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Utterly lawless!
Absolutely and utterly shameless!
In all his life, Li Xiang had never met a woman this brazen. Did she really think he couldn't do anything about her?
Annoyed, Li Xiang turned around and reached for Qi Sunsun's vulnerable spot.
"Oh! Your skills have improved!" Qi Sunsun raised an eyebrow. Even in the cramped space, she nimbly pinned one of Li Xiang's arms, using clever leverage against his joints in an attempt to press him against the passenger seat's backrest.
However, when a man shamelessly leverages his youth, a woman is bound to be at a disadvantage.
Besides, Qi Sunsun couldn't possibly actually break Li Xiang's arm.
Thus, Li Xiang, gritting through the pain, refused to twist with the force to relieve the pressure. Instead, he leaned his upper body toward her.
Crack.
'Oh no!'
Qi Sunsun instinctively let go. She knew if she twisted any further, she'd dislocate Li Xiang's arm.
Dislocating an arm was a small matter—it could be popped back in—but embarrassing Duan Tianxing was a big deal.
Playing around in front of Yan Hu was fine; she'd think the senior and junior siblings were just close. But dislocating a junior's arm was going too far.
The senior sister title wasn't just for show either. So, Qi Sunsun could only watch as Li Xiang pressed down on her.
Just then, Bai Ji's helpless voice came through.
"Stop fooling around. A twenty-something-year-old acting like a child."
"Hahaha, it's normal for senior and junior siblings to be close! I used to roughhouse with my juniors all the time when I was young." Yan Hu laughed heartily.
It was clear this robust woman genuinely enjoyed sparring with people. Though the posture of the two in the back seat wasn't particularly elegant.
"Junior, is your senior sister's 'leniency' easy to take advantage of?" Qi Sunsun still held Li Xiang's hands, which were pressed against her, and asked with a smile in his ear.
After all, she practiced the extraordinary flexible-style Beng Quan, agile as a snake. It was only because people were watching upfront that he had an opportunity.
"Not bad," Li Xiang replied with an equally bright smile, because Qi Sunsun's small, fair ear was right there.
'You like blowing in ears, huh?'
He took a deep breath and then blew like a bellows.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Four consecutive blows. Li Xiang could clearly feel Qi Sunsun's body gradually stiffen.
Her grip on his hands also loosened involuntarily.
"Hahahaha."
Li Xiang straightened up, looked at Qi Sunsun's incredulous expression, and laughed heartily.
"Junior!" Bai Ji's voice came again.
"Sorry, sorry, no more fooling around." Li Xiang distanced himself from Qi Sunsun and smiled at Bai Ji.
Damn, after being teased for so long, he'd finally counterattacked!
He smiled, ready for the storm to come.
He expected Qi Sunsun to be furious, to actually dislocate his arm or something, or perhaps sarcastically say, "Is that all?"
Instead, after sitting up, she silently and properly settled into her seat, putting some distance between them, and looked out the window.
'Huh? Couldn't take it?'
Li Xiang scratched his head, not quite understanding what was up with Qi Sunsun.
Whatever, this was fine too. He hadn't really wanted to mess with her in the first place.
Both parties kept their distance. He took out his phone and scrolled through group messages.
The car continued on its way.
After a while, Qi Sunsun's voice suddenly came through. "Junior, the girls at your school must really dislike you, right?"
"Huh?" Li Xiang was taken aback. He thought about the female classmates around him.
Excluding those who used him as a delivery service to pass love letters to Song Jie, he considered the rest.
He shook his head. "Not sure. Haven't really interacted much. Barely exchanged a few words."
The only ones he had any impression of were Wu Ruoxue and Xu Wan, but he hadn't really talked to them either.
There was no way they disliked him.
"Someone like you is destined to be alone forever." Qi Sunsun turned her head back, looking at Li Xiang with pity, and patted his shoulder.
'Huh? Suddenly resorting to personal attacks?'
Li Xiang frowned, retorting defiantly, "Senior, you're only talking about me. What about your boyfriend? Where's my senior brother-in-law? I'm only fourteen, but you're twenty-two and haven't even had your first love!"
'Bring it on! Personal attacks! Who's afraid of who?'
"——!!"
Qi Sunsun's face flushed slightly. She widened her eyes. "Who said I've never had a first love?!"
"Right here~ I said it~" Bai Ji turned around from the front seat with a smile.
Qi Sunsun was displeased. "Senior Sister! Why do you tell everyone everything! And I clearly have dated someone!"
Bai Ji tilted her head. "Kindergarten?"
"Does kindergarten even count? If you say that, I won't accept it!" Li Xiang interjected.
"Shut your mouth!" Qi Sunsun turned to glare at him. "Destined to be alone forever!"
Li Xiang smirked. He was starting to vaguely understand why second senior sister was so angry.
And then? If it had been Jiang Shangrong's ear down there, he might have bitten it.
But it wasn't her... So, all Qi Sunsun got was the "bellows treatment."
"Hahaha, you senior and junior siblings really get along well!" Yan Hu, who had been focused on driving, laughed.
Li Xiang was noncommittal. Qi Sunsun was upset that Bai Ji had exposed her "secret." Bai Ji smiled gently.
Before long, they arrived at their destination.
It was a large estate with a distinct style.
At a glance: hip-and-gable roofs, deeply overhanging eaves, raised wooden floors, outdoor platforms, horizontal wooden plank exterior walls, cypress bark-thatched roofs, flowing water gardens, and paths paved with small stones.
There was even a familiar-looking "deer scarer") in the yard, like a small basin that tips over with a thump when filled with water—an element never missing in many anime.
