Chapter 117

The next day, Huang Rong saw that Gu Gu Hanyuan was keeping his promise, and he and Guo Fu had grown close once again.

Watching the bright, radiant smile on Guo Fu’s pretty face, she sighed inwardly, her mood complex.

Perhaps because of the distance of the past few days, Guo Fu was exceptionally proactive today; she clung to Gu Gu Hanyuan’s arm and wouldn't let go, and her small pouch was pressed tightly against him without the slightest reservation.

Feeling Guo Fu’s youthful vitality, Gu Gu Hanyuan also felt much more cheerful.

When he occasionally glanced at the somewhat gloomy-looking Huang Rong, a trace of playfulness flashed in his eyes.

After leaving their luggage at the inn, the three of them did not linger in Wuxi City and headed toward Apricot Forest, the gathering place of the Northern Beggar Sect.

When the three of them arrived, Bao Butong was arguing and ranting wildly at the members of the Northern Beggar Sect.

Those "not so, not so" remarks were enough to give anyone a headache.

Gu Gu Hanyuan looked at the three women behind Bao Butong.

He figured they must be Wang Wang Yuyan, A'zhu, and A'bi.

A'bi wore a green shirt; she was delicate and pretty, gentle and moving. Just looking at her made one feel that she must be a woman as gentle as water.

A'zhu was dressed in red; her face was beautiful and charming, full of life and allure, and her temperament was moving. Compared to A'bi’s gentleness, she appeared even more adorable and coquettish—truly worthy of being the daughter of the master of romance, Duan Duan Zhengchun.

Standing between the two women, Wang Wang Yuyan wore a lotus-colored gauze shirt; she was pure, elegant, and as bright and beautiful as a fairy, vaguely appearing as if shrouded in mist and clouds. It was no wonder she was called the "Fairy Sister."

Gu Gu Hanyuan thought strangely, could she have secretly put some dry ice under her feet?

Of course, this secret mockery was just to divert his own attention, because he had sensed Huang Rong’s gaze, so he just pretended not to care, took a glance, and withdrew his eyes.

Even with Huang Rong’s discerning eye, she had to admit that Wang Wang Yuyan was indeed extremely beautiful—at the very least, far better than Guo Fu, and even compared to herself, she was not inferior.

Seeing that Gu Gu Hanyuan withdrew his gaze without looking too much at such a beautiful woman, she felt a bit surprised, and at the same time, her thoughts became inexplicable.

As for the faint secret joy in her heart, that was something she would never admit to, no matter what.

Guo Fu was similarly concerned about Wang Wang Yuyan, even feeling somewhat inferior.

After Gu Gu Hanyuan withdrew his gaze, she happily pressed her arm even tighter against his.

The arguing of the people in the clearing was interrupted by the arrival of Gu Gu Hanyuan and his companions.

The Elders of the Northern Beggar Sect bowed respectfully one after another:

"Sect Master Huang."

Because today was an internal affair of the Northern Beggar Sect, and Huang Rong was present as a witness for the Southern Beggar Sect, the address was changed to "Sect Master Huang" to show respect.

Huang Rong nodded and smiled, explaining the reason for their visit and taking the opportunity to introduce Gu Gu Hanyuan and Guo Fu to everyone.

"So it is the 'Hero Sword'! I have long admired your great name."

Gu Gu Hanyuan’s exploits at the Golden Basin Hand-Washing Ceremony had already spread, and his reputation had risen to a new level.

At this moment, when everyone heard his name, they all stood in awe.

Quan Quan Guanqing was even more delighted to be able to invite the world-renowned Huang Rong and Gu Gu Hanyuan, who had recently risen to fame in the Jianghu.

With such high-profile witnesses present, if he could take the opportunity to impeach Qiao Feng, the prestige he gained would give him a chance to become the new Beggar Sect Master.

Compared to Southern Murong Fu, who had played a good hand of cards into a disaster, Gu Gu Hanyuan actually had a fairly high opinion of Quan Quan Guanqing.

He was skilled in power plays, deep in thought, and an opportunist who knew how to seize chances. If not for his interference, Qiao Feng might not have fallen into a situation where he was condemned by all.

Of course, Quan Quan Guanqing’s biggest problem was that his own strength was too weak, lacking the ability to deliver a decisive blow.

