Chapter 199: The Murongs Understand Each Other Too Well

Zhi Guang, who had nearly been framed, didn't argue with Gu Qing; he cursed under his breath and left.

Murong Fu, Gongye Qian, Deng Baichuan, Feng Bo'e, and Bao Budong struggled desperately to recover Murong Bo's body from Taihu, but found nothing; each of them trembled with rage.

Their father's grave had been dug up, his coffin thrown into the water to soak, then opened before their eyes and desecrated, his bones ground to ash—Murong Fu didn't know which pain to feel first.

Overall, it was pain.

Extreme pain.

Murong Bo, as a martial artist and former head of the Murong clan, knew full well how his family pursued vengeance; the next step would be to search every pharmacy in Pingjiang Prefecture, so he had to do the opposite—hide within the Murong estate and use its herbs to heal.

But Murong Fu, on shore, suffered endlessly; Murong Bo, hidden beside the Murong boat, one hand clinging to its hull, also writhed in agony, silently cursing his fate.

The father and son were truly feeling each other's pain.

"Ah…"

Gu Qing sighed softly; only Mu Wanjing, Wang Yuyan, A Zhu, and A Bi could hear him: "In the past, I always thought Murong Fu's martial arts were weak, that he only bore the title 'Southern Murong' by reputation, so I gave him the label 'Number One Marketer.' But today I realize I was wrong—Murong Fu is profoundly filial; he deserves the title 'Number One Filial Son.'"

A Bi, who secretly loved Murong Fu, felt her heart tighten as she watched his suffering; upon hearing Gu Qing's words, she glared at him and whispered, "Shut up!"

"Actually, many of the Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars were manufactured for show."

Gu Qing murmured: "The filial sons in those stories weren't necessarily as deeply devoted as Murong Fu."

A Bi glared hatefully at Gu Qing.

"Forget it. We're leaving."

Gu Qing had fulfilled A Bi's wish.

Of course, that wish—to shut up—was too simple to earn any good karma.

"I'll be back."

Gu Qing waved to A Zhu and A Bi.

Mu Wanjing yanked his raised hand down.

After bidding farewell to Murong Fu and the others, Gu Qing and the Wang family group continued on toward Dali.

Once they were far from Taihu, Wang Lady suddenly burst into laughter, her chest bouncing wildly.

As they moved farther from Taihu Lake, Madame Wang suddenly burst into laughter, her white rabbit bouncing up and down.

Wang Yuyan frowned at her mother and said sharply: "Your brother-in-law's corpse was thrown into the water to feed fish and shrimp—no one can even find it—and yet you're laughing?"

"The Murongs are the Murongs; the Wangs are the Wangs."

Wang Lady glared and said: "That brat Murong Fu dreams of being emperor every day—he's offended countless people openly and secretly. That's why I told you to draw clear lines. Otherwise, today it might have been your dead father's corpse floating in Taihu."

Murong Lady had always been hostile to Wang Lady, subtly and openly humiliating her; now that Murong Bo's corpse had been desecrated and tossed into the water, Wang Lady could only say it was karma returning.

Wang Yuyan heard these words and fell silent, deeply resentful.

"I have one question."

Mu Wanjing's voice was cool and clear: "You dug up Murong Bo to revive him—then why didn't you dig up Wang Yuyan's father's grave? How will her father be revived?"

Wang Yuyan turned, puzzled, to look at Gu Qing.

Not digging up the Wang family grave did seem to leave something missing.

"Trust Gu Qing."

Gu Qing patted his chest and said: "The day your parents are revived is the day your father will see daylight again." Wang Lady, hearing this, shot Mu Wanjing a venomous look, silently cursing Duan Zhengchun for attracting every woman in sight.

Gu Qing patted his chest and said, "The day your parents are resurrected is the day your father sees the light of day again." Upon hearing this, Madame Wang shot a venomous glare at Mu Wanying, silently cursing Duan Zhengchun, that rake, for drawing bees and butterflies.

Wang Lady asked bluntly: "Do you practice the Xiaoyao Sect's martial arts?"

