Upon hearing this, the third disciple, Hua Lingzi, who had been silent all along, immediately spoke up: "Hmph, this time, within seven days, we have killed nine precious horses and ruined fifteen others. If the Guangcheng Immortal Sect is a fake, I will definitely make them pay the price!"
“That’s right. No one can live well after deceiving us, especially since they’re just a bunch of two-legged sheep,” the second disciple, Geng Ge Hu’er, said through gritted teeth.
For the past seven days, after receiving the news, they have been running almost day and night. Each person has eight horses, which they take turns using. Even so, in order to make it to tonight's grand event, the casualties have been heavy.
So many fine horses—even in the Turkic lands, on the grasslands, and within their tribes, only a hundred-household commander was entitled to own them. Suddenly, over twenty such fine horses, all at the hundred-household level, were ruined. Even though the three of them were Qu Ao's disciples, they felt a pang of heartache.
"Alright, enough of this talk. Let's find a restaurant and get some rest. There are still at least four hours until the grand event starts tonight. Let's have a good meal, take a bath, and get some sleep," the eldest disciple, Chang Shumou, said sternly. Then, he rode away.
On this day, there were quite a few people who rushed over just like the three of them. There were Bi Xuan's disciples, Song Shidao and Song Lu from the Song Clan, Li Shentong from the Li Clan, Li Mi's son Li Tianfan, and Shen Luoyan and Qin Qiong from Wagang.
They arrived in the city before tonight, whether early or late, by boat or on horseback.
Meanwhile, countless skilled individuals poured into Yangzhou City during these seven days. Among them were many monks and Taoist priests.
"This time, there are quite a few experts who have come. The eight great masters of the Demonic Sect, the four holy monks of Buddhism, Abbot Liaokong of Jingnian Temple, the great Confucian scholar Wang Tong, Ouyang Xiyi, the Good Mother of the Great Ming Sect, Daoist Qihui of Louguan Sect, and..."
"There are so many grandmasters, I definitely can't count them on two hands. As for the number of innate masters, there are even more. So, tonight's 'Innate Qiankun Technique' must be effective. If it's exposed, this joke will be too big." Lin Yang said very seriously, looking at Shi A beside him.
Upon hearing this, Shi A smiled and said, "Don't worry, there are plenty of similar cultivation techniques in the main world. Based on what you said, I found a fourth-grade technique. Moreover, it's a set of palm techniques, and more importantly, this set of palm techniques is divided into seven forms."
"Although it can't compare to the authentic sixth-tier cultivation techniques in the Land of Reincarnation, it's still considered one of the top-tier divine skills in this world. Deceiving these natives is quite easy," Shi A said confidently.
"By the way, how are your preparations for the 'Hun Tian Bao Jian' and the Emperor's Sword Technique coming along?"
"The first six moves of the 'Hun Tian Bao Jian' are also ready, extracted from six different sets of martial arts techniques. The Emperor's Sword Technique has also been prepared with eight moves, found from eight different sets of Qi-based martial arts. It looks quite promising," Shi A said with a smile.
Anyway, it's just a way to fool these people. If you can't master it, it just means you're not the true Son of Heaven. If you can master it, it's just pure luck. Or maybe you're just incredibly lucky.
If you learn the first move but not the second, then it means you're just a python, not even a dragon.
If you can perform each move individually, but they're not connected and can't be organized into a coherent technique, that's perfectly normal. Because you're a jiaolong (a type of dragon-like creature), not a real dragon!
See, they've even prepared various responses. Therefore, Shi A found finding these techniques quite easy. Since they won't kill anyone, he can just treat it as exercise.
It was evening, the afternoon had ended, and night was approaching. There was still about an hour before the successor of the Guangcheng Immortal Sect would appear. Yet, the largest restaurant in Yangzhou was already packed with people.
The hundred seats in the lobby on the first floor were already occupied. In addition, many people were standing nearby, waiting quietly.
Suddenly, amidst a commotion, Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling arrived at this place under the protection of the Shilong Taoist Temple's army.
Upon seeing this, everyone's eyes lit up. Those who had arrived here all knew the relationship between Shi Long and Lin Yang. Similarly, they were all very clear about the relationship between Shuang Long and Shi Long.
In their view, it was precisely because of the relationship with the three real people that the two dragons were able to grow from two ordinary hooligans to their current status within a few years, despite missing the best time to learn martial arts.
"Congratulations to Xiao Zhong and Zi Ling! It seems you two have both broken through to the Grandmaster level. This is truly a cause for celebration!" Hou Xibai said, cupping his hands in congratulations as he looked at the twin dragons.
