Urban Martial Saint

The man stepped back, clenched his fists, and assumed a ready stance, all the while staring intently at Ye Qing’s feet.

He had just witnessed Nalan Tianyu being defeated at Ye Qing’s hands, and had experienced firsthand the power of Wing Chun’s close-combat techniques. Thus, he was now extremely cautious, unwilling to draw close to Ye Qing. Otherwise, he feared he might follow in Nalan Tianyu’s footsteps and lose under Ye Qing’s close-range Wing Chun techniques.

Seeing Ye Qing about to make a move, Huangfu Ziyu quickly stepped forward to block him. Glaring at the man, she furiously said, ”Hey, you people really have no shame, do you? Ye Qing just fought that Nalan Tianyu earlier and used so much energy without recovering yet, and now you immediately want to fight him again? This is clearly a turn-based fight to wear him down. Is this how the Nalan family builds its reputation?”

The man glanced at her and said, ”Miss Huangfu, you’re also a disciple of the Southern Fist King. If you think he hasn’t recovered his strength, then I could seek some pointers from you instead!”

”You…” Huangfu Ziyu was instantly angered, but the Twin Life Gu within her body prevented her from cultivating her internal energy, leaving her unable to fight. Because of this, she could only feel frustrated and powerless. For someone as strong-willed as Huangfu Ziyu, she had rarely ever suffered such indignities.

”Miss Huangfu, if you aren’t willing to step forward, then keep quiet!” The man shot Ye Qing a cold look and said, ”Mr. Ye, you decide for yourself — will you step up personally, or will Miss Huangfu fight in your place?”

”Shameless!” Huangfu Ziyu angrily retorted, ”If I weren’t feeling unwell today, I would’ve taught you a lesson myself! Ye Zi, don’t bother with them. Let’s leave!”

”Leave?” The man sneered and said, ”If you don’t fight today, you won’t leave here!”

In truth, the Nalan family wasn’t usually so unreasonable. However, because Nalan Tianyu lost to Ye Qing, the man felt he must win back a match. Otherwise, the Nalan family’s reputation, and the name of Prince Nalan himself, would be utterly ruined. So unless a fight took place, they wouldn’t let Ye Qing and Huangfu Ziyu walk away.

”I don’t believe you’ll dare stop us!” Huangfu Ziyu said deeply.

The man said nothing, silently gazing at Ye Qing.

Ye Qing turned to Huangfu Ziyu, saying, ”Zi Yu, since the Nalan family is willing to throw their reputation away, I’ll oblige them with a match!”

Ye Qing was also dissatisfied with the Nalan family, so his words carried a hint of sarcasm. The Nalan family members heard it loud and clear, but they completely ignored his tone, solely focused on redeeming themselves through this round.

”Ye Zi, be careful!” Huangfu Ziyu said nervously to Ye Qing. ”You fought for so long earlier, and your strength hasn’t fully recovered yet. This… fighting again so soon…”

”I’m fine, you don’t need to worry.” Ye Qing chuckled softly. Truthfully, his strength had almost fully recovered after the conversation dragged on for some time.

For an ordinary person, regaining their stamina in such a short period would be virtually impossible. But Ye Qing was different; he had previously consumed an entire bottle of Ziyu Chenxiang Pills, and the medicinal effects hadn’t been fully absorbed yet. Most of it was still stored in his body. Ziyu Chenxiang Pills were renowned for treating injuries and restoring energy. With so much of the medicine within him, Ye Qing’s recovery was naturally far beyond that of ordinary people.

Hearing Ye Qing’s reassurance, Huangfu Ziyu didn’t stop him. She cast a glance at the man and said, ”Ye Zi, you fought Nalan Tianyu for such a long time earlier. Even if you lose this one, it’s nothing disgraceful. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself!”

This was purely said to comfort Ye Qing. The man sneered coldly, ignoring Huangfu Ziyu’s words, as he extended his hand toward Ye Qing, saying, ”Pardon me!”

Ye Qing remained calm, watching as the man lunged forward like an arrow, preparing his stance. As the man swung his hand toward Ye Qing, Ye Qing countered with a quick strike of his own. This time, Ye Qing intended to repeat his previous tactic: pulling the opponent into close range and defeating him through close combat. Wing Chun’s close-range techniques provided undeniable advantages.

However, the situation took an unexpected turn this time. As Ye Qing’s hand pressed against the man’s wrist and he reached to grab it, the man’s wrist suddenly jolted with immense force, flinging Ye Qing’s hand away, denying him the opportunity to seize it.

”Oh?” Ye Qing exclaimed softly, surprised at the explosive strength behind Nalan family’s boxing techniques.

His failure to grasp the opponent’s hand proved costly, as the man’s punch was already upon Ye Qing. With no time to dodge, and his hands unable to block, Ye Qing opted not to evade. Instead, he bent his knees slightly and hurled his right shoulder forward to absorb the blow.

The man hadn’t anticipated Ye Qing to resort to such a straightforward, confrontational tactic. After all, Ye Qing’s technique was Wing Chun, derived from the Southern Fist King Shen Tianjun. Southern Fist, known for its finesse and technique, was far less aggressive compared to Northern Fist’s overwhelming ferocity. Southern styles relied heavily on sophistication and precision, avoiding direct clashes. Thus, Ye Qing’s response caught him completely off guard, leaving him momentarily stunned.

