Chapter 28: The Chaos of a Thousand Warriors

"...Do you dare to fight?" Liu Fan's bold and domineering words echoed endlessly in the minds of every officer and soldier present. The atmosphere boiled over; these men were the elite of the army, the ace troops of the East China Military District. Now, someone was provoking their pride—how could they not be enraged? Each one howled like a wolf, eager to tear Liu Fan to pieces.

"If you lose, what will you do?" The burly man who had spoken earlier stepped forward once more. Though he held Liu Fan in contempt and desperately wanted to take him down a notch, he restrained his anger—this was the military, a place of discipline.

"If I lose, I'll hand over my position as instructor. But if you think you can beat me, you lot aren't even worthy." The fire in the room was already hot, but Liu Fan’s words stoked it further. To call these ace troops trash—no one could tolerate such insult.

Even the high-ranking officers standing behind Liu Fan were furious, their faces dark with anger. Only Sun Jianguo remained calm, smiling as always, though inwardly he worried for Liu Fan. He knew Liu Fan’s martial arts surpassed his own, yet these special forces weren’t easily defeated. Even Sun himself, facing fifty of them, would stand no chance—and now Liu Fan was challenging all of them at once. He leaned in to Liu Fan’s ear and murmured, “Xiao Fan, is this really going to work?”

Liu Fan merely smiled, giving a firm nod. Sun Jianguo could only hope Liu Fan would deliver a surprising victory.

Liu Fan’s words of disdain enraged the special forces even further. With approval from the military brass, they prepared to engage him in combat.

Liu Fan stepped forward, took a casual stance, and beckoned to the special forces with a crook of his finger, signaling them to attack. This provocative gesture was deliberate, meant to provoke them further.

His intention succeeded. The foremost special forces soldiers, unable to contain their anger, launched their assault.

They came at him with a signature military technique: the Cross Cannon Punch, a blow as thunderous as a cannon. Liu Fan, unruffled, blocked the strike with his palm, twisted his wrist to grab the attacker, pulled him aside, and with a sharp shoulder check sent the man flying several meters, crashing to the ground.

He sensed another attacker sneaking up from behind—a twitch of his ear was all it took. Instantly, his right leg swept upward in a movement like a dragon's tail, striking the assailant’s leg and sending him spinning through the air, landing hard.

Liu Fan turned to see three more charging at him. He leapt up, sweeping his leg across and striking all three in the face, sending them reeling into unconsciousness. Taking advantage of his momentum, he pressed the attack, fingers curled into claws, his entire being like a tiger descending the mountain, roaring into the fray.

Seeing Liu Fan’s unstoppable momentum, the others refused to back down. They attacked with all they had: punches, grapples, palm strikes, whip kicks—every technique imaginable, every variation possible, but Liu Fan countered each one with ease. In less than two minutes, over a hundred special forces soldiers had fallen—Liu Fan was taking down one every second.

Of course, he hadn’t used any supernatural strength—he fought purely with his physical prowess. If he had used his mystical powers, these men wouldn’t even have lasted through a single spell.

Gradually, the special forces realized Liu Fan’s formidable skill. They stopped attacking individually, forming groups for coordinated strikes—a strength of the military. Their group tactics were formidable, enough to force even martial arts experts into retreat. Unfortunately, they faced someone as extraordinary as Liu Fan, so their efforts ended in tragedy.

Six men attacked together, advancing and retreating in perfect coordination, their combined strength greater than the sum of their parts. But Liu Fan’s calm demeanor showed he didn’t care how many came at him. His eyes flashed coldly—he spotted a weakness in their formation and targeted their vulnerabilities.

He struck one man with a kick, sending him sprawling. Then, spinning, he delivered an elbow to another’s armpit, followed by a back throw that flung his opponent into the crowd, causing chaos among the special forces. The remaining four, their formation broken, were quickly struck on the shins by Liu Fan’s knife-hand blows, collapsing to the ground like the others.

As their numbers dwindled, the special forces grew cautious, timid, afraid the next to fall would be themselves. Self-interest crept in, and Liu Fan exploited it, breaking their defenses with ease.

Watching these once-proud soldiers, Liu Fan smirked coldly, showing no mercy. He intended to shatter their arrogance completely—only through breaking and rebuilding could they truly grow. A little hardship would only benefit them, though none understood Liu Fan’s intentions; they likely cursed him in their hearts.

Though the special forces had underestimated Liu Fan’s strength and were awed by his aura, they had endured blood and fire, and their resolve remained strong. After a brief panic, they reorganized their assault.

This time, even more attacked—a hundred at once, five men per group, twenty groups advancing in waves. One fell, another replaced him, hoping to exhaust Liu Fan with relentless rotation. But would this strategy succeed?

Of course not. Liu Fan answered them with action. He moved among the crowd, feet tracing intricate, mysterious steps, hands employing the Cloud-Massage Technique to neutralize every attack and deliver counter-strikes. Though it appeared to be only a massage style, it was in fact a profound martial art, demanding deep knowledge of human anatomy to wield freely, capable of manipulating muscles and joints at will.

Time slipped by quickly. In less than ten minutes, over a thousand soldiers lay defeated; only Liu Fan stood tall at the center of the field. The only sounds were the groans of the wounded. Sun Jianguo and the senior officers on the sidelines stared in stunned silence, their hearts shaken beyond measure. If not for their heaving chests, one might have mistaken them for wax statues.

"Are you... convinced now?" Liu Fan stood proudly at the center, scanning the crowd, his voice calm. His words struck every heart like a heavy blow, filling them with shame. Yet, as they realized such a formidable man would be their instructor, hope ignited in their hearts—they, too, could become just as strong.

At that moment, Sun Jianguo emerged from his shock, strode forward, and embraced Liu Fan, laughing heartily. "Ha ha, good lad! I knew I wasn't wrong about you." Then, turning to the fallen special forces, he addressed them sternly: "Now you understand that there’s always someone stronger, always another sky above. You always act as if you’re second only to Heaven itself—now you've tasted defeat. I needn’t tell you what to do from now on; you know it yourselves."

The special forces, understanding their commander was giving them a way out, endured their pain and assembled before Liu Fan, bowing deeply. With firm resolve, they shouted in unison, "Instructor Liu, we acknowledge your strength!" Then came a wave of enthusiastic applause, welcoming Liu Fan.

At Sun Jianguo’s prompting, Liu Fan accepted, officially assuming the role of special forces instructor. He cleared his throat and said loudly, "Your performance today was unsatisfactory, but your indomitable spirit deserves recognition. As soldiers, you must possess unstoppable momentum and unwavering will. Only then can you continue to grow. When I called you trash, it wasn’t to belittle you, but to make you aware of your place. In my eyes, you are nothing—but I will do my utmost to help you become something."

"Now, after dismissal, I’ll treat your injuries. No special training today; starting tomorrow, I’ll teach you even stronger martial arts."

Afterward, Liu Fan tended to the wounded one by one. Under his care, each soldier revived with renewed vigor—he had held back during the battle, ensuring no lasting harm. His medical skill astonished everyone anew.

The day quickly passed, the injured were all healed, and Liu Fan declined Sun Jianguo’s invitation to stay, returning to his quarters...