Chapter 279: Qingxuan, Your Father Is Being Naughty Again

Gu Qing, Shi Feixuan, and Du Guo Feng walked away together, leaving Hou Xibai speechless with sorrow.

As the Amorous Young Master, Hou Xibai owned a beauty fan, intending to paint every beautiful woman in the world upon it, yet before Shi Feixuan, he could not place a single brushstroke—within his eyes, Shi Feixuan had become the embodiment of perfection, yet this flawless goddess devoted herself entirely to Gu Qing, leaving Hou Xibai heartbroken.

Such a beauty ought to hang suspended in the heavens…

Gu Qing, Shi Feixuan, and Du Guo Feng strolled toward Dashi Temple.

In the Tale of the Twin Dragons of Tang, Xu Ziling's martial arts system took shape within this very Dashi Temple—a solemn, tranquil ancient monastery lined with countless statues: five hundred Arhats, the Thousand-Armed Guanyin, transforming Dashi Temple into a sacred realm akin to Lingshan; walking here naturally stirred a sense of reverence.

Gu Qing glanced sidelong at the surrounding statues, studying the mudras of the Arhats—Xu Ziling had derived the foundation of his martial arts system from these very hand seals—and now, with the deepest martial insight among them, Gu Qing expounded the transformations of these mudras to Shi Feixuan and Du Guo Feng beside him, with Shi Feixuan, whose Cihang Sword Canon drew close to the Buddhist path, gaining the most.

In the silent, tranquil Dashi Temple, a flute's melody suddenly drifted forth.

The sound was melodious and flowing, smooth as a breeze through an empty valley—after bringing a coolness to the soul, one could not help but seek its source.

Gu Qing, Shi Feixuan, and Du Guo Feng followed the flute's tune, walking slowly through the hills, until deep within the hall they saw a slender, graceful girl, her face veiled in gauze, turning gently to face them, her eyes still holding a mischievous glint.

"Is this the face of the world's foremost Gu Taishi?"

The girl's eyes shimmered as she asked, knowing full well but pretending not to.

"If 'world's foremost' refers solely to martial arts, then yes, it is I."

Gu Qing, modestly, gazed at the girl and said: "Is this the face of the world's foremost Shi Dajia?"

Shi Qingxuan possessed peerless mastery in music, and with the goodwill left by Bi Xiuxin, she was greatly admired in the Jianghu; yet equally, the legacy of Shi Zhixuan made her a target of relentless pursuit—this woman had grown up in the cracks, appearing carefree but inwardly reclusive, unwilling to interact with outsiders.

Shi Qingxuan glanced at Shi Feixuan and Du Guofeng and said coolly, "Not long ago, he returned—he was deeply shaken, his killing intent hard to suppress."

Though vague, Shi Qingxuan's words were understood by Gu Qing and Shi Feixuan alike.

After Shi Zhixuan and Bi Xiuxin retired in seclusion, Ning Daoqi came calling, defeated Shi Zhixuan, causing his demonic obsessions to multiply, leading to the creation of the Immortal Seal Technique and the death of Bi Xiuxin; thereafter, he fractured mentally and vanished. This time, Shi Zhixuan had suffered an even greater blow, and thus sought to eliminate his final weakness—but had not acted.

"Perhaps this killing intent isn't aimed at you."

Gu Qing said: "When I met him, he was well-disguised; no matter how I provoked him, he remained passive—so I simply declared I wished to propose marriage, saying I was deeply in love with Qingxuan and intended to wed her—he exploded in rage, striking me with a barrage of palm blows."

Gu Qing recounted events in Daxing City.

Shi Feixuan stared at Gu Qing in surprise, scanning him up and down, and said: "You are handsome, your martial arts are supreme, and you are a pillar of the Sui court—if you proposed for Qingxuan, he ought to be delighted."

The Cihang Quiet Nunnery had studied Shi Zhixuan in depth, knowing Shi Qingxuan was his sole vulnerability and the sole manifestation of his paternal tenderness.

