Chapter 73: Men in Quanxing Are Not for Playing

The scholar Xiu’s wine, aged for many years, was mellow and rich; Gu Qing, Qiu Chujī, and Zhao Lei each drank a bowl and found its flavor truly exceptional, but Wu Santong, Wu Dunru, and Wu Xiuwen, after drinking, found it bitterly foul.

Probably because the bitterness in their hearts rose up, making every sip of wine taste vile.

“Great Hero Gu.”

Wu Dunru suddenly raised his wine bowl, stepped before Gu Qing, offered a toast, then asked: “I heard from my mistress that you founded a Quanxing—what kind of organization is that?”

Guo Jing was indeed the most renowned hero in the world, and the martial arts he taught them were the finest—but everything suffers by comparison. Recall how, back at Peach Blossom Island, Wu Dunru could still bully Yang Guo… though Yang Guo bullied him right back, yet neither side held a great advantage.

Years passed, Yang Guo went to Mount Zhongnan and became a famed young hero, his martial skill now far beyond what the Wu brothers could reach; with just a slight move, he knocked both brothers down and stole Guo Fu away.

Over these many years, Wu Dunru and Wu Xiuwen had failed to master their martial arts and failed to win a girl’s heart; now regret came too late. Since Gu Qing had won over Yang Guo’s master and possessed such profound martial cultivation, Wu Dunru now desired to study under Gu Qing.

The Wu brothers, having lost love, now sought fame in youth.

“Quanxing…?”

Gu Qing thought a moment and said: “I was just speaking offhand.”

Gu Qing created Quanxing for amusement.

But Gu Qing does not play with men.

So the Wu brothers had no qualification to enter Quanxing.

“Your One Yang Finger and Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms are already the supreme martial arts in the world.”

Gu Qing said: “If you two dedicate yourselves to refining your internal energy and studying the techniques, in ten years you will surely become top-tier figures in the Jianghu.”

Guo Jing had taught Wu Dunru and Wu Xiuwen orthodox Xuanmen internal energy, which normally takes thirty to forty years to fully manifest its power; after breaking ties with Guo Fu in The Condor Heroes, these two brothers did indeed train diligently, and Jin Yong’s narration states that after more than a decade, their martial skill reached the world’s top tier.

They simply did not stand out among the world’s top experts.

Wu Dunru and Wu Xiuwen lowered their heads—they wanted to strengthen their power quickly, not wait another decade.

Hu Du called them all cowards—that was too harsh.

Gu Qing silently chuckled. According to him, methods to rapidly boost combat power included the quickened version of the Nine Yin Manual, the Kuihua Manual, and Xiaolongnu’s dual-sword fusion; logically, Gu Qing held at least two techniques capable of transforming the Wu brothers’ abilities—but they were strangers, and he would not give them his heart and soul.

What did the Wu brothers’ current misfortune have to do with Gu Qing?

He didn’t even laugh out loud—that was already generous.

“Qing’er!”

Qiu Chujī was now extremely pleased with Gu Qing. Seeing the Wu brothers beg before him, he wished to honor Gu Qing’s dignity, so that if Gu Qing refused, it wouldn’t make him look bad: “As the saying goes, you must know the prescription to dispense medicine. Why not let them demonstrate their martial arts, then see if the Complete Perfection Sect’s Reverse Two-Yi technique can harmonize with theirs?”

Positive Two-Yi and Reverse Two-Yi—these are principles from Daoist scriptures.

The Complete Perfection Sect had long studied these principles and developed certain methods, though rarely taught outside. Qiu Chujī, seeing Gu Qing seemed to have nothing to offer, permitted him to transmit some Complete Perfection martial arts.

Upon hearing this, the Wu brothers were delighted and immediately began demonstrating their palm techniques and finger methods. Afterward, Gu Qing instructed them in footwork, enabling them to coordinate their attacks and support each other; the Wu brothers thanked Gu Qing and Qiu Chujī profusely.

