Chen Ping’an subtly twisted his feet on the ground, barely noticeably, as if still adjusting to his lighter legs.

He noticed that Ma Kuxuan had picked up five pebbles in total, holding four in his left hand and one in his right.

Ma Kuxuan, with an unaffected expression, looked at the foreign girl whose sword and scabbard were both empty, and said with a smile, “It’s settled. Now it’s a one-on-one fight between Chen Ping’an and me. According to the stories my grandma told me when I was little, in historical novels, two generals engage in single combat before the battle lines. Whoever calls for help is no hero. If one can slay the enemy general, morale will be greatly boosted, and the battle is as good as won…”

Ning Yao felt annoyed just looking at Ma Kuxuan. She had never seen such a detestable fellow. Song Jixin from Mud Bottle Alley also had a deep demeanor and liked to show off his knowledge, always acting like a little scholar. But at least he looked like a bookworm. This short, wiry boy in front of her, whose skin wasn’t any fairer than Chen Ping’an’s, had especially large eyes. The whole person gave off a strange vibe, especially coupled with this awkward and stilted pedantry. It was like an old crone slathering half a pound of rouge on her wizened face, pretending to be coy. It was truly horrific.

Chen Ping’an didn’t exchange harsh words with his peer from Apricot Blossom Lane. He slightly bent over, then suddenly burst forward, rushing ahead with the force of a galloping horse.

So fast!

Watching Chen Ping’an’s rapidly receding figure, which had distanced itself by more than six feet in the blink of an eye, even the well-traveled Ning Yao couldn’t help but sigh. It wasn’t to say that Chen Ping’an, among his peers across the world, could run faster than foxes and rabbits. The matter itself wasn’t so remarkable. Rather, within this cage of a world, Chen Ping’an was able, solely through decades of relentless effort, to temper his physique to this degree. That was what Ning Yao admired the most.

Ning Yao mused, could enduring hardship also be a kind of talent?

The distance between the two boys instantly halved.

Chen Ping’an could even clearly see the series of subtle changes in Ma Kuxuan’s face: a moment of surprise, then panic, quickly replaced by composure. Without hesitation, Ma Kuxuan swiftly raised his arm, the slender limb unleashing a surprising burst of power.

Chen Ping’an, who had been closely watching Ma Kuxuan’s right hand, ceased his linear charge, abruptly veering to the right.

Ma Kuxuan’s arm paused subtly, his wrist flicking, aiming at Chen Ping’an, who had deviated from his original path.

The stone shot out with fierce momentum. Although not as terrifying as the Mountain-Moving Ape of Righteous Sun Mountain, it was still not to be underestimated. Chen Ping’an, who should have been flustered, didn’t stop. He twisted his waist, his upper body turning to the side. The stone flashed past his eyes, the bangs of the straw-sandal-clad boy swept along by the gust of wind.

Ma Kuxuan lightly flicked his left hand, which held the remaining stones, and one of them landed perfectly into his right palm.

The short boy from Apricot Blossom Lane didn’t seem to think that a second attempt would resolve the matter. He didn’t stay in place but started running to his right, simultaneously flinging out the second stone.

The straw-sandal-clad boy suddenly bent over without warning, his hands almost touching the ground. The stone swiftly grazed his back, tearing his thin clothes. Fortunately, it was just a graze. It looked gruesome, with torn skin, but the wound wasn’t deep.

At this time, the distance between them was halved again.

Although Ma Kuxuan also realized that he should increase the distance, Chen Ping’an’s headlong rush was too swift and lightning-like, making Ma Kuxuan’s hasty shift in position seem like an old ox pulling a broken cart. So, as Chen Ping’an’s dark face drew closer, the straw-sandal-clad boy’s resolute and bright eyes were particularly glaring. In contrast, Ma Kuxuan clearly showed a hint of hesitation. Should he abandon throwing stones and decisively retreat, or should he gamble everything on the third stone?

Ma Kuxuan was indecisive, contrasting sharply with Chen Ping’an’s unwavering advance.

At this critical moment of life and death, where was a trace of the good-natured Mud Bottle Alley boy?

Ma Kuxuan, in this critical moment, took a step back and once again swung his arm.

Evidently, Ma Kuxuan believed in the stone in his hand.

This reclusive boy, who had never fought, and never even argued with anyone, had disliked being with his peers since he was little. More so than Chen Ping’an or Gu Can, he was like a solitary wildcat. He liked to grab a handful of stones at any time and throw them as he walked. Of course, the force was very light, seemingly careless play. No one took it seriously, but Ma Kuxuan would go to the riverbank under the covered bridge, when no one was around, and skip stones alone. Slightly thinner stones could often skip more than a dozen times before shattering against the inner wall of the stone arch bridge on the opposite bank. One could imagine the great strength and skill in his hands.

Ma Kuxuan would often squat on the back of the blue ox, using stones to hit fish in the water. Whether he hit the fish or not, the stones thrown into the water hardly made a splash.

