◇ 【072】 One against five, feeling proud (1)

Xi Lang asked Gu Juan for the keys to the off-road motorcycle and tossed them to Li Ruicheng. "Either you don't go, or you can ride Xiao Juan's motorcycle. You're driving a five million yuan sports car. Do you think Xiao Juan's life isn't peaceful enough?"

Li Ruicheng took the key and said speechlessly, "Brother, I haven't ridden a motorcycle in 800 years!"

"Find a way yourself." Xi Lang said calmly.

Anyway, the five of them arrived at school safely.

They had intentionally arrived late, and before they even entered the school, they saw that the campus was almost empty. The students must have already gone to the stadium. Only a few reporters were still waiting at the school gate.

Gu Juan put on his hat and sunglasses and got out of the car. He then secretly cast a spell that could blur other people's five senses, and successfully entered the school without attracting the attention of reporters.

Gu Juan didn't want the reporters in the stadium to target him, so he waited near the stadium until 8:50 before taking Xi Lang and the others to the entrance.

"Are you nervous?" Gu Yinyin asked Gu Juan in a low voice.

Li Ruicheng laughed, "Yinyin, you are the one who is nervous, right? Don't be nervous. I don't think Gu Juan will do anything without confidence."

"Yinyin?" Gu Juan glanced at Li Ruicheng.

Li Ruicheng looked innocent.

Gu Juan asked himself if he was overthinking it.

Han Lin walked over quickly, scratched his hair with his right hand, and looked angry and depressed. "Can you believe it? Do you dare to believe it? I, a famous lawyer, can't even get a ticket to enter!"

Li Ruicheng smiled secretly.

"Thank you for coming to watch Xiaojuan's game." Xi Lang patted Han Lin's shoulder.

"Hey, hey, hey, I came to watch Xiao Gu's game, what's the point of you thanking me?" Han Lin joked.

"Brother Han, thank you." Gu Juan thanked him sincerely and took out a ticket and handed it to him.

"What are you thanking me for? You're Xi Lang's... friend, which means you're my friend." Han Lin looked at Lin Xuan and Gu Yinyin, "Who are these two?"

Gu Juan introduced again.

When Lin Xuan called him "Uncle Han," Han Lin's reaction was identical to Li Ruicheng's, even the words were almost identical. Gu Juan found it quite amusing. These two were truly the "Two-Man Gang."

Xi Lang looked at his watch and said, "It's almost time, let's go in."

The stadium, which held 10,000 people, was packed. In the center, a platform about five meters high was erected. Four large electronic screens broadcast the challenge live. Two hosts, a man and a woman, were making final preparations. The female host had a baby-like face and was charming and adorable. The male host was average-looking, but his facial features were full of humor, making it hard not to like him.

As soon as Gu Juan entered the venue, the students who knew him shouted loudly. When the other students heard that it was Gu Juan who came, they all cheered along with their enthusiasm, which almost blew the roof off.

"Gu Juan! Gu Juan! Gu Juan..."

The female host looked over in the direction of the cheers, picked up the microphone, and announced, "Student Gu Juan is here! It seems that Student Gu is very popular!"

The male host laughed and said, "Aren't you talking nonsense? Just look at the number of people in this stadium."

"Aren't those two hosts Wen Li and Liang Xun, the hosts of 'Make You Laugh' on Congzhou TV?" Gu Yinyin asked in surprise. These two hosts were famous for their eloquence and were well-known throughout the domestic hosting industry.

Gu Juan was also surprised.

Li Ruicheng said affirmatively: "Xi Lang, it was you who arranged this, right?"

Xi Lang said casually, "If we're going to do it, we have to do it perfectly."

Gu Yinyin glanced at him with a hint of resentment. Wouldn't this put even more pressure on Gu Juan? But now that things had come to this, she wouldn't say anything.

Ackerman and his companions were ready to go on stage. Xi Lang hugged Gu Juan and quickly let go. "Keep going, Xiaojuan."

