Chapter 3

Chapter 3

We drove through the night on the highway.

At dawn, we found a place to grab breakfast before hitting the road again.

This time, I took the wheel while Xie Ye lay down in the car to sleep.

He and I were in agreement on one thing: since there was a real threat looming, we might as well make tracks for Nancheng as quickly as possible before anyone could pick up our trail.

That’s right, Nancheng.

Xie Ye told me his uncle wasn’t in Beijing, but in Nancheng.

When I drive, I’m skilled and aggressive. I kept the pedal to the metal, maintaining a high speed.

Xie Ye didn’t trust my skills at first and was too afraid to sleep. He eventually just stared at me gloomily, gritting his teeth as he muttered,

“…You’re a real pro.”

I said nothing.

He seemed indignant as he continued, “Sister, not only is your fighting style wild, your personality is wild, and even your driving is wild.”

I didn’t bother responding to him.

He leaned back and closed his eyes to sleep, but a few minutes later, he suddenly sat bolt upright. He stared at me and asked, “Chen Qi, do you have a lot of men?”

I gave a light chuckle. “What’s it to you?”

“How can it not matter? I’m technically one of your men, aren’t I?” Xie Ye’s expression was complicated, his voice tinged with dissatisfaction, and the tips of his ears were slightly red.

I glanced at him. “You’d better forget about that incident and never mention it again. Also, the name Chen Qi-just like Chen Erwu-isn’t something you’re allowed to call me. You’re too noisy. When you’re around me, learn to keep your mouth shut.”

“And if I don’t?”

“…That canine tooth of yours looks nice. I could pull it out, drill a hole in it, and hang it around your neck. Maybe it’ll keep you safe on the road.”

Xie Ye’s mouth twitched. He shot me one last glare before lying back down. “You’re ruthless.”

We stopped to eat at a highway service area at noon. I checked the navigation map on my phone; even with non-stop driving, it would take two days to reach Nancheng.

While I was considering whether to stop for a longer rest, I scrolled through the news.

As I read, my hand froze.

A news report stated that Ms. Gu Hong, the current president of the Gu Corporation, had been assassinated during a business event this morning.

The assailant had been arrested, and Ms. Gu had been rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment…

Besides that, there was another headline:

In the early hours of this morning, a violent attack occurred at the capital airport, resulting in one death and multiple injuries.

We had only been gone for one night, yet everything seemed to be happening so fast…

While I was lost in thought, Xie Ye sat across from me, yawning. His long lashes drooped over watery eyes, making him look like a listless puppy.

His phone, along with his ID and plane ticket, had been “forgotten” at home.

I had a bad feeling. These waters were deeper than I had imagined.

I scanned our surroundings. My initial nonchalance had vanished, replaced by sharp vigilance.

Xie Ye noticed the change in me. “What is it?”

I silently lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and struck up a casual conversation. “Did your mother arrange for someone to take your ticket and go to Beijing in your place?”

“Yeah. My mom said we had to commit to the act. A smokescreen only works if it’s convincing.”

Xie Ye looked a bit proud, flashing his canine tooth as he showed off. “That guy is an employee at our group. He’s about my height, and his eyes look a bit like mine. With a mask on, he could pass for a body double…”

“If nothing went wrong, he’s probably dead.”

I interrupted him calmly before he could finish.

His face instantly went pale. He made a move to look at my phone, but I reached out and pressed down on his shoulder.

“Two o’clock. Someone is watching you.”

I wasn’t trying to scare him. Due to my professional nature and the Martial Arts School’s sensitivity to a person’s presence, I had felt something subtle the moment someone entered the service area restaurant.

I hadn’t taken it seriously at first, thinking it was just because Xie Ye was decked out in designer clothes and was good-looking enough to draw a few extra glances.

After all, I was that kind of person-I’d always give a second look to people who were exceptionally wealthy or attractive.

But once suspicion took root, flaws were visible everywhere.
Xie Ye swallowed hard, his voice trembling. “They dare to make a move at the Capital Airport? They must be insane…”

I tucked my phone into my jacket’s zippered pocket and stood up. “Let’s go.”

