Chapter 217: Not Inferior to Me

"Please!"

"Please!"

At Man Tuo Manor, beneath slender willow branches, among clusters of camellias.

Wang Yuyan wore a plain white gown, her waist frail, her bearing clear and serene; she extended her hand toward Mu Wanzheng, the sleeve she offered as luminous as jade, the entire white robe like a spirit carved from snow.

Mu Wanzheng leapt into the air, her slender blade swirling as she launched the Demon Blade toward Wang Yuyan.

The black gown and the white long blade contrasted naturally, cold and serene.

Wang Yuyan swayed lightly, as if lifted by the wind, swaying left, shifting right, her movements unpredictable; no matter how Mu Wanzheng changed her blade techniques, she never once touched Wang Yuyan's hem.

"Still want to fight?"

After several failed attempts, Mu Wanzheng held her blade in one hand and called out.

Wang Yuyan lightly tapped her foot, poised to fly but not yet airborne.

Mu Wanzheng raised her sleeve to fire darts, sealing off angles, then slashed with a blade strike imbued with yin and yang.

"Watch out!"

Qin Hongmian, seeing the blade, cried out to Wang Yuyan.

Qin Hongmian had never expected that in such a short time, Mu Wanzheng had already unlocked the deepest subtleties of the Demon Blade.

Wang Yuyan did not dodge or evade; she raised her hand and struck with a palm. Years of studying in the Langhuan Jade Cave had made her thoroughly versed in all martial arts. After Gu Qing guided her through the Flower-Transplanting Palace's techniques, she grasped their secrets effortlessly. Now, gathering her qi in perfect harmony, her palm movements were splendid and intricate; her hand entered the white blade, fingertips lightly tapping—then came a sharp "clang!" and a flash of brilliant white light.

Mu Wanzheng's long blade fell to the ground; she was now under Wang Yuyan's control.

"You're still stronger."

Mu Wanzheng picked up her blade and gave a slight pout.

"We've both cultivated substantial internal force, but your techniques are still bound by old patterns."

Wang Yuyan drew her palm back to her waist, graceful as a lady of the court.

Since Gu Qing helped them open their Xuanguan and attain the Yin-Yang Balance, Mingyu Eighth Layer, Wang Yuyan and Mu Wanzheng had trained diligently according to the scriptures; their internal force doubled. One unit of their cultivated force equaled fifteen units of an ordinary person's, naturally leaving them refreshed and sharp, their martial arts reaching an exalted level.

Wang Yuyan had spent years studying martial arts manuals and possessed exceptional insight; now, elevated by Gu Qing to the highest realm, her knowledge and cultivation merged seamlessly, making her a supreme expert. Mu Wanzheng, lacking such vision, lagged behind Wang Yuyan.

Qin Hongmian, watching their duel, was lost in deep thought; Wang Yuyan's martial transformations were beyond her comprehension. Even that single slash Mu Wanzheng had just delivered, Qin Hongmian could not have blocked—even after thirty years of rigorous training, she doubted she could ever fully master it.

Is the Mingyu Art truly that powerful?

As Qin Hongmian pondered, a figure emerged from among the flowers and willows: green robes, smiling brightly, waving repeatedly at Wang Yuyan, calling out, "Young Lady."

"A Bi, you've come."

Wang Yuyan looked at the girl and smiled in greeting.

A Bi stepped forward, studying Wang Yuyan, and said: "Young Lady, your martial arts have grown so strong."

Wang Yuyan took A Bi's hand, examined her, then seemed to discern her purpose: "A Bi, I'm married now."

A Bi nodded. "We all know."

After Murong Fu returned to Swallow's Nest, his condition had been off. Zhu Zhu and A Bi inquired at the Wang residence and learned Wang Yuyan had married Gu Qing. Today, A Bi came to visit Wang Yuyan, to see how she was living.

Now seeing Wang Yuyan smiling and content, A Bi realized she was well, and swallowed her earlier grievances against Gu Qing.

"Today is the day my master and Bei Qiao Feng have agreed to meet."

A Bi said: "The Beggar's Sect wants my master to explain Ma Dayuan's death. My master naturally fears no Qiao Feng, but the man came with overwhelming presence, and the Murong family cannot appear weak. If both sides stand opposed, conflict may erupt—so my master invited several senior figures from the Southern Wu Lin to mediate. Gu Qing's martial arts are peerless, and he's known as a benevolent man, so..."

Murong Fu had also invited Gu Qing to act as mediator, to smooth things over between the two sides.

