(A/N: I got tired following the main storyline, so I'll just create my own.)
Gu Martial Arts Hall
After dealing with the two thugs who had been harassing a woman on the street, Gu Xing returned quietly to his martial arts hall. The morning sun hung low over the city, casting long shadows across the pavement as he unlocked the front door.
He couldn't help but notice the strange pattern in his life lately. Somehow, trouble always seemed to find him.
Bullies. Street fights. People in need of help.
It happened far too often to ignore.
Gu Xing shook his head lightly as he stepped inside.
"Must be a coincidence."
The interior of the hall was calm and orderly. Sunlight filtered through the tall windows, illuminating the polished wooden floor and the neatly arranged training equipment along the walls—punching bags, gloves, gears, and practice dummies standing silently like patient students.
It was time to open the gym.
After arranging the supplies he had bought earlier, Gu Xing settled behind the front counter. From a small stack of books, he picked one up and began reading while waiting for customers.
The title on the cover read:
Mystery of Chi.
The book attempted to explain the ancient and mystical concept of chi—life energy said to flow through all living beings, something martial artists had spoken about for centuries.
Gu Xing flipped a page calmly.
Most likely, the author had no idea it actually existed.
Ding ~
The soft chime of the doorbell echoed through the quiet hall.
Gu Xing looked up.
Standing at the entrance was a young woman.
"Hello… are you the owner of this gym?" she asked.
She looked to be in her mid-twenties, with a poised but relaxed posture that immediately caught Gu Xing's attention. Her dark hair fell neatly around her shoulders, framing a sharp yet elegant face. She wore a simple leather jacket over a dark shirt, paired with jeans and boots—practical clothing that allowed easy movement. Her eyes were focused and observant, the kind of gaze that belonged to someone trained in combat.
There was a quiet confidence in the way she stood, balanced and centered.
A martial artist.
Gu Xing studied her for a brief moment.
He didn't know who she was.
But for some reason… she felt strangely familiar.
Gu Xing closed the book slowly and set it down on the counter.
"Yes, I am," he replied calmly. "How can I help you, miss…?"
"Colleen Wing," she said without hesitation. "I was wondering if you're hiring an instructor."
Gu Xing's expression remained neutral, but inwardly he paused.
Colleen Wing? That Colleen Wing?
Of all the people he expected to meet, she was certainly not one of them.
Who would've thought he'd run into her here?
If he remembered correctly, Colleen Wing would eventually run her own dojo. That was how things were supposed to go. But now she was here, standing in his martial arts hall asking for a job.
Maybe my appearance changed things, he thought.
After a brief moment, Gu Xing leaned back slightly in his chair.
"We do need an instructor," he said evenly, "but we don't just hire anyone."
Colleen didn't look offended. If anything, she seemed to expect that answer. Her posture remained relaxed, arms loosely crossed as she looked around the hall, quietly observing the training space.
Gu Xing continued.
"What martial arts do you practice?"
Colleen shifted her weight slightly before answering.
"Karate and kenjutsu," she said. "I know a few other things too, but that's the main gist of it."
There was no arrogance in her tone—just simple confidence, the kind that came from someone who actually knew what they were doing.
"I have no available wooden sword here," Gu Xing said as he stepped out from behind the counter. "Let's test your karate instead."
Colleen didn't hesitate.
"Sure."
They moved to the center of the training floor. The polished wood creaked faintly beneath their feet as they faced each other. Sunlight streamed through the windows, stretching long beams across the hall.
Colleen raised her guard first—calm, composed, and balanced. Her stance was clean and disciplined, the kind that came from years of real training rather than casual practice.
Gu Xing nodded slightly.
Good foundation.
"Whenever you're ready," he said.
Colleen moved first.
She stepped forward with a sharp front kick aimed at his midsection, fast and precise. Gu Xing shifted his body slightly, the kick passing just inches from his torso. Before she could fully retract, he tapped her leg aside with the back of his hand.
Colleen didn't stop.
She followed with a quick combination—jab, cross, then a spinning backfist meant to catch him off guard.
But to Gu Xing, everything felt slower.
His perception easily tracked every movement. With a small tilt of his head, he avoided the punch, raised his forearm to deflect the cross, then stepped inside the arc of the spinning strike before it could build momentum.
Colleen's eyes widened slightly.
He's fast.
She pivoted immediately, attempting a sweep toward his legs.
Gu Xing simply stepped over it.
The gap between them became clear within seconds.
Gu Xing wasn't just skilled—he was faster, stronger, and far more perceptive than any normal martial artist. His movements were efficient and controlled, like someone holding back while testing the limits of another.
Still, Colleen didn't give up.
She pressed forward with another flurry—three sharp strikes aimed at his ribs and shoulder, followed by a rising elbow.
This time Gu Xing moved.
He parried the first strike, redirected the second, caught her wrist during the third, and gently pulled her off balance. Before she could recover, his foot hooked behind her ankle and guided her down.
Colleen landed on the mat with a controlled thud.
Gu Xing released her arm immediately and stepped back.
The fight had lasted less than a minute.
Colleen remained on the ground for a second, catching her breath, staring up at him with surprise. Not anger—just disbelief.
*He held back the entire time.*
Gu Xing offered his hand.
"Welcome to the team," he said.
Colleen blinked.
"That's it?" she asked as she accepted his hand and stood up. "I'm accepted already? No background check?"
Gu Xing returned to the counter and picked up his book again as if nothing unusual had happened.
"It will be fine," he said calmly.
He turned a page.
"Trust who you hire and hire who you trust."
"You are Instructor Wing now," Gu Xing said matter-of-factly. "You can teach whatever you like and do what you want with this place. As for your salary, you'll get five thousand a month. Is that alright?"
"What?" Colleen blurted out, genuinely shocked.
---
After that, Gu Xing spent some time explaining the basic rules of the hall—how the training schedule usually worked, the equipment layout, and how students would register. The rules themselves were simple. Too simple, in Colleen's opinion.
When everything was finished, Gu Xing walked her to the door.
"So that's it," he said. "You can start tomorrow if you want."
Colleen hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"Actually… there's one small problem," she said. "I just got here. I don't really have a place to stay yet."
Gu Xing paused, thinking.
Fortunately, Colleen still had some funds with her. After a quick search around the neighborhood, she managed to rent a small apartment not too far from the martial arts hall. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was close enough that she could walk to work.
By the time she left, the sun had already reached its peak.
The hall returned to silence.
Gu Xing sat back down behind the counter, his thoughts drifting.
Only now did he realize something.
He had gotten stronger again.
It hadn't been obvious at first, but during the spar earlier he noticed the difference. Colleen Wing was already a highly skilled martial artist—someone operating at the limits of what a normal human could achieve.
Peak human.
Yet during their fight, her movements had felt… slow.
Not unbearably slow, but slow enough that he could react without any real effort. Even when she attacked at full speed, he could clearly see every motion before it happened.
I should be around Captain America's level now, he thought.
That realization made him frown slightly.
"What's the next level from here?" he muttered quietly.
"More strength?"
"More speed?"
Neither answer felt complete.
Gu Xing lowered his gaze back to the book he had been reading earlier. His eyes scanned the page absentmindedly before stopping on a familiar word.
Chi.
He stared at it for a moment.