C17 Defeat Me

Yang Chuxia took a deep breath and earnestly asked Edi, "General Edi, can I trust you?"

"Absolutely!" Edi gestured towards the bed in the Confinement Room, inviting Yang Chuxia to sit, then pulled up a chair for himself and sat down, ready to hear her out.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Yang Chuxia hesitated before speaking, "General Edi, if I assure you that I possess no superpowers and that I am not a spy, would you agree to keep my secret after I've explained everything?"

"Do you have any leverage?" Edi asked with a hint of displeasure. Yet, as he locked eyes with Yang Chuxia, he involuntarily softened and added, "I'll consider it after you've explained."

Finishing his thought, Edi felt a twinge of annoyance with himself. What was going on today? His mind had wandered to this woman twice already.

Yang Chuxia, however, clung to a sliver of hope from his response. She gently inquired, "General, are you familiar with martial arts?"

Edi had indeed heard of martial arts; in his youth, he had even sought out information on the subject. Regrettably, due to the passage of time, the details he found were scant.

At her words, something stirred in Edi.

Yang Chuxia went on, "I come from a family steeped in martial arts, a tradition that dates back over two thousand years. It has been passed down through the Yang family from generation to generation, but never to outsiders.

"Furthermore, our ancestral code dictates that the Yang family's martial arts must not be shared, except in dire circumstances where life and death hang in the balance. Otherwise, we must not reveal our skills. As for why? My parents never had the chance to explain."

She drew in another deep breath, her voice tinged with sorrow, "They've passed away, killed by Ipy Cainedav on the Bedamra Star."

"Your parents were killed by Ipy Cainedav?" This was a crucial piece of evidence that could prove Yang Chuxia wasn't an agent sent from Bedamra.

"Yes! Since you're aware of martial arts, you must have also heard of 'neigong' and 'qigong', haven't you?"

A flicker of surprise crossed Edi's face, but he quickly regained his composure and prompted, "Go on."

I began practicing neigong when I was quite young, so when you saw me sprinting on the track with a 100-kilogram load, it wasn't some sort of superpower at work. It was the effect of the neigong within me.

I had no idea the Weight Increasing Machine could test the limits of my abilities, nor did I realize I was running with 100 kilograms on my back. At that moment, I just felt an overwhelming weight, and the internal energy in my body surged forth involuntarily! After all, none of the four Weight Increasing Machines had any effect.

Yang Chuxia paused, looking uncomfortable, "I was worried I had broken them, so initially, I didn't even notice my internal energy kicking in. And honestly, even if I had noticed, it wouldn't have made a difference. By the time Instructor Cleo handed me the last Weight Increasing Machine, he probably had figured it out."

Edi locked eyes with Yang Chuxia, remaining silent for a long while. Her explanation, though he might accept it, was something others would likely reject.

With a wry smile, Yang Chuxia continued, "You don't believe me, do you? My parents said the same thing. As a child, they'd scare me by saying if I ever used my internal energy in public and people found out, I'd be captured and taken to a lab to be dissected and experimented on like a lab rat! No one would believe it was neigong; they'd assume it was a superpower."

Edi tilted his head thoughtfully and spoke deliberately, "How can you prove that what you're describing is truly neigong and not a superpower? If you can demonstrate that, I'll keep your secret."

Yang Chuxia replied candidly, "I've never encountered a superpower, so I'm at a loss on how to explain mine. Perhaps you could outline the characteristics of a superpower, and I could help you verify it?"

Superpowers had far too many attributes to list succinctly. Edi furrowed his brow and suggested, "How about you describe the characteristics and effects of your neigong instead, and I'll assess them?"

After pondering for a moment, Yang Chuxia said, "It can strike a target from a distance and has healing properties. The energy can be warm or cold, and it's invisible, so it can..." She hesitated, worried her explanation was inadequate and that Edi might not grasp the concept.

Yang Chuxia decisively stood up and declared, "I'll show you!" With that, she grabbed a tissue, leaped gracefully into the air at the center of the room, and hovered there. She used the tissue to cover the skylight at the roof's center, then spun around and flew down, proceeding to walk along the wall of the Confinement Room.

Edi watched in amazement. Three minutes later, Yang Chuxia landed on the floor and announced, "See, I can walk on walls!"

Regaining his composure, Edi's mouth twitched as he asked, "Is that something a person with superpowers could do?" His implication was clear: this didn't prove the presence of internal energy.

Yang Chuxia found herself at a loss for words. "Surely, someone with superpowers isn't all-powerful, right? I've heard that at most, a person with superpowers might have only two abilities."

Edi arched an eyebrow. "How many abilities can you demonstrate?"

With a troubled look, Yang Chuxia responded, "As I've said, what I have is internal energy, not superpowers. It merely enhances the body's capabilities, it's not some kind of supernatural ability."

Edi sat back in his chair, eyeing her skeptically, as if to say it was up to her to prove her claim.

Catching Edi's dubious expression, Yang Chuxia had a sudden inspiration. "What if I told you I could immobilize you from a distance? Would you believe that?"

Edi gave Yang Chuxia a peculiar look and drawled, "I believe it! Such a superpower does exist."

Feeling deflated, Yang Chuxia slumped onto the bed and muttered in frustration, "I knew this would happen. There's no point in trying to prove it; I simply can't."

Edi couldn't help but chuckle. "Giving up so easily?" He had actually believed her to a certain extent because if Yang Chuxia truly possessed a superpower, with her strength to sprint 60 kilometers carrying a 100-kilogram weight, she would have already taken him hostage and fled. There was no need for her to justify herself.