Tap!
Tap!
Her heels clicked against the marble floor, ringing out crisply.
Her exquisite face drew everyone's gaze and made them marvel, a faint smile playing on her lips.
Yet.
In that smile,
many people saw no hint of fragility or vulnerability.
Instead, it brimmed with confidence and an unmistakable air of valor.
Everyone present felt as though a queen had descended among them.
Her neck, held slightly high like a swan's and gleaming with a porcelain-white sheen, only added to her radiance.
The simple black evening gown looked anything but plain on her. Instead, it lent her an air of nobility.
"Gasp!"
A chorus of sharp intakes of breath came from every direction.
"Let's go."
A slightly husky voice sounded beside Qin Annian's ear.
Han Xi hooked her arm through Qin Annian's and headed toward the photo studio.
Only after the two disappeared from view did the onlookers exclaim in amazement:
"What a perfect match!"
"Too bad we can't take photos in here!"
"Is that beauty some famous star?"
"She's gorgeous!"
But.
The man had barely finished speaking
when the sound of tiny fists pounding against someone's chest rang out, followed by a muffled groan of pain.
"Section Chief Han."
"You can still change your mind."
A "professional" smile appeared on Qin Annian's face as he moved beside Han Xi at the photographer's direction.
Her glittering earrings caught the light.
"Once I've made a decision, I never need to change it."
Han Xi's voice was soft, yet utterly certain.
"Because."
"I've never failed."
She took Qin Annian's arm and leaned her upper body against him.
Feeling the woman beside him radiate such unwavering conviction, Qin Annian didn't waste any more words.
"Does your offer to give me pointers still stand?"
He looked toward the camera, his lips barely moving.
"Of course."
Han Xi tucked a loose strand of hair behind her sparkling ear.
"I'd like to choose a martial art to practice."
"Which of the Security Bureau's martial arts do you think suits me best, Section Chief Han?"
"I want to show my edge, but not too much."
"Hey! Hey! Hey!" Before Han Xi could answer, the photographer waved his hands and called out, "Groom, put your arm around the bride's waist!"
"Are you two even married?"
"Get a little closer. Look more affectionate!"
Qin Annian raised an eyebrow and reached out.
Han Xi didn't object.
So he rested his hand on Han Xi's firm, supple waist.
Gasp!
But.
That one touch
made Qin Annian draw a sharp breath inward!
Even his heartbeat changed its rhythm!
"What terrifying muscle density!"
"What an immense life force!"
Both when they had first met in the cheap rental apartment and now,
Han Xi had kept her martial aura under wraps.
Though Qin Annian possessed the awareness of a Fist Technique Grandmaster and could vaguely sense how formidable Han Xi was,
now
he could feel with remarkable clarity just how terrifyingly powerful this woman was!
For a moment,
Qin Annian felt his own blood stir.
"If I can raise my Life Development Power enough, I can become just as formidable!"
"And besides."
"Han Xi's Life Development Power probably hasn't even reached a thousand."
"And she's already this powerful."
"Just how awe-inspiring must those legendary Martial Gods be?"
Han Xi rested her head on Qin Annian's shoulder and spoke softly:
"Some geniuses in this world are born with an affinity for the Way."
"By 'the Way,' I don't mean the Great Way or the Martial Way, but the Way of the Sword, the Way of the Saber, the Way of the Fist, and so on."
"Still, naturally gifted grandmasters are exceedingly rare."
"You're a Fist Technique Grandmaster, so you'll make twice the progress with fist training."
"You don't want to reveal that you're an eighteen-year-old Fist Technique Grandmaster and have people treat you like a monster."
"The Bureau has a set of Willow-Bending Fist that suits you well."
Before Qin Annian could ask why, Han Xi quietly explained:
"The Standing Posture Technique you practice is the Iron Man Stance, right?"
"Its strengths are stabilizing your lower body, tempering your blood and qi, and increasing your strength. It's also easy to learn."
"But its weakness is right there in the name."
Qin Annian's eyes lit up as he suddenly understood:
"Not enough flexibility?"
"So the Willow-Bending Fist can make up for that weakness?"
The corner of Han Xi's mouth lifted almost imperceptibly.
"Clever."
"Training in martial arts isn't about forcing yourself or practicing recklessly."
"Though we martial artists can draw the Force of Creation from the Spirit Sea, making illusions real,"
"we still need to train scientifically."
"The human body isn't made up of independent parts. It's an integrated whole."
"That's also why, when martial artists evolve, their bodies don't follow the natural selection of life, where only what's used is strengthened and what's neglected atrophies."
"If we're going to evolve, we should strive for perfection."
Qin Annian listened with complete focus.
As a martial artist whose Life Development Power had quite possibly neared a thousand,
Han Xi's guidance was invaluable.
Moreover,
as Han Xi explained things in clear, accessible terms,
Qin Annian felt as if a sudden realization had dawned on him.
Much of the fog that had clouded his vision along the path of martial arts began to lift!
"Even though"
"my awareness has been raised to the level of a Fist Technique Grandmaster,"
"there are still limits to it."
When it came to the art of the fist,
Qin Annian was confident enough to believe even Han Xi couldn't surpass him.
But although all martial arts shared the same principles, there were still many things he couldn't see clearly.
Now,
with Han Xi there to answer his questions, Qin Annian treasured the opportunity.
How to coordinate stance techniques and martial arts, the secrets to raising Life Development Power, the proper use of common medicines...
Throughout the photo session,
Han Xi kept explaining questions about martial arts to Qin Annian.
The photographer couldn't hear them, of course.
Otherwise,
he would surely have been stunned speechless!
A couple who had come to the Civil Affairs Bureau to register their marriage were discussing martial arts in the photo studio?
What a bizarre pair!
"All right!"
"You two!"
Han Xi's slightly husky voice was suddenly interrupted.
The photographer looked at the camera in his hands, satisfaction showing on his face.
"Perfect!"
"Absolutely perfect!"
He looked up at them, sounding a little excited:
"I haven't taken such perfect photos in a long time!"
"Just wait a moment."
"None of these photos need retouching."
"They're already as good as they can be."
Once he started talking, he couldn't seem to stop. He went on enthusiastically:
"I'll get them ready for you right away."
"Lastly,"
"I wish you a happy marriage that lasts a hundred years and a house full of children!"
After giving them his well-wishes, the photographer bent over and busied himself for a little while.
"All right."
"Your marriage certificates are ready."
"You just need to go record your fingerprints."
Before long,
after completing all the formalities, Qin Annian had become Han Xi's lawful husband in the eyes of the law. He looked at the marriage certificate in his hand, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"You're only twenty-two?"
"Did you start practicing in the womb?"
Qin Annian couldn't judge Han Xi's age from her appearance.
He could only make a rough estimate.
Her Life Development Power was nearly a thousand, and she had already become deputy chief of the Operations Division.
Even if she were a genius and came from a powerful family, he had assumed she must be twenty-seven or twenty-eight by now.
But
he had never expected
Han Xi to be this young!
She was only three years older than he was in this life?
"Mm."
What surprised Qin Annian even more was that Han Xi simply nodded, as if it were only natural, and said:
"When I was five months along in my mother's womb,"
"my Life Development Power had already exceeded ten."
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