"Perhaps because I overacted when provoking him."

Gu Qing said casually.

Thus, when he suddenly proposed marriage, to Shi Zhixuan it was like saying, "Old man, I'm leaving this ghostfire here," instantly triggering his fury.

The girl before them pouted, staring at Gu Qing—Shi Zhixuan's sudden return, brimming with killing intent, had pierced her already shattered heart anew, and she had resolved to ignore her father—only to learn the cause lay with Gu Qing.

Perhaps when Shi Zhixuan saw Shi Qingxuan, he was still thinking of Gu Qing.

"Who's in love with you?!"

Shi Qingxuan, recalling Gu Qing's words of "mutual affection," spat bitterly.

"I merely wished to test the Evil King," Gu Qing brushed it off, then turned to Shi Qingxuan, stepped closer, and studied her: "But Qingxuan, I truly wish to begin something with you."

Shi Qingxuan stared at Gu Qing in surprise, then glanced behind him at Shi Feixuan and Du Guo Feng, and said helplessly: "It seems Song Yuhua of Lingnan also wishes to begin something with you."

Song Yuhua had broken off her engagement because of Gu Qing and now waited in Lingnan for his explanation.

Gu Qing smiled faintly and whispered: "Qingxuan, your father is being naughty again."

Naughty?

Shi Qingxuan racked her brain, unable to connect Shi Zhixuan with "naughty"—yet in that instant, her sword hummed and stabbed straight for Gu Qing's back.

The sword came too fast—even Shi Feixuan, who had reached the realm of intuitive resonance, could only catch a blur; this phantom-like figure left even her uncertain whether it was real.

"Shuā shuā shuā!!!"

The sword pierced straight, its tip circling—this was a secret technique of the Baitian Pavilion; even if one thrust failed to pierce the heart, the subsequent spirals would surely kill.

Shi Qingxuan and Shi Feixuan, seeing the blurred figure, both knew the attacker must be the Evil King Shi Zhixuan—after creating the Immortal Seal Technique for years, he had once again drawn his sword to assassinate!

!

"Dāng Dāng Dāng…"

The sword moved faster and denser than a sudden storm; within this blurred figure and dense rain of blades, Shi Zhixuan had elevated the Baitian Pavilion's assassination techniques to a new height—even the founder of the Baitian Pavilion himself might not surpass him in application.

Amid this dense rain of blades, Gu Qing remained utterly still, allowing Shi Zhixuan to unleash every variation of the Baitian Pavilion's art.

Shi Feixuan stared at Gu Qing, seeing his entire body glowing golden, like a golden-bodied Arhat—Shi Zhixuan's sword rained down, yet not a single strike breached his defense!

Moments later, Shi Zhixuan's figure vanished abruptly, retreating from Gu Qing; he looked at his sword, observing his furious assault—his once-unbreakable blade now blunted and chipped—while Gu Qing, standing firm, remained unchanged, still in his golden state, not a single mark left on his body from the onslaught.

"Ah…"

Shi Zhixuan let out a long howl, hurled his sword aside, and leapt away.

Shi Qingxuan stared at Gu Qing before her, seeing his golden glow vanish instantly, his form returning to normal.

"Taishi truly deserves the title of Taishi…"

Shi Qingxuan, having witnessed the scene, found it utterly unbelievable—Shi Zhixuan was the most infamous demon in the world, yet before Gu Qing, he had unleashed countless techniques and still failed to harm him.

Even as she praised him, Gu Qing's robes suddenly tore apart, leaving him standing bare-chested before Shi Qingxuan.

Gu Qing possessed the Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill—his clothes could not withstand such punishment.

"Ah!"

Shi Qingxuan hastily covered her eyes, yet the image of Gu Qing's physique was already seared into her mind—she thought, indeed, the world's foremost martial artist had an admirable build.

"Ah…"

Another long howl echoed from the dense forest.

It was Shi Zhixuan returning—having just witnessed this scene—he let out a roar and walked farther away.

A father cannot bear to see this.

(End of Chapter)