As she spoke, she winked at Chen Zheng, her eyes brimming with excitement.
"How about a little sparring?"
Chen Zheng scratched his head. Li Yitong looks like a beautiful flower, but I didn't expect her to have thorns, ready to strike at any moment!
"I've never been a soldier, but I learned a bit from the elders in my family who practice martial arts," he said.
"Is that so..." Li Yitong tilted her head, looking skeptical. "Never mind that. Let's just spar. I can't wait any longer!"
"This direct, huh?!"
Sparring with a beautiful woman should be a pleasant experience, but it was clear Li Yitong wasn't talking about the usual kind of 'sparring' between a man and a woman.
"I am this direct. Hurry up, let's go outside and fight!"
Li Yitong was extremely combative. As she spoke, she was already heading for the door.
"Whoa! Captain Li is looking for another sparring partner, huh? That Chen Zheng guy looks like he's in a tough spot."
"Captain Li is famously combative. When she first joined the squad, she beat us all to a pulp. Of course she can't resist a chance to fight a master like Chen Zheng!"
"That guy Chen Zheng is out of luck. Captain Li might be a woman and look slender, but she's incredibly strong. She kicked me once and cracked my rib!"
Many officers were whispering among themselves, their words all attesting to Li Yitong's strength. It was obvious they knew what she was capable of.
Chen Zheng naturally overheard them and began to worry. I'm not going to end up in the hospital, am I? A grown man hospitalized by a young woman... that would be too embarrassing!
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, on triggering a choice-based mission.]
[Option One: Rise to the challenge and engage in a vigorous sparring session with Li Yitong. Reward: Traditional Martial Arts, Chen-style Taijiquan!]
[Option Two: Step back and the world is your oyster. Refuse to fight a woman. Reward: The scorn of feminists and a face full of spit!]
As Chen Zheng read the system message, Li Yitong, who was walking ahead, suddenly stopped and turned to look back at him.
"Chen Zheng! You're too slow. What's the deal? Don't you want to spar with me?"
Chen Zheng shrugged. "Not at all. I was just lost in thought."
With that, he quickened his pace to catch up.
Seeing his compliance, Li Yitong couldn't help but smile.
"Whoa! They're really going to do it? Let's go watch!"
"My god, this kid is really... I wonder how many rounds it'll take before Captain Li takes him down!"
"I'm betting ten moves. I only lasted five last time, so I'm already giving him a lot of credit. If he's down in ten moves or less, you all have to add a braised egg to my night shift instant noodles!"
"A braised egg?! I'll bet he's down in five! You'll all add a sausage to my noodles! I have faith in Captain Li's strength!"
Several officers were getting excited about the prospect.
"I get the feeling that Officer Li is very skilled," Zhao Gao whispered to Li Hao.
"Of course Officer Li Yitong is skilled. She's from a military family; three generations of her ancestors served in the army. She enlisted after graduating from university and only came to the Yun City Police Department after being discharged."
"I heard she wasn't in just any ordinary unit, either!"
At this, both Zhao Gao and Li Hao grew curious.
Wei Xuerou continued, "She was in the women's special forces, and her skills are top-tier!" She had overheard this from several executives chatting at a company party.
"Oh my god, is Chen Zheng going to end up in the hospital?!"
Hearing this, Zhao Gao and Li Hao glanced at each other, both growing nervous.
"Probably not. It's just a spar, after all. Besides, Chen Zheng seems very skilled himself. Let's go watch!"
With that, a worried Wei Xuerou followed, and Zhao Gao and Li Hao also hurried outside.
[Ding! Host has made a selection. Reward: Chen-style Taijiquan. Learn now?]
Learn!
As soon as he willed it, a complex stream of memories flooded into his brain. For a moment, it was as if he were standing in a bamboo grove, practicing his forms day after day, year after year, through rain, snow, and the scorching sun. The memories flashed by like a revolving lantern, and in a mere instant, they fused with his own, granting him complete mastery of Chen-style Taijiquan.
By this time, Chen Zheng and Li Yitong had reached the police station's courtyard. A crowd of onlookers followed, gathering around to watch.
"I suggested this spar, so you can have the first move," Li Yitong said, immediately settling into a defensive stance, her eyes blazing with fervor.
Chen Zheng could tell she possessed genuine skill. Even though it's just a ready stance, her muscles are already tensed. I can barely see an opening!
"Ladies first," Chen Zheng replied casually, raising an arm and beckoning to Li Yitong.
Hearing this, Li Yitong narrowed her eyes.
Even though his tone is casual, he has no openings either! A true master! Li Yitong grew even more excited. Ever since leaving the army, I haven't met anyone as skilled as him. The thought made her tremble with anticipation.
"Since you're being such a gentleman, I won't be polite!"
The moment she finished speaking, Li Yitong charged straight at Chen Zheng. When they were about a meter apart, she leaped into the air, twisted her body, and lashed her shin out toward him like a whip.
Chen Zheng grew serious. Like a true martial arts master, he calmly took half a step back, swinging his arms to dissipate the force of the whip kick.
BANG!
A muffled thud echoed as most of the kick's power was neutralized.
However, Li Yitong never expected to win with a single blow. As she landed, she twisted her body again, launching a low sweep at Chen Zheng's legs.
Chen Zheng had already anticipated this. He blocked with his own leg while smoothly moving with the momentum, once again redirecting the force.
Knowing the sweep was ineffective, Li Yitong abandoned the attack. Instead, she used his lower leg as a springboard to leap up and throw a hook punch at his chest.
Chen Zheng simply continued to redirect the force, neutralizing this attack as well.
Thrilled, Li Yitong launched into a barrage of close-quarters strikes, but Chen Zheng precisely neutralized every blow.
In the courtyard, under the shocked gazes of the onlookers, the two were evenly matched!
"My god, I've never seen anyone last this long against Captain Li without losing!"
"And Captain Li hasn't even managed to touch him! All her force is being redirected. What kind of martial art is that? It looks like Tai Chi, but not quite!"
Everyone present was stunned.
Li Yitong was even more astonished. She had used numerous techniques, yet Chen Zheng had completely neutralized every attack, even finding opportunities to counter. Although it seemed her assault was fiercer and that he was constantly on the defensive, the truth was different. From the very first whip kick, Chen Zheng had been the one dictating the pace of the fight.