Chapter 225: Suffering Ding Chunqiu

The scenery of the Mantuo Manor is magnificent.

Zhong Ling rose early and trained martial arts with Mu Wanzhen; they sparred palm techniques for a long while, until Mu Wanzhen's expression suddenly turned icy, ordering Zhong Ling to continue practicing alone as she leapt away toward a distant spot.

Zhong Ling did not know why Mu Wanzhen had become angry again, turned around, and resumed practicing her palm techniques.

"Little girl, your palm technique is extraordinary."

Among the camellias, a young girl suddenly appeared, gazing at Zhong Ling with an old-fashioned air and asking: "What sect does this martial art belong to?"

Zhong Ling looked at the girl.

In the Jianghu, the greatest taboo is stealing martial arts; if this girl had been seen spying and critiquing by some rigid old masters, she might have had her eyes gouged out, her tongue cut off, or her arms broken to ensure the art would not be leaked.

But Zhong Ling's nature was pure and innocent; she did not blame the girl, only studied her and said: "Did you injure your throat? Why do you speak so hoarsely?"

Zhong Ling had gone to bed early yesterday and knew nothing of the new guests arriving at the Mantuo Manor.

The Old Witch paused, lowered her voice, and spoke again—her tone now utterly childlike—as she asked Zhong Ling once more about her martial arts.

"My master said this is the art of the Yihua Palace, though its lineage has long since faded."

Zhong Ling answered honestly.

The Yihua Palace? The Old Witch had never heard of it, but observing Zhong Ling's movements and internal method, she saw strong similarities to Wang Yuyan and asked: "Is your master Gu Qing?"

Zhong Ling nodded.

Why didn't he use this technique when he sparred with me yesterday?

The Old Witch nearly voiced this question, then bit her tongue in anger; in her view, the palm technique Zhong Ling practiced was not merely top-tier—it was beyond top-tier. Just these three or two moves could defeat most in the Jianghu; if Gu Qing wielded them, the transformations would be beyond mortal comprehension.

"Oh! Why are Sister Mu and Sister Wang arguing?"

Zhong Ling now saw Mu Wanzhen seemingly quarreling with Wang Yuyan.

The Old Witch turned around, her face beaming with amusement: "That daughter of Li Qiushui's is clever indeed—she knew I wanted to give her a Life-and-Death Mark, so she ran straight into her husband's room…" The Old Witch couldn't help laughing.

She could hardly wait to meet Li Qiushui, to tell her this absurd tale with embellishments, then jab at her entire family's backbones.

Zhong Ling gazed toward the distant spot, then back at the girl, and asked: "Can you really hear what they're saying over there?"

The Old Witch replied confidently: "Within fifty zhang, not even a breath escapes my ears."

In the Jianghu, this was an unimaginable ability.

In the Heavenly Dragon, the Old Witch had taken Xu Zhu to the Western Xia palace, and even without full power restored, she could detect movements within ten zhang; now, in her peak state, her senses were far greater.

"Incredible!"

Zhong Ling exclaimed: "Sister Wang and Sister Mu can only hear up to forty-seven zhang."

"What?"

The Old Witch turned sharply, fixing Zhong Ling with a piercing stare.

"It's not surprising," Zhong Ling said. "Sister Wang and Sister Mu's internal energy has reached the balance of yin and yang, and their Mingyu Gong has reached the eighth level. But their cultivation time is too short—their reserves are still shallow. My master says that by the time they're forty, not even a falling petal or leaf within a hundred zhang will escape their perception."

A hundred zhang—that was precisely the peak display of Yao Yue's Mingyu Gong at the eighth level.

Wang Yuyan and Mu Wanzhen hearing forty-seven zhang was not because their power rivaled the Old Witch's, but because Mingyu Gong had an unusually broad sensory range; its future potential surpassed that of the Celestial Everlasting Youthful Spring Technique.

Wang Yuyan and Mu Wanzhen could hear at forty-seven zhang, not because their cultivation matched that of the Old Witch, but because their techniques were uniquely suited for broad perception—the future potential of Mingyu Gong surpassed that of the Heaven-Long Earth-Permanent Ageless Spring Technique.

The Old Witch found it hard to believe.

"But you're impressive too," Zhong Ling praised her. "Sister Mu and Sister Wang are nearly twenty and can only hear forty-seven zhang—yet you're so young and already have such mastery."

"But you're truly amazing," Zhong Ling praised the Old Witch. "Mu Sister and Wang Sister are nearly twenty and can only hear at forty-seven zhang—how old are you, to have achieved this?"

