The remaining Embroidered-Robe Lang followed Ye Xingge's gaze and all thought the young innkeeper had probably lost his mind.
Luo Qingxuan had just picked up the cat. Hearing him, she froze too. She looked back and studied him closely, and only after making sure she had pointed out the right person did she whisper:
"What's gotten into you? I said the third from the left. Can't you recognize his clothes even if you can't count? That's a captain!"
The ranks of the Heaven-Observing Pavilion were auxiliary Commoner Attendant, Embroidered-Robe Lang, Embroidered-Robe Commandant, Night-Walking Lieutenant...
An Embroidered-Robe Commandant commanded thirty men. Their martial skills were all considerable, and they counted among the elite.
But this was precisely the man Ye Xingge wanted to fight.
First, the fellow had just insulted him and Uncle Wang.
Second, he wanted to win Luo Xuanqing's favor so it would be easier to leave the city on business later. What good would beating the weakest one do?
As for martial arts, Ye Xingge had practiced since childhood with his parents' wholehearted support, aiming to earn a place on the golden roll. He couldn't claim to rank among the top three now, but he was a force to be reckoned with in the county, earning himself the nickname "Subduer of Qingxi."
Mantanghong and Luo Xuanqing were two great carriages, a well-matched pair with him sandwiched between them. He truly could barely catch his breath.
But he could easily exchange blows with an ordinary captain. Otherwise, the county magistrate wouldn't have kept calling him in as outside help, and he wouldn't have killed dozens of roaming bandits, leaving the inn without any business.
Faced with so many incredulous looks, Ye Xingge barely reacted. He merely said politely:
"If this sir doesn't dare offer me instruction, I don't mind choosing someone else."
Didn't dare offer him instruction?!
The Embroidered-Robe Commandant's face had already been slapped bright red. Now it turned green!
Without waiting for Ruan Jinyu's orders, he tossed his saber and lantern to his subordinates.
"Good lad, you've got guts! If you can last ten moves against me today, I, Zhang Qing, will call you Master Ye whenever we meet from now on!"
The remaining Embroidered-Robe Lang wore all sorts of expressions as they retreated to either side. In the blink of an eye, a space three zhang wide opened up on the old street outside the door.
Tap, tap, tap...
Wang Shouyin had already been anxious. Seeing the Embroidered-Robe Commandant so arrogant and full of killing intent, he became even more alarmed. He gritted his teeth, stepped forward, and whispered:
"Xingge, you're still young. Don't do anything rash! Do you understand how to get along with people? If you beat him to death in three punches, Magistrate Shen won't be able to keep a lid on this..."
Ye Xingge raised a hand slightly and reassured him in a low voice:
"Don't worry. It won't take three punches."
"Huh?!"
Though he had spoken quietly, everyone present was an expert.
Zhang Qing, who had been rolling up his sleeves, widened his eyes. With a different, thoroughly puzzled look of "The fuck?", he sized up the young innkeeper again.
The other Embroidered-Robe Lang did the same.
Luo Xuanqing could tell Ye Xingge had some foundation, which was why she had agreed to let him try. But when someone kept their abilities hidden, it was hard to judge their level accurately with the naked eye.
Hearing this, Luo Xuanqing became half convinced and half skeptical. She leaned against the table, stroked the cat, and studied him closely.
Tap, tap...
A silver moon hung in the sky.
Outside the two-story inn, Embroidered-Robe Lang stood on both sides of the street. The dozen or so lanterns in their hands lit up several zhang of ground between them.
Ye Xingge handed the rag on his shoulder to Uncle Wang, descended the steps, and walked into the middle of the street. He looked at the Embroidered-Robe Commandant across from him.
"Fists and feet have no eyes. If I offend you in any way, please forgive me, Captain Zhang."
Zhang Qing was a bit of a dog who threw his master's weight around, but he wasn't stupid. The lad couldn't be this arrogant without some real ability.
Still, he refused to believe a young innkeeper could beat him to death in three punches!
Zhang Qing stopped talking trash. He planted his feet, rolled his shoulders and elbows, and let out a sound:
Thump~
His robes burst outward with a shudder. Then he lowered his body, sank his shoulders, dropped his elbows, and crossed his hands in a binding stance.
Below, he bent his right leg into a crouch, rooted to the ground like a tree, while his left foot reached forward in a subtle step.
"Mizong Six Harmonies?"
Seeing the opening stance, Ye Xingge nodded slightly. He didn't underestimate his opponent either. His feet slid apart into a bow stance, and he spread his hands as if shouldering a mountain.
In the blink of an eye, he became as still as standing water!
