From rejecting the beautiful female CEO to becoming extremely powerful

As the sword left its sheath, wood shavings in the yard were swept up by the wind and brushed against the blue bricks.

Maki Ayase gripped the sword with both hands, the blades pointing diagonally towards the ground.

She took a half step forward, her waist twisted, and she slid out close to the ground.

Lu Yunzhou did not back down.

The blade cleaved from the right, first targeting the shoulder, then cutting towards the chest and abdomen.

Ayase Maki's sword strikes were incredibly fast. Her first strike missed, but her second followed immediately, and by the third, she had already blocked Lu Yunzhou's retreat.

Bai Xiaoxi gripped Bai Heming's sleeve tightly.

"Grandpa, why isn't he dodging?"

Bai Heming stared at Lu Yunzhou's feet.

"He was waiting for her to get close."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Yunzhou stepped on the blue brick with his right foot and turned his body to the left.

The blade grazed his clothes, tearing a gash in the fabric.

Maki Ayase flipped her wrist, and the blade came flying horizontally.

Lu Yunzhou raised his right hand, pinching the side of the blade between two fingers.

clang!

A metallic clang rang out, and the blade stopped in front of him.

Maki Ayase's expression changed.

She pushed her arm forward, using her waist to exert force, but the long knife was stuck between Lu Yunzhou's two fingers, no longer even half an inch away from his chest.

Lu Yunzhou pinched the back of the blade with his fingers, and another stream of true energy pressed into the spine of the blade along the body of the blade.

The long sword began to vibrate.

Ayase Maki's hand went numb, and the strength in her grip on the knife gradually dissipated.

She gritted her teeth, supported the scabbard with her left hand, and suddenly lowered her right wrist, preparing to draw her sword and change her move.

Lu Yunzhou gripped the blade in advance and twisted his wrist outward.

The long sword flew out of his hand, hit the courtyard wall, and rolled several times after landing.

The man carrying the suitcase immediately lifted his shirt and reached his hand towards his waist.

Bai Heming raised his enamel cup, the rim of which bumped against the stone table.

"lay down."

As soon as the voice fell, the four attendants stopped simultaneously.

Lu Yunzhou had already reached Ayase Maki.

She reached for the short knife at her waist, but before the blade was fully exposed, Lu Yunzhou pressed down on her wrist.

With his other hand he gripped her shoulder, pressed his body close, and used his shoulder and back muscles to push her against the training pillar next to him.

boom!

Ayase Maki's back slammed into a wooden pillar, which made a dull thud.

She raised her knee and slammed it into Lu Yunzhou's abdomen.

Lu Yunzhou dodged to the side, his arm slipping under her elbow and locking her shoulder.

With her foot taking half a step forward, her waist and hips sank, and Ayase Maki immediately lost her balance.

Her dagger fell to the ground.

Lu Yunzhou didn't give her a chance to pick up the knife. He struck her shoulder with the heel of his palm, pressed down on her arm with his elbow, and pressed his knee against the back of her leg.

Maki Ayase tried to stand up straight, but her legs were blocked by true energy, and her knees slammed into the blue bricks.

She braced herself on the ground, and quickly swept her other leg towards Lu Yunzhou's ankle.

Lu Yunzhou lifted his foot to avoid her, then pressed his palm against her shoulder, pushing her back to the ground.

Bai Xiaoxi couldn't help but take a step forward.

"Mr. Lu, don't let her get up!"

She stopped after she finished speaking, clenching her fists at her sides.

Lu Yunzhou released his grip and stepped back two paces.

Maki Ayase leaned against a wooden pillar to get up, her cheeks covered in dust, her right hand hanging by her side.

She took several deep breaths, and the veins on the back of her hand gradually bulged.

Lu Yunzhou glanced at the long sword on the ground.

"You can't even hold a knife properly, yet you want to ruin the Bai family's reputation?"

Ayase Maki looked up at him.

"What kind of skill is it to disarm someone by sneak attacking them?"

Her voice was strained, and her right hand was still trembling.

Lu Yunzhou walked to the long sword and stepped on the scabbard with his toes.

"I'll stand here waiting for you before you draw your knife. If you lose, don't make excuses."

Maki Ayase braced herself against the pillar with her left hand, her shoulders still heaving.

"My people from the Japanese martial arts branch will be arriving in Sheng'an soon. If you mess with me today, even the Bai family can't protect you."

Lu Yunzhou picked up the broken scabbard and walked up to her.

"Using branch offices to scare people won't save your knees."

Maki Ayase clenched her teeth.

Lu Yunzhou raised his hand and pressed down, his true energy passing through the back of her legs.

Her legs lost their support, and her knees hit the ground again.

All the Bai family disciples around looked over.

