Urban Martial Saint

When the man appeared, all three were visibly shaken. Huangfu Ziyu, in particular, furrowed her brow deeply and, after pondering for a while, finally said in a heavy tone, ”You… Could it be that you are Liu Mubai?”

The newcomer was indeed Liu Mubai. His demeanor was grim and cold. Hearing Huangfu Ziyu’s words, he merely nodded slightly at her without uttering a single word.

”Liu Mubai!” Nalan Fangyuan’s eyes gleamed with intensity. Clenching his fists tightly, he said, ”I never expected to encounter the Wolf of Mongolia here today. Good! Truly good! Excellent!”

Liu Mubai walked straight over, standing in front of Ye Qing and Huangfu Ziyu. He turned to Ye Qing and said, ”You two leave first. Leave this to me!”

Before boarding the flight to the Capital, Ye Qing had already called Liu Mubai to plan everything. It was just that Liu Mubai, coming from Shenchuan City, was slightly delayed. Fortunately, he had arrived just in time.

”Be careful, he’s from the Nalan clan!” Ye Qing warned in a deep voice.

”I know!” Liu Mubai’s expression remained composed as he replied, ”You don’t need to worry about me. I’ll be fine!”

Seeing Liu Mubai’s confident demeanor, Ye Qing didn’t say much more. Taking Huangfu Ziyu by the hand, he headed toward the boarding gate.

Nalan Fangyuan made no move to stop them. For one, with Liu Mubai present, he wouldn’t be able to block Ye Qing and Huangfu Ziyu. For another, with Liu Mubai here, there wasn’t much sense in stopping them further. After all, the renown of the Wolf of Mongolia far surpassed that of Ye Qing and Huangfu Ziyu.

After watching Ye Qing and Huangfu Ziyu enter the boarding gate, Liu Mubai finally turned to Nalan Fangyuan and said, ”This area is too small. Shall we find another place?”

”Fine!” Nalan Fangyuan responded with a single word and immediately turned to walk out of the waiting lounge.

Liu Mubai didn’t linger either, following behind Nalan Fangyuan. Although this was the Capital, the domain of the Nalan clan, he showed no fear of Nalan Fangyuan at all.

The two walked one after the other, circling around nearly half the airport until they reached a spacious, desolate plot in the airport’s northwestern suburbs. This area had been set aside for future construction but was still undeveloped. With few passersby and a vast open space, it was indeed an excellent spot for a duel.

Nalan Fangyuan turned to Liu Mubai and asked, ”How does this place look to you, Liu?”

”Very good!” Liu Mubai nodded in satisfaction.

”Then it’s settled!” Nalan Fangyuan appraised Liu Mubai and said, ”I see you didn’t bring your family’s famed Zijin Luán. I wouldn’t feel right taking advantage of you. Let’s make today’s battle weapon-free, shall we?”

As he spoke, Nalan Fangyuan casually drew a soft sword from his waist and tossed it aside. The blade shot out like an arrow, its trajectory unwavering as it embedded itself into a concrete pipe in the distance, piercing through it cleanly and lodging firmly in place. The precision and power with which the sword pierced the concrete confirmed its status as a remarkable weapon.

What was even more astounding was that the sword was a soft one, highly flexible. Under normal circumstances, its sharpness would cause it to bend upon impact. For it to penetrate the concrete in such a straight and seamless manner was a testament to Nalan Fangyuan’s extraordinary inner strength.

Witnessing Nalan Fangyuan’s demonstration, a glimmer of admiration flashed in Liu Mubai’s eyes. With a faint grin, he stepped forward and said, ”It seems this battle is going to be quite thrilling!”

”I hope Liu won’t disappoint me!” Nalan Fangyuan replied with a lighthearted smile.

Liu Mubai responded, ”I never disappoint anyone!”

”Good!” Nalan Fangyuan uttered a single word, mimicking Liu Mubai’s deliberate movements as he stepped forward. The two stood over ten meters apart, locked in a silent duel of wills. Remarkably, in this fleeting moment, tension seemed to permeate the air. Their powerful auras clashed invisibly, neither giving an inch, igniting an intense and palpable atmosphere on the barren field.

The standoff lasted for about thirty seconds. Then, simultaneously, they both let out thunderous shouts. Liu Mubai charged forward at full speed, while Nalan Fangyuan bent his knees slightly, assuming a firm horse stance. By the time Nalan Fangyuan had steadied his position, Liu Mubai was less than three meters away. With a forceful stomp, Liu Mubai propelled himself into the air, executing a flying kick directly aimed at Nalan Fangyuan.

Such an aggressive leaping attack is rarely utilized in actual combat, as it may appear formidable but is riddled with vulnerabilities. A deft opponent could easily evade the kick and counter from any angle, leaving the airborne aggressor defenseless. Hence, it was surprising to see a first-rank fighter like Liu Mubai choose such an inherently flawed technique as his opening move.

