Chapter 54

Slap!!

After saying this, Laoshi Heshang slapped himself again, muttering, "Amitabha, as a monk, to actually think of such a thing. I truly deserve to die; the Bodhisattva should punish me by making me crawl back."

As he chanted, he suddenly prostrated himself on the ground, using both hands and feet, and actually began to crawl.

Gong Jiu's eyes suddenly turned toward Yu Liancheng.

This pair of eyes held a pure curiosity and excitement, as if a child had seen a beloved toy.

He knew that Laoshi Heshang would not lie, and he also knew that Laoshi Heshang's judgment had always been quite good.

If this young man in black did not possess brilliant martial arts, Laoshi Heshang would never have said such things, nor would he have had such thoughts.

In Laoshi Heshang's view, his own martial arts cultivation was not much different from this young man in black, which was why he had such a question.

Without a doubt, Gong Jiu was a very proud person.

The only person who could truly make him feel inferior was Xiao Laotou.

And that was only because Xiao Laotou was decades older, possessing an Internal Force and experience that he could not compare to.

But now, in the martial arts that Gong Jiu took such pride in, a master who was younger than him yet could be mentioned in the same breath had suddenly appeared; naturally, he could not help but feel a surge of fighting spirit, wanting to test his skills against him.

Gong Jiu said coldly, "Who are you?"

Laoshi Heshang crawled on the ground: "He is a guest of Xiao Laotou, and perhaps he will also become an Invisible Man."

Gong Jiu said, "Good, very good, lead the way quickly."

Laoshi Heshang was stunned for a moment: "Good."

He really began to crawl on the ground.

The speed of his crawling was quite fast and skillful.

If Laoshi Heshang had to crawl on the ground every time he did something against his conscience, then he must have done many such things.

Yu Liancheng glanced at Gong Jiu and said with some surprise, "You are not going to make a move?"

Gong Jiu said, "I have been lost for three days."

Yu Liancheng said, "So?"

Gong Jiu said coldly, "I have not bathed for three days, and I have not eaten for three days."

Yu Liancheng understood; a person who had not bathed or eaten for three days must now be wanting to take a good hot bath and then enjoy a hearty meal.

Furthermore, Gong Jiu's constitution was very special.

It was said that Xiao Laotou had once been angered by something, tied Gong Jiu up, put him in a coffin, and buried him underground.

Three days later, when he was dug out, he appeared completely fine, brushed off his bottom, and walked away.

But regardless, three days without food always left one at a low point.

To duel with a master at such a time was clearly an unwise choice.

Of course, there could also be other reasons.

For example, Gong Jiu had already seen through Laoshi Heshang's thoughts and did not want to fulfill his scheme.

Or perhaps, since Yu Liancheng was a guest of Xiao Laotou, Gong Jiu still had to show some restraint toward Xiao Laotou.

In any case, they would not be fighting for the time being.

The three of them traveled on the desolate Island for about a quarter of an hour before arriving in front of a cliff.

The cliff was covered in dense green vines; pulling the vines aside immediately revealed a cave entrance large enough for one person to pass through.

After passing through the long passage, the view suddenly opened up; a waterfall cascaded down from the cliff, and ancient trees towered into the sky—it was indeed a world apart.

However, this was not the destination; after traveling for about another half an hour, the terrain rose sharply, and a valley appeared before them.

The valley was lush and fragrant, like a vast garden, dotted with pavilions and towers. It was built with extreme refinement, with carved railings and jade masonry, showing unique ingenuity. Even in the prosperous regions of the Central Plains, one would be hard-pressed to find a few estates like this.

And to build such an estate on an isolated island overseas, the wealth and resources spent were simply unimaginable.

"I remember now, the place where I live is on this side." A brilliant light flared in Gong Jiu's eyes, and he suddenly laughed loudly; his voice was filled with a neurotic quality, giving him an air of madness.

He shook his arms, spread his form, and swept toward the distance, disappearing after a few leaps.

Laoshi Heshang and Yu Liancheng had already entered the valley, and from time to time, they could see servants dressed as laborers. Each one had a light, agile gait and long, steady breathing, showing extraordinary skill in internal energy and light-body techniques. It seemed that any one of these servants, if placed in the pugilistic world, could sweep away a crowd of masters.

"Alright, the monk's task was to bring you here; I should go now." Laoshi Heshang crawled back and forth on the ground, yet not a single servant here gave him a second look.

"In any case, I should thank you for bringing me here," Yu Liancheng said calmly.

"No thanks, goodbye." Laoshi Heshang crawled a short distance, then suddenly slapped his palm against the ground, his body rolling backward, and his palms struck toward Yu Liancheng's back with the force of a thunderbolt.

Originally, Yu Liancheng had been admiring the scenery in the valley, his mind relaxed. Furthermore, the sneak attack was aimed at his undefended back; Laoshi Heshang had a seventy percent certainty of severely wounding his opponent.

He had thoroughly offended Yu Liancheng today, so he simply decided to strike with lethal intent.

"Stop." A very flat voice rang out.

Laoshi Heshang had already been poised to strike, like a fully drawn bowstring. If he withdrew his hand now, the surging True Qi would inevitably backfire on himself.

But without a second thought, he retracted his palm strike and his body suddenly sank downward.

Bang!

His tattered straw sandals exploded into powder, and Laoshi Heshang's large feet left deep imprints in the ground; his face turned even paler, and a mouthful of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.

"A distinguished guest has arrived; is this how you treat a guest?"

At the end of the flower path were flowers, and a man stood with his hands behind his back amidst the colorful blossoms.

He had a round face, his head was half-bald, and he wore a very amiable smile; if not for the high quality of his clothing, he would have looked just like a gardener.

"Amitabha, the monk has broken the precepts again; I truly deserve to die, I truly deserve to die." The monk crawled on the ground, inching backward; there were flowers on both sides of the path. He crawled into the flower bushes, turned his body, and suddenly vanished without a trace.

That amiable Xiao Laotou walked up slowly: "His Buddhist practice is not deep enough to eliminate the hostility in his heart; I hope the guest will not take offense."

Yu Liancheng smiled slightly: "Rest assured, I am indeed not offended at all."

He was sometimes very magnanimous, especially toward those who were about to die.

Xiao Laotou smiled and said, "If I recall correctly, Your Excellency is the 'Jade-Faced Divine Sword' Yu Liancheng."

Yu Liancheng nodded.

Xiao Laotou smiled and said, "I have heard many things about you; I have truly admired you for a long time."

Although he spoke of admiration, his tone was extremely indifferent, showing not the slightest hint of actual admiration.

Yu Liancheng had fought across a thousand miles with his sword and accomplished many things that shook the pugilistic world, yet in the eyes of Xiao Laotou, he was no different from Zhang San, Li Si, or any stray cat or dog.

Yu Liancheng smiled and said, "I have yet to ask for the honorable surname and great name of the old gentleman."

Xiao Laotou laughed heartily and said, "My surname is Wu, and my name is Wu Ming."

Yu Liancheng said, "Wuming 【nameless】 or Wu Ming 【the name】?"

Xiao Laotou said, "The Wu with the 'mouth' and 'sky' components, the Ming with the 'sun' and 'moon' components."