My Exes Are All Over The Martial Arts World - Chapter 2

Hou Chenghong ultimately failed to accomplish anything. He could not defeat a disciple of the Peerless Pavilion, nor did he possess enough power to arbitrarily interfere with the actions of the clan elders.

When the two groups met, before Hou Chenghong could even speak, Wu Ming stepped forward familiarly to strike up a conversation. She stood tall and had a heroic look to her features, making her quite likeable.

“Has the great hero already wed? This old man has a granddaughter whose temperament is…”

“Your granddaughter won’t do! My granddaughter is truly the best of the best. Great hero—”

“I… I have come specifically for the matter of marriage…”

Hou Chenghong grew anxious and quickly stepped between the two parties. “Great Hero Xi has traveled a long way and must be weary. My Hou family is a prestigious clan; we shouldn’t be so lacking in etiquette. We ought to take Great Hero Xi down to rest properly.”

Wu Ming grew anxious as well. She had already exposed her purpose to this old geezer; she couldn’t afford to give up halfway. If she went to rest now, this old man might use that time to marry the Eldest Miss off to someone else, regardless of etiquette!

She wasn’t the real Xi Ni. She had no backing. Only Miss Danxue was an ally she could temporarily rely on—Miss Danxue could only marry her!

“Ah, does Uncle mean to let me rest in Miss Danxue’s room? That’s also—”

Before Wu Ming could finish her shameless remark, Hou Danxue entered. Wu Ming’s words came to an abrupt halt.

She had already been quite offensive to Hou Danxue yesterday, and today she had been caught speaking such nonsense… Wu Ming couldn’t imagine what her image was like in Hou Danxue’s heart now.

Hou Danxue wore a white veil over her face, but her eyes, which were visible, flowed with a faint smile. She didn’t seem angry at the offense.

“Danxue… you two…”

“Shameless!”

Wu Ming hadn’t finished her sentence, but the entire room exploded. People began talking all at once. The old woman at the front had the strongest reaction; she nearly fainted and had to be held up by the crowd to keep from falling.

Hou Danxue walked to Wu Ming’s side and pulled her along to bow to the elders.

“Danxue… has failed the teachings of her elders. We admire one another. Danxue does not wish to marry that son of the Huang family; I only wish to marry my beloved. I beg for your fulfillment!”

Seeing the expressions of the crowd gradually turning into mockery and anger, Wu Ming stepped sideways to shield Hou Danxue and shouted those words.

“I know Miss Danxue’s situation. I am willing to marry into the Hou family as a matrilocal husband!”

“Matrilocal?” The old woman who was about to faint suddenly recovered. She pushed away the hands of the crowd and stared intently at Wu Ming.

Wu Ming could tell she was the one with the most authority; her clothes were the most elegant, and she stood at the very front.

“Yes! I have no father or mother, only my sect behind me. After the wedding, Miss Danxue’s family will be my family. I will certainly do my utmost for the Hou family!”

Wu Ming thought for a moment and added, “In the future, when we have children, whether boy or girl, they will all take Miss Danxue’s surname.”

Though it was impossible for them to have children, the people before her seemed quite traditional and likely cared about such things.

“A matrilocal marriage… a matrilocal marriage is good! From now on, you will be a child of my Hou family… Hahahaha.”

“Mother! Hou Danxue… she has already been betrothed to the Huang family by me! If we go back on our word like this, what will happen to our relationship with the Huangs?”

“The Huang family? What does the Huang family matter? They were never equal to our Hou family anyway. For a granddaughter as fine as mine, only a dragon among men from the Peerless Pavilion is a worthy match!”

Heng Xiangyan harshly scolded Hou Chenghong at her side, then turned to Wu Ming with a smile as bright as a flower.

“Ni’er, as a disciple of the Peerless Pavilion, you must be very busy, right? Don’t worry, I, your grandmother, will personally prepare your wedding. We will have you married as soon as possible so as not to delay your time.”

“Mother, you haven’t even tested her! How can you settle Danxue’s marriage so carelessly?”

