One Punch

The courtyard.

The winter sun shone warmly.

Beneath the eaves, Madam Liu sat upright in a large rosewood chair, wrapped in a sable cloak and holding a copper hand warmer. Wisps of white steam still drifted from its mouth.

A moment later, Qing Dai hurried inside with Master Zhang.

Master Zhang usually came every evening. It was not yet time for his visit, and he had been busy at Hui Chun Medical Hall. But early that morning, Qing Dai had rushed to Hui Chun Medical Hall to invite him to the residence.

Without a word, Master Zhang set aside his work for his apprentice, picked up his medicine bag, and hurried with Qing Dai to Third Master Qi's estate.

Only after Madam Liu saw that the renowned healer who specialized in hidden injuries to the muscles and bones had arrived did she turn to the two people in the courtyard and say, "Old Gu, don't hold back. If you let him off today, no one will let him off out there in the future."

Old Gu bent slightly at the waist, lowered his head, and replied, "This old servant understands. I absolutely won't go easy on him."

Only then did Madam Liu look at the boy standing straight as a ramrod. Her fingertips tightened slightly inside her sleeves, and she hardened her heart as she said, "Qi Yu, a contest of fists and feet is a fight to the death. Are you... truly prepared?"

Qi Yu said, "Mother, your son is ready."

Madam Liu gazed deeply at the boy and thought, If he gets hurt today, it would be just the thing to make him stop and rest. There would be nothing wrong with him not practicing martial arts. Once the thought had passed through her mind, she looked at the servant holding the golden gong and nodded.

Clang~~

As the golden gong rang, the martial contest began.

When the gong's sound faded, the eyes that had still held a trace of an old servant's humility instantly widened, revealing a ferocity. Old Gu clenched both fists hard, squeezing his thumb and forefinger tightly until his knuckles jutted out, shaped like a rooster's claws.

His feet swayed, all five toes gripping the ground. With a strange cry, he shot forward as swiftly as a gale, driving a fist straight at Qi Yu's face like the quick, pecking beak of a rooster.

Rooster Fist also had footwork, but not the four paths of Spirit Serpent Skill. It had only two: advancing seven steps and retreating three for offense, advancing three and retreating seven for defense. Its movements were swift whether advancing or withdrawing.

As Qi Yu watched this move, time seemed to slow. At the instant he clenched his fists, they flashed with a metallic sheen.

He drew a breath, moved his body, and let his feet touch the ground lightly. He spun and nimbly slipped to the side, then closed in with lightning speed. His somewhat dark-toned hand was like a snake suddenly springing from a patch of tall grass, biting out with savage ruthlessness.

Old Gu's claw-like fist struck empty air. Seeing that hand come at him, he did not panic. He transformed his hand into an elbow and met the incoming fist head-on.

Though the elbow was not a place trained to toughen the skin, it was innately stronger than the palm. In a clash between people of the same realm, blocking an opponent's palm strike with it was completely manageable.

Old Gu was thinking, After the elbow, I'll follow with a punch. The young master probably won't be able to block it. Spirit Serpent may be ingenious, but in a head-on clash, it is at a slight disadvantage. But in the very next instant...

Crack!!

A tremendous force slammed into him.

A sharp snap rang out.

Pain surged through him.

Smack!

Carried by the tremendous force of that punch, Old Gu staggered around in a circle before crashing heavily to the ground.

He instinctively tried to slap the ground and spring back up, only to find that his right hand could not exert any strength at all.

His joint... had been dislocated.

His left hand slapped the ground, but his right hand hung uselessly, throwing his body off balance.

Pfft.

He toppled over again and landed face-down on the ground.

This time, Old Gu felt as though a bronze chime had suddenly been struck beside his ear. His head rang with a single explosive buzz, and confusion and disbelief flashed through his eyes...

He...

He had been defeated by the young master's punch?

By the young master?

The entire courtyard fell silent. Time itself seemed to have stopped.

It was not until Qi Yu called, "Master Zhang!" that the "scene" began moving again. Everyone came back to their senses, and the old physician hurried over to set Old Gu's bones and treat him.

Qi Yu looked at Old Gu apologetically. Although he could see combat power, he still did not dare let his guard down because of it. Whenever he threw a punch, he put forth his full strength. How could he possibly hold back?

At that moment, Madam Liu's voice rang out: "Five taels of silver as a reward. Rest for ten days."

Old Gu lay face-down on the ground and sucked in a sharp breath from the pain, but he still called out, "Thank you for the reward, Madam."

After saying that, he seemed to notice the young master's gaze and smiled. "As expected of the young master. This old servant is convinced!"

Though he had been injured, Old Gu seemed to be in an excellent mood...

