KOF: Rise of the King of Fighters

Busan, on the western hillside.

Phoenix Taekwondo Gym.

Yan Yue followed Li Mei up the last stone step and looked at the gilded plaque of "Phoenix Taekwondo Hall" above the door.

This is Kim Kaphwan's dojo.

"Wow—this is Phoenix Taekwondo Gym! It's even more impressive than in the videos!" Li Mei exclaimed excitedly, standing on tiptoe to look around. Her cheeks were still flushed from the journey, and her eyes shone like stars.

"Brother Yan, we've really arrived!!"

Just as Yan Yue was about to respond, a small, thin figure appeared in the center of the courtyard.

The man was wearing a faded white taekwondo uniform, barely reaching an adult's waist, and slowly sweeping fallen leaves with a bamboo broom taller than himself.

It seems to be Choi Po-Gian.

"Excuse me, is this the Phoenix Taekwondo Gym of Director Kim Kap-bum?" Li Mei stepped forward first.

Cai Baojian turned around and looked at the two of them.

At this moment, Cai Baoquan did not recognize Yan Yue at all. His gaze swept over Yan Yue and then became fixed on Li Mei.

The girl before him had bright, smiling eyes and a radiant smile like a sunflower, exuding youthful energy. Cai Baojian immediately abandoned his languid demeanor, put down the broom, rubbed his hands together, and smiled ingratiatingly.

"That's right! This is Master Kim's dojo! Young ladies, do you need something from Master Kim?"

"We've come to become your disciples!" Li Mei took two steps forward, her hands clasped together in anticipation.

"My name is Li Mei, and this is Brother Yan! I admire Director Kim so much and want to learn Taekwondo from him. Brother Yan also has something to ask Director Kim!"

Cai Baojian scratched his head, his smile fading slightly: "Becoming a disciple... What a coincidence, Master Kim went to Seoul early yesterday morning to attend a martial arts exchange conference, and he won't be back until at least the day after tomorrow."

"Why couldn't they be here..." Li Mei's face fell, her eyes instantly dimming. "We took so many detours and traveled for five days to get here, and we're almost out of money for the journey..."

Yan Yue patted her shoulder and gently comforted her, "Since you're here, it's okay to wait a few more days..."

He wasn't surprised; as a Taekwondo master, Kim Kaphwan was used to exchanging martial arts techniques with various places.

Who is visiting?

Just then, a whooshing sound came from deep within the dojo, but the sharp gust of wind was not at all abrupt, only carrying the lightness of a martial artist.

"call out--"

The two subconsciously looked up and saw a blue figure leap out from the eaves of the main hall. The toes lightly touched the carved railing, and the figure drew a smooth arc in the air, like a black eagle spreading its wings. With the fluttering of its clothes, it landed steadily on the bluestone slab, as light as a feather, without making the slightest sound.

The entire set of movements was clean and crisp, demonstrating the high level of skill in light body techniques.

"Wow! That's amazing! Is this the light-footed skill of Taekwondo? It's even cooler than the heroes in TV dramas!" Li Mei's eyes widened, and she exclaimed softly, shaking Yan Yue's arm with admiration in her eyes.

Yan Yue raised an eyebrow slightly and nodded inwardly, recalling the list of players from the King of Fighters '99 tournament.

I remember this person, his name is Jeon Hoon...

The visitor was dressed in a tailor-made blue taekwondo uniform with silver phoenix patterns embroidered on the collar and cuffs, paired with white martial arts pants, understated yet exuding an air of nobility.

He was tall and slender, with long gray hair, a handsome face, sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, and an innate arrogance between his brows. The wisps of hair on his forehead were blown by the mountain wind, and his sharp eyes swept over the three people in the courtyard.

He cleared his throat, deliberately lowering his voice, with obvious smugness.

"I am Jeon Hoon, a junior disciple of Kim Kap-bum and the current vice-director of Phoenix Taekwondo Gym."

By clearly stating their relationship with Kim Kap-fan while subtly emphasizing their own status, Yan Yue and Li Mei exchanged a glance and quickly bowed to greet him: "Hello, Vice Director Quan Xun!"

"We've come to seek Master Kim's apprenticeship, I wonder if you could..."

Before Li Mei could finish speaking, Quan Xun raised his hand to interrupt her. He raised his eyebrows slightly, his face showing obvious dissatisfaction, and his tone became a few degrees louder.

"Looking for Kim Kaphwan?"

Li Mei paused for a moment, then nodded obediently: "Yes, I want to become Master Jin's apprentice. It's been my wish all along. I even memorized his competition moves! It's just that he's not here today..."

"Humph."

