Special Training (1)

Because accidents could happen at any time during training at the martial arts hall, professional doctors and emergency treatment equipment were always on hand.

After settling Dongfang Yinyin's father and hearing the doctor say that there was nothing seriously wrong for the time being, Dongfang Yinyin finally began to worry less. She left the lounge with Pei Shao and said resentfully, "That guy named Kai actually hit so hard! What kind of deep grudge does he have against us?"

Thinking of the other man's formidable skills, Dongfang Yinyin could not help lifting her head to look at Pei Shao skeptically. "Shao, do you really... have a way to help me win?"

To be honest, although Pei Shao had agreed readily enough, he had no confidence at all that they could actually win. But seeing Dongfang Yinyin's pitiful expression, he could only nod and deliberately relax his tone. "Don't worry! No problem!"

Dongfang Yinyin fell silent and did not respond. Clearly, she still had little confidence in defeating Kai—whose strength was at least twice hers—in just half a day. Seeing this, Pei Shao immediately said, "Let's start the special training right away!" With that, the two entered the VIP special training room together.

Though it was called a VIP special training room, it was really just a tiny room of a little over forty square meters. Still, the equipment inside was excellent, much like a private all-purpose training room.

Usually, aside from Dongfang Yinyin and her father, who often came here to practice sparring, few outsiders ever visited.

After the two talked for a while, Castle's voice sounded. "Pei! Is it time for me to take the field again?"

"Yeah!" Though he was somewhat unwilling to rely on Castle's help, Pei Shao had no better option now that things had come to this.

"Yinyin... are you ready?" Pei Shao asked after glancing at Dongfang Yinyin again.

"I'm ready. We can begin!"

"Good!" Pei Shao walked up to Dongfang Yinyin, coughed heavily, and said, "Show me your best punch technique first! Remember, take it one move at a time, slowly!"

"Got it." Eager to begin, Dongfang Yinyin immediately struck a pose: her legs half-crouched, fists clenched, one before and one behind, level with her shoulders—this was the opening stance of the Dongfang Martial Arts Hall's inherited secret technique, the Plum Blossom Fist.

"Castle, are you ready?" The moment Dongfang Yinyin assumed her stance, Pei Shao began quietly asking Castle again.

"Without a doubt! Now, lower her left fist by ten centimeters." Castle spoke with complete certainty.

Pei Shao immediately ran over to Dongfang Yinyin, grabbed her arm, and moved it down by roughly ten centimeters.

But the moment she saw this stance, Dongfang Yinyin's earlier confidence wavered somewhat. It was vastly different from her family's inherited martial art.

Although Dongfang Yinyin did not understand why Pei Shao had made that adjustment, there was not much time left. With her current strength, she could not beat Kai anyway, so she might as well treat a dead horse as if it were alive and let Pei Shao mess around as he pleased.

"Good, the first movement is done!" Pei Shao continued repeating Castle's instructions. "Let's set up that movement again. Follow my standards."

"Got it." Dongfang Yinyin seriously assumed the stance again. With her solid martial arts foundation, she met Pei Shao's—or rather, Castle's—requirements in a single try.

"The second movement." As she spoke, Dongfang Yinyin threw out her left fist. This was the second form of the Plum Blossom Fist.

"Mm, Yinyin... when you do this movement, spread your legs another ten centimeters." Pei Shao faithfully repeated Castle's words.

"Spread my legs?" Dongfang Yinyin looked at Pei Shao in surprise. This was a straight punch. If her legs were spread too wide, could she still generate any force?

"That's right, it makes sense... Hey, Castle, if she spreads her legs, can she still exert force?" Hearing her question, Pei Shao quickly passed the doubt on to Castle in a low voice.

"Without a doubt! Pei! The purpose of this movement is not to strike the opponent with as much force as possible!" Castle answered briefly.

"I understand!" Since Castle sounded so serious, Pei Shao could only put on a stern face and say, "That's right! Spread your legs!"

"Fine." Dongfang Yinyin's delicate brows furrowed slightly. Although she had already decided to see what exactly Pei Shao could come up with, she still instinctively resisted his alterations to the Dongfang family's inherited martial art.

"Wrong! The position is wrong." The instant Dongfang Yinyin finished the movement, Pei Shao cried out.

Dongfang Yinyin assumed the stance again, her frown deepening.

