"Alright," the fox spirit said, stepping back a couple of paces and leaving me to face Song Wenzhi and his two companions.
I felt a little flustered, but with Yao Yao and the others holding the fort behind me, I managed to remain composed. I put my hands in my pockets – Chen Lu's sweatpants pockets, to be precise – straightened my back, and asked, "What are you doing here so late at night, not sleeping?"
"Came to settle a score."
"How do you want to settle it?" I asked.
"Don't be scared," Song Wenzhi sneered, "I won't do anything to you, just want to beat you up."
"And how would you beat me up?" I asked with a smile.
I figured no one would ask such a specific question when confronting someone. Song Wenzhi was stumped by the detail of my inquiry and was momentarily speechless.
"How about this?" I suggested, "Let's have a one-on-one fight right here in this courtyard—"
"One-on-one your ass!" Song Wenzhi interrupted me. "You think you're worthy of me personally taking action? Fifth Brother, show him what we're made of!"
The man in the black suit who had grabbed the fox spirit's hand stepped forward, cracking his knuckles. He stood before me, half a head taller, and with a deep voice, said, "Don't worry, I won't kill you."
"Since you're being so polite, I'll return the favor," I chuckled. "I'll spare your dog's life."
Fifth Brother became enraged and swung a haymaker at me.
I kept my hands in my pockets, neither dodging nor evading, because I knew I couldn't avoid such a swift attack. I also knew that Yao Yao wouldn't stand by and watch me get beaten.
However, I had miscalculated...
*Boom!*
Like a shot put, it landed on my cheek. I was sent staggering back several steps, crashing into the fox spirit, which prevented me from face-planting!
"Damn it," the fox spirit whispered, "Why didn't you fight back?"
Before I could explain, Fifth Brother pursued me and kicked me in the stomach. This time, I didn't need to dodge, because the fox spirit simultaneously kicked out, meeting Fifth Brother's foot.
Their feet collided. The fox spirit had channeled inner force into her kick, sending Fifth Brother flying back more than five meters, where he slammed heavily into a car belonging to Chen Lu's family.
"Holy crap? The little lady knows kung fu?" Song Wenzhi sounded genuinely surprised. "I like it! Sixth Brother, go get her for me. We'll take care of her tonight!"
Another man in a black suit stepped forward. He didn't use his fists or feet; instead, he pulled a pair of nunchucks from his back waistband, twirling them with a *swish-swish* sound before letting out a yell.
"Go on!" the fox spirit urged me.
"...What am I supposed to use to attack him?" I spread my hands, feeling my words slurring slightly. My face burned; it was probably swelling from the inside out.
"Just go for it! You can definitely beat him!" the fox spirit winked at me.
It seemed there was a plan B. I looked around and found a broom used for sweeping the courtyard. I picked it up, adopting a stance like I was wielding a guan dao, and waited for Sixth Brother to attack.
Sixth Brother was reasonably chivalrous. He waited until I was ready before launching his assault: "I'm coming!"
I raised the broom to block, but it was too flimsy to withstand the impact of the steel nunchucks. I felt as if another shot put had struck the top of my head. Stars swam before my eyes. I swayed but managed to stay on my feet. Blinking, I inadvertently activated my Qi-sensing technique. The opponent's three red auras were strong and high, indicating he was in a combat state.
I then looked at the fox spirit. Her two blue auras were even more potent, rising towards the sky, ready to rush forward and help me resolve the situation at any moment. However, her posture clearly conveyed an attitude of "none of my business, standing aside." She stood with her arms crossed, her face flushed, watching from the sidelines.
"Kunkun, what do you mean? Do you want me to keep making a fool of myself?" I asked, displeased.
The fox spirit raised an eyebrow and took another step back.
Indeed, beautiful women couldn't be relied upon!
I looked back at the second-floor window. Yao Yao's faint purple aura was visible inside, clearly watching me.
"Hey, don't blame the fox spirit. It was me who told her not to help."
Huh?
What was that sound? It seemed to come from inside my head!
And it was so familiar. Wasn't this the same voice Yao Yao had used when I was in my dream before?
Could it be... a telepathic message?