Equally perplexed, Nalan Fangyuan was momentarily taken aback. He couldn’t comprehend why Liu Mubai would resort to such a reckless maneuver. In the brief instant of hesitation, Liu Mubai’s foot advanced right before Nalan Fangyuan’s face. Yet, given Nalan Fangyuan’s abilities, the kick posed no actual threat. He effortlessly sidestepped it with a single motion and countered with a swift punch aimed directly at Liu Mubai’s chest.

This punch left Liu Mubai in a precarious state, vulnerable mid-air with no means to dodge. As Nalan Fangyuan’s fist closed in on his chest, Liu Mubai raised his arms, grabbing Nalan Fangyuan’s wrist in one fluid motion.

Nalan Fangyuan was momentarily stunned, failing to anticipate that Liu Mubai could still muster the strength to grab his wrist. It became clear that the earlier kick was merely a feint, with Liu Mubai’s true plan lying in what followed.

Fully aware of the potential danger, Nalan Fangyuan responded swiftly, extending his free hand to grab Liu Mubai’s wrist and attempting to use grappling techniques to break free. But he was a fraction too slow. Liu Mubai’s grip tightened, dragging Nalan Fangyuan forward a few steps. As Liu Mubai landed on the ground, he twisted furiously, forcing Nalan Fangyuan into a crouched position to dissipate the torque. Any further pressure would have seen Liu Mubai completely overpowering him.

Nalan Fangyuan demonstrated remarkable agility. As his body sank, he pressed his free hand against the ground, using it as leverage to flip backwards. This deft maneuver not only neutralized the force of Liu Mubai’s grip but also left Liu Mubai exposed, with Nalan Fangyuan preparing to seize his wrists. Seeing this, Liu Mubai released his grip instantly, retreating a step to evade Nalan Fangyuan’s grasp. Then, in the blink of an eye, Liu Mubai advanced again, punching repeatedly at Nalan Fangyuan.

Nalan Fangyuan countered aggressively, and what followed was a flurry of blows. The two men fought fiercely, their fists, feet, elbows, and knees all transforming into deadly weapons as they unleashed their full power. Their strength and speed were evenly matched, making it impossible to determine a victor in the intense exchange.

Meanwhile, in the Nalan family’s grand estate, Nalan Tianyu knelt before Prince Nalan, accompanied by the four men from earlier. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he pleaded, ”Grandfather, you must avenge me! That Ye brat went too far, showing no regard for you at all. He said it was just a friendly martial arts sparring match, but look at how we ended up! Two of them were maimed! How can this be called sparring? It’s outright murder!”

Prince Nalan remained composed, his face as tranquil as still water. His gaze swept over the group before settling on Nalan Tianyu. In a calm tone, he said, ”Tianyu, go and rest. I will handle this matter myself.”

”Grandfather, you must avenge me at all costs!” Nalan Tianyu pressed on with a hint of defiance. ”That Ye fellow claims to be a disciple of the King of North-South Boxing. He defeated so many of our family’s men earlier. If word gets out, won’t people think that you, Grandfather, are no match for those little descendants of the King of North-South Boxing?”

”Tianyu!” The middle-aged man standing beside Prince Nalan could no longer bear it. In a stern voice, he said, ”Your grandfather has his own plans. Are you questioning his judgment with all this talk?”

Nalan Tianyu’s expression shifted slightly. He wasn’t truly afraid of Prince Nalan but held deep fear toward the middle-aged man. While Prince Nalan had never contradicted Tianyu’s wishes, the middle-aged man was much stricter. Hearing his reproach, Nalan Tianyu quickly rose and said, ”Uncle, I… I understand. I’ll take my leave now to rest. Grandfather, please… please make sure to avenge me…”

As he spoke, Nalan Tianyu glanced reluctantly at the middle-aged man beside Prince Nalan but ultimately dared not say more, hurriedly leading the four other men away.

As Nalan Tianyu departed, the middle-aged man let out a heavy sigh and said, ”Father, I’ve already investigated this incident. The fault doesn’t lie with Ye Qing. It was Tianyu who deliberately provoked him, forcing Ye Qing to punish them lightly. Over the years, Tianyu has grown more arrogant and unruly. If we continue to indulge him like this, he will be hard to rein in later. Perhaps we should treat this as a lesson for him?”

Prince Nalan’s expression remained impassive. After a long silence, he spoke softly, ”Tianyu is what, twenty-four or twenty-five this year?”

The middle-aged man responded, ”Father, in three months, Tianyu will turn twenty-five!”

”Twenty-five…” Prince Nalan nodded slowly and said, ”At twenty-five, it’s time to arrange a marriage for him.”

Hearing this, the middle-aged man’s eyes lit up with delight, and he said, ”Father, this is indeed a good idea. Tianyu has gone unchecked all these years, becoming increasingly arrogant and reckless in his actions. If we find him a suitable bride from a respectable family, someone who can keep him in line, it would be excellent. But, Father, which family’s daughter do you have in mind for Tianyu?”

Prince Nalan’s expression remained unchanged. ”What about Shen Tianjun’s granddaughter? How old is she this year?”

”What?” The middle-aged man was stunned. Prince Nalan’s choice… was actually someone from the Shen family?