Marvelous Mecha

"So what?" Sheng Qiangwei retorted with her hands on her hips.

Feng Yi was irritated by her attitude, and though he didn't want to stick around, he found himself unable to just walk away. He shrugged. "Well then, how about we put a wager on the table?"

The crowd gasped in surprise, intrigued by the potential drama. Maybe this newcomer named Feng Yi possessed some actual skills, to dare propose a bet.

"You want to wager?" Sheng Qiangwei asked, taken aback.

"Indeed." Feng Yi swiftly pulled out a few miserly coins from his pocket. "If you can touch me within 10 seconds, the money will be yours. It's all I have to my name."

"What? You're saying that if I touch you within 10 seconds, you lose?"

"Correct."

The audacity of his statement caused an eruption of disbelief among the people in the restaurant. Was this young man serious? Or was he hiding an ace up his sleeve? Had they misheard him?

Sheng Qiangwei cast him a chilling glance. "You can't put spilled water back."

"If we're going to fight, it doesn't matter whether I can take it back or not."

The joke seemed absurd! Having heard it clearly, the crowd observed Feng Yi's calm facial expression — there was no trace of pretense. His eyes shone with a prideful glow, completely devoid of any fear.

Sheng Qiangwei found herself puzzled. Was he bluffing? It didn't seem like it. And the stake he put forth was pitifully low. Every day, she spent change worth more than that. Even Emily, who had been quietly observing, blushed at the sight of the meager wager. That kind of money wouldn't even buy a snack from a street-side stall.

"Fine, I accept," Sheng Qiangwei seriously replied.

The news of the wager match spread quickly, and within five minutes nearly all disciples had gathered. As the two of them entered the indoor fighting arena, whispers of speculation filled the air. Emily looked worried. She wasn't sure how strong Feng Yi was, but his calm demeanor gave away a hint of his confidence.

By now, Sheng Qiangwei was dressed in a white martial arts uniform. The four-star emblem displayed on her outfit attested to her status as a four-tier martial artist — a mid-level martial artist.

However, upon seeing the emblem, Feng Yi's eyes held a glimmer of sorrow. He walked onto the field, not bothering to assume any fighting stance. He turned sideways, in a posture that seemed full of openings but left no room for counterattacks. It was like he was intentionally leaving it untouched, making it impossible to find a way through. Perhaps it would be better to abandon all standard tactics when confronting Feng Yi.

Sheng Qiangwei had already positioned herself in front of Feng Yi, but she hesitated to strike. It wasn't that she couldn't, but rather, she didn't know how to find an effective opening to take him down in one hit. In her eyes, those apparent openings weren't enough to knock him down. Every time Sheng Qiangwei moved, Feng Yi subtly adjusted his positioning accordingly.

Was this a coincidence, or was he really invincible?

"Come on... you can do it," Emily's soft encouragement seemed to clear Sheng Qiangwei's mind. She realized she'd been caught in a mental loop.

"Hmm, not bad," Feng Yi cast a glance at Emily, causing her to flinch and retract her head. Crossing his arms casually, he looked at ease. "What are you waiting for? A fight doesn't wait for you to make up your mind. Ten seconds have passed already."

Bastard! It was indeed she who had challenged him to a fight, yet somehow, she found herself being lectured. A surge of pride overwhelmed Sheng Qiangwei as she leapt forward. Her first move was a technique from the Ancient Martial Arts — the Killing Hand. The graceful movement of her hand, seeming almost like a blade, aimed straight for Feng Yi's chest with an imposing aura.

Ten centimetres… five centimetres… closer…

In the blink of an eye, Feng Yi made a backward leap, narrowly avoiding the attack with a swift motion.

Sheng Qiangwei was under the impression that she had it in the bag, completely unaware that she would fall short from such a close distance. Now off-balance due to the concentrated power she put in, Sheng Qiangwei stumbles forward, almost falling over.

The embarrassment made her pretty face flush with color. Sheng Qiangwei was frustrated. She had been so close, but little did she realize that a miss is as good as a mile.

Regaining her composure after a moment, she steadied herself to strike again only to be interrupted by Feng Yi, "Time's up, you've lost."

With the gazes of astonished onlookers, Sheng Qiangwei coldly snorted, slammed her pile of bills on the edge of the ring in frustration. Despite her reluctance, she had to admit that he had some skills, "Let's continue."

Feng Yi shrugged his shoulders, "As you wish, but the bet is now double."

"Milly, don't continue, he seems really strong." Emily expressed her worries.

But how could Sheng Qiangwei be influenced by someone else's opinion at this point? What happened just now might have been a fluke. She was more cautious now. As she sprung into action, she jumped towards Feng Yi. Sudden power from her waist executed a spin with a gusty sweep of kicks striking directly at Feng Yi's face.

Feng Yi easily dodged the maneuver by leaning back.

But she was quick to change her tactics. With a feint, Sheng Qiangwei executed the Aerial Three-Stage Kick. The flying kicks resonated like thunder, breaking the silence.

But who was Feng Yi? His flawless evasion was so smooth and agile that it seemed natural. Despite the explosive attacks, he remained unscathed, very much in control. Even as Sheng Qiangwei poured out all her energy, it still amounted to nothing.

Another ten seconds passed without Sheng Qiangwei managing to even touch the hem of his clothes.

The onlookers sighed in awe... The difference in their abilities was evident. Could it be that this newcomer named Feng Yi, relied on his nimble reflexes?

Sheng Qiangwei stood motionless for several seconds, unable to believe that her honed reflexes couldn't get a handle on him. She had heard of martial artists with sharp reflexes before but had never seen one until now.

"Feng Yi, let's go again." For the first time, she called out his name, indicating her acknowledgment of his skills.

"Whatever you like, but this time the stake is quadrupled." His idea was simple. Quadrupling was as easy as betting a hundred dollars. Feng Yi wasn't unreasonable to keep doubling the bet, but at present, he really was strapped for cash.

"Un... Unscrupulous! Fine, quadruple it is." Sheng Qiangwei pouted, her stubbornness refusing to back down. Despite her pocket money being more than Feng Yi's entire fortune, she was a girl from a humble family who became the center of attention because of her good looks, strength, determination, and pride.

The surrounding students were speechless. This guy had talent, but stripping a girl of her money was a little... Feng Yi didn't care much though. He went straight to the point, always abiding by his life's philosophy.

Their duel quickly picked up the pace only to come to an end soon after. Then it started up again and ended again... In the minutes that followed, Sheng Qiangwei found a few clues from her failures and had several near misses with Feng Yi until she lost all her money and sat on the ground in disappointment.

Feng Yi put away the bills rightfully, the corners of his mouth curling up in a subtle smile.

In fact, the fact that Sheng Qiangwei was getting close was all part of Feng Yi's machinations. He wouldn't miss an opportunity to earn easy money, "Your talent is decent, your discernment is keen, you just lack some practice. Consider this money tuition." With that said, he walked away without hesitation…