Chapter 175: Posture

"Bastard! Stop!"

Niu Dingtian went up the stairs, just as he was about to step out of the inn, he heard a sudden rapid footstep behind him, then a familiar shrill call.

Turning around, he saw Mu Nianci in a red outfit chasing after him.

Seeing Niu Dingtian turn back, Mu Nianci lifted her arched eyebrows, glared with a face full of anger, stripped off her cloak, and prepared to strike.

"Miss Mu, you still can't defeat me; why waste your effort?" Niu Dingtian shook his head, giving her no face.

He waved his hand and said, "Go back and practice properly; when you're ready, come find me anytime. The street is crowded now; don't let outsiders see this and laugh."

Having said that,

Niu Dingtian strode out the door.

Since he returned to the inn with Yang Kang, the girl's look seemed as if she wanted to stab him on the spot. Human nature, understandable.

But the bustling street is full of people, many of them jianghu types; if any acquaintance saw him being chased and beaten by a matchmaking duel girl, the story would spread wildly.

If he wants to fight, it must be somewhere without people.

Sure enough, as Niu Dingtian stepped out the gate and was about to blend into the crowd, Mu Nianci, like an angry female leopard, surged after him.

"Even if you can't win, you must fight! You bastard, stop!" Having just burst out of the inn, Mu Nianci shouted a shrill command at Niu Dingtian's back, never pausing her steps.

"In front of one's children, you strike someone's father; who could tolerate that?"

Earlier Mu Nianci had held back because her father hadn't reacted; now she's made up her mind— even if he's not a match, she'll splash him with blood!

On the street, Niu Dingtian's steps were neither hurried nor slow, deftly weaving through the bustling crowd, heading toward the north of the city.

Behind her, Mu Nianci pursued relentlessly; her red attire drew pointing from nearby merchants and laborers, but each time she approached Niu Dingtian, she was pulled back five or six zhang.

A quarter hour later,

Mu Nianci chased to the outskirts, and the flow of people on the official road had become sparse; she looked up and saw Niu Dingtian's figure nearly disappearing at the northern horizon.

That was the direction of Jiugong Mountain.

She gritted her teeth, glared resentfully at the silhouette, and continued the chase.

Earlier on the street, being tossed near and far, that bastard was clearly toying with her; but turning back like this, she truly couldn't swallow the insult.

Another quarter hour later,

When Mu Nianci chased to the forest at the foot of the mountain, she discovered there was no road leading up; after searching around for a long while, she still didn't see Niu Dingtian's figure.

In the end, she could only drag her exhausted body to a shady stone and rest.

August weather is already scorching, especially at noon. Even seasoned martial artists find a long midday chase hard to endure.

In the shade, Mu Nianci's cheeks were flushed, she sat with her right hand propping her cheek, her features already full of fatigue.

A few strands of hair stuck to her forehead, looking a bit messy; her red attire, soaked with sweat, clung to her skin, outlining her curves.

"What a bastard!"

After regaining some spirit, thinking of her father being humiliated and herself being toyed with in this scorching heat, Mu Nianci suppressed her grievance, couldn't help biting her lip and muttering low.

After the muttering, looking at her red clothes, she suddenly felt a hollow emptiness inside.

The matchmaking duel she had finally resolved to hold now seemed a joke.

She let out a faint sigh,

Mu Nianci slowly stood up.

She stretched her neck, glanced around a few times, saw no one, then, using the tree trunk as cover, quickly pulled off her clothing.

Whether undergarments or outerwear, the sweat-soaked cling to her skin was unbearably uncomfortable.

Moreover, the innermost layer was a thick, long chest-wrapping cloth.

Although this dynasty values small, flat chests as beauty, Mu Nianci, as a jianghu person, wraps that not for beauty but for convenience in martial practice.

While pulling and shaking, after a while, the sweat-soaked red outer garment gradually dried with the help of the mountain breeze.

Her skin also felt much fresher.

Only the remaining undergarments and chest wrap were still troublesome; she had to reach inside and adjust them slowly.

In fact, in such hot weather with no one around, experienced women seeking comfort often simply pull out the undergarments and chest wrap and hide them in a bundle.

But Mu Nianci, having followed her father wandering for years, has no close friends, no seniors, and no one taught her this shortcut.

The forest was silent, even the previously noisy cicadas suddenly fell silent.

After confirming again that no one was around, Mu Nianci slipped her hand into the outer garment.

Just as her right hand brushed the undergarment and felt a camellia embroidery, her hand suddenly froze.

Then her faintly beautiful eyes stared straight ahead, fixed on a large cypress tree branch,

Her whole body instantly stiffened.

On the branch.

