Chapter 79: Lesson

  The woman walking towards him was wearing a snow-white fur coat, with a slender and delicate figure, her skin as tender as a bubble, her eyes like grapes, shining black and sparkling like stars. She calmly walked out from behind Chu Li, with a hint of a smile at the corner of her mouth, looking relaxed and self-satisfied, without any tension or awkwardness.

  Xilin Yuqiao held her head high, looking down at Qing Xia with a cold gaze, her lips tightly pursed, and the corners of her eyes twitching slightly. The despair in her heart was like wave after wave of surging tides, gradually engulfing her entire being. Was it for this woman that Chuli almost broke off relations with Lady Zhulan? She clenched her fists tightly, grabbed the silver long spear handed over by her subordinate, straightened her back, and thrust it into the ground with a loud muffled sound.

  Qing Xia walked to the edge of the arena, still wearing the heavy fox fur coat outside, and slowly raised her head to look at the girl in white martial attire on the arena.

  In the military camp, the most important thing is to live here for a period of time, since others have given her this opportunity, why not take advantage of it?

  Slender fingers stretched out, one hand propped on the edge of the stage, and with a sudden burst of strength, Qing Xia's entire body soared into the air in an instant. With just one jump, she landed steadily on top of the stage.

  "What kind of weapon are you using?" Xilin Yuqiao asked in a cold voice, her face sinking.

  On the edge of the arena, a row of various weapons was lined up. Qing Xia heard this and glanced at them lightly, then smiled and said: "I don't mind, but since you're using a gun, I'll use one too."

  These words were extremely impolite, and everyone had just seen Xilin Yujiao's exquisite marksmanship. Now seeing Qing Xia being so arrogant, they all shouted loudly in disapproval, with a chorus of boos.

  Qing Xia didn't mind, and with a faint smile, he suddenly kicked the rifle stock on the rack with his back to it. The scarlet rifle flew off the rack with a loud "pa" sound, whizzing through several circles in mid-air before soaring high into the sky. It reached its peak and then fell straight down with a sharp "whoosh". Qing Xia immediately turned around, his snow-white long coat fluttering in the cold wind like a pale large bird. His jet-black hair danced in the wind as he caught the rifle with one hand. The gun shadow flickered, resembling swirling snowflakes. A loud "hua" sound was heard, and the rifle head trembled. Qing Xia held the rifle with one hand, suddenly retracting his stance, his movements neat and nimble, full of a refreshing heroic spirit.

  A thunderous applause erupted at once, especially from the black-clad guardsmen, whose cheers were the loudest.

  Qing Xia wore a snow-white fur coat, holding a long silver spear with red tassels, making her look even more stunning and eye-catching.

  Xilin Yuqiao's face changed, and she tightly bit her lower lip. Just by looking at Qing Xia's starting move, she knew that her kung fu was not inferior to her own, let alone gun techniques which were her strongest suit, while the opponent was just randomly picking a fight. She turned her head to look in Chu Li's direction, only to find him seemingly carefree as he drank his tea, but his eyes were actually fixed intently on Qing Xia's movements, shining brightly with interest, and surprisingly, he didn't even notice that she was looking at him.

  A faint bitterness slowly rose from the bottom of his heart, and Xi Lin Yuqiao suddenly let out a soft cry, her long spear circled around, the spear flower shook, and she stabbed forward.

  Qing Xia was not good at using guns, but when he was trained in the beginning, he had practiced many kinds of weapons. In martial arts, one door is precise and another door is open, Qing Xia was proficient in Thai boxing, Burmese boxing, karate, taekwondo, and free fighting that matches physical attacks with national techniques, and was also good at fencing, stick techniques, shooting, archery, and had studied the internal qigong of Shaolin for half a year. Although he didn't know much about gun techniques, just by glancing over it roughly, he already understood the general idea.

  At this moment, he spun around and jumped up, drew his gun with one hand, and swung his leg to retrieve the pipa-style (a type of Chinese lute) while a dark dragon thrusts into the sea, deflecting Xilin Yuqiao's spearhead. Immediately after, he followed up with a yellow dragon point strike, which landed on Xilin Yuqiao's wrist that was holding onto the long spear with a loud "thud".

  A wave of scorching pain hit, Xilin Yuqiao was shocked, didn't expect to be hit by her as soon as she made a move. Knowing that if she had used lethal force just now, this arm might have been disabled, but hearing the shrill cheers, he felt even more enraged, rolled up his sleeves, and launched a sweeping attack with his gun, charging towards Qingxia's left flank.

  Qing Xia's expression didn't change, he suddenly retreated two steps back, then suddenly sprang up, one foot kicked on the edge of the stage's beam, borrowing force to jump high, reversing his hand to hold the long spear, a strange small grappling hook, wrapped around Xilin Yuqiao's long spear with a golden snake, grasping it in his hand.

