This humble Taoist priest wants to take the college entrance exam.

Chapter 91 Daoist Master, say something! (Long chapter, please vote!)
God knows why the two of them can't reach a consensus.

Since Chen Shi'an doesn't have the supernatural ability to be in two places at once, seeing the two of them on the left and right, he simply walked to the badminton court in the middle by himself.

"Let's fight here!" Chen Shi'an said.

“The court on the left is newer,” Wen Zhixia said.

“There’s no wind on the right,” Lin Mengqiu said.

"I think the feng shui of the middle court is the best. Are you still going to play?" Chen Shi'an refused to choose either the left or right.

Unfortunately, Wen Zhixia and Lin Mengqiu were more accepting of Chen Shian's choice of the middle position than the other side's preferred court.

"It's windy," Lin Mengqiu said.

"The internet is so bad," Wen Zhixia complained.

"That's it."

Chen Shi'an made the decision, "I don't know how to play badminton. Why don't you two play a game first, and I'll watch and learn?"

"can."

Wen Zhixia took out her other badminton racket from the bag and stood on the left half of the court.

Lin Mengqiu also took out his other racket and stood on the right half of the court.

The ball belonged to Wen Zhixia. She took out the ball first, and Lin Mengqiu didn't argue with her about it. Seeing that Wen Zhixia had taken out the ball, she put her own ball back into the ball tube.

Chen Shian really doesn't know how to play badminton; in fact, today was the first time he had ever touched a badminton racket or shuttlecock.

He held the racket that Lin Mengqiu and Wen Zhixia had given him and examined it in his hands.

It's clear that both rackets are of very good quality. He flicked the net with his finger and could feel the crisp, elastic sound.

If it weren't for the two of them inviting him to play badminton today, Chen Shi'an wouldn't have known that Wen Zhixia and Lin Mengqiu could play badminton.

Is it like other girls, just taking pictures for fun?
No.

Chen Shi'an saw Wen Zhixia kick off first.

Her posture was perfect, standing near the center line with her left shoulder facing the net, her left foot forward and her right foot back, holding the ball in her left hand and raising the racket in her right. As the ball fell to a certain height from her fingertips, she swung the racket upwards with her right hand.

[Smack—]
With a crisp snap, the shuttlecock spun and flew high into the sky.

Chen Shi'an's gaze followed the badminton shuttlecock in an arc, landing precisely on Lin Mengqiu's position in the back half of the court.

Lin Mengqiu was also prepared. When she served, she had already moved nimbly to the back half of the court to receive the ball, raised her left hand, and swung her right hand to hit the racket.

[Smack—]
With another crisp sound, the shuttlecock, having been struck, changed direction and spun towards Wen Zhixia.

The two players hit the shuttlecock back and forth, each time hitting it with great force, aiming specifically for the opponent's backcourt, and aiming for high clears. Neither of them had yet managed to drop the shuttlecock, and the sound of hitting it was incessant.

Chen Shi'an was somewhat surprised. Although he didn't play badminton, he had seen athletes play on TV.

Although the two girls' posture and skills were not as proficient as those of professional athletes, they were clearly trained. Their footwork when receiving the ball and their movements when hitting the ball were rhythmic and methodical, and they were not playing solely based on physical reactions and feelings.

"Little Zhi, you've played badminton before?"

"I wouldn't say I've specifically trained. I've just been playing badminton since I was little. I even participated in our school's badminton competition back in junior high."

"how?"

"Won a singles championship~"

"so smart!"

"It's not very prestigious; I learned it all on my own, just something I do for fun."

Lin Mengqiu listened to the two talking while playing ball.

Ah.

So you're self-taught, huh? You've got some skills...

After asking Wen Zhixia, Chen Shi'an turned to look to his right.

"Class monitor, have you ever played badminton?"

"Ah."

When did you start practicing?

"primary school."

"Did you learn that on your own?"

"The coach taught me."

"So professional! I don't think I've ever seen you play ball before."

"It's been a long time since I played."

Lin Mengqiu estimated that it had been about three or four years since she last played basketball. She didn't usually play with the girls in her class who just played around. At most, she would occasionally go to the basketball court with her father on weekends. Now that she was in her second year of high school, her studies were very demanding, and she rarely even played basketball on weekends.

Lin Ming enjoys sports, playing basketball, badminton, football, and volleyball. That's why he found a coach for Lin Mengqiu to learn badminton when she was in elementary school.

Wen Zhixia listened to the two talking while playing ball.

Ah.

So it was a child's training method! No wonder the footwork was so heavily marked...

Although the two had been deskmates for a semester and were both among the top badminton players in the class, today was actually the first time Wen Zhixia and Lin Mengqiu had played a game together.

