One Punch

Courtyard.

The winter sun shone warmly.

Under the eaves, Madam Liu sat upright on a rosewood armchair, wrapped in a sable cloak, holding a bronze hand-warmer. Wisps of white steam still rose from its spout.

After a moment, Qing Dai led Master Zhang in hastily.

Master Zhang was supposed to come every evening, but it wasn't time yet today. He had been busy at Hui Chun Medical Hall, but Qing Dai had rushed to the medical hall early this morning to invite him to the manor.

Without a word, Master Zhang immediately handed over his work to his apprentice, picked up his medicine pouch, and followed Qing Dai to Third Master Qi's residence.

Seeing that the renowned physician who specialized in hidden bone and muscle injuries had arrived, Madam Liu looked at the two people in the courtyard and said, "Old Gu, no need to hold back. If you let him go today, no one will spare him out there in the future."

Old Gu bowed slightly, lowering his head in response: "This old servant understands, I will absolutely not hold back."

Madam Liu then looked at the young man standing ramrod straight. The fingertips in her sleeve tightened slightly, and she hardened her heart, saying, "Yu'er, a fight of fists and kicks, a battle of life and death, have you... truly prepared yourself?"

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

Madam Liu gazed deeply at the young man, thinking to herself, If he gets injured today, it would be a good excuse for him to rest. It's not bad if he doesn't practice martial arts. With that thought, she looked at the servant holding the golden gong and nodded.

Clang!

The golden gong sounded, and the match began.

As the gong fell, Old Gu's eyes, which had held a hint of humble subservience, suddenly widened fiercely. He clenched his fists tightly, his thumbs and index fingers pinching in, his knuckles protruding like a chicken's claws.

He shifted his stance, his toes gripping the ground, let out a strange cry, and lunged forward like lightning. He threw a punch straight ahead, like a rooster's swift peck.

This Rooster Fist also had footwork, but it only had two forms, unlike the four forms of the Spirit Serpent Skill. The first form, seven steps forward and three back, was for offense, and the second form, three steps forward and seven back, was for defense, allowing for rapid advances and retreats.

Qi Yu watched this move as if time had slowed down. His own fists flashed with a metallic sheen the moment he clenched them.

He took a deep breath, his body moved, his steps light. He tapped the ground, spun, and agilely sidestepped. Then, he closed in swiftly. His hands, with their dark sheen, lunged out like a snake suddenly striking from tall grass.

Old Gu's chicken-claw peck missed. Seeing the hand lunging at him, he wasn't flustered. He turned his hand into an elbow and met the incoming hand with his own.

Although an elbow wasn't meant for toughening the skin, it was inherently stronger than a palm. In a fight between peers, it was perfectly capable of blocking an opponent's palm attack.

Old Gu thought, After blocking with my elbow, I'll follow up with a punch. The young master probably won't be able to withstand it. The Spirit Serpent Skill is clever, but it's a bit weak when it comes to a head-on collision. But in the next instant...

Crack!

Immense force struck.

A crisp sound.

A wave of pain.

Crack!

Old Gu was propelled by the immense force of the punch, stumbled in a circle, and fell heavily to the ground.

He instinctively tried to slap the ground and spring up, but found his right hand completely useless.

His joint... was dislocated.

He slapped with his left hand, his right hand out of control, and his body lost its balance.

Thump.

He fell back again, landing prone on the ground.

At this moment, Old Gu felt as if a bronze chime had suddenly struck beside his ear. His mind buzzed with a deafening roar, and a look of bewilderment and disbelief flashed in his eyes...

He...

He was defeated by the young master with a single punch?

By the young master?

In the entire courtyard, the air fell silent. Time seemed to stand still.

It wasn't until Qi Yu called out, "Master Zhang," that the "scene" began to move again. Everyone reacted. The old doctor hurried over and began to reset Old Gu's bones and treat him...

Qi Yu looked at Old Gu with some apology. Although he could see combat power, he didn't dare to be careless because of it. Whenever he threw a punch, he always gave it his all. How could he hold back?

At this moment, Madam Liu's voice rang out: "A reward of five taels of silver, and ten days of rest."

Old Gu, lying on the ground, gasped in pain but still called out loudly, "Thank you for the reward, Madam."

After speaking, he seemed to notice the young master's gaze and smiled, "As expected of the young master, this old servant concedes!"

Despite being injured, Old Gu seemed to be in very good spirits...

