# 1523
Chapter 1523: Cao Yuan's Spring
"I say, what's going on with you guys? It's been a whole morning, and you haven't dragged in a single new member?!"
A woman in a dark blue kendo uniform with a long ponytail stood in the center of the Kendo Club recruitment tent, looking at several slouching boys with a bad attitude.
She wasn't tall, but there was a heroic air in her brows. Among the many college students, she appeared slightly more mature—mature not just because of her age... but also because of her well-endowed figure that even the plain kendo uniform couldn't hide.
The several boys in kendo uniforms drooped their heads and said dejectedly:
"Senior Lu... this really isn't our fault. We've handed out all our flyers, but nobody came."
"That's right, Senior. Actually, there were quite a lot of people interested in the Kendo Club, but after hearing about our daily training plan, they all turned around and left."
"Setting aside everything else, just the part about waking up at five every day for a five-kilometer morning run—few college students nowadays can handle that..."
"Everyone came to Shangjing University to study, not to become a special forces soldier."
"..."
Listening to the successive complaints from the boys in front of her, Lu Menglei furrowed her heroic brows and said in a low voice, "What you mean is... we can't recruit new members because my daily training plan is unreasonable?"
As Lu Menglei's voice gradually carried a hint of killing intent, several Kendo Club members immediately lost their nerve, shaking their heads like rattlesnakes:
"No no no no no..."
"Hmph, even this bit of hardship can't be endured. These college students nowadays are so pampered... they only know burying themselves in studies and playing games. At this rate, the youth of Great Xia will all become sickly weaklings that can be blown away by a gust of wind."
Lu Menglei forcefully pressed the shinai in her hand onto the table, making a dull thud. Her lofty chest rose and fell violently, clearly very angry.
"Setting aside everything else... if we can't recruit new members, how are we going to compete with Huqing University's Kendo Club next time? Their kendo club has several dozen members, and we only have eight... can you each fight ten of them?
Or do you want to embarrass Shangjing University?"
The several Kendo Club members lowered their heads in silence.
"What are you standing there for? Go recruit new students!"
"But, but Senior, we've run out of flyers."
"Run out? Then go print more! Until the flyers are printed, I want all of you personally recruiting people on the street!"
"Yes, yes..."
The several Kendo Club members wore bitter expressions, reluctantly walking toward the road. The Kendo Club's scale was relatively small, and the tent was also in the back section of the recruitment area, so few people noticed it.
"You stay here. I'll personally go recruit on the road!" Seeing the low morale, Lu Menglei helplessly shook her head, leaving one club member under the tent, while she grabbed her shinai and strode toward the center of the road.
"Classmate, want to learn about the Kendo Club?"
Lu Menglei held the shinai, looking spirited and heroic. With such a beauty standing in the middle of the road, she immediately attracted the attention of a batch of new students.
Under her enthusiastic invitation, a wave of new students walked toward the tent with interest, but after learning about the club activities, they fled as if escaping from venomous snakes, and the tent quickly grew cold again.
"So fragile..." Seeing this, Lu Menglei frowned, her expression somewhat dejected.
If she really couldn't recruit anyone new, how was she going to explain to the faculty advisor?
Just as Lu Menglei was feeling lost, a figure slowly passed in front of her. It was a man with a very well-proportioned build. Though he didn't have bodybuilder muscles, he gave off a inexplicable sense of power. Every movement carried a hint of military bearing.
"Classmate!" Lu Menglei's eyes lit up, and she猛地 grabbed the man's wrist.
The man slightly turned his head, and a cold and resolute face appeared before her. The angular lines combined with his neat short hair gave him a sense of fierceness. This kind of temperament Lu Menglei had only seen before on her grandfather... It should be noted that back in the day, her grandfather was one of the few generals of Great Xia!
"What?" Cao Yuan asked in a low voice.
Lu Menglei stared at Cao Yuan's face in a daze for quite a while, then joy appeared on her face!
Those sturdy arms, that fierce temperament!
This was excellent kendo material!
"Classmate, want to learn about the Kendo Club?!" Lu Menglei pointed to the tent and banner in the distance, her eyes filled with anticipation.
Cao Yuan glanced at the arm she was holding, his expression somewhat peculiar. "I'm not interested in clubs..."
"Hey, once you see it, you'll be interested. Really!"
Lu Menglei had finally caught a good seedling and certainly wasn't about to let go easily. She forcibly pulled his arm to the front of the tent and began explaining seriously.
"...Besides the daily morning run, we also have regular kendo practice sessions each week, about twenty hours or so. This can be used to offset your physical education credits. Additionally, our faculty advisor is an eighth-dan, very authoritative..."
After Lu Menglei roughly finished explaining the Kendo Club's situation, Cao Yuan still stood in place, unmoved.
Seeing this, Lu Menglei's eyes grew even brighter!
This was promising!
She knew that ordinary new students would immediately turn around and leave after hearing all this. This man actually showed no reaction?!
"Classmate, kendo really has great charm. Though we use bamboo swords, besides cultivating interest, it can also很好地锻炼身体。来！我的这柄竹剑给你试试，你挥几下就能感受到它的魅力了！"
Lu Menglei pressed on while the iron was hot, directly thrusting the shinai in her hand toward Cao Yuan. The latter's pupils suddenly contracted, and he took a sharp step backward!
No way! A shinai was both sword and blade. If he touched something like that, he would immediately transform into Black King!
He absolutely did not want to perform some hehe transformation in front of all the teachers and students on his first day at school.
Lu Menglei was stunned. "Classmate, it's okay, just try it."
"No no no no, I can't touch these."
"Really, just try it."
"..."
"This... Senior." Cao Yuan retreated several steps and began carefully choosing his words. "I'm not used to using blades and swords, even fake ones. Also, the time I spend at this school probably won't be very long, joining a club would only hold you back..."
"Senior, I think he really doesn't like it... maybe just let it go." A club member beside her advised.
"Yeah... Senior, a强行扭的瓜不甜, forcing him like this will scare him." another said.
"Senior, I know you just got divorced and are feeling uncomfortable, but you can't take it out on new students... How about this, tonight we charge into that heartless man's house with shinai and beat him up for you!"
"Senior, that scumbag isn't worth it..."
"Who's feeling uncomfortable?! Stop talking nonsense!!" Lu Menglei猛地turned her head, glaring at them fiercely. "Anyone who dares mention that bastard again, watch me tear out their mouths!"
Everyone saw Lu Menglei flare up and immediately lowered their heads, saying no more.
"This Senior..." Cao Yuan swallowed hard and slowly spoke.
"Alright, I won't bother you anymore. You can go... I was too impatient just now, truly sorry." Lu Menglei pursed her lips and slightly bowed, turning to leave.
"Uh... actually..." Cao Yuan hesitated for a moment, then lightly cleared his throat,
"Cough, I'm actually interested in kendo..."