The game had ended, and the entire basketball team looked dejected. Even the cheerleaders were listless. The spectators in the stands had come to support the team, but despite their disappointment, they were still excited—because they had just witnessed an extraordinary game.
"This kid is interesting. Can you look into him for me?" The female headhunter smiled faintly and turned to leave the stands.
Huo Wen frowned as she gazed at the man below. There was always something mysterious about him. During Ye Qingxue's birthday, he had stolen the spotlight at the party; now, he had single-handedly defeated the entire basketball team.
She couldn't help wondering who he was—and why she had never heard of him before. She decided to ask Ye Qingxue once she got back.
At that moment, cheers erupted from the Art Department's side. They had won, and it was a decisive victory. The four boys from the Art Department had faced the Basketball Department—and won.
It was a great honor for them.
"Yan Xu, I remember you said that if we won, you'd crawl around the court barking like a dog, right?" said one of the boys from the Art Department who had been mocked by Yan Xu earlier.
"Hmph, just bad luck," Yan Xu grumbled, clearly dissatisfied. To him, the outcome was nothing short of a miracle.
"What's wrong? Don't you dare keep your word?"
"Who knows what tricks you pulled to win? Maybe you colluded with the basketball team." Yan Xu looked at them with open disdain.
"Sigh, people in the Sports Department are getting worse these days."
"What's so great about your Arts Department anyway? Whenever you run into problems, you still come crawling to us for help. You bunch of bookworms should stick to your paintings. Why don't you try competing with us in physical training instead?" Yan Xu pushed through the crowd and stormed off.
"If we win, will you crawl around the training ground barking like a dog?" Xia Tian said with a faint smile. What he despised most were people like Yan Xu—useless, yet arrogant enough to belittle others.
"Fine. We'll have a physical training match. If you can beat any of us, I'll bark like a dog," Yan Xu snapped before disappearing down the corridor.
"Then it's settled—tomorrow afternoon," Xia Tian replied coolly.
"Xia Tian, don't waste your time with him," Ye Qingxue said. "I don't even know that guy. He just showed up when he heard we were facing the basketball team and offered to help."
It was a big day for the Art Department. Ye Qingxue had planned a celebration, but Xia Tian excused himself, saying he had other matters to attend to.
Tang Yan was in a foul mood, though she was also deeply shocked. She was upset about losing, but she couldn't deny that she had just discovered a prodigy—someone who could become a superstar with the right training.
Still, there was one thing she couldn't ignore: she had lost the bet. Which meant that, from now on, she'd have to call Ye Qingxue "Sister Xue" and that infuriating guy "dear husband."
How could she ever bring herself to say that?
But if she didn't, she'd be seen as a sore loser—someone who couldn't keep her word. That thought made her even more miserable.
"Xia Tian, where are you going?" Ye Qingxue asked when she saw him heading toward the opposing team's rest area.
"I'm going to see my little wife," Xia Tian said without looking back.
"You're taking this too seriously. It was just a joke. If you really go, it'll just embarrass her," Ye Qingxue said. She hadn't meant for Tang Yan to actually call her "Sister Xue." That would've been bullying. She only wanted a fair competition.
"My dear wife, I'm here to see you," Xia Tian said with a grin as he walked up to Tang Yan.
Tang Yan didn't know what to say. She had never met someone so shameless. Sure, she had lost—but did he really have to come all the way over just to make her admit defeat? She had planned to simply avoid him in the future.
But Xia Tian had actually come to confront her, demanding she honor the bet.
"You little brat, how dare you talk to the big sister like that?" Fang Li snapped angrily. He was already upset about losing, and seeing Xia Tian's smug expression only made him angrier.
"For the sake of my little wife, I won't bother arguing with you," Xia Tian said coolly, not even glancing at Fang Li.
"Enough, Xia Tian. Let's go," Ye Qingxue interjected quickly, not wanting him to cause any more trouble. "Tang Yan, let's just call it even. Forget about the bet."
