Chapter 87

The elders of the Jin family looked at each other in dismay, unsure of what to do. They naturally stood on Xia Hou Zhong Ying's side, genuinely not wanting him to perform with Li Xun Zhe.

"It's fine," Xia Hou Zhong Ying patted the arm of Jin Tai Yan, who was holding onto him, and said with a smile, "Don't worry about me. You know, I've trained in martial arts for a few days."

"Brother Zhong Ying, you can't beat him," Jin Tai Yan was almost in tears, and Xia Hou Zhong Ying's claim of only a few days of training made it even more unlikely that he could match Li Xun Zhe, "He has a fourth-degree black belt in Taekwondo. You don't know how powerful a fourth-degree black belt is. You really can't beat him."

The crowd in the Jin family ancestral hall fell silent. A fourth-degree black belt in Taekwondo is indeed not easy to achieve. Taekwondo, which originated in South Korea, is well understood by Koreans, even those who haven't practiced it.

The grading system for Taekwondo is strict. One must be at least 15 years old to test for a black belt. After obtaining a first-degree black belt, one must wait 1.5 years to test for a second-degree black belt, with age restrictions for each level: 1.5 years for first-degree (15 years and older), 2 years for second-degree (16 years and older), 3 years for third-degree (18 years and older), 4 years for fourth-degree (21 years and older), 5 years for fifth-degree (25 years and older), 6 years for sixth-degree (30 years and older), 7 years for seventh-degree (36 years and older), 8 years for eighth-degree (44 years and older), and 60 years and older for ninth-degree, with the content of the examination determined by the World Taekwondo Federation's special committee.

Moreover, it is usually only possible to test up to the sixth-degree black belt. Seventh to ninth-degree black belts are only awarded to exceptionally outstanding individuals.

First to third-degree black belts are considered beginners, but with a first-degree black belt, one can participate in national competitions. Fourth to sixth-degree black belts are considered advanced, with fourth-degree and above being called "instructors," and fifth-degree and above being called "masters." Fourth-degree and above have the qualifications to apply for international coaching and refereeing positions and can serve as the head of a dojang or chief coach.

Moreover, to advance from fourth to sixth-degree black belt, one must be evaluated by the World Taekwondo Federation or the International Taekwondo Federation (ITF) promotion committee, which is not easy.

Strength is also a significant requirement in Taekwondo. Li Xun Zhe, at just 21 or 22 years old, has achieved a fourth-degree black belt, indicating that he is very talented. His strength is considerable, and if he kicks someone, it could easily cause them to spit blood.

The elders of the Jin family were immediately very worried about Xia Hou Zhong Ying.

"How do you know if you haven't tried?" Xia Hou Zhong Ying said with a carefree laugh, "It's fine. Come, Tai Yan, let go quickly."

"No, don't go," Jin Tai Yan tightly held onto Xia Hou Zhong Ying's arm, stubbornly pulling him and not wanting him to leave.

Xia Hou Zhong Ying was instantly embarrassed, especially since they were in the Jin family ancestral hall, with the entire Jin family present. It looked very inappropriate for the two of them to be pulling at each other.

"Tai Yan, the elders are here. This isn't proper," Xia Hou Zhong Ying said in a low voice.

Jin Tai Yan blushed but stubbornly shook her head, still not letting go.

"What do you want me to do to make you let go?" Xia Hou Zhong Ying was at a loss, not knowing how to deal with Jin Tai Yan's persistence.

The Jin family members watched the young couple, stunned. What was going on?

"Brother Zhong Ying, please don't go. It could be fatal," Jin Tai Yan pleaded.

"Ah, it's just a performance. It's not as serious as you think. At worst, I'll be seriously injured. Dying isn't that easy," Xia Hou Zhong Ying said nonchalantly.

Jin Tai Yan didn't have high hopes for Xia Hou Zhong Ying, and neither did the other Jin family members present. They all believed he would definitely lose, except for Xia Hou Zhong Ying himself.

