Chapter 88: The Contest

Long Fei’s heart stirred as he finally understood the situation. So there really was a young prince in Tianhai, after all. It seemed Chen Xin had truly seized control of the Green Gang. No wonder, back at the school gates that morning, he hadn’t lifted a hand against those three Green Gang brothers—it turned out they were his own people.

Once everything had been settled and the soldiers were preparing to leave, Luo Hongli repeatedly reminded Yang Batian to meet him later at Heaven on Earth, while he himself had to rush back and change, as well as handle some business. After all, he couldn’t very well show up at a nightclub dressed in full military uniform—imagine, a division-level officer coming to pick up girls! No hostess would dare approach him. This outfit was for fighting, not for womanizing.

As they exited the private room, Boss Liang, still shaken, hadn’t recovered from his shock. He never expected Yang Danni would go so far as to mobilize the military—this was simply too much. When those three military vehicles pulled up and hundreds of armed soldiers swarmed in, he had almost wet himself. It was no exaggeration to say that he had never witnessed such a scene in his life.

“Boss, the bill, please!” Long Fei offered to pay, but Yang Danni merely smiled and didn’t insist. She knew that, out in the world, a man’s pride had to be respected. A smart woman always lets a man save face.

Unfortunately, Boss Liang adamantly refused to accept Long Fei’s money, apologizing repeatedly for how Qiu Long’s men had disturbed their meal and blaming the restaurant for the trouble. In the end, when Long Fei persisted, Boss Liang was almost ready to get on his knees to refuse him.

Since a good thing had fallen into his lap, Long Fei didn’t stand on ceremony—this certainly beat dining and dashing.

No one knew where Yang Batian had procured the Audi A6, but after dropping Yang Danni off at her apartment, he sped away with Long Fei. Tonight’s plans were not for girls—no, not for Yang Danni, at least. Without women, the evening would lose its flavor, but Yang Danni was sharp enough not to insist on joining them.

Yang Batian floored the car, pushing it past two hundred kilometers an hour, heading south. Long Fei frowned and asked, “Where are you taking me?”

“Take a guess.” Yang Batian winked at him.

Long Fei grumbled, “Don’t tell me you actually want to fight me?”

Yang Batian laughed. “Exactly! Smart man. Don’t think that just because you’re the Azure Dragon, I’d shy away. Even if I can’t beat you, I still have to fight you. You know I’ve waited over a year for this day!”

“So you’ve spent more than a year dreaming of revenge? You really are a schemer!” Long Fei chuckled wryly.

Yang Batian snorted a laugh. “Who told you to beat me so badly last time? I was laid up for a whole week! Not being able to fight for a week nearly suffocated me, never mind the pain. But tonight, you’d better not mess me up like that again. I just want to scratch the itch, test my skills a bit. I’m not looking to fight you to the death.”

Long Fei laughed as well. “You’ll see soon enough. I haven’t had a decent fight in a long time, and most people aren’t worth the trouble. You, though, are perfect for a beating. It’d be a shame to let that physique go to waste!”

“You’re the real schemer here!” Sweat began to bead on Yang Batian’s back, but Long Fei’s words did nothing to dampen his enthusiasm.

“It’s not too late to back out, you know. Once we start, your friends at Heaven on Earth might die waiting for you!” Long Fei teased.

“Don’t even think about it!” Yang Batian snapped, slamming the brakes.

To ask Yang Batian not to fight would be worse than killing him.

He pulled over by the roadside, and in less than thirty minutes, they had reached the outskirts of the city—a perfect spot for a brawl: streetlights, but hardly any passing cars.

Yang Batian stripped off his black shirt, revealing only a tight military vest underneath, his muscular frame exuding explosive power. Tilting his head, his neck cracked audibly. He flexed his fingers, bent his body, stretched his legs—his joints popping in a continuous symphony.

“Come on!” He assumed the opening stance of Bajiquan, his gaze fixed intently on Long Fei, every inch of him radiating fighting spirit, his eyes shining with excitement and madness.

