Chapter 33: The Consequences of Hubris

After their initial exchanges, both parties had effectively gauged each other's capabilities. Gu Bing, deciding not to hold back any longer, surged forward first.

He launched a high-leg raise followed by a spinning sidekick—fast and ferocious. Even Qi Fei was forced to adopt a purely defensive stance. In truth, the force of blocking those blows left her arms numb; she was certain that if she lifted her sleeves, she would find them bruised and discolored.

Yet, it was precisely this long-forgotten sensation of pain that sent Qi Fei’s adrenaline surging. Spotting an opening, she feigned a strike toward his face. Gu Bing, taken in by the deception, did not expect her to pivot; in the next instant, she kicked him directly in the nerve cluster of his knee.

Caught off guard, Gu Bing took the blow squarely, his body instinctively dropping. Qi Fei, having waited for this exact moment given his towering height, grabbed his head and drove an elbow into his face.

She had expected this sequence to incapacitate him, but she had underestimated Gu Bing’s resilience. Before she could retract her leg, he caught it and, using the power in his waist, threw her aside. Qi Fei controlled her descent, bracing herself with her elbows to spring back to her feet immediately.

She wore an expression of exhilaration. Truth be told, a fight was only truly satisfying when the opponents were evenly matched.

Gu Bing, for his part, realized he had severely underestimated Qi Fei. He never imagined a female celebrity could possess such combat prowess. Her strikes—aimed at the solar plexus, the inner bicep, the wrist bone, the Yinbao point, and the ribs—were all targeted at areas designed to instantly neutralize an opponent. The blow he had taken to his own body was genuinely painful; had he not undergone rigorous resistance training, he would likely have been out of the fight already. He was stunned by the sheer force a woman could exert.

With skills like these, she could easily fend off three or five grown men unarmed. If this hadn't been a friendly spar, and if she had been wielding a weapon, he realized he might already be lying on the ground.

Qi Fei, caught up in the thrill of the fight, had not activated her mind-reading ability, so she was unaware of the high praise Gu Bing was silently granting her. If she had heard it, she would have confidently remarked that she wouldn't have survived the apocalypse—let alone commanded a group of men as her subordinates—without such capabilities.

Even in the heat of the moment, Qi Fei kept her nerves taut, constantly reminding herself not to use lethal techniques. She was genuinely afraid of causing serious harm.

In the apocalypse, her Krav Maga had been refined through countless real-world battles. Her strikes had always been aimed at vital points—the eyes, throat, or carotid arteries were common targets. In that world, she had once shattered a man’s larynx with a single punch. Moreover, every member of her team had carried concealed weapons, capable of silently dispatching an enemy within a few strikes.

Qi Fei’s favorite weapon had been a scalpel she found by chance; it was small, convenient, and easily hidden. Before acquiring firearms, her arsenal consisted of military knives and crossbow bolts. The scalpel was essentially an evolution of the triangular bayonet—perfect for unexpected, fatal strikes during close-quarters combat. Even after the team obtained firearms, everyone kept their own secret weapons, because in an ambush or close-range struggle, guns were often useless.

Standing back up, Qi Fei waved her hand. "I concede."

Given the constraint that she could not injure him, their physical stamina was unevenly matched. Even without conceding, she would eventually lose as her energy depleted. She was also wary of losing her temper and accidentally inflicting real damage, which would be a grave mistake. Furthermore, defeating Gu Bing would be no easy task.

The onlookers were stunned. If they had thought the previous interaction between Qi Fei and the martial arts director was just playful, this exchange was fast, ruthless, and visceral. It looked nothing like a spar; every move seemed aimed at the other’s life, filled with the sickening thud of impact. They were shocked that Qi Fei could trade blows with such a sturdy man. They had guessed she had some skill, but not to this degree.

The applause from the martial arts directors on the sidelines had not stopped. Who could have imagined that the seemingly delicate Qi Fei was so formidable? A "flower vase"? More like a deadly bloom.

"Where did you learn Krav Maga?" Gu Bing asked. It was, after all, a system known as a "killing art." It was rare even in the military, let alone among civilians, and her mastery of it suggested it had been honed in actual life-or-death combat. Furthermore, he had caught traces of Sambo, San Da, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in her movements. A woman reaching this level of proficiency required immense time and effort—far more than a celebrity would ever possess. His eyes involuntarily filled with suspicion.

Hearing his inner thoughts, Qi Fei cursed silently. She had feared exactly this.

As Gu Bing’s words fell, everyone’s attention was drawn to them. The martial arts directors knew the term, but the other actors were unfamiliar with it. They were all curious about what "Krav Maga" was.

Qi Fei looked at the stern-faced Gu Bing and decided to play it off. She shrugged. "The person who taught me knew it, so I learned it too."

It was an irrefutable, empty response. They were all clever people; they realized Qi Fei didn't want to talk about it, so they didn't press the matter. After all, everyone had their secrets, and they weren't close enough to pry.

"Feifei!" Director Yao Kang, who had approached with excitement, provided a timely rescue. Qi Fei was truly worried that Gu Bing would continue to push.

Director Yao’s eyes were crinkled with joy; he looked at Qi Fei as if he had discovered a hidden treasure. Qi Fei had been in the entertainment industry for years, yet no one knew she possessed such skills. If he could put this to use in the film... just thinking about it made him thrilled.

Before Qi Fei joined the crew, he had intended to find a stunt double with a similar build. He couldn't blame himself for underestimating her, given her lackluster performance in dramatic scenes and complete lack of martial arts experience until now. But seeing her skills, why bother with a stunt double? Even a double wouldn't be as good as Qi Fei herself.

*What a waste not to use these skills. I need to redesign the choreography—make it as flashy and difficult as possible.*

Qi Fei: "..."

She had just activated her mind-reading ability when she heard that thought. *No way. I just wanted to show off a little, and now I've increased my own workload?*

Qi Fei didn't jump for joy, mostly because of what Zhou Ying had said before leaving. Although this drama had been accepted by Sanda Entertainment behind her back, they had only received fifty percent of the payment upfront. Now that they were terminating the contract, the remaining fees would go directly into their pockets. While it wasn't as high as the salary for the new supporting role she had just landed, it still amounted to two or three million. This was the main reason Qi Fei had been so compliant since her arrival—even a small amount was still money. To someone like her, who hadn't seen much of the world, two or three million was not a small sum, so she would cooperate fully.

Honestly, while the other actors had called her "Teacher Qi" before, it was merely out of politeness. But after learning today that she was not only professional but also highly skilled, the respect in their voices was genuine.

As for her memory—many actors couldn't even remember their own lines, let alone the entire script, and would be lauded to the heavens by their teams for the slightest effort. This drama was undoubtedly a grand, female-led political period piece centered on Qi Fei.

In the opening scene, on a rainy night, Qi Fei stood in the darkness, clad in black. She moved across the eaves and walls, landing silently, dispatching her targets with swift, ruthless efficiency before vanishing back into the shadows. The performance was stylish, cold, and lethal.