“Interesting,” Zhang Shan nodded. “Let’s see how many hits it takes for your stick-thin body to bring me down.”
Old Sun, hiding in the farthest corner, paled at the sight.
Xiao Xiao had once said that if this man named Zhang Shan ever awakened his “Echo,” no one could defeat him.
But even without it, his combat prowess was terrifying. A hulking man nearly two meters tall wasn’t someone two ordinary men could take down.
Luo Shiyi unzipped his leather jacket, revealing a lean, muscular torso.
“Xiao Xiao!” he shouted. “I need ‘Shift Blame’!”
“Damn it…” Xiao Xiao cursed from where she lay on the ground. “I need ‘Forget Sorrow’… This guy’s too strong…”
Luo Shiyi’s expression darkened as he glanced sideways—Xiao Xiao had already been taken down.
Who the hell was that skinny guy with the tattooed arms?
How could he have beaten Xiao Xiao?
A fighter this skilled, yet he’d never heard of him?
Looking closer at Xiao Xiao’s pained expression, it seemed she’d been downed multiple times already.
“Hey… Xiao Xiao, are you serious?” Luo Shiyi asked skeptically. “Aren’t you a combat instructor?”
“Shut up…” Xiao Xiao slowly stood up, wincing in pain. “Just give me ‘Forget Sorrow.’ I’m going to kill him.”
“That tattooed guy looks way too scrawny. No way he has the strength to take you down,” Luo Shiyi said.
Hearing that, a faint smirk tugged at Xiao Xiao’s lips. “Thanks.”
“Still not giving up?” Qiao Jiajin chuckled. “I didn’t want to push you over the edge, but my hands are already stained with blood. A little more won’t hurt.”
“Try me,” Xiao Xiao said, raising her arms in a classic judo stance, elbows slightly bent, hands level with her shoulders.
With a resigned sigh, Qiao Jiajin bent his arms and raised his right knee.
The duel had reached its climax. She was about to unleash her trump card.
If judo was her ultimate move, then he’d have to counter with Muay Thai.
Swift and decisive—overpowering softness with sheer force.
If he could land a single fatal strike, all her technique would be meaningless.
“At seventeen, I nearly killed someone on the streets with Muay Thai,” Qiao Jiajin said. “Haven’t used it since.”
“Hmph. Killing someone in broad daylight these days? What a lousy lie.”
Xiao Xiao sneered, lunging forward, her right hand darting out to grab his arm.
Qiao Jiajin leaped back, slamming his left elbow downward onto her wrist, then followed up with a devastating right hook to her cheek.
His stance was bizarre—completely disregarding defense, every move designed purely to kill.
Xiao Xiao grunted, stumbling backward.
But Qiao Jiajin didn’t let up. He took two steps forward, jumped again, and struck with both fists aimed at her temples while driving his knee into her chin.
Three critical points on the human head struck simultaneously—a fatal combination in any fight.
Losing his balance, Qiao Jiajin staggered a few steps after landing.
Yet despite the deadly blows, Xiao Xiao showed no sign of injury. Seizing the moment, she wrapped her arms around him from behind, locking her elbows across his throat.
A rear naked choke.
Without hesitation, Qiao Jiajin grabbed her fingers and twisted hard. A crisp *snap* echoed—but Xiao Xiao didn’t flinch.
“What the—?” Qiao Jiajin was stunned. Most people would release instantly from pain, but Xiao Xiao kept choking him as if she felt nothing.
“You lose, punk!” Xiao Xiao snarled triumphantly.
Qiao Jiajin twisted, searching for an escape.
But every counter he knew relied on inflicting pain to force a release.
How do you break a hold when your opponent feels no pain?
Seeing his struggles, Xiao Xiao arched backward, dragging them both to the ground.
She lay flat, pinning him in front of her, tightening her grip on his throat.
With his feet off the ground, Qiao Jiajin couldn’t generate force. He knew he’d pass out soon—this fight was over.
Summoning his strength, he raised his right leg and slammed his heel into Xiao Xiao’s shin. The impact was brutal, but no cry of pain came.
He struck again and again, each blow vicious.
Xiao Xiao frowned. Though she felt nothing, her right leg was going numb.
She curled her legs around his waist and yanked upward, sending searing pain through his body.
“Damn it… cheating bitch…”
Qiao Jiajin had never fought someone impervious to pain. None of his usual tactics worked.
He elbowed her ribs—no reaction. She might as well have been a dummy.
“Hey! Brother Qiao!”
Li Xiangling, noticing the struggle, rushed over. With Zhang Shan on her tail, this was her chance to break free.
“Careful…” Qiao Jiajin gritted out. “She’s cheating…”
Li Xiangling’s eyes turned icy. She thrust two fingers straight at Xiao Xiao’s eyes.
“Shit!”
Xiao Xiao jerked her head aside instinctively. Though painless, reflexes still kicked in.
That tiny lapse was all Qiao Jiajin needed.
Grabbing her arm, he wrenched it down with all his strength.
Xiao Xiao’s grip finally loosened.
“Cough! Damn it…” Qiao Jiajin staggered to his feet, coughing. “This giantess has no weaknesses left…”
“Need help?” Li Xiangling asked.
“No,” Qiao Jiajin shook his head. “Go help Big Guy. I won’t get locked up again.”
“Sure you’re okay?”
“Trust me,” he said. “Just caught off guard earlier. Got a plan now.”
“Then… be careful.” Li Xiangling nodded.
She skirted around Xiao Xiao, returning to Zhang Shan’s flank.
Xiao Xiao stood up, still seemingly unharmed.
“Punk, you can’t beat me,” she taunted, stepping forward—then froze.
Her right foot wasn’t responding.
Now limping, she couldn’t put weight on it.
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