully chasing each other earlier; they were now touring the grounds under the guidance of another disciple.

"Senior brother, I heard the owner of this hall is a Superpower Level expert?"

A distant conversation drifted over. Lu Chao paused his steps, casually listening in.

"That’s right. Our master is a veritable Superpower User. He even hunted a Beast King in the wilderness before," the disciple acting as a guide said with a touch of pride.

Superpower Level experts were exceedingly rare in the entire Rhombus Ring City Circle, yet Jinshi Boxing Hall laid claim to one of them. How could they not be proud?

"And, to tell you the truth, our boxing hall also has Senior Brother Lu Chao, who went to the Superpower Bureau in another city circle. He’s also a bona fide Martial Artist."

"My God, that’s amazing!" The two teenagers eager to learn martial arts were brimming with excitement, as if they had just heard a legend.

Hearing this, Zhang Chen, the disciple leading the way, also wore a reverent expression. He took the initiative to explain to Lu Chao, "I don’t know if you’ve heard, junior brother, but our Jinshi Boxing Hall actually went through some tough times back in the day.

"At that time, Thunder Extreme Martial Arts Hall was powerful. They often allied with other small and medium-sized dojos to target us. From True Disciples down to ordinary students, everyone was provoked and challenged. Panic spread for a time, and Thunder Extreme Martial Arts Hall even came to our doors to challenge the dojo. They were utterly overbearing...

"However," he continued, his tone shifting to one of sheer admiration, "thank goodness our boxing hall had Senior Brother Lu Chao. He was a late bloomer. He entered the Fighting Level in three months, stepped into the professional realm in four months, and broke through to the Elite Level at just twenty years old, easily defeating the True Disciples of Thunder Extreme Martial Arts Hall. Even when facing Lei Wanjun, a full-fledged Martial Artist, his imposing aura flared without a shred of fear... It’s just a pity that I joined the boxing hall too late and didn’t have the honor of meeting Senior Brother Lu."

The more he spoke, the deeper his admiration grew, mingling with a hint of regret that he couldn’t witness it with his own eyes.

Lu Chao’s expression remained unchanged, but a faint smile formed in his heart. He hadn’t expected that even now, so many people in the boxing hall still remembered him. Past memories of his years training here flooded his mind in that instant.

Soon, he stepped into the Training Building.

BANG! BANG!

Continuous thuds rang out as dozens of official disciples trained inside. Some held heavy round iron balls, practicing the Golden Stone Fighting Skill to temper their bones, muscles, and stamina. Others struck sandbags to bitterly refine their techniques, while some sparred on the arena stage.

"The fourth stance, the Iron Horizontal Post, is also known as Sitting on the Mountain and Embracing the Sun. It is an advanced technique of our Golden Stone Fighting Skill, as well as the true method for tempering the bones and muscles. Only with a straight spine can strength flow to your limbs, and only by holding the ball perfectly round can your energy travel throughout your entire body..."

A somewhat deep voice drifted from the training area, where an instructor was guiding several core disciples.

Seeing this, Lu Chao paused and looked at the martial arts instructor. He was tall, burly, and had bronze skin. Beneath a buzz cut, his face bore a fifty-percent resemblance to Master Luo Qianshan. He looked to be around thirty years old.

"That’s the eldest senior brother of our boxing hall, Senior Brother Luo Yan. He’s a top expert at the Elite Level." Unaware of Lu Chao’s thoughts, Zhang Chen smiled and continued, "In addition, our boxing hall has another Elite Level expert, Senior Brother Zheng Wu, though he isn’t in Ring City right now. We also have seven or eight professionals—all instructors who joined us in the last two years. They are exceptionally skilled at guiding our training."

He explained meticulously, much like Zheng Wu had back in the day.

Lu Chao nodded slightly at his words. His gaze swept past Luo Yan and landed on several familiar faces.

Lin Qingxue, Senior Brother Sun... Most of the fellow disciples at the fighter level had stayed at the boxing hall. The strangeness faded, replaced by a rare sense of familiarity that filled his eyes.

Seeing this scene, Lu Chao nodded inwardly. All his worries vanished without a trace. Clearly, the Jinshi Boxing Hall had not been implicated by his actions. Ji Lixian had kept his promise, protecting everyone close to him.

With this comforting realization, he felt ready to leave.

Right at that moment.

RUSTLE.

Light footsteps sounded from the backdoor leading to the Training Building’s backyard.

A figure dressed in a brown martial arts uniform walked out. He had a head full of white hair and wore black cloth shoes. He was thin, slightly hunched, with his hands clasped behind his back.

Yet, the moment he appeared, the bustling training atmosphere inside the building quietly paused. Many disciples took the initiative to cup their fists and offer their greetings.

"Master Luo."

"Master."

Amidst the varied forms of address, the old man coughed lightly and gave a gentle wave of his hand.

Seeing this, Luo Yan’s face filled with concern. He temporarily stopped his instruction, bypassed the group of disciples, and approached. "Father, Doctor Feng said that there have been a lot of cold autumn winds lately. Your injuries require quiet recuperation. You shouldn’t be exposed to the drafts..."

He reached out to support him, but Luo Qianshan shook his head.

"It’s not that serious... Cough, cough." He lowered the hand covering his mouth. His aged face held little emotion. "I know my own injuries better than anyone. But you are right about one thing... this autumn seems colder than usual."

Luo Qianshan looked at the sky through the boxing hall’s window. Worry, hope, self-blame... a trace of complex emotions flashed through his eyes.

Luo Yan sighed at the sight and lowered his voice. "Father, Heaven protects the good. Junior Brother Lu will definitely be fine. Besides, hasn’t Mr. Ji stepped in? That means the Superpower Bureau will definitely ensure Junior Brother Lu’s safety..."

How could he not know what his father was worried about? Ever since Junior Brother Zheng had sent back the news from the Red Maple City Circle, his father hadn’t rested for days. He had constantly run around seeking help from various parties, hoping to be of some assistance. It was only in the last few days that he had slightly recovered and calmed down.

"If it weren’t for the incident with Lei Wanjun, Xiaochao wouldn’t have been exposed," Luo Qianshan sighed, still harboring some self-blame.

As a master, he couldn’t even help his own disciple. How could he feel at ease?

"Hmm?"

Right then, his heart skipped a beat, and he suddenly looked outside the Training Building. A young man in a gray hoodie was walking slowly away, stepping out through the field’s iron gate.

"Father?"

Seeing him space out, Luo Yan followed his gaze in confusion.

The gray-clothed youth left the boxing hall, his back gradually blending into the crowd. The atmosphere abruptly fell silent.

Before Luo Yan could snap back to reality, Luo Qianshan’s eyes shifted drastically, and he dashed outside with lightning speed. As a Martial Artist, even with injuries, he surpassed ordinary people, almost blurring into a streak of brown light.

However.

The streets were bustling with people coming and going. No matter how hard he searched, he couldn’t catch another glimpse of the young man in the gray hoodie.

The suspicion in his heart grew stronger and stronger. With a complicated expression, Luo Qianshan prepared to head back and question Zhang Chen.

But then.

"Old Luo."

The elderly gatekeeper stationed at the iron gate’s booth suddenly approached, handing over a black briefcase.

"Someone asked me to give this to you just now."

"Who?"

"A young man in a gray hoodie."

Luo Qianshan froze. Then, he opened the briefcase.

Several vials of medicine were nestled inside, labeled with the words [Healing Potion], along with corresponding instructions for use.

In an instant, his heart trembled. He turned back and looked out at the street outside once more.

Relief, excitement, rejoicing...

"Xiaochao... is that you?"