Chapter 152: Are You Injured?
Li Daoxuan's thoughts were already drifting toward the entertainment industry, but inside the diorama box, the martial arts contest—ah, no, remove the 'for marriage' part—was about to begin.
Xing Honglang's right hand subtly dropped, almost imperceptibly behind her back, leaving only her left hand extended before her.
Gao Chuwu had by now learned the basic stances of Hong Fist. Seeing Xing Honglang's posture, he couldn't recognize the move, and a strange feeling stirred within him. "Is there such an opening stance in Hong Fist? Instructor He Jiu never taught me that!" he wondered. "Could it be that her Jin Hong Fist is very different from the Guanzhong Hong Fist I learned? Is this move simply not in Guanzhong Hong Fist?"
"Here she comes!"
Xing Honglang knew Gao Chuwu wouldn't strike first, so she seized the initiative. She took a large stride forward, her left fist swinging directly toward Gao Chuwu's face. Her mind had already formulated a counter-strategy, with several variations ready; she just needed this simpleton to try and block her punch, and then she'd unleash a swift combo to take him down. However, Gao Chuwu was truly not the same as before. When Xing Honglang's punch came, he no longer blocked it foolishly like last time. Instead, he spun his body, not only evading the blow but simultaneously launching a counter-punch.
Xing Honglang's heart skipped a beat: *Hong Fist!* Though this simpleton's movements weren't quite standard, it was undeniably Hong Fist. She blocked with her left hand, fending off two of Gao Chuwu's punches in quick succession, each landing with a dull thud.
Her opponent's strength was immense; her arm felt almost numb from the impact. A silent alarm blared in her mind: *This isn't good. With just my left hand, I can't beat him!* "Thud!"
Zhengjia Village went out, took a taxi, and sped towards the smallest flower, bird, insect, and fish market far from home. That place specialized in all sorts of miscellaneous flowers and plants, cats, dogs, insects, and fish, as well as various equipment for raising those strange things.
"Wow! Gao Chuwu won!" The villagers were overjoyed.
Cheng Xu said, "A fighter as skilled as Miss Xing, to be injured? What happened on the journey?"
Zheng Daniu also furrowed his brow slightly.
Xing Honglang also spun her head around sharply. "Heyang County?"
Whether the bandits would come was unknown; when they would come was unknown; how many would come was still unknown.
"He won!"
Zheng Daniu was the first to exclaim, "It's already happening! If Heyang County is plagued by bandits, then our home is no longer safe! Our autumn barley is growing so well, it's almost time for harvest."
The private salt smuggler also lowered his head in dismay.
Xing Honglang silently clenched her right fist. Gao Chuwu was as overjoyed as a two-hundred-pound child, exclaiming, "Haha, I won! I get to give her the chocolate now, and this time I don't have to pay you, haha!"
In that era, women could not casually expose their entire arms to others; the upper arm was practically a forbidden zone.
"Silence!" Xing Honglang cut off her subordinate's words. "Don't speak unnecessary nonsense."
Gao Family Village was located on the periphery of Chengcheng County's jurisdiction, already very close to Heyang County. And Li Daoxuan was even closer, practically wedged directly on the border between Chengcheng County and Heyang County; one step east would take him into Heyang County, and one step west would take him into Chengcheng County.
Xing Honglang could only let out a sigh. "I lost!"
That punch landed squarely on her right forearm, stinging fiercely. Xing Honglang stumbled back several steps, caught her foot, and tumbled backward. Gao Chuwu lunged forward with a grunt, tackling her to the ground and pinning her down firmly.
If he missed even a single glance, Li Daoxuan's flourishing barley crop could be trampled or burned by bandit forces.
Cheng Xu said, "A fighter as skilled as Miss Xing, to be injured? What happened on the journey?"
Zheng Daniu was the first to exclaim, "It's already happening! If Heyang County is plagued by bandits, then our home is no longer safe! Our autumn barley is growing so well, it's almost time for harvest."
The private salt smuggler also lowered his head in dismay.
Xing Honglang silently clenched her right fist. Gao Chuwu was as overjoyed as a two-hundred-pound child, exclaiming, "Haha, I won! I get to give her the chocolate now, and this time I don't have to pay you, haha!"
In that era, women could not casually expose their entire arms to others; the upper arm was practically a forbidden zone.
"Silence!" Xing Honglang cut off her subordinate's words. "Don't speak unnecessary nonsense."
Gao Family Village was located on the periphery of Chengcheng County's jurisdiction, already very close to Heyang County. And Li Daoxuan was even closer, practically wedged directly on the border between Chengcheng County and Heyang County; one step east would take him into Heyang County, and one step west would take him into Chengcheng County.
Xing Honglang could only let out a sigh. "I lost!"
But one of Xing Honglang's private salt smugglers loudly declared, "That doesn't count, your victory doesn't count! Old Li Daoxuan is a full eight li of mountain road away from Gao Family Village. Although I can tap the fast switch button to jump my view over there, I spend more time looking at Gao Family Village, and it's not possible to keep constantly switching back and forth. *Boom!*"
Hearing that bandits were causing trouble in Heyang County, everyone's expressions immediately turned grim.
Although she was also a very robust and strong woman, compared to Gao Chuwu's imposing, ox-like strength, she was still a notch below. She struggled a few times but couldn't get up. She accidentally touched her left hand, and the pain nearly made her cry out. Only then did the crowd realize, with a sudden jolt, that throughout the entire contest, Xing Honglang's left hand had been behind her back, and she had only used her right hand to fight.
Gao Chuwu suddenly broke through the crowd and fled, disappearing in the blink of an eye. *Alright, it's time to deploy modern methods to solve this problem,* thought Li Daoxuan. This wasn't like the joyful reaction after a fight as before; the private salt smugglers all had strange expressions. This contest, it seemed, had a problem. Everyone was startled; Heyang County was quite close.
In battle, overthinking is the greatest taboo. Without overthinking, she might have blocked a few more blows, but as soon as her thoughts raced, her reactions slowed. Gao Chuwu lunged with a grunt, his fist swinging toward Xing Honglang's shoulder. In the midst of the chaos, Xing Honglang raised her right forearm to block.
Hearing that bandits were causing trouble in Heyang County, everyone's expressions immediately turned grim.
Although she was also a very robust and strong woman, compared to Gao Chuwu's imposing, ox-like strength, she was still a notch below. She struggled a few times but couldn't get up. She accidentally touched her left hand, and the pain nearly made her cry out. Only then did the crowd realize, with a sudden jolt, that throughout the entire contest, Xing Honglang's left hand had been behind her back, and she had only used her right hand to fight.
Gao Chuwu suddenly broke through the crowd and fled, disappearing in the blink of an eye. *Alright, it's time to deploy modern methods to solve this problem,* thought Li Daoxuan. This wasn't like the joyful reaction after a fight as before; the private salt smugglers all had strange expressions. This contest, it seemed, had a problem. Everyone was startled; Heyang County was quite close.
The "leadership" of Gao Family Village all sprang to their feet, leaping up in unison. Gao Yiye was the quickest to arrive; as a woman, it was easier for her to attend to another woman's injuries. She quickly grabbed Xing Honglang's hand. "Sister Xing, what kind of injury did you sustain? I have many divine medicines here; they can treat both blunt trauma and blade wounds."
"Gao Chuwu beat his 'wife!'"
The atmosphere wasn't right!
Zheng Daniu sensed something was amiss.
Seeing that her injury had already been exposed, Xing Honglang didn't bother to hide it further. She declared, "It's a blade wound, on my upper arm. It's not suitable for display here."
The villagers cheered in unison.
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