Therefore, in the ancestral home in Apricot Blossom Lane, in the yard or on the roof, there would often lie the corpses of several birds, mangled and bloody.

The two were only a dozen steps apart. Chen Ping’an’s movements and steps, in dodging Ma Kuxuan’s stones twice before, were more about agility and lightness, without revealing any muscular strength. The straw-sandal-clad boy was like a light and floating leaf, but as Chen Ping’an and Ma Kuxuan were about to collide, Chen Ping’an finally revealed the “heavy” side. He took three consecutive steps, both fast and fierce, full of tension. Landing was like a hammer striking a sword blade, and raising his foot was like uprooting the roots of a mountain.

Three steps, close at hand.

Ma Kuxuan still hadn’t managed to throw the stone. Logically, all was lost.

But Chen Ping’an felt a jolt in his heart for no reason. However, he still didn’t retreat because the situation was urgent, leaving no room for him to pull back from the brink. It was better to leap forward and take a risky gamble.

Ma Kuxuan’s lips curled up, his smile playful. He released his left hand, dropping the remaining stones. His raised right hand was already clenched into a fist, so he simply punched out.

From the very beginning, he had dug a trap for Chen Ping’an. The so-called indecision was a deliberate attempt to give Chen Ping’an a chance to get close. Even the reason for choosing stones as an attack method was all part of this simple-minded boy from Apricot Blossom Lane’s meticulous plan. It was to show weakness to the enemy, to lure the mud eel boy who could escape from the old ape to his side, and to have Chen Ping’an deliver himself to his doorstep!

An arm’s length was also a punch’s length.

Chen Ping’an, who was a not-so-obvious left-hander, clashed with Ma Kuxuan’s right fist in a head-on collision.

At the instant their fists collided, almost simultaneously, both boys kicked out at each other.

Chen Ping’an and Ma Kuxuan were sent flying backward, slamming heavily into the muddy ground.

The two were separated by more than twenty steps again. Ma Kuxuan got to his feet, knelt on one knee, and gasped for breath. He raised his arm, unclenched his fist. Because the stone in his palm had never been thrown, the boy’s palm was already a bloody mess, although not horribly so, it was a shocking sight.

Ma Kuxuan grinned, rubbed his stomach, and shouted at Chen Ping’an with fiery eyes, “Chen Ping’an! Do you dare to come again?!”

Chen Ping’an’s left hand was in worse condition. Because he had assassinated Cai Jinjian of Cloud Glow Mountain in the alley earlier, his palm had been cut deeply by broken porcelain. Although he had been applying the secret herbal medicine passed down from Yang’s shop for some time, it took a hundred days to heal broken bones and tendons. No matter how tough the boy’s physique was, he wasn’t the kind of immortal who could bring the dead back to life and regrow limbs. Therefore, Chen Ping’an suffered more in this exchange of a punch and a kick with Ma Kuxuan.

Chen Ping’an’s left hand, wrapped in a cotton strip, was already trembling involuntarily, blood seeping through the cotton and dripping onto the weeds at his feet.

Chen Ping’an deliberately took a deep breath, clearly feeling the stabbing pain in his abdomen. He needed to determine how much this level of pain would affect his next actions.

It was a matter of habit.

Chen Ping’an came from a poor background. Precisely because he owned so little, he was especially meticulous. In contrast, wealthy sons like Song Jixin and Lu Zhengchun would never care how many copper coins they had in their pockets. That was a case of being too broad to worry about the fine details, and Chen Ping’an certainly couldn’t afford it. Therefore, Chen Ping’an’s impression had always been associated with words like reserved, mild, and forbearing. The youthful exuberance that was expected of a teenager was lacking. As for the Ma Kuxuan, who had inexplicably run out and wanted to fight Chen Ping’an and Ning Yao to the death, he was probably an incomprehensible freak. At least Ning Yao could be described as having an overexposed edge, while Ma Kuxuan was completely baffling.

Chen Ping’an didn’t turn around but waved his hand gently behind his back to Ning Yao, indicating that he was fine.

Ma Kuxuan slowly stood up. Before standing, the boy grabbed a clump of weeds and casually wiped the blood from his palm.

Chen Ping’an followed and stood.

Ma Kuxuan took the initiative, his initial position marked by two muddy pits.

This skinny and wiry boy was incredibly fast, leaping high and striking Chen Ping’an with his knee.

Chen Ping’an’s punch forced Ma Kuxuan’s knee strike downward, but Ma Kuxuan, whose body was leaning forward in the air, struck Chen Ping’an on the forehead with a lightning-fast punch. Ma Kuxuan’s originally bent and curled feet instantly straightened, stomping heavily on Chen Ping’an’s chest as his body arched backward.

Chen Ping’an was like being hit on the head with a hammer and simultaneously struck in the chest, falling backward almost perpendicularly.

Ma Kuxuan’s body rolled once in the air. After landing, he continued to rush forward with a ferocious grin, quickly darting in front of Chen Ping’an, who was just half-kneeling. Ma Kuxuan kicked out.

