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"Really? Mengdie sister, can I really learn to fight? That's great! From now on, I want to become as strong as Mengdie sister and go out to fight with you!"

Seeing the excited little girl, Mengdie quickly extended a finger and gently pressed it against her lips.

"Don't be hasty. Before I teach you, I need to correct one of your misconceptions. I don't know how fighting originated in this world, but in the origins of combat I know, there's one thing you must understand. Martial arts (spoken in Chinese), tracing back to its oldest origins, were not meant for attacking or fighting, but for self-protection."

"Dance... shudder?" Nia struggled with these two Chinese words, unfamiliar with their meaning.

"Cough, never mind the name for now. Just remember this is the general name for the fighting style I know."

Nia nodded, somewhat understanding, then asked, "Then why is this... dance... not for fighting, but for self-protection?"

Mengdie smiled and suddenly threw a punch towards Nia's face. As Nia was startled, not even thinking of dodging, the fist stopped steadily in front of her nose.

"Nia, I ask you, if I didn't know martial arts and Edward didn't know swordsmanship, who do you think would win in a fight between us? Be honest, no bias."

Nia seemed puzzled by the question. She propped her chin, looked troubled at Mengdie, and after a long thought, nodded sadly, "Hmm... eight or nine times out of ten... it would be that useless prince, I guess..."

"Hehe, right. Why would he win?" Mengdie smiled sweetly, showing no sign of blame.

"Because that prince is stronger than Mengdie sister. It's a disadvantage of a girl's body," Nia pouted, annoyed.

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Mengdie nodded and said, "That's right. If two people who don't know any combat techniques fight, the one with greater strength will naturally win. In such a case, the weaker person, to ensure their survival and self-protection, will naturally start to study how to use their small strength to overcome the opponent's greater strength. While the stronger person, already assured of victory, wouldn't study combat techniques, but purely rely on strength. Over time, one day, the weaker person won against the stronger person, and through years of development, this became the origin of martial arts. The various combat techniques I know, no matter how they have evolved now, all originated from this thinking."

Nia thoughtfully lowered her head, looking into Mengdie's eyes, mumbling, "Martial arts... are for self-protection, not for fighting..."

"Right. Now that you understand this, your mindset is correct. I'll start teaching you a technique." Saying so, Mengdie stood up.

Nia, excited to learn now, quickly stepped back three steps, her small fists clenched, looking forward eagerly.

"Don't be so nervous. I should start with the basics, but since we're traveling, and basics require daily accumulation, we can't rush it. Master this technique for now; it might be useful later. Come, grab my collar."

As she spoke, Mengdie turned around. She parted her long hair with both hands, revealing her white neck and collar, and moved closer to Nia.

Nia said "oh," reached out her right hand to grab it. But as soon as her hand touched Mengdie's collar, Mengdie suddenly straightened up! At the same time, her right elbow swiftly swung backward, accurately striking towards Nia's right temple!

"Did you understand?"

Mengdie smiled slightly, retracting her elbow. But when she turned around, she found Nia with a face about to cry in fright. Now she had to comfort her continuously.

"Nia, you're short, with close attack range. Your wrist and leg strength aren't strong, so even if you hit an adult with such a fist, it probably won't hurt. But the elbow is different. This move is called 'elbow strike,' one of the lethal techniques of Muay Thai, known as the 'killer fist.' If the position is accurate, even with a body like this, I could kill an ordinary adult with one strike. But with your small strength, you likely won't kill someone, don't worry."

"You're smaller, easy to be grabbed by an enemy. The easiest place to grab a short person is the collar. If someone grabs your collar, strike their temple like this. Usually, they'll immediately faint. At worst, they'll let go due to the pain, giving you a chance to escape. Also, you need to quickly determine which hand they're using to grab you. If they use the left hand, use your left elbow. If they use the right hand, use your right elbow. Only then can you avoid being blocked."

Mengdie explained step by step, and Nia responded accordingly. After a long back-and-forth, she finally taught the technique. But Nia seemed somewhat dissatisfied. She tentatively raised her elbow, swinging it weakly backward...

Is that all? This move is so different from Mengdie sister's fighting style... and so simple...

"Mengdie sister, I have a question."

"Yes, go ahead."

"Why should I let someone intentionally grab my collar? Mengdie sister, you've never let someone grab you intentionally, right? I want to face the enemy head-on like you, to be of help to you!" Nia said, immediately clenching her fists, assuming the ready stance Mengdie often took when facing an enemy.

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