Chapter 119: The Sterilizing Strike

Jiang Zheng watched Pei Xin’s retreating back, momentarily stunned. He hadn’t expected her to leave so abruptly. His original intention was simply to make things clear—that after this lesson, their paths would part for a while, and he would no longer be her instructor.

In his mind, Jiang Zheng wondered if his tone had been too harsh, perhaps prompting Pei Xin’s silent departure. He opened his mouth but found himself at a loss for words; in the end, all that came out was a sigh.

Pei Xin’s sudden exit left Jiang Zheng feeling a twinge of guilt, and the failure of the mission weighed heavily on him. He wanted to call her back but found no words to say. Ultimately, it was his bluntness that had caused this. Yet, he did not regret it—some matters were better clarified early to avoid greater troubles later.

***

Pei Xin stormed off, resolute not to study martial arts any longer. She wasn’t short of people who could teach her; leaving Jiang Zheng wouldn’t stop her from learning.

Upon exiting the school gates, she planned to go to the boxing gym to punch out her frustrations.

At the school’s entrance, Pei Xin booked a ride on her phone and waited. She didn’t notice four local youths squatting nearby, their hair dyed yellow, dressed in tight clothes and casual loafers.

“Qiangzi, your cousin still hasn’t come out?” one asked.

“Brother Hu, I’m urging her again,” Qiangzi replied.

“Keep at it. We’ve been waiting here for almost half an hour,” Brother Hu said.

“Hey, Brother Hu, look at that girl—she’s really pretty!” another said.

“Where? Let me see,” Brother Hu responded.

“Right there! Look!” the man said.

Brother Hu glanced over and nodded, “Indeed, very pretty.”

Qiangzi looked too, feeling that the girl seemed familiar, like he’d seen her somewhere before. After pondering, a memory struck him. He retrieved a photo from his phone—a candid shot sent by his cousin.

Carefully comparing the two, he confirmed the girl was the same. To be certain, he took a photo from afar and sent it to his cousin, asking if this was the person she wanted him to find.

Soon enough, the reply came: “Cousin, that’s her!”

Qiangzi immediately told Brother Hu, “Brother Hu, my cousin wants us to find her.”

Brother Hu stroked his smooth chin thoughtfully. “What a coincidence.”

“Yeah, so what should we do now, Brother Hu?” Qiangzi asked eagerly.

“What else but go talk to her? Our cousin asked us, so as her brothers, we have to do our best,” Brother Hu smiled.

“Yes, yes, Brother Hu is right,” Qiangzi agreed quickly.

Brother Hu flicked the remainder of his cigarette to the ground and crushed it underfoot, ruffling his hair coolly. “Let’s go meet her. I want to see who she is to have treated our cousin that way.”

With that, Brother Hu led the three others toward Pei Xin.

Pei Xin, growing more agitated, kept checking her phone, but the ride had yet to arrive. She had wanted to drive to school herself, but her father forbade it, making it inconvenient to go out. The more she thought about it, the angrier and more restless she became.

She noticed the four approaching men—obviously idle troublemakers, the type who loafed around and stirred up trouble. Pei Xin frowned, unwilling to engage, yet she didn’t move.

The four blocked her path, subtly surrounding her.

“Little girl, I heard you’ve got quite the temper,” Brother Hu drawled.

“Get lost! I’m in a bad mood,” Pei Xin replied coldly.

“Oh? This little girl’s really got some fire,” Brother Hu said with a grin, glancing at his three companions.

They burst into laughter.

“I’ll count to three; if you don’t leave, don’t blame me for being rude,” Pei Xin warned.

“Listen to her, getting all rude with us. I wonder what kind of rude she means—is it rude in bed?” Brother Hu teased.

His words froze the air—Pei Xin’s expression turned icy.

“Pervert!” she spat.

“That’s right, we’re perverts, and worse…” Brother Hu taunted, but before he could finish, Pei Xin delivered a fierce kick to his groin.

His face instantly flushed purple, then shifted through shades of blue and red as pain stole his breath and words.

That kick carried all her fury; today’s bad mood combined with this insult had found its perfect outlet.

“Brother Hu, are you okay?” the three henchmen panicked, showing concern.

“Hold her down!” Brother Hu growled.

The three stepped forward to seize Pei Xin, but she was ready.

Using her sanda techniques, she confronted them.

Her sanda was effective against one opponent, but facing three men was daunting.

At a critical moment, she recalled what Jiang Zheng had taught her about dealing with multiple attackers.

Jiang Zheng had instructed her on how to handle such situations.

Pei Xin’s innate talent shone through as she shifted her style, employing tai chi techniques against the three.

Though she lacked their brute strength, her agility was her advantage.

Jiang Zheng’s tai chi lessons emphasized footwork, enhancing her already nimble movements, making her even more elusive.

In real combat, Pei Xin’s tai chi skills rapidly improved—concepts she had only half understood during practice now became clear.

Martial arts, after all, must be learned through battle; mere practice alone is never enough.

Seizing the moment, Pei Xin struck each of the three men’s vital points with a precise kick.

Now, besides Brother Hu, three men doubled over, faces pale with pain.

Pei Xin clapped lightly and spat disdainfully at them.

Her ride arrived just then, but she no longer wished to vent at the gym. Since the car was there, she decided to take a trip into the city instead.

She climbed in and left with an air of nonchalance.

Meanwhile, the four bent over in pain gradually recovered. Qiangzi asked, “Brother Hu, what should we do now?”

Brother Hu’s face was ashen. “First the hospital—I think I’m swollen down there. After that, I’ll be back.”

The other three understood immediately.

Their injuries were less severe, and they felt little pain now.

Flustered, they quickly hailed a cab and rushed Brother Hu to the hospital.