Meeting Mu Nianci's shameful, furious gaze, Niu Dingtian's face couldn't help being embarrassed, and he inwardly blamed his legs.

"At the crucial moment you just wander around!"

"If my legs hadn't involuntarily swayed under the branch just now, would the little girl below have noticed me?"

"I was just resting on the tree; didn't expect to meet Miss Mu here."

Niu Dingtian leapt down, threw a fist at Mu Nianci, as if he had never noticed the earlier awkward scene.

Mu Nianci's cheeks were as red as dripping blood, her eyes full of shame and anger, she almost wanted to crawl into a crack.

Being stared at like this makes one feel exposed to outsiders; which unmarried woman could endure that?

Thinking of her father being insulted, herself being toyed with by this man, and Niu Dingtian's indifferent attitude, Mu Nianci felt a surge of grievance, finally couldn't help her eyes reddening.

"Is high martial skill supposed to allow such humiliation?"

Mu Nianci suddenly bit her lip, her voice choked as she questioned Niu Dingtian. Her crimson eyes held grievance, shame, and injustice.

"You bullied my father first, then toyed with me; even though my martial skill is low, I will still tolerate such humiliation from you."

"Kill me!"

Mu Nianci's eyes glistened with tears, as if they might fall at any moment, but her right hand clenched the scarlet collar tightly, still straining to suppress them, her fingers already turned white from gripping.

Kill you?

Niu Dingtian blinked in surprise.

I never expected a fifteen-year-old lass to be so headstrong, but this charge can't stick—I'll have to argue my case properly.

He immediately shook his head and said, "Your father's personal grudges are none of my business; I wouldn't bother with it anyway."

"But as a descendant of a famed anti-Jin general, to be unclear on national righteousness—if it were anyone else, I'd have already struck them down with a palm to wake them up; how is that bullying?"

Niu Dingtian looked at Mu Nianci's already whitening clenched fist, smiled, and said:

"As for you, Miss Mu, where does this talk of teasing come from? I hit your father; as his child wanting revenge, I can understand. But I also said earlier that fighting in the street inevitably draws a crowd; bringing you to this secluded spot is precisely to let you vent your anger."

"The reason I didn't show up earlier was also to let you regain some strength, so you couldn't say I took advantage of you."

"Come on, since Miss Mu has rested, let's get started—we're bold martial artists; what's with all the sniveling?"

That made perfect sense; after saying that, Niu Dingtian quickly stepped forward, extending his right hand slightly to signal Mu Nianci to make the first move.

"This guy's teasing me again!"

Mu Nianci bit her lip, thinking resentfully. Their martial arts were worlds apart; his posture couldn't be anything but teasing.

"Father humiliated, son dead—let him toy with me; before I die I'll douse this bastard in blood!"

Thinking of this, Mu Nianci gritted her teeth and wiped at the tears that hadn't yet fallen from the corner of her eye.

Then she tapped her toes, and her scarlet figure shot forth like an arrow from a bow, leaping toward Niu Dingtian.

"I won't take advantage of Miss Mu either—I certainly won't use internal energy or lightness skills."

As his words fell, he turned to the right; after avoiding her palm, Niu Dingtian lightly shook his sleeve, and the left sleeve swept from behind toward Mu Nianci's shoulder.

Mu Nianci had just snapped back to attention from his words when she saw the sleeve lunging fiercely; she gasped, instantly dipping forward to dart beneath the sleeve like a swallow-hawk, her posture light and agile.

"Free and Easy Wanderer?" Niu Dingtian's eyes narrowed slightly; he couldn't hide his astonishment.

Then his right sleeve coiled out of thin air, bearing a strong wind that surged toward Mu Nianci: "Is this palm technique something a beggar taught you?"

Mu Nianci blinked, her bright eyes involuntarily widening in astonishment at Niu Dingtian, her eye sockets still slightly red.

But after reacting, she saw sleeves before her and above her, a double-sided sleeve assault she could no longer evade.

At that moment, the force in Niu Dingtian's sleeve suddenly decreased by a third, just enough for Mu Nianci to barely block with a palm before she sprang away.

"I don't know it." Niu Dingtian answered himself, smiling.

He continued stepping forward with his attack, not waiting for Mu Nianci's feet to land, and chased after her scarlet figure with another flick of his sleeve.

Seeing this, Mu Nianci swiftly cleared her mind, gave a spirited cry, and said: "Since you won't use internal energy or lightness skills, I don't need you to hold back!"

Having said that, she gritted her teeth, turned offense into defense, and launched her left foot straight at Niu Dingtian's nose bridge.

"Not hold back?" Niu Dingtian's eyes widened in surprise.

This little lass is still quite stubborn.

