Chapter Seventy-One

"My goodness, it's really been so long! I can't believe how much you've changed." Xu Yaya patted the shoulder of the last person to arrive, and everyone crowded around, sizing her up from head to toe.

Perhaps feeling self-conscious under so many watchful eyes, a blush bloomed on her cheeks. "I'm not some kind of mascot. Why are you all staring at me? Am I that strange?"

Yuxing Yue laughed. "You're not strange at all, Ruoxue. Before I retired, when we saw you, you were still a girl with baby fat. Truly, the old saying is right: a girl changes so much as she grows. You’re almost unrecognizable."

The girl's name was Zhou Ruoxue. Within the Tianyuan team, her strength surpassed Xiao Jian's. In fact, apart from Lin Ling and Yuxing Yue, no one could defeat her. If she encountered a strong opponent, she never showed mercy, always fighting fiercely and without hesitation. Yet, in front of her own family, she could be meek.

Now, it seemed that everyone had arrived except for Zhang Yan. His passing had left the others deeply saddened. Xu Yaya suggested they all go visit him together, bringing some of his favorite foods.

But before they set out, Wang Chaolin proposed, "Why don't we do this first? Let's see if our skills after retirement are still as sharp as before. Wouldn't it be wonderful to relive those days when we trained together?"

Everyone agreed with Wang Chaolin’s suggestion. Yuxing Yue himself was excited—he hadn’t faced a worthy opponent in a long time. This reunion of the Tianyuan team was a chance to see if his abilities had declined. As the former captain, Xu Yaya declared, "Let’s decide the matchups by drawing lots." She produced a pen and paper, ready for everyone.

Xu Yaya continued, "Write down the name of the person you want to challenge on your paper. Fold it and hand it to me, and I'll shuffle them. Whoever you draw, that's your opponent. No swapping, understand?" Her captain’s authority was unmistakable.

Everyone wrote down their chosen opponent and handed the slips to Xu Yaya, who had no intention of joining the matches herself—she would serve as the referee for this reunion. After shuffling the slips, she said, "They’re all mixed up. Now draw to see who you’ll be facing."

Each of the five drew a slip, silently hoping to challenge their preferred rival, though luck alone would decide if their wish came true.

"Let's start with Wang Chaolin. Who did you draw?" Xu Yaya asked, watching him expectantly. The others were eager to know as well. Wang Chaolin unfolded his slip, revealing three characters: his opponent was Zhou Ruoxue.

This wasn't the opponent Wang Chaolin had hoped for, but he couldn’t swap now and had to face her. Zhou Ruoxue, however, was secretly delighted—she had wanted to challenge Wang Chaolin.

"Wang Chaolin and Zhou Ruoxue, please head to the changing room and put on your uniforms," Xu Yaya instructed.

At that moment, Xiao Jian spoke up, "The changing room isn’t where it used to be. I’ll show you the way." He led the pair off, while the others waited.

Yuxing Yue and Lin Ling couldn't help but want to peek at the slips to see whom everyone had chosen, but Xu Yaya’s stern gaze kept them in check. Rules were rules—no one was allowed to break them.

After a while, Xiao Jian returned with the two. They had changed into the Tianyuan team uniforms from years past, which now fit tightly as they’d grown.

Yuxing Yue laughed, "I never thought I’d see everyone in uniform again. I want to capture this beautiful moment." He pulled out his phone to take a photo, but Xu Yaya stopped him. "No rush—wait until everyone is in uniform, then take your pictures. This moment can wait."

Although Yuxing Yue was reluctant, he conceded—perhaps later, the moment would mean more.

Both stepped onto the training mat. Xu Yaya spoke with the authority of a professional referee, "Bow to each other."

Wang Chaolin and Zhou Ruoxue bowed, then took up their fighting stances. Xiao Jian was visibly excited—it had been so long since he’d seen his seniors spar.

With Xu Yaya’s shout of "Begin!" the match started. Neither rushed to attack, wary of making a careless move. Wang Chaolin, after so long without practice, attempted a side kick, but his flexibility was gone and his movement stiff.

Zhou Ruoxue was similarly affected, though she was still adept at the downward strike, its power less than before. The first bout served more as a warm-up; in the second, both finally rediscovered the familiar rhythm of battle.

As the second match began, Zhou Ruoxue took the initiative, launching a side kick at Wang Chaolin to push him out of bounds. Wang Chaolin blocked it, thinking, "Her leg strength isn’t quite the same as before... Is it all the fault of time?"

After blocking Zhou Ruoxue’s leg, Wang Chaolin retaliated, using both legs. Having only just adapted, the muscles in his legs began to ache, but his resolve pushed him on.

Zhou Ruoxue said, "You don’t look so well—maybe you should rest. I’ll concede this round." Early in the second bout, she noticed Wang Chaolin’s legs trembling, clearly not yet fully used to exerting force. She herself hadn’t gone all out, worried she might injure him.

Wang Chaolin didn’t back down, replying, "Isn’t this great? When we first joined, our legs hurt just as much. Didn’t we adapt then? Five years have passed—we’re changed, not what we once were. It’s like coming full circle."

Zhou Ruoxue was puzzled at first, but quickly understood and smiled, "Then I won’t hold back anymore. Let’s keep fighting, Brother Wang."

"And you as well, Sister Zhou." Wang Chaolin charged, landing a kick on Zhou Ruoxue, who countered each attack, refusing to be dominated. She unleashed her own passion, her fighting spirit rekindled.

Their match was evenly matched, leaving the others awestruck. Xu Yaya was at a loss for words—if she had to sum up the bout in one word, it would be "ferocious!"

Xu Yaya sighed, "Who would have thought that the unbeatable Zhou Ruoxue is now older, and so is Wang Chaolin."

Zhou Ruoxue laughed, "Time changes everything. Aren’t we all the same? We have to adapt. I no longer want to defeat others, but to respect them."

"This isn’t the time for chatting with the referee," Wang Chaolin interrupted, aiming to deliver a final blow and end the match. Zhou Ruoxue remained vigilant—she suspected Wang Chaolin would use a double side kick to push her out of bounds, but she had long since mastered a counter to this technique.

"I’m not so easy to beat, Brother Wang!" Zhou Ruoxue shouted, rushing forward to meet him head-on. Wang Chaolin’s first side kick was blocked, but the second was the real threat—while Zhou Ruoxue defended, Wang Chaolin delivered a powerful second kick.