Quan Xun snorted, crossed his arms, and spoke each word with righteous indignation, "Don't you take me, the deputy director, seriously?"

"Ah, this..." Li Mei was puzzled.

"The deputy curator means that if the curator is not here, I am the curator!"

Quan Xun's words were resounding, and the courtyard instantly fell into dead silence.

Yan Yue: "???"

Li Mei: "???"

The two of them froze, their faces filled with bewilderment.

Yan Yue mentally ranted.

Good heavens, Quan Xun's actions are way too obvious. He's clearly taking advantage of his senior brother's absence to try and experience being a "Grandmaster." His very core is obsessed with experiencing what it's like to be a Grandmaster.

Cai Baojian, who was standing next to him, couldn't help but burst out laughing. He quickly covered his mouth with his hand, but his shoulders trembled slightly.

Although the sound was soft, it could be heard clearly in the quiet courtyard.

Quan Xun's face instantly flushed red, the color spreading from his cheeks to his ears. He turned and glared fiercely at Cai Baoqi, his tone full of embarrassment and anger: "Cai Baoqi! What are you laughing at?!"

Cai Baojian shrank back in fright and quickly waved his hands, begging for forgiveness: "No, no, no! I didn't say anything! Master Quan, please don't hold it against me..."

After saying that, he picked up the broom and started sweeping the floor without looking up, but he still secretly glanced at Quan Xun out of the corner of his eye. His shoulders were shaking even more, obviously he was having a hard time suppressing his laughter.

Quan Xun took a deep breath, trying to calm his surging emotions, but his ears were still bright red, clearly because his innermost thoughts had been touched.

He turned back to Yan Yue and Li Mei, trying to put on a dignified appearance in an attempt to salvage his image.

“I did not overstep my bounds, but the dojo cannot be without a master while Master Kim is away.”

"If you wish to become my disciples, I, as the deputy headmaster, will naturally conduct the initial assessment of your qualifications. Whether you pass or fail is up to me."

"Kim Kap-bum and I share the same martial arts background and have been practicing together for decades, so our strengths are roughly equal."

I know all the skills he can teach, and I can still teach the ones he can't... even in more detail than he can.

Learning from me is no different from learning from Kim Kaphwan.

Yan Yue thought to herself, "As expected," but said nothing more.

It seems the rivalry between these two fellow disciples is a genuine contest of strength, but their obsession with surpassing their senior is all too obvious.

Li Mei frowned, shook her head hesitantly, and said, "I'm sorry, Deputy Master, I still want to wait for Master Jin to return so I can personally become his disciple."

I watched his match videos since I was a child, memorizing every move and technique, wanting to learn from the person I admired most.

These words struck right at Jeon Hoon's most stubborn sore spot.

He and Kim Kap-bum were fellow disciples for decades and were compared by their master from a young age. Their strengths were comparable, but his reputation was far inferior. When people mentioned him, they always thought of him as "Kim Kap-bum's fellow disciple" rather than "Cheon Hoon" himself.

Now even a little girl only recognizes Kim Kap-bum and not him, the deputy head of the club, which instantly ignited his competitive spirit.

He took two steps forward, his tone urgent and somewhat impatient.

What's the difference between learning from him and learning from me?

We studied under the same master, and what we learned was the essence of Phoenix Taekwondo.

"If you follow me, I guarantee you'll get the basics in three months, master them in six months, and be able to represent the dojo in competitions within a year! It's much more effective than learning from Kim Kaphwan!"

Quan Xun became more and more excited as he spoke, and his sharp aura dissipated somewhat, leaving only an eagerness to prove himself, just like a child who was eager to gain recognition.

"really?"

Li Mei's eyes lit up instantly, and she was instantly moved. Her original intention for coming here was to learn Taekwondo to protect the old lady and deal with the bullies. As long as she could learn real skills and become stronger as soon as possible, it didn't seem to matter who she learned from.

She tugged at Yan Yue's sleeve and whispered, "Brother Yan, how about I learn the basics from the deputy master first? And then become his apprentice when Master Jin comes back?"

Seeing her expression, Yan Yue knew she was persuaded, so she quickly and quietly tugged at her sleeve, frantically signaling with her eyes:

Don't be fooled by his "leader's filter"—let's wait until Kim Jong-un comes back! This guy just wants to indulge in his master's fantasies while his senior brother is away!

Li Mei was stunned for a moment, then turned to meet Yan Yue's helpless gaze.

"I'm sorry, Deputy Master, I still want to wait for Master Kim to return so I can personally tell him about becoming his disciple."

Quan Xun's face instantly darkened. Even after promising to teach her, he still couldn't persuade the girl.