Southern Murong Fu was a typical example of someone who had plenty of opportunities but failed to grasp any of them; if he could have obtained the assistance of Quan Quan Guanqing, he might not have failed.

Compared to the Beggar Sect members who were focused on Gu Gu Hanyuan’s martial arts and reputation, the three women—Wang Wang Yuyan and the others—were more concerned with his appearance.

At this moment, they all felt that the rumors in the Jianghu that Gu Gu Hanyuan was as handsome as a fairy were indeed well-deserved.

Compared to Southern Murong Fu, not only was he a step ahead in looks, but that unique temperament was what made people forget the mundane upon seeing him.

Seeing Guo Fu holding Gu Gu Hanyuan’s arm without any restraint, they all secretly scoffed.

Wang Wang Yuyan was very envious of Guo Fu’s boldness; she did not have the courage to express intimacy in such a way.

Not long after, Qiao Feng appeared as if carrying a sound system, bringing Duan Yu along with him.

Qiao Feng was heroic in appearance and outstanding in spirit; he first paid his respects to Huang Rong and also got to know Gu Gu Hanyuan.

Qiao Feng had a very good impression of Gu Gu Hanyuan, and after learning about the Golden Basin Hand-Washing Ceremony, he considered him a righteous hero as well.

It was hard for those who understood Qiao Feng not to like him, but unfortunately, Gu Gu Hanyuan’s stance was different from his, so they could only be superficial brothers.

As soon as Duan Yu saw Wang Wang Yuyan, he enthusiastically stepped forward to greet her.

Gu Gu Hanyuan watched with playful eyes as Duan Yu waited on Wang Wang Yuyan hand and foot.

Clearly, the suffering Kumārajīva had put him through had not changed his trajectory.

It was just unclear whether he could lick his way to a future this time.

After that, the main show at Apricot Forest began.

First, Bao Butong and Feng Bo’e fought a great battle against the four Elders of the Northern Beggar Sect.

Wang Wang Yuyan stood on the sidelines, pointing out moves for the two, but although she knew every sect’s techniques by heart, she did not understand that while moves are dead, people are alive.

The speed of her guidance could not keep up with the speed of the combat, and the two were captured in just a few moves.

Qiao Feng even revealed his "Dragon-Capturing Skill."

Gu Gu Hanyuan had once obtained the "Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms" from the Heaven-Reliant Sword, but he never had any use for them in daily life; this "Dragon-Capturing Skill," however, was somewhat interesting.

With Gu Gu Hanyuan’s current martial arts attainments, having seen Qiao Feng’s "Dragon-Capturing Skill," he easily deduced it from the "Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms," and it was indeed much more profound than the "Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms."

Bao and Feng, whose skills were inferior, left in shame.

Then, Quan Quan Guanqing joined the four Elders to impeach Qiao Feng, who resolved the Beggar Sect’s crisis by stabbing himself four times to atone for the four Elders, using his heroic spirit to make the danger vanish.

Even Huang Rong breathed a sigh of relief at this moment.

Unfortunately, all of this was just a facade.

Sure enough, not long after, Xu Xu Chongxiao, that power-hungry, muddle-headed, and lecherous old man, appeared with Master Master Zhiguang, Tan Gong, Tan Po, Zhao Zhao Qiansun, Shan Zheng, and others.

Tan Gong, Tan Po, and Zhao Zhao Qiansun started bickering out of jealousy as soon as they met.

A'zhu suddenly playfully showed off her ventriloquism, imitating Zhao Zhao Qiansun’s infatuated words.

Compared to Qu Qu Feiyan, A'zhu was even more reckless when it came to being mischievous, and she loved to show off her cleverness, which was why she often suffered losses and was eventually mistakenly killed by Qiao Feng.

Seeing a little girl daring to mock her, Tan Po was annoyed and wanted to slap her.

Suddenly, a leaf was stuck right beside her foot.

"Tan Po is a veteran of the Jianghu; why bother with a little girl?"

Gu Gu Hanyuan’s indifferent voice came drifting over.

"Flying flowers and plucked leaves can both injure people?"

This move by Gu Gu Hanyuan was no less impressive than the "Dragon-Capturing Skill," instantly shocking everyone.

Even Huang Rong looked at him in surprise, not expecting his martial arts to have improved again in just a few days.

Huang Rong’s face dimmed, thinking: Sure enough, Gu Gu Hanyuan’s talent is terrifyingly immense, but unfortunately...