Chapter 164: The Covenant

Upon hearing this, the crowd fell silent for a moment; could it be that the old monk, having spent too long in the temple chanting and observing vegetarian precepts, had let his mind rust?

Did you not see that the fierce eunuch has already had his right hand cut off and been taken away?

Before Niu Dingtian could speak, Miss Huang beside him turned her pretty face cold, drew the treasured sword from her hand and pointed it at Jue Xing, chirpily shouting:

"Old bald donkey, if you have the guts, say it again! Which one do you intend to take up the mountain to fulfill you? Let me tell you! I, Miss Huang, can fulfill you right now!"

As she spoke, Miss Huang gathered her sword technique, ready to strike.

"Rong'er, hold on," Niu Dingtian flashed forward and gently cautioned.

Then, under the heated gazes of the crowd, he sheathed the Dragon‑slaying Saber and the Heaven‑relying Sword, looked at Jue Xing and said calmly, "Whether the Master seeks these weapons or wishes to settle that karmic debt, everyone will inevitably have to clash once."

After casting a glance at the crowd, Niu Dingtian turned and declared loudly, "I, Niu, have always believed that any conflict must have cause and effect. If the cause is mine, you may come find me; if you lose, I will still spare your life.

At this point, his calm gaze drifted, intentionally or not, toward Hong Qi, and he continued, "But if the cause is yours, when you come to me again, don't expect me to have any Buddha‑like compassion or to hold back against you."

"I do not deny that I still have an unresolved karmic tie with the Shaolin Temple. Coincidentally, tomorrow is the anniversary of the Sun‑Moon Divine Sect's founding, and also the day when martial heroes gather on Jiugong Mountain to rank their prowess."

"You all may bear witness here: if Master Jue Xing can defeat me then, the saber, the sword, and I myself will all belong to the Shaolin Temple! If he cannot, then my karmic debt with Shaolin will be erased in one stroke!"

"Thus,"

"Master, what do you think?"

Having said that, Niu Dingtian's gaze drifted slowly, turning again toward Jue Xing a short distance away, awaiting his response.

Niu Dingtian did not know where the old monk's confidence came from, yet dared to challenge him on the spot.

But he had been draining blood for two months straight; now his qi and blood are severely depleted, and his combat power has noticeably waned.

Even a lion fighting a rabbit must give its all.

No matter how strange the opponent, if given a day to recuperate, even if Wang Chongyang lurking in the shadows and the divine monk mentioned by Jue Xing appear, he is confident he can suppress all enemies!

The depth of his current abilities is unknown to anyone.

Moreover, if the opponent and the grudges are settled here, what fame will remain on Jiugong Mountain tomorrow?

Upon hearing this, those present began whispering to each other, the discussion bubbling.

At that moment, the nameless corpses on the ground seemed like withered weeds, unnoticed; no one mourned them, nor cast another glance.

No one expected Niu Dingtian to treat Jue Xing as a proper opponent, but what surprised them even more was Jue Xing's ensuing solemn reaction.

"Then, I, the humble monk, will speak on behalf of the Shaolin Temple; I take my leave now, and tomorrow I shall go to Jiugong Mountain to meet Benefactor Niu."

"I hope Benefactor Niu will keep his promise."

After clasping his hands toward Niu Dingtian and finishing, Jue Xing glanced at Hong Qi, then turned and left.

As his silhouette faded, Niu Dingtian turned his gaze to Hong Qi standing nearby.

Seeing this figure, who ought to be a vivid character of this world, again, Niu Dingtian could not tell what he felt inside.

If one says Hong Qi is a good man, there is probably no one kinder than him in the jianghu, save perhaps a single lamp.

But if one calls him perfect, the Beggar Sect would not have a bunch of bullies nor a swarm of sneaky, shady characters lurking behind.

Back then, Niu Dingtian would never have personally destroyed the upright Northern Beggar Hong Qi Gong before his eyes.

"In the blink of an eye three years have passed; I have grown three years, and Chief Hong has also aged three years. I never expected to see Chief Hong again."

Niu Dingtian looked at Hong Qi's white hair and said with a smile; at that moment, the man began to resemble Hong Qi Gong in his eyes.

"Chief Hong has regained his martial arts and appeared in the Beggar Sect; I suppose he now understands the origin of those past events. If he also wishes to settle the old grudge of that palm with me, I, Niu, will await Chief Hong's arrival on the performance stage of Jiugong Mountain tomorrow."

Speaking thus, Niu Dingtian planted the Dragon‑slaying Saber and the Heaven‑relying Sword into the ground, and, under the angry gazes of the Beggar Sect members in the distance, bowed a fist salute to Hong Qi.

Hong Qi was somewhat surprised.