What the man didn’t know was that Ye Qing’s mastery extended beyond Southern Fist techniques. Having trained under both kings of Southern and Northern Fist, Ye Qing was well-acquainted with the strengths of each style. His core proficiency was in Northern Fist, specifically Li Style Bajiquan, taught to him personally by Northern Fist King Li Changqing. Wing Chun was an art Ye Qing picked up later. Now, Ye Qing seamlessly integrated Southern and Northern styles, enabling him to battle fearlessly even against Northern techniques, fighting with increasing vigor.

Using his right shoulder to absorb the punch, Ye Qing launched forward with an arrow-like step, bracing his right arm against the man’s. At half a meter distance, Ye Qing stomped fiercely, grounding himself, and struck with his right elbow into the man’s left ribs. This move, a signature Bajiquan technique known as Elbow Collapse, was breathtakingly ferocious.

The man reacted quickly, realizing the danger as Ye Qing closed in and shifted sideways to evade. Though he dodged the elbow strike, Ye Qing’s shoulder still rammed into him, forcing him to stagger back two full steps. This exchange left him at a distinct disadvantage.

”Excellent!” Huangfu Ziyu applauded excitedly. Ye Qing’s rapid transitions left her dazzled. At this moment, she had no doubt that Ye Qing was no longer the ex-soldier who first arrived in Shenchuan City. His abilities had improved dramatically, surpassing even her own.

Having suffered a minor setback, the man’s expression visibly darkened. He furrowed his brows, staring at Ye Qing, and said gravely, ”That wasn’t a technique from Wing Chun!”

”Whether it’s Wing Chun or not doesn’t matter — as long as it defeats you!” Huangfu Ziyu retorted. ”What’s the problem? Are you saying that only Wing Chun techniques can beat you? The Nalan family sure knows how to impose unreasonable rules!”

The man tightened his brows further. His earlier blunder paired with Huangfu Ziyu’s taunts left him feeling awkward. He took a few steps forward, stopping three meters from Ye Qing, and glared coldly, saying, ”What you used just now was clearly Bajiquan from Northern Li Family. Who are you really? Why have you stolen Northern Li Family’s martial arts?”

”Stolen?” Huangfu Ziyu stifled a laugh, saying, ”You Nalan family folks sure live shut away in the Capital. Haven’t you heard? Ye Zi is the closed-door disciple of Northern Fist King Li Changqing himself. Why would he need to steal Northern Li Family’s techniques?”

”What?” The man’s face grew pale as he stared at Ye Qing, exclaiming, ”Impossible! Northern Fist King Li Changqing disappeared over twenty years ago. How could he possibly have a closed-door disciple?”

”Well, that just shows how ignorant you are,” Huangfu Ziyu laughed.

The man frowned deeply and fixed his gaze on Ye Qing, asking slowly, ”Is what she said true?”

Ye Qing remained calm, nodding and saying, ”Indeed.”

Upon receiving Ye Qing’s confirmation, the man’s expression shifted dramatically again. He had never imagined Ye Qing was truly a direct disciple of Northern Fist King Li Changqing. But combined with the fact that Ye Qing also mastered Southern Fist King Shen Tianjun’s Wing Chun, he suddenly realized how formidable this opponent was.

Still, the man quickly resumed his composure and sneered, ”Hmph, if you’re Northern Fist King Li Changqing’s disciple, then learning Wing Chun only brings disgrace to your master!”

”What kind of logic is that?” Huangfu Ziyu scoffed. ”Why can’t someone trained in Northern Fist also learn Wing Chun? How is this disgraceful? You Nalan people lose to techniques from both the Southern and Northern kings, yet you don’t feel ashamed, but you say Ye Zi is disgracing his master? How absurd!”

This retort stained the man’s face an alternating shade of green and red. Embarrassed, he snapped, ”The fight’s not over yet! Who said I’ve lost?”

”If you don’t think you’ve lost, then let’s continue!” Ye Qing said impatiently. ”I have other matters to attend to and no time to play games with you. Are we fighting or leaving?”

”You’re courting death!” The man roared furiously, charging forward with the move known as Twin Dragons to the Sea. Both fists aimed squarely at Ye Qing’s temples.

The man knew that Ye Qing’s mastery of both Southern and Northern styles made him equally dangerous at close or long range. Thus, abandoning all pretense of caution, he attacked recklessly, aiming for a rapid victory to defeat Ye Qing.

Ye Qing remained unnervingly calm, raising both hands to intercept the man’s fists, engaging him blow for blow. Though the man’s attacks were frenzied, they posed no threat to Ye Qing. By alternating between techniques from the Southern and Northern kings’ schools, Ye Qing grew increasingly comfortable, whereas the man began losing ground, falling entirely into Ye Qing’s rhythm.

The fierce clash lasted over twenty minutes before Ye Qing finally landed a devastating Close-Range Lean-On-the-Mountain maneuver, sending the man flying and marking his defeat.