Chapter 2

Within the Quanzhen Sect, Zhen Zhibing was the head of the third-generation disciples, which meant he was the future Sect Leader of the Quanzhen Sect. Because of this, Zhao Zhijing was dissatisfied and racked his brains to find fault with Zhen Zhibing. Zhen Zhibing paced in the forest, muttering about "Xiaolongnu," and Zhao Zhijing knew about it.

On Xiaolongnu's twentieth birthday, Zhen Zhibing specially bought a gift and placed it in front of the Ancient Tomb; that gift note was also in Zhao Zhijing's hands.

So much so that tonight, when Zhen Zhibing took the opportunity to try to insult Xiaolongnu, Zhao Zhijing was watching from the sidelines.

Naturally, Zhao Zhijing also saw Gu Qing killing Zhen Zhibing clearly.

Regarding Zhen Zhibing's death, Zhao Zhijing's evaluation was: good riddance!

Zhen Zhibing was dead, so he, Zhao Zhijing, could take his place. Now, Zhao Zhijing was still grateful to Gu Qing.

Now that Gu Qing had called out, Zhao Zhijing knew his position was exposed, but he didn't jump out to confront Gu Qing. He turned around and used the "Jin Yangong" to leave.

"Running?"

Gu Qing's figure drifted.

The Ancient Tomb Sect's lightness skill is the best in the Jianghu, but it mostly manifests in dodging and shifting. For traveling quickly in the mountains and wilderness, the Quanzhen Sect's "Jin Yangong" is more practical and efficient.

The current Gu Qing was using the Jin Yangong to chase closely behind.

While running, Zhao Zhijing suddenly turned his head. Gu Qing was already within five zhang. After running a few more steps, panicked, he turned his head again to see Gu Qing already within three zhang. He immediately drew his sword and circled back. Under the moonlight, the long sword was luminous. With one move, "White Clouds Emerging from the Peak," used like smoke and mist, like cotton and fluff, he protected his vital points while relying on the long sword to advance.

This was the most outstanding person in martial arts among the 'Zhi' generation of the Quanzhen Sect. This sudden move was precise, natural, and vivid, with just the right balance of reality and illusion.

Gu Qing arrived close by, his toes tapping. When the long sword was still a foot away from him, he shifted his body, drifting to the front left, and struck with a palm—the Quanzhen Sect's "Frost-Breaking Palm" went through the air!

Internal energy and palm techniques carry great weight in Jin-style martial arts.

Yang Guo, who knew the theory that "no sword is better than a sword," practiced a set of "Melancholy Palm" after more than ten years of bitter training.

Linghu Chong, who practiced the "Nine Swords of Dugu," needed twenty years of bitter training to unleash the power of the "Sword-Breaking Stance" when facing a palm technique expert.

Now, as Gu Qing struck with this palm, Zhao Zhijing felt his breath hitch, knowing the force was no small matter. At this time, drawing his sword to defend was already too late. Moreover, the long sword was more agile than strong; facing the overwhelming palm force, it became like a single tree unable to support a collapsing building. Helpless, he also struck with a "Frost-Breaking Palm" to neutralize Gu Qing's palm force.

With just this one palm, Zhao Zhijing had already lost the initiative. Gu Qing turned and arrived, the "Heavenly Net Force" enveloping him.

The Ancient Tomb Sect's Heavenly Net Force moves are strange and exquisite, each move striking with extreme speed. As Gu Qing unfolded it, although he didn't have the Jade Maiden Heart Scripture internal energy to match, it was still like a hundred hands in an instant, leaving Zhao Zhijing trapped within, as if caught in a net.

The Quanzhen Sect's Frost-Breaking Palm is a life-or-death move, each strike needing to land on a solid target. The Heavenly Net Force, however, is a strange martial art that avoids the solid and strikes the void. With the two sides' moves opposing each other, Gu Qing dodged and advanced, attacking and defending at will, while Zhao Zhijing had all the true strength but couldn't unleash it.

