Jiang Ning rose to his feet and walked to the front of the training ground. He watched as Liu Qing went through a flurry of moves. "You can stop now."

Liu Qing didn't seem to hear him. She continued throwing a series of punches, weaving between the wooden training posts and moving faster and faster.

BAM!

BAM!

BAM!

She was like a feral leopard who longed to rip everything apart.

SWOOSH!

Jiang Ning moved suddenly, charging straight into the training ground and appearing right before Liu Qing in a blink of an eye.

He was incredibly fast.

Before Liu Qing realized what was going on, she saw someone's hand grip her wrist. In the next moment, her wrist froze. She couldn't move her wrist at all.

It was as if something had pinned her down. Her limbs and her torso were frozen in place.

Liu Qing was stunned.

"What are you doing?"

She stared dumbly at Jiang Ning as she was overtaken by waves of shock.

She had made such great progress. Yet, she stood no chance against Jiang Ning at all. Why? © 2024.

If Jiang Ning were her enemy, it would take him only a second to kill her.

"I'm going to teach you one move," Jiang Ning said. "A move that will hold your enemy in place."

Liu Qing's training had borne fruit. Her speed, her power and her reflexes had improved drastically. This move was going to be a fitting final move.

"A move that will hold my enemy in place?"

Liu Qing's heart spasmed violently. Like how Jiang Ning was holding her in place right now?

"This is meant to be a final move. Use it when the time is right," Jiang Ning said. "Your foundational skills are barely passable, so when you're in a fight with someone more powerful than you, an unexpected move will turn the odds in your favor. But you can only use this once. Remember that, alright?"

Having said that, he didn't waste time on further talking and showed her instead.

Liu Qing fell into a dazed stupor.

She watched as Jiang Ning demonstrated the move in detail.

She was still a little dazed. She couldn't think of anything else. The only thing that occupied her mind was the words that he had said. A move that will hold her enemy in place...

She was going to win the fight. She had to.

She was going to show the people who had tried to hurt her out of malice.

During this same period, Liu Chuandao was in the great hall. He looked at the people seated before him, then glanced at the generous gifts that had been placed at one side of the hall.

"This is unexpected," he said honestly and without much tact. "Neither I nor my daughter expected this."

"Chief Liu, our young master has admired Third Miss for many years. The two of them have been friends since their childhood days. You may think that this is unexpected but. truly, this is something that has been in the making for a long time. Liu

Chuandao's visitors

and

replied politely. "I believe that Third

Miss shares the same view."

"That's right." Zhang Heng was seated next to the guest. He smiled and continued.

"Chief Liu, Third Miss isn't that young anymore. It's time she got married."

Liu Chuandao frowned slightly. He eyed Zhang Heng silently and then ignored what he had said.

"I have to think about this," he said mildly.

Before any of the guests could say another word, he decided to change the subject.

"You've come all the way here, so

you should stay for a few more days, since it's been a long time since you last came. Qingshan Sect is going to hold a test in a few days, so you can stay and watch." He glanced at the group briefly. "If you have any

pointers to share, do speak with me freely."

"Of course. We're delighted to do as you've requested."

"I'm afraid that we'll be imposing on you for the next few days."

Liu Chuandao nodded and smiled. He didn't spare a look at the gifts. Instead, he instructed someone to lead the guests to their rooms.

He returned to his study alone. The look on his face was solemn.

DOONG DOONG.

Someone knocked on his door after some time.

"Come in," said Liu Chuandao.

The door slid open. Mr He walked in and shut the door. There was a sly smile on his face.

"See? I told you they'd panic, didn't I?" he said with a smile.

"Of course they'd panic. Zhang Heng's even more anxious than they are," Liu Chuandao scoffed. "It's up to Jiang Ning to stir up some trouble now."

"If he doesn't, that would mean that he's not the one," said Mr He.