Urban Martial Saint

The man was sent flying and was left dumbfounded. He hadn’t expected to lose to Ye Qing as well.

In the first round, Nalan Tianyu stepped forward. Although he lost, he managed to fight for half an hour, which was enough to wear down Ye Qing’s stamina considerably. The man followed up immediately afterward, essentially employing the strategy of a car wheel battle. He thought victory was within reach. Surprisingly, it seemed Ye Qing hadn’t expended much energy at all; his attacks were just as swift and fierce. Even though the man had the advantage of learning from Nalan Tianyu’s loss in close-quarters combat—doing his utmost to avoid such close encounters—Ye Qing’s Li Style Bajiquan proved no less formidable than Wing Chun. In the end, he found himself defeated just like Nalan Tianyu before him.

Nalan Tianyu’s loss in the first round had already tarnished Prince Nalan’s reputation. The second round, despite employing a car wheel battle strategy, ended similarly with a defeat at Ye Qing’s hands. This disgrace left Prince Nalan’s honor utterly ruined.

At this moment, the man was no longer preoccupied with his own defeat but instead worried about the fallout for Prince Nalan. First Nalan Tianyu fell to Wing Chun Fist, and now he himself had failed against Bajiquan. This meant, undoubtedly, that the strength of the King of North-South Boxing surpassed Prince Nalan’s. If word got out, Prince Nalan’s decades-long prestige would be destroyed overnight.

Huangfu Ziyu, on the other hand, was overjoyed. Initially, she had thought Ye Qing managing a draw would already be impressive. She hadn’t expected Ye Qing to outright win, and this newfound victory made her view Ye Qing in a much brighter light.

”How about now?” Huangfu Ziyu chuckled lightly, looking at the man. ”Care for another round?”

The man furrowed his brows tightly but slowly got up from the ground. Unlike Nalan Tianyu, his injuries weren’t as serious, and he was still able to stand.

”We’re only the weakest in the Nalan family. Even if you defeat us, what’s the point?” he said gravely. ”Ye, just you wait. I’ll call for the true experts of the family to spar with you properly!”

Ye Qing frowned slightly. He hadn’t expected the Nalan family to be so persistent. Despite losing twice, they not only refused to admit defeat but insisted on calling in reinforcements. It seemed that unless he lost a match, he wouldn’t be able to walk away from this.

”Apologies, but I have a flight to catch. If you want to exchange skills, let’s do it another day!” Ye Qing said, then turned, pulling Huangfu Ziyu along as he prepared to leave.

”You’re not going anywhere!” the man shouted, motioning with his hand for three other individuals to step forward and block Ye Qing’s path.

Huangfu Ziyu cast a glance at the trio, then slowly turned and smiled coldly at the man. ”What’s this? Losing the car wheel battle, and now resorting to a human wave strategy?”

”I’ve said it before. The true experts of the Nalan family will be here soon. As long as you don’t leave, we won’t trouble you,” the man said solemnly. ”Once our family’s experts arrive, you can spar with them one more time. Regardless of victory or defeat, you’ll be free to leave afterward!”

”You’ve already lost two rounds, and you still want to fight?” Huangfu Ziyu sneered. ”Turns out the Nalan family just can’t accept defeat!”

”It’s not that we can’t accept defeat. Our strengths in the family are ranked quite low; we don’t even make the list. Losing to the direct disciple of the King of North-South Boxing is only natural; we have no complaints. However, this doesn’t reflect the true strength of the Nalan family. If you leave now, rumors will undoubtedly spread, making it sound like Prince Nalan is no match for the King of North-South Boxing!” the man said gravely. ”Wait a moment, and once the true experts arrive, they’ll face you personally to settle the score. Otherwise, our losses here will completely tarnish the family’s reputation!”

”Bottom line is, you just can’t deal with losing!” Huangfu Ziyu said disdainfully. ”If you already know your skills aren’t up to par, why keep challenging over and over? Then, when you lose, you refuse to let others leave. How is this reasonable?”

Faced with Huangfu Ziyu’s ridicule, the man ignored her entirely, instead staring coldly at Ye Qing and saying gravely, ”Mr. Ye, our family’s experts will be here soon. You’ll fight one last round, and then you can leave!”

By now, Ye Qing and Huangfu Ziyu had already spent close to two hours here. There was less than an hour left until the flight to the Miao Borderlands, leaving Ye Qing with no time to wait around.

”I don’t have time for another fight!” Ye Qing said firmly. ”Please step aside; we have urgent matters to attend to!”

”This concerns Prince Nalan’s honor. No matter how urgent your matter, it can surely wait!” the man insisted.

”This particular matter cannot wait!” Ye Qing replied, resolutely.

”So, you’re refusing to show respect to Prince Nalan?” The man immediately escalated the issue, leveraging Prince Nalan’s name in an attempt to pressure Ye Qing.

Ye Qing glanced at Huangfu Ziyu beside him, then turned sharply toward the man, his voice icy. ”Either step aside, or I won’t hold back!”

