Chapter 142: Hand Over to the Great Joy Bodhisattva for Education

All along, the Great Joy Bodhisattva had been seen by everyone as a mountain.

Now Gu Qing lifted the Great Joy Bodhisattva and slammed her to the ground—truly a feat of strength that could uproot mountains and overshadow the world; this single strike stirred the hearts of many in the crowd.

"Good! Good! Good! Well hit!"

The Great Joy Bodhisattva let out a long cry on the ground, her body springing up nimbly; her arms were thicker than Gu Qing's thighs, and at once she clapped her palms together, striking straight at Gu Qing's chest!

Gu Qing's Primordial Qi Gong flowed in one continuous stream, linking every joint; his punches surged like a tidal wave, endless and layered, delivering a hundred blows in an instant toward the Great Joy Bodhisattva.

Their forces collided, blowing the fat disciples on either side off their feet; roof tiles in the inn rattled violently, yet Gu Qing and the Great Joy Bodhisattva fought faster and faster—she was fat yet agile, powerful yet swift, but in close-range exchanges, her bulk inevitably restricted her movements, leaving her no room to adapt.

Gu Qing threw ten punches; the Great Joy Bodhisattva could block only two or three—the remaining seven or eight struck her body, making her fat jiggle wildly, like a living ball of flesh.

Such overwhelming internal energy and brute strength was truly a sight to behold for those around.

"Crash!"

Gu Qing unleashed both fists simultaneously, hammering hard against the Great Joy Bodhisattva's ribs; her fat sank inward, then rebounded with the force—she was blasted out of the tavern and rolled heavily onto the ground.

"Excellent!"

A young man with greasy hair and powdered face kept cheering.

Gu Qing sized up the young man and asked tentatively: "You're You Longsheng?"

"No, no!"

You Longsheng quickly covered his face, denying it.

You Longsheng came from the Sword Storage Manor, the young master; his master, the Old Dragon, was sworn brothers with the heads of the Shaolin, Wudang, and Kunlun sects; You Longsheng had also taken as his master Xue Yingzi, the former number-one swordsman, making his name resound across the Jianghu—but now he'd fallen into the hands of the Great Joy Bodhisattva, utterly humiliated, bringing shame upon his master's name.

Gu Qing reached out, grabbed You Longsheng, and threw him out of the tavern, freeing him from the encirclement of the Great Joy Bodhisattva's disciples, then leapt forward to stand before her.

The Great Joy Bodhisattva's fat trembled as she rose again, spun her body, and suddenly employed nimble martial arts against Gu Qing.

This was rare for the Great Joy Bodhisattva—she admitted defeat in raw power.

Gu Qing shook his hands; honestly, after striking her body so many times, it felt as if he'd squeezed out her fat—he found his hands uncomfortably greasy… For someone like the Great Joy Bodhisattva, if Gu Qing wanted to kill her, he could simply use the Ruyi Orchid Hand or the Bone-Melting Palm—both would dispatch her in an instant.

But now, without his two deadliest techniques and without a sword, and refusing to strike her eyes, Gu Qing was forced to rely solely on brute punches.

The Shatter-Strong Claw, the Great Demon-Subduing Fist, the Minor Starlight Palm…

Gu Qing's techniques never repeated; even moves from the Lianhua Treasure Mirror were employed, allowing him to dance around the Great Joy Bodhisattva; they clashed for over three hundred moves, and despite her nimbleness, she remained constantly constrained, frantically shouting in frustration.

"Stop!"

As the battle raged, a shout came from the side.

Gu Qing glanced over—it was one of the Great Joy Bodhisattva's disciples holding Long Xiaoyun hostage; seeing this, Gu Qing sighed in relief, thinking even pigs had brains.

"Despicable!"

Gu Qing secretly rejoiced but feigned outrage; as the Great Joy Bodhisattva struck, he sidestepped and darted toward the female disciple and Long Xiaoyun, launching both palms at once!