Even Huang Lao Xie beside him showed a hint of surprise, but what made him both surprised and angry lay ahead.

Then,

Niu Dingtian stepped forward, bowed to him, and said with a smile, "Thank you, Uncle Huang, for stepping in earlier. I heard Rong'er say you love the aged Immortal Drunk; later, when we go to Jiugong Mountain, I'll make sure you can drink it to your heart's content."

Hearing this, Huang Lao Xie's anger flared instantly; he snorted coldly, "I never said I would go to your place. Hmph—'Uncle' is a title I dare not accept."

He then turned to Miss Huang opposite him, saying in a deep voice, "Rong'er, come home with father!"

Originally, given this boy's conditions, he was displeased but would not strongly oppose his daughter being with him, for a maiden eventually must leave home.

Who would have thought that after arriving at Peach Blossom Island, this fellow not only had a liaison with the 'Yue Girl Sword' Han Xiao Ying, but also verbally pledged marriage to Prince Duan's disciple, not to mention his household is surrounded by a tangled web of other women.

What does he take Huang Lao Xie for?

If he waits another two years, he might even have a grandson; if it weren't for his current inability to defeat this kid, he would have broken his leg on the spot!

"Father!"

Hearing Huang Lao Xie's words, Miss Huang glared and was already unwilling.

In the next instant, disregarding the thousands of eyes watching, she darted to Huang Lao Xie's side, clutched his arm, and coquettishly said:

"I don't care! Father, you must come back with me; Brother Niu's aged wine is running low, and it's specially prepared by his daughter for you!"

"I haven't seen you for almost three years; after we return, I will personally cook a feast for you and share a drink, okay?"

Faced with his daughter's coquettish pleading gaze, Huang Lao Xie's heart softened, and his face showed hesitation.

Before his daughter ran away, he would never have consented to such a thing; he would have had to scold her harshly in person.

But after two years of her disappearance, he realized how important his daughter was to him.

Now, seeing the expression in Huang Lao Xie's eyes, everyone present knew that the notorious Eastern Heretic Huang Yaoshi was in fact a daughter‑obsessed man.

While Huang Lao Xie hesitated, what surprised Niu Dingtian was that Hong Qi, standing nearby, suddenly smiled brightly and spoke.

It was the first time Niu Dingtian had seen Hong Qi smile since they first met.

Three years ago when they first met, the other wore an angry expression; just now, upon reuniting, the other wore a calm face.

"The old beggar envies Brother Yaoshi for having a good daughter; if you get fine wine someday, don't forget this stinky beggar."

Speaking, Hong Qi slowly turned his head toward Niu Dingtian, stared at the face he had once despised day and night for a long while, then said in a deep voice:

"All those events stemmed from a traitor in my Beggar Sect; the old beggar's lax discipline and gullibility to slanders deserved this retribution!"

These past three years, my greatest insight has been that one should not urge others to be good without having endured others' hardships; tomorrow, at your sect's grand gathering, the Beggar Sect will attend on its own.

At this point, Hong Qi Gong suddenly paused, and when he looked again at Niu Dingtian, his eyes were somewhat complicated as he said:

The Shaolin Temple has long been a place where hidden dragons lie in wait; previously, the old Beggar Sect's Master Juexing intervened only to repay a debt of gratitude. Sect Leader Niu, take care of it yourself, farewell!

Medicine brother, farewell!

Having said that, Hong Qi Gong then clasped his fists in a bow to Huang Lao Xie to bid farewell, and thereafter led the Beggar Sect disciples away swiftly.

Speaking of hatred, he once harbored it toward Niu Dingtian, but after undergoing three years of various hardships and transformation, the former right and wrong no longer mattered to him; in fact, he has become indifferent.

Even if resentment remains, as a qualified leader of the Beggar Sect, he does not wish to force a clash with such a figure whose martial prowess is unfathomably deep.

But merely thinking that the other has a feud with the Shaolin Temple, recalling that high monk's god‑like, unfathomable methods, Hong Qi Gong ultimately could not help but sigh.

Even the highest talent cannot escape being broken by rigidity.

That's not right! Ouyang Feng?

After Hong Qi Gong left, Han Xiao Ying stood still for a long while, glanced around, and suddenly sensed something amiss; the masked man holding a staff who had been silently standing at a distance had vanished.

Niu Dingtian heard this, looked toward the bamboo grove, and said lightly, "Perhaps he went looking for his son; Sister Xiao Ying need not worry about him."

Then, Niu Dingtian looked at the remaining Quanzhen Sect members and other jianghu figures, and loudly declared, "Everyone, disperse. Tomorrow, I, Niu, will await your august presence on Jiugong Mountain!"

Having said that, he raised his hand toward the crowd and performed a clasp‑fist salute. (End of chapter)