My Exes Are All Over The Martial Arts World - Chapter 1

Hou Danxue felt a wave of suffocation and snapped her eyes open. A figure in black was pinning her down, a hand clamped firmly around her throat.

Meeting the delicate, fragile gaze of the beauty, the intruder showed not a hint of pity.

“You didn’t see me tonight.”

Wu Ming had scaled the walls tonight, successfully evading the manor guards, only to be accidentally spotted by the Eldest Miss. Upon discovering a thief in the manor, the lady hadn’t screamed; she had merely spared Wu Ming a glance and walked away unperturbed. However, Wu Ming feared she might be plotting something behind her back, so she had waited for the dead of night to deliver a warning.

With layers of defense outside, the fact that she could break in and threaten her safety meant that if the lady had any sense at all, she would know Wu Ming was not to be trifled with.

Ignoring the threat at her neck, Hou Danxue reached out and pressed her hand against Wu Ming’s chest.

“So, you’re a girl too.”

Wu Ming followed Hou Danxue’s gaze down to her own chest. Her face flushed instantly—out of pure indignation.

She knew she was flat, but was she really so flat that her gender could be mistaken?

Orphaned and without a family, she had survived on the charity of neighborhood aunties. Staying alive was hard enough; she naturally hadn’t been able to fuss over such minor details. By the time she grew up and had the means, it was already too late to make amends for nature’s shortcomings.

As she pinned Hou Danxue down, Wu Ming could feel the other woman’s softness even through the slight distance between them. Without even looking, she could imagine how beautiful the Eldest Miss’s curves must be.

This won’t do. She touched me. It’s too insulting. Why can’t I touch her back?

Wu Ming refused to admit that she was being lured by the mental imagery.

Leaving only one hand at Hou Danxue’s throat, Wu Ming reached down with the other. Her movements were slow and stiff, causing the woman beneath her to let out a soft laugh.

Wu Ming snapped in embarrassment, “You’re the one who insulted me first!”

Strange emotions bubbled up inside Hou Danxue due to Wu Ming’s actions. Realizing the impropriety of her own behavior, she apologized.

“I am the one who offended you, Hero. This is my due punishment. As for your business, I swear I will never speak a word of it.”

Her goal for the trip had been achieved, yet Wu Ming felt an odd heaviness in her chest.

“If there is anything you need help with, I, Hou Danxue, am at your service.”

Wu Ming looked into the woman’s eyes; they were filled with sincerity.

What a strange person. Wu Ming was a thief who had just threatened her life, yet she was being so kind. What was her angle?

“Are you being this nice to me just because I’m a woman?”

Wu Ming reflected for a moment. Ever since the person before her discovered she was a girl, the atmosphere between them had turned bizarre. Her hand was currently still buried in the other’s softness.

“Partially. Also, you give me the feeling of a free wind. I am trapped by circumstances; it feels wonderful to experience even a moment of freedom through you.”

Trapped? Wu Ming knew the woman was playing the pity card, but she felt a genuine twinge of heartache nonetheless.

“Since you said you’d help me, I’ll help you too. How do you want to gain your freedom?”

“Your martial arts are superb, quite rare for someone of your age. It’s just… there are masters stationed in this manor watching my every move. I fear you cannot give me my freedom.”

Wu Ming’s frustration deepened. She had risked her life as a thief specifically for an item that could boost her strength.

She had set her sights on a stalk of Spirit Bamboo long ago, waiting for it to mature. She had planned extensively for it, only for the Hou family to swoop in halfway. Outnumbered, she could only watch as her carefully nurtured Spirit Bamboo was uprooted and taken away to be locked in a storehouse, destined to be part of the Eldest Miss’s dowry.

Wait, dowry? Oh, she’s getting married. No wonder she says she isn’t free.

Having roamed the martial world since childhood, Wu Ming had seen happy marriages, but far more unhappy ones. She had long ago decided she would never marry.

Wu Ming removed her hand from Hou Danxue’s neck. She prepared to leave. The woman was a pitiable soul; she didn’t want to make things harder for her.

But Hou Danxue caught her arm.

“If you are willing, there is a way for me to gain my freedom, though the sacrifice on your part would be great.”

“What way?” Wu Ming asked. She was just listening; she hadn’t said she’d agree.

“Hero… would you be willing to dress as a man and marry me?” Hou Danxue’s voice was filled with trepidation. She knew she was being incredibly forward, but… she seemed to have taken a liking to this person. She wanted to keep her.

“Marriage?!”

“Rest assured, the Hou family is wealthy and influential; you will not lack for rewards. Moreover, this is only temporary. Once I have full control of the Hou family, you may leave.”

“Even a fake marriage is still a marriage!”

“Please… have some pity on me. My mother died young, and my father is currently critically ill and unconscious. As an only child, I have no siblings to support me. My uncle is eyeing our family assets like a hawk; he actually intends to marry me off to the Huang family so they can divide our estate between them.”

“If your situation is already this dire, what difference can I make? I’m just one person who knows martial arts.”

Wu Ming just wanted to reclaim her Spirit Bamboo; she didn’t want to sign away her virtue.

Don’t give her that talk about how two women can’t do anything. Even in a “fake” marriage, they had already crossed boundaries upon their first meeting. Wu Ming didn’t even want to think about what might happen on the wedding night.

