Chapter 131: One-on-One
Ah Mu immediately tried to exert force, attempting to shake off the man's hand, only to find his wrist joint expertly locked in place. Any movement brought sharp pain.
He swallowed hard, lifted his head, and asked with a hint of deference, "W-what do you want to say?"
"Listen to me. If you're going to fight, fight fair. Don't pull a knife."
"That woman started it!" Ah Mu said viciously. "We came over to ask a few questions, and she just attacked us outright! If we don't teach her a lesson, how can we let that slide?"
By now, Golden Hair and Bald had also noticed the unnatural look on Ah Mu's face. They abandoned their encirclement and began walking step by step toward Qiao Jiajin.
"You say that pretty lady beat you up?" Qiao Jiajin nodded. "Now that's strange. Why didn't she beat me up?"
"You... you're looking for trouble..." Ah Mu gritted his teeth. "If you really want to throw down, we're not afraid of you!"
Golden Hair and Bald's eyes turned cold. Knives raised, they advanced another step.
"That's great. I was just racking my brain for an excuse to fight."
Qiao Jiajin reached out with his left hand and grabbed Ah Mu by the collar. Then, with his right hand, he seized Ah Mu's wrist and squeezed hard. With a scream of pain, Ah Mu's knife fell from his hand.
Bald charged forward in a single stride, raising his knife to stab. Qiao Jiajin channeled his strength and actually lifted Ah Mu's entire body into the air, tracing a perfect arc before slamming him violently toward Bald.
Knowing he couldn't possibly catch Ah Mu, Bald had no choice but to dodge sideways. Ah Mu crashed to the ground.
He landed flat on his back, the impact dazing him completely.
After evading, Bald rushed forward again, swiping his knife horizontally.
Most people, faced with such an attack, would lean back to dodge. While that might avoid a fatal blow, it would also leave a huge opening.
But Qiao Jiajin didn't dodge. The moment Bald made his move, he stepped forward, almost diving into Bald's embrace.
The next second, he used his left elbow to strike Bald's right forearm, briefly blocking the attack. Then he swung his right elbow up toward Bald's chin. In such close-quarters combat, an elbow was far more effective than a fist.
The big man took the elbow cleanly. Just as he was about to fall backward, Qiao Jiajin reached out, grabbed him by the collar, and yanked him back before he could hit the ground.
"I'll kill—"
Bald came to his senses and was about to yell, but Qiao Jiajin immediately turned his fist into a palm and thrust it upward into Bald's chin.
Bald's open mouth was forcibly slammed shut. His upper and lower teeth collided, producing a loud crack in an instant.
That was it. He went completely silent, his head falling back as he collapsed.
Qiao Jiajin didn't let his guard down. He sidestepped, dodging a knife thrust aimed at his back from behind.
Then he clamped the attacker's entire arm under his armpit—right hand below, left hand above—locking the arm completely.
Golden Hair suddenly realized something and shouted, "Don't—!"
But he was too slow. Before he could finish, Qiao Jiajin exerted a little pressure and wrenched the arm out of its socket.
A piercing shriek rang out. Golden Hair's knife also fell from his hand.
Qiao Jiajin turned, grabbed Golden Hair by the collar, swept his leg, and took him down as well.
The three men, who had been so arrogant just moments ago, were now all lying on the ground within thirty seconds, groaning in pain.
"Wow! You're really amazing!" Yun Yao happily came forward and grabbed Qiao Jiajin's arm. "Are you a martial artist?"
Qiao Jiajin rubbed his nose sheepishly, then turned back to look at Qi Xia. "So, what do you think, con man? Didn't I tell you? I really do have skills."
"Yeah, I knew that already." Qi Xia nodded. "But you're a little different from how I remember. Why do you keep grabbing people by the collar? What kind of martial arts style is that?"
"Heh..." Qiao Jiajin flashed an awkward smile. "What martial arts style? I accidentally got something on my hands when I was in the restroom earlier..."
Yun Yao paused, then quickly let go of Qiao Jiajin's arm.
...
Green Hair, Bald, and Golden Hair stood before Qi Xia and the others, heads bowed low. Except for Bald, the other two wore humble smiles on their faces.
"Hey... it was all a misunderstanding..." Ah Mu said with a grin. "We actually dared to lay a hand on Brother Qiao. We truly failed to recognize a true master..."
*Smack!*
Qiao Jiajin slapped him across the face and said, "Apologize properly."
"Yes, yes, yes!" Ah Mu, though slapped, smiled even more brightly. "Brothers and sisters, we were really wrong. If we'd known Brother Qiao was so skilled, we never would've dared to cause trouble..."
*Smack!*
Another slap.
"What? If I didn't have these skills, you'd be fine with causing trouble?"
"No, no..." Ah Mu waved his hands. "We won't cause trouble for anyone from now on. We'll change our ways and never stir up trouble again!"
*Smack!*
"Huh?" Ah Mu was stunned. "Come on... Brother Qiao, I didn't say anything wrong that time either."
"Yeah, you didn't. But what about your two lackeys? Why aren't they talking?" Qiao Jiajin asked.
Ah Mu covered his face, looking aggrieved. "If they're not talking, why are you hitting me?"
*Smack!*
After several slaps in a row, both of Ah Mu's cheeks were swollen.
"I was wrong, I was wrong!" Ah Mu hurriedly turned and slapped Bald across the face. "You two apologize too!"
"I will not apologize!" Bald roared. "I only got taken down because I slipped. Ah Mu, why are we afraid of him? This doesn't suit you at all!"
"You bastard...!" Ah Mu gritted his teeth in frustration. He knew that Qiao Jiajin's displayed skill was formidable, yet he remained calm and composed, easily handling three armed opponents. This meant his real strength was even greater.
Qiao Jiajin glanced at Bald and asked, "What do you want?"
"One-on-one!"
"One-on-one...? Fine." Qiao Jiajin nodded, then walked to an open space, rolling his neck.
He pointed at Bald and said, "You, come out."
Bald glared at Qiao Jiajin. "You think you'll be that lucky every time?!"
"Come out." Qiao Jiajin didn't answer, just beckoned.
Bald's temper flared. He immediately stripped off his shirt and threw it to the ground, revealing a set of pale, powerful muscles.
Those muscles suggested he'd put in serious work at the gym.
Qiao Jiajin smiled faintly and took off his own shirt.
Seeing that, Bald swallowed hard, realizing they weren't in the same league.
Although Qiao Jiajin's muscles weren't as developed as Bald's, his lifelike tattoos stood out against a body covered in fearsome scars, making him especially striking.
There was a dragon over his left shoulder, a tiger descending from the right. On his back was a massive dragon koi, twisting and turning amidst surging waves.
In front of the dragon koi, a line of cursive calligraphy ran vertically in a bold, flowing script—
**"The world is vast by nature, but the petty man narrows his own path."**
"Baldie, since you've decided on a one-on-one, this isn't going to be a friendly spar."