Qi Yu said, "Old Gu, rest well. When your injuries heal, come back to drive my carriage for me."

Deep into the night...

The courtyard gate creaked open. Qi Changshun dragged his heavy steps into the inner courtyard. There was a thin layer of frost on his shoulders, and his boots... were stained with mud from the wilderness.

Madam Liu had been waiting. Seeing him enter, she smiled and walked up to him, taking the cloak he had taken off. She said softly, "Our son defeated Old Gu with one punch today. He's finally brought honor to the family."

Qi Changshun paused, his brows furrowed. He glanced outside, closed the door behind him, and lowered his voice: "Did you... have Shadow get him some secret medicine?"

Madam Liu replied, "My son is finally willing to make an effort. As his mother, shouldn't I help him?"

A look of anger immediately flashed across Qi Changshun's face. He reprimanded, "Too much indulgence spoils a child," then lowered his voice, saying, "The fewer people who know about Shadow, the better! If we're found to be harboring Shadow privately and someone gets suspicious, and then they investigate further..."

Madam Liu interrupted, "Shadow isn't the only wandering pharmacist. Besides, my son truly has skill and talent! Didn't you see him shatter Old Gu's arm bone with one punch? Old Gu didn't even hold back!"

Qi Changshun said irritably, "The martial world is treacherous. Who will fight him honorably... fight... cough... cough cough cough..."

He suddenly began to cough violently.

Madam Liu hurried to a rosewood cabinet by the wall, took out a bottle of medicinal wine in a jade flask, uncorked it, and handed it to Third Master Qi.

Qi Changshun quickly tilted his head back and drank several mouthfuls before he slowly calmed down.

After a long while, he let out a long sigh, his voice gentle, "My dear, Yu'er has grown sensible. I know.

I saw it when he was practicing his stance that day.

But my expectations for him were merely to achieve the title of Martial Scholar in the martial arts examination. That way... I could speak more freely to Old Master.

I don't ask for anything else, nor do I want it.

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

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

Madam Liu pursed her lips and remained silent.

The candlelight flickered in her eyes, clearly showing some unwillingness.

Qi Changshun's tone finally softened. He put down the wine pot, "This time is an exception... but the matter of secret medicine ends here. Stop wasting Shadow's efforts in secretly preparing secret medicine for him."

Madam Liu was silent for a moment before finally nodding gently.

In front of Pin Hai Restaurant, people came and went, bustling with activity.

At several roadside tea stalls, a group of people sat together, discussing animatedly.

"Hey, did you guys know? Young Master Qi Yu, the son of Third Master Qi, defeated a veteran Ninth Rank expert with just one punch a few days ago!" a man said, holding a tea bowl and speaking with great animation.

A middle-aged man wearing a felt hat curled his lips and said, shaking his head, "One punch? Heh... Let me tell you, Third Young Master Qi's aura was incredibly domineering. Just standing there, a single glance from him was enough to make the opponent tremble with fear!"

"Tsk, tsk, this is truly a prodigal son's return being more precious than gold! Who would have thought Third Young Master Qi would have such skill now."

At this moment, a tall, thin man let out a disdainful cold snort and said with a sneer, "I think you've been paid to spread rumors here!"

"Oh, if you don't believe us, then don't!" The first man shot him a look and raised his voice, saying loudly, "Master Zhang from Hui Chun Medical Hall saw it with his own eyes. If you don't believe us, can you not believe Master Zhang?"

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

Upon hearing this, the tall, thin man lost his confidence, his voice lowered, and he fell silent.

These people had naturally taken Madam Liu's money, but they weren't making things up without any basis. This was precisely Madam Liu's shrewdness.

Just then, a finely dressed maidservant ran out of Pin Hai Restaurant. She approached the guests chatting at the tea stall and asked a few questions before turning and quickly returning to the restaurant. She then ran all the way to a private room on the top floor.

Inside the private room...

Tea fragrance filled the air.

A woman in a luxurious deep purple robe was sipping tea.

This woman was a proprietress from the Qian Family. She had a son and a daughter, and she had always been planning to use her daughter's marriage to form an alliance and seek strong support, thereby gaining more leverage for her son to inherit the family business.

The maidservant hurried forward and reported softly.

"The Third Master Qi's family?" the woman asked, narrowing her eyes slightly. She then instructed, "Go back to Hui Chun Medical Hall and ask if it's true."

"Yes, Madam." The maidservant replied, curtsied slightly, and quietly withdrew.