Chapter 5: Playing the Fool to Catch the Tiger

However, at this moment, Yu Xiaotian would not allow him to succeed. With both arms exerting force simultaneously, he clamped down on Ma Biao's ribs like an iron vise. His entire body tensed up, and the muscles in his arms bulged as if they were forged from steel. Ma Biao felt as if he were trapped in an iron hoop, with a sharp pain radiating from his arms and chest. It seemed as though the air in his lungs was being squeezed out by Yu Xiaotian's arms, leaving him momentarily short of breath

In fact, on the second day after Xiaotian boarded the ship, he had already seen that rascal Ma Biao showing off his martial arts skills on the ship with a few subordinates. He had already gauged Ma Biao's abilities. Although Ma Biao knew some routines and his punching power and speed were mediocre, he could not be considered merely a show-off, yet he also could not be regarded as a truly skilled fighter.

Recently, I have heard that the sea hawks in this area have been causing quite a disturbance. Ma Biao, you should conserve some energy; prepare your men. Once we reach this area, we must exercise extra caution. We don't have time for further disruptions. Everyone, disperse! Keep your eyes sharp and stay alert to the sea! Change course!

At this moment, Ma Biao finally realized just how great the strength of this mute was. He began to regret provoking the mute today, thinking to himself that if this continued, he would truly be choked to death by this mute. Thus, he struggled while attempting to use his still movable knee to push against Xiao Tian's abdomen, hoping to force this mute to loosen his iron-like grip.

At this moment, the three subordinates of Ma Biao were all filled with shock. Without further ado, they hurriedly stepped forward to help Ma Biao up from the ground. Only then did Ma Biao manage to catch his breath. Wiping the blood from under his nose with his hand, he forcefully extended his arms to push Yu Xiaotian away. With a face full of anger and humiliation, he pointed at Yu Xiaotian and shouted, "You scoundrel! Just now, my lord Ma made an accidental mistake; let’s have another round! If I don’t kill you today, then I, Ma, am not worthy of my name!"

After observing Ma Biao's skills, Yu Xiaotian was fully confident that as long as he engaged him in a fight, he could easily overpower this fellow, relying on his height, long arms, and advantages in speed and strength without expending much effort

However, what made Ma Biao feel somewhat embarrassed was that despite throwing three punches, they were all evaded clumsily by Yu Xiaotian. On the surface, Yu Xiaotian's movements appeared awkward, seemingly lacking any martial arts skills, yet he managed to dodge Ma Biao's fists with surprising agility. This left Ma Biao feeling somewhat humiliated, leading him to lower his guard against Yu Xiaotian and begin to swing his fists indiscriminately at him.

If Yu Xiaotian had not let go just now, Ma Biao would likely have suffocated to death at his hands. However, even so, Ma Biao did not have the strength to engage with Yu Xiaotian again in the short term

Yu Xiaotian watched as Ma Biao's nose bled profusely, his eyes beginning to roll back. Realizing that if this continued, the man would truly be choked to death, he finally loosened his grip and threw Ma Biao onto the deck. At this moment, Ma Biao resembled a snake that had been skinned, lying limply on the deck in a curled-up position, his mouth wide open as he desperately gasped for fresh air. His complexion gradually began to recover, yet his nose continued to bleed, presenting a truly disheveled appearance.

After Liu Chuan Dong's words, although Ma Biao was eager to take revenge on Yu Xiaotian, he realized that the ship belonged to Liu Chuan Dong, and the authority on the ship rested with him. Thus, he could no longer continue to make things difficult for Yu Xiaotian. Reluctantly, he shot a venomous glare at Yu Xiaotian, then turned to wipe the blood from his nose while calling the remaining three guards to head towards the stern of the ship.

Yu Xiaotian, having gained no advantage yet pretending to be virtuous, hurriedly put on a show of courtesy, repeatedly clasping his fists in salute. He made a circle of bows to those around him and quickly bowed repeatedly to the fallen Ma Biao, feigning an apologetic demeanor.

After hearing Liu Chuan Dong's loud cheers, the other boatmen also reacted and immediately began to cheer loudly. At this moment, everyone believed that Yu Xiaotian had no skills, but his sheer strength was indeed frightening. Looking at Yu Xiaotian now, the usual disdainful expressions towards him had almost disappeared, and some even showed a hint of awe and admiration.

