Chapter 42

After the meal, Lin Xun stood in an open area of the courtyard, took a deep breath, and looked at Xia Zhi, saying, "Let's begin."

A battle relying solely on physical strength is one of the most direct and effective ways to temper the body.

Lin Xun wanted to test whether the little girl's words were true.

Xia Zhi rose unhurriedly, stood a丈 (ten feet) in front of Lin Xun, and calmly rolled up her sleeves, revealing a section of her arm as white as a lotus.

Then, she lifted her face, her clear eyes like black gemstones, and said to Lin Xun, "You attack first."

Lin Xun was taken aback. To be honest, facing a girl who was only as tall as his chest, only about five or six years old, and yet surprisingly beautiful, he found it hard to bring himself to attack.

Although he knew that Xia Zhi's combat ability was incredibly strong, he still felt a bit awkward about bullying a little girl.

However, when he saw Xia Zhi's serious and solemn expression, Lin Xun gritted his teeth, exerted his strength in his fingers, and launched a move called "Tiger Roaring in the Mountains."

Whoosh~

The force of the punch, generated solely by physical strength, shook the air, creating a powerful and fierce momentum, like a tiger emerging from the mountains.

This showed that Lin Xun's mastery of the military fist had indeed reached a "precise" level, allowing him to accurately execute the essence and subtleties of the technique.

But in the face of this punch, Xia Zhi did not move. She simply raised her arm, and her white, tender fingers, like green onions, firmly gripped Lin Xun's wrist, as if in a vice.

Lin Xun was startled and was about to struggle when Xia Zhi lightly shook her arm.

Boom! Lin Xun's whole body trembled violently, as if a piece of fabric was being lifted, and then he fell to the ground hard, his bones feeling as if they were about to disintegrate, causing him to grit his teeth and draw in cold air.

Compared to the pain in his body, Lin Xun was even more shocked. The attack was as fast as lightning, and he didn't even have time to react before being pinned to the ground!

Lin Xun could clearly feel that Xia Zhi had not used any spiritual energy. In other words, she had defeated him with just a shake of her wrist.

Lin Xun got up, looking at Xia Zhi with a somewhat disheveled appearance. His gaze no longer held any trace of contempt, but was now serious and focused.

Xia Zhi, however, frowned and said, "Your control over physical strength is really poor. Even a wild boar in the mountains is better than you."

Lin Xun's face turned dark. A five or six-year-old little girl was saying he was even worse than a pig!

It was a humiliation.

Boom!

Lin Xun exhaled like thunder, twisted his waist, clenched his fists, and launched a move called "Cang Ling Zhen Yue."

This move was both offensive and defensive. Lin Xun didn't believe he could be defeated by this little girl again.

But he only saw a blur before his wrist was once again gripped. Boom! His whole body was thrown to the ground like a meteor, kicking up dust and leaving him with a bruised face.

It was too humiliating!

Even if Lin Xun had a deep sense of composure, he was still just a thirteen-year-old boy, full of vigor and determination. How could he tolerate such humiliation?

"Again!"

Lin Xun ignored everything, shouted, and charged forward again.

This time, he had learned his lesson. He raised his arms, his fists like a drawn bow, executing the "Iron Chain Across the River" move from the military fist.

With Xia Zhi's height, she couldn't even reach his wrist!

Sure enough, this time Xia Zhi frowned, suddenly rushed forward, her steps swift like a dragon or snake, and kicked Lin Xun's knee with the tip of her foot.

Lin Xun immediately felt his right leg go numb, as if it had lost all sensation, and his body staggered, almost falling to the ground.

At the same time, his wrist was once again gripped by Xia Zhi, and she lightly shook her arm.

The familiar scene repeated itself. Lin Xun once again faced the ground in a deep embrace, the ground trembling and dust flying.

When Lin Xun got up, he was disheveled, with a bruised face and clothes covered in dust, looking extremely embarrassed.

He stared at Xia Zhi, his heart filled with a mix of shock, surprise, confusion, anger, and humiliation.

Xia Zhi, however, seemed oblivious, frowning and looking at Lin Xun with a serene and beautiful face, full of confusion: "Lin Xun, you are really much worse than a wild boar. Are you even dumber than a wild boar?"

Boom!

Upon hearing this, Lin Xun felt a surge of blood rush to his head, a burning sense of shame and humiliation spreading through his body.

To be told he was worse than a pig!

To be told he was dumber than a pig!

Lin Xun almost burst into flames, his eyes wide, and he shouted, charging forward again.

Bang!

Xia Zhi pursed her lips, somewhat disinterested, and lightly shook her arm, once again pinning Lin Xun to the ground.

"Again!"

Lin Xun, like a cockroach that can't be killed, got up and charged forward without hesitation.

The intense sense of humiliation fueled his fighting spirit, making him forget everything and cast aside all his inner doubts and constraints.

At this moment, he was like a young boy who refused to lose.

At this moment, Lin Xun looked like a true thirteen-year-old boy, full of passion, excitement, anger, and unwillingness to accept defeat, his emotions clearly visible.

Bang!

He was knocked down again.

"Again!"

Bang!

"Again!"

Bang!