  Xilin Yuqiao had previously thought Qing Xia was slender and weak, but now her weapon was firmly grasped in her hand. She suddenly pulled back twice, but it didn't budge. In an instant, Qing Xia attacked, her long spear coiling around, the gun handle slapping down heavily on Xilin's buttocks with a loud "pa" sound.

  Xilin Yuqiao was greatly embarrassed, her face turned bright red as she turned around, stumbling a few steps before stabilizing herself. However, the girl shouted in anger and charged forward again.

  Qing Xia furrowed her brow, swept her sleeve, and raised her long spear at a slant, pointing it at Xilin Yuqiao from afar. In a deep voice, she said, "Miss Xilin, that's enough!"

  Xilin Yuqiao couldn't listen to her words, and charged forward with a spear. Qing Xia raised an eyebrow and stabbed at the grass to search for snakes. The crowd only heard a burst of crackling sounds, but saw Qing Xia standing in place, holding a gun in one hand, patting left and right, up and down from afar. It seemed simple, but every move perfectly blocked Xilin Yuqiao's attack. No matter how Xilin Yuqiao struggled to change her moves, she couldn't get close to Qing Xia.

  The spear techniques had become increasingly sophisticated, including stabbing, thrusting, sweeping, hooking, entwining, circling, blocking, grasping, pouncing, pointing, and flourishing. At first, Qing Xia was a bit awkward, but as the fight went on, she became faster and more agile, her spear movements dense and rapid like rain. The crowd could only see two figures darting back and forth, rising and falling in a blur of speed that left everyone gasping in amazement. No one had expected to find such skilled female spear fighters hidden away in the military camp, let alone two women who were evenly matched.

  The people of the Xilin family, who were familiar with Xilin Yuqiao's methods, saw that Qing Xia not only managed to entangle with Xilin Yuqiao for so long but also gained the upper hand, and they were all shocked.

  Just then, Qing Xia suddenly raised the gun stock, with both hands propped on it, and flew up, a pair of scissors legs instantly wrapped around the opponent's gun stock, his waist twisted, and with a cracking sound, he twisted Xilin Yuqiao's gun stock into two pieces.

  Xilin Yuqiao was furious and grabbed half of the gun head, rushing forward immediately.

  Qing Xia's eyebrows furrowed slightly, this woman's methods were ruthless and deadly. If it weren't for his own quick reflexes, he might have already lost his life on this stage. Originally, because of Chu Li's relationship, he had a little sympathy for her, but now it vanished in an instant. His face turned cold, and with one swift motion, he landed beside her. His right hand stretched out strangely in front of Xi Lin Yu Jiao, his right leg hooked back, and suddenly, simultaneously exerting force, "Boom!" - he slammed Xi Lin Yu Jiao to the ground.

  "That's enough!" Qing Xia snorted and said in a low voice: "You and I have no deep grudges, why must you persistently force me?"

  "Seductress!" Xi Lin Yu Jiao said with a hateful tone: "I won't let you seduce Li Da Ge!"

  Li Ge? Qing Xia's eyebrows furrowed for a moment, and then she suddenly understood. It seemed that when Chu Li had drifted to Heng City back then, he had used the alias Li Chu to protect himself. This young girl had been infatuated with Chu Li back then, and even today still insisted on calling him Li Ge.

  No matter how infatuated the girl was, such willfulness that disregarded her father and brother, and recklessly made enemies, was not something Qing Xia liked. He loosened his grip on her restraints, and slowly stood up, his voice low, but still calmly said: "I have no intention of being your enemy, but if you continue to be so unruly, I will not hold back."

  "Qiao Er." Xilin Young Master jumped onto the stage and helped up Xilin Yuqiao, hastily saying: "Are you alright?"

  Xilin Yuqiao's face turned pale, gazing at Qing Xia's back with a resentful look, silent and speechless.

  The crowd only reacted now, and a burst of applause erupted. This is how it is in the military, even if they have different stances, but they always worship power and strength.

  Qing Xia had just stepped down from the stage when Zhuo Lan's wife walked up with a smile, saying in a honey-tongued and dagger-hearted tone: "Miss is indeed skilled, truly not inferior to the thousand-gold flower fist and leg of the nobility. I wonder where you learned from, how come I've never heard of you among the Black Clothes Guard before?"

  "Does the Black Guard need to report everything to you, madam? Your reach is a bit too long." Qing Xia's eyebrows rose slightly as she smiled coldly, her eyes gleaming with sharpness. Her small body suddenly exuded great intimidation, thanks to the lingering aura of her recent victory. Her phoenix-like eyes narrowed, and her lips curled into an icy smile as she said in a chilly tone: "Madam, you're over fifty years old; it's better for you to stay at home, be a good wife and mother. If you want to come out and do things, then take care of your own underlings, don't let them drag you down and ruin your later years."

  "How dare you! You actually speak to the lady like that." Lieutenant Li stepped forward, shouting angrily.