When facing Yan Longyuan, Gu Qing had merely reached out and halted Yan's fall mid-air—something neither the Dragon-Seizing Skill nor the Crane-Controlling Hand could achieve.

Such an impossible martial art naturally reminded Wang Lady of the Xiaoyao Sect—and Gu Qing also knew the secrets of the Mangdang Villa; she suspected this was Xiaoyao's work.

Gu Qing picked up a water flask, uncapped it, and poured the water downward; the stream between flask and ground formed a straight line. Though he poured continuously, the water inside never ran out.

Wang Yuyan and Mu Wanjing watched from the side until they realized the water never wet the ground—the mystery struck them.

"Can the Xiaoyao Sect do this?"

Gu Qing asked with a smile.

Wang Lady frowned; Li Qiushui had never demonstrated such a feat, so she didn't know.

Gu Qing retracted the water, leapt upward ten zhang, then stepped into empty air and rose another seven zhang; with a second step, he rose seven more zhang. Wang Lady, Wang Yuyan, and Mu Wanjing looked up as Gu Qing spiraled down gracefully to land on the ground, then asked again: "Can the Xiaoyao Sect do this?"

The water in the flask was instantly drawn back; Gu Qing leapt upward, soaring ten zhang, then planted his left foot in empty air and ascended another seven zhang, stepped with his right foot and rose yet another seven zhang. Madame Wang, Wang Yuyan, and Mu Wanyan looked up, watching Gu Qing spiral down through the air and land lightly on the ground. He then asked, "Can the Xian Yao Sect achieve this?"

Wang Lady shook her head.

She was certain neither Li Qiushui nor Ding Chunqiu could achieve such agility.

"And this martial art."

Gu Qing's face suddenly glowed pale and luminous, his whole body like jade: "Ding Chunqiu uses poison daily to maintain his youth through the Everlasting Youthful Spring Technique. My art, however, naturally preserves youth and is peerless in the world—can the Xiaoyao Sect do this?"

Wang Lady saw Gu Qing's translucent glow and now confirmed: Gu Qing's art was not Xiaoyao's.

"Can you teach me this art?"

Wang Yuyan's eyes shone with hope; though young and untouched by aging, she had never before felt such desire for martial arts after witnessing the miraculous effects of Mingyu Technique.

Mu Wanjing also stared at Gu Qing with longing.

"Of course!"

Gu Qing stood with arms crossed, smiling: "I can take you both as my second and third disciples."

Wang Yuyan and Mu Wanjing stared in shock, asking in unison: "Who is the eldest disciple?"

"Your senior sister is still young."

Gu Qing smiled: "But you two must treat her well—your place in history depends on whether your senior sister chooses to mention you."

As he spoke, Gu Qing glanced at Wang Yuyan.

Duan Yu's character has a historical prototype: historically, Duan Heyu had two empresses—one Gao, one Wang. In the original serialization of The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber, when Duan Yu was captured by Duan Yanqing, drugged, and imprisoned, Emperor Bao Ding swiftly arranged his marriage to Gao Shengtai's daughter, Gao Mei; later, Duan Yu met Wang Yuyan in Suzhou, fitting the original character arc.

Duan Yu's character has a historical prototype: historically, Duan Heyu had two empresses, one named Gao and the other Wang. In the serialized version of The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber, when Duan Yanqing captured Duan Yu, drugged him, and imprisoned him, Emperor Baoding swiftly arranged for Gao Shengtai's daughter, Gao Mei, to become Duan Yu's wife; later, Duan Yu met Wang Yuyan in Suzhou, which also fits the character's established persona.

By the time of the final revision, Jin Yong may have forgotten the original setup entirely, severing Duan Yu and Wang Yuyan and giving Duan Yu a harem.

Whether Wang Yuyan will be remembered by future generations depends on whether her senior sister chooses to mention her in her writing.

Wang Lady bit her lip, also wanting it.

Gu Qing turned his eyes away, pretending not to see.

(End of Chapter)

(End of chapter)