Xia Hou Zhong Ying didn't think he would lose to Li Xun Zhe. He had seen others perform Taekwondo before and was disappointed. Even with a high rank, such Taekwondo couldn't compare to the combat techniques learned in the military, like those of Hei Gou. One is for practical combat, the other for performance, and they are not in the same league. He naturally didn't take it seriously.

The Jin family members almost choked on their own blood. How could Xia Hou Zhong Ying, who was just afraid of dying, say such a bold thing?

Jin Tai Yan was even more upset, tears welling up in her eyes, "Brother Zhong Ying, you know you'll get hurt. Why do you still want to go?"

"Zhong Ying, how can you speak like that?" Jin's mother scolded Xia Hou Zhong Ying angrily, "Tai Yan is just worried about you. Why are you so unreasonable?"

"Yes, yes, yes," Xia Hou Zhong Ying quickly nodded and apologized, then said hesitantly, "Aunt, but I've already promised Brother Xun Zhe. I can't just stay here, right? Look, he's standing outside in the cold wind, his nose is running. He looks so pitiful."

The corners of the elders' mouths twitched, completely speechless by Xia Hou Zhong Ying's words.

"Besides, I've trained in martial arts too. If I can't win, I can still run away," Xia Hou Zhong Ying said with a grin, "I'm very good at running. Even my master can't catch me."

"Alright, Tai Yan, let go. Let Zhong Ying go and face him," Jin's father said helplessly, secretly cursing Xia Hou Zhong Ying for being a hothead. He wanted to teach him a lesson, hoping that a beating would make him more cautious in the future. In the Jin family, Li Xun Zhe wouldn't dare to go too far, or he wouldn't have agreed to this.

"Dad," Jin Tai Yan looked up at her father, her face full of委屈 (grievance), tears welling up in her eyes.

"It's fine. He won't go too far," Jin's father comforted his daughter, "We'll be watching from the side."

"Okay," Jin Tai Yan reluctantly let go, turning to Xia Hou Zhong Ying, "Brother Zhong Ying, be careful. If you can't win, run, okay?"

Xia Hou Zhong Ying was frustrated. Why did everyone have so little confidence in him? They all thought he would definitely lose. He was a proud person, and being underestimated made him very unhappy. However, he knew they were all concerned for him, so he had no outlet for his frustration. He gently patted Jin Tai Yan's hand, signaling her to let go, and comforted her, "Okay, I understand. If I can't win, I'll run."

Li Xun Zhe had been waiting outside for a long time, his nose running from the cold wind. He was getting impatient and almost went back to the ancestral hall to urge Xia Hou Zhong Ying.

When he saw Xia Hou Zhong Ying leading a large group of supporters, both old and young, out of the ancestral hall, he finally breathed a sigh of relief, glad that he had finally come out.

Li Xun Zhe no longer had any hope of winning Jin Tai Yan's affection. The Jin family had a poor opinion of him and would never agree to Jin Tai Yan being with him. Now, he just wanted to beat Xia Hou Zhong Ying up and leave.

"I thought you were afraid and wouldn't come out," Li Xun Zhe, annoyed by the cold wind, said sarcastically.

"Why are you in such a hurry? We have plenty of time. I need to prepare a bit first. What if someone gets hurt by accident?" Xia Hou Zhong Ying laughed and talked nonsense.

"That's true. It seems you're already prepared to get hurt," Li Xun Zhe said, knowing that this performance was more than just a show. Both of them understood the underlying meaning.

"What if you get hurt?" Xia Hou Zhong Ying asked with a grin, his expression so despicable that Li Xun Zhe wanted to start the fight immediately to beat him up and make him stop smiling.

"I get hurt? Ha." Li Xun Zhe laughed in anger, "If I get hurt, you don't have to be responsible. But if you get hurt, I'll pay for your medical expenses."

"Alright, that's all I needed to hear," Xia Hou Zhong Ying said with a laugh.

"Can we start now?" Li Xun Zhe, tired of Xia Hou Zhong Ying's chatter, made a starting gesture and asked.