Chapter 1

The bright moon is clear and luminous.

Xiaolongnu lay on the grass, gazing at the stars in the sky. Recently, Yang Guo had been expressing a desire to descend the mountain, which filled Xiaolongnu with a sense of dread. Tonight, a foster father had suddenly appeared—eccentric and deranged—insisting on teaching Yang Guo martial arts, and he had even sealed her pressure points.

When Xiaolongnu attempted to use the pressure point-opening technique recorded in the Nine Yin Manual, she did not realize it was actually a method from the "Reverse Nine Yin Manual." Her attempt to break free only made the seal tighter, leaving her lying on the ground, staring blankly at the vast sky.

Suddenly, a cloth covered her eyes.

Xiaolongnu's mind cleared, but she could not call out, nor could she see anything before her. She thought to herself: Could it be Guo'er playing a trick on me?

As this thought emerged, Xiaolongnu felt a sense of compliance. Having spent these past few years with Yang Guo, their bond was deep, and Yang Guo was even willing to die for her; naturally, Xiaolongnu regarded him as her beloved.

Zhen Zhibing looked at the jade-like Xiaolongnu before him. Under the moonlight, he saw a faint, rosy flush beneath her fair skin, and he leaned down, intending to kiss her.

"Zhen Zhibing, what do you think you are doing!"

This voice came abruptly, shattering the enchanting atmosphere. Zhen Zhibing looked up blankly to see a person standing not far away. A palm wind swept past, blowing away the cloth covering Xiaolongnu's face. As soon as Xiaolongnu looked up, she saw Zhen Zhibing's ugly behavior.

This person's shout was like a basin of cold water, causing both Zhen Zhibing and Xiaolongnu to calm down.

Xiaolongnu was deeply grateful. She looked at the person who had spoken; he was also wearing a Quanzhen Daoist robe, with a slender build, clean and refreshing, and he smiled very brightly under the moonlight.

But while this brightness looked pleasant to Xiaolongnu, to Zhen Zhibing, it was full of shadows. He pursed his lips twice and asked with trepidation: "Gu Qing, why have you come out?"

The seniority in the Quanzhen Sect is divided into the "Chu, Zhi, Qing, Jing" generations. Zhen Zhibing is of the 'Zhi' generation, while Gu Qing is of the 'Qing' generation. Because their names shared a sound, no extra characters were added, but this 'Qing' generation member had done something that Zhen Zhibing knew he could never accomplish.

That was that Gu Qing had beaten up every single person of the 'Qing' generation in the Chongyang Palace.

The internal energy of the Quanzhen Sect is the orthodox Xuanmen school. In the early stages of cultivation, progress is slow, far inferior to heterodox Qi Gong. It often takes twenty or thirty years of practice to catch up to those of the heterodox schools. However, after twenty or thirty years, the path of cultivation becomes smooth, while those who practice heterodox internal energy mostly come to a standstill.

Therefore, in this martial art, the longer one practices, the purer the skill becomes. Yet Gu Qing had only been in the Quanzhen Sect for two years, and his martial progress was already pressing hard against those of the 'Zhi' generation. This abnormal speed of improvement had led to many rumors within the Quanzhen Sect.

"Do you know? Gu Qing is actually the illegitimate son of the Sect Leader. He started practicing Quanzhen internal energy long ago; now he's just going through the motions. In the future, he is going to be the Sect Leader."

Such rumors were widely circulated within the Quanzhen Sect.

Many in the Quanzhen Sect also believed that Gu Qing's genius was a marketing ploy; after all, Gu Qing's progress was too incredible.

But three months ago, he disappeared without a trace.

That day was the monthly evening class for the 'Qing' generation of the Quanzhen Sect. Everyone of the 'Qing' generation was present. After the disciples finished chanting the "Scripture of Saving from Suffering and Removing Sins" and the "Scripture of Ascending to Heaven and Attaining the Dao," they respectfully saw the ritual teacher off. Just as they were about to disperse, Gu Qing closed the hall doors.