“If we train like this, how long until we can defeat Li Mochou?”

Wu Xiuwen stretched his body; though residual poison still lingered and he felt weak, his spirits were high.

“Hard to say.”

Gu Qing said: “Martial skill depends entirely on the individual. If you two were young Guo Jing, with your current martial configuration, Li Mochou would be running from you.”

The Wu brothers’ faces fell again. Guo Jing often told them himself that his talent was mediocre, relying solely on diligent practice. The Wu brothers believed themselves gifted and didn’t need such hardship—but now they realized even Guo Jing’s “mediocre” talent far surpassed theirs.

The banquet was halfway through.

Qiu Chujī, having drunk his fill of fine wine, was in high spirits. He took Zhao Lei into the courtyard and, using the summary of the Nine Yin Manual, created two martial forms—one hard, one soft—based on Zhao Lei’s home layout and the arrangement of flowers and bamboo, then taught them to Zhao Lei.

These two forms appeared crude, yet embodied Qiu Chujī’s decades of martial insight, enhanced further by the Nine Yin Manual’s summary—they were already among the highest-tier martial arts in the Jianghu.

Zhao Lei, originally a lay disciple of Shaolin, had never glimpsed such supreme martial arts; now receiving these two forms, he felt like a beggar entering a wealthy man’s courtyard—what he saw and heard left him stunned.

After teaching the two forms, Qiu Chujī’s enthusiasm waned. He picked up the crippled Hu Du, leapt into the air, and vanished.

The banquet ended, and everyone dispersed.

The next day, as dawn broke, Gu Qing heard noise outside the courtyard. Stepping out, he learned Zhao Lei’s retainers were saying a corpse hung on Luoyang’s city wall—described as Hu Du.

Hu Du had fallen into Qiu Chujī’s hands, and Qiu Chujī would never spare him; but killing within Zhao’s home was improper, so he hung Hu Du on the city wall instead.

Gu Qing packed his things, bid farewell to Zhao Lei, and prepared to leave Luoyang, heading straight for Mount Zhongnan.

As for the Wu family, their residual poison had not yet cleared, so they remained at Zhao Lei’s home to recuperate before returning to Xiangyang.

“Huh?”

Cheng Ying, just seated in the carriage, said: “There’s another two thousand taels of silver in our carriage.”

Gu Qing and Xiaolongnu never cared about money, but Cheng Ying managed their household meticulously; whenever Gu Qing received silver from a Shaolin lay disciple, she recorded it, and she knew daily expenditures precisely. Now in the carriage, she sensed the discrepancy, counted the silver, and told Gu Qing.

Without saying, Zhao Lei had secretly slipped it in.

Gu Qing took the extra silver and quietly placed it back in Zhao Lei’s bedroom, then drove the carriage toward Mount Zhongnan.

“Why is the list of Shaolin lay disciples gone?”

Cheng Ying asked again from inside the carriage.

This list was crucial—it concerned Shaolin’s foundation.

“I gave it to Grandmaster Qiu to deliver to Guo Jing in Xiangyang.”

Gu Qing said. Guo Jing was the Jianghu Alliance leader, but his summonses couldn’t command Shaolin lay disciples. Now that he had the list, the Alliance’s strength would greatly increase; all intelligence from Henan would become transparent to the Alliance, making assassinations far easier.

“Aren’t the Wu family going to Xiangyang?”

Cheng Ying asked.

Giving it to them would spare Qiu Chujī the trouble.

“Do you want Shaolin to die?”

Gu Qing had absolutely no faith in the Wu family’s ability—even to deliver a simple list.

Cheng Ying understood Gu Qing’s meaning and laughed brightly.

Gu Qing drove the carriage, looking forward to the Ancient Tomb—he had entered it many times before, stealthily stealing its martial arts and sleeping on the Cold Jade Bed, shamelessly. This time, finally, he could enter openly, sleep on the Cold Jade Bed openly, and live shamelessly.

First chapter posted—today’s five.

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(End of chapter)