Chapter 53: Okay, This Is Very Unnatural

Huang Yaoshi suppressed his anger with a piercing gaze.

Hong Qigong had already begun to laugh.

Just moments ago, Huang Yaoshi had wanted to use this to overshadow him; now he was reaping the bitter fruit.

“I know astronomy and geography, music, chess, calligraphy, painting, arithmetic and strategy, mystic arts and the Five Elements, medicine, divination, astrology, and also the Peach Blossom Fall Palm, Jade Flute Sword Technique, Fingertip Thunder, Whirlwind Sweeping Leaves Leg, and the Five Transformations of the Mystic Arts—there’s far too much I can teach you.”

Huang Yaoshi revealed his own mastery; from Guo Jing and Feng Mofeng, he had heard Gu Qing’s name, and felt this man possessed both courage and wit, acted unlike ordinary people, and had greatly aided Guo Jing and others—making Huang Yaoshi feel an instant kinship. Now that he had finally met the man in person, he wished to assess Gu Qing’s martial progress to offer guidance.

So at first, Huang Yaoshi made grand promises.

As one of the Five Greats, he had far too much to teach Gu Qing.

But Huang Yaoshi never expected Gu Qing wanted Cheng Ying!

And the idea of taking a disciple as a wife, sharing her with another man—Huang Yaoshi could not endure it.

“I still want Cheng Ying.”

Gu Qing said: “If I marry Cheng Ying, aren’t all your teachings mine too?”

Among the same amount of good karma, between satisfying Huang Yaoshi’s wish of “do not let Gu Qing marry Cheng Ying” and Cheng Ying’s wish of “marry Gu Qing,” Gu Qing chose to fulfill Cheng Ying’s wish.

Huang Yaoshi took a deep breath.

In his old age, Cheng Ying was his only beloved disciple, the one he had trained to inherit his legacy.

Gu Qing’s actions were, in effect, digging up his roots… If the two were truly in love, Huang Yaoshi would have accepted it—but now it had become a love triangle.

Huang Yaoshi was known as the Eastern Heretic; his usual conduct already defied convention, but with Gu Qing, he felt something deeply unnatural.

“Seven Brother, hold my child for me.”

Huang Yaoshi gently handed Guo Xiang to Hong Qigong.

Hong Qigong had watched enough of the spectacle and feared Huang Yaoshi might fly into a rage and strike Gu Qing with a Void Slash Palm. “This brat loves watching others in distress, Brother Yao—don’t take it to heart.”

“How am I distressed?”

Huang Yaoshi, ever elegant and carefree, immediately rebutted Hong Qigong’s words, insisting he was not angry at all, maintaining his composure—then his gaze turned again to Gu Qing. As the Eastern Heretic, he was capricious by nature, yet he cared deeply about reputation. He disregarded propriety, but he feared what others thought.

Long ago, he had disliked Guo Jing because he feared people would say, “The Master of Peach Blossom Island took a foolish son-in-law.” Now, though older and more carefree, he had not fully abandoned his concern for reputation. If he went back on his word today, not only would Hong Qigong laugh at him, but the martial world would soon gossip about “Huang Yaoshi making empty boasts.”

In an instant, Huang Yaoshi thought of many things.

“Marriage must rest on mutual affection. If I force Cheng Ying to marry you, she will agree out of filial duty—but then she will spend the rest of her life in sorrow, and I doubt you’d wish to see that.”

Huang Yaoshi said: “In my youth, I acted on impulse and lost a gifted disciple. Now, Cheng Ying is my only heir. For her happiness, even if the martial world mocks me for breaking my word, I accept it.”

Huang Yaoshi said all this to preserve his own reputation.

He merely placed the decision in Cheng Ying’s hands.

“Then it’s settled!”

Gu Qing said, then remembered something and spoke frankly to Huang Yaoshi: “If Cheng Ying agrees, when you arrange our marriage, you must pressure me—of course, I am upright, devoted, and utterly loyal to Long Er; I won’t be forced. But you must create a scenario where I have no choice but to marry Cheng Ying—so Long Er can accept it more easily.”

Gu Qing foresaw the aftermath: if Huang Yaoshi simply announced the match and Gu Qing accepted at once, it would surely damage his bond with Xiaolongnu… To be honest, Gu Qing himself believed his bond with Xiaolongnu began only after her Jade Maiden Heart Scripture was broken, when desire stirred—and he seized the moment.

He did not believe their bond was truly solid, so he had always carefully nurtured it beside Xiaolongnu, which is why it had grown stable. Thus, regarding Cheng Ying, Gu Qing remained cautious.

Huang Yaoshi finally laughed, infuriated.

Yet beneath his laughter, a foreboding stirred: Chen Xuanfeng had never been proper, and Mei Chaofeng had loved that kind of man—yet Gu Qing’s unorthodoxy surpassed Chen Xuanfeng’s…

Could Cheng Ying also be drawn to this kind of man?

Huang Yaoshi and the others had secluded themselves here and made great progress in Yin-Yang harmony. Now that Gu Qing had come with Guo Xiang, they knew the situation in Xiangyang was complex, so they said no more and followed Gu Qing toward Xiangyang.

As the Mongols besieged the city, chaos reigned nearby. Along the road, refugees abounded, and Mongol cavalry patrolled constantly. Seeing this, Gu Qing drew his sword and cleared the soldiers, fighting as he moved forward, and soon arrived outside Xiangyang’s walls. His gaze fell upon a large Mongol force surrounding several people.

Through the crowd, Gu Qing faintly recognized Yang Guo and Yelu Qi. He immediately used his lightness skill to surge forward.

The Mongols were now ruled by the Empress, who had distanced herself from Yelu Chucai. After Yelu Chucai fled south for refuge, she sent assassins after him. Yelu Qi fled south with his mother and sister, seeking refuge under the Song, pursued relentlessly by Mongol masters who had caught up here.

Yang Guo had merely passed by, saw Yelu Qi, and drew his sword to help—but now, with so many Mongol masters present, even his involvement left him in grave danger.

“Brother Yang!”

Seeing Yang Guo, Yelu Qi was overjoyed and rushed toward him, sword drawn: “Let’s combine our swords again!”

They had once paired their swords before; they knew each other’s moves well. Yelu Qi believed their united force could now drive back the enemy.

Yang Guo’s eyes held melancholy, his bearing distant and detached. As Yelu Qi approached, he smiled faintly: “I no longer use the Jade Maiden Sword Technique.”

In the face of death, Yang Guo’s stubbornness left Yelu Qi sighing inwardly—he continued fighting with the Quanzhen Sword Technique.

At that moment, a sharp cry came from the carriage. Yang Guo turned his gaze and saw two women: one wielded the Quanzhen Sword Technique, the other used palm techniques. The palm-user bore a striking resemblance to Xiaolongnu.

Under the Mongol warriors’ assault, they were on the brink of collapse.

The one using the Quanzhen Sword Technique was Yelu Yan, trained by Yelu Qi. The one using Iron Palm was Wanyan Ping—her features also closely resembled Xiaolongnu’s.

Seeing their peril, Yang Guo acted without hesitation, immediately wielding the Jade Maiden Sword Technique, weaving into Yelu Yan’s strikes. His gaze met Wanyan Ping’s, filled with unspoken tenderness.

The paired swords instantly drove back the surrounding Mongol warriors.

Yelu Qi watched the battle zone expand, saw Yang Guo and Yelu Yan combining their swords, and met Wanyan Ping’s gaze—he felt a sharp pang in his chest.

Okay, this is very brotherly.

(End of Chapter)