Sun Shangxiang sat on the edge of the table, her expression sour. Her mood was a mix of irritation at being meddled with and dissatisfaction with Zhou Dun.
Zhou Dun had grown up with her, practically a childhood companion and a staunch loyalist of the Wu family. Sun Shangxiang had originally held him in high regard and could clearly sense that he harbored strong feelings for her.
As a trusted retainer representing a subordinate faction, if Zhou Dun had demonstrated exceptional talent, there was even a chance they might have formed a political marriage within the family.
The problem, however, was Zhou Dun's limited abilities, which hadn't led to any significant achievements. Not that this particularly mattered to Sun Shangxiang.
She was naturally strong-willed and didn't care much about a partner's abilities, as it was normal in her eyes for others not to measure up to her.
But Zhou Dun's lack of talent led to a chain reaction.
When Wu King Sun Quan sought an alliance with Liu Bei to resist Cao Cao, he unceremoniously decided to marry Sun Shangxiang off to cement the alliance.
The news caught Sun Shangxiang completely off guard. Zhou Dun's response made it even worse—he accepted the decision without protest, even personally escorting her with the Ironclad Unit to receive Liu Bei's wedding procession.
Sun Shangxiang could tolerate a man being untalented or mediocre, but she absolutely could not tolerate one without courage.
Her man was about to lose her to someone else, and he didn't even have the guts to resist—what kind of man was that?
Thus, Sun Shangxiang married into the Liu family and never gave Zhou Dun a shred of respect from that day forward.
She truly embodied the phrase "angry at his lack of ambition, disgusted by his cowardice."
If he wanted to spend his life as a subordinate, always looking to others for approval, so be it.
He could remain the Wu family's retainer, while she would forever be the Wu princess—each walking their own path.
After venting her frustrations for a while, Sun Shangxiang finally stood up and unleashed a barrage of kicks and punches at a nearby training dummy.
Her strikes were fast as the wind and powerful, echoing loudly throughout the cabin.
After some time, finding the training uninteresting, she suddenly turned toward Qin Ming and beckoned him over with a sharp wave of her hand.
"You! Come here!"
"Huh? What now, Lady Sun?"
"Spar with me."
"Me? I don't know how to fight! I'm just a janitor!"
"Cut the nonsense! What's with all the whining? I'm not going to kill you! I hate men who act all timid and fussy!"
Without waiting for Qin Ming's response, she raised her guard and lunged at him with a swift barrage of attacks.
Even though she clearly held back her strength, her movements were fast and precise.
Qin Ming, restricted by his identity as a mere logistics soldier, dared not reveal his combat skills and was forced into a purely defensive stance, constantly retreating as he blocked.
"Lady Sun! I'm really not your match! Can we stop this?"
"Quit whining! If you can't fight back, you can at least take a beating! Stand still!"
"What? Who just stands there getting hit?!"
"You should feel honored that I'm hitting you! I told you to stay still—why are you running?"
"Of course I'm running if you're hitting me!"
Sun Shangxiang's attacks grew faster and heavier, making it increasingly difficult for Qin Ming to hold his ground.
Even though she wasn't using a weapon, her strikes still packed a punch.
And just because it didn't cause serious harm didn't mean it didn't hurt—especially since she loved targeting sensitive spots with ruthless precision.
Qin Ming wasn't there to be a punching bag—who could endure this kind of beating?
After taking dozens of hits, with no end to Sun Shangxiang's relentless assault, Qin Ming finally lost his patience.
His face darkened as he suddenly halted his retreat and delivered a swift, powerful kick.
Completely unprepared for the sudden counterattack, Sun Shangxiang, who had left herself wide open, took the full brunt of the kick to her abdomen.
She was sent flying, rolling twice across the floor before slamming into a weapon rack.
Sun Shangxiang knelt on the floor, one hand propping herself up while the other clutched her abdomen. Her wide eyes were filled with disbelief as she stared up at Qin Ming.
"You! Didn't you say you didn't know martial arts?!"
Qin Ming's expression stiffened at her words, realizing his impulsive kick had exposed him.
"I… was born with great strength."
The room fell into silence at his awkward reply.
Sun Shangxiang's eyes narrowed dangerously. After a brief pause, she stood up and grabbed the nearby bo staff.
With a smooth spin of the iron staff, she suddenly launched herself forward with a fierce kick, her movements sharp and ruthless, completely different from her earlier unarmed attacks.
Qin Ming no longer dared to take her strikes head-on. He swiftly sidestepped, narrowly dodging her kick.
Sun Shangxiang followed up with a relentless barrage of sweeping strikes from both staffs, forcing Qin Ming to retreat rapidly.
After evading four or five consecutive blows, Qin Ming finally raised his arm and hammered down on the incoming staff with his forearm, forcefully deflecting it and pushing Sun Shangxiang back.
Taking advantage of the opening, Qin Ming quickly pulled back, raising his fists in a combat stance.
Sun Shangxiang, seeing her attacks neutralized, balanced herself on one leg, raising her twin staffs into a high-low guard. Her eyes burned with fury.
"You said you couldn't fight! How did you dodge all that?!"
"My reflexes are naturally extraordinary! Is that a problem?!"
"Hmph! Such skills and martial prowess—who are you, really? Why are you disguised as a logistics soldier on this ship?!"
"Who I am is none of your business!"
Having been forced to reveal his skills, Qin Ming no longer held back.
He raised his fists and slipped on the pair of golden gauntlets he carried.
"I've had enough of you, you unreasonable, bossy tomboy! Aside from looking like a woman, is there anything feminine about you? Like to fight? Fine! Let's fight till you're satisfied!"
"You're asking for death!"
Sun Shangxiang's face darkened at his words. Without hesitation, she lunged at him again.
Her twin staffs whirled through the air, colliding violently with Qin Ming's iron gauntlets.
Sparks flew as their weapons clashed repeatedly, neither side yielding an inch.
Both excelled at close-quarters combat. Though Qin Ming's speed was far inferior to Sun Shangxiang's, his superior combat technique allowed him to compensate.
While he attacked less and defended more, his defense was impeccable, leaving Sun Shangxiang unable to break through.
After exchanging dozens of blows without landing a single hit, Sun Shangxiang's eyes widened in shock.
Realizing she was at a stalemate, she let out a furious roar, and a powerful wave of energy surged around her.
Her B-rank sustained skill, Rage Frenzy, activated!
All attributes +10!
"Hyahhh!"
Entering a berserk state, Sun Shangxiang moved so fast she left afterimages behind. With a Phantom Thrust, she drove forward and pierced Qin Ming's defense.
The razor-sharp tip of her bo staff struck him squarely in the chest, breaking through his guard and slamming into his torso.
Qin Ming grimaced in pain, baring his teeth as the impact reverberated through his body.
But instead of retreating, he roared defiantly and abandoned defense altogether, charging straight at her with all his might.
He had chosen to fight aggression with aggression!