The sharp sound of Wen Zhixia's racket cutting through the air rang out. The ball speed, which was originally just a slow warm-up, suddenly increased, and it swiftly smashed down three inches above the net!

Lin Mengqiu's eyes narrowed slightly, and she took a step forward with her long legs to catch the sudden smash. With a flick of her wrist, she flicked the ball diagonally backward. Although the ball was not fast, it was very insidious and flew to Wen Zhixia's backhand area in the backcourt.

Wen Zhixia quickly retreated. She didn't have enough strength to smash the ball with her backhand, so she flicked the racket face and used a backhand drop shot to send the ball to the net, where it almost grazed the edge of the net.

Lin Mengqiu was not to be outdone. She gently pushed the shuttlecock with her racket face, and with a soft click, the shuttlecock turned over and returned a short shot to the net for her.

Wen Zhixia had already made her move, rushing back from the backcourt to the net in just a few steps. As her movements became more intense, her breasts also surged. Her steps were in disarray, but she cleverly didn't continue playing short balls at the net with Lin Mengqiu. Instead, she forcefully flicked the ball back to Lin Mengqiu's backcourt. Taking advantage of the gap when Lin Mengqiu went to receive the ball, she quickly returned to the midcourt to adjust her rhythm...

Chen Shi'an, who had been watching the ball the whole time, blinked.

The war started suddenly?

That's pretty exciting!
As expected, you shouldn't get too close to the spectator. In a split second, a badminton shuttlecock flew straight towards his head.

"what!"

Wen Zhixia was startled. She had made a mistake with this shot. The ball, with its high force and speed, went straight for the smelly Taoist priest's forehead.

However, Chen Shi'an's reaction speed seemed to be several times faster than the speed of the shuttlecock. No one knew when he raised his hand, as if he had been waiting in advance, and the out-of-control shuttlecock obediently fell into his hand.

With the ball in Chen Shi'an's hands, the two girls on the field finally stopped their battle.

One was self-taught, the other had trained since childhood; after such a series of intense exercises, Wen Zhixia and Lin Mengqiu were both sweating a little. However, after glancing at each other, neither was willing to show any signs of fatigue first. Even when breathing, they kept their mouths tightly closed, pretending that 'this level isn't enough to make me pant'.

"Would you like to take a break?" Chen Shi'an asked.

"No need," Lin Mengqiu said.

“Playing like this is no fun. Let’s score points. If you lose, you switch players!” Wen Zhixia said.

"Shall I switch?" Chen Shi'an asked.

No one ignored him.

Lin Mengqiu nodded in response to Wen Zhixia's question: "How do you want to fight?"

"21 points."

"It's been too long; there's not enough time left."

"Then give it a seven out of ten, and if we lose, we'll replace them!"

"Row."

After speaking, the two girls looked at Chen Shi'an standing next to them.

"Taoist priest, you keep the score!"

"Huh? I don't know how. How do I calculate points? How do I calculate points lost?"

"It's very simple. I'll teach you."

Ignoring Lin Mengqiu standing on the court, Wen Zhixia put down her racket and walked over to Chen Shi'an, tugging at the edge of his school uniform and pulling him to the court to look at the lines.

"When serving, the ball must land in the diagonally opposite area to be valid. This is the inside line, this is the outside line... In one-on-one, look at the inside line from both sides, and the outside line from the baseline... As long as it's inside the line or on the line, it's a valid point. And this..."

I don't know if this annoying cicada was doing it on purpose, but it insisted on dragging Chen Shi'an around the court carefully for something that could be explained in a sentence or two.

Lin Mengqiu, who was still standing in the middle of the court with her racket in hand, subconsciously tightened her grip on the racket.

"...Anyway, it's very simple. I'll fight her first, and then I'll fight you. You'll basically know then."

Ah.

what do you mean.

Are you trying to knock me out of the game?

Who will end up is still uncertain!

Lin Mengqiu was getting a little annoyed waiting.

Finally, he asked in a cold voice, "Can we begin?"

"Come on."

Wen Zhixia returned to the left half of the court, took out a hair tie from her pocket, held the racket horizontally in her mouth, wrapped her hands behind her head, and tied her shoulder-length hair into a small ponytail, looking fiercely competitive.

Lin Mengqiu didn't even look at her. She held the racket in one hand and twirled it until she found the most comfortable position. She bent down slightly and, without using her hand to pick up the ball, used the racket to flick the ball up as if it were her own arm. The ball bounced twice on her racket face, and then she hit the ball with a sideways swing, sending it towards Wen Zhixia.

"Serve."

"You are not bad at all."

Without thinking, Wen Zhixia jerked her racket, and the ball that had been flying over flew back to Lin Mengqiu's side.

