Chapter 56

Yang Kang, after hearing his uncle's words, his face brightened again; drawing near, he broke into a smile and said in a clear voice:

"Uncle, last year when I was at the Wang Mansion, I took a Daoist of the Quanzhen Sect as my master, named Changchunzi Qiu Chuji, but he usually pays no attention to me, often just teaching a few moves and then leaving."

Hearing this, Niu Zhaizhu's eyes flickered, and he silently thought, "I've been careless."

"Damn! I just forgot about that dog Daoist; I should drag him out and whip his corpse in front of this great-nephew."

"Niu Dazhai Zhu still holds a grudge against this old fellow; both publicly and privately he sees him as a hypocritical dog, wishing he could slap him to death with one palm."

Seeing his uncle still dazed, Yang Kang frowned slightly, a bit dissatisfied, but continued his introduction:

"'Master Qiu has taught me the Quanzhen Sword Technique several times, but each time I hadn't learned it before he left; when he returned he'd teach a new move, and I still hadn't learned it before he left again.'"

As he said this, his face still bore much resentment.

"'But Master Qiu isn't as skilled as another master! The other one is'"

"'The other one is the person you shouted out from the cellar that day?'"

Before Yang Kang finished, Niu Zhaizhu already took over, finally looking at this great-nephew with a smiling, narrowed eyes.

He then ignored the other's embarrassed little face and continued:

"'Isn't it still that blind female master, whose claw skill, whip technique, and palm technique are especially formidable?'"

Yang Kang's little face froze.

How does the uncle know?

Could it be what Mother said?

But how would Mother know that the female master's whip and palm techniques are formidable?

Hearing Yang Kang mention that female master, Niu Dingtian immediately thought of the blind woman who attacked from behind when he left the Wang Mansion that night.

At that time, his full-force Splitting Sky Palm, had he not withdrawn three-tenths of his power at the end, that woman would likely have been unable to land safely.

After all, there is some connection; reckoning it up, his sister Sha Gu could be considered the other's grand-disciple (niece of master).

His own introductory martial arts were also Peach Blossom Island martial arts; if he used Peach Blossom Island skills to kill a Peach Blossom Island disciple.

Hiss~

Thinking of this, Niu Dingtian sucked in a breath of cold air.

He, Niu Zhaizhu, might also end up clashing with Huang Lao Xie.

If it were merely an ordinary disciple who had been cast out, Niu Dingtian wouldn't care so much; once one's strength reaches a certain level, there aren't many irreconcilable contradictions.

The key is a vague rumor of a master-disciple romance, which he really finds hard to confirm.

If Mei Chaofeng really was Huang Yaoshi's old lover, and I killed her with one palm, the Eastern Heretic would likely go mad, and it would be an endless feud; nobody wants to be stared at every day by a lunatic.

But after all, Mei Chaofeng and he, Niu Zhaizhu, are alike—both pitiful from childhood. He met Chen Jin'er; she met Huang Yaoshi.

Mei Chaofeng's original name was Mei Ruo Hua; as a child she was also an innocent, lively girl, doted on by her parents, but after her parents died one after another, she became an orphan, taken in by her uncle and aunt.

When she was eleven, her uncle sold her to an old wealthy man. That old man often took liberties with the young Mei Ruo Hua, but when the household's tigress discovered it, how could she be willing?

Thus came another grand drama like Pan Jinlian's; not blaming the old man's shamelessness, they instead blamed Mei Ruo Hua for being a fox spirit who seduced his man, and began beating her, intending to disfigure her face with fire tongs.

In her peril, a man in a green robe appeared and rescued her. That green-robed man was Huang Yaoshi; after saving Mei Ruo Hua, he brought her to Peach Blossom Island and took her as a disciple, and according to the island's custom, gave her the name Mei Chaofeng.

Huang Yaoshi treated Mei Chaofeng very well; he not only taught her to read and write, but also taught her martial arts, and even when he had no time, he would have his senior apprentice Qu Lingfeng substitute in teaching.

