Chapter 15

"Is Zhan Shi very strong?"

In the basement, Li Hao still found it hard to believe.

Zhan Shi, it really doesn't sound impressive.

One against ten, it doesn't seem that exaggerated, right?

As far as he knew, some old patrol officers could probably do it.

"Is it very strong?"

Liu Long said coldly, "To me, it's naturally very weak! To you, a Zhan Shi realm martial artist can kill you several times without any problem!"

Over there, the petite Yun Yao said softly, "Li Hao, don't underestimate any martial artist! Zhan Shi is a martial artist who can break through and kill ten people in a formation of ten. This is what Zhan Shi means! One against ten and one-on-one, killing ten people in a row, are different concepts."

Liu Long said indifferently, "Talking to him too much is useless. Chen Jian, you go and teach him what a martial artist is!"

"Me?"

The big, chubby Chen Jian was somewhat honest, "I'm not good at offense, and I'm very slow. This kid is still pretty fast."

Different strengths!

Li Hao was even faster than him, and he was better at defense.

"Try it!"

Liu Long frowned slightly, "Just play with him. You're good at defense, not offense, which is also to avoid killing him!"

Alright!

Hearing this, Li Hao felt a bit sad. It seemed they were using a shield to test him, afraid of killing him.

However, Li Hao was really getting excited.

Men, after all, have a competitive spirit and a bit of a fighting heart.

He didn't know how strong the fat Chen Jian was, but with such a large build, even if he couldn't beat him, he could probably run away, right?

Chen Jian smiled honestly and looked at the eager Li Hao, saying, "Shall we spar a bit?"

He added, "I'm the weakest in our squad, good at nothing but defense! You practice the Five Animal Ape Technique, and you're pretty fast. I might not be able to catch you..."

Li Hao glanced at him. If he hadn't said that, it would have been fine, but now... Li Hao was a bit uneasy.

Is this fat guy really that strong?

Liu Long, impatient, said, "Apart from defense, Chen Jian is the weakest in the squad in terms of speed, attack, and breakthrough ability. If you don't want to, we can have Wu Chao do it!"

Looking at Wu Chao, Li Hao shook his head.

Forget it!

This skinny guy looked agile, and he was the squad's scout, sharper than a monkey. Li Hao knew his own situation; he might not even be able to touch him.

"Then I'll go!"

Chen Jian took a step forward, moving very slowly.

Li Hao didn't say anything. As soon as he started the Ape Technique, Chen Jian's big palm, like a fan, slapped over.

Without thinking, Li Hao jumped and retreated.

This guy's palm doesn't look light at all.

On the other side, Chen Jian, seeing Li Hao jump, didn't think much either. His movements didn't look fast, but he took a small step to the right. The next moment, Li Hao's face changed.

His landing point was right there!

Not directly behind him!

In mid-air, Li Hao hurriedly used the air resistance to change his position, kicking wildly with his feet, with no grace at all.

Real martial arts aren't very graceful either.

The Ape Technique was still okay, but the other techniques of the Five Animal Techniques looked clumsy, even requiring crawling on the ground, which was even uglier.

Chen Jian's chubby face showed a honest smile, as if he had guessed it long ago.

This wasn't because his reactions were faster or because of his strength, but because of experience!

Fighting superhumans, without some experience, you'd be dead long ago.

Li Hao kicked wildly, using the air resistance to move. Chen Jian, unhurried, took a few casual steps. At this moment, Li Hao couldn't find any support and fell directly.

This time, his landing point was less than a meter in front of Chen Jian.

They were almost face to face!

The moment Li Hao landed, he felt the ground's force and was about to use it to bounce away. At this moment, a big palm appeared in his peripheral vision, the same big palm from the beginning.

Slap!

A crisp sound!

Li Hao rolled in the air and fell to the ground with a thud.

Chen Jian didn't hit his face but his neck, which was now red.

At this moment, Li Hao was completely dazed.

It felt like his neck was broken!

He couldn't feel anything, his head was dizzy, and he had no sensation below his neck.

He jumped and used the air resistance, but was slapped into a daze.

Completely dazed!

Chen Jian, still honest, looked at his big palm, then at the fallen Li Hao, and gave a slightly embarrassed smile, turning to look at Liu Long.

Embarrassedly, he said, "I... I didn't expect him to react so slowly... And I didn't expect him to jump right away. The boss said that if your strength isn't enough, jumping in the air is asking for death... I didn't expect to encounter it today."

If your strength isn't enough, jumping in the air, once your return path is blocked and your landing point is calculated, you're at the mercy of others.

This is a big taboo in real combat!

Even a martial artist with a hundred points of strength, unless necessary, rarely jumps in the air in real combat. That way, all your weaknesses are exposed, and you lack the opportunity to counterattack.

Keeping your feet on the ground is something every martial artist must remember in real combat!

