Chapter 182: Fist to Fist

"Hmm?" Xiaoxiao turned around and saw a man with tattooed arms standing behind her, wearing a slight smile.

"Don't anyone make a move yet, just hear me out first." Qiao Jia Jin waved toward the distance. "Hey, you there, kick that stone away so no one trips."

"Get lost." Xiaoxiao ignored Qiao Jia Jin and shoved him hard with her hand.

But to her surprise, as she reached out, her forearm was suddenly gripped by him. She felt herself being pulled forward a step, and a palm came whistling through the air with a rush of wind, stopping just inches from her chin.

That palm was still a few centimeters from her chin, but the powerful gust from it had already brushed past her face.

If he hadn't held back, Xiaoxiao would have been knocked down by now.

A gust of wind blew across the rooftop, making the atmosphere quiet and tense.

Qiao Jia Jin smiled faintly, slowly retracting his hand, and said with a troubled expression, "This is tricky... My first opponent is a girl. I swore to Guan Er Ye that I'd never hit the elderly, the weak, women, or children."

Xiaoxiao's face darkened as she pulled her hand back.

What on earth was that palm strike?

If such a massive gust had hit her chin, she would have been done for.

Was it a coincidence?

This guy, who looked so cocky and disreputable, had thrown a casual palm but held back. Was he just bluffing?

Countless thoughts raced through Xiaoxiao's mind, making her expression complicated.

She slowly lowered her stance and adjusted her legs.

Regardless of whether this man in front of her was bluffing, her next strike had to send him off the bridge. Otherwise, they couldn't form a proper encirclement, and her two teammates would be in danger.

Qiao Jia Jin said, "Big girl, if you don't want to get hurt, step back a bit. Later, one of our girls who knows kung fu can spar with you. I'll go deal with those two weaklings first."

"You've run out of chances." Xiaoxiao finished adjusting her legs, stood up, and cracked her knuckles. "If you can't even take me down, don't even think about crossing the bridge."

"Hmm... Why are you so stubborn?"

Xiaoxiao didn't answer; instead, she charged forward, trying to grab Qiao Jia Jin in a hug.

She knew her weight was greater than his, and if she could execute a throw, he wouldn't be able to resist.

In the blink of an eye, Xiaoxiao lowered her center of gravity and was in front of Qiao Jia Jin. Her hands clamped like vices from both sides toward his waist.

Qiao Jia Jin's face turned cold. He stepped both legs back simultaneously to keep her from grabbing his waist, then leaned his upper body down forcefully and used his right hand to lock onto Xiaoxiao's neck.

Now, Qiao Jia Jin was pressing down on her at a forty-five-degree angle, with both of them standing at an oblique angle, their strengths locked in place.

Xiaoxiao hadn't expected her opponent to be so skilled in combat. She quickly changed tactics, abandoning the waist grab and striking toward his underarm instead.

Qiao Jia Jin shifted his hand into a fist and threw a straight punch to intercept her forearm, blocking the attack. Then, he continued shifting his weight backward, taking two big steps back and pulling Xiaoxiao down to the ground.

Xiaoxiao fell face-first, feeling a sharp pain from the impact. What was worse, Qiao Jia Jin was still pressing on her neck, making it hard to breathe.

She kept throwing hooks from her right side toward Qiao Jia Jin.

But this man had incredibly rich fighting experience; every time, he intercepted her punches just before they landed.

After a dozen or so punches, Xiaoxiao felt her strength draining rapidly, and her vision even started to darken.

"Big girl, had enough?" Qiao Jia Jin asked.

Xiaoxiao gritted her teeth: "Not yet."

"Why won't you listen?" Qiao Jia Jin glanced at her powerful back and said, "Your muscles are so impressive—why not use them for some heroic deeds?"

"Heroic deeds... Are you crazy?" Xiaoxiao pushed hard against Qiao Jia Jin but still couldn't break free.

Qiao Jia Jin was about to say something more when he suddenly felt something lock around his own neck, and his vision went dark.

He coughed and immediately released his hold, waving his arms around. He thought someone had attacked him from behind, but after swinging a few times, he realized there was no enemy there.

What had caused that locked feeling on his neck?

Seeing her "Jia Huo" ability activate successfully, Xiaoxiao smirked and quickly stood up, delivering a front kick straight at Qiao Jia Jin's abdomen.

She thought this kick would easily take him down, but to her surprise, even with his eyes closed, Qiao Jia Jin grabbed her ankle the moment he was hit.

Based on the feel of the ankle in his hand, Qiao Jia Jin judged Xiaoxiao's position and extended his leg for a low side kick, striking her other knee. Then, he lifted the ankle he was holding and pushed forward.

The bulky Xiaoxiao lost her balance completely, with both legs giving way, and she toppled to the ground.

Only then did Qiao Jia Jin slowly open his eyes and take in the surroundings.

He knew he had entered a state of oxygen deprivation earlier, but it had passed quickly, and he was adapting.

"Is that your special ability?" Qiao Jia Jin moved his neck around. "Pretty impressive."

"I've realized I underestimated you..." Xiaoxiao slowly got back on her feet. "Now, I'm ready to go all out with you."

After hearing that, Qiao Jia Jin expressionlessly took off his shirt, revealing his elaborate tattoos of dragons and phoenixes.

"As the saying goes, third time's the charm." Qiao Jia Jin tossed his shirt aside. "You've challenged me multiple times now, so I won't treat you like a girl anymore."

"Good." Xiaoxiao stood up and rubbed her sore knee. "What I've hated most since I was little is being seen as a weak woman. Your attitude now satisfies me."

"You might be satisfied now, but you'll regret it later." Qiao Jia Jin spread his feet apart, bounced a few times, and shifted his stance, seemingly testing the movement range the steel surface underfoot could handle.

"No matter if I win or lose, I won't regret it." Xiaoxiao replied. "Getting to fight someone this skilled is my good fortune in this life."

Qiao Jia Jin nodded after hearing that: "Alright, let's exchange some blows."

...

Lao Sun and the tall man had been in a standoff here for a while, their view blocked by Zhang Shan, so they had no idea what was happening on the other side of the bridge.

"What's up with Xiaoxiao?" Lao Sun tried to peek, but Zhang Shan shifted to block him again.

"Hey, you two are up against us." Zhang Shan said. "If you don't want to die, get out of the way now."

"There's no way we're letting you through." Lao Sun shook his head and turned to the tall man. "Luo Shi Yi, let's do this."

The young man called Luo Shi Yi nodded, then closed his eyes as a bell toll rang in his mind.

"What level of service do you want?" Luo Shi Yi asked.

"Are you kidding me with that question?!" Lao Sun snapped. "Everything! Full power service!"