When Ma Biao saw that Yu Xiaotian had no way to retreat, he thought he had found the opportunity. He immediately pushed Yu Xiaotian against the mast, swinging his fists wildly like a rainstorm, striking at Yu Xiaotian. Yu Xiaotian, on the other hand, protected his vital points, leaning against the mast and defending himself left and right, appearing quite flustered.

Yu Xiaotian is currently in the stage of feigning cuteness and ignorance to elicit sympathy. Naturally, he cannot resort to physical confrontation with this guy. Although he repeatedly refuses, he still cannot avoid the pestilence that is Ma Biao. This fellow is as stubborn as a turtle eating a scale, determined to make life difficult for him. He is forcing Yu Xiaotian to spar with him, leaving Yu Xiaotian no choice but to accept the challenge. This is not only for his dignity but also for his future on this ship; he can no longer play the fool.

Looking at Ma Biao, who was sprawled helplessly on the deck, and then at Yu Xiaotian, who was panting heavily, the outcome was unexpected for everyone on the ship. They couldn't help but be taken aback, feeling a sense of alarm at Yu Xiaotian's reckless bravery. Each person became wary, thinking it would be best to avoid provoking this mute in the future, lest they end up with a fate like Ma Biao's.

Upon seeing Yu Xiaotian come out to challenge, Ma Biao displayed a look of disdain. Without saying a word, he stepped forward and struck at Yu Xiaotian. Yu Xiaotian did not retaliate, instead appearing flustered as he attempted to evade the blows, looking extremely disheveled.

Ma Biao had never expected that Yu Xiaotian would suddenly counterattack. In a moment of distraction, he was caught off guard by Yu Xiaotian! Ma Biao was greatly astonished, for he knew that Yu Xiaotian possessed considerable brute strength. Once caught in his embrace, he estimated that he would be in danger. In a panic, he hurriedly struggled to retreat, attempting to break free from Yu Xiaotian's grasp.

Although he encountered these injustices on the ship, Yu Xiaotian currently had no better solution. After all, his situation did not allow him to be overly arrogant for the time being. However, today's incident did make the people on the ship realize that he was not a mere lump of dough that could be shaped as one pleased.

After leaving Ma Biao behind, Yu Xiaotian finally understood that after his crossing, for reasons unknown to him, his physical strength had significantly increased compared to before. If it had been his old self, he certainly would not have had such great strength; just by tightening his arms, he could choke a strong man. Therefore, he can now confirm that his strength has inexplicably improved after the crossing

Liu Chuan Dong walked over, snatched the knife from Ma Biao's hand, and threw it back to one of his subordinates. Pointing at Ma Biao, he continued to reprimand, "Ma Biao, today it was you who insisted on challenging the mute! The mute doesn't know martial arts, and everyone is watching! It's one thing to suffer a loss due to your lack of skill and not admit defeat, but isn't that enough? Do you really have to kill the mute to be satisfied?

Turning his head to gaze at the vast sea, Yu Xiaotian took a deep breath, secretly comforting himself. A true man can be both great and humble, like a dragon. Although his current situation seemed somewhat dire, with his abilities, he firmly believed that one day he would rise above the rest!

Originally, the surrounding boatmen were loudly cheering for Ma Biao, but in the blink of an eye, they saw Ma Biao being restrained by Yu Xiaotian, struggling helplessly. Consequently, they all immediately fell silent, watching in utter stillness the scene between Yu Xiaotian and Ma Biao.

Yu Xiaotian has had a passion for Sanda since childhood. Later, he also practiced Taekwondo and mixed martial arts. During his university years, he was a key member of the school's fighting team. After being forced to withdraw from school, due to life's circumstances, he worked as a sparring partner at a Sanda club and even participated in a few underground boxing matches. Although he cannot be considered a professional expert, his skills are already quite impressive compared to the average person

Without a care, he drew a knife from the waist of a subordinate beside him, twisting his body as he intended to slash at Yu Xiaotian, wishing he could cleave Yu Xiaotian in two with a single stroke.

Ma Biao was completely panicked, writhing desperately like a fish caught in a net, trying to break free from Yu Xiaotian's embrace. However, the more he struggled, the tighter Yu Xiaotian held him, his arms coiling around Ma Biao like a giant python constricting its prey, gradually squeezing the air out of Ma Biao's lungs, leaving him unable to inhale even a breath of fresh air. Gradually, Ma Biao's face turned the color of liver, beginning to redden and darken, with a purplish hue emerging amidst the black.