Qi Yu said, "Old Gu, get a good rest. Once your injury has healed, come back and drive my carriage."

Late at night...

The courtyard gate creaked open. Qi Changshun dragged his heavy steps into the inner courtyard, a thin layer of frost on his shoulders and the mud of the wilderness clinging to the soles of his boots.

Madam Liu had been waiting for him. When she saw him enter, she greeted him with a smile, took the cloak he removed, and said softly, "Our son defeated Old Gu with one punch today. He certainly did us proud."

Qi Changshun halted, his brows knotting tightly. He glanced outside, then turned around and shut the door, lowering his voice. "Did you... have the Shadow prepare a secret medicine for him?"

Madam Liu said, "Our son finally agreed to make something of himself. As his mother, shouldn't I help him?"

Anger immediately rose on Qi Changshun's face. He scolded, "A doting mother ruins her son," then lowered his voice and said, "The fewer people who know about the Shadow, the better! We took the Shadow in secretly. If someone grows suspicious and investigates further..."

Madam Liu cut him off. "The Shadow isn't the only wandering martial-world apothecary. Besides, our son truly has skill and talent! Didn't you see how he dislocated Old Gu's arm with one punch? Old Gu didn't hold back!"

Qi Changshun said irritably, "The martial world is treacherous. Who would fight him fair and square... exchange... cough... cough, cough, cough..."

He suddenly began coughing violently.

Madam Liu hurried to a nanmu cabinet by the wall, took out a jade-green bottle of medicinal wine, pulled out the stopper, and handed it to Third Master Qi.

Qi Changshun hurriedly tipped his head back and gulped down several mouthfuls. Only then did he slowly recover.

After a long while, he let out a long breath, his voice gentle. "Madam, Yu'er has become sensible. I know.

"I could tell that day when he stood in stance.

"But my hopes for him were no more than for him to obtain the Martial Scholar rank through the martial examination. That way... I could at least speak up on many matters with the old master.

"I seek nothing else, nor do I want anything else.

"Do you really expect Yu'er to fight and kill people?

"Don't you know what our son is like?"

Madam Liu pressed her lips together and said nothing.

Candlelight wavered in her eyes, and she was clearly unwilling to accept it.

Qi Changshun's tone softened at last. He set down the wine bottle. "This time, let it go... But the secret medicine ends here. Don't waste the Shadow's time secretly preparing more for him."

Madam Liu fell silent for a moment, then finally nodded lightly.

In front of Pin Hai Restaurant, people came and went amid a bustling throng.

At several tea stalls by the roadside, groups of people sat gathered together, talking with great interest.

"Hey, did you hear? Qi Yu, the son of Third Master Qi of the Qi Family, defeated an old ninth-grade expert with one punch a few days ago!" a burly man said, holding a bowl of tea and gesturing excitedly.

A middle-aged man wearing a felt hat curled his lips and rocked his head as he joined in. "One punch? Heh... Let me tell you, the aura of Third Young Master Qi is overbearing beyond words. He just stood there, swept the other man with a single glance, and scared him so badly he trembled in fear!"

"Tsk, tsk, the prodigal son has truly turned over a new leaf! Who could have imagined that Third Young Master Qi would possess such ability now?"

At that moment, a tall, thin man let out a disdainful snort and sneered. "I say, you've taken the man's money and are blowing smoke here!"

"Oh, if you don't believe it, then forget it!" The first burly man rolled his eyes at him, raised his voice, and called out, "Master Zhang of Hui Chun Medical Hall saw it with his own eyes. If you don't believe us, surely you don't doubt Master Zhang too?"

"Master Zhang saw it too? This..."

When the tall, thin man heard that, all confidence left him. His voice dropped, and he fell silent.

These people had indeed taken Madam Liu's money, but they were not making things up out of thin air without any basis. That was precisely where Madam Liu's cleverness lay.

At that moment, a finely dressed maid ran out of Pin Hai Restaurant, found the customers chatting at the tea stall, and questioned them in detail. Then she turned and hurried back into the restaurant, jogging all the way to an elegant room on the top floor.

Inside the elegant room...

The fragrance of tea filled the air.

A woman in a luxurious, deep-purple robe was savoring her tea.

This woman was one of the proprietresses of the Qian Family. She had a son and a daughter, and had long been plotting to arrange an advantageous marriage for her daughter outside the family, seeking powerful allies and thereby gaining more leverage for her son to inherit the family business.

The maid hurried forward and reported in a low voice.

"Third Master Qi's family?" After listening, the woman narrowed her eyes slightly and ordered, "Go ask at Hui Chun Medical Hall again and find out whether it is true."

"Yes, Madam." The maid curtsied and quietly withdrew.