That afternoon, in the courtyard of Lin Xun's home in the eastern part of the village, the sound of such encounters echoed continuously, making people feel uneasy and scaring a group of larks that had been perched on the willow trees to fly away in panic.

When the village chief, Xiao Tianren, heard the commotion and entered Lin Xun's home, he saw Lin Xun being held by Xia Zhi and thrown to the ground like a broken sack.

Xiao Tianren was stunned, rubbing his eyes, thinking he was seeing an illusion.

But soon, he realized it wasn't an illusion. The boy who had saved the village from dire straits and was revered and worshipped by all the villagers was now being beaten to a pulp by a five or six-year-old girl, looking utterly miserable. This made Xiao Tianren feel a sense of bewilderment, as if the world had gone mad.

It was hard to understand!

Xiao Tianren had come to discuss the excavation of the Fiery Cloud Copper Mine with Lin Xun, but after seeing this scene, he decided to leave.

Xiao Tianren felt he needed to calm down. The scene he had just witnessed was too shocking, and the memory of it made him feel uneasy.

As the sun set, the courtyard returned to its usual tranquility.

Lin Xun, gritting his teeth, staggered with his battered and nearly shattered body, took off his tattered, dusty clothes, and jumped into a wooden tub that had been prepared.

The tub was filled with various medicinal materials that had been boiled, which had a significant effect on healing and strengthening the body.

Whoosh~

Feeling the warm medicinal water gently caress his numerous wounds, Lin Xun couldn't help but exhale a long breath, feeling a sense of relief.

But when he saw Xia Zhi on the side, his heart suddenly tightened, a flash of shame and unwillingness appearing on his face, quickly disappearing.

Throughout the afternoon, Lin Xun had forgotten how many times he had been pinned down. Each time felt like being crushed by Mount Tai, his bones almost disintegrating.

By now, his body was numb, his strength almost completely drained, and every inch of his muscles, flesh, and bones ached from the strain.

If it were just the pain, he could have endured it by gritting his teeth.

What Lin Xun couldn't accept was that for the entire afternoon, he had lost many times, and each time it was to the same move!

This made Lin Xun start to doubt whether he was really dumber than a wild boar.

Lin Xun shook his head fiercely. He would never admit that he was inferior to an animal.

"I'm going to sleep now."

Xia Zhi got up and walked into the room, "Oh, by the way, I'll be very hungry when I wake up, so don't forget to cook."

Lin Xun was taken aback, almost shouting in anger. "I'm in this state, and you still want me to cook? You don't care at all!"

Then Lin Xun let out a bitter laugh, sighing as if resigned to his fate. He sat in the tub, looking up at the sky as night approached, his eyes gradually clearing, returning to their former clarity and depth.

In his mind, he silently meditated on the battle of the afternoon, scrutinizing every detail, gradually immersing himself in the process.

Xia Zhi's combat technique was simple: a grab and a shake, and he was defeated.

The grab was as unbreakable as an iron hoop.

The shake was as swift and decisive as sifting through chaff.

But upon closer examination, there was much to learn. The speed and precision of the grab were like a hawk catching a rabbit, striking with lightning speed and accuracy.

This skill tested one's eyesight and speed, nothing mysterious, just requiring diligent practice.

What truly impressed Lin Xun was the "shake" that followed, which transmitted a wave of force like a tidal wave, shaking and dispersing his muscles and bones, almost disintegrating them.

This was terrifying!

How could Xia Zhi achieve this with just physical strength?

Lin Xun fell into deep thought.

...

As night fell, the sky was dotted with sparse stars, vast and profound.

The medicinal power in the tub had been absorbed, and Lin Xun's numbness and fatigue were gone. Without hesitation, he changed into clean clothes and began preparing dinner.

The battle with Xia Zhi in the afternoon was actually quite deliberate. Although Lin Xun looked like he had been beaten to a pulp, it was all superficial injuries, not affecting his bones or muscles.

This made Lin Xun speculate that Xia Zhi had held back, but he didn't know how much strength she had used...

When the dinner was ready and placed on the table, Xia Zhi immediately appeared.

Lin Xun smiled slightly, serving the little girl and casually said, "I've figured out some things."

Xia Zhi responded with an "Oh," chewing on a piece of meat as thick as her arm, and said, "Such a simple thing, if you still can't figure it out, you're really too dumb."

Lin Xun: "..."

Taking a deep breath, Lin Xun decided to ignore the unintentional insult in Xia Zhi's words and said firmly, "We'll continue tomorrow!"

His words were resolute, but Xia Zhi felt a hint of resentment and unwillingness in his voice. She looked at Lin Xun, tilting her head thoughtfully, and said, "Diligence can make up for lack of talent, and the early bird catches the worm. These are two phrases I just learned, and I think they fit you perfectly."

Lin Xun's face turned dark. Was this little girl addicted to tormenting him?

What did she mean by "make up for lack of talent"?

What did she mean by "early bird"?

In her mind, was he really such a pitiful figure?

"Eat!"

Lin Xun gritted his teeth, glaring at Xia Zhi, and vented his emotions on the dinner, ending the conversation that filled him with frustration.

That night was as peaceful as usual, but when they recalled these moments in the future, they might realize their value.