VAP - Chapter 14
Chapter 14: The Sleeping Beauty Whose Words Are Law (13)
With even the master of the martial arts hall defeated, the outcome of the sparring match was no longer in doubt—it was a resounding success.
In the mental space, Yue Du dutifully applauded her host. Just as she was offering sincere praise, she overheard two people in the surrounding crowd whispering to each other.
"Hey, what are you doing, scribbling away like that?"
"You don't get it. This is called recording life anytime, anywhere, finding inspiration in the mundane." The male voice paused, then added guiltily, "Alright, my mistake. This isn't mundane at all. It's a textbook case of someone getting put in their place."
"Oh, preparing to write a web novel again... Stop, stop, don't write anymore! Put your pen and paper away, the master is getting up!"
Yue Du: "..."
So there was a young martial artist who aspired to be a web novel writer. How impressive.
While those two were talking, Master Xing supported his aching back and pushed himself up, sighing, "Truly, the younger generation is formidable. Formidable indeed."
An old martial artist like Master Xing knew how to accept defeat gracefully.
After a brief moment of embarrassment, he quickly recovered. With an open and generous mind, he lavished praise on Qi Jiu, thrilled that the martial arts world had such an outstanding junior.
Setting aside her light and graceful posture, her strength alone was something few opponents he had ever sparred with could match. In an era where traditional martial arts were in decline, how could he not be thrilled?
By the time he finally finished his emotional speech, Qi Jiu couldn't even be bothered to maintain a polite smile. She just lazily curled the corner of her lips, which almost looked like a taunt.
Fortunately, the old master wasn't a narrow-minded man, or he would surely have taken it as a provocation.
"Young lady, what is your name?" Master Xing asked sincerely.
Qi Jiu said, "Qi Jiu."
"Qi Jiu? A fine name! 'As boundless as the southern mountains, as eternal as the heavens (Implying the characters 齊久 - Qi for together/equal, Jiu for long time).' What a wonderful meaning!"
Master Xing had transformed into Qi Jiu's number one fan. Yue Du suspected that even if Qi Jiu had made up a random name, he would have immediately concocted some wonderful meaning for it.
Qi Jiu (祈酒 - Qi for Prayer, Jiu for Wine) couldn't be bothered to correct him that her name wasn't written that way, so she just gave a perfunctory nod in thanks.
Once his initial excitement subsided, Master Xing calmed down and reverted to his usual serious, stern demeanor as a martial arts instructor.
"Ahem! This may be a bit forward of me, but I must ask... what is your martial lineage?"
Seeing Qi Jiu frown, he softened his voice and added, "I know you've never joined a martial arts hall, but the master who taught you must be renowned, surely? I just want to know what kind of teacher could produce a student as astonishingly talented as you."
Oh, so that's it.
Qi Jiu answered without batting an eye, "Perhaps, but he never told me his origins."
For once, the rarely talkative Qi Jiu began to earnestly tell a story.
Once upon a time, there was a little girl who spent all her days at home. One day, a mysterious old man appeared, declared that the girl had a rare and outstanding aptitude for martial arts, and offered to teach her.
After teaching her for two years, the old man stroked his beard, smiled, and said their fated connection had come to an end before departing as mysteriously as he had arrived. He left the girl behind, who went on to become undefeated throughout her entire school. Not even the older students were a match for her!
And so on and so forth.
Qi Jiu's tone was sincere, tinged with nostalgia and regret, and her eyes were filled with reminiscence, leaving everyone at the Azure Sky Martial Arts Hall completely stunned and convinced.
The young man who had been taking notes for inspiration was practically glowing, his pen flying across the page as if divinely inspired. He muttered to himself, "This plot! This plot!"
Even Yue Du almost believed her. She even seriously wondered if this mysterious master was the reason Qi Jiu's real-world abilities so drastically contradicted the system's data. Perhaps that was why she was so skilled, and how she'd avoided things like school bullying.
Fortunately, her reason prevailed. Using her omniscient perspective, she caught the teasing smile playing on her host's lips and immediately came to her senses.
After a moment of contemplation, Yue Du asked cautiously, "You're lying to them, aren't you?"
Qi Jiu replied languidly, "Now, how can you call this lying?"
"I merely told a story. I never said that little girl was me."
"...As long as you're happy, Host."
Yue Du closed her eyes, cementing a new belief in her mind: she'd sooner believe a pig could fly than trust a word that came out of Qi Jiu's mouth.
Deceiving people wasn't the scary part. What was scary was deceiving them with such a straight face that it was impossible to spot the lie!
The situation was now perfectly clear.
