256: Chapter 256: I was careless and didn't flash.

After Han Xin and the Butcher's gloves touched, the Butcher was the first to strike.

He clenched his fist, concentrating all his strength into a single punch aimed straight at Han Xin's face.

"Watch out!"

Ji Tao's fingers were interlaced tightly as she watched Han Xin with immense worry.

"Go down for me!"

The Butcher wanted to take Han Xin down with a single blow.

Han Xin's gaze was like lightning; relying on his agile footwork, he dodged the Butcher's full-strength punch.

Clenching his fist again, the Butcher threw another punch at Han Xin.

With a flash of movement, Han Xin dodged this punch as well.

Seeing the Butcher's ferocity, the surrounding crowd grew excited.

Ji Tao, however, became increasingly worried for Han Xin. Every one of the Butcher's punches was thrown with such force that even with special gloves for protection, getting hit would be devastating.

"Huff, huff, huff!"

After throwing two heavy punches in succession, the Butcher's breathing immediately became heavy.

"Han Xin, if you have the guts, stop scurrying around like a rat!"

"Be a man and trade blows with me face-to-face!"

The Butcher pointed at Han Xin and cursed.

Facing the Butcher's trash talk, Han Xin remained expressionless, his eyes fixed on the Butcher to prevent any sneak attacks.

He continued to circle around the Butcher.

Whenever the Butcher lunged, he would simply sidestep.

"Hit him! Hit him!"

"Han Xin, hit him for me!"

Seeing that Han Xin wasn't making a move and was only circling the Butcher, the spectators began to shout loudly.

Someone even laughed and said, "Han Xin, are you trying to win by making Gou Da dizzy from all that circling?"

Han Xin still didn't let those words get to him; his gaze remained locked onto the Butcher.

"Go Gou Da!"

"Gou Da, knock Han Xin down!"

...

Fueled by the loud cheers of the audience, the Butcher seemed to get a second wind. He balled his fists and, like a heavy tank, pressed toward Han Xin, swinging wild, crude punches continuously.

"Good!"

"Nice!"

"Great!"

...

Watching the Butcher's overbearing and aggressive fighting style, the surrounding crowd erupted in thunderous cheers.

Two minutes passed quickly.

"Huff, huff, huff..."

The Butcher's breathing was as heavy and wheezing as a bellows.

In contrast, while Han Xin's breathing had quickened, it wasn't nearly as exaggerated as the Butcher's.

Han Xin's eyes were calm.

He showed no sign of fear.

The light in his eyes flickered occasionally.

Liu Bang was lost in thought; he had seen through the strategy.

The Butcher's fighting style was so aggressive that his stamina was dropping rapidly.

Anyone who has been in a fight knows that swinging fists for even a dozen seconds is exhausting.

After swinging for a minute or two, your arms feel like they've been filled with lead.

The Butcher's energy was mostly spent.

He was likely going to have a hard time next.

Liu Bang narrowed his eyes slightly.

This Han Xin was quite clever. He conserved his strength in the first round; he was likely going to start his counterattack in the second.

The sixty-second rest period ended, and Liu Bang announced, "Round two, begin!"

After their gloves touched once more, the Butcher immediately resumed his wild swinging.

"Huff, huff, huff..."

His punching speed had slowed, and his breathing was as ragged as a bellows.

The light in Han Xin's eyes turned sharp as he threw a punch at the Butcher's right eye.

"Ah!"

The Butcher let out a cry of pain.

He clutched his right eye.

He looked at Han Xin with a face full of shock; he never expected that Han Xin would actually dare to fight back!

"Don't get cocky!"

The Butcher pointed at Han Xin and said, "I was just careless, I didn't dodge!"

"Ah!"

Just as the Butcher finished speaking, Han Xin landed another jab on his left eye. The pain made the Butcher cry out again.

Now, both of his eyes were blackened like a panda's.

"Good!"

Seeing her sweetheart pummeling that foul hooligan of a butcher, Ji Tao's face blossomed into a smile.

Her heart was filled with affection for Han Xin.

"Hah!"

Infuriated, the Butcher tried to grab Han Xin, intending to pin him to the ground and crush him with his massive weight.

He was seeing red; he no longer cared about any boxing rules.

He wanted to use his absolute tonnage to sit on Han Xin and crush him.

"You have some nerve!"

"To dare violate the rules right in front of me!"

Acting as the referee, Fan Kuai was enraged.

"Do you even show me, Fan Kuai, any respect?"

He wasn't some pushover; he reached out and hoisted the three-hundred-pound Butcher off Han Xin. With a surge of power from his thigh-thick arms, he shoved the Butcher toward the edge of the ring. The Butcher felt an irresistible force hit him, and his body stumbled back uncontrollably.

With a loud crash, the wooden railing was smashed apart by his impact.

The spectators outside the railing didn't have time to dodge and were knocked over in a heap.

"So strong!"

The Butcher and the onlookers all stared at Fan Kuai in utter shock; they never imagined Fan Kuai was so powerful.

"Big Brother, Gou Da violated the boxing rules, and he was beaten so badly by Han Xin that he couldn't fight back. He loses!"

Fan Kuai's voice boomed like thunder, making many people cover their ears.

"Mm."

Liu Bang nodded.

He announced, "Han Xin wins!"

"Han Xin!"

Ji Tao threw herself at Han Xin with an excited expression.

Han Xin felt her soft warmth against him, and a smile couldn't help but appear on his face.

He had wanted to beat that butcher for a long time.

But that butcher was able to secure the best spot in the market to sell pork; his connections were not something Han Xin could compare to.

To make a living, he had to endure.

Fortunately, this boxing match allowed him to give the butcher a sound beating out in the open.

"Very good, Han Xin."

Liu Bang said, "Remember to come here for the township competition in half a month."

"Understood!"

Han Xin replied with a cupped-fist salute.

After the onlookers had gradually dispersed, Ji Tao said, "Han Xin, I didn't realize you were so skilled."

"You might actually be able to make it into the top three of the township competition!"

"The prize money for the township level isn't much, but if you can make it to the county competition, the prize money is significant."

"If you can make it to the commandery level, that would be even more incredible!"

Hearing this, Han Xin felt a stir of ambition.

His heart yearned for a chance to rise up, but he knew that just dreaming without action would lead nowhere!

These were the words an old washerwoman had once told him, and he had engraved them in his heart.

Could boxing be his chance to rise?

No matter what, he had to give it his all.

If he didn't try, how would he ever know?

"I will work hard."

Han Xin said, "If I participate in the competition, will you come to cheer for me?"

"Of course I will!"

Ji Tao said almost without thinking.

Han Xin smiled upon hearing her answer.