VAP - Chapter 13
Chapter 13: The Sleeping Beauty Whose Words Are Law (12)
The masters at the Azure Sky Martial Arts Hall were no strangers to dojo challenges.
With the industry in decline, traditional martial arts halls like theirs were the favorite targets for practitioners of Sanda, Muay Thai, freestyle fighting, and the like.
After all, the true essence of “martial” was to cease conflict. Traditional martial arts emphasized restraint, making it difficult to win a real fight against practitioners of combat sports.
But the old Xing family was formidable!
For years, the Azure Sky Martial Arts Hall had never lost face to another martial artist; it still stood tall. What challenger hadn't arrived full of fighting spirit only to leave with their tail between their legs?
So, those who had been at the dojo for a long time were used to such challenges. Whether the visitor came to spar in good faith or with the malicious intent of destroying their foundation, they weren't afraid. They would just fight.
But…
…a situation where a single, slender, beautiful girl came over and languidly announced she was here to challenge the dojo was, as they say, a maiden getting into a bridal sedan—a first.
The man with the buzz cut was conflicted. He poked his head out the door, wanting to see if anyone else had come with the girl.
But there was no one outside.
Buzz Cut: “…”
He hurried back to his master's side and muttered what had happened.
Yue Du knew that this master was Xing Qingcang's father, the owner of the Azure Sky Martial Arts Hall. From the data she had collected, he was a man who was hardline to the point of being stubborn and was quite famous in the martial arts world.
“You're going to fight him? Will that be okay?” Yue Du asked in a low voice.
She didn't think her host was overestimating her abilities by wanting to challenge the old martial artist. After all, Qi Jiu wasn't the type to have an inflated sense of self. Lazy as she usually was, she never missed when she decided to act.
A person like Qi Jiu would never fight an unprepared battle.
But ever since Yue Du had bound with her host, she had never seen Qi Jiu train!
In martial arts, technique was of course important, but a body in good condition and muscle memory were even more so. Without regular practice, no amount of technique was of any use.
Someone like Qi Jiu… her whole body was soft, delicate, and fair, and she was too lazy to even walk. How much strength could she possibly have?
While Yue Du was worrying about her host, Qi Jiu simply raised an eyebrow slightly and said lazily, “Of course it's fine. You just have to watch.”
Yue Du suggested, “The system store has items for body status enhancement. Why don't you buy one? It would be useful.”
“Hmm… how many points?”
“Fifteen points. It just restores your body to its optimal condition, so it's not expensive.” Yue Du thought for a moment, then actively pitched another product. “Actually, the Great Strength Talisman is even better, and you can afford it with your current points.”
Qi Jiu sounded uninterested. “I don't need either of them.”
While the two of them were chatting, on the other side, Master Xing shouted, “Alright, that's enough for now! Take a break!”
The dojo students shouted in unison, “Yes!”
They then seriously finished their forms before dispersing in twos and threes, several pairs of eyes glancing, intentionally or not, in Qi Jiu's direction.
Master Xing walked toward Qi Jiu. Without a word, he first crossed his arms and looked her up and down.
As he sized her up, his thick, dark eyebrows furrowed.
To judge a martial artist's strength at a glance, one had to look at their build, stance, and spirit.
Without a doubt, the young girl before him didn't pass in a single category.
Her figure was well-proportioned but not athletic, looking soft and weak; her stance was wrong, and she had to lean against a wall after standing for a short while; and as for her spirit, don't even mention it. Her eyes weren't even fully open, and she had the lazy, sloppy look of someone who had just woken up. Her attitude was completely improper!
Master Xing gritted his teeth, telling himself not to get angry with a girl in her rebellious phase. He forced a calm tone. “Young lady, which dojo are you from? Are you here to spar with someone?”
Qi Jiu straightened up slightly and said with a smile, “I'm not from any dojo. I learned martial arts from a private tutor. I've long heard of the Azure Sky Martial Arts Hall's great reputation. Please, give me your guidance.”
Someone with no formal training actually wanted to fight!
Master Xing almost rolled his eyes, but ultimately restrained himself.
He was an upright man, but not so hot-tempered that he'd fly off the handle and kick out anyone who came to cause trouble. If she wanted to spar, he'd let her spar. The sooner he sent her on her way, the sooner he could get back to training his students.
“Xin Luo, come over and practice a bit with this young lady,” he said, looking toward the female students and raising his voice.