Xie Ye followed closely behind.

It wasn’t until we reached the service area parking lot that I realized just how much trouble we were in.

Several black SUVs had appeared out of nowhere, surrounding the spot where we had parked.

Xie Ye got into the car first.

I walked around to the back of the vehicle, crushed out my cigarette, and tied back my loose hair. Then, I pulled a palm-sized Diamond Telescopic Baton from my suitcase.

I pressed the key fob, locking Xie Ye inside the car.

Several tall, grim-faced men stepped out of the nearby SUVs. Their steady, grounded gait immediately marked them as trained fighters.

More importantly, one of them was a particularly burly man with a thick beard.

Martial artists have a keen sense of presence. This bearded man radiated a murderous aura; he was clearly a dangerous opponent.

The group approached aggressively. There was no way out of this without a fight.

I whistled at them and took two steps back. With my left foot forward and my right foot back, I shifted my weight to my right leg, my left toe lightly tapping the ground. Moving with the speed of a bird in flight, I leaped onto the roof of the car.

This was the Crow-Step from the Natural Gate school of martial arts. With years of practice, it becomes as swift as a breeze and as elusive as a blade being drawn from its scabbard.

When you reach a certain level of mastery, martial arts can look quite impressive to the uninitiated.

This display of “lightness kung fu” momentarily stunned them.

I flicked the Diamond Telescopic Baton, extending the steel rod to its full length of one meter, and then beckoned them forward with a wave of my hand.

The men charged at me with bare fists.

They didn’t hold back, putting every ounce of their strength into their punches-the kind of strikes intended to kill.

Unfortunately for them, as Chen Erwu’s most prized disciple in Kun City, I had been able to take on all my fellow disciples single-handedly since I was fifteen.

Utilizing the Thrusting Strike Method combined with the Diamond Telescopic Baton, I leaped from the car and sent one man flying with a kick to the chest. I spun the steel baton, striking out with increasing power in every blow.

The baton whistled through the air, hitting flesh with heavy, muffled thuds punctuated by screams of pain.

It didn’t take long before the men surrounding me were beaten to the ground.

The only one who could actually hold his own against me was the bearded man.

A powerhouse of a man, his combat skills were formidable. Even after taking two hits from my baton, he found an opening to knock the weapon from my hand. He grabbed my arm with a grip like an iron vise, pulling with enough force to nearly dislocate my shoulder.

The Natural Gate fighting style is defined by sixteen characters: capture and seize, dodge and slip, breathe and flow, soft and sharp.

Though I hadn’t fought seriously in years, my instincts kicked in during the crisis, my body reacting with defensive and offensive moves as if by reflex.

After I managed to land a kick on the bearded man to create some distance, he grabbed my ankle, hoisted me up, and slammed me toward the Buick.

In that split second, I saw Xie Ye inside the car, frantically trying to open the door, his handsome face a mask of panic.

It was also in that moment that the bearded man failed to anticipate my next move. Like a coiled spring, I braced my feet against the car body and launched myself back at him with lightning speed.

I hooked my elbow around his neck, clinging to his back like a monkey, my feet digging into his shoulders as I exerted all my strength.

I remembered Chen Erwu calling me “Little Rascal Monkey” back in the day; it wasn’t a nickname given for nothing.

The bearded man’s face turned a deep shade of red as I choked him, but he remained as strong as a bear. Using raw power, he bent forward and threw me over his head.

The moment my feet hit the ground, I lunged for the car window and threw the keys to Xie Ye.

“Drive!”

Xie Ye took the command, starting the engine instantly and flooring the accelerator.

Furious and losing all patience, the bearded man charged at me violently, looking ready to end my life.

I rose using the Crow-Step, dodging his punch. Then, focusing my energy and letting my strength flow through my foot, I delivered a Life-Taking Kick.

The kick landed squarely on his chest. The bearded man let out a muffled grunt and was forced back several steps.

I had already spun around and sprinted toward the moving car, diving nimbly through the open window.