Four Japanese attendants stood by the courtyard gate, their faces grim, but none of them dared to step forward.

Bai Heming looked at Lu Yunzhou and put the enamel cup back on the table.

"Only when you can stop can you truly say you've absorbed the knowledge."

Lu Yunzhou did not turn around.

"Old Master Bai's teachings were very helpful."

He walked to the center of the courtyard and glanced at the disciples who had retreated to the eaves.

"Everyone saw it clearly today. Martial arts schools teach punches and kicks, but first they teach people how to stand firmly. When martial artists encounter provocation, they should endure it if possible, but if they endure it until their door is smashed and the people around them are beaten, then it's time to take action."

Bai Xiaoxi raised her face, and the anger in her eyes subsided somewhat.

Lu Yunzhou continued, "The Great Xia martial arts can train your body and protect your family. Know when to stop and when to fight. Anyone who dares to come in and hurt someone will be sent out on a tummy."

The young disciples in the courtyard straightened their backs.

Ayase Maki's shoulders twitched slightly after hearing this.

"That sounds nice. If I win today, will you kneel down?"

Lu Yunzhou looked down at her.

"I lost, so I'll take off my cards, kneel down, and do as the bet says. You lost, so do the same."

Maki Ayase stared at him, her hands bracing against the ground, trying to use the momentum to stand up.

Her legs were still pressed down by the internal energy, and she had only risen halfway when her body fell back down.

Lu Yunzhou threw the broken scabbard in front of her.

Snapped!

The scabbard lay on the blue brick, the crack facing upwards.

"Apologize first, then admit your mistake. Explain everything you said, word by word."

Maki Ayase stared at the broken scabbard, her breathing becoming heavy.

"By what right do you order me around?"

"Because you lost."

Lu Yunzhou stepped on the blue brick beside her, his true energy emanating from his foot, causing several fine cracks to appear on the brick surface.

"And that's because you led people to smash up the Bai family's door."

Ayase Maki gripped the ground with her palms, her fingernails scratching out several white marks.

She raised her face, her voice laced with suppressed anger.

"If I don't admit it, what can you do to me?"

Lu Yunzhou turned around and picked up the dagger she had dropped, twirling the hilt in his palm.

"I still have the dagger. Your men aren't leaving either. If you want to try, keep being stubborn."

The man carrying the suitcase took a step forward.

Lu Yunzhou immediately raised the short knife in his hand, aiming the tip at the man's wrist.

"Take another step, and I'll break your hand first."

The man stopped, his Adam's apple bobbing.

Ayase Maki glanced at her attendants, then at the scabbard that Lu Yunzhou had crushed.

Her hands slowly clenched, her shoulders and back straightened into a taut line.

A moment later, she raised her chin.

"You think making me kneel once will make the martial artists of Sheng'an hold their heads high?"

Lu Yunzhou stuck the dagger into the mud and turned to walk up to her.

Whether you kneel or not is your business. Whether they can hold their heads high is their business.

He raised his hand and released the qi seal on her legs.

As soon as Ayase Maki sat up, Lu Yunzhou's hand was already on her shoulder.

She was pressed back to the ground, her knees together, facing the plaque of the Bai Family Martial Arts School.

Outside the courtyard gate, passersby stopped in their tracks.

Some recognized her riding attire, while others saw the Japanese longsword on the ground, and they all peered into the courtyard.

Bai Xiaoxi stood under the plaque, her chest heaving a few times, her eyes fixed on Ayase Maki.

Lu Yunzhou pointed to the plaque.

"Let's start with the first sentence."

Maki Ayase remained silent.

Lu Yunzhou raised his hand, pressing his palm's inner energy onto her shoulder.

The wooden pillars vibrated and hummed, and dust fell from the eaves.

"If you delay any longer, I'll make you kneel until tomorrow."

Maki Ayase pursed her lips, suppressing the last bit of bravado on her face.

She looked down at the broken scabbard in front of her and finally spoke.

"I, Ayase Maki, have come to challenge the Haku Family Martial Arts School today."

She paused, her face pale.

"I lost."

No one spoke in the courtyard.

Lu Yunzhou's hand was still on her shoulder.

"continue."

Ayase Maki looked up, her voice hoarse.

"Japanese martial arts should not use winning or losing to oppress others. Great Xia martial arts also have practical combat skills."

Lu Yunzhou withdrew his hand.

Ayase Maki swayed, bracing herself against her knees with her hands to avoid falling.

Lu Yunzhou kicked the broken scabbard in front of her.

"And the Bai family too."

Maki Ayase stared at the broken scabbard for a long time without making a move.

Lu Yunzhou raised his foot and stepped on the wooden pillar behind her.

Click.

A crack appeared on the surface of the wooden pillar.

"Kneel down and pay for the Bai family's door and signboard."