Shff, shff...
An expert knew what to look for.
The surrounding Embroidered-Robe Lang narrowed their eyes at the sight.
After all, Ye Xingge stood exceptionally steady. His outstretched hands seemed to shoulder a mountain, force flowing through both arms with killing intent hidden within. Once he took his stance, he looked like a bow drawn to its limit, and his gaze was sharp. One look was enough to tell he was no amateur.
But everyone was also somewhat bewildered.
After all, Ye Xingge's opening stance was clearly the common "Erlang Shoulders the Mountain."
Though his stance was impeccably correct and exceptionally striking, it was usually used to guard both sides, neutralizing attacks from the left and right or from several directions.
Zhang Qing was directly in front of him in a defensive stance. What was he guarding his back for?
Was he afraid of a sneak attack?
Thinking of Commander Ruan's reputation, the Embroidered-Robe Lang standing behind Ye Xingge even edged closer to the side of the street to avoid suspicion.
Tap, tap, tap...
Zhang Qing had assumed a cross-hand binding stance, crossing his hands before his chest to defend against forceful attacks such as straight punches and neck grabs. It was a defensive posture, and the sight of Erlang Shoulders the Mountain left him at a loss too.
"What school is that?"
Ye Xingge's stance was wide open, but his gaze was quite calm.
"Free fighting, commonly called a mixed school. It borrows a little from every school. Watch yourself, Captain Zhang."
"..."
Zhang Qing thought it was indeed a mixed bag, but his opponent stood so steadily that he didn't dismiss it as an empty show. He focused on his opponent's shoulders, waist, and legs, trying to work out his approach.
Ye Xingge held his arms spread, steady as a rock. He waited a moment, and when he saw Zhang Qing was wary and didn't dare advance, he even beckoned him forward.
"You wet-behind-the-ears brat..."
With countless subordinates and superiors watching, Zhang Qing could no longer suppress his anger in the face of this provocation, however wary he was. His right leg drove off the ground, and he pounced like a tiger, leaped like a leopard, closing the distance in a single stride. His right fist shot toward Ye Xingge's face like a cannon hammer!
Boom-
The punch was as fast as a thunderbolt, leaving no time to react. Everyone who saw it thought the lad was in trouble.
But Wang Shouyin, holding his breath at the door, looked alarmed. He knew the Embroidered-Robe Commandant was finished!
He often brought Ye Xingge along to help catch roaming bandits, so he knew the lad's abilities well.
He had practiced martial arts since childhood, and his parents hadn't spared the money to temper his body. He had a solid foundation built over more than ten years!
The lad also knew an exceptionally broad mix of techniques. Besides the common ones, he knew all sorts of things like "Thai boxing," "Trick battle dance," and "grappling."
Though they looked flashy, his elbows passed like blades and his sweeping kicks struck like cudgels, with astonishing destructive power. The yamen had also spent years calling him in to catch roaming bandits. He had killed dozens of them, so he had no shortage of fighting experience.
And this Embroidered-Robe Commandant didn't know what he was up against, yet had rushed in with a straight punch. How was that any different from courting death?
The result was just as expected.
Zhang Qing threw his punch. Without shifting his gaze, Ye Xingge drove forward in his bow stance, using his left hand in front to execute a Single Form Rising Strike, guarding his head as he pressed in.
His right hand, behind him, relaxed at the shoulder and swung forward, his waist driving it straight at Zhang Qing's face in a Pigua strike.
"Hah-!"
Zhang Qing had already been on guard, but the lad's reactions and proficiency were truly beyond his expectations!
His straight punch was blocked by the Single Form Rising Strike. Before his opponent's elbow had struck his heart, the right arm swinging in a full arc from behind had already lashed his cheek like a steel whip.
The defense and attack flowed together like moving clouds and running water. Zhang Qing couldn't possibly defend with one arm alone. He had only just raised his left hand to intercept the elbow aimed at his heart when the Pigua palm struck the side of his face. There was a-
Smack-
With a sharp crack, Zhang Qing's gauze cap burst apart, his hair flew loose, and the muscles of his face twisted sideways. Spittle sprayed out in ripples.
His horrified eyes instantly filled with blood and lost focus.
Thud-!
At the same moment, the Single Form Rising Strike drove its elbow into his chest. With the muffled crack of bone and the thump of flesh caving in, Zhang Qing felt as if a battering ram had struck his heart. The force that pierced his body almost shredded his lungs and organs!
Both feet left the ground as he flew backward. As soon as he was airborne, blood sprayed from his mouth and nose.