“Listen to you. Did you test that Huang boy? You’ve probably never even seen his face; you don’t even know if he’s handsome or ugly.”

“I understand Uncle’s concerns! I am willing to demonstrate my martial arts!”

Wu Ming was quite confident in her martial skills. Among her peers, very few “monsters” could surpass her. It couldn’t be helped; she was naturally gifted, and even without resources, she had grown very powerful. The Hou family valued their reputation; they wouldn’t arrange for someone a decade older to compete against her, would they?

“Ni’er, Danxue’s father is the eldest. You should call him Uncle.”

Hou Chenghong didn’t care about these details. He said urgently, “It is good that you have this intention. I happen to have a fierce warrior under my command. You two shall spar today—a friendly match.”

The dark expression on his face couldn’t be hidden by his fake smile. Wu Ming felt a bit nervous. Did this old geezer have some kind of trump card?

Her palm sank into a patch of softness. Wu Ming looked down to see that Hou Danxue had grasped her hand. Wu Ming practiced martial arts year-round, specifically palm techniques, so her hands were as hard as steel. Hou Danxue had been raised in the inner chambers with a team of people tending to her; her hands were softer than water.

Wu Ming felt as though her hand had fallen into a terrifying whirlpool; she couldn’t even pull back the hand she used for attacking. Fortunately, her enemy wasn’t Miss Danxue, or she would surely lose.

Hou Danxue had only intended to comfort Wu Ming. She knew her second uncle; he had little talent, so how could he have anyone powerful under him?

Hou Danxue hadn’t expected Wu Ming to stare so blankly at their joined hands. She seemed to have drifted off to another world, and a suspicious blush had even risen to her face.

Really… with so many elders around, she had only held her hand, yet Wu Ming’s reaction was highly suspicious. Some people had already begun to show strange smiles, much to Hou Danxue’s despair.

“Ni’er? Ni’er!”

Because it wasn’t her real name, it took Wu Ming a moment to realize someone was calling her and to snap out of her own world.

“Ah… young people… how wonderful.”

Fortunately, no one blamed her.

A burly man walked out. He was nearly twice the size of Wu Ming—due to fat. Wu Ming’s height could be considered the peak of this era; even well-nourished men rarely reached it. Wu Ming had once wondered if her lack of development in certain areas was because her height had sucked up too many nutrients.

The burly man looked imposing, but he could only fool those who didn’t practice martial arts. Wu Ming could tell at a glance that he was hollow. All the worries and trepidation she had felt before sleeping last night seemed like a joke now!

Wu Ming followed the crowd to the arena. Hou Danxue held her hand very tightly. Wu Ming wondered if she would still have strength in her hand when it came time to fight.

“If you die, I will carefully arrange your funeral and remain a widow for the rest of my life,” Hou Danxue whispered.

Wu Ming: ???

Why start saying things like that? What a joke! How could she possibly die at the hands of someone so weak!

“A guy like this? I can take him down with one palm!”

Hou Danxue’s heart did not settle because of this; instead, she grew more worried. If she were truly that powerful, would she have needed to sneak into her bedroom like a thief to threaten her?

No, she was just a little thief. A little thief full of lies—yet Hou Danxue found her somewhat interesting.

Hou Danxue thought that if her uncle used underhanded means, she could too! She would be more meticulous and more patient than him. As long as this “heart-stealing thief’s” skill wasn’t bottom-tier, she would find an opportunity to kill the opponent.

Wu Ming didn’t know what Hou Danxue was thinking. She watched as the burly man jumped onto the stage like a circus performer; he really cared about his image.

Goaded by Hou Danxue’s discouraging words, Wu Ming’s ascent to the stage was even more breathtaking. Little did she know, Hou Danxue silently labeled her as “all flash and no substance,” her hand gripping a hidden weapon until her knuckles turned white.

The brute showed no sportsmanship, immediately grabbing a pair of hammers from the weapon rack and charging. Wu Ming remained unmoved, standing her ground until she caught a flaw in his movement, then sent him flying with a single palm strike.