In the great hall at that time, there were ninety-six people of the 'Qing' generation. The rumors from the Chongyang Palace side had also spread among these ninety-six people. Gu Qing said that although he couldn't find the primary culprit, beating everyone present would surely lead him to the culprit. Furthermore, he said that rumors are things where if you repeat them, you are also responsible.

At that time, the Three Pure Ones Hall was filled with a lively atmosphere, until Gu Qing began to take action.

Zhen Zhibing did not know how enduring Gu Qing's strength was or how exquisite his moves were. In any case, when he heard the commotion and went to the Three Pure Ones Hall, the ninety-six people of the 'Qing' generation in the Chongyang Palace were crying for their parents. Some were huddled under the desks, some had jumped onto the pillars, and more were huddled in the corners. In the open space left behind, Gu Qing was dragging a man named Lu Qingdu and beating him soundly.

During the brawl in the Three Pure Ones Hall, someone couldn't take it anymore and confessed that it was Lu Qingdu who had spread the rumors.

This incident directly alarmed the Seven Masters of Quanzhen. Ma Yu, Qiu Chuji, Wang Chuyi, and Liu Chuxuan sat together to discuss it, believing that although Gu Qing was reckless, his actions were understandable. In the end, they locked up both Gu Qing and Lu Qingdu, who had spread the rumors.

But that night, Gu Qing didn't know how he slipped into the place where Lu Qingdu was being held and beat Lu Qingdu again.

The Sect Leader was furious and added three years to Gu Qing's sentence.

The current Gu Qing should have been locked up by the Quanzhen Sect and should not have appeared here.

But thinking about how Gu Qing could still slip into the place where Lu Qingdu was held and beat him, Zhen Zhibing felt that it was also normal for Gu Qing to appear here.

"Gu Qing, hurry back to your cell now. I can pretend you never came out."

Zhen Zhibing shouted with a show of bravado: "Neither of us saw the other."

Today, he had seen a good opportunity and wanted to defile Xiaolongnu. Although he hadn't succeeded, his ugly behavior had already been seen by someone. Now, Zhen Zhibing was panicked and only wanted to cover it up.

"Zhen Zhibing."

Gu Qing suddenly spoke, saying: "When I was in the Three Pure Ones Hall, I took a total of twenty-three punches. Nineteen of them were from sparring with my fellow disciples, where there was give and take, so being hit was fine. But four of those punches were when you grabbed my arms after breaking up the fight, which gave Lu Qingdu the opportunity to hit me."

"I returned Lu Qingdu's share that very night, but I have been keeping track of your share."

So it was this...

Then why don't you blame Zhao Zhijing for not holding Lu Qingdu back?

Zhen Zhibing remembered the incident back then. At that time, Zhen Zhibing was holding Gu Qing, and Zhao Zhijing was holding Lu Qingdu. Except for his guilt regarding Xiaolongnu, Zhen Zhibing was upright at other times, so he held Gu Qing with all his might, while Zhao Zhijing had let go.

"Why don't you go find Zhao Zhijing?!"

Zhen Zhibing said indignantly.

Lu Qingdu was Zhao Zhijing's disciple, and it was Zhao Zhijing who had deliberately not held him back.

Zhen Zhibing felt that he was being wrongly blamed for this.

"Don't worry, he won't get away either!"

Gu Qing had already made his move, waving his hand in a chop; it was the Quanzhen Sect's "Frost-Breaking Palm." Before the new revision, this set of palm techniques was called the "Three Flowers Gathering on the Crown Palm," the most supreme skill of the Quanzhen Sect. Now, applied by Gu Qing, it made Zhen Zhibing feel a fierce wind approaching, causing his face to ache, and he hurriedly applied Quanzhen martial arts to resist.

But as soon as Zhen Zhibing's move came out, he saw Gu Qing's moves suddenly change, striking with incredible speed. In a daze, Zhen Zhibing felt the acupoints on his arm being controlled, and his heart felt hot. Gu Qing's palm force surged in, forcing his blood to flow backward and gather in his chest. For a moment, his blood flow was obstructed, and he felt dizzy and saw black.

"This is not Quanzhen martial arts!"

Zhen Zhibing shouted urgently.

"This is Ancient Tomb martial arts!"