Li Hao, relying on his Ape Technique, thought he was fast and agile, and jumped in the air right away, only to be slapped into a daze!

...

The entire basement was quiet at this moment.

Only Chen Jian's honest explanation could be heard.

Li Hao, with his head down, his face slightly flushed, felt a great blow to his pride.

He had always considered himself smart, but today he suffered a significant setback.

He thought he was quite strong, but was easily slapped away by the squad's shield, and if not for the restraint, he suspected his neck could have been broken!

Li Hao, who had just thought he couldn't Zhan Shi but could handle five or six, was now completely discouraged.

At this moment, he seemed to have some realization, some understanding.

I... I'm not a martial artist. Strictly speaking, I'm just a half-trained amateur with no real combat experience. I'm just a real rookie, and I've always overestimated myself!

Thinking about the scene from last night, he was still wondering if he could counterkill the Red Shadow and the person behind the Red Shadow if he drew his gun fast enough.

Now, thinking about it... How naive!

How childish!

...

The others looked at Liu Long, then at Li Hao, all showing a hint of surprise.

Is this guy so devastated by the blow?

This... His mental resilience seems pretty poor!

Liu Long frowned slightly. He had intended to give Li Hao a warning, but that wasn't the main point. The main point was to make Li Hao understand that the enemies they faced were far more formidable than he imagined.

But it turned out that just one sparring session left Li Hao so discouraged that he lost confidence.

At this moment, Li Hao was lying on the ground, not getting up. Was he unable to accept such a failure?

"Is that all?"

Liu Long's eyes showed a hint of disappointment. He had thought that even if Li Hao's strength wasn't great, his mind, intelligence, patience, and resilience were top-notch. After all, he was recognized by Yuan Shuo and had secretly investigated a case for a year for a friend. He thought Li Hao had potential.

But now, was Li Hao too smooth? Could such a person withstand a blow?

He was thinking about it.

At this moment, Li Hao stood up, rubbed his neck, and showed a hint of embarrassment.

Like a young boy!

In fact, he was still young, and if he hadn't dropped out, he would still be a student at the Ancient Academy.

"I always thought I was different, smarter than others. I could get into the Ancient Academy, be taken as a disciple by Teacher Yuan, smoothly enter the Patrol Bureau, and solve cases. I thought I could do anything, and I did everything well..."

Li Hao said, shaking his head with a slightly bitter smile, "Today, I realized that in a fight, I'm nothing! I've only studied the Ape Technique for three years, and I've been slacking off this year. How can I compare to the older brothers? Brother Chen, you must have practiced martial arts for many years, right?"

Chen Jian said honestly, "Sixteen years! I started practicing at 12."

"..."

Li Hao was speechless.

Not because he had practiced for 16 years, but because... he was 28!

What a joke!

You're only 28?

Seeing this fat guy for the first time, he thought Chen Jian was at least around 40, but he was only 28?

Speechless!

Li Hao thought about it but didn't say it out loud, showing a hint of helplessness on his face: "My teacher said that practicing martial arts depends on talent and diligence! Diligence is more important than talent! Practicing for 16 years, I won't say if I have talent, but even if I do, with my habit of working two days and slacking off for three, not being slapped to death by Brother Chen is because he held back!"

Chen Jian smiled awkwardly, "Don't say that. It's actually okay. Although I held back, I used about 30% of my strength. I slapped you, and you didn't pass out, just fell to the ground. That's actually pretty good."

"..."

Is this a compliment?

Li Hao looked at him, this honest-looking big brother, wondering if there was any hidden meaning in his words.

A shield, using 30% of his strength, just to knock you down without killing you, is that something to be proud of?

At this moment, Liu Long spoke, "If you can snap out of it, that's fine. I was thinking that if you wanted to quit after being slapped, I would let you. It seems you still have some resilience."

He then returned to his cold tone, "But I want to tell you, Chen Jian is just a Zhan Shi martial artist, mainly focused on defense! Remember, any superhuman is far superior to him! If you can't avoid Chen Jian's attacks, you won't stand a chance against a superhuman."

"Of course, you just joined, so being weak is normal. You're still a probationary member. Except for the next arson case, where you'll be the bait, most of the time... your main job is to strengthen yourself and help us analyze and organize data!"

He didn't expect Li Hao to be useful right away.

Not at all!

After speaking, Liu Long tightened his coat, glanced at the others, and quickly said, "Liu Yan, take care of this guy, figure out the situation first! Don't die mysteriously in the next mission."

"Don't worry, boss, I'll take good care of him!"

Liu Yan smiled broadly, and Li Hao, hesitating, thought about it and decided, "Anyone will do."

At this moment, he was just a junior in the Demon Hunting Squad.

The so-called weakest Chen Jian could easily slap him to death. What else could he say?

As for Doctor Yun Yao, Li Hao didn't want to ask anything. She looked kind and gentle, but who knows what she's really like. Sometimes, the more gentle someone looks, the more terrifying they are.

