Chapter 120
She wasn’t afraid of anyone in a one-on-one fight, but if they all ca at her at once... before facing them, she had to be cautious.
Ling Chengyan silently observed the ’practitioners,’ noting their features, preparing to find soone to inquire about whether these individuals belonged to a unit or were part of the sa basketball team...
Unexpectedly for Ling Chengyan, she t several of them before the basketball ga even started.
The trip to the province was led personally by Commander Xing.
Upon arrival, team mbers rested in the guest house while the leaders held a brief eting.
Teams were not constrained; they were allowed to roam within the district, the military zone’s gates excepted.
After lunch, Zhang Wanxiang and others, sent to find a playing field, ran back saying all the basketball courts were occupied, and they were queued up to wait for an hour.
Ling Chengyan nodded, signaling her team to fill so kettles with hot water and particularly instructed: "Add a small pinch to each kettle."
Zhang Wanxiang tasted a bit of the white powder and imdiately grimaced—ugh, it’s salty enough to choke him.
"...uh, Captain, why salt? Won’t it make them thirstier?"
Ling Chengyan gave him a cool look as if he was an idiot.
Zhang Wanxiang realized his mistake and quickly tried to and it: "I was just thinking too much salty food is overwhelming..."
Zheng Hongwei, unable to tolerate it any longer, dragged the fool away.
Arriving at the basketball court carrying the water, Ling Chengyan took heed of the noisy crowd around it from a few dozen steps away, slightly furrowing her brow. The group seed to be in conflict.
She sent two people over; Zhang Wanxiang returned to report, leaving Zhao Dahu in line... yet she didn’t see Zhao Dahu.
Two possibilities: either Zhao Dahu left, or Zhao Dahu was the one surrounded.
Knowing Zhao Dahu well, Ling Chengyan imdiately concluded it was the latter.
Without pausing, she casually ordered, "Place the kettles farther away."
Zheng Hongwei felt a tingle on his scalp, promptly grabbing Zhang Wanxiang to run and put the kettles in a safe spot, catching up with Ling Chengyan, who had reached the crowd’s edge.
"...we got here earlier!" Zhao Dahu’s angry voice erged from the crowd.
Then soone suppressed their voice, spat venomously, "Where did you crawl out from acting high and mighty here? Pah, what’s great about being early? With no one here yet, occupying the space solo?"
Another chid in, "Occupying but not utilizing, have any sense left?"
Ling Chengyan didn’t listen further, coldly stating, "No wonder it slls bad, soone’s been defecating anywhere, shaless!"
At her words, everyone around—troublemakers and onlookers alike—turned back in unison.
Ling Chengyan stood tall, walked firmly forward, and the crowd instinctively parted, forming a path for her.
Ling Chengyan strode in without haste, followed closely by Zhang Wanxiang and others.
Onlookers instantly excited, faces filled with anticipation: "Their side’s here, good, good, chaos to witness now!"
Walking into the crowd, Ling Chengyan observed the conflict clearly.
Zhao Dahu was facing two individuals, one tall, one short, the tall one almost two ters, the short one nearing 1.8 ters. Between them, the shorter was more agile and keen, his whole being exuding power, soone Ling Chengyan had noted earlier that noon.
As she moved through the crowd, whispers circulated these were soldiers from Yu Province’s 8th* division. She noted one practitioner among them earlier that noon.
Ling Chengyan stood, confronting these imposing n without any hint of fear or weakness, maintaining a calm deanor.
Just now, her words reached their ears; both sidelined Zhao Dahu, turning towards Ling Chengyan.
The tall one raised his brows, displaying a mocking grin, "Since when did hens crow? Cluck cluck... huh!"
Ling Chengyan moved her hand, causing him to abruptly clutch his mouth, bloodied spittle forced out containing a pebbly piece.
"You dare to attack?" the shorter one quickly demanded, swinging his fist towards Ling Chengyan.
Ling Chengyan slightly tilted her head to dodge the fist aid at her face, raised her hand to block, and before anyone saw her move, she had already swept a leg across his body. Unable to evade, he had to take the blow, acute pain surged as if his thigh bone fractured.
Yet he clearly knew his bones remained intact; the agonizing strike landed precisely on a ridian point.
Sending a stone into his mouth and accurately striking a ridian point... involves not just routine martial arts but likely excels in inner strength.
Whereas practitioners of external martial arts focus on robust physicality, aggressiveness, without detailed study of the body’s ridian points.
Moreover, her actions intended to use minimal force for maximum effect, clearly demonstrating inner martial arts orientation.
A bit underhanded.
With just one encounter, it was instantly clear who had the upper hand. They weren’t foolish, realizing they weren’t her match, imdiately withdrew, jumped out of the circle, decisively clasped hands, "Our fault, apologies."
Speaking thus, he pulled his partner clutching his mouth, squeezed through the crowd, slinking away.
Ling Chengyan didn’t stop them, looking at Zhao Dahu, seeing his clothes tugged into wrinkles from the scuffle yet unhard, she felt reassured.
Zheng Hongwei and Zhang Wanxiang accompanied by others dispersed the onlookers, escorting Ling Chengyan and Zhao Dahu to sit on the basketball court steps, while soone fetched the kettles and mugs.
Zhao Dahu admitted his mistake, ashad indeed, dispatched by the Captain to line up, failed miserably, bullied and needing the Captain’s intervention.
Ling Chengyan patted Zhao Dahu’s shoulder, reassuringly, "Don’t brood over it, those guys are martial arts practitioners, from a young age."
Your weakness isn’t the problem, just the adversaries’ might, the bullying invoked sympathy, not bla.
Zhao Dahu flushed with sha, glanced at the Captain, eyes plaintive.
Captain, surely you must know, your words sting more!
Following this brief episode, Ling Chengyan and her group queued for the court while none dared confront them again.
Onlookers autonomously distanced themselves, observing them from several ters away.
Ling Chengyan remained oblivious; others were filled with mixed nerves and pride. So what if their team leader was female? With her presence, they felt upright wherever they went, quite gratifying.
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