Whoa, was he made entirely of fat? He flew so easily. Wu Ming looked at her palm in bewilderment; it hadn’t changed, so the opponent was just too weak.

“Heavens! She didn’t even use a weapon. Barehanded! She won barehanded!”

“If her basic techniques are this formidable, her swordsmanship must be even more incredible!”

Wu Ming looked at the sword at her waist—it was just a decoration! Wasn’t carrying a sword just to show off one’s status as a member of the elite? Every disciple of a major sect she met carried a sword at their waist, whether they used it or not.

Well, Wu Ming had quite a collection of such items from her years of “robbing the robbers.”

“What else is there to test? No more testing! This person belongs in the Hou family! All of you, follow me back to discuss the wedding details!”

Heng Xiangyan made the final decision. Everyone left with her, leaving only Hou Danxue behind to wait for Wu Ming.

“So… you really are that strong.”

Wu Ming noticed the admiration on her face and felt smug. “Did you think my threat when we first met was a lie?”

Hou Danxue took Wu Ming’s hand. “Are you tired after the fight? Come back with me.”

The grandmother hadn’t arranged a room for Wu Ming, clearly intending for Wu Ming to stay directly with her. The grandmother truly wanted to trap this person.

“Are you really a disciple of the Peerless Pavilion?”

Only after returning to her bedroom and ensuring no one else was around did Hou Danxue dare to ask this question. How could a disciple of the Peerless Pavilion be a thief?

“Of course. I have the identification tokens.” Wu Ming admitted it directly. If she denied it, Hou Danxue would surely press for her true identity. They were in a fake marriage; it was better to maintain some distance.

Hou Danxue stood up and closed the window, casting the room into darkness. She walked to the bed and pressed herself directly onto Wu Ming, her dark pupils staring at her.

“You’re lying to me. I looked into that person; he is a man, and you are a woman.”

Wu Ming knew he was a man, of course—she was the one who killed him, how could she not know? But since Hou Danxue wanted her to cross-dress as a man, she couldn’t exactly use a female identity.

“The identity is fake, but the token is real.”

Hou Danxue automatically interpreted this to mean Wu Ming was a Peerless Pavilion disciple, just not Xi Ni.

“You’re actually unwilling to tell me your true identity…”

“If the Miss is willing, you can call me Wu Ming.”

Wu Ming’s gaze toward Hou Danxue became accusatory. Her name was too strange (Wu Ming means “nameless”); it was natural for Hou Danxue to think she was being evasive.

“Wu Ming…”

She pressed closer, softly calling her name by her ear. Wu Ming felt a bit hot. She hadn’t sweated during the fight, but she was starting to sweat now.

“Miss, I want to wash up.”

“There is no need for such distance between us. You can just call me… Wife.”

Hou Danxue believed in her grandmother’s speed; they might be married in three days. There was no difference in calling her that sooner or later.

Wu Ming wasn’t sure if the other woman wanted to do something “unspeakable”—clinging to her and asking to be called “Wife.” She couldn’t bring herself to say that embarrassing title!

How did she suddenly get married? She was used to being alone and couldn’t get used to the presence of another person.

Wu Ming remained still, and Hou Danxue didn’t move either. Bored, Hou Danxue’s hand began to wander over Wu Ming’s body.

Wu Ming wasn’t about to lose out; she definitely had to touch back. Her hand reached directly for the place she envied. Hou Danxue’s hand paused, then she hugged her tightly.

For a moment, Wu Ming didn’t know whether to move. If she didn’t move, it would be awkward for Wu Ming to keep moving. Why did she stop? She did it on purpose! She only wanted to take advantage of Wu Ming but didn’t want Wu Ming to take advantage of her! What a cunning woman!

While Wu Ming’s thoughts were stalled, Hou Danxue suddenly leaned up and accurately pressed her lips against hers.

Feeling the soft, smooth intrusion in her mouth, Wu Ming’s mind went completely blank.

It’s over. She’s defiled.