"Hmph!"
Chen Yongnian let out a cold snort and made the first move. His feet slid along the ground as if wading through mud, yet his speed was incredibly fast. The "Ba Gua Step" is also known as the "Wading Mud Step," as when shifting power, the soles of the feet remain parallel to the ground, moving with small steps, like someone carefully treading through mud to avoid dirtying their shoes.
Qi Dengxian stood loosely in place, without making any move. When Chen Yongnian approached, Qi Dengxian's body suddenly shook, like a tree swaying under a strong wind! His head, shoulders, body, hands, and legs all moved in that instant, unleashing an overwhelming and terrifying aura, like a sudden, massive tidal wave.
"You'll never master real Ba Gua Zhang if you keep practicing like this!" Qi Dengxian casually said, while raising his right hand, which seemed as large as a millstone, and struck toward Chen Yongnian.
The imposing force of this move startled Chen Yongnian. His body shivered involuntarily as he instinctively veered off course and retreated.
"The key to Ba Gua Zhang lies in continuous movement, entangling tactics, and unexpected changes. But this guy's Ba Gua Zhang... why is it so... overpowering?!" Chen Yongnian thought as this idea flashed through his mind.
Qi Dengxian also used Ba Gua steps. With a slight flick of his toe against the ground, his body shot forward with a swoosh, closing the gap between him and Chen Yongnian in the blink of an eye. The dominating force of his palm surged toward Chen Yongnian, the gust of wind from it stinging his eyes so much that he could barely keep them open.
As Qi Dengxian's palm closed in, Chen Yongnian was overwhelmed by an illusion. Was this Ba Ji Quan (Eight Extremes Fist) or Ba Gua Zhang? How could it be so domineering?!
Chen Yongnian crossed his arms in front of him to block. Qi Dengxian's "Raising Palm" struck out, forcibly lifting Chen Yongnian's arms. Immediately after, Qi Dengxian stepped forward, reaching Chen Yongnian's centerline, and pushed his left palm forward.
Bam!
A crisp sound echoed like cracking leather. Chen Yongnian's face turned pale as he coughed up blood wildly, his body rolling away like a broken gourd.
Qi Dengxian nonchalantly retracted his hand and shook his head. Chen Yongnian's skill was truly subpar—Qi hadn't even gotten serious yet!
Everyone on site was stunned. No one said a word, and even their breathing became soft and shallow.
Wang Bao lay on the ground, blood dripping from his mouth, yet he had forgotten to wipe it away.
Chen Yongnian... was defeated by Qi Dengxian so easily? With just one strike?
Wang Hu gritted his teeth in disbelief. The plot of land they thought was within their grasp had slipped away in an instant... And the person who made it slip away was none other than Qi Dengxian, whom they had always dismissed.
A slight smile appeared on the frosty face of Xiang Dongqing, and she turned and sat down on the sofa, clearly not planning to leave anymore.
Shang Jun and Xiao Lei both stood there with their mouths agape, unable to believe what they had just witnessed.
The little secretary's eyes were as wide as lightbulbs, making her look rather cute.
"President Wang, it seems you miscalculated. Our Xiang Group does have capable people who can definitely withstand the pressure of developing the New Century plot," Xiang Dongqing finally broke the silence, speaking slowly.
Now it was Wang Hu's turn to be at a loss for words. Earlier, relying on Chen Yongnian's strength, they had almost suppressed Xiang Group completely. But in the blink of an eye, the tables had turned, and it was now Humen Group that was under pressure.
"Haha... Very well. It seems Xiang Group is indeed capable. I must admit my earlier judgment was wrong!" Wang Hu gritted his teeth, but had no choice but to swallow his pride.
The little secretary immediately looked at Qi Dengxian with admiration. Just moments ago, she had doubted him, but now he seemed like a superhero, turning the situation around at the critical moment!
Qi Dengxian rolled his sleeves back down, muttering to himself, "Utterly boring!"
This remark left everyone speechless, as no one could refute it.
Shang Jun quietly gritted his teeth, mumbling to himself, "It must be because Xiao Lei and I wore down most of Chen Yongnian's stamina. No one can maintain their strength after fighting three consecutive rounds!"
"This guy just took advantage of the opportunity. After we exhausted Chen Yongnian, he simply seized the moment."
"He's not that strong. If I had gone third, I definitely would've won too!"
Qi Dengxian, with his keen hearing, caught Shang Jun's murmuring, glanced at him, and couldn't even be bothered to respond. He simply turned around and walked away.
Wang Hu gave Qi Dengxian a long, meaningful look, then nodded at Xiang Dongqing and said, "Dongqing, we will meet again!"
With that, the people from Humen Group all stood up and left. However, before they departed, they couldn't help but take another look at Qi Dengxian, making sure to remember him well.
"Deputy Minister Qi, you've done a great job this time," Xiang Dongqing said to Qi Dengxian.
Qi Dengxian waved his hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah, but those people from Humen Group really don't have any manners. Inviting us to a restaurant to negotiate, but all we've done is fight. Now I'm starving!"
"Uh?"
Qi Dengxian's remark left everyone stunned into silence, unsure how to respond.
"Order whatever you like, put it all on my tab," Xiang Dongqing said with a glance at Qi Dengxian, shaking her head with a hint of resignation before getting up to leave.
The little secretary playfully made a face at Qi Dengxian before following her out. Shang Jun and Xiao Lei, still nursing their injuries, headed to the hospital.
In the end, the Xiang Group had successfully retained the land, and Qi Dengxian had gained the right to have a say in its development—a privilege Xiang Dongqing had personally granted.
Qi Dengxian, not one to stand on ceremony, ordered a huge table of food at the restaurant and feasted to his heart's content, charging everything to Xiang Dongqing's account by flashing his work ID.
As he passed by a private room, Qi Dengxian's ears twitched. He overheard a voice saying, "Later, find a way to slip this into Qiao Qiumeng's cup..."
Then, he heard Zhang Shaojie's voice: "Young Master Kang, I've been pursuing Qiao Qiumeng for a long time without success. Now that she's finally starting to trust me, I'm giving her to you just like that. This shows my loyalty to you..."
"You're pretty good, Zhang Shaojie. Don't worry, I'll handle everything for your family's exit from China, as well as the arrangements in the U.S. You won't have any problems," Kang Shao replied.
"Thank you, Young Master Kang!" Zhang Shaojie said, though there was a hint of complexity in his tone.
"I've chased Qiao Qiumeng for so long and still haven't gotten her, but now, just to ensure my safe escape, I have to let someone else enjoy her first..."
"Damn it, it's all because of that Qi Dengxian. He messed up my plans! Otherwise, I'd have been the first to taste Qiao Qiumeng."
As he was thinking this, the door suddenly flew open with a bang. Zhang Shaojie turned toward the entrance, his face showing an expression as if he had seen a ghost.
He had just been cursing Qi Dengxian, and now this guy appeared right at the door. What was going on?
"Zhang Shaojie, you're really something!" Qi Dengxian said with a smile, though his left eye was narrowed.