Lin Mengqiu didn't say anything, but just swung the ball horizontally again, and the ball flew straight to Chen Shi'an's side.

Chen Shi'an caught the ball barehanded again.

"Are they all this humble?" Chen Shi'an smiled.

Wen Zhixia: "..."

Lin Mengqiu: "..." "Alright, then I'll help you choose. Whoever the ball lands on serves."

"Hurry."

With a flick of his finger, Chen Shi'an sent the shuttlecock soaring high into the air before landing perfectly on the net in the middle.

The two girls' eyes widened.

You can't believe how accurate you are with just a casual flick of the wrist!

There was no time to consider whether Chen Shi'an was lucky or had exceptional ball control. The ball landed precisely on the net, maintaining a vertical position and remaining still for a second before tilting down and landing on Lin Mengqiu's side.

Wen Zhixia: "..."

Lin Mengqiu: "..."

"Okay, then the class monitor can serve first."

Chen Shi'an smiled and said, "Good luck to everyone! Whoever wins will get the chance to play with me."

Pooh! !

Shameless Taoist priest!
Who wants to play ball with you!

Lin Mengqiu said no more, picked up the ball from the ground with her racket, and began to serve.

Unlike Wen Zhixia's forehand serve, she used a backhand serve.

Although he hadn't played badminton for a long time, the training he received since childhood was already ingrained in his bones. His serving posture was quite standard and pleasing to the eye. The ball didn't fly fast, but the angle was very tricky, a small ball that grazed the net and went straight to Wen Zhixia's backhand.

This ball is quite deceptive; it looks like it shouldn't cross the line.

Wen Zhixia paused for a moment, not daring to gamble on whether it was on the line or not. She took a step forward and flicked the ball to the backcourt with her backhand.

This is her usual tactic. When she encounters a tricky shot, she will hit the backcourt to buy herself time to adjust her rhythm. She also noticed that Lin Mengqiu's backcourt skills are not as good as her frontcourt skills, so she should try to avoid playing these net shots with her.

People who play drop shots at the net are all cunning!
The two girls each have their own strengths and weaknesses, and they are both very beautiful and play ball quite well, making for a very exciting game to watch.

During free time, many students from both classes were drawn by the tense atmosphere and gathered around to watch the battle.

Many of the classmates were classmates in Class 1 of the first year of high school. Everyone knows that Wen Zhixia is very good at basketball, but no one expected that her old deskmate Lin Mengqiu is also so good at basketball!

Even though we've been in different classes for half a year, the students from Class 1 of Grade 11 are all gathered together in the same PE class. It's as if time has turned back, and we've returned to the year we first entered Grade 11.

Whether it was Wen Zhixia or Lin Mengqiu, they were both classmates, and for a moment no one felt comfortable cheering for either of them individually.

There were students from both Class 11 and Class 5 on the field. They were quite tacit in that Class 5 stood on Lin Mengqiu's half of the field, and Class 11 stood on Wen Zhixia's half of the field, which was a kind of silent encouragement.

"One to one!" Chen Shi'an shouted.

"One to two."

"One to three."

……

Chen Shi'an couldn't help but glance at Lin Mengqiu. "Class monitor, stand up straight! Why are you suddenly siding with Xiao Zhi?"

The girl was slow to warm up, and that meant she was slow to warm up when playing ball.

Soon, as Lin Mengqiu got into form, she started to create tricky net shots for Wen Zhixia.

"Two to three."

"Three to three."

"Four to three."

Chen Shi'an couldn't help but glance at Wen Zhixia. "Little Zhixia, don't be discouraged! The score has been reversed, don't let me down!"
Although the 7-point ball wasn't very intense, both girls were giving it their all to beat the other, making it extremely fierce. Now, both of their cheeks were flushed, and their previously tightly closed mouths were unconsciously open to breathe. Sweat soaked their hair, which dripped down to their delicate collarbones, glistening in the setting sun.

"Four to four."

"Five to four."

"Five to five."

"Six to five."

"Six to six."

As mentioned before, since it's a 7-point game, it's not like a formal match where you need to lead by 2 points to win. Whoever gets 7 points first wins.

Even Wen Zhixia and Lin Mengqiu in the arena did not expect their opponent to be so difficult to deal with. They originally thought they would crush their opponent, but who knew that the final score would be tied and they would have to fight to the death!

Since the class division, neither Wen Zhixia nor Lin Mengqiu, even when facing final exams, have been as serious and solemn as they are now. This last ball is not only about winning or losing, but it can also substitute the opponent for Chen Shi'an... Pshaw! Who wants to play with him! He's a complete rookie who doesn't even know the rules!
In short, no matter what, Wen Zhixia and Lin Mengqiu were both giving it their all, truly burning the midnight oil!
[Smack—]
Lin Mengqiu's net shot was once again flicked into the backcourt by Wen Zhixia.