"Crash!"

Gu Qing first slammed his palm hard into the female disciple's arm, forcing her grip to loosen; the other palm struck Long Xiaoyun's body—its force was soft, non-damaging—and then Gu Qing reached out with a gesture.

Long Xiaoyun, standing where he was, flew through the air toward Gu Qing!

"Heavy Tower Flying Blood, Primordial Qi?"

The Great Joy Bodhisattva recognized the technique, her voice filled with profound astonishment.

At this level, internal energy could be projected and retracted; Gu Qing had thrown one palm, then retracted it, the palm's force carrying Long Xiaoyun along.

Long Xiaoyun drifted toward Gu Qing, his heart easing… There were so many disciples around the Great Joy Bodhisattva; for Gu Qing to publicly declare they were allies in front of so many was unwise.

As Long Xiaoyun was thinking this, he saw Gu Qing's expression change suddenly—he staggered, and Long Xiaoyun, still mid-air, fell heavily to the ground.

The Great Joy Bodhisattva seized the opportunity, grabbing Long Xiaoyun first.

"Cowardly!"

Gu Qing roared: "You've poisoned me!"

Though unaware of the details, the Great Joy Bodhisattva burst into laughter, lifting Long Xiaoyun by one hand: "Even the Five Poisons Child bows to me as his adoptive mother—using poison is perfectly normal."

At this moment, Long Xiaoyun's face turned ashen—he never imagined poisoning Gu Qing would backfire and crush his own foot.

At the start of the fight, Long Xiaoyun had tried to flee, but Gu Qing had called out to him early, drawing the attention of the Great Joy Bodhisattva's disciples, preventing his escape.

Now that Gu Qing was poisoned, Long Xiaoyun was helpless.

"Can you still run?"

You Longsheng asked at once—if Gu Qing couldn't run, neither could he, and You Longsheng would have to turn back.

"I've been poisoned a bit—I can't fight, but I can still run."

After saying this, Gu Qing looked at the Great Joy Bodhisattva: "Do you know who you're holding? He's the distant successor of the Thousand-Faced Lord Wang Lianhua—in his possession lies the Lianhua Treasure Mirror, once owned by Wang Lianhua himself."

Gu Qing suddenly said.

Hearing this, Long Xiaoyun stared at Gu Qing with a strange expression—revealing this to the Great Joy Bodhisattva meant Long Xiaoyun would never escape.

"Xiaoyun, only by revealing this can you save your life."

Gu Qing spoke as if deeply considering Long Xiaoyun's welfare: "I'm poisoned now—I must withdraw from battle."

Seeing this, Long Xiaoyun realized Gu Qing truly had his best interests at heart.

The Great Joy Bodhisattva held Long Xiaoyun and, hearing the Lianhua Treasure Mirror was on him, kissed him hard on the cheek—making Long Xiaoyun's eyes go wide.

"Xiaoyun, do you know?"

Gu Qing comforted: "When you were young, a small setback made you feel life wasn't worth living—but as you grow older, you'll realize that nine out of ten things in life go against your wishes; there is no such thing as perfect perfection. You'll witness the joys, sorrows, anger, and happiness of the world, taste the myriad flavors of life—and when you're old, even the greatest setbacks will be laughed about."

"So don't ever give up!"

Gu Qing feared Long Xiaoyun would kill himself.

Long Xiaoyun nodded.

"All blame lies with me."

Gu Qing said mournfully: "Xiaoyun, believe me—I will come back to save you!"

Gu Qing knew he was wrong, but he didn't know where—he forgave himself anyway.

Long Xiaoyun nodded again; Gu Qing had done his best—losing wasn't his fault.

Gu Qing sighed, grabbed You Longsheng, and both of them leapt away.

This unruly boy, Long Xiaoyun, must now be subjected to the brutal education of the Great Joy Bodhisattva.

(End of Chapter)