Descendants of the False Gods

Chapter 028: Life in the Imperial Capital (6)

After the four brothers from Southwest Academy introduced themselves, they lined up in order of age, from front to back.

Luo, however, keenly noticed that the first three older brothers had all looked toward the youngest brother before they began to form the line. After the youngest nodded, the formation was completed.

Luo found this curious but didn’t think too much about it. He speculated that the youngest brother might either be the weakest, needing the encouragement of his older brothers, or the most central figure among them, whose approval was required for any decision.

This was merely a guess, so Luo did not rush to express an opinion.

After seeing the formation, Lan decided to mirror it. Firstly, the oldest brother was placed at the front, who was shorter than the others. Typically, shorter individuals excel in agility-based martial techniques, so he assigned Xiao Xiong to the front as well, matching agility with agility.

The second brother was tall and muscular, and among their team, Lan was the strongest, so he placed himself in second position. The third brother had long limbs, likely favoring long-range techniques like long fist or kicking, so he assigned Xiao Yi, skilled in long fist, to counter him.

The last opponent had no obvious distinctive feature, so Lan assigned Luo, who was skilled in defense, to face him.

Once the decision was made, the four agreed, and the formation was set.

As both teams advanced and closed the distance to about two meters, Xiao Xiong initiated the attack. Due to the opponent’s smaller stature, Xiao Xiong took a step forward and executed a sweeping right punch, not expecting to land a hit but rather using it as a setup. If blocked, he would follow with a sweeping leg. Xiao Xiong’s strength was not his strong suit, so he relied on rapid successive strikes to overwhelm his opponent.

However, the opponent was not prepared to take the hit. After the exchange began, Xue Kui’s first move was to retreat a step diagonally, stepping out of Xiao Xiong’s range, and giving way to the powerful Xue Biao. This was precisely the range where Xue Biao’s attack was most effective.

Xue Biao quickly stepped forward and hammered his right fist downward toward Xiao Xiong. With Xiao Xiong’s legs in a bent position, he could not dodge, so he crossed his arms to block with his fists.

Xue Biao’s strength was indeed formidable. Xiao Xiong’s rear leg buckled, and his arms struggled to hold back Xue Biao’s punch, barely avoiding being knocked to the ground.

Xue Biao’s first punch having little effect, his right arm curved and swung out. At the same time, Xue Ba wrapped both arms around Xue Biao’s right arm, using the momentum to kick toward Xiao Xiong with both feet. Meanwhile, Xue Kui swiftly moved into Xiao Xiong’s left front and landed a punch to Xiao Xiong’s right ribs.

Xue Biao’s punch wasn’t particularly powerful, but it caused Xiao Xiong to stagger to the left, losing control of his body. He could only watch as Xue Ba’s kick flew toward him. In the nick of time, Xiao Xiong managed to block slightly with his left arm, but was still struck in the face, flying backward.

The entire series of attacks took only the brief moment it took for Xue Biao to swing his arms. It was fast and clearly a practiced combination, a tactical maneuver they had trained. Lan wanted to rush forward to assist, but Xiao Xiong had already been sent flying.

Xiao Xiong hit the ground, rolling a few times to dissipate the force. When he stood up, half of his face was swollen, and his eyes were almost shut.

Lan and Luo, concerned about Xiao Xiong’s injuries, prohibited him from continuing the match. The score was now 3-1, and even with three remaining fighters, they still had a high chance of victory. It seemed unnecessary to risk Xiao Xiong further.

The match resumed, with the Youth Academy still having three participants. They, too, formed a line.

Luo, who was in the last position, reminded Lan, who was at the front, to be cautious. Only three of the opponents had fought so far, and one was still waiting.

He also advised Xiao Yi, positioned second, to be ready to assist when the opportunity arose.

Lan showed unprecedented caution, placing his hands in a defensive stance, one in front and the other behind, his legs slightly bent and springy, moving back and forth.

This time, the Xue brothers took the initiative. They used the same set of tactics, but Xue Biao’s hammering punch was replaced with a straight punch.

Lan, confident in his strength, raised his left hand to deflect Xue Biao’s straight punch and blocked his left side with his body to prevent the slender Xue Kui from interfering. Meanwhile, his right fist struck at Xue Kui, forcing him to retreat.

Just then, Xue Han, using Xue Ba’s aerial cover, came in low to sweep Lan’s knee. If this kick landed, Lan would definitely suffer, possibly even fracturing his leg.

Fortunately, Luo had warned Xiao Yi before the round began, and because it was a low kick, Xiao Yi managed to intercept with his own foot, clashing directly with Xue Han’s.

The force of Xue Han’s kick was surprisingly strong, and Xiao Yi winced in pain, unable to put weight on the foot for a while.

However, Luo seized the opportunity, quickly stepping between Lan and Xiao Yi, using his hands to catch Xue Ba’s dual kicks mid-air, lifting the youth’s body, and delivering a high right kick to Xue Ba’s tailbone, causing him to scream in pain mid-air.

Luo then followed up with a powerful right punch to Xue Ba’s stomach, sending him crashing to the ground with a loud “thud.”

The score was now 4-1, with the Youth Academy team in the lead. Everyone stopped fighting.