Ye Qing’s stance was unmistakable; for Huangfu Ziyu, he wouldn’t show Prince Nalan any deference.

Huangfu Ziyu felt a warmth surge in her heart. Although she didn’t particularly care about Prince Nalan—given that her master was someone of equal renown—it still touched and delighted her immensely that Ye Qing would go as far as to offend Prince Nalan on her behalf.

The man’s face changed drastically. Prince Nalan had built his reputation over the years, and never before had anyone dared to disrespect him. Yet here Ye Qing was, unmoved even by Prince Nalan’s name. The man was incensed.

”What will you do, then, if we don’t step aside?” The man clenched his teeth in fury and shouted, ”Ye Qing, unless you fight this round today, don’t even think about leaving the capital!”

”What if I insist on leaving?” Ye Qing replied coldly.

The man said nothing. Instead, he gestured with his hand, and the three men immediately moved to encircle Ye Qing.

Ye Qing’s gaze swept over the trio, his voice cold. ”Hmph, the Nalan family is truly resorting to numbers to overwhelm me now?”

”As long as you stay and wait, we won’t harm you,” the man responded gravely.

”Hmph!” Ye Qing snorted dismissively and ignored them entirely. He turned abruptly to leave.

”Trying to leave?” one of the men shouted coldly, reaching out to grab Ye Qing’s shoulder.

Ye Qing swiftly grasped his wrist, twisted sharply, and moved to press him to the ground. At that moment, the other two men struck simultaneously, attacking from both sides.

The three men were no weaklings; their strength was comparable to that of the man defeated earlier. The earlier man had lost to Ye Qing by only a small margin. Facing these three of similar skill simultaneously, Ye Qing found himself overwhelmed. Under the barrage of attacks, Ye Qing fell into a disadvantage, forced to dodge and evade constantly, unable to counterattack.

Seeing Ye Qing’s predicament, Huangfu Ziyu became furious and shouted, ”The Nalan family truly has some nerve! Losing in a car wheel battle only to resort to a human wave strategy? Hmph, is this what Prince Nalan teaches you all?”

The man frowned deeply and retorted. ”No need for idle words. I’ve long heard of the legendary East State Poisonous Mantis, the sole survivor of the Huangfu Household, famed for her shocking strength. Meeting you today, I find you to be nothing impressive—standing on the sidelines flinging words instead of entering the fight. Hmph, East State Poisonous Mantis, what a joke!”

Infuriated, Huangfu Ziyu grit her teeth. She had never encountered such belittlement in her life. The insult to her family’s honor and the sight of Ye Qing struggling against them pushed her to the brink. Her hands clenched into fists, and then, with a sudden cry, she darted into the fray, grabbing one of the men by his collar and yanking him out of formation.

Huangfu Ziyu’s expertise in Wing Chun far surpassed Ye Qing’s. Moreover, her strength was inherently greater than Ye Qing’s. Enraged as she was, she fought fiercely. The man she targeted was caught completely off guard and was pulled out with ease. As he turned to counterattack, her palm struck his back with a powerful blow, sending him stumbling forward and collapsing.

”Zi Yu!” Ye Qing called out urgently. ”Stop; don’t get involved!”

”I’ll be fine!” Huangfu Ziyu replied firmly, her teeth clenched. ”These scoundrels dare mock the Huangfu family! Today, I’ll teach them a lesson myself!”

The man who had taunted her hadn’t anticipated Huangfu Ziyu to be even stronger than Ye Qing. Seeing his ally falter, he shouted loudly and rushed forward to join forces against Huangfu Ziyu.

Meanwhile, Ye Qing remained occupied by the other two men, unable to break free. Watching Huangfu Ziyu locked in combat with the pair, an uneasy feeling rose in his heart.

Deep within Huangfu Ziyu’s body lay the dormant Twin Life Gu. If she cultivated or exerted her martial arts, it might awaken the Gu, endangering her life.

”Zi Yu, retreat now!” Ye Qing shouted desperately. ”Don’t fight them!”

Huangfu Ziyu ignored Ye Qing entirely, her jade-like hands fluttering like a butterfly in motion. She fought with such precision and force that the two men, even working together, were left completely powerless against her. In that instant, her strength as the East State Poisonous Mantis overshadowed even Ye Qing.

The men of the Nalan family were stricken, their panic showing on their faces. Huangfu Ziyu’s fury and display of martial prowess were far beyond their expectations. If this continued, they’d last no longer than five minutes before falling. Defeat at the hands of one woman would completely destroy the Nalan family’s dignity. There’d be no face left to save.

As tension reached its peak, the two men fought desperately while Ye Qing shouted angrily on the sidelines, ”Nalan family! We have no feud with you. Stop pushing us so far; otherwise, don’t blame me for what happens next!”

The head man seemed unfazed by Ye Qing’s warning, focusing entirely on Huangfu Ziyu as the battle raged on. Both he and the other man were on edge, knowing a single misstep could seal their fate.