Before Mei Chaofeng entered the master's gate, Huang Yaoshi had already taken five disciples: senior apprentice Qu Lingfeng, second apprentice Chen Xuanfeng, fourth apprentice Lu Chengfeng, fifth apprentice Wu Gangfeng, and sixth apprentice Feng Mofeng.

In order of age, Mei Chaofeng ranks third.

Later, she became involved with Chen Xuanfeng, who was roughly her age; among the fellow disciples this bred resentment and they came to blows. Finally, under Chen Xuanfeng's influence, the two stole the Nine Yin Classic and fled Peach Blossom Island.

Recalling this story, Niu Zhaizhu's gossip heart stirred again; if the rumor of a master-disciple romance is true, he would sincerely say to Huang Lao Xie, "I admire you."

"Uncle! Uncle! It's time to teach martial arts!"

Noticing that the uncle beside him was spacing out again, Yang Kang pouted his little mouth and loudly reminded him.

"All right, Kang'er, Uncle was just pondering which martial art to teach you."

Niu Zhaizhu brushed it off without blushing or racing heart, then immediately adopted a solemn tone and said:

"Uncle now has three divine skills for you to choose from: one is called Nine Yang Divine Skill, one is called Arhat Subduing Demon Skill, and another is called North Darkness Divine Skill."

Yang Kang's eyes lit up upon hearing this; before he could speak, Niu Dingtian continued:

"Nine Yang Divine Skill consists of nine levels, originally recorded in the Nine Yang True Scripture; this book integrates the ultimate principles of all martial arts under heaven, and after mastering it, all martial arts become readily usable. Moreover, after cultivating Nine Yang Divine Skill, the internal energy's self-generation speed is astonishingly fast, endless and inexhaustible; even ordinary fist and foot techniques can unleash tremendous attack power. Its defensive capability is unmatched; after attaining the Diamond Body (Indestructible Body), it will automatically protect the body and rebound external attacks. Furthermore, it is immune to all poisons and remarkably effective in healing wounds, specifically countering all cold and yin internal energies."

He introduced Nine Yang Divine Skill first, hoping to draw Yang Kang's attention, for North Darkness Divine Skill drains others' internal energy and ultimately has a limit that is hard to break.

If it weren't for his urgent need for self-preservation that time, he wouldn't have used this technique. Nevertheless, the final choice remains Yang Kang's.

"The second technique is called Arhat Subduing Demon Skill; it combines yin-yang hardness and softness, its power not in the slightest inferior to Nine Yang Divine Skill. Moreover, after cultivating it to the highest level, internal energy is endless and inexhaustible, ultimately enabling one to follow the mind's turn, capable of anything, left and right, high and low, all as desired. However, this technique demands extremely strict standards of the practitioner; merely the first step of gathering the mind to return to the origin requires discarding all worldly thoughts and distractions. Among a million people, perhaps not one can achieve it. Therefore, you can rule this technique out."

Having said that, Niu Dingtian directly ruled out this technique; even if he tried to cultivate Arhat Subduing Demon Skill, it would be hard to succeed, but at this moment he suddenly thought of someone who might give it a try.

"The last North Darkness Divine Skill is a quick-success method; it can absorb others' internal energy and transform it into North Darkness True Qi. Moreover, it is compatible with all martial arts under heaven, immune to poison, fierce and domineering, a casual strike is strong and unyielding, possessing tremendous power. The true qi can protect the body, and when under attack it will also rebound the enemy."

After saying that, Niu Dingtian turned his head to look at Yang Kang, and finally asked;

"Now, Nine Yang Divine Skill and North Darkness Divine Skill— which one do you choose?"

Sorry for the typos and messy sentences; thanks for the reminder. Feeling dazed from drinking tonight, this chapter feels weird; I might heavily revise it tomorrow.

(End of chapter)