Xiaolongnu lay on the ground. Although she couldn't move or turn her head, listening to the two sides fighting, Zhao Zhijing's momentum was like thunder, and she knew Gu Qing had already gained the upper hand.

The Ancient Tomb Sect's Heavenly Net Force doesn't win by palm force, but by speed. Zhao Zhijing's palm momentum couldn't hit Gu Qing, who was practicing the Heavenly Net Force at all.

With the two sides fighting like this, a hundred moves had passed. Zhao Zhijing's strength lagged slightly, knowing that if this continued, he would surely die. He gambled on one palm, striking fiercely at Gu Qing, while on the other side, he gambled on being injured to unleash his sword technique again.

"Hoo..."

Zhao Zhijing struck with one palm, feeling his arm go numb. The two pressure points, "Chize" and "Bizhong," were controlled, leaving one of his hands powerless. But in this one move, Zhao Zhijing's sword technique was also applied within a short distance.

"Rampaging through the Northern Desert!"

This sword technique applied at close range was also an instant ring of sword Qi. After this move, it was followed by the Quanzhen Sect's "Three-Ring Chain," fighting with the sword to exchange for a chance at life.

As long as he escaped to the Chongyang Palace, the one who would die would be Gu Qing!

Zhao Zhijing's plan was excellent, but the Ancient Tomb sword technique is the natural nemesis of the Quanzhen sword technique. Before Zhao Zhijing's "Three-Ring Chain" could be applied, Gu Qing had already spotted several major flaws. His palm momentum condensed, passing through the sword light and striking Zhao Zhijing's chest.

"Pfft..."

Zhao Zhijing spat blood, his whole body rolling like a gourd. After barely stabilizing his figure, he leaned on his sword to get up, but he felt dizzy and saw black, his steps staggering.

This was caused by the palm shaking his blood and Qi. In internal martial arts, when encountering such a situation, one should calmly lie down and regulate the blood and Qi... but the current Zhao Zhijing, how could he sleep?

"Gu Qing, stop..."

Zhao Zhijing waved one hand, signaling Gu Qing to stop, and said: "The matter with Lu Qingdu, I was in the wrong. I apologize to you. Tonight's matter with Zhen Zhibing, I will pretend I didn't see it... After I become the Chief Disciple, I will designate you as the next Chief Disciple..."

The Chief Disciple is the future successor of the Quanzhen Sect.

Gu Qing really stopped his steps. Looking at Zhao Zhijing's begging appearance, he suddenly said: "That rumor about me being the illegitimate son of the Sect Leader, you concocted it, right, to prevent me from being too outstanding and letting my master, Li Zhichang, come forward to be the Quanzhen Sect Leader?"

Among the third-generation disciples of the Quanzhen Sect, there were Li Zhichang, Zhao Zhijing, Zhen Zhibing, and so on. Among them, the originally used Yin Zhiping was a famous Daoist in history. When Yin Zhiping led the Quanzhen Sect, one or two out of every ten Daoists in the world believed in Quanzhen.

It was because of this that Yin Zhiping was revised into Zhen Zhibing, while the original Yin Zhiping devoted himself to alchemy and then hid away.

As for Gu Qing's master in Quanzhen, Li Zhichang, he was a heavyweight figure. In the Divine Eagle, he was the Sect Leader who later took over the Quanzhen Sect. Historically, after this person took over the Quanzhen Sect, he began to indulge Daoist disciples in forcibly occupying Buddhist mountain temples.

Later, the Buddhists debated with Li Zhichang, and Li Zhichang lost miserably. Not long after passing the position of Sect Leader to someone else, he died, and the Quanzhen Sect was also severely damaged because of him.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zhijing knew his thoughts had been seen through by Gu Qing. He immediately said: "This matter, it was the Martial Uncle who didn't act honorably. You..."

Zhao Zhijing was about to speak when he suddenly saw Gu Qing's hands come down, twisting his head and starting to turn it.

"Martial Nephew Gu... Martial Nephew Gu..."

Zhao Zhijing shouted repeatedly.

