Li Daoxuan’s thoughts drifted to the entertainment industry, but the martial arts competition in the arena was about to begin, excluding any marriage aspect.

Xing Honglang’s right hand unobtrusively drooped down and moved slightly behind her back, while only her left hand was raised flat in front of her.

Gao Chuwu had now also learned the basic stance of Hong Fist. Upon seeing Xing Honglang’s action, he couldn’t tell which form it was, feeling quite strange in his heart: Was there such an opening stance in Hong Fist? Instructor He hadn’t taught him that! Could it be that her Jin Hong Fist differed greatly from the Guanzhong Hong Fist he learned, and there was no such move in Guanzhong Hong Fist?

“It was starting!”

Knowing that Gao Chuwu wouldn’t strike first, Xing Honglang took the initiative herself. She took a large step forward, swung her left fist, and aimed straight for Gao Chuwu’s face.

She had already planned her strategy in her heart. She prepared several follow-up moves, waiting for that silly fellow to block her fist so she could unleash a combo and quickly knock him down.

However, Gao Chuwu was indeed different from before. When Xing Honglang’s fist came, he didn’t block it clumsily like last time but spun his body, not only dodging the punch but also counterattacking with a punch of his own.

Xing Honglang was startled in her heart: Hong Fist! Although that silly fellow’s movement wasn’t very standard yet, it was undoubtedly Hong Fist.

She blocked with her left hand, bang bang, blocking two punches from Gao Chuwu in succession.

The opponent had such great strength that she felt her arm almost going numb. She was secretly alarmed in her heart: This is bad, I can’t beat him relying only on my left hand.

Distraction was most taboo in battle. If she hadn’t thought about it, she might have been able to block a few more moves, but once distracted, her reaction slowed. Gao Chuwu “whooshed” as he swung a punch towards Xing Honglang’s shoulder. Xing Honglang, in the midst of her haste, raised her left forearm to block it.

“Thud!”

The punch landed hard on her left forearm, causing a sharp pain. Xing Honglang stepped backward several paces, stumbled under her feet, and actually fell backward. Gao Chuwu “whooshed” as he pursued her, pounced on her to the ground, and pinned her down tightly.

Once pinned like that, she couldn’t turn over at all.

Although she was also a very tall and strong woman, she was still a step behind compared to Gao Chuwu’s massive, stubborn strength. She struggled several times but failed to break free. She accidentally bumped her right hand, and the pain nearly made her grunt aloud.

She sighed helplessly: “I surrender!”

“Wow! Gao Chuwu won!” The villagers were overjoyed.

“He won!”

“Gao Chuwu defeated the opponent woman.”

The villagers cheered together heartily.

But a salt smuggler from Xing Honglang’s side shouted loudly: “This doesn’t count, this doesn’t count, boss…”

“Shut up!” Xing Honglang interrupted her subordinate: “Don’t say any unnecessary nonsense.”

Gao Chuwu was as happy as a two-hundred-pound child: “Haha, I won, I can give you the chocolate. This time I can’t accept your money, ha ha.”

Xing Honglang silently clenched her left fist.

The salt smuggler also lowered his head in grievance.

Li Daoxuan felt that something was wrong.

The atmosphere wasn’t right at all!

It didn’t resemble the joyful reaction after the last fight. The salt smugglers all looked strange, so there must have been a problem with this competition.

He was about to intervene and ask the reason when Cheng Xu suddenly stood up and shouted loudly: “This battle doesn’t count!”

“Bang!”

Everyone turned to look at Cheng Xu in unison.

Xing Honglang also abruptly turned to look.

Gao Chuwu cried out, “Ah? Instructor He, why doesn’t it count?”

Cheng Xu strode into the center of the field and said to Xing Honglang, “Your right hand is injured.”

Only then did the crowd suddenly snap to attention, remembering: throughout this entire duel, Xing Honglang had kept her right hand behind her back, using only her left hand to face her opponent.

Gao Chuwu’s face changed dramatically. “What happened? Is your hand injured?”

Xing Honglang snorted. “Hmph! Whether I’m hurt or not is my business. It has nothing to do with the duel. A loss is a loss. Out here in this damn world, I never make excuses.”

Gao Chuwu stammered, “Ah…? I fought you…! I… I… sob… I have no face to show anyone…”

Gao Chuwu suddenly charged through the crowd, fled from the scene, and vanished out of sight in the blink of an eye.

The crowd fell silent.

Suddenly, the entire “leadership” of Gaojia Village could no longer remain seated. They practically leaped to their feet. Gao Yiye reacted the fastest. Being a woman, it was easier for her to express concern for another woman’s injury. She quickly took Xing Honglang’s hand. “Sister Xing, what injury do you have? I have plenty of divine medicine; it can treat bruises or sword wounds.”

Seeing the matter was already exposed, Xing Honglang didn’t hide it anymore and lowered her voice. “A sword wound. On my upper arm. It’s not convenient to show it here.”

In these times, women couldn’t casually bare their entire arms for others to see. The upper arm especially was almost a forbidden zone.

Hearing this, Gao Yiye whispered, “Come to my room later. I’ll apply some medicine for you. Heavenly medicine heals wounds very fast.”

Xing Honglang nodded. “Hmm!”

Cheng Xu asked, “Miss Xing, you possess such formidable skill, yet were injured? What happened on the road?”

Xing Honglang sighed. “While passing through Heyang County, we encountered a large gang of bandits. They numbered two to three hundred. I only had thirty-eight people. Though we won by overcoming greater numbers, many of us took various wounds.”

“Heyang County?”

Everyone was taken aback. Heyang County was close.

Gaojia Village was located on the very edge of Chengcheng County’s territory, perilously close to Heyang County. Zhengjia Village was even closer, practically straddling the border between Chengcheng County and Heyang County. One step east placed you in Heyang County; one step west put you back in Chengcheng County.

Upon hearing that bandits were active in Heyang County, everyone’s expressions immediately turned grim.

Especially the villagers from Zhengjia Village.

Zheng Daniu was the first to shout. “Oh no! If there are bandits in Heyang County, our homes are in danger! The autumn wheat is growing splendidly, nearly ready for harvest!”

Li Daoxuan’s brow also furrowed slightly.

Zhengjia Village was a full six li of mountain path from Gaojia Village. While he could tap the quick switch button to jump his view over there, he primarily watched Gaojia Village. He couldn’t constantly toggle back and forth.

Would the bandits come? No telling. When would they come? No idea. How many would come? Still unknown.

If he glanced away at the wrong moment, the promising wheat fields of Zhengjia Village could be trampled or burned by the bandit army.

It wasn’t just about the loss of some grain; it was the heartbreak of precious wheat, painstakingly nurtured during this major drought, being destroyed.

Not only the villagers would mourn; Li Daoxuan couldn’t accept it either.

Alright, it was time to employ modern measures to solve this problem.

Li Daoxuan left his house, hailed a taxi, and sped towards the largest chaotic equipment market near his home. This place specialized in all sorts of bizarre flowers, plants, cats, dogs, insects, fish, and the various apparatus needed to raise these peculiar things.