The next morning, after eating the breakfast delivered by a soldier, Ian Song stretched his limbs a bit in the courtyard. He was about to go visit some friends, but after thinking it over, he decided against it—everyone else was busy cultivating, and he didn’t want to disturb them.
In the end, he simply brewed a cup of tea, grabbed a novel, and lounged in the courtyard to soak up the sun.
"Knock knock!"
After a moment, the sound of knocking came from the door.
"Come in, the door’s not locked," Ian said lazily.
The courtyard door opened, and a teenage girl in camouflage uniform walked in.
She was about seventeen or eighteen, not a classic beauty, but her jet-black eyes were especially lively, hinting at a mischievous and clever personality.
"Who are you?"
Ian glanced at her indifferently and asked in his usual lazy tone.
"Are you Ian Song?" The girl in camouflage lifted her chin slightly, her tone a bit overbearing.
Ian was feeling bored, so he played along: "So what if I am? So what if I’m not?"
The camo girl raised her delicate eyebrows. "If you’re Ian Song, I’m going to challenge you!"
"I’m not."
As soon as he finished speaking, Ian turned his attention back to the novel in his hands, treating the camo girl as if she were invisible.
"Uh!" The girl was stunned, then loudly demanded, "You obviously are Ian Song, so why won’t you admit it?"
"If you already know I’m Ian Song, why bother asking?" Ian didn’t even look up, finding the whole thing amusing.
The camo girl: "..."
Ian glanced back and saw the girl glaring angrily at him. He said calmly, "Anything else? If not, please leave. Don’t interrupt my reading."
"Jerk! I’m challenging you!" The camo girl stomped her foot hard, as if she were stepping on that jerk himself.
"Not interested."
Ian said flatly, "Still not accepting."
"Why not? Aren't you afraid my grandpa will make things hard for you?" the camo girl asked, puzzled.
Ian shot her a disdainful look. "Childish."
"You're the childish one!" the camo girl retorted, annoyed. "What do I have to do for you to accept my challenge?"
"I don't accept challenges unless there's something in it for me!" Ian grinned.
"What do you want out of it?" The camo girl perked up, sensing hope.
"Let me think," Ian said, pretending to ponder. Suddenly, his eyes swept over the camo girl and a mischievous grin appeared. "Got it. If you win, I won't ask for anything. But if you lose, you have to call me 'good husband' three times. Deal?"
"You're shameless!" the camo girl snapped, her face flushing red.
"So do you accept or not?" Ian asked, unfazed, with a cheeky smile.
The camo girl's eyes darted. "No way, that's way too easy for you! If you lose, you have to be my underling and do whatever I say!"
Ian shook his head. "That's too much of a loss for me. How about this—if you lose, you become my little wife. Then maybe I'll consider it!"
Hearing that, the camo girl hesitated, her eyes flickering. After a long pause, she gritted her teeth and nodded fiercely. "Fine, I accept!"
A moment later.
Ian and the camo girl stood facing each other, several meters apart.
"Ladies first—you go ahead!" Ian said politely.
"Hmph! Get ready, jerk!"
With a sharp cry, the camo girl shot forward like a phantom, her fists flashing out in a rapid barrage, shaking the air with every strike.
Her cultivation was no joke—already Innate Sixth Layer.
To reach Innate Sixth Layer at her age? She was a true martial arts prodigy.
But... she was up against Ian Song. Any genius who met him was destined to lose.
Ian traced a Taiji circle in the air with both hands, effortlessly drawing in all the camo girl's attacks. Then, with a pulse of internal energy, he rebounded her strikes, forcing her back several steps.
"You're not my opponent. Just admit defeat," Ian said smugly.
"Jerk! I just slipped, that's all! Take this!"
The camo girl stubbornly launched another attack, her fistwork even more sophisticated this time. Explosive punches sealed off every angle around Ian.
"Heh!"
Ian chuckled and casually sent out a palm strike.
The palm looked completely ordinary, but it shattered the camo girl's fist technique with ease and landed squarely on her shoulder.
Bang!
The camo girl was sent flying, landing seven or eight meters away. She staggered back two more steps before finally steadying herself.
Even someone as clueless as her could see she wasn't Ian's match.
"Come on, little wife—let's hear you call me 'good husband!'" Ian said with a wicked grin.
At that, the camo girl's face turned bright red, her eyes full of embarrassment and confusion.