"Wrong, still wrong!" Pei Shao shouted again.

"Still wrong? Then tell me exactly how it's supposed to look!" Seeing that this would not do and that would not do either, Dongfang Yinyin finally became a little angry and shouted at Pei Shao. When she had learned martial arts before, she had never encountered anything she could not get right. She had always learned everything at once, with exceptional comprehension.

"Pei! Move her right leg about five centimeters to the right." Castle chose that very moment to speak again.

"Damn it!" Seeing Dongfang Yinyin refuse to cooperate, Pei Shao finally got fired up too. He first glared fiercely at her. "Remember, this is how the movement is supposed to be positioned!" Then Pei Shao followed Castle's instructions. But just as his hand touched Dongfang Yinyin's calf, Castle cried out again, "No, not the calf—the thigh!"

"Fuck!" Dazed and confused, Pei Shao did not think at all and simply followed Castle's instructions, wrapping both hands around Dongfang Yinyin's thigh. Only after both of his hands were on her thigh did he realize what he had done.

I touched Dongfang Yinyin's thigh! Pei Shao widened his eyes and looked up, even forgetting to quickly let go. Dongfang Yinyin, meanwhile, looked as though fire might burst from her eyes. Her pretty face had turned crimson, though it was impossible to tell whether it was from embarrassment or anger.

"You..." Dongfang Yinyin was so furious that she could not even speak.

"I'm the coach, so listen to me! If you can't do the movement properly, of course I have to correct you. What are you 'you'-ing me for?" Pei Shao was the thief crying thief, unexpectedly yelling at Dongfang Yinyin first.

Yet Dongfang Yinyin quieted down far more easily than Pei Shao had expected. Though her face became even redder, she did not say anything more.

Pei Shao also felt that his attitude just now had been a little excessive and was about to say something to ease the tension. But Castle sent another instruction, so Pei Shao could only continue directing her. "For the next movement, move your thigh another three centimeters to the left."

Dongfang Yinyin irritably assumed the third form. But the instant she did, Pei Shao felt his blood rush to his head.

"Hey, Castle, are you sure you're right?" Pei Shao asked because the third form was a difficult movement involving a wide leg split.

After Dongfang Yinyin performed the movement, the fabric around both thighs was already stretched tight. If she moved another three centimeters to the left... Pei Shao could practically imagine the coming ripping sound. Dongfang Yinyin's training uniform would probably split wide open like a baby's split-crotch pants.

"Without a doubt, another three centimeters to the left!" Castle's tone allowed no question. Thus, Pei Shao's tone became equally firm. "Another three centimeters to the left!"

Dongfang Yinyin glared at Pei Shao through gritted teeth, but she did not dare argue aloud. This third move—a split combined with a punch—relied entirely on the breath held in her chest. If she spoke, she definitely would not be able to hold on and would make a fool of herself in front of Pei Shao.

Dongfang Yinyin did not want to embarrass herself, so she could only grit her teeth and endure it, inching her thigh leftward bit by bit.

But Pei Shao did not notice her tiny movements and thought she was deliberately ignoring him. Growing more annoyed at her "uncooperative" attitude, Pei Shao finally could not help roaring, "Another three centimeters to the left! Did you hear me?"

"Ah!" Startled, Dongfang Yinyin involuntarily made a sound. The breath she had been holding broke apart, and her delicate body toppled backward.

Quick-eyed and quick-handed, Pei Shao immediately reached out to catch Dongfang Yinyin. But to his surprise, she moved so quickly that, in the blink of an eye, where her arm should have been was now her toes.

Pei Shao yanked hard, and Dongfang Yinyin's shoe flew off, striking the opposite wall with a smack like a dart. It then bounced back and instantly hit Pei Shao's unlucky face.

Pei Shao's vision went dark, followed by a sharp pain in his face. He blindly swiped both hands through the air. At the same time, Dongfang Yinyin abruptly sat up from the floor. Just as she was about to furiously settle the score with Pei Shao, she felt a pain in her chest as Pei Shao's large hand pressed down on it.

Having nearly been knocked unconscious by the shoe, Pei Shao had his eyes completely shut at that moment. He only felt something soft and springy in his hand that was very comfortable to squeeze. Without thinking much, he casually squeezed it twice more.

This time, Dongfang Yinyin was the one who nearly fainted.