Accustomed to modern architecture, seeing such a different place occasionally was quite fascinating.
The car parked outside. Li Xiang carried his and his two senior sisters' luggage, looking around.
"This land area... wealthy family indeed."
In any world, land resources are "tight," especially for courtyards like this built within a city.
Ordinary rich people simply couldn't secure such a plot, let alone build such a luxurious courtyard on it.
"Your grandmaster bought this over a decade ago. I think I was only eight or nine then?" Yan Hu introduced to everyone.
Li Xiang was startled and asked, "Senior, if I may ask, how old are you this year?"
"No need to be so polite. I'm twenty-six this year. Why?" Yan Hu waved her hand heartily.
Twenty-six—
Li Xiang shook his head. "Nothing, nothing."
He had genuinely thought Yan Hu was already thirty, but she was only twenty-six.
Then again, the grandmaster wasn't married when he left. Maybe it was an aura thing?
Li Xiang looked at Yan Hu carefully and realized she was indeed still very young, with fine skin and not even a wrinkle at the corner of her eyes.
But he had initially truly thought Yan Hu was a reliable middle-aged woman.
He couldn't help but glance at a certain twenty-two-year-old individual, his eyes full of pity.
"Keep looking, and I'll hit you." Qi Sunsun raised an eyebrow, lifting her pink and tender fist.
The first day here, tired from travel, they definitely needed to rest before doing anything else. The group, led by Yan Hu and Zong Sheng, went to the guest rooms arranged for them.
Four boys to one room, three girls to another, and Duan Tianxing had a room to himself.
The guest rooms were quite large; four to a room wasn't crowded at all. Even with Pokémon added.
The inside was covered in tatami mats, and the doors were sliding screens. There were no beds in the bedroom; presumably, they used futons.
Li Xiang personally had no objections. When in Rome, and it was nice to have something different occasionally.
The others felt similarly.
Only the old-fashioned Duan Tianxing couldn't handle it, frowning at the bedding placed on the floor. Although he didn't say anything, as disciples, how could they not have the awareness?
Li Xiang went to find Yan Hu but was surprised to learn from her that beds were already on the way. His three senior sisters had already mentioned it to her.
'Sure enough, "daughters" are more considerate.'
He released Incineroar and the others in an open area.
Suddenly in an unfamiliar environment, these guys observed for a moment before boldly started fiddling with things they were curious about.
Speaking of which, Duan Yu's Hakamo-o had evolved into Kommo-o not long ago, becoming huge and taking up a lot of space.
But compared to a certain enormous black crow, it still paled in comparison.
"Junior, your bird is really big." Lu Chengfeng looked at Corviknight and sighed with emotion. Without comparison, there's no hurt.
"Please don't use adjectives randomly. It has a name." Li Xiang knocked on the wooden table displeased.
Wang Dong, sitting across from him, grinned. "A bird Pokémon is a bird, isn't it? Or is it not?"
"Hey hey hey, Senior Brother, you look so righteous, why do you talk so weirdly!" Li Xiang blew on the scalding tea.
The only two in the dojo who didn't talk properly were these two.
However, it was also because of their presence that the stagnant Zhenxing Dojo became much more lively.
Duan Yu was the type whose personality wouldn't yield a fart, even after eight strikes.
After fooling around for a while, Bai Ji came knocking, saying Yan Hu would take them on a tour and then to dinner.
They had boarded the plane in the afternoon, and by now, it was indeed about time.
Everyone got up.
They followed along, touring the vast ancient-style courtyard and stopped to eat at the dining area.
The taste was a bit quirky, as people here mostly preferred the original flavor of food and didn't use many seasonings.
There were also heavily seasoned foods.
Seeing that Li Xiang and the others weren't used to it, Zong Sheng, the senior brother-in-law, thoughtfully switched their food to something else.
Overall, the experience was quite good.
After eating, it was customary to take a bath.
Zong Sheng said that in a couple of days, he would take them to soak in hot springs at Daliang Mountain. The feeling of hot springs was completely different from water; they had to try it.
Everyone was naturally agreeable.
After bathing, Zong Sheng had someone provide them with snacks and game consoles.
Bai Ji and the others went shopping. They had wanted to invite Li Xiang and the others, but were refused.
Only fools go to carry bags.
Duan Tianxing went to the ancestral hall; he liked to be alone.
And so, the first day in Nai City on Sakura Island slowly passed.
.....
The next day.
After breakfast, everyone got dressed.
Bai Ji suddenly came knocking. "Let's go, tour the dojo. Heard there's a special program." She winked at the four.
The four suddenly understood.
Probably, the people here wanted to spar with them.
It wasn't necessarily a power move or anything; martial arts naturally had levels, and those who practiced them naturally wanted to compare.
Duan Tianxing bringing Li Xiang and the others here might very well have included the idea of letting them spar with the people here.
Both sides were orthodox, but there was still a primary and secondary distinction.
The four got up.
At a human dojo, Pokémon themselves weren't allowed, but as "guests," they could bring one if they wanted.
"Rock-paper-scissors?"
Li Xiang looked around at his six Pokémon.
Incineroar and the other Pokémon looked at each other. They didn't play rock-paper-scissors; they just pushed Riolu forward.
Li Xiang was surprised. "Sure?"
The group of Pokémon nodded unanimously, exuding an indescribable tacit understanding.
What could he say? He took Riolu and left.
Incineroar watched them leave, its expression unusually calm.
Although it really wanted to go too, as the team's leader (self-proclaimed), it should yield to its teammates at the appropriate time.
Only then could it command respect.
This was called leadership demeanor!