The sparring was over, the story had been told, and the members of the martial arts hall were utterly convinced. They now looked at Qi Jiu as if she were a celebrity, their gazes fervent.
Qi Jiu slowly raised her hand, glanced down at her watch, and then turned to Master Xing. "There's something I'd like to discuss with you," she said.
Master Xing was just as direct. "Go ahead, speak your mind."
"I want to join the martial arts hall."
"That... I don't think that's a good idea," Master Xing said, troubled. "There's no one here who can teach you."
People who challenged dojos usually did so to make a name for themselves or to ruin a school's reputation. While some challengers who lost might stay to learn, it was unheard of for the victor to ask to become a student.
By now, Xin Luo had recovered somewhat and called out from the side, "Do you want to be an instructor?"
The students' eyes lit up.
Qi Jiu waved her hand. "No, I want to study under Professor Xing Qingcang."
Not everyone at the hall knew the owner's son. Most of them were confused, exchanging puzzled glances. Xin Luo, however, let out a soft "ah" and blushed.
Master Xing frowned. "Qingcang? How do you know about him?"
Qi Jiu said calmly, "Someone recommended him. I was told he's quite accomplished in the field of physics."
Master Xing was confused. "Qingcang never mastered his martial arts. If anything, he should be asking to study under you." Suddenly, it dawned on him. "You want to learn physics from him?" he asked, astonished.
"Something like that," Qi Jiu said, putting her hands back in her pockets. "I've discovered that martial arts and physics are inextricably linked. A good grasp of mechanics will be a great help to my understanding of the martial path."
Traditional martial arts techniques do indeed contain principles of physics. The one-inch punch, for example, is all about the science of how to best generate and deliver force. Beyond that, there are even more profound concepts waiting to be discovered.
At that moment, Qi Jiu seemed exceptionally mysterious and unfathomable.
"Master Xing, you're aware of the current state of traditional martial arts, aren't you? How many people think they're useless, putting their faith only in MMA, Sanda, and boxing?" She lightly tapped the center of the giant "武" (martial) character on the floor with the toe of her shoe and looked up. "But in a way, it's true. Martial arts have declined. No, to be more precise, they're no longer suited for this era."
After she finished, Master Xing sighed. "Why bring this up? I admit it's all true, but what can be done? All I can do is ensure I train well and don't bring shame to my ancestors. Other matters... are not for me to worry about."
Qi Jiu said to Yue Du, "Ha, he took the bait."
But to Master Xing, she said, "Then will you help me? I want to revitalize martial arts, to use modern knowledge to make them better suited for today's world. But I can't do it alone."
"So that's why you're looking for Qingcang?" Master Xing couldn't help but be moved.
Qi Jiu nodded.
Master Xing looked at the young woman before him. Though her expression and posture were lazy, the determination in her voice was undeniable.
After a long moment, his stern, rigid face relaxed into an emotional smile.
"Alright. Give me some time. I'll talk to Qingcang."
Qi Jiu: "That's wonderful. Thank you."
"Don't mention it. It's the least I can do." Master Xing clasped his hands behind his back and said from the heart, "Young lady, you are destined for great things."
Yue Du, who had watched the entire exchange: "..."
No wonder Qi Jiu would awaken the Word Spirit ability in the future.
She was just too silver-tongued!
I thought the 'ultimate persuasion' skill was exclusive to protagonists. Clearly, our villainess is even better at it!
Yue Du didn't think Qi Jiu would seriously study the connection between traditional martial arts and physics, but she couldn't help asking, "Are you really going to discuss physics with Xing Qingcang?"
"Discussing it is no problem. Add him as a friend, and you can discuss it for me. Send him one physics problem a day."
Qi Jiu said nonchalantly, "As for studying martial arts, that's just an empty promise. Worst case, I'll just say my aptitude isn't high enough and end things on a regretful note. Master Xing will understand."
Yue Du was thoroughly impressed by her host. At the same time, she raised her guard yet again, lest she be the next one to be duped.
Qi Jiu returned to her hotel and slept comfortably through the night and the following morning.
The next afternoon, she received a message from Master Xing:
Xing Qingcang had agreed.
Author's Notes
Yue Du: You're really a smooth talker. Persuasion skill maxed.
Qi Jiu: I'm good at talking, and even better at other things. Want to try?
Yue Du (smiling): Alright.
Turns, picks up a large grape, and stuffs it in the host's mouth: I know you eat well, no need to remind me.
Qi Jiu (slowly crushes the grape): Heh.
Yue Du: =^_^=
Very calm, pretending nothing happened.
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