Xin Luo hadn't been at the dojo for long and was currently an assistant instructor, responsible for looking after the female students and correcting their movements.
Hearing her boss call, she immediately walked over and said politely, “Hello. Please come with me.”
Qi Jiu smiled on the surface. “Alright.”
At the same time, she muttered to Yue Du, “They're underestimating me.”
Yue Du replied helplessly, “…Trust me, it would be the same no matter who it was.”
How could they expect a martial arts expert to believe a little girl could take him down? They were currently in a world governed by science, not some face-slapping web novel.
As she walked, Qi Jiu lifted her fair, smooth arms to stretch. She agreed with her system's words. “True. After all, I really don't look like the martial arts type.”
Yue Du: “But you seem pretty confident.”
“Well, I'm strong,” Qi Jiu said lightly, cracking her knuckles with a soft but crisp click. “Besides, my body is in optimal condition at all times.”
“So… I don't need your system buffs.”
Before the spar, both sides performed the fist-and-palm salute.
Xin Luo assumed her opening stance, worrying about how she should fight.
If she didn't fight seriously, it would violate her own martial code. But if she did fight seriously, she was afraid of injuring the little girl and getting her master's dojo into trouble.
Maybe she should just stay on the defensive?
As her thoughts ran wild, Qi Jiu's light, calm voice reminded her, “I'm starting.”
Her opponent struck first with a single punch, light and swift.
Before Xin Luo could even react, her instincts took over, and she raised her arm in a diagonal block.
Traditional martial arts blocks focused on skillfully deflecting force, but she failed to neutralize her opponent's power at all. Instead, the punch shifted lightly, with extreme subtlety, and struck her squarely.
In a single exchange, Xin Luo was knocked down.
The onlooking students gasped in unison, “Whoa—”
Master Xing's brow furrowed. “What's all the commotion about!”
A stern old master was the most terrifying thing. The students immediately fell silent as winter cicadas, becoming quiet, well-behaved spectators.
Qi Jiu lowered her eyes and yawned. “Shall we continue?”
Xin Luo came to her senses. Enduring the pain, she gritted her teeth and tried to get up to continue the fight, but for some inexplicable reason, she couldn't get back on her feet.
Master Xing's face was stern. “Xin Luo, come down. Someone help Assistant Instructor Xin down.”
Two female students were the first to step forward. They gently helped their instructor up and supported her as they left the floor.
Xin Luo reminded him in a low voice, “Master, her punches are heavy…”
“Mm, I know.”
Under the bored gaze of Qi Jiu, who stood with her hands in her pockets, Master Xing adjusted his martial arts uniform and stepped onto the floor himself.
Without any formalities like “I misjudged you” or “You are a worthy opponent,” Master Xing performed the fist-and-palm salute, assumed his opening stance, and said in a booming voice, “I will spar with you.”
Yue Du watched with great relish, deeply regretting that her current self was unable to eat.
Otherwise, watching a live sparring match like this ought to be paired with popcorn and coke, or perhaps Chinese pastries and tea, to be truly enjoyable.
Master Xing, after all, came from a long family line of martial artists and had been training for decades. He was far more seasoned and difficult to handle than Xin Luo.
He chose to take the offensive, striking at her vital points without caring whether she was the frail little girl he had initially thought her to be.
Qi Jiu clicked her tongue softly, nimbly evading the blow with an effortless dodge.
He struck again, and she dodged again. Whether he threw a punch or a kick, Qi Jiu had only one response: dodge.
But being able to dodge every single blow was a skill in itself.
Master Xing didn't rush her, simply pressing his attack step by step.
After more than ten one-sided exchanges, Qi Jiu must have felt she had dodged enough. She finally met him head-on, throwing another punch.
A knockdown, without a doubt.
…Master Xing fell even farther than Xin Luo had.
Qi Jiu put on a show of panting for breath and cupped her hands. “You let me win.”
Meanwhile, she thought to herself with complete calm, “Finally done. The sooner we finish negotiating, the sooner I can get back to the hotel for afternoon tea.”
Yue Du watched, perfectly satisfied. “Mm, I'll buy the best afternoon tea set. It's only one point.”
Qi Jiu: “What else? Are you going to try and fool me with the regular afternoon tea set?”
Yue Du immediately replied with sincerity, “Of course not.”
How would I dare? I'll definitely have to treat you to the very best.
Author's Notes
Yue Du: Are you the legendary One-Punch Man?
Qi Jiu: No, I'm the Sleeping Heroine, thank you.
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