Chapter 195: Are You Speaking Human Language or Just Bullshit?

Hong Qigong's face showed a flash of embarrassment that vanished, and the moment he turned to look at Guo Jing, his composure had already returned.

Although he harbors benevolence in his heart, he would not be so pedantic as to be blackmailed by irrelevant people. But the aggrieved party is different.

After a moment of silence, Hong Qigong fixed his gaze on Guo Jing, his expression serious, and said: "The Beggars' Sect elder narrowly committed a grave mistake; Lao Jiao Hua cannot shirk the blame. Little brother, if you have any request, as long as it does not violate righteousness, Lao Jiao Hua will do his best to compensate."

Guo Jing was startled, and instinctively looked toward Niu Dingtian on the viewing platform; Hong Qigong also turned his head to look.

However, Niu Dingtian seemed to sense something, lowered his head, lifted his tea cup, and, his eyes sparkling, sipped the tea as if he had not seen anything.

Once this matter is placed before him, it becomes a grievance between him and the Northern Beggar. Letting it go would make him seem fearful of the other; if the Lion speaks up, that is also not his wish—any stance would be inappropriate.

Hong Qigong's face showed contemplation, and he immediately looked back at Guo Jing, waiting for his reply.

Guo Jing saw his own uncle not ignoring him, and suddenly faced so many gazes; he became a bit nervous.

He hurriedly sought help from the masters on the high platform, but Ke Zhen'e, Zhu Cong, and Han Baoju all wore expressionless faces and said nothing.

Apparently, in their view, with the dead no longer bearing grudges, the Jiangnan Seven Freaks' blood feud with the Beggars' Sect has already been settled.

Guo Jing had never experienced such a scene under the gaze of countless eyes; seeing no hope for help, his heart pounded, his face flushed as he stammered, "I, I, I don't want compensation."

"Senior Hong, all you need to do is keep the Beggars' Sect disciples in line; thereafter, just practice chivalry and uphold righteousness."

Having finished speaking, Guo Jing let out a deep sigh, and the dark, simple‑faced expression looked relieved.

On the ceremony platform, the surrounding spectators fell silent upon hearing this, then whispered to each other:

"What a simple, silly youngster…"

"Is this the disciple of the Seven Freaks?"

"Where does the foolishness come from? This child, though young, already possesses generosity and a sense of chivalry; he will surely become a blessing to the martial world."

At this moment, Hong Qigong's expression was rather complex; such an honest and sincere answer actually put him in a dilemma.

At this moment, Hong Qigong's expression was rather complex; such a sincere, simple answer put him in a dilemma.

As a senior figure in the jianghu, a big boss, and famed for chivalry, if this kid asked for compensation, he would naturally grant some favor and send him off.

But now he holds no grudges, and is naively without desire; still, he cannot simply brush it off, lest the reputation of the Beggars' Sect be tarnished.

"Little brother, you practice cultivation and martial arts; what is your purpose?" Hong Qigong mused while stepping with his broad feet toward Guo Jing, and when he was ten zhang away, he suddenly looked up and asked.

Guo Jing was momentarily stunned, then scratched the back of his head and said naively, "My mother taught me that practicing chivalry and helping the distressed is the duty of a martial artist; in the future, I will practice chivalry, aid the weak, and also serve the country and the people, keeping the great national righteousness in mind."

By the end, his thick eyebrows and large eyes radiated unwavering determination.

Somehow, when these words left his mouth, no one present thought he was putting on a show. It made many feel ashamed and embarrassed.

Since ancient times, the martial arts gathering has also been called the Heroes' Assembly, yet how many present truly deserve the title 'hero'? Hong Qigong was momentarily stunned; seeing the child's expression, he knew he was sincere, and then, as if recalling something, fixed his gaze and asked, "Would you be willing to call Lao Jiao Hua 'Master'?"

When those words were spoken, the plaza fell into dead silence, and Niu Dingtian, startled, set down his tea cup and lifted his head in a daze.

Will this foolish youngster still be unable to escape the fate of practicing the Dragon Subduing Palm?

Guo Jing reacted, and without even thinking he hastily waved his hand to refuse, as if afraid of touching something terrible.

"Old Beggar, I am teaching you the Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms, and you still refuse?" Hong Qigong frowned and asked, thinking to himself, as one of the Five Greats, how could he be so despised? Glancing at Ke Zhen'e, Zhu Cong, and Han Baoju on the high platform, Hong Qigong then pondered and said: "You are a disciple of the Jiangnan Seven Freaks; as an old beggar I would not stoop to stealing a disciple. You need only call me Master—no need to join the sect, no need to perform the kowtow ceremony—and I will teach you the first fifteen palms of the Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms as compensation."