He did not want to fight, but Ma Biao was relentless, insisting on engaging him in a confrontation. Even the idle boatmen on the ship joined in the commotion, and even the boat owner, surnamed Liu, suggested that Yu Xiaotian spar with Ma Biao

Enough, Ma Biao!" someone shouted loudly from the side. Ma Biao paused, having to stop wielding his saber, for it was none other than Liu, the shipowner of this vessel, who had called out to him.

This is quite a good thing for him; in this world, possessing strong physical strength undoubtedly enhances his chances of survival in this unfamiliar environment. Today, he has made that fellow Ma Biao thoroughly experience hardship.

In a situation of being left with no choice, Yu Xiaotian considered for a moment before following Ma Biao to an open space on the boat, where he forced a smile and practiced cupping his fists and bowing to Ma Biao in a gesture of pleading for mercy

Good! The mute truly possesses immense strength! Good, good, good! At this moment, Liu Chuan Dong suddenly took the lead and shouted loudly in approval, his face displaying great joy. He called out several times in delight, indicating that although he was surprised by this outcome, he was nonetheless very pleased, likely feeling that he had stumbled upon a treasure and that his previous expenditures on meals were not in vain

However, Yu Xiaotian secretly noticed that as the young man turned to leave, his steps were light yet slightly unsteady, and he was discreetly rubbing his ribs while pretentiously shaking his arms. It was evident that this fellow had just endured quite a bit of hardship and had not yet recovered. Yu couldn't help but chuckle inwardly; judging by his posture, it was clear that the young man's arms and ribs had sustained some minor injuries. At this moment, he had no one to confide in and could only swallow his grievances, biting down on his pain. The act he had just put on, pretending to be a fool while actually being cunning, was indeed performed quite well. Next time, it was likely that the crew on the ship, having learned from Ma Biao's lesson, would no longer dare to easily provoke him.

Ma Biao was already being squeezed by Yu Xiaotian to the point where he could only exhale and not inhale, his head was starting to feel dizzy due to lack of oxygen. Suddenly, Yu Xiaotian delivered a powerful headbutt to his nose, causing immediate pain in his nasal bridge and a surge of warm blood to spurt from his nose. He felt the world spinning around him, and his legs involuntarily stopped kicking, going limp and hanging down.

Due to the limited space on the ship, Xu Xiaotian's attempts to evade Ma Biao's punches were not entirely effective. Therefore, he pretended to be frightened, clasping his hands over his head and tucking his arms against his chest, slightly bending forward. He adopted a distorted boxing stance to protect his chest, abdomen, and face. Although his appearance was somewhat disheveled, he managed to block Ma Biao's punches from hitting vital areas just in time. As he swayed and dodged, he was at most struck on the arms by Ma Biao, and while defending himself, he also retreated step by step until he reached the side of the mast.

However, when he was pulled onto the boat, having already indicated that he would not resort to physical violence, any display of skill that might overturn Ma Biao could easily lead to misunderstandings among those on board. Therefore, in order to protect himself temporarily, he could not truly engage in a confrontation with Ma Biao

After Yu Xiaotian felt a sharp pain in his lower abdomen, his face turned even angrier. Not only did he not loosen his grip, but he also tightened his arms around Ma Biao even more. Watching Ma Biao's face change color gradually, Ma Biao became increasingly flustered and continued to kick wildly with his legs. However, at that moment, Yu Xiaotian suddenly charged forward and delivered a heavy headbutt to Ma Biao's nose.

This matter ends here for today, everyone disperse! The water on the ship is running low, we are approaching Dongshan, let us prepare to turn towards the shore to replenish some water

Ma Biao's eyes revealed a hint of cruel mockery as he continued to strike at Yu Xiaotian without restraint. Suddenly, Yu Xiaotian seemed to become agitated. Just when Ma Biao thought victory was assured and his spirit began to relax, along with a significant decline in his stamina, Yu Xiaotian finally began to counterattack. Instead of throwing punches at Ma Biao, he seized the moment when Ma Biao withdrew his hands, lunging forward and pressing himself against Ma Biao. With arms outstretched, he tightly embraced Ma Biao, encompassing both his arms and chest, and lifted him off the deck.