Chapter 150: Still Needs Practice

"I heard that Weng Tianjie, one of the Eight Righteous Men of the Central Plains, was once a river-and-lake bandit..."

"Weng Tianjie's brothers, each a mighty hero, ran themselves ragged trying to avenge him—only to finally learn the truth."

"Tie Chuanjia was truly a man of integrity—he swallowed that injustice whole, out of loyalty."

Gu Qing sat inside the tavern, nodded as he heard the martial world folk speak of the Eight Righteous Men of the Central Plains.

Tie Chuanjia is now hiding from the Eight Righteous Men, who cannot even apologize to him; and after realizing their own fault, they still spread the news throughout the martial world at the insistence of the female butcher, Old Lady Weng.

Right is right, wrong is wrong.

Tie Chuanjia has borne too much already—the Eight Righteous Men refuse to let him carry it any longer.

"Fried shark fins, kidney stewed in broth, bone soup, roasted lamb breast, stir-fried crab."

Gu Qing sat in the restaurant and ordered several dishes, ready to properly reward himself.

This tavern had a strong reputation; its chef moved swiftly, and the fine dishes arrived on the table in no time.

Gu Qing first sipped the bone soup, then picked up the kidney stewed in broth.

The so-called kidney stewed in broth is kidney blanched then stir-fried; Gu Qing took a bite and found the flavor excellent.

"You make enemies everywhere in the martial world—and yet dare to eat so calmly?"

As she spoke, a girl with her braid neatly combed sat across from Gu Qing, her eyes like polished lacquer, her skin pale and clear, gazing at him with a hint of anger.

It was Sun Xiaohong.

"How have I made enemies?"

Gu Qing asked—he had always done good deeds.

"You know best."

Sun Xiaohong said, her face stern.

Gu Qing had no idea at all; he pushed the stir-fried crab toward Sun Xiaohong, gesturing for her to eat, then bent his head back to his meal.

"You've learned the Lianhua Treasure Mirror—you should have the ability to detect poison. Didn't you notice the food is poisoned?"

Sun Xiaohong had come here to warn Gu Qing.

"So that's why colorless, odorless poison is so good."

Gu Qing sipped the bone soup and said, "If it ruined the flavor, I wouldn't eat it. The crab isn't poisoned—eat with confidence."

The merit earned from the Eight Righteous Men of the Central Plains, combined with previous gains, Gu Qing had channeled into his liver—the liver enhances detoxification, and with his profound inner energy, he was immune to all poisons, so he treated these toxins as ordinary food.

"Miss, are you friends with these guests?"

The waiter stepped forward and asked Sun Xiaohong.

"No!"

Sun Xiaohong said, "I'm a storyteller."

"We don't allow storytellers in this tavern."

The waiter frowned and ordered Sun Xiaohong to leave.

Gu Qing, having eaten in ancient times often, knew taverns were full of chaos—courtesans, storytellers, some extorting money, others stirring trouble; thus, upscale taverns banned such people.

But today's waiter clearly wasn't acting on that reason.

"She's my friend. Let her sit here—it's fine."

Gu Qing had full confidence he could protect Sun Xiaohong.

The waiter withdrew. Unnoticed, the tavern's patrons had already left; outside came a flurry of footsteps, then silence—followed by a single, steady tread.

"Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud..."

Heavy footsteps climbed the stairs, one step at a time.

The man who came up was no fat man—only a meteor hammer in hand, steady and calm.

"Xiang Song?"

A startled voice echoed from the tavern's second floor.

It wasn't Gu Qing who spoke, but a man in snow-white robes—cold, proud, now speaking with icy calm: "Are you going after Gu Qing?"

"It's Lu Fengxian."

Sun Xiaohong recognized the white-robed man.

Lu Fengxian, ranked fifth on Bai Xiaosheng's Weapons List, below the Iron Sword of Songyang.

"The Silver Spear, Warm Marquis?"

Xiang Song, holding the meteor hammer, stared at the white-robed man.

"The Silver Spear, Warm Marquis is dead."

Lu Fengxian said coolly, "The man standing before you is Lu Fengxian."

The Silver Spear, Warm Marquis was Lu Fengxian's former title—but after ranking fifth on the Weapons List, he could not bear it, abandoned the silver spear, and trained another martial art, now perfected, and emerged to reset his rank.

"We've never interfered with each other."

Xiang Song said—he ranked nineteenth on the Weapons List with his meteor hammer, recruited by Shangguan JinHong to become a commander of the Money Gang, now came here to deal with Gu Qing.

"You've interfered."

Lu Fengxian said coldly, "Gu Qing is mine. None of you have the right to touch him." As he spoke, his gaze locked onto Gu Qing: "I heard you defeated Ximen Rou and Zhuge Gang, killed many in the Money Gang, possess the ability to use their own methods against them, and a supreme skill that counters every technique on the Weapons List?"

Gu Qing nodded.

"Then try my meteor hammer!"

Xiang Song pressed forward.

Gu Qing was already an enemy of the Money Gang; Shangguan JinHong hated him deeply. Now that Gu Qing was poisoned, Xiang Song saw a once-in-a-lifetime chance—if he crushed Gu Qing with his hammer, his status in the Money Gang would soar.

"The Weapons List's counter? I checked carefully—it was your own claim."

Xiang Song said coldly.

"Shut up!"

As Lu Fengxian spoke, he lunged at Xiang Song with his hand.

In the past ten years, Lu Fengxian trained a hand technique—his thumb, index, and middle fingers hardened like steel; he seized the meteor hammer mid-swing, pressing it down before Xiang Song could even release it, then reversed the blow and slammed it back at Xiang Song.

Xiang Song was indeed skilled—but against the fifth-ranked weapon master, the gap was too vast.

"Crack!"

Xiang Song's skull shattered—he died instantly.

Outside, many archers had been stationed; now seeing Xiang Song dead, they panicked.

"How are my three fingers?"

Lu Fengxian asked coldly; as he spoke, he reached out and gripped the table—his fingers sliced through wood like tofu, sinking deep.

"Good fingers."

Gu Qing said, "But they still need practice."

"Still need practice?"

Lu Fengxian asked.

Gu Qing flicked his finger—through the window, toward a nearby large tree. A sharp crack echoed—the tree, as thick as a waist, split cleanly in two; its canopy swayed, creaked, then crashed to the ground.

The martial world's secret art: Finger Blade.

Lu Fengxian stared at the fallen canopy, silent.

Gu Qing took Sun Xiaohong's hand and walked out. Struck by this, Lu Fengxian would now return home quietly... In the novel, Lu Fengxian, summoned by Li Xunhuan to kill Lin Xian'er, was seduced by her, shattered mentally, and vanished into obscurity.

Now, with Gu Qing urging him to step back, it's better for Lu Fengxian.

"I'm going to find A Fei. Want to come?"

Gu Qing asked Sun Xiaohong.

"You really plan to rescue A Fei?"

Sun Xiaohong asked—extracting someone from Lin Xian'er's grasp isn't easy.

"Not exactly."

Gu Qing said, "I just want to help A Fei get some elementary education."

A Fei is a wild child—he's never been to elementary school, doesn't understand its lessons.

Whether he graduates from elementary school? That's up to him.

A brother can only help him this far.

(End of Chapter)