Xiaolongnu recognized the origin of this set of martial arts; it was precisely the Ancient Tomb Sect's "Heavenly Net Force."

The Ancient Tomb Sect's martial arts have an extremely high degree of restraint over Quanzhen martial arts, enough to allow Xiaolongnu to instantly defeat Zhao Zhijing, who had the highest martial arts among the 'Zhi' generation in the Quanzhen Sect, with a single palm.

Now, Gu Qing first used the Frost-Breaking Palm to lure Zhen Zhibing into using his full strength, then suddenly changed his move to the Heavenly Net Force. In this way, Zhen Zhibing was tricked, and in a single move, this member of the 'Zhi' generation was easily controlled by Gu Qing.

"I learned it by stealing."

Gu Qing said this taboo of the martial arts world easily, looked at Xiaolongnu, and said: "Sorry, I snuck into the Ancient Tomb."

Xiaolongnu's face turned as cold as frost in an instant.

Gu Qing was saying sorry, but he didn't look sorry at all. He reached out, untied Zhen Zhibing's belt, and then tied it around Zhen Zhibing's neck.

"Martial Nephew Gu, what do you want to do?"

Zhen Zhibing felt something was wrong when the belt was put on him and asked hurriedly.

"Of course, it's to slaughter you!"

Gu Qing's voice was very calm, as if he were talking about a trivial matter.

"The grudge between the two of us is just those four punches, right!"

Zhen Zhibing panicked a little. This guy was ready to slaughter him over a disagreement and was executing it so seriously, which Zhen Zhibing couldn't accept. He shouted: "At worst, I'll let you hit me forty times! Let you vent your anger!"

Gu Qing didn't hesitate at all because of Zhen Zhibing's words. He tightened the belt in his hand and said: "You have long had a path to death. Even without those four punches, I would still slaughter you!"

When reading a novel, of course, one must identify with the protagonist. Having been cyber-cuckolded, Gu Qing was very irritable.

While speaking, Gu Qing tightened the belt and said: "Zhen Zhibing, now you can beg me."

"Beg, you, to, let, me, go?"

Zhen Zhibing's neck was tightly strangled, the veins on his head bulged, and his speech was no longer coherent.

"Beg me to give you a quick end."

Gu Qing said.

Zhen Zhibing curled his lips upon hearing this. Having fallen into Gu Qing's hands today, he had nothing to say, but to close his eyes and accept death. To make him beg Gu Qing for mercy before he died was something Zhen Zhibing couldn't do.

Especially in front of Xiaolongnu!

The belt was tightly bound, and just as Zhen Zhibing was about to suffocate, Gu Qing suddenly loosened it.

"Do you know, when a person is strangled to death, they will lose control of their bowels and bladder; it's very ugly."

Gu Qing said this, letting Zhen Zhibing catch his breath, before he continued to strangle him tightly.

"Kill me, quick! I beg you!"

With Gu Qing's constant torture and the psychological pressure, Zhen Zhibing already felt that he was behaving in an ugly manner. It would be better to die with dignity; that way, in Xiaolongnu's eyes, he wouldn't be so evil.

"Wouldn't it have been better to do this earlier?"

Gu Qing reached out and struck Zhen Zhibing's back with a palm, shaking him until blood flowed from his seven orifices, and he fell dead to the ground.

【Satisfied Zhen Zhibing's wish for a quick death, Merit +1】

Merit is an ability Gu Qing brought with him after transmigrating. As long as someone sincerely begs for something and Gu Qing satisfies their need, Gu Qing can obtain merit, and then apply that merit to add points.

Physique, internal energy, internal organs, bone marrow, sword moves, striking speed, etc. —he can add points wherever he wants, however he wants. Even if he is injured or sick, he can recover by consuming merit.

This omnipotent merit is the foundation of Gu Qing's standing.

It was also by relying on merit points that Gu Qing became a martial arts prodigy in the Chongyang Palace.

"Zhao Zhijing, you come out too!"

Gu Qing stood up proudly and called out.

Not a moment was spent mourning Zhen Zhibing's death. The one about to head to the battlefield was the number one person of the 'Zhi' generation of the Quanzhen Sect, Zhao Zhijing!

(End of chapter)