Chapter 170

At first glance, Dou Siwu was stunned.

Although Bai Qian had covered her birthmark and seemed like a different person, her figure and facial features remained unchanged.

Young General Dou immediately recognized her as his beloved Qianqian.

But why was Qianqian dressed like this? Was there a shortage of fabric? The outfit clung tightly to her chest, accentuating her curves, and her waist looked even slimmer! It was as if she was giving the rowdy men in the audience a free show.

Dou Siwu’s heart raced with anxiety.

He wished he could throw a large cloth over her to prevent others from ogling his Qianqian.

Sitting in the VIP section, Old General Dou also muttered in confusion, “Although the previous contestants were unimpressive, why is a woman causing a stir on stage now?”

Madam Dou, on the other hand, found the woman on stage familiar but couldn’t quite place her.

If it were any other young lady, being whistled at by the crowd would have sent her fleeing in embarrassment.

But Bai Qian was used to dealing with men in the military camp.

She ignored the catcalls from the audience, clasped her fists in a salute to the current champion on stage, and then stretched her muscles, asking, “Fists or weapons?”

The champion was a young man in his early twenties, full of vigor.

Seeing a curvaceous young woman leap onto the stage to challenge him felt like a scene from a martial arts romance novel!

Could it be that this girl had taken a liking to him and jumped on stage to test his skills? Such a dream-like scenario had become reality today! He would have to be gentle and hold back, letting her fall into his arms and sealing their fate!

With a smirk, the young man winked at Bai Qian before even throwing a punch.

“Blades are merciless; it wouldn’t do to hurt a lady. How about we stick to fists? That way, I can control my strength and avoid injuring you.”

Bai Qian found his flirtatious antics annoying.

She raised an eyebrow with a half-smile and said, “Thank you in advance.”

After the exchange of pleasantries, it was time for action.

The young man was determined to impress the lady with his agility.

Before engaging, he performed a set of vigorous Tiger-Crane Fist moves, eliciting cheers from the audience.

Then, he charged at Bai Qian.

However, the spectacle ended abruptly when Bai Qian, seeing the young man approach with a lovesick expression, extended her leg and sent him flying off the stage with a loud thud.

For a moment, the street fell silent as the audience struggled to process what had just happened.

From her elevated seat, Jiang Xiurun clapped her hands in satisfaction.

Although her Qian’er didn’t understand the need to make the match entertaining, the opponent was so weak that there was no need to spare his dignity.

This would teach the whistling crowd below that the woman standing tall on the stage was none other than the female general of Bo!

Seeing Jiang Xiurun’s excitement, Feng Liwu realized she had no intention of leaving.

He had no choice but to continue sitting beside her, offering pastries and tea to his enthusiastic new empress.

Many in the VIP section had been on the verge of leaving out of boredom, but Bai Qian’s kick made them pause and decide to stay a little longer.

Madam Dou, who had finally recognized the strikingly beautiful woman on stage as the lowly maid her son was infatuated with, Bai Qian, now looked visibly displeased.

Her niece, Yan’er, sitting beside her, noticed her aunt’s expression and whispered softly, “So that female general is quite attractive. It seems she dressed up specifically for today’s tournament…”

Madam Dou, who already disliked Bai Qian, was quick to criticize.

“This isn’t a brothel! There’s no need to plaster on makeup to attract attention! Dressing so provocatively in front of a crowd—she’s clearly trouble!”

Her words were aimed not only at her son, who was staring intently at the stage, but also at her husband.

She hoped they could both rein in their son and find him a proper, virtuous wife to bring peace to their household.

However, Old General Dou’s thoughts were on a completely different track.

As a seasoned martial artist, he couldn’t help but admire Bai Qian’s technique.

“That was a classic dismounting sweep, used on the battlefield to deal with enemies trying to steal horses. If executed on horseback, the force would have shattered that boy’s jaw!”

Hearing his father praise Bai Qian, Dou Siwu perked up.

“Exactly! What a beautiful move! It’s been a while since I’ve seen such a perfect execution!”

Madam Dou, realizing her husband wasn’t on the same page, grew anxious.

She tugged at his sleeve and whispered, “That’s the Bai Qian who’s been causing trouble in our household. Why are you praising her?”

Although Old General Dou had known about his son’s infatuation with the lowly maid Bai Qian, he had initially agreed with his wife that such a woman was unfit to enter their family.

From a distance, he had seen Bai Qian standing behind the empress of Bo and thought his wife was right—she was broad-shouldered and bore a dark purple birthmark, hardly resembling a woman.

