Chapter - 165 Repentance of the Haughty Dragon (18) (1/2)

Huang Rong knew Hong Qicong was asleep in the forest, and Guo Jing was up in the mountains practicing his palms. She ran to the left.

Mu Nianci pursued anxiously, fearing Huang Rong would ride the red horse. She continued to chase until she heard a loud noise, which she followed.

Huang Rong had taken a bend to a clearing surrounded by tall, locust trees. She stopped there and laughed.

”You've won,” she said. ”You're the better horse. Now let us match against one another to see who gets the bride's dagger.”

Mu Nianci's cheeks reddened.

”Don't joke little sister,” she said. ”When I see this dagger, I see my adoptive father. Why did you take it away?”

Huang Rong's brow dropped.

”Who is your sister?” she shouted.

She immediately jumped at Mu Nianci with her palm extended.

Mu Nianci tried to dodge, but Huang Rong used the ”Falling Blossom Sword Palm.” Employing the many and mysterious variations in the style, Huang Rong hit Mu Nianci twice in the ribs, causing a lot of pain.

Angry, Mu Nianci turned to the left before also returning her own palm stroke, which was a violent strike.

”This is the 'Wandering Strides' fist!” Huang Rong shouted. ”How is this possible?”

Mu Nianci was surprised upon hearing Huang Rong's shout.

”This was the style Hong Qicong passed on to me alone,” she thought. ”How could she know about it?”

Mu Nianci watched as Huang Rong retracted her left palm and attacked with her right as a fist. After three moves, Mu Nianci recognized the style to be none other than the ”Wandering Strides.” Surprised, she jumped back.

”Stop!” she shouted. ”Who taught you this style?”

”I just figured it out myself,” Huang Rong said with a smile. ”What's so special about this rough and crude kung fu?”

So saying, she attacked again with the ”Wandering Strides,” employing its two central moves, ”Alms Bowl at the Door” and ”Seeing a Benefactor,” in a continuous attack.

Mu Nianci became even more bewildered after avoiding another rmove, ”Traveling the Seas Without Worry.”

”You know Senior Hong Qicong?” she said.

”He and I are old friends,” Huang Rong said with a smile. ”You can use this style. I'll use the kung fu I know, and then we'll see who'll win.”

With a menacing chortle, Huang Rong immediately attacked. She did not use the ”Wandering Strides” style. Instead, she employed the martial arts taught to her by her father to get the better of Mu Nianci, whose skills were taught to her by Hong Qicong. How could Mu Nianci block?

Mu Nianci tried to flee but she couldn't. She watched a palm rise like a sword slashing across with a roaring wind. Feeling the spear-like force, Mu Nianci twisted her body to the side to dodge, but then felt pain in her neck as Huang Rong successfully hit her with ”Brushing the Orchid Blossoms from the Road.”

The palm had struck the neck vertebrae precisely where the blood vessels regulate the body, hands and feet. After being hit, Mu Nianci's hands and feet immediately turned numb and weak.

Huang Rong then stepped forward and pressed an acupoint on Mu Nianci's waist. Mu Nianci immediately fell over.

Huang Rong took out the dagger and laughed, before slashing at Mu Nianci's cheeks with 10 different strikes. None of them hit - they were only one inch away from striking flesh.

Mu Nianci closed her eyes, expecting death, but to her surprise, she felt a cool air near her cheeks that didn't hurt. When she opened her eyes, she only saw the dagger coming towards her eyes, only to see it stop next to her face.

”If you're going to kill me, kill me,” she yelled in anger. ”Why all the play and theatrics?”