"Ye Qingxue, what's that supposed to mean? Do you think I, Tang Yan, can't accept losing?" Tang Yan said defiantly. "Sister Xue, kiss my husband!"
With that, she turned and ran out of the gym, too embarrassed to face anyone.
"Why'd she just run off like that?" Xia Tian muttered, leaving the gym in low spirits. He hailed a taxi and went back to the old house.
Meanwhile, Yan Xu was fuming. He had joined the Art Department team just to impress Ye Qingxue, but instead of earning her favor, he had lost face completely.
He couldn't tolerate such humiliation—especially when people kept bringing up his own words about crawling and barking like a dog. Even though he hadn't done it, the shame still burned him.
He couldn't stand losing face in front of Ye Qingxue.
"Fang Li, those Arts Department brats went too far," Yan Xu complained bitterly. "I went there to help, and not only did they insult me, they even said everyone in our Sports Department is trash! They bragged that if they could beat the Basketball Department today, they could crush us in training tomorrow!"
"There are only four men in their entire department, and they dare to act that arrogant? They must be tired of living," Fang Li growled. He was notoriously hot-tempered.
"Fang, you didn't see it yourself—especially that outsider they brought in. He's the worst. He said you, Fang Li, were a nobody—not even worthy to carry his shoes!" Yan Xu lied through his teeth. What he hated most was Xia Tian, who had stolen all the spotlight. When Ye Qingxue kissed Xia Tian in excitement after his shot, Yan Xu's jealousy had reached its peak.
"Did he really say that?" Fang Li asked, his voice cold with anger.
"He did! He also said our Sports Department's training is a joke, and that he alone could take on all our top trainees." Yan Xu's words completely ignited Fang Li's fury.
"Yan Xu, go deliver a challenge for me. I'll teach that arrogant brat a lesson myself!"
After returning to the old house, Xia Tian waited for about an hour before a man in white appeared. He was dressed exactly as before, wearing the same spotless robes and carrying the same sword.
"Master, you're here," Xia Tian greeted respectfully. The man in white was his father's old friend—and the one who had once saved his life. Naturally, Xia Tian treated him with the utmost reverence.
"Your father never spoke of his martial arts because he didn't want you to follow his path," the man said calmly. "But since you've already stepped into this world, I'll fulfill the promise I made to him. From today onward, I'll teach you the Manyun Immortal Step and the Lingxi Finger."
"Lingxi Finger?" Xia Tian was surprised. He had only heard of such a technique in TV dramas about Lu Xiaofeng. He hadn't expected his master to actually teach him something like that.
"That's right. These are the skills that once made your father famous," the man said evenly.
"So my father was a master?" Xia Tian asked, hoping for some clue about his father's past.
"I never practiced these techniques myself. I can only teach you the methods and internal cultivation," the man replied, skillfully dodging the question.
"Master, is it because my father's kung fu wasn't as good as yours that you refused to learn it?" Xia Tian probed.
"The reason doesn't matter," the man said. "Remember this—don't bite off more than you can chew. Perfecting one martial art is far more powerful than dabbling in many advanced ones."
"Thank you for your guidance, Master," Xia Tian said earnestly.
"The Manyun Immortal Step originates from the Book of Changes and the Eight Trigrams. The Lingxi Finger focuses on human acupuncture points and striking with precision," the man explained.
As Xia Tian listened, he finally understood why his father had made him study those obscure subjects as a child—the I Ching, the Eight Trigrams, human anatomy, and acupuncture points.
Back then, he hadn't understood the purpose. Now, everything made sense. Without that knowledge, he would never be able to grasp the Manyun Immortal Step, and mastering the Lingxi Finger required even greater understanding—of the human body, of its muscles, and of perfect timing and accuracy.
It all felt preordained, as if his father had carefully paved this path for him long ago.
"Your talent surpasses any I've ever seen. You'll definitely carry on your father's legacy," the man in white said. He trained Xia Tian for an hour before leaving him to practice on his own.
From that moment on, Xia Tian was no longer a bystander—he had begun his transformation into something extraordinary.