Chapter 132: Winning, Winning, Until Gaixia

The candle flame in the small shop flickered.

Everyone stared at Gu Qing's outstretched finger.

The drunkard across from him now realized that this finger was not only expert with chopsticks, but could snatch weapons and swords with equal mastery.

"If only someone could truly counter the Weapons List."

The Old Man of Heaven naturally didn't believe it; he tilted his head and murmured, "Shangguan JinHong, ranked second on the Weapons List, had lain dormant for years, but suddenly resurfaced two years ago, gathering seventeen masters from the list to form the Coin Gang—undefeated, unchecked, their power now surpassing even the Beggar's Sect. In this time when righteousness wanes and evil grows, if a true hero could counter the Weapons List masters, it would be perfect."

The three words "Coin Gang" carried magic; as soon as the Old Man of Heaven spoke them, the shop fell utterly silent.

In today's Jianghu, no one dared provoke the Coin Gang.

Gu Qing smiled and said, "Xiang Yu kept winning, winning until he reached Gaixia."

No matter how many victories the Coin Gang racks up, it will collapse the moment Li Xunhuan defeats Shangguan JinHong.

No one in the shop laughed at Gu Qing's jest.

"Laughter" comes in many forms: when facing the weak, it's mockery; when facing the strong, it's forced smiles. Gu Qing was laughing at the Coin Gang, and many in the shop dared not laugh; Li Xunhuan had no heart for laughter; the Old Man of Heaven and Sun Xiaohong were gazing out the door—when suddenly, several yellow-clad men entered.

Apricot-yellow robes were the Coin Gang's mark.

The young leader locked eyes on Gu Qing the moment he entered, and marched straight toward him.

Some patrons drinking in the shop rose to leave, but the yellow-clad men had already blocked the door; each placed a coin atop a guest's head, and the guests immediately wore mournful faces, like puppets, led out by the yellow-clad men.

Outside, the ground was marked with many circles—each just large enough to fit a foot. Those led out stood obediently within their circles.

When the coin falls, the head is lost.

That was the Coin Gang's rule.

The young leader stood before Gu Qing, spinning several coins in his palm, silent, only rubbing them continuously until the copper coins clicked sharply.

Inside the shop, silence. Outside, silence.

More than forty people had been led outside by the Coin Gang, standing one by one in the circles, coins on their heads, feet within the marks, utterly motionless.

The pressure was complete; the young man finally spoke, calmly asking, "You just compared the Coin Gang to Xiang Yu?"

"Yu's martial might—peerless through all ages."

Gu Qing smiled. "Don't paste gold leaf on your own faces."

The young man finally struck—a palm blast of pure internal force, squarely hitting Gu Qing's chest!

He didn't aim to kill, but to defeat Gu Qing, to make him feel despair.

"Crack!"

Gu Qing sat unmoved. The striking youth's arm snapped, flew backward, knocked over several men at the door, and rolled to the ground. After several rolls, he tried to speak—but his eyes rolled up and he fainted.

"Young Master!"

The sudden turn stunned everyone around. The youth who attacked Gu Qing was Shangguan JinHong's son, Shangguan Fei—commanding obedience throughout the Coin Gang. Now, with Shangguan Fei grievously wounded, the Coin Gang members surged into the shop, attacking Gu Qing!

First came a one-eyed yellow-clad man; he flung open his robe to reveal forty-nine darts inside his chest—long and short, the long ones thirteen inches, the short ones six and a half. As he charged in, red flashes darted from his hands, darts flying toward Gu Qing.

The long darts launched first, the short ones arrived first, linked in perfect sequence, clearly a refined technique.

As he charged, he showed no regard for others in the shop.

Gu Qing remained seated, unmoving. His hands moved. Li Xunhuan, seated opposite, saw it all clearly—he couldn't describe the speed and dexterity of Gu Qing's hands, only that his fingers had reached a state of absolute freedom: watching Gu Qing and the one-eyed man, it seemed like a magic trick—throwing and catching—until the one-eyed man reached Gu Qing's front, all forty-nine long and short darts lay neatly arranged on the table before Gu Qing.

"Thwip! Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!"

Gu Qing suddenly struck back, returning each dart.

The one-eyed man, who had just reached Gu Qing's front, retreated frantically, instantly pushed out the door—his body pierced by forty-nine long and short darts, using the very technique he himself had wielded.

"Flying Darts! That's Yan Shuangfei's Flying Darts!"

The Coin Gang members recognized the wounds on the one-eyed man and cried out in shock.

This one-eyed man, pierced by darts, was ranked forty-sixth on the Weapons List—Yan Shuangfei, capable of launching forty-nine darts in an instant, never missing. But now he was dead—killed by his own signature technique.

"Use his own way against him!"

The Coin Gang members stared at Gu Qing and cried, "You're Gu Qing?"

Only "Use his own way against him" could explain why Yan Shuangfei's darts were embedded in his own body.

Gu Qing nodded, stood, and walked outside.

Outside, a crippled man with a cane had already revived Shangguan Fei. Seeing Gu Qing emerge, he hobbled forward to meet him.

"This is Zhu Ge Gang."

The Old Man of Heaven suddenly said, "On Bai Xiaosheng's Weapons List, his Iron Cane ranks eighth—sixty-three catties, the heaviest weapon in the Jianghu."

With such a heavy weapon, Gu Qing's nimble technique would be useless.

Zhu Ge Gang glanced at the Old Man of Heaven, then swept his iron cane sideways.

Gu Qing understood well the principle: "The heaviest sword has no edge; true mastery needs no flourish." On such heavy weapons, finesse won't win. Zhu Ge Gang, as a name on the Weapons List, already possessed extraordinary skill with the Iron Cane; now with his inner qi, the weapon became impossible to block directly.

Even Lu Xiaofeng would have to dodge first.

But Gu Qing was different—he possessed the Dragon and Elephant Samadhi Power, his body brimming with extraordinary strength. Seeing the Iron Cane swing toward him, he didn't dodge or retreat, simply extending two fingers.

"There!"

Gu Qing's fingers clamped the Iron Cane!

Zhu Ge Gang was stunned, frantically trying to pull back his weapon—but Gu Qing's two fingers held firm, the cane unmoving.

"Whoosh!"

Gu Qing suddenly exerted force—the Iron Cane flew from Zhu Ge Gang's grip and landed in Gu Qing's hand.

"Leave the coins. Go now."

Gu Qing spoke to the Jianghu men around him.

The Jianghu men, coins still on their heads, felt as if granted divine mercy; they quickly placed the coins before Gu Qing, bowed and thanked him profusely before fleeing.

Gu Qing silently collected good karma, his gaze turning to Zhu Ge Gang and the newly awakened Shangguan Fei.

"Do you want to live or die?"

Gu Qing asked calmly.

No one wanted to die. So Zhu Ge Gang and Shangguan Fei each balanced over twenty copper coins—one in a horse stance, the other standing on one leg, both motionless in the alley.

Shangguan Fei was no coward—but after striking Gu Qing's palm, a great terror took root in him. He had to tell Shangguan JinHong exactly how Gu Qing's internal force felt.

"I've driven everyone away."

Gu Qing looked at Li Xunhuan and said, "The treasure of Xingyunzhuang should be mine now."

"Xingyunzhuang has no treasure."

Li Xunhuan raised his head, speaking calmly.

"There is a treasure!"

Gu Qing declared firmly. "My heart's darling!"

(End of Chapter)