"Yeah, right. What makes you think it’s your turn?"
"I called it first!"
"What good is calling it first? You think that battle-ax you have at home will let you off the hook?"
On the high platform, the three advisors wore different expressions. Bai Longfei, in particular, took a deep look at Lu Yun and couldn’t help but think, ’What incredible Horizontal Training!’
Just then, the official in charge of the Martial Arts Demonstration cleared his throat and spoke up. "Gong Ning, can you still stand?"
"If you can’t get up, or if you feel you can’t continue, I’ll declare you the loser."
"As for what happens after you lose, according to the rules of the Martial Arts Demonstration, you will be given two hours."
Two hours.
Gong Ning knew exactly what two hours meant. After that time, every martial arts school in Yun Port City would become her enemy.
The members of those schools would hunt her down and besiege her until her martial arts were crippled.
Thinking of this outcome, Gong Ning bit her lower lip, enduring the piercing pain from her palms as she slowly clenched her swollen hands into fists.
She stood up, facing Lu Yun directly.
At such a close distance, Lu Yun looked into her reddened eyes.
’She’s been beaten to tears.’
The absurd thought suddenly popped into his head. He then glanced at her ten fingers, which were swollen red like carrots.
’It’s understandable, I suppose. My body is just too hard. Hitting me is the same as hitting herself.’
Just then, Gong Ning took a deep breath and took several steps back, putting some distance between herself and Lu Yun.
She stared daggers at Lu Yun, her lips moving, but ultimately, she said nothing.
In truth, there was one sentence that had been churning in Gong Ning’s throat, on the verge of spilling out.
’Can we not fight anymore? I want to surrender.’
This person before her... his entire body was hard as a rock! Rock-solid!
SOB SOB SOB... It’s so hard, I can’t take it.
"Phew..."
Someone in the crowd below let out a long sigh of relief. "Thank goodness, thank goodness, the little beauty is back on her feet! I knew she wouldn’t give up that easily!"
"Exactly! There are still more than seventy moves to go! Besides, anyone with eyes can see that Advisor Lu is clearly going easy on her. He hasn’t initiated a single attack the entire time!"
"Hurry, hurry, get on with it! Finish the remaining moves so she can open her school! I’ve already decided—the moment this beautiful master opens her school, I’ll be the first to sign up!"
"You? You think your master will let you get away with that?"
"A master is a master, but a beautiful master is a beautiful master. There’s no conflict!"
"Traitor! Ptooey!"
"Yeah! If anyone’s going, it should be me! What makes you think it’s your turn?"
On the high platform, Gong Ning remained standing there. She watched Lu Yun, and Lu Yun watched her back.
There were still more than seventy moves left, but Gong Ning no longer dared to throw a punch.
Listening to the rising tide of shouts from the crowd—"Go, little beauty!" "Lord Lu is obviously letting you win!" "You can open your school after this!"—she nearly ground her teeth to dust.
’Assholes!’
’You think I don’t want to fight?!’
’The problem is, every punch, every palm strike I throw now feels like I’m smashing it against a block of pig iron!’
’The force that rebounds is even fiercer than the force I put into the strike!’
’How is this any different from self-mutilation?’
Gong Ning looked down at her ten fingers, swollen like carrots, the knuckles even faintly seeping blood.
’Finish all one hundred moves? I’m afraid my hands will be crippled before I even reach sixty.’
SOB SOB SOB...
’If I’d known, I would have just listened to my father. I should have prepared some expensive gifts and paid a formal visit beforehand.’
’Now I’m really stuck between a rock and a hard place! I can’t fight, and I can’t not fight!’
While Gong Ning was still warring with herself, the figure opposite her began to move.
Lu Yun walked toward her unhurriedly. "Young lady, let’s end this quickly. This old man has some private matters to attend to."
Hearing this, Gong Ning froze.
’End this? How? By having me continue to fight until my hands are ruined?’
’Or...’
At that moment, Gong Ning’s legs began to retreat a step uncontrollably.
’No, why am I retreating?’ She couldn’t explain it herself. It was just an instinct to get a little farther away from this rock-hard old monster.
Lu Yun took another step forward, and she took another step back. One step, two steps, three steps.
She looked exactly like a helpless young maiden from a storybook, cornered by a villain and trembling with fear.
Forced back to the edge of the high platform, Gong Ning knew there was no more room to retreat. She gritted her teeth fiercely.
’Screw it!’
Gong Ning’s palms once again transformed into the illusory image of a sky-full of roaming dragons as she lunged for Lu Yun’s chest!
"SMACK!"
Their palms met once again, and she felt that same, despairingly familiar rebound.
Gong Ning felt an overwhelming force surge back through her arms. Her finger bones, wrist bones, elbow bones—every inch of her ached.
Then, she stumbled back several steps, nearly collapsing to her knees again.
This time, Gong Ning couldn’t hold back any longer.
’I’m done fighting.’
’I’m not fighting anymore.’
She opened her mouth, mustering all her strength to shout the three words, "I give up."
"I give..."
"Everyone, make way, make way!"
A frantic voice suddenly erupted from the back of the crowd, cutting her off before she could finish.
Then, a figure in black robes practically vaulted over the heads of the crowd and onto the high platform!
When he landed, a fierce gust of wind swept out, causing several Martial Artists near the edge of the platform to stagger back.
’It’s Huajin! And a Huajin with a very deep foundation!’
The three advisors, including Lu Yun, sensed this Qi almost at the same instant.
After the black-robed man landed, he grabbed the wavering Gong Ning and pulled her behind him for protection.
He raised his head to face Lu Yun. The man had a square face, thick eyebrows, and faint wrinkles at the corners of his eyes.
Finally, the moment the black-robed man looked at Lu Yun, he lowered his head slightly.
He clasped his hands, made a fist-and-palm salute, and bowed.
"Mr. Lu, I am Gong Yuanshan. My daughter was ignorant today and overreached, offending you and everyone at the Martial Arts Demonstration."
"This bow is an apology on her behalf."
He paused, then straightened up. "I ask that Mr. Lu be magnanimous and allow me to take my daughter’s place for the remaining moves."

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