Volume 1, Chapter 36: Xu Ziyao's Ambush

Dragon Head Mountain.

Xu Ziyao finally reached the summit before sunset. The long journey, trekking across mountains and through rivers, had left her thoroughly exhausted. Fortunately, having practiced martial arts since childhood, she possessed a naturally robust constitution and immense perseverance; otherwise, she likely would have been delayed by another two days.

After a careful search, she finally located the thatched cottage hidden deep within the mountain forest. With no other signs of life on the mountain, this had to be Ye Tian's residence. As she approached the cottage, she faintly heard the sound of air being rent—the sound of someone practicing martial arts.

Curiosity piqued, she circled around the cottage and quietly concealed herself behind a nearby thicket. Peering through the bushes, she looked into the backyard. Indeed, someone was practicing there.

The man stood tall and agile, radiating a composed and restrained aura. His punches were fierce and powerful, each movement whistling with the force of a tiger. In the rush of the wind created by his strikes, there was even a faint hint of the might of a dragon and elephant.

Xu Ziyao was shocked. "It seems to be a profound boxing technique I have never seen before."

Having studied her family’s legacy, the Void-Breaking Fist, since she was young, she was quite accomplished in the martial arts. Yet, the Dragon-Elephant Fist she saw Ye Tian practicing was in no way inferior to her own ancestral heritage, and in some aspects, it appeared even more unfathomable. A strong sense of competitiveness welled up within her. After a brief moment of thought, she pulled a black mask from her coat and covered her face tightly.

Her hands itched. She wanted to test Ye Tian’s mettle to see whose boxing technique was superior.

...

Like a ghost, Xu Ziyao crept toward the backyard. Taking advantage of Ye Tian’s deep concentration, she launched a surprise attack. Ye Tian, fully immersed in his practice, suddenly sensed a sharp gust of wind attacking from behind. His heart tightened. Without time to think, he dodged to the side.

Xu Ziyao’s first strike hit empty air, but she did not stop. Maintaining her momentum, she launched a kick directly at Ye Tian’s head. With a nimble flip, Ye Tian easily evaded the blow. He fixed a sharp gaze on her and demanded in a low voice, "Who goes there? Why do you attack me?"

Xu Ziyao did not answer, her offensive becoming even more aggressive. She used both fists and feet, aiming every strike at Ye Tian’s vital points. Forced to defend, Ye Tian focused his attention.

His movements were fluid, allowing him to dodge and weave through Xu Ziyao’s attacks while occasionally delivering sharp counter-strikes. The two traded blows, locked in an intense struggle. Seeing her attacks repeatedly neutralized, Xu Ziyao grew anxious, and her technique began to falter.

Spotting an opening, Ye Tian lunged forward, seized her wrist, and threw her aside with force. Xu Ziyao lost her balance and crashed to the ground. Undeterred, she performed a kip-up and lunged at him once more.

Ye Tian’s expression darkened; he would hold back no longer. The wind of his Dragon-Elephant Fist roared, powerful and swift as a thunderbolt. Before she could react, he struck her in the abdomen, causing her to double over in pain. Before she could recover, he delivered a chop to the back of her neck. Xu Ziyao’s vision went dark, and she immediately lost consciousness.

...

When Xu Ziyao slowly regained consciousness, she found herself tied up tightly. The position was incredibly humiliating—it was that kind of position! Even worse, Ye Tian’s hand was currently searching her thigh.

Shocked and furious, she cursed, "You shameless scoundrel, how dare you insult me like this!" She struggled desperately, trying to break free from the ropes.

Seeing her violent reaction, Ye Tian immediately raised his hand and slapped her.

*Smack!*

He struck her on the buttocks. "Shameless? What are you talking about? I’m checking your pockets! You have no identification, you’re here mysteriously, and you’re acting like a spy... State your identity! Otherwise, I’ll strip you bare and throw you into the wild to feed the wolves!"

Ye Tian was not entirely bluffing. He had indeed considered feeding her to the wolves. Her sneak attack and ruthless strikes were typical of an assassin. He suspected she might have been hired by his enemies. If she were an assassin, disposing of the body would be standard practice.

Xu Ziyao was stunned. It wasn't because she was scared, but because she had never been spanked by a man in her life. When had a woman of the Xu family ever suffered such humiliation?

Her face turned crimson, and her eyes grew bloodshot. Glaring back at Ye Tian, she gritted her teeth and hissed, "You bastard, I am from the Xu family! Xu Weiping is my grandfather! You dare feed me to the wolves? Do you have the guts?"

Ye Tian froze. *The Xu family?* According to the prior arrangement, if the Xu family took the bait, Li Qingcheng was supposed to send someone over. But why had they sent a young girl? And why was she alone, without any protection?

Ye Tian felt a headache coming on. Xu Ziyao struggled hard again, snarling, "Bastard, let me go!"

With an embarrassed expression, Ye Tian hurriedly untied her. Still fuming, she ran several yards away and glared at him viciously. "Just you wait! You dared to touch my behind; I’ll find someone to deal with you!"

Ye Tian chuckled. "You want revenge? I’m happy to oblige anytime! However, your grandfather likely doesn't have much time left."

Xu Ziyao’s heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean by that?"

Ye Tian crossed his arms and said calmly, "The Xu family, Xu Weiping—I’ve long heard of your grandfather’s condition. He was injured on the battlefield, and every night he suffers from a chill that penetrates his very bones. As his physical functions decline, the frequency of these attacks will increase, and the symptoms will grow more severe. In my estimation, he won't last another month."

Xu Ziyao panicked. "Stop with your fear-mongering! My grandfather is in excellent health; he is not for a charlatan like you to judge!"

"Hmph, believe what you will." Seeing her skepticism, Ye Tian added, "If I’m not mistaken, you are currently practicing body-tempering exercises, aren't you?"

Xu Ziyao’s expression shifted. "How do you know that?"

Ye Tian laughed. "Of course I know. I can also tell that either your technique is incomplete, or you have been practicing it incorrectly."

"Explain yourself! How could you possibly know?" Xu Ziyao felt a chill run down her spine. This was one of the Xu family’s most guarded secrets; she never expected Ye Tian to state it so bluntly.

Observing her expression, Ye Tian knew he had guessed correctly and spoke with confidence: "When we fought earlier, I noticed your boxing was not fluid. While checking your body, I discovered that several key areas were never properly developed. If you continue like this, you will never reach the pinnacle of body-tempering."

"It’s like a student who excels in a few subjects but neglects the rest—their overall grade will never be high enough to get into a good university, right?"

Xu Ziyao wasn't even thinking about how he had 'checked her body' anymore; her mind was in turmoil. Ye Tian was right. Her ancestral Void-Breaking Fist was indeed missing parts due to historical reasons. Because of this, she had never practiced a complete technique, which was why she often felt a sense of stagnation rather than the legendary, fluid grace of her ancestors.

To think that Ye Tian had seen through it so easily! She was forced to re-evaluate him. Deep down, she began to believe that perhaps Ye Tian truly possessed some extraordinary ability.