As for Liu Yan, at least he was a bit familiar with her, and she had spoken to him a few times.

Liu Yan smiled at Li Hao, "Little Li Hao, let's go to the office and chat. It's too oppressive here."

Li Hao thought about it and said, "Captain Liu, this can wait."

Then he looked at Liu Long, "Captain Liu..."

"You can call me boss!"

Liu Long looked cold and proud, as if being called boss was a great achievement.

Li Hao didn't say anything. When you're under someone's roof, you call them boss.

"Boss, the murderer of Zhang Yuan probably knows we're investigating him because of the commotion last night! I've studied the cases, and every rainy day might be the time for the next attack... It's been almost a year since the last incident, so the next rainy day in a few days might be the time for the next attack."

Liu Long nodded indifferently, "I know! I'll be prepared. What you're trying to say is that the next target might be you, and you're scared, right?"

Li Hao didn't say anything.

"Don't worry!"

Liu Long didn't explain much. He just instructed Li Hao, "Your goal now is to learn more, know more, and better protect yourself! As for dealing with the arson case, we'll find a way!"

Li Hao could only choose to trust them!

And he thought Liu Long wouldn't seek death.

After speaking, Liu Long walked out, followed quickly by Wu Chao and Chen Jian. Yun Yao didn't follow but greeted Li Hao and the others and walked deeper into the basement.

Liu Yan glanced at Yun Yao, then saw Li Hao staring at her, and suddenly found it amusing, whispering, "Little guy, is chatting with me so stressful? This one, you shouldn't have your eyes on. I'm much better."

"Captain Liu, you misunderstood!"

Liu Yan laughed again, "Whether it's a misunderstanding or not doesn't matter, just a reminder! A doctor... isn't just anyone! For us, minor injuries don't need a doctor! And a doctor in the squad is a very important role, responsible for tasks that others can't do."

Li Hao was immediately interested, asking curiously, "What?"

At this moment, Li Hao was interested in everything. Only by quickly understanding everything could he keep up with the others.

"Stripping mystical energy!"

Liu Yan spoke with a smile, but her smile was slightly wary.

Stripping mystical energy!

Li Hao was slightly stunned.

Mystical energy, something ordinary people can't see. As for whether superhumans can see it... they might be able to, but none of the people here were, so stripping mystical energy wasn't easy.

But Yun Yao could do it!

According to Liu Yan, Yun Yao was indeed a crucial part of the squad. They hunted superhumans to strip their mystical energy, and without Yun Yao, the squad might not have a reason to exist.

Even someone as carefree as Liu Yan was wary.

At this moment, Li Hao also kept it in mind.

This squad, though they looked ordinary, were all not simple. No one who could join the squad was a pushover.

"Let's go, stop staring!"

Liu Yan casually kicked Li Hao and said with a smile, "Stay away from this woman! She's more troublesome than the boss. You can joke with the boss, but with her, speak less!"

Li Hao nodded obediently.

At this moment, he was very honest, like he was a year ago when he first entered the confidential office. Back then, he was also very honest, not daring to say an extra word, just acting as a junior.

Do what you're told!

A year later, he was still that honest, but everyone in the confidential office spoke well of him, and no one said anything bad about him. That was enough.

...

Following Liu Yan, the two returned to the office on the sixth floor.

They had only been down for half an hour, but when they came back up, the office that had seemed terrifying just now felt very safe to Li Hao, much better than below.

Bang!

Liu Yan still sat heavily in her chair, legs on the table, gesturing for Li Hao to sit wherever he wanted.

After Li Hao sat down, Liu Yan spoke casually but said something not so casual.

"The boss asked me to give you a brief introduction... I don't know where to start, since everything is known to me. Why don't you ask? Whatever you want to know, I'll answer!"

Li Hao took it seriously.

He looked polite, but to learn more, he wouldn't be polite. He asked directly, "Captain Liu, how does one become a superhuman?"

"Two ways!"

Liu Yan was straightforward, "First, naturally! Some people can naturally absorb mystical energy without cultivation or energy induction. They have some mystical energy foundation in their bodies, which naturally grows. These people are called Heavenly Favored Divine Masters!"

Heavenly Favored Divine Masters!

Li Hao noted this term.

"Second, energy induction! This is the conventional method of advancement, absorbing mystical energy to wash and activate one's own mystical energy. These superhumans are the mainstream and the majority. They are called Starlight Masters in the entire superhuman system!"

"Mystical energy, like starlight, is brilliant. After absorbing mystical energy, they call themselves illuminated by starlight."

Starlight Masters!

Li Hao noted this again.

So, the entire superhuman system, due to different methods of birth, is divided into two major categories?

"Are these the only two?"

Liu Yan nodded, "Strictly speaking, we are also the second type. We want to advance to superhuman by inducing mystical energy, so