He turned to look at Yan Yue, clearly shifting his competitive spirit to her.

"Young man, judging from your upright posture and steady breathing, you must know some martial arts."

"How about we spar a few moves and I show you the true skill of Phoenix Taekwondo? That way, you can feel more comfortable entrusting your friend to my instruction."

He had a plan in mind: if he could defeat Yan Yue, he could prove his strength, change Li Mei's opinion, and maybe even take on two apprentices so he could show off when Jin Jiafan returned.

Yan Yue's heart skipped a beat, and she shook her head vigorously: "No need, no need, I didn't come here to become your disciple..."

He had no desire to get involved in the rivalry between these two fellow disciples.

If we win, we won't give face to Kim Kap-bum's dojo. When Master Kim returns, he'll probably want to spar with him.

If they lose, not only will they lose face, but Li Mei might also be tricked by Quan Xun into becoming his apprentice.

If they draw, Quanxun will probably keep sparring with him until a winner is decided, which would be a losing proposition no matter how you look at it.

[This guy's probably trying to prove he's better than Kim Kaphwan through this sparring match, right? I'm not falling for it.]

Seeing that Yan Yue refused to fight, Quan Xun's face showed obvious disappointment, but then he said unwillingly:

"Since you refuse to spar, then I'll show you my skills and let you witness the true abilities of Phoenix Taekwondo. I'll also let you know that my title as the vice-headmaster is well-deserved!"

As he spoke, he took a few steps back and assumed a fighting stance. His feet were shoulder-width apart, his knees were slightly bent, and his hands were clenched into fists in front of his chest. His aura instantly changed, from the eagerness and arrogance of before to a calm and sharp one, making him seem like a completely different person.

"Watch closely, this is Phoenix Taekwondo's signature move—the Phoenix Kick!"

Before he finished speaking, Quan Xun suddenly leaped up, his body spinning half a circle in mid-air. His right leg, like a steel whip ready to be unleashed, kicked fiercely at the training post next to him, which was as thick as a person.

"boom!"

A muffled thud shook the surrounding leaves, causing them to flutter down. The dark training post swayed slightly, leaving a clear footprint deep enough to see into the wood.

Li Mei's eyes widened, her mouth slightly agape, and after a long pause, she finally managed to utter, "Wow! Amazing! Even more amazing than what I saw in the video! Deputy Director!"

Yan Yue secretly admired him. The kick was powerful and the angle was tricky. The landing was perfectly controlled. This skill was indeed on par with Jin Jiafan.

Seeing Li Mei's admiring expression, Quan Xun felt much better and walked to the half-foot-thick bluestone slab in the center of the courtyard.

He took a deep breath, and his inner energy slowly gathered in one leg. Then, with a loud shout, he slashed down fiercely!

"drink!"

"Click——"

After a crisp sound, the half-foot-thick bluestone slab was smashed, leaving a crack as if it had been slashed by a sharp blade, splitting the entire slab in two.

Quan Xun withdrew his foot, dusted off his trouser legs, and his smugness grew even stronger. "This is the intermediate level of Phoenix Taekwondo, capable of splitting stone tablets."

If you learn from me, you'll quickly reach this level too.

Li Mei was truly stunned this time, looking at Quan Xun with admiration and amazement: "Deputy Director, that kick was so cool! It's even cooler than the hero moves in TV dramas!"

Being praised like that by the girl he liked, Quanxun was practically strutting around with pride, but he still pretended to be modest and waved his hand, saying, "It's just a trivial skill, nothing to brag about."

That slightly upturned corner of his mouth is harder to suppress than an AK.

Yan Yue looked at the smooth, straight crack; such a feat required extremely precise control over one's aura and strength. She realized that Quan Xun indeed possessed the strength of a grandmaster.

Quan Xun was in a great mood after being praised, so he began to talk at length about his teaching methods, from basic horse stance and leg presses to advanced techniques such as breaking down moves and combat skills, and then to advanced techniques such as the use of internal energy and light body techniques.

He spoke eloquently and logically.

It's clear that Jeon Hoon has extensive teaching experience.

Li Mei listened with great interest, nodding in agreement from time to time, and even mimicking Quan Xun's movements. Clearly, she was completely impressed by Quan Xun's abilities and had long forgotten about waiting for Jin Guanzhang.

Yan Yue watched this scene with a sense of helplessness, but she did not stop it.

Moreover, Quan Xun seemed to have recognized that Li Mei was a promising martial arts student and took a great liking to her.

[Let her learn the basics first, and then when Kim Jong-un returns, he can personally teach her advanced moves. It's a win-win situation. Anyway, someone will teach her kung fu for free, so she won't lose out.]