Gu Juan nodded and said, "You guys go over and sit down."

Xi Lang, Gu Yinyin, Han Lin and Lin Xuan's seats were next to those of Zhao Rui, Liu Hui and Zhang Cong.

Seeing Gu Juan's three roommates, all holding phones or cameras, ready to take photos and videos, Xi Lang nodded secretly. These three people were impeccable, and he felt at ease if Xiao Juan was close to them.

Shao Xiuming had been waiting at the foot of the platform, wearing a white kung fu suit that was convenient for movement. When he saw Gu Juan approaching, he smiled and said, "You are very popular." He did not feel jealous at all.

"I'll try not to disappoint them." Gu Juan smiled faintly, looking at Ackerman and the other four. He couldn't help but admire them. Ninety-five percent of the audience were Chinese. Normally, Ackerman and his team should have felt somewhat isolated and helpless, but they didn't. Instead, they were confident, their eyes bright, as if they were certain to win.

The film crew that followed Ackerman and his team to ** country was the same. They looked calm and composed as they took photos and videos of Ackerman and his team.

Shao Xiuming nodded and said, "Junior Brother Gu, I feel a little sorry for forcing myself to get involved. But the look in Ackerman's eyes after he defeated Lin Xuan is intolerable to me, so I must defeat him myself, otherwise, I'm afraid this matter will become..." Thinking that Gu Juan was just an ordinary person who had no idea about the existence of ancient warriors, he stopped talking in time.

Gu Juan understood that what he meant was "my inner demon." This was indeed the case. Regardless of the type of cultivator, being too obsessed was not a good thing. This was true for cultivators like them, and for ancient martial artists as well.

"I understand." Seeing the electronic screen had already started counting down from 30 seconds, Gu Juan said, "Go up."

"Let's go." Shao Xiuming hooked his shoulder and took a confident step forward.

"Yo." Han Lin let out a strange laugh beside Xi Lang.

Xi Lang leaned back in his chair, not looking at him, and said calmly, "If you feel bored, you can leave."

Han Lin shut up immediately.

There are five sets of tables and chairs placed closely together on the left side of the platform, and two sets on the right side. A large space is left in the middle, mainly for the host to move around and to provide space for contestants to compete in martial arts.

Ackerman and his five companions were already seated. Gu Juan and Shao Xiuming sat down across from them.

When the countdown reached "0", the whole audience cheered for a long time.

Catherine was surprised to find herself nervous. She glanced at the people around her and finally calmed down a bit. She had to admit that once the ** united, they were indeed very formidable.

Liang Xun smiled. "Ali, before the challenge officially begins, I think we need to do a brief interview with our seven contestants. I'm sure the audience is also very curious about them."

Wen Li nodded, trotted over to Gu Juan, and smiled brightly at the camera, "Please give me the opportunity to interview Gu Juan. I heard that he's the idol of Congzhou University! I can't miss the opportunity to take a photo with him."

"Alright," Liang Xun said, looking helpless. "I can't do anything about you. Sigh, this is the age of looks!" Liang Xun and Wen Li both spoke fluent English. When Wen Li spoke in Chinese, Liang Xun translated into English almost simultaneously; when Liang Xun spoke, Wen Li translated. As a result, the two of them had no difficulty hosting the event.

Laughter broke out in the audience, and the audience's tension eased a little.

Gu Juan picked up the microphone and stood up, "Thank you for the compliment, host."

Wen Li asked, "Student Gu Juan, I heard that you initiated this challenge. Can you tell us what it is? As far as I know, this is the first time the 'Five-Man Group' has been challenged."

Gu Juan said: "There is nothing that cannot be said."

Ackerman and the other three all looked unhappy. They had already realized that the students from Congzhou University had colluded with each other and were telling them a mix of truth and falsehood, none of which was useful.