Just as the four were about to celebrate, Xue Han suddenly flipped up and delivered a high whip kick, hitting Xiao Yi in the face.

“Bang!” Xiao Yi lost his balance, and before he could react, Xue Han’s foot landed heavily on his head, sending him tumbling to the ground, stars in his eyes.

Lan quickly recovered from the shock, charging forward and landing a punch on Xue Han’s face, knocking him down.

At the same time, Xue Kui and Xue Biao both threw punches at Lan. Luo, seeing the situation unfold, quickly moved to shield Lan, using his left arm to deflect Xue Biao’s punch and delivering a side kick to Xue Kui’s shin, making him stumble.

Luo and Lan had trained together since childhood, their training intensity was the same. Although Luo was slightly smaller than Lan, there was no significant difference in their abilities.

Therefore, Luo was able to block Xue Biao’s punch with one arm and retaliate against Xue Kui.

However, facing two opponents, Luo couldn’t continue his offense. Just as he staggered Xue Kui, Xue Biao’s other fist came toward him.

Luo abandoned his attack on Xue Kui, using his right arm to block Xue Biao’s left punch. He then stepped forward, driving his left arm, previously used to block, into Xue Biao’s chest.

At this point, Lan, after knocking Xue Han down, quickly moved to the left, positioning himself beside Luo.

Xue Kui, just regaining his footing, saw Lan charging toward him and immediately retreated two steps, wary of Lan’s potential attack.

Seeing Xue Kui back off, Lan seized the chance and shifted his attack to Xue Biao, delivering a right punch to his armpit.

Xue Biao, still recovering from the blow to his chest, had no strength left to block. A loud “Aah!” was heard as he staggered backward, clutching his chest and stumbling.

Lan and Luo pounced on him, unleashing a flurry of attacks. In less than five seconds, Xue Biao was knocked to the ground.

With that, all of the Xue brothers, except the eldest Xue Kui, were out of the fight.

Xue Kui, seeing his brothers defeated, yelled, “You bastards, don’t you have any shame? The fight’s over, and you still attack from behind?”

Lan, enraged by this accusation, immediately retorted, “We attacked from behind? Xiao Yi was kicked by a dog, you tell me!”

Luo, noticing Xiao Xiong was able to stand on his own, went to help Xiao Yi. Hearing the other side’s words, he didn’t hold back either, replying, “You evil people always cry foul. Who’s the one who bites first?”

The fight had initially been about settling the issue, but after three rounds, the tables had turned, and the Xue brothers were now on the losing end. The Southwest Academy student who had started the trouble realized they had lost, and he knew this would tarnish their reputation. The best option now was to stir the waters.

He shouted to his companions, “Everyone, let’s go together and teach these shameless bastards a lesson!”

Xue Kui, intent on avenging his brothers, attempted a flying kick but missed by a mile. The kick only swayed in front of Lan, but this act further escalated the conflict.

Before long, the Southwest Academy group swarmed Lan and Luo. Though Lan and Luo fought fiercely, they were soon surrounded. Despite Xiao Xiong and Xiao Yi being injured, Lan and Luo continued to battle on.

Xiao Xiong and Xiao Yi were eventually knocked down again, leaving only Lan and Luo standing firm, surrounded by nearly ten opponents.

Lan, smiling, turned to Luo and said, “Bro, the remaining ones are decent, let’s have a real fight.”

Luo simply responded, “Let’s go!” and charged forward.

Lan quickly turned to cover Luo’s back, and the two fought together as a coordinated unit. There was no breathtaking drama, just solid, hard-hitting exchanges. With Lan and Luo moving together, they relentlessly took down opponents one by one.

By the end of it, only Lan and Luo remained standing, despite having taken some hits themselves. They still stood firm, supporting each other, and managed to help Xiao Xiong and Xiao Yi back up.

The four of them slowly left the grass field on the west side of the city, first dropping off Xiao Xiong and Xiao Yi at their homes before heading home themselves.

As they walked, Lan finally asked, “How’s everything? Any injuries?”

“I’m fine, no broken bones, just sore all over, and my arms and legs feel weak. How about you?”

“About the same. Just don’t let Grandpa or Second Grandpa see.”

“Hehe!” “Haha!” “Hahahaha!”

As winter approached, the days grew shorter, and the streets were quieter. The two brothers laughed heartily, their laughter echoing through the path they walked.

After this fight, it seemed that the grudge between the four kids and the aristocratic youth from Southwest Academy would be hard to resolve.

However, after this skirmish, both sides would likely quiet down for a while, and with the winter break beginning, the chances of another conflict were reduced.

A few days later, when Xiao Xiong and Xiao Yi were fully recovered, their faces no longer swollen, they decided to rejoin Lan and Luo for training. After the battle, they fully realized the gap between them and the two brothers.

Although they recognized their place as younger brothers, Xiao Xiong and Xiao Yi understood that they were no match for Lan and Luo. They hadn’t expected the gap to be so large. But instead of being discouraged, they vowed to work hard, even if they could never reach Lan and Luo’s level. At the very least, they wouldn’t hold back.

This was the true meaning of fighting for the future!