  "What am I afraid of?" Qing Xia glanced at him sideways with her eyes, and said lightly: "Lei Canling is the one who has eaten the heart of a bear and the gall of a leopard. He will surely become another generation's hero. A young woman like me can only wish Lei Canling wealth, honor, and a bright future." After speaking, she turned around and walked towards Chu Li.

  "Halt!" Madame Truelove's face turned gloomy, she stretched out her hand to block Qing Xia's path and said in a deep voice: "What do you mean by your words?"

  Qing Xia stopped in his tracks, slightly raising an eyebrow: "You don't even understand your own affairs, yet you come to ask a stranger; don't you think this is detrimental to your wise and powerful reputation, madam? Moreover, I am a member of the Black Guard, directly loyal to the Emperor. You overstep your authority by interrogating me; don't you feel that's somewhat improper?"

  Mrs. Zhuolan's breathing gradually became heavier, and she raised her eyes to look at Chu Li sitting in the distance. She saw that although the people on the martial arts arena couldn't hear what they were saying, everyone was intentionally or unintentionally looking over here. The new round of competition on stage, however, had no one paying attention.

  Mrs. Zhuolan said in a low voice: "Even if you are the emperor, you must give me some face, today you don't explain clearly, don't think about leaving."

  Qing Xia saw a group of Li Yuan's soldiers suddenly surround the area, each one tall and majestic, blocking the outside view in an instant. Qing Xia looked through the crowd and saw that Chu Li had already left his seat and was about to walk over here. With a surge of anger in her heart, she coldly said: "Does the lady think that today, this place is under your control?"

  Mrs. Zhuolan smiled: "That's also none of your business!"

  "Really? I'd like to try!" As soon as the words fell, Qing Xia suddenly reached out and grabbed a guard's wrist. With a swift twist, she dislocated his arm. The man didn't dare cry out loudly to attract attention from outside, so he could only muffle a groan, with cold sweat streaming down his forehead. Qing Xia didn't give them any chance to react, her movements lightning-fast and unparalleled. Her slender body was like a fish, darting about in the blink of an eye, and soon she had dislocated the arms of several guards. By the time Lady Chuluan reacted, Qing Xia was already standing outside the crowd.

  She glanced at Chu Li in the distance, signaling him not to come down and rescue her. Qing Xia turned back, smiled faintly at Zhuo Lan's wife, raised the silver-white hollow pearl flower on her hand, deliberately curtsied, and said loudly: "Thank you, madam, for your gift!"

  The eyes around suddenly focused on a few people, seeing Qing Xia holding Zhu Lan's pearl flower in her hand, thinking she had just received a reward.

  Mrs. Lan's body trembled slightly, and she slowly touched her temples, where the hair was slightly disheveled, and the pearl flower that had been inserted there had already disappeared. A chill suddenly rose from the bottom of her heart, if Qing Xia had lightly scratched her neck with a sharp pearl hairpin just now, she would probably have lost her life, her face gradually turned pale, and even the interest in acting was lost, she turned around and took the people from the Li Institute out of the martial arts arena.

  Qing Xia smiled faintly and walked onto the high platform, standing behind Chu Li, with a calm expression, unable to discern any emotions.

  Chu Li slightly furrowed her brow and looked her up and down, but didn't see any injuries. In a deep voice, she asked: "Did you suffer any losses?"

  Qing Xia lowered her head and looked at Chu Li, suddenly feeling that he was not as detestable as he had been the night before, at least he was still worried about whether she had been taken advantage of.

  Smiling back: "When have I ever suffered at someone else's hands? It's your old lover who will probably be sleeping badly tonight."

  Chu's eyes turned cold, and she fiercely stared at Qing Xia's face for a moment before humming in disdain and turning her head away, no longer speaking.

  Qing Xia raised his head, and all he saw was the blue sky and white clouds. The view was vast, and everything in sight was a broad landscape. His heart suddenly felt expansive. The war in the southern border had been going on for a long time, and it was time to end it.

  The good show has begun, and we have already set up our formation, now let's see how the other side will move.

  Qing Xia's mouth corners rose with a smile, her eyes shining brightly as she watched the two people in the arena rise and fall in their fierce battle, her heart feeling greatly relieved.

  "What's so funny with your sly and cunning smile?" Chu Li coldly snorted and said indifferently.

  "Hmph!" Qing Xia snorted softly and said with a sarcastic tone: "Look at you, Southern Chu's army is strong and powerful, I'm happy for you."

  Chu Li naturally knew that Qing Xia was speaking in reverse, and looking at the people from various prominent families in the arena who were loudly cheering and showing off, she couldn't help but smile coldly and say in a low voice: "Qing Xia, watch closely, sooner or later, all of these will be mine."

  Qing Xia was taken aback, and following Chu Li's hand, he saw a vast expanse of black-clad Southern Chu soldiers, covering the entire Martial Arts Arena, their numbers staggering, stretching as far as the eye could see.