“You only need to play the part of a talented martial artist who is deeply in love with me. As for the rest, I will do the fighting.”

Seeing that Wu Ming remained unmoved, Hou Danxue began to list the family’s various industries. Wu Ming’s eyes began to sparkle.

If she had that much money, she wouldn’t need to run around everywhere looking for breakthroughs. With one command, people would deliver heavenly treasures straight to her door.

This is great! This is an amazing deal!

Ahem. Though virtue is important, I can’t take it to the grave with me. The Hou Miss seems like a decent person; it’s not like we can’t give it a try.

“What do you say, Hero?”

“Fine, sounds perfect!”

“Then it’s a deal. Tomorrow, you simply walk in through the front gates, declare our secret love, and then… put on a display of your martial prowess.”

“Wait, doesn’t dressing as a man require detailed preparation?”

Wu Ming was annoyed. Was she really so flat, so heroic-looking, and so tall that people couldn’t tell her gender apart? Did a girl have to wear skirts and have a soft personality?

“Don’t worry. What I mean is that you are so outstanding that even if there are slight discrepancies, they will be overlooked.”

Compared to her mediocre second uncle, Hou Danxue believed the clan elders would be far more enticed by the extraordinary martial potential of the person before her.

The Hou family was rich enough to hire masters, but they were limited by that. They needed a top-tier expert who truly belonged to the family to bring the Hou glory to the next level.

As for business management, Hou Danxue was naturally gifted in that area; the elders wouldn’t demand the same from her partner.

Currently, Hou Danxue needed the explicit support of the clan to break free from her uncle’s control. Once she had a firm footing, she would have the final say. The opinions of the clansmen wouldn’t matter then, and the actual situation regarding her partner wouldn’t matter either.

Wu Ming was eventually coaxed into agreement. She hid her tracks and carefully left the Hou manor. Clutched in her palm was a handkerchief—evidence of their “secret affair” that Hou Danxue had pressed into her hand before she left.

Wu Ming was tempted by the wealth, but she also knew the danger.

The Hou family was already preparing a dowry; clearly, the young lady was currently at a disadvantage. For a lover to suddenly appear out of thin air at such a time—Wu Ming could well imagine the consequences.

No matter how certain the lady sounded, the risk was real and could not be ignored.

Tomorrow, she would likely have a tough battle to fight.

First, she needed the opportunity to declare their love. She couldn’t just be kicked out immediately; she needed a legitimate identity.

Wu Ming was just a drifter. Where would she get a legitimate identity? To put it bluntly, she was a beggar.

Since she was already cross-dressing, why not make up something even more outrageous? It wouldn’t hurt.

A small lie is a lie, and a big lie is a lie. She might as well lie her way to the top; it would be easier to make a clean break later anyway.

Wu Ming was a bit skeptical about Hou Danxue’s promise to let her go once the matter was settled. The Hou family needed a top expert, but didn’t Hou Danxue need one too? Would she really let her leave? By then, she would have consumed many of the family’s resources. Would the lady be willing to let go?

Wu Ming decided to pose as a disciple of the Wushuang Pavilion. Wushuang Pavilion was a prestigious orthodox sect, which would make things convenient, and she happened to have a token from them.

However, the origin of this token wasn’t exactly noble—she had killed a disciple of the Wushuang Pavilion and taken it.

The martial world was a place where the strong preyed on the weak. They had come knocking on her door to kill her; she couldn’t just surrender just because they were from a prestigious sect, could she?

The aura brought by a sect was only useful in front of people who also had status.

Wu Ming fell into a slumber filled with complicated thoughts and woke up early the next morning.

She put on her finest clothes and fastened a sword to her waist.

She didn’t actually know any sword styles; she just thought carrying a sword looked impressive.

“Xi Ni of Wushuang Pavilion is passing through. Having heard of the Hou family’s great name, I have come to pay my respects.”

Relying on the prestige of the Wushuang Pavilion, Wu Ming was invited inside. A man with a long beard, surrounded by a crowd, received her.

He indeed misunderstood Wu Ming’s gender.

“I have long heard of the Wushuang Pavilion’s renown. Seeing you today, Nephew, you certainly live up to the name.”

With just the first sentence, the man had already claimed a familial connection. This identity was truly useful.

“There is no need for such formality, Uncle. I…” Wu Ming took a deep breath to suppress her embarrassment. “I am in love with the Eldest Miss of your manor. In the future, we shall be family.”

“What?!”

The sound of shattering porcelain rang out as the man dropped his teacup in shock.

“The reason for my visit is actually to… marry into the family as a resident son-in-law.” Wu Ming pressed her advantage, continuing to challenge the man’s psychological defenses.

“But Hou Danxue has already been promised by me to the Eldest Young Master of the Huang family!”

“Uncle, has the matter been finalized yet?” Wu Ming began to project the overbearing aura of a prestigious sect. “I hail from the Wushuang Pavilion and have a limitless future. If I didn’t truly love Miss Hou, why would I be willing to marry into the family for her sake? Is the Young Master of the Huang family more exceptional than I?”

“But…” Hou Chenghong’s heart was in a flutter. Just then, the sounds of a bustling crowd came from the entrance—it was the clan elders. Hearing that a disciple from Wushuang Pavilion was here, they all wanted to see the young talent’s style.

He couldn’t let them meet!