For Yang Batian, to spar with the legendary Azure Dragon was an honor in itself. To be wounded, or even to die at Long Fei’s hands, would be worth it. Who was the Azure Dragon? The number one assassin in China, top of the world’s assassin rankings. If Phoenix was everyone’s nightmare, Long Fei was the reaper from hell; if Phoenix was the most mysterious, Long Fei was the most unfathomable of all.

Yang Batian practiced Bajiquan, but his style was unlike any other. Since childhood, he had sought out famous masters, blending the simplicity, dignity, and practicality of the Huo school; the flexibility and speed of the Ma school’s Tongbei Bajiquan; the fluidity and liveliness of the Wu school’s Pi Gua Bajiquan; and the rhythmic clarity of the Mantis Bajiquan.

Seeing Yang Batian’s stance, Long Fei smiled calmly. “I can see you’ve been putting in the work this past year.”

Yang Batian grinned. “Of course!”

Before he could finish, Long Fei suddenly lashed out with a kick—his infamous “deadly rising groin kick.” The speed and timing were flawless, but Yang Batian, seemingly prepared, leapt aside the moment Long Fei moved.

“Trying that old trick again? You used that last year, it won’t work now! Take this!” Yang Batian laughed.

Bajiquan emphasized attacking with eight body parts: head, shoulders, elbows, hands, hips, knees, and feet, focusing on raw power and six methods: bumping, embracing, single, lifting, hip, and winding. Yang Batian excelled at close combat, especially the “Mountain Lean.” Back in the military district, he’d smashed and repaired walls so many times they finally installed iron fences to stop him—but then the district’s rare, imported trees all fell victim to his relentless practice.

Yet tonight, against Long Fei, Yang Batian couldn’t gain the slightest advantage. He was performing at his peak, but still couldn’t even brush Long Fei’s clothes—in fact, he got kicked to the ground twice.

But Yang Batian possessed patience. Despite being knocked down repeatedly, he kept getting up to fight again. Long Fei secretly gave him a mental thumbs up—no wonder he dominated the capital. This tenacity wasn’t something ordinary men possessed. Most would have lost heart after such a beating, knowing they didn’t stand a chance. Not Yang Batian. Even knowing he couldn’t win, he still fought with all his might, dodging attacks, retaliating fiercely, and learning with each exchange.

But Long Fei’s patience wore thin. Yang Batian was even more persistent than a cockroach. Long Fei couldn’t bring himself to truly beat him to death, but he couldn’t just let him land a hit, either—if one of Yang Batian’s blows landed, even someone with iron bones might not withstand it. So, his temper flared. He kicked Yang Batian into a somersault again, then before Yang Batian could get up, pounced and kicked him several meters further, only to leap after him again.

This cycle repeated five or six times, and Long Fei finally relented after kicking Yang Batian in a circle around the car. Seeing Yang Batian utterly spent and unable to fight, Long Fei grinned. “Well? Want to keep going?”

Propped up on his knees, his body curled like a shrimp, Yang Batian gasped with satisfaction, “No more, no more. If we keep going, you’ll put me in the hospital. I can’t beat you anyway, and you refuse to teach me. It’s pointless to go on!”

“I haven’t taught you? Damn it, can’t you recognize when someone’s being kind?” Long Fei feigned another kick, but Yang Batian darted into the car, waving him over.

“Hurry up and get in, didn’t you say people are waiting for us at Heaven on Earth? Tonight, we have to see Chunxiang! I can’t wait!”

Long Fei climbed into the car, puzzled. “Who’s Chunxiang?”

“I’ll tell you, but you can’t tell my sister, okay?” Yang Batian started the engine, grumbling inwardly—damn, Long Fei’s hits really hurt, his whole body ached.

Long Fei laughed. “Of course, what happens between men stays between men.”

“Good man, that’s the spirit! You really are worthy of being my brother-in-law. So, Chunxiang is our... you know, our girl. Got it?” Yang Batian’s eyes gleamed with mischief.

Long Fei understood, but broke into a sweat. Damn, so Chunxiang was his lover—or, to be more precise, his mistress!