He had assumed his son was blinded by infatuation.

But today, seeing Bai Qian dressed up and displaying such impressive skills, he couldn’t help but admire her.

No wonder his son found delicate girls like his cousin Yan’er unappealing.

However, out of respect for his wife, he chose not to contradict her in public and instead focused on the match.

Although Bai Qian’s kick had stunned the crowd, many still believed the young man had lost due to underestimating her.

Soon, two or three more challengers leaped onto the stage, each meeting the same fate—being swiftly kicked off by Bai Qian.

The audience began to complain.

“Miss, this isn’t fair! Why not let them stay longer? Kicking them off one by one—what’s there to watch?”

While the crowd grumbled, the martial artists who had initially hesitated to step onto the stage began loosening their jackets, tightening their belts, and warming up, preparing to challenge Bai Qian.

Jiang Xiurun, recognizing a few familiar faces among them, finally felt at ease.

However, she worried that Bai Qian might underestimate her opponents and instructed a maid to relay a message: true masters were about to step up, so she should be cautious.

At that moment, a short, stocky man with a dark complexion leaped onto the stage.

After a quick salute to Bai Qian, he charged at her without a word.

Jiang Xiurun recognized him from her past life—his name was Qian Sheng.

He had been a vanguard under Feng Liwu, far more capable than the noble-born Qin Zhao.

Unfortunately, his blunt nature and lack of political savvy had led to his downfall when he was accused of embezzling military funds and exiled.

Back then, she had heard Qin Zhao gloat about Qian Sheng’s fate, feeling that such a promising talent had been wasted due to his own shortsightedness.

Now, watching the man exchange solid blows with Bai Qian on stage, Jiang Xiurun couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret.

Finally, a worthy opponent had arrived, and the crowd’s excitement reignited.

Cheers and applause filled the air as the match grew intense.

Bai Qian, aware of the man’s skill, gave it her all.

In the end, she managed to overpower Qian Sheng and pin him to the ground.

Qian Sheng stood up, saluted Bai Qian, and turned to leave.

However, he was stopped by guards sent by Feng Liwu, who took down his name and gave him a token, instructing him to report to the military camp outside the city the next day.

If he agreed, he would be appointed to a position of lieutenant or higher with a generous salary.

Several more martial artists took the stage, and though none defeated Bai Qian, they all received tokens.

Then, Dou Siwu’s younger cousin, Dou Sixue, stepped onto the stage.

As the son of Old General Dou’s younger brother, Dou Sixue had grown up training in the military camp.

He could have easily secured a position through his uncle’s connections, but he wanted to prove his worth in front of Emperor Shengwu and earn a brighter future through his own abilities.

Dou Siwu, knowing his cousin’s limitations, quietly approached Bai Qian and whispered, “When my cousin comes up, go easy on him. Don’t embarrass him in front of my mother.”

Had Dou Siwu not said this, Bai Qian might have held back, as she had been doing in previous rounds.

But his mention of his mother’s displeasure made her decide to stop holding back.

She glanced at the young man with thick eyebrows and big eyes who had just stepped onto the stage and immediately launched an attack.

The Dou family’s younger generation had been trained in the military camp, unlike some pampered martial arts families like the Qins.

Thus, Dou Sixue had some real skills.

However, Bai Qian possessed natural strength, had trained with Dou Siwu and other martial artists at the academy, and had gained battlefield experience in Bo’s military.

Her techniques were far more ruthless than Dou Sixue’s by-the-book moves.

Moreover, she was determined to humiliate the Dou family and held nothing back.

After barely enduring ten moves, Dou Sixue realized he was outmatched.

However, he refused to step down and instead used close-quarters grappling techniques to cling to Bai Qian.

The crowd erupted in excitement.

The sight of two attractive young people entangled like twisted dough was thrilling, making hearts race and faces flush.

Even though it was lunchtime, more and more people gathered, their cheers deafening.

Jiang Xiurun watched with her mouth slightly agape, thinking to herself: As expected of Dou Siwu’s cousin, he’s just as clingy as a piece of sticky plaster!

Dou Siwu, however, couldn’t stand it any longer.

Where was the brat’s hand touching? Why didn’t Qianqian block it? Why were his two thighs wrapped around Qian’er’s thin waist? This… Isn’t this flirting with his sister-in-law?

He rushed forward, leaped onto the stage, and grabbed his cousin by the collar, yanking him down!