"Very well." Gu Qing's voice came from behind. A Bi turned, seeing Gu Qing in black robes, his ink-black hair half-tied, his bearing calm and unhurried. He approached and bowed slightly to A Bi.

A Bi naturally looked away. She had spent time with Gu Qing and always felt he was untrustworthy—he'd casually brush her neck, twirl her waist, and just as she was about to scold him, he'd stop. When she was on the verge of anger, he'd say something teasing, making her both furious and amused, her anger dissolving before it could rise.

"If Gu Young Master is willing, we can set off at once—I'll row the boat, and we'll speak plainly."

A Bi's speech was half-plain, half-colloquial, soft and persuasive, hard to refuse.

Gu Qing glanced at Wang Yuyan and Mu Wanzheng, then nodded.

"Master."

Zhong Ling waved her hand. "You're going out—take me with you!" As she spoke, Zhong Ling hurried forward, grinning at Wang Yuyan and Mu Wanzheng. During this time, she'd found Wang Yuyan easy to get along with and felt increasingly at ease in Man Tuo Manor.

A Bi rowed the boat; all boarded, exchanging pleasant topics, as the vessel headed toward Wuxi.

As they neared Wuxi, Gu Qing suddenly focused his gaze. As the boat drew closer, the women noticed a man already standing at the dock: thick eyebrows, large eyes, high nose, broad mouth, his clothes slightly torn, his expression weathered.

As Gu Qing stared at the man, the man stared back. As the boat neared, Gu Qing suddenly raised his hand and struck through the air toward the man.

!

The man at the dock casually raised his palm and met Gu Qing's strike mid-air. Their palm forces collided with a thunderous boom, the water rippling violently outward in all directions.

Gu Qing had trained his martial arts in ocean tides alongside the Divine Condor and understood all subtleties of the Nine Yin's direct and reverse flows. He could summon the same tidal palm force as Yang Guo's Melancholy Soul Palm. Now standing on the boat, he struck casually—one wave subsided, another rose. The man at the dock's palm force was refined, among the finest in the world; after exchanging several blows with Gu Qing, his fighting spirit surged, and he unleashed his full strength. The wind from his palms blew over a zhang away.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

Gu Qing's palm force was fierce, but the man held his ground with perfect stability. As Gu Qing neared the shore, he delivered another empty-air palm strike. The man met it with one of his own, unconcerned with pride or face—he stepped back three paces, fully dissipating the force to preserve himself unharmed.

"Murong Young Master's martial arts are extraordinary—I Qiao Feng admit defeat."

The man bowed to Gu Qing: "The Murong of Gusu, truly worthy of their fame."

Gu Qing had already deduced this man was Qiao Feng. He smiled and bowed: "I am Gu Qing. You've mistaken me for someone else."

"Gu Qing?"

Qiao Feng looked sharply at A Bi. "Isn't she a servant of the Murong household?"

The Beggar's Sect had come to question Murong Fu about Ma Dayuan's death. Qiao Feng had investigated and found many inconsistencies, so before the meeting, he wished to meet Murong Fu first, to exchange words and prevent escalation.

This dock was one Murong's frequently used. The Beggar's Sect had gathered intelligence on Murong family members, so when Qiao Feng saw A Bi rowing, he mistook her for Murong Fu.

"My master invited me to mediate."

Gu Qing explained Murong Fu's request.

Qiao Feng relaxed, looked at Gu Qing, and said: "I've long heard of your Ten Perfect Martial Arts, and I've heard your palm power is supreme—I was skeptical. Now, after this exchange, I know I truly am inferior."

Gu Qing sensed Qiao Feng was merely flattering him; true respect was not yet there.

Since entering the Jianghu, Qiao Feng had defeated many formidable foes. Many had higher internal force or more ingenious techniques—but none could beat him. In the revised edition, it was explicitly stated that Qiao Feng's bare-handed martial arts were peerless in the world.

Now, though Qiao Feng was pushed back by Gu Qing's internal force, palm techniques involve more than just distant strikes—they include close-range grappling. But Qiao Feng was not obsessed with being number one, and did not press the fight to its limit.

Hearing Murong Fu also sought reconciliation, Qiao Feng had already eased half his tension. He casually asked: "In Luoyang, I've long heard of Murong Young Master's name. How is his martial arts?"

Gu Qing suddenly smiled, glanced sideways, saw A Bi's stiff little face, thought for a moment, and gave Murong Fu his due: "Murong Young Master's martial arts are not inferior to mine."

Qiao Feng's heart tightened.

Is the Southern Murong truly this terrifying?

(End of Chapter)