Chen Ping’an crossed his arms in front of him, with his left arm on the outside and his right arm on the inside, desperately protecting his heart and face.

Chen Ping’an was kicked backward by this blow. However, his center of gravity was very low, and he protected his vitals, so there wasn’t a bloody scene.

He rolled along the ground.

Ma Kuxuan pressed his advantage relentlessly, continuing to charge forward.

At the instant Chen Ping’an stopped his rolling momentum, unknowingly, intentionally or unintentionally, his entire body assumed a posture of kneeling on one knee and running to gain momentum.

Ma Kuxuan’s expression froze.

In the next moment, Chen Ping’an was like an arrow shot out from a fully drawn strong bow, instantly arriving in front of Ma Kuxuan. The speed was completely different compared to before.

Feigning weakness.

Chen Ping’an also knew how to do it.

This time, Ma Kuxuan didn’t have time to punch at all. Chen Ping’an rammed him in the chest with his shoulder. Ma Kuxuan staggered backward, and a burst of sharp pain came from his abdomen again. Instinctively, he lowered his head and bent over. Chen Ping’an swept across the side of his left temple with his arm, delivering a powerful blow. The Apricot Blossom Lane boy, who had been dominant, flew sideways into the air in a strange posture.

Chen Ping’an suddenly grabbed Ma Kuxuan’s ankles, spun Ma Kuxuan around once, shouted angrily, and threw the short boy, who only weighed about ninety pounds, hard into the distance!

He crashed into a seated statue with half its body broken, about fifteen feet high. If there were no accidents, Ma Kuxuan’s fall was destined to be miserable.

But Ma Kuxuan created an “accident” himself without relying on external objects.

His feet landed on the statue’s head, one after the other. Then, they bent and straightened instantly. The whole person, taking advantage of the huge rebound force, had the same effect as Chen Ping’an’s sneak attack earlier, shooting towards his opponent on the ground in the distance.

But Ma Kuxuan suddenly stared in horror.

Chen Ping’an was standing in place, holding one arm high. At some point, he had a short knife in his hand that had appeared out of thin air. The tip of the knife was pointing straight at Ma Kuxuan, who was rushing toward him.

The world calls it “courting death” and that likely described the situation.

Even though Chen Ping’an’s hand holding the knife was shaking violently, it was enough to stab through Ma Kuxuan’s body. The only difference was whether the entry point was the arm, the head, or the chest.

Even though Ma Kuxuan was in a desperate situation, although he was extremely frightened, he didn’t give up at all. He struggled to twist his body, even if it was just a little bit, to keep his vitals away from the tip of the knife.

At this moment, a slender figure appeared between the two boys.

It was a middle-aged man, carrying a long sword on his back and a tiger tally hanging from his waist.

Without seeing how he acted, Ma Kuxuan was able to reverse the situation, and then not only land on both feet, but also stood straight next to the man.

Then, the sword-bearing man turned to look at the knife-wielding boy who had taken a step back, his eyes showing undisguised praise and appreciation. He smiled softly, “Both of you did well in this fight.”

Chen Ping’an retreated another step, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.

The man smiled it off and suggested, “I saved Ma Kuxuan, so I owe you a favor. Therefore, after I get out of here, I will persuade the Mountain-Moving Ape of Righteous Sun Mountain to give up chasing the two of you, how about it?”

Ning Yao came to Chen Ping’an’s side.

This military strategist from True Martial Mountain took a deep look at the girl and then said to Chen Ping’an, “You have no right to bargain. Nod if you agree, or remain silent if you don’t. If you feel it’s unfair, if you’re unwilling, and if you can still manage to escape from the old ape, then you can go to True Martial Mountain to find me after you leave the town and demand what you think is fair.”

Chen Ping’an put away the knife that Ning Yao had lent him and hid it in his right sleeve. He nodded to the man from True Martial Mountain and said, “If I have the chance, I will.”

Ma Kuxuan was about to speak, but the man said indifferently, “The dead are even less qualified to speak harshly to the living.”

Ma Kuxuan tightly pursed his lips and lowered his head in silence.

The pair from True Martial Mountain, one large and one small, gradually moved away.

Chen Ping’an plopped down on the ground.

Ning Yao quickly squatted down, looking worried. “How are you? Where are you hurt the most? Can you use Master Lu’s prescription?”

The boy, bruised and battered with internal injuries, said with a bitter face, “It’s not a big deal. The fact that I can still feel the pain means the injuries aren’t that serious. By the way, if the old ape comes over at this time…”

“Let him come!”

The girl simply sat on the ground as well, her eyes sparkling, “There was you earlier, and there will be me later, what’s there to be afraid of!”

Chen Ping’an had to swallow the second half of his sentence that he hadn’t said out loud.

Ning Yao suddenly smiled brightly, held out her hands, and gave the straw-sandal-clad boy a thumbs up, “Cool!”

Before this, the boy from the back alleys, who had never thought himself remarkable in his life, tried hard to suppress the smile on his face, deliberately making himself more calm and collected.

But in fact, everyone could see his joy.

The spring breeze teenager was very proud.