The Old Witch fell silent.

On the other side, Mu Wanzhen and Wang Yuyan continued their heated argument, disagreeing sharply over what Lady Wang had done in her room last night—a rare clash between them.

Gu Qing, seeing the dispute drag on, made no effort to mediate. He quietly captured two bees, slipped into the room where Ding Chunqiu was resting, and pricked his Shenmen and Fengshi acupoints with honey needles, then released the bees and slipped away silently.

Gu Qing, seeing the endless quarrel, made no effort to intervene; he silently captured two bees, slipped into the room where Ding Chunqiu was recuperating, and stabbed his Shenmen and Fengshi acupoints with honey needles, then released the bees and slipped away unseen.

Ding Chunqiu, who had been dozing, suddenly screamed in agony, causing Wang Yuyan and Mu Wanzhen to abandon their quarrel. Everyone rushed into the room to find Ding Chunqiu writhing on the bed, his entire body itching uncontrollably.

"It must be the Life-and-Death Mark activating!"

Gu Qing drew a sharp breath and said: "What a vile Life-and-Death Mark!"

For the sake of family harmony, I must make Old Ding suffer a little—the blame falls on the Old Witch.

Lady Wang, Qin Hongmian, Wang Yuyan, and Mu Wanzhen watched Ding Chunqiu writhe, utterly helpless.

Lady Wang, Qin Hongmian, Wang Yuyan, and Mu Wanzhen watched Ding Chunqiu writhing in agony, utterly helpless.

"Do you have a cure?"

Lady Wang seized Gu Qing's arm.

"I'll try."

Gu Qing reached out and grasped Ding Chunqiu's wrist. Ding Chunqiu, gritting his teeth against the itch, allowed him to take his pulse. After a moment, Gu Qing's face brightened: "This condition can be cured!"

Gu Qing reached out and grasped Ding Chunqiu's wrist; Ding Chunqiu, gritting his teeth against the itching, allowed Gu Qing to take his pulse. After a moment, Gu Qing suddenly smiled and said, "This condition can be cured!"

Gu Qing smiled and said: "If we channel true Qi into the Eight Winds and Taichong acupoints on the feet, we can largely purge this itching."

Ding Chunqiu's expression darkened.

All eyes turned to Ding Chunqiu's lower limbs—he had no feet.

All eyes turned to Ding Chunqiu's lower limbs—he had no feet left.

Ding Chunqiu continued tearing at himself, but the bee venom was weak, and his body was saturated with toxins; after half an hour of howling, it ended. The Old Witch came to inspect, examined him closely, and concluded it was not a Life-and-Death Mark, but a toxin backlash.

In this incident, only A Bi carefully studied Gu Qing—she held a strong prejudice against him, and Gu Qing himself claimed to be the greatest poison master in the world…

Of all those present, only Abi closely studied Gu Qing; she held a deeply negative impression of him, and Gu Qing himself claimed to be the greatest poison master under heaven…

Gu Qing made simple preparations at the Mantuo Manor, had A Bi write a letter to her master Kang Guangling, who would then summon the disciples of the Xiaoyao Sect to gather at Leigushan's Deaf-Dumb Valley, where they would witness Gu Qing assuming leadership of the Xiaoyao Sect.

"We can't take Ding Chunqiu to the Deaf-Dumb Valley without Li Qiushui."

As they prepared to depart, the Old Witch said coldly: "The Western Xia's First-Rank Hall is stationed inside Tianning Temple. Let Auntie send them a message."

The Western Xia's First-Rank Hall was founded by the Western Xia royal family and housed many experts; their Bishu Qingfeng was unmatched in the Jianghu. In the original story, after the Four Evils were defeated in Dali, they joined the First-Rank Hall and became among its top three or four experts.

The Xixia Yipintang was founded by the Xixia imperial clan and housed many formidable experts; its Beisu Qingfeng was unmatched in the Jianghu. In the original story, after the Four Evils were defeated in Dali, they joined the Xixia Yipintang and became among its top three or four masters.

Gu Qing nodded. "Let's gather everyone—it'll be lively."

Gu Qing loved chaos and, hearing the Old Witch planned to send a message, immediately offered to accompany her. As they raced to the outskirts of Tianning Temple, Gu Qing glanced inside and smiled.

The Beggar's Sect that had previously annihilated the Murong family had itself been wiped out by the Western Xia's First-Rank Hall—all their elders now imprisoned within.

Without Qiao Feng, the Beggar's Sect collapsed instantly.

(End of Chapter)

(End of chapter)