Lin Mengqiu's pupils contracted, and she took several steps backward, her breath catching in her throat. It seemed she couldn't catch up with the ball in time!

Wen Zhixia didn't dare to relax either, and quickly returned to the center line. She stared intently at the ball's landing point, but the distance was too far, and sweat dripped down her face, making it difficult for her to see clearly.

This ball also attracted the attention of all the other students on the field.

Lin Mengqiu ultimately fell just short of saving the ball.

The ball landed on the ground.

But the frustration in her eyes instantly turned into surprise when she saw where the ball landed. She opened her arms somewhat incoherently and shouted breathlessly, "Out of bounds!"

"How can it be!"

Unlike Lin Mengqiu's expression, Wen Zhixia's surprise instantly turned into doubt and uncertainty. "It was clearly right on the line, okay?"

"Out of bounds."

"To me, it looks like it's touching the line."

The students on Lin Mengqiu's side of the court also chimed in, explaining, "It looks like she went out of bounds, she almost touched the line..."

The students on Wen Zhixia's side of the court were also a bit confused: "No way, Zhizhi, that ball looks like it was on the line!"

"Where's the referee? Referee!"

"Master Daoist! Master Daoist, say something! You must have seen it clearly, right? Was it out of bounds or just touching the line?"

No wonder there are referees in competitions; Chen Shi'an has experienced it firsthand today.

Although he was standing in the middle of the court, with his sharp eyesight, he could clearly see whether the ball was out of bounds or on the line.

Lin Mengqiu and Wen Zhixia both turned to look at them.

Chen Shi'an was momentarily stunned.

"Out of bounds or on the line?" Lin Mengqiu asked, standing still.

"……Well."

"Don't tell me you didn't see it!" Wen Zhixia stepped forward.

"...I saw it."

"Is it out of bounds or on the line?" the two girls asked in unison.

Chen Shi'an took a deep breath, and after a while, looked at the sky fairly and impartially and said:
"Out of bounds."

Wen Zhixia: "!(Д*)"

Lin Mengqiu: "~~~~~~"

The two girls felt as if their emotions were worlds apart.

Lin Mengqiu's tense shoulders visibly relaxed, a wave of exhilarating pleasure shooting from her feet to her hair, and an uncontrollable smile appeared on her lips.

Wen Zhixia stared wide-eyed, unable to come to her senses for a long time. Even her short, perky, cute ponytail, which she had just tied up, drooped.

"Taoist priest! Are you sure you're not mistaken?"

"I'm the referee, it really went out of bounds, just a few millimeters off the line."

"It's windy! If it weren't for the wind, we would definitely be inside the zone!"

"Yes, that should be one of the reasons."

Although she narrowly lost this time, Wen Zhixia was clearly unconvinced. What kind of official match is a 7-point game! If this were an indoor venue, and the score were 21 points, the outcome would be uncertain! Besides, if it weren't for the wind, you obviously wouldn't have been able to catch that ball!
Lin Mengqiu could see the resentment in Wen Zhixia's eyes. She glanced sideways, said nothing, but the meaning was crystal clear: [Can't accept defeat?]
"Alright, alright, you two are really locked in a fierce battle."

Chen Shi'an took his racket and went onto the court.

Having played with the racket for so long, it felt like an extension of his own arm in his hands.

"Please enlighten me, class monitor."

"...It's true that fighting you won't be so tense anymore."

Lin Mengqiu was in a good mood and didn't take this rookie seriously. He even had to be taught the scoring rules on the spot. How could you even play ball?

Sure enough, after Chen Shi'an and Lin Mengqiu switched to play, the score was no longer so close.

Seven to zero.

Lin Mengqiu was completely bewildered as she was pushed aside by the excited Wen Zhixia.

no……!
Something's not right with this Taoist priest!

He has no footwork, no technique, so how does he manage to catch the ball, and how does he return it so fast that it's impossible for anyone to catch it?!

Wen Zhixia didn't care about any of that. Seeing that Chen Shi'an had shaved Lin Mengqiu's head and avenged her, the girl was overjoyed!

"Taoist priest, would you like me to let you pass?"

"Little Cicada, haven't you figured out the situation yet?"

It's another 7-0 score.

Wen Zhixia, who had just come on stage, was also carried off the stage in a daze.

What kind of pity and tenderness is this?

What do you mean by evenly matched?

nonexistent!

"Looks like you all still need to practice."

"Get lost!"

The bell finally rang, signaling the end of get out of class.

(End of this chapter)