Chapter 197: I Scatter My Own Bones!

The boat docked.

Gu Qing lifted Murong Bo's coffin with one hand and leapt from the boat onto the shore.

This coffin had been buried in the earth for many years; after Gu Qing dug it up and threw it into Taihu Lake, it was now completely filled with water, and as he set it down, water seeped out from every crack around it.

At this moment, Murong Fu arrived nearby, staring at the leaking coffin, his heart tightening with pain.

"Gu Qing, what has the Murong family ever done to offend you that you humiliate us so?"

Murong Fu glared angrily at Gu Qing.

Beside Murong Fu stood the Four Great Retainers, A Zhu and A Bi—all of whom had received kindness from Murong Bo and his wife, and who now felt this scene as if it were their own flesh being torn; their hatred toward Gu Qing burned fiercely.

"Cousin…"

Wang Yuyan wanted to explain, but the idea of the dead returning to life was too bizarre—even she barely believed it herself, let alone could she explain it to Murong Fu.

Gu Qing glanced at Murong Fu, then his gaze settled on A Zhu and A Bi. He had already seen A Bi, gentle and lovely; now he looked at A Zhu in her pink dress, her oval face glowing with beauty, who met his eyes and shot him a furious glare.

"In the Jianghu, strength always decides what is right."

A voice suddenly came from the shore: two men approached, one fat, one thin; the thin man sneered, "Murong of the South walks the Jianghu, and his words are law—that's how he corrects injustice and commands loyalty. Now he's wailing like this? How laughable!"

The thin man spoke with sharp cruelty.

"Shut your fucking mouth!"

Bao Budong, furious, cursed outright: "Who the hell are you to speak to us?"

"I am Yan Longyuan."

The thin man bowed slightly, speaking coldly.

The name Yan Longyuan sent a jolt through Murong Fu, Deng Baichuan, Gongye Qian, and A Zhu—it echoed like a hidden dragon of Yan state lying in the abyss, stirring an uncanny sense of familiarity, as if they had heard it before.

Murong Bo gave a cold smile.

Long ago, Murong Bo had instigated the Yanmen Pass battle; during that fight, he trembled in fear at Xiao Yuanshan's slaughter, returned to Suzhou, hid in his cellar for days, terrified Xiao Yuanshan would come for him. Later, when the Shaolin abbot demanded justice, Murong Bo had no choice but to fake his death.

His wife handled the deception flawlessly; Murong Bo assumed the alias Yan Longyuan and went into hiding in Shaolin's Scripture Library.

But Murong Bo never imagined that years later, someone would break his grave, dig up his coffin, and show no honor.

This matter of faked death demanded his intervention.

"Master Gu."

The fat man beside Murong Bo spoke: "This monk bears chains of attachment, craving fame and gain. I've heard you bear the title 'First Divine Strength'—I've come to test you."

After hearing the name Yan Longyuan, Gu Qing knew this man was Murong Bo; but the fat man beside him, holding a pig's head, Gu Qing had never seen before. His stance was peculiar, so Gu Qing glanced at him twice.

"Forget his First Divine Strength—first, face me, Feng Bo'e of Jiangnan's Gale!"

Feng Bo'e charged forward—he loved fighting and quarreling, and now that Yan Longyuan and the fat man had insulted the Murong clan, he had no choice but to strike. As he leapt, he reached out, aiming to tear into the fat man's chest.

"Boom!"

His fist struck the fat man's body—but the fat man showed no reaction. Feng Bo'e immediately shifted techniques, unleashing a flurry of blows, yet the fat man stood motionless, letting each punch land. Only when Feng Bo'e was about to draw his blade did the fat man raise his hand, fingers splayed wide, his palm like a meditation cushion, sweeping sideways and sending Feng Bo'e flying to the side.

"Are you Master Zhi Guang of Jinhua?" Wang Yuyan, seeing the fat man's move, recognized his lineage.

The fat man took a bite of pig's head, then said to Wang Yuyan: "Young lady, sharp eyes."

Hearing it was Master Zhi Guang of Jinhua, Deng Baichuan and Gongye Qian drew in sharp breaths.

"Master Zhi Guang is a disciple of Master Huitong."

Wang Yuyan, seeing Gu Qing didn't recognize him, explained: "Master Huitong was said to have spoken from birth, destined for the Buddha. He entered the monastic path as a child, spoke and laughed without restraint, ate one pig's head daily, earning the nickname 'Pig-Head Monk.' He foretold fortune and misfortune with perfect accuracy; his prayers for drought or flood brought miraculous results—everyone revered him. Beyond that, Master Huitong was a Grandmaster, possessing extraordinary strength—even dozens of experts together could not budge him…"

"Several years ago, Master Huitong passed away. It's said even Su Dongpo sent an essay in tribute, and within the Buddhist community, he is universally recognized as the earthly incarnation of Dingguang Buddha."

The current Shaolin abbot, Xuan Ci, is only called the Tiger-Taming Arhat—yet Master Huitong is called Dingguang Buddha. His prowess is evident.

"So you trained under a very powerful monk."

Gu Qing summed up simply: "And now you think you're strong enough to challenge me?"

Master Zhi Guang nodded, then added: "I lost to Master Yan Longyuan, and promised him I'd do one thing."

!

Because he lost to Yan Longyuan, Master Zhi Guang claimed he bore chains of attachment; because he wanted to test his strength against Gu Qing, he claimed he craved fame and gain.

Gu Qing finally understood.

"Since you bear the title 'First Divine Strength,' let our contest be without internal energy—purely physical strength. Agreed?"

As he spoke, Master Zhi Guang stretched his sinews and bones. His body was round and plump, yet as he moved, his joints cracked loudly.

"Agreed!"

Gu Qing accepted readily and stepped toward Master Zhi Guang.

After remaking the Jiayi Divine Art, Gu Qing's extraordinary meridians and acupoints now channeled force in seamless succession—this allowed him to complete the Dragon and Elephant Divine Power in a single stroke, reaching the unprecedented Thirteenth Level, a feat never seen before. Hence his claim as 'First Divine Strength'—and now he wished to test its true power.

"Shhh!"

Seeing Gu Qing prepare to challenge Master Zhi Guang, Murong Bo flashed forward, arriving before the coffin. He slapped the lid—this coffin, buried for years and soaked in water, shattered into pieces. Simultaneously, Murong Bo unleashed his full force, hurling everything inside into Taihu Lake with a splash.

This was Murong Bo's act of cremating his own bones and scattering his ashes—to cut all ties!

This move took everyone by surprise, swift and seamless—before Murong Fu could react, the coffin's contents were already gone.

"Monster!"

Murong Fu flew into a rage, drawing his sword and lunging at Murong Bo.

Murong Bo leapt toward Taihu Lake—he was born in Taihu, raised in Taihu, an expert swimmer; diving in felt like returning home. But just as he neared the water's surface, he felt himself frozen in place.

He turned sharply—and saw Gu Qing standing at the water's edge, his face faintly translucent, one hand open in the air, his hair whipping wildly. The terrifying suction force was pulling him back from the water!

Such a power—controllable, reversible—defied all logic of Jin's martial arts. Murong Bo paled.

"Master Murong!"

Gu Qing coldly ordered: "Kill this monster!"

Murong Fu, Deng Baichuan, Gongye Qian, Bao Budong, and Feng Bo'e all acted in unison, unleashing their techniques upon Murong Bo!

(End of Chapter)