Chapter 1032: Intuition

Zhang Shan naturally paid no attention to the slight pain and kept his eyes fixed on Qiao Jiajin's hands and feet.

Due to Qiao Jiajin's exceptional agility, Zhang Shan couldn't predict which limb would strike next, so he focused on protecting his chin while constantly scanning his opponent up and down.

Qiao Jiajin slowly shuffled forward, and the two were now close enough that a single move could make contact, yet neither threw the first punch.

This no-holds-barred fight made both of them extraordinarily cautious.

The one who struck first might gain an advantage, but it would also expose vulnerabilities.

Qiao Jiajin feinted with his right fist, and Zhang Shan's head instinctively jerked half an inch to the right.

Zhang Shan responded with a feint of his own leg lift, and Qiao Jiajin immediately retreated half a step.

Even feints were dodged effortlessly; if a real attack came, the risk of being countered was too great.

Yet, their feet continued inching closer, and in just a few seconds, their hands were almost touching.

Zhang Shan's eyes turned cold as he suddenly feinted with his left fist. Qiao Jiajin assumed an attack was coming and raised his right arm to block at the same moment, playing right into Zhang Shan's trap.

Seizing the opening under Qiao Jiajin's ribs, Zhang Shan lifted his leg for a kick.

Qiao Jiajin reacted swiftly; realizing the left fist was a feint, he quickly lowered his right hand to press down on Zhang Shan's whip leg. Upon doing so, he noticed that the kick was light and lacked real force.

Clearly, Zhang Shan's offense didn't stop there—the left leg was another feint. Sure enough, in the next instant, Zhang Shan switched legs, using the momentum from Qiao Jiajin's push to plant his left foot and swing a sweeping kick with his right.

The actions happened in the blink of an eye, but Qiao Jiajin knew he would have to take the hit. His weight was fully committed to blocking the left leg, leaving him no way to intercept the attack from the right.

If Zhang Shan's whip leg connected... would he even be able to continue fighting?

This brawl required not just technique, but instinct.

In that moment, Qiao Jiajin cleared his mind, and his knee lifted instinctively. Though his kick came later, he curled his knee up high, meeting Zhang Shan's leg at the bend and locking them in a standoff for half a second, neither able to advance.

A moment later, both lowered their legs and simultaneously threw jabs, each blocking the other's strike.

Qiao Jiajin knew his reach was shorter than Zhang Shan's, so opportunities to get in close were rare. Without hesitation, after blocking the jab, he closed the distance as much as possible and unleashed a series of hooks toward Zhang Shan's face.

Zhang Shan didn't back down either; he blocked Qiao Jiajin's punches where he could and absorbed the ones he couldn't, then countered with hooks of his own whenever an opening appeared. But Qiao Jiajin's form was incredibly nimble, and at such close range, he abandoned blocking in favor of dodging entirely.

As Qiao Jiajin seemed about to burrow into his guard, leaving Zhang Shan with no way to evade or block the next strike, Zhang Shan reached out and grabbed Qiao Jiajin's hair at the back of his head, yanking it down sharply while driving his knee upward.

Qiao Jiajin realized that a knee strike to his nose would likely knock him out of the fight, so he quickly crossed his arms and braced downward, firmly blocking Zhang Shan's thigh.

Zhang Shan followed up with two more knee strikes, but they couldn't break through Qiao Jiajin's defense. Instead, he changed tactics, yanking Qiao Jiajin's hair back to expose his face, then leaned back for a headbutt aimed at his nose.

Qiao Jiajin was stunned by Zhang Shan's raw, brute strength, unable to break free for the moment. As the headbutt came crashing in, he switched from fists to palms, shoving upward against Zhang Shan's chin.

A thunderous impact echoed, and Zhang Shan released his grip, staggering backward unsteadily for a few steps.

Without pausing, Qiao Jiajin dashed forward, built momentum, and leaped off the ground, executing the Dingxin Elbow from Baji Quan straight toward Zhang Shan's unguarded chest.

Such force was rarely used even in street fights—it could cause anything from shock to fatal injury.

Yet, even with his eyes closed and retreating, Zhang Shan seemed to sense it instinctively. As he backed away, he tucked his arms to shield his chest, awkwardly absorbing the blow and toppling backward from the impact. He quickly rolled and regained his footing.

Only then did Qiao Jiajin recall this move...

Earlier, when they were teammates in the Di Hu game, they had seen Kung Fu Girl use the Dingxin Elbow.

So, Qiao Jiajin had learned how to deliver it, and Zhang Shan had learned how to defend against it.

Qiao Jiajin thought to himself that Zhang Shan's instincts in the nick of time made him a formidable opponent.

Though their exchange had lasted just over a minute, both were already breathing heavily, standing apart without making another move.

In a battle where every nerve had to be on high alert, even a minor slip could be deadly. The intense mental strain combined with the rapid pace of the fight left them both needing a breather.

But through these brief clashes, Qiao Jiajin identified the issue.

Zhang Shan's fighting knowledge mostly came from military training—superior to most ordinary people, but lacking the practical edge of someone like him, who fought daily or brawled in the streets.

Even with countless techniques in his mind, Zhang Shan had to consciously recall them, whereas Qiao Jiajin, though not at his physical peak, still relied on ingrained instincts that could save his life in an instant.

Meanwhile, Zhang Shan had settled on his strategy.

Something was off with Qiao Jiajin—his body had lost much of its power. Though his agility and vast fighting knowledge remained, his strength was lacking.

To win, the best approach was to grab hold of him; superior power would override technique. Once he could break Qiao Jiajin's arm or leg, the match would be over.

Qiao Jiajin took a few deep breaths and bounced in place a couple of times, signaling he was ready for the next round.

"Hooligan, it's my turn this time."

"Alright, please teach me."

Zhang Shan raised his arms and advanced with large strides.

Qiao Jiajin knew that one solid hit from Zhang Shan would end it, so he mirrored the steps, retreating accordingly.

But after a few paces, he sensed the danger; this wasn't a ring, and being cornered would leave him no escape. So, he planted his feet and stood his ground, letting Zhang Shan close in step by step.