"Pfft~"
Ye Xingge had unleashed both moves at once, left and right. To everyone else, it looked like a Pigua strike opening the way, an elbow driving into the chest, and a single forward press.
The broad, burly Zhang Qing flew more than five meters, crashed into the Embroidered-Robe Lang behind him, smashed two lanterns, and even knocked over a man who couldn't get out of the way in time.
Whoosh~
Thump!
Clatter...
Amid the pileup, weapons and lanterns knocked together in a noisy clatter. Some people cried out in surprise and sucked in cold breaths.
Once Zhang Qing rolled to the ground, he stopped moving altogether. From beginning to end, he hadn't even managed a grunt.
The more than twenty Embroidered-Robe Lang watching felt their hair stand on end.
The eyes of the attention-seeking newcomer from earlier instantly cleared!
Ye Xingge stood outside the inn. He didn't pursue after the elbow strike, merely flowed out of his stance and straightened up. Looking at Zhang Qing, who had fallen straight to sleep, he cupped his hands in salute.
"Thank you for letting me win."
Outside the inn, even the crows and sparrows were silent.
Zhang Qing lay on the ground with his head tilted, blood around his mouth and nose and the whites of his eyes showing. Clearly, he couldn't respond.
The surrounding Embroidered-Robe Lang were also at a loss for words, their eyes full of shock and doubt.
Sitting in the main hall, Luo Xuanqing raised her slender brows slightly. A trace of surprise entered her eyes as she reassessed Ye Xingge's physique.
She had guessed the lad had some ability, but his performance had still exceeded her expectations. It seemed he could even compare with direct disciples of the same age from great clans and major sects.
Given Ye Xingge's background, even if he lacked neither diligence nor talent, he shouldn't reasonably have been able to develop such a foundation...
At the doorway, Head Constable Wang Shouyin had turned his head aside, too afraid to open his eyes for fear of being splattered with blood.
Only when the commotion sounded in the distance did he take a peek. Then he slapped his thigh, stepped forward, and whipped Ye Xingge with the rag.
"You little brat, why couldn't you control your strength?! What happened to knowing how to get along with people?!"
Ye Xingge had intended to show Luo Xuanqing what he could do, but he really had held back. Now he looked a little innocent.
"I already held back. I didn't strike his heart, and I didn't hit his temple either. If he were a bandit, he wouldn't even have had a chance to be saved..."
Wang Shouyin knew it was true, but he was still angry.
"You know how to trade moves? Fight for three hundred rounds and win by a hair, so the loser can savor the fight even after losing. That's how you get along with people! You little brat are simply... Oh dear, Captain Zhang, please don't die! The child doesn't know any better and couldn't control his strength..."
After he had carried on like that for a few lines, and Head Constable Wang was nearly on his knees begging Zhang Qing not to die, the surrounding Embroidered-Robe Lang finally came to their senses and hurried over to check his injuries.
"Captain?"
"It's bad, he's unconscious..."
"Quick, bring a Meridian-Protecting Pill..."
The area outside the inn descended into chaos.
Luo Xuanqing's earlier coldness was naturally gone. It was as if an iceberg had melted into a pool of spring water. Her eyes curved, and her mouth was almost crooked with laughter, but she put on an unhappy look.
"How outrageous~ Zhang Qing is Commander Ruan's trusted and favored subordinate. How could you be so heavy-handed? Apologize to Commander Ruan at once!"
Though the words were a reprimand, she somehow made "outrageous" sound like "Oh, stop it~ You're so naughty~" Hongyu, upstairs, broke out in goosebumps and cursed under her breath:
"Brazen hussy..."
Ye Xingge naturally turned to Ruan Jinyu and cupped his hands.
"Fists and feet have no eyes. Please forgive me, Commander Ruan, for striking too hard."
"..."
Ruan Jinyu's thoughts didn't show on his face, but with Luo Xuanqing watching, he still forced a smile.
"Not bad. To have such martial skill at so young an age, I expect you'll be a formidable fighter under Commander Luo. In that case, I won't presume to interfere. Lord Luo will be recuperating at the inn for the next few days. Remember to take good care of her and don't neglect her."
"You flatter me, Commander Ruan. I will certainly attend to her well."
Ruan Jinyu said no more. He raised a hand slightly, and four Embroidered-Robe Lang lifted the couch and carried him away with the rest of the party, leaving in disappointment...
You great ones are far too enthusiastic. Thank you for all the support through favorites, votes, and tips, or2.
While I'm at it, a shout-out:
I'd like to recommend a book, "I Became the Fairies' Cultivation." If you're interested, give it a look, or2!