Chapter 589: Cheating

Command Department Gymnasium.

The gymnasium at the First Military Academy was quite well-equipped. Instruments for physical testing and exercise lined both sides of the space. The area, spanning over two thousand square meters, could easily accommodate two or three hundred people, making it feel extremely spacious.

A large crowd had gathered in the open central area of the gym, all students from the Command Department. Nearly every student from the class had come to watch.

Zheng Xu and Nie Yan stood facing each other at a distance of about five meters, both dressed in martial arts uniforms.

“Regardless of whether I win or lose today, this is just a friendly match. If anyone gets hurt, I guess they’ll just have to accept their bad luck,” Zheng Xu said, immediately placing himself in the weaker position. His words were clear in meaning: if Nie Yan got injured, he’d have to accept it without seeking retribution. As for Zheng Xu losing, that was only natural, since Nie Yan had the highest total score and was naturally supposed to be stronger.

“I’ll go easy on you,” Nie Yan replied coldly, scrutinizing Zheng Xu. This guy was too calculating—he was repulsive.

Zheng Xu’s expression darkened slightly, but inwardly he sneered. Who would end up crying hadn’t been decided yet.

“Who do you think will win between Nie Yan and Zheng Xu?”

“Nie Yan has a better chance, but it’s hard to say for sure. After all, their punching and kicking strength only differ by one or two hundred kilograms. That gap can definitely be bridged with martial arts techniques.”

The surrounding classmates murmured among themselves, offering various opinions.

What they didn’t know was that Zheng Xu’s martial arts skills were nowhere near Nie Yan’s level. Nie Yan had once been an assassin—his skills far surpassed the superficial techniques of these students.

“Let’s begin,” Zheng Xu said, bowing to Nie Yan.

“Please,” Nie Yan replied, returning the bow.

The surrounding spectators quickly stepped back a safe distance to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.

It had begun!

Zheng Xu let out a low roar and charged at Nie Yan ferociously, delivering a downward knife-hand strike.

Nie Yan blocked sideways with his forearm, moving like a rabbit. With a thunderous sound, he struck Zheng Xu in the abdomen with an elbow strike—his movements were lightning-fast.

Zheng Xu couldn’t dodge in time and grunted in pain, immediately countering with a knee strike, employing a purely aggressive style.

Nie Yan sidestepped swiftly, retreating a few steps before launching a spinning kick aimed at Zheng Xu’s face.

Zheng Xu quickly raised his arms to block, and with a dull thud, his arm took the impact. He staggered backward a few steps.

Nie Yan and Zheng Xu exchanged several blows instantly, all of them direct and forceful. The onlookers watched with bated breath, feeling the immense power behind each punch, elbow, and knee strike. If they were hit like that, their bones might actually break.

Zheng Xu endured several heavy blows, inwardly cursing. Although he had added “special protection” to his joints, Nie Yan’s attacks were simply too fierce, causing his chest to feel tight and his entire body to ache. If he hadn’t taken precautions, he probably would have collapsed within two moves.

Nie Yan was too strong, exuding an aura of decisiveness and lethality, leaving Zheng Xu utterly helpless.

Nie Yan was also secretly alarmed. Pain shot through his arms and legs—the force from those exchanges felt like hitting stone, the rebound force leaving his limbs numb. He hadn’t expected Zheng Xu to actually take his elbow strike directly to the chest. Based on the power behind that strike, Zheng Xu should have had at least two ribs broken. Yet Zheng Xu acted as if nothing had happened. Nie Yan immediately realized Zheng Xu had cheated.

With today’s advanced technology, as long as one had money, it was easy to purchase ultra-thin metallic composites capable of absorbing most of the force from attacks.

If Nie Yan exposed Zheng Xu now, Zheng Xu would certainly face disciplinary action from the First Military Academy. In martial arts matches, such cheating had to be disclosed beforehand; otherwise, it was considered a violation. If someone used these banned items without disclosure and delivered heavy attacks during the match, it could even be classified as attempted murder.

In terms of actual strength, Zheng Xu was no match for Nie Yan—he probably couldn’t even last two or three moves. Even with protective gear, he could only adopt a defensive stance, having no opportunity for counterattacks.

Nie Yan looked at Zheng Xu across from him and inwardly sneered. This guy had worn protective gear trying to ambush him. Well, Nie Yan would play along and have some fun with Zheng Xu.

“Zheng Xu, your earlier words were too humble. I didn’t expect your ability to withstand attacks to be so strong. You took a direct elbow strike to the chest and acted like nothing happened. It seems you’ve been holding back. I’ll go all out now—please accept my challenge,” Nie Yan said, effectively cutting off Zheng Xu’s escape route while also giving himself a proper justification to strike hard.

Zheng Xu inwardly groaned. From their first exchange, he had felt immense pressure. He had wanted to dodge Nie Yan’s elbow strike, but Nie Yan moved too fast for him to keep up. After hearing Nie Yan’s words, Zheng Xu’s face flushed slightly—he wasn’t sure whether Nie Yan had discovered his hidden protection.

It didn’t matter anymore. With the protection on, what was there to fear? He would adopt a mutually damaging strategy. He didn’t believe Nie Yan could endure it. As long as he protected his head, he wouldn’t fear taking hits.

“Likewise, Nie, you’re also quite strong,” Zheng Xu replied, still feigning composure. There were so many beautiful girls watching—he couldn’t afford to lose face.