Gu Juan looked at Ackerman and his five companions sincerely, a look of regret on his face. "When I was in the imperial capital, I ran into the Ackerman Five on the Great Wall. I overheard some of their conversations and felt that they had some misunderstandings about some of our country's traditions. For the sake of our friendship with our friends in each country, I felt it necessary to correct some of their perceptions promptly to avoid further misunderstandings."

Wen Li gave him an approving look. The reason behind Gu Juan's challenge to the "Five" had long been known, but in this situation, the truth couldn't be spoken. Gu Juan's euphemism, however, both explained the reason for the challenge and, to a certain extent, countered the Ackerman Five. It was a perfect fit.

"I see. I'm sure we'll see a fantastic competition today." Wen Li finished speaking and then asked Shao Xiuming, "So, what about Mr. Shao?"

Shao Xiuming said briefly, "I've been practicing martial arts since I was two years old. As the saying goes, 'learning has no boundaries.' Now is a rare opportunity, so I want to challenge myself. Here, I need more schools and Junior Brother Gu to be willing to give me this opportunity."

"Mr. Shao looks very confident. I'm looking forward to today's competition more and more!" Liang Xun handed the microphone to Ackerman, "It's obvious that Mr. Shao's opponent is our talented friend Ackerman. Ackerman has never been defeated in this challenge. I wonder what he feels now?" Photos and personal information of the four people including Ackerman were displayed on the big screen one by one.

Ackerman was reluctant to say more, only saying briefly, "I hope to set a new record today. Thank you!"

"Mr. Ackerman is also very confident! I can almost see the sparks flying between them!" Liang Xun said, "Without further ado, the challenge officially begins!"

Wen Li said, "Since it was Gu and Shao who issued the challenge, of course they will decide who goes out first and who to challenge."

"Yes." Liang Xun looked at Gu Juan and Shao Xiuming, "Who will go out first?"

Shao Xiuming signaled for Gu Juan to decide. Gu Juan was going to challenge four people, and the pressure was definitely greater than his. On this point, he could accommodate Gu Juan.

Gu Juan nodded slightly to Shao Xiuming, "Senior Shao, you go first."

"Okay." Shao Xiuming walked to the center of the stage and bowed to Ackerman, saying, "Ackerman, I'd like to learn from you about martial arts. Please give me some advice."

Ackerman smiled slowly, his spirits low, and stood up. "No problem."

Several cameras were pointed at Shao Xiuming and Ackerman, filming from all angles.

After the two stood face to face, they clasped their fists together as a gesture of greeting.

Ackerman glanced at Gu Juan and struck first. His palm, like a blade, slashed towards Shao Xiuming's throat. His attack was direct and impulsive, surprising Shao Xiuming, but he remained calm. He tilted his head back, spun a semicircle, and returned to his original position, slashing at Ackerman with his left palm.

Ackerman raised his palm and met his. The high-powered camera replayed the palm strike in slow motion. The moment their palms touched, there was a slight tremor, and their bodies shook simultaneously. The powerful wind even caused the soft kung fu uniforms of both men to ripple, and the scene was crystal clear on the big screen.

The audience was stunned, and for a moment they almost thought they had traveled to a world of martial arts.

Shao Xiuming and Ackerman were both equally strong, and this blow did not cause any damage to the other. Both reacted extremely quickly, without pausing, and simultaneously launched a new round of attacks. However, Ackerman's movement was a second faster than Shao Xiuming's, and his fist missed Shao Xiuming's chest by less than an inch!

Shao Xiuming shouted in a deep voice, locked his wrist with his right hand, and twisted it outward. Ackerman's hand slipped away in an instant, and his fist hit Shao Xiuming's vulnerable spot - his right shoulder.

Shao Xiuming was caught off guard and was struck. He exhaled lightly, his eyes darkening and his breathing steady. By this point, he'd realized Ackerman wasn't considering him a match, but rather wanted a quick victory. Ackerman was even more eager to compete with Gu Juan.