Immediately he raised his right hand slightly, shook off the incoming kick's force, and while retreating said with a smile: "That won't do; if I don't hold back, I'm afraid Mu Nianci can't withstand it."

How could innate tendons and bones be blocked by a third-rate martial artist? Even without a trace of internal energy, ending the fight in one move would be effortless for him—though he's a bit reluctant.

"Bastard!"

Mu Nianci, hearing that, couldn't help but grit her teeth and curse silently; her attacks grew fiercer and faster, and as she advanced, retreated, and dodged, her scarlet robe and crimson skirt seemed to become a red cloud.

But no matter how she attacked, Niu Dingtian opposite seemed to be strolling leisurely, easily dispelling her moves with a raise of his hand.

Half an hour later,

Seeing Mu Nianci's breathing ragged, her cheeks flushed, even the force of her kicks softened considerably, Niu Dingtian, while dodging, chuckled:

"How's your anger, Miss Mu? If you've vented enough, you can head back; if you want to blaze again, come find me on Nine Palaces Mountain."

He glanced at the sun in the sky and realized it was about mid-afternoon, around the Wei hour.

Although tomorrow's affairs are overseen by Blazing Heaven, he still needed to return to the mountain before dark to mingle with the guests, and tonight he'd have to set up a banquet to entertain them.

He couldn't keep wasting time on the girl.

Mu Nianci kept attacking, her limbs already going weak; hearing Niu Dingtian's words, her breath hitched sharply.

"I'm not leaving!" she spat, eyes blazing with hatred at Niu Dingtian, waving her palm as she gasped,

"You bastard, do you just love toying with people? Why not knock me out with one palm instead of making me resent you like this?"

Niu Dingtian dodged and retreated, his figure graceful and carefree, as he said leisurely: "I've been kindly feeding you moves for half a day, Miss Mu—not that you're grateful—but why hold a grudge?"

"If you don't leave, the sect leader will soon have you captured and taken up the mountain."

Feeding moves?

Hearing that, Mu Nianci's moves stalled; upon reflection, though she'd fought half a day and her legs were tired, her techniques had become more lively and proficient—indeed, it felt like he was feeding her moves.

But just as she felt like retreating, she heard Niu Dingtian's following words and, unable to restrain herself, kicked out again.

Seeing this, Niu Dingtian raised his hand slightly, instantly turned his palm into a grab, hooked forward, and saw that he had firmly seized Mu Nianci's left wrist.

"Bastard! Let go!"

Mu Nianci, cheeks flushed, cried out shrilly and immediately struggled to break free.

"Let go then let go!" Before the words even finished, Niu Dingtian, going with the motion, released his grip.

But the moment his hand loosened, Mu Nianci lost her balance and was about to topple straight backward.

Just as she was about to hit the ground, Niu Dingtian's form flickered; he scooped her up with his right arm and held her in his embrace.

"Let go of me quickly!" Mu Nianci, her face burning red with shame, strained to break free.

But Niu Dingtian held her tight, refusing to let go, and chuckled: "Earlier you told me to let go, and I did; now you tell me to release—am I supposed to let go again?"

Hearing that, Mu Nianci panicked, her face reddening further; she gritted her teeth and whispered, "Please release me first—I'll make amends to you."

Make amends?

Niu Dingtian lowered his head and looked at her pretty face, seeing that her watery eyes were full of shyness, his heart stirred, and he asked:

"Miss Mu, you haven't taken off that red outfit yet—does that mean I've won now?"

"Not at all!" Mu Nianci panicked, hurriedly denying with a flushed face.

Just from what her father had said earlier that morning, she knew this person before her was certainly not a good refuge.

"Then your martial-arts marriage proposal is just a swindle!" Niu Dingtian said firmly.

"You're the one who's deceiving! My father and I conduct ourselves properly; we always keep our word!" Mu Nianci said angrily.

"Then either admit it still counts, or else admit you're a swindler." Niu Dingtian said unreasonably.

"You wicked person!"

Upon hearing those words, Mu Nianci instantly flared up, shouted angrily, lifted her left leg, and drove her knee toward Niu Dingtian's head.

Niu Dingtian slightly blocked with his left hand, then hooked back with his wrist, directly catching Mu Nianci's calf in his hand.

Seeing that she couldn't break free, Mu Nianci grew even more panicked and instinctively lifted her right leg to kick.

"This woman is as stubborn as a mule!" Niu Dingtian cursed under his breath.

"With no hands left, what can I use to block?"

In desperation, Niu Dingtian swiftly turned his body, shot out his left leg, and pressed down hard on Mu Nianci's right leg, which she had just lifted.

The next moment—

Hiss—

Niu Dingtian instantly shuddered. (End of chapter)