"Lao Jiao Hua teaches you the Dragon Subduing Palm and you still refuse?" Hong Qigong frowned and asked, thinking that, as a holder of the Five Great Skills, he would be dismissed like this? After glancing at Ke Zhen'e, Zhu Cong, and Han Baoju on the platform, Hong Qigong mused again: "You are a disciple of the Jiangnan Seven Freaks; Lao Jiao Hua despises poaching disciples. You only need to call me 'master'; you need not formally become a disciple, nor perform the grand kneeling ceremony. I will transmit the first fifteen palms of the Dragon Subduing Palm to you as compensation."

"You are not a Beggars' Sect member; passing you fifteen palms is already the limit, but you must also swear not to disseminate them further."

In truth, he didn't mind the title 'master'; it was the thought of casually letting the sect's supreme technique be spread in public that seemed too cheap.

Such a windfall—like a pie falling from the sky—is so rare in the jianghu that even with lanterns it's hard to find, yet Hong Qigong seemed to underestimate Guo Jing.

That's the very person who once refused Niu Dingtian.

Thus, amid the surrounding clamor, Guo Jing weakly glanced at a few masters, then at his own uncle Niu, and turned to Hong Qigong, speaking earnestly:

"Thank you, Senior Hong, for your generosity. The martial arts I currently practice were passed down by Uncle Niu; without the consent of the masters and Uncle Niu, I dare not independently learn external techniques."

"Moreover, I have already …"

Before Guo Jing could finish his earnest refusal, a cough cut him off; following the sound, he saw his maternal uncle Niu Dingtian slowly rise to his feet.

Guo Jing's earnest refusal was cut off by a cough; looking toward the sound, it was his uncle Niu slowly standing up.

Niu Dingtian wore a warm smile and declared loudly, "Since Boss Hong's intentions are sincere, Jing'er, don't refuse. I will fulfill this on behalf of your masters."

Ke Zhen'e on the stage, though feeling extremely displeased, did not voice opposition. Just as Niu Dingtian had previously taught martial arts, this was a rare opportunity for Guo Jing.

"But …"

Niu Dingtian waved his hand to stop him; he had originally planned to have Guo Jing switch to martial arts after the gathering, and just as he was about to doze off someone brought him a pillow—naturally he wouldn't turn it away. He then fixed his gaze on Hong Qigong, clasped his hands and said: "To be honest, I am also very interested in Chief Hong's Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms, but having others teach Jing'er martial arts, I, Niu, would not covet it."

Niu Dingtian waved his hand to stop him; he had already planned to have Guo Jing switch to a different martial path after the gathering, and now, just as he was about to doze off and someone brought a pillow, he naturally would not turn it down. He then fixed his gaze on Hong Qigong, clasped his hands, and said, "To be honest, I am very interested in Boss Hong's Dragon Subduing Palm, but I disdain the idea of someone else passing martial arts to Jing'er."

He paused, glanced at One Light, and mused, "If Boss Hong is willing to follow the example of Zhongyang Immortal and Master One Light, I could offer the Nine Yin Classic in exchange for the Dragon Subduing Palm; I wonder what Boss Hong thinks of that."

"What? Nine Yin Classic?" As soon as the words fell, someone in the crowd shouted in surprise.

Then a wave of discussion erupted: "The Nine Yin Classic is actually in his hands!"

"No wonder he, at such a young age, has mastered such skills… it must be thanks to the Nine Yin Classic!"

"But shouldn't that scripture be with Zhongyang Immortal Wang? Back then, at the Huashan Sword Debate, Zhongyang Immortal took the lead…"

Someone's breathing grew rapid, greed flaring in their heart, and they looked again at Niu Dingtian, their eyes blazing with intense heat.

Niu Dingtian's eyes gleamed, his gaze sweeping around, and he spoke loudly: "What I like in life are fine wine, beautiful women, and martial arts. If anyone can produce martial arts of equal caliber, I am willing to exchange with them."

Niu Dingtian's eyes glittered as his gaze swept around, and he declared loudly, "Throughout my life I have loved fine wine, beautiful women, and martial arts. If others can present comparable martial skill, I am willing to trade."

With those words, the crowd erupted into chaos.

Meanwhile, atop the distant treasure hall, a pair of eyes beneath a gray cloth glared with fury, nostrils flaring.

Just as Hong Qigong's expression wavered and he was about to speak, he, angry, ripped off his gray cloth, stood on the roof, stamping his feet and pulling his beard, shouting, "I disagree! I disagree!!"

Before a thousand eyes could gather, Lao Wandong, one hand on his waist, pointed at Niu Dingtian and Hong Qigong, and shouted, "You, Niu! And you, stinky beggar! One who deceived Lao Wandong with the Nine Yin Classic! One who frightened Lao Wandong, you foolish junior master!"