Zheng Xu charged again, throwing a straight punch toward Nie Yan’s chest. Nie Yan sidestepped and dodged the attack.

Zheng Xu immediately launched a straight kick aimed at Nie Yan’s waist.

Foolish! Nie Yan swiftly dodged and grabbed Zheng Xu’s ankle with his left hand like an iron clamp, holding it tightly.

Zheng Xu tried pulling his foot back several times but couldn’t free it. Intense pain shot through his ankle, as if the bone were about to snap.

This was just the grip strength—how terrifying.

Nie Yan raised his right leg and delivered a fierce side kick straight into Zheng Xu’s chest.

With a loud thud, Zheng Xu felt a powerful force slam into him. Although most of the impact was absorbed by the ultra-thin metal on his chest, the residual force was still overwhelming.

The tremendous force sent him flying backward for five or six meters, landing on the ground and rolling several times.

Silence fell over the entire gymnasium. The sheer power of that kick was terrifying—sending someone flying five or six meters. How much strength did that take?

Anyone hit like that would probably be lucky to survive with half their life intact.

Zheng Xu was finished, they all thought.

Zhao Shiyu turned pale with fear. Although she knew Zheng Xu was wearing protective gear, she hadn’t expected Nie Yan to be this strong. Zheng Xu couldn’t even land a single counterattack against Nie Yan. She now fully understood the gap in their abilities. Even with protective gear, Zheng Xu was still no match for Nie Yan.

Nie Yan was far stronger than any of them had imagined.

“I’d say only Lei Su could possibly match Nie Yan in the entire First Military Academy,” one of the onlookers said, visibly shaken.

This was the first time Zheng Xu had ever been so humiliated in public. He felt deeply resentful, especially since he had promised Zhao Shiyu that if he won, she would become his girlfriend. Thinking about it, he gritted his teeth and stood up. Thanks to the protective gear, Zheng Xu wasn’t seriously injured—just aching all over, as if his bones were about to fall apart.

Zheng Xu actually managed to stand back up, causing a sensation among the crowd.

“That’s impossible! No one’s ability to withstand attacks could possibly reach that level! He must have cheated!”

“Zheng Xu cheated!” the onlookers shouted indignantly. Cheating was absolutely unacceptable in a fair challenge match.

As soon as Zheng Xu stood up, he realized his mistake—he should have stayed down. Anyone with half a brain could now tell he was wearing protective gear. Enraged, he roared and charged at Nie Yan again.

Perfect! Nie Yan gave a cold, sinister smile. He quickly stepped back, dodging Zheng Xu’s attack with agility. Suddenly, his left hand shot out, grabbing Zheng Xu’s elbow. He slightly turned his body, accelerated with a spinning motion, and focused all his strength into his right arm before delivering a powerful punch.

With a deafening boom, the punch struck Zheng Xu in the chest. With a spurt of blood, Zheng Xu spat out a mouthful.

Nie Yan didn’t stop there. Someone like Zheng Xu, if let off today, would retaliate fiercely in the future. Nie Yan needed to teach him a lesson severe enough to keep him bedridden for months, leaving a deep impression so that from then on, Zheng Xu would flee at the sight of him.

Nie Yan leaped into the air and delivered a fierce side kick straight into Zheng Xu’s face. Zheng Xu screamed and flew backward, landing on the ground.

Even with special protective gear, Zheng Xu couldn’t possibly cover his face.

Nie Yan stood still. Zheng Xu lay on the ground, unable to rise, groaning continuously. That kick had been extremely powerful—he wouldn’t recover for at least a few months. Even after he recovered, Zheng Xu likely wouldn’t dare to provoke Nie Yan again.

In this incident, Zheng Xu had violated the rules first, so Nie Yan had the moral high ground. When the school investigated, they would hold Zheng Xu accountable, possibly even giving him a demerit, while Nie Yan would face no consequences. Nie Yan’s actions were entirely within the regulations. Injuries during martial arts matches were normal, and as long as no one died, there wouldn’t be serious repercussions.

Zhao Shiyu called the school infirmary. Soon afterward, Zheng Xu was carried away for medical treatment.

The classmates looked at Nie Yan with awe. The scene they had just witnessed left an indelible impression on their minds. Nie Yan was someone not to be trifled with!

Xu Yan, Fei Zhe, and Xia Tianyu stared at Nie Yan in stunned disbelief. They hadn’t expected Nie Yan to be this formidable. Even with protective gear, Zheng Xu couldn’t last even a few dozen seconds against Nie Yan. What a monstrous guy!

“You’re amazing! I’ve decided—from now on, you’re my big brother,” Xu Yan exclaimed excitedly, deeply impressed by Nie Yan’s performance in the match.

“Bro, when can you teach us some martial arts?” Fei Zhe asked, envious of Nie Yan’s skills. If Nie Yan could teach them even a little, it would surely be of great help.

“No problem,” Nie Yan replied readily. He wasn’t stingy.

Xia Tianyu had originally felt a bit proud and had wanted to challenge Nie Yan, but now he completely abandoned that thought. Compared to Nie Yan, that would be asking for a beating.

Chatting as they left, the group walked away.

Zhao Shiyu watched Nie Yan’s retreating figure, her expression complex. The scene just now had completely dissuaded her from ever provoking Nie Yan again. If Nie Yan ever got angry with her, she would suffer terribly.