The cheers still lingered faintly through the arena as Zhou Chen stepped down from the stage. Whispers trailed after him, half disbelief, half awe, but he ignored them all. His expression remained calm, almost distant, the faint trace of battle still humming through his veins.
“Hey, Zhou Chen!”
The lively voice cut through the noise. He turned slightly and saw Hao Mu Ming weaving through the dispersing crowd, her light robe fluttering behind her. She stopped before him, slightly breathless, her eyes shining with mischief.
“Well, well,” she said, resting her hands on her hips. “You really enjoy making the rest of us look bad, don’t you?”
Zhou Chen blinked. “Making you look bad?”
She gave an exaggerated sigh. “That poor girl didn’t even last a single move. You could have at least preten