Among the Quanzhen disciples, Wang Chuyi was the first to react; seeing Zhou Botong appear suddenly, he rejoiced and shouted, "Uncle, so it was you this morning; you're still alive!"

Zhou Botong retorted, "Pah, of course I'm alive! Huang Lao Xie has been trying to harm me for over ten years without success. Ha, Huang Lao Xie, try again."

Upon hearing about life or death, Zhou Botong instantly recalled the incident on Peach Blossom Island, while gesturing a middle finger at Huang Yaoshi, sticking out his tongue in provocation, he left Niu Dingtian and Hong Qigong aside.

【61】 Qiu Chuji, seeing this turn of events, felt something was amiss, after finally receiving a strong reinforcement, you immediately provoked three factions.

As expected, Huang Yaoshi heard and glanced askance, then let out a light snort, without further ado turning into a blue streak that shot toward Lao Wan Tong.

Island Master Huang, show mercy! Uncle Zhou didn't mean to offend! Ma Yu also understood clearly in his heart, and hurriedly shouted loudly at that blue streak.

Zhou Botong, however, flew into a rage and shouted: "Pah pah pah, Lao Wan Tong did it on purpose! He did it on purpose!"

As his words fell, a "bang" sounded, and he had already clashed with Huang Yaoshi's Peach Blossom Falling Palm.

The two fought faster and faster, and on the roof it gradually became hard for the naked eye to discern their moves.

Lao Wan Tong's moves were exquisite and fantastical, clearly superior to his previous routines when fighting the divine condor; Huang Yaoshi therefore exerted his full strength to oppose him.

Quanzhen Seven Disciples originally thought that once their uncle arrived, as long as he combined with the Big Dipper Formation, they would surely be able to advance and retreat freely today, staying safe; who would have thought that this uncle would immediately lose his head, and in an instant become locked in an indecisive battle with Huang Yaoshi.

Thus, the people below looked dazzled, and for a moment they even forgot about the exchange of martial arts between Niu Dingtian and Hong Qi Gong.

Ma Yu grew more anxious watching, and couldn't help but call out: "Uncle, don't first fight with Island Master Huang! Soon Qiu Shi-di will have a life-or-death duel with someone; you need to stay nearby to look after things a bit."

At that moment, Ouyang Feng, who was two empty seats away from Yi Deng, suddenly shouted: "Right, Old Urchin, you are no match for Old Heretic Huang; hurry and save your life! Hurry, hurry!"

Zhou Botong, provoked by him, became even more unwilling to stop; while launching attacks he shouted angrily: "Good, you old poisonous creature! Later I'll have a go with you again—I'll definitely make you kneel and call me grandpa!"

He, however, recalled the incident from years ago when Ouyang Feng had injured him; now that his martial arts had reached perfection, he wanted to settle the score one by one.

Ouyang Feng smirked coldly, glanced at Niu Dingtian, seeing his indifferent attitude, felt assured, and then laughed loudly at Huang Yaoshi: "Brother Medicine, the Quanzhen Sect doesn't know good from bad, daring to break ground on top of your Mount Tai."

"You are a grand master; fighting these juniors loses your dignity. You deal with the big ones, and let the brothers take care of the small ones—what do you think?"

While exchanging blows, Huang Yaoshi felt amazed by Zhou Botong's fist technique; hearing these words, he couldn't help but feel a hint of contempt.

"You, a grandmaster of the Five Absolutes, bully the small and weak without saying so, and you still haven't seen through the true intentions of his excellent son-in-law."

"That lad is typical of protecting his own and saving face; now that his new sect has just been established, even if he himself were to take on the Quanzhen Seven Disciples, it's uncertain, so how could he allow outsiders to injure guests on his turf?"

Not only did Huang Yaoshi feel embarrassed by these words, but hearing the Old Poisonous Creature mention them again, and in front of everyone, just as the Quanzhen Seven Disciples were all on high alert, Hong Qigong, who originally had some opinions about the Quanzhen Sect, directly snapped:

"Are you speaking human words or just farting?"

At this moment, the venerable North Beggar felt for the first time a sense of shame at being mentioned alongside the West Poison.

Ouyang Feng's expression froze; he had wanted to laugh it off again, but seeing everyone's gazes filled with astonishment, he instantly felt a sharp slap-like ringing in his ears.

"If you keep fooling around, you won't even be able to mix with the West Poison!"

Thinking of this, Ouyang Feng's eyes flashed with a cold gleam, like a poisonous snake locking onto Hong Qi Gong; he cupped his fist toward Niu Dingtian's side and said coldly: "I have tolerated this stinking old beggar everywhere, yet he gives me no face at all."

Saying this, Ouyang Feng leapt up and lunged toward Hong Qi Gong in the middle of the arena.

Saying this, Ouyang Feng leapt up and lunged toward Hong Qi Gong in the middle of the arena.

(End of chapter)