At this moment, Hou Xibai held the famous beauty fan in his hand, and his clothes were well-matched and eye-catching. However, the excessive use of color did not make him unpleasant. Coupled with his good looks, it's not hard to understand why he was known as the "Amorous Young Master."
"Haha, how can you compare to Old Hou? You spend your days indulging in pleasures and sensual delights, yet your martial arts skills have improved by leaps and bounds. If I'm not mistaken, Old Hou, you must be a grandmaster by now."
"I remember when we first met, you gave me the same feeling as you do now. That means you broke through several years ago, which is much faster than Ziling and me," Kou Zhong said happily, smiling as he spoke.
Hou Xibai was one of the few friends Kou Zhong had made in recent years. At least, he had never deceived either of them and had treated them sincerely. Therefore, Kou Zhong started joking around.
Hou Xibai was speechless at this. He inherited the teachings of the Flower School from Master Shi, which destined him to a life of solitude.
Even if you linger among the flowers, what good will it do? You still pass through a sea of blossoms without a single petal clinging to you!
Now, at just over twenty years old, he has already mastered the martial arts of the Flower Sect, reaching the level of a grandmaster. He is in no way inferior to Master Shi back then.
Unfortunately, after encountering the two resilient young dragons, his pride vanished. Later, he even witnessed the arrival of Wanwan, a sixteen-year-old grandmaster. In this, Hou Xibai somewhat understood how his master had felt when facing the Empress Yin.
(When Shi Zhixuan was twenty years old, he was probably at the early stage of a Grandmaster. When he was thirty, he integrated the martial arts of the Flower Garden Sect and the Heaven-Mending Pavilion, forming his own unique style, but he was still no match for Empress Yin, which is why he plotted against her.)
Later, he spent another ten years as a monk, and at the age of forty, he created the Immortal Seal Technique. After that, he acted disrespectfully towards his elders and had a relationship with Bi Xiuxin, who was only in her early twenties at the time, and they had a daughter, Shi Qingxuan.
He's probably around sixty years old now. So, looking at his age and his experience, you can tell that his qualifications aren't really that great.
However, they cannot compare to those like Empress Yin, Wanwan, and Shi Feixuan, who broke through to the Grandmaster level in their teens or twenties. Their current achievements are mainly due to hard work and struggle.
Therefore, don't always talk about how amazing his aptitude is. If he were truly so gifted, he wouldn't have waited until he was forty to create the Immortal Seal Technique.
Meanwhile, boos rippled through the restaurant's patrons. They were astonished to see Shuanglong and Hou Xibai, young men whose beards hadn't even fully grown, already having broken through to the Grandmaster level.
Looking at himself, he was old enough to be the father of these young men, but his martial arts skills... well, let's not even talk about them. The contrast made him feel utterly hopeless. The difference was simply too great.
"Hmph, it's just a few pretty boys bragging. Isn't that how all Han Chinese in the Central Plains have always been?" The second disciple, Geng Ge Hu'er, immediately provoked.
At this time, due to his Hu (non-Han) heritage, his face was covered in thick fur. Someone unfamiliar with him might mistake him for an African lion.
Moreover, he's already in his thirties. His senior brother, Shu Mou, is over forty. And his master, Qu Ao, is over sixty. (Bi Xuan is over eighty now, so it's normal for someone in their sixties to lose to someone in their eighties…)
Therefore, looking at Kou Zhong and Hou Xibai's pretty-boy appearance, he was furious. So good-looking, and their martial arts skills were so high! Was there no justice in the world? (In his view, although they certainly didn't have the cultivation of a grandmaster, they must at least possess innate talent.)
Meanwhile, the surrounding crowd immediately widened their eyes, watching Kou Zhong's next move with curiosity.
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Chapter 82: My Heart is Like the Moon Reflected in a Well
Hearing what Geng Ge Hu'er said, Kou Zhong turned his head and said exaggeratedly, "Whose dog is this? Why isn't it on a leash? Even if it doesn't bite anyone, it's not good if it barks and scares the flowers and plants."
"Haha, what an interesting lad." Before Hou Xibai could react, he heard a beautiful woman's laughter in the distance.
Following the sound, they spotted a woman dressed in Hu clothing. Her attire was simple, yet exuded understated luxury. She carried a sword.
A close examination of the woman's wrists revealed the marks from years of sword practice. A slight sense indicated that her martial arts skills were no less than his own.
"Who is this beauty, Old Hou?" Kou Zhong couldn't help but shudder as he sensed the overwhelming fighting spirit emanating from the beauty's eyes.