Gu Qing didn't listen, forcefully twisting Zhao Zhijing's neck one hundred and eighty degrees, twisting it until his mouth and nose bled and his breath was gone.

"What a pity."

Before this Zhao Zhijing died, he only thought about begging to live, but didn't think about begging to die. Gu Qing felt he had lost a bit of merit for nothing.

Having killed two experts of the 'Zhi' generation in a row, Gu Qing stretched lazily and looked toward the hillside. Under the moonlight, Xiaolongnu, dressed in misty silk and ice-white fabric, lay there, as beautiful and white as jade, which made Gu Qing drift to Xiaolongnu's side involuntarily.

Their eyes met, and Xiaolongnu's gaze was full of complexity.

This person had stepped forward to save her purity, but this sneaking into the Ancient Tomb to steal the Ancient Tomb's martial arts was truly lawless, making it hard for Xiaolongnu to be grateful.

"Miss Long, do you still need it?"

Gu Qing asked with a smile.

In the newly revised version of Xiaolongnu, her appearance was enhanced a bit. According to Zhou Botong, Xiaolongnu is a tiny bit prettier than the middle-aged Huang Rong, and the description of Xiaolongnu's emotions was increased... Of course, the description of her falling in love with Yang Guo and wanting Yang Guo to think of her a thousand times a day is better left unwritten.

But overall, Xiaolongnu's body also gets hot.

Now that Xiaolongnu and Yang Guo's feelings were deep, Gu Qing also understood the principle that "characters have their own lives." He never thought about stealing Xiaolongnu away; saying this was purely to tease her.

If Xiaolongnu really wanted it, and Gu Qing gave it, there would still be merit to be gained.

"Need what?"

Xiaolongnu didn't understand, then immediately thought of her passionate expression after her eyes were covered. Shame and anger arose in her heart. Looking at Gu Qing, it was no longer a complex gaze, but one of disgust.

Xiaolongnu's body was currently sealed, and Gu Qing didn't take advantage of her, but sat by Xiaolongnu's side and said: "Miss Long, today I killed Zhen Zhibing and Zhao Zhijing, both because of you. So, why don't you take the blame for this? After all, they both died under the Ancient Tomb Sect's martial arts."

Xiaolongnu naturally practiced the Ancient Tomb Sect's twelve "less" and twelve "more" skills, usually as calm as an ancient well, but once her senses surged, her emotions were as fierce as fire. Gu Qing stealing the Ancient Tomb Sect's martial arts and then shamelessly asking her to take the blame after killing people completely broke through Xiaolongnu's mental defenses.

She had long been unwilling to descend the mountain because the hearts of people below were complex, but after this interaction with Gu Qing, she realized there were such sinister hearts on the mountain as well.

But from another perspective, Gu Qing had indeed rescued Xiaolongnu; otherwise, she wouldn't be a pure young lady.

"And you?"

Xiaolongnu suppressed her anger and asked.

"Of course, I'm going back to the Quanzhen Sect to sit in jail."

Gu Qing smiled calmly: "Even if you confess me and say that I killed these two people, the people in the Quanzhen Sect won't believe it. After all, I am in solitary confinement."

"There is one more point. The foster father Yang Guo is currently learning from is the 'Western Poison' Ouyang Feng, who can be said to have done all kinds of evil. Even if you really come to identify me, in the end, you will be the ones who suffer."

Before killing, Gu Qing had already thought about the consequences. After saying so much, he looked at Xiaolongnu and said: "I told you so much because I hope you can take responsibility. Otherwise, if I kill you with one palm, the crime of killing two Daoists will fall on Yang Guo."

Xiaolongnu almost vomited blood. Li Mochou had driven her into a desperate situation, and she had never been this angry. Listening to Gu Qing recount everything, she also knew that Gu Qing not killing her was a mercy. At this moment, she laughed out of extreme anger and said: "Are you even human!"

This could already be considered Xiaolongnu swearing.

"Of course I am human."

Upon hearing this, Gu Qing looked up at the moon, examined himself, and sighed: "As for me, the first half of my life is hard to say, and the second half is hard to say."

(End of chapter)