Chapter 22: A Friend from Afar

About two miles away from the city wall, Qiu Zhiqing noticed his pursuer was still hot on his heels. He thought it might be better to just stop and clear things up; after all, it wasn't worth the trouble! Perhaps a little communication could resolve many misunderstandings. As the saying goes, many problems arise simply from a lack of dialogue!

Qiu Zhiqing stood his ground. The pursuer stopped a yard away, wielding a long whip—evidently his optimal attack range. Qiu Zhiqing, unfamiliar with such tactics, naively thought this distance would allow him to escape if needed; he had never encountered an opponent using a long whip before.

Before Qiu Zhiqing could speak, the man slapped a grave accusation on him: "Bold petty thief! Normally, you sneak into the palace to steal a few paintings and scrolls, and we can't be bothered to care. But with the Crown Prince having passed away and Lin'an in mourning, you dare to infiltrate the palace? You truly have a death wish! If you surrender now, you might at least keep your body intact!"

Qiu Zhiqing was utterly bewildered, his face a mask of confusion and twisted expressions.

"Who are you? How can you slander an innocent man without cause? I only entered the palace to visit a senior and deliver a letter. How does that make me a petty thief?"

He refused to shoulder this blame. The thought of wandering the pugilistic world only for someone to pop out and shout, "Ah, so you’re the Quanzhen petty thief, Qiu Zhiqing!" was haunting. Why did that sound so catchy?

At that moment, a firework shot up from the direction they had come, blooming in the sky to reveal a large character: "Harmony."

Unexpectedly, upon seeing the firework, the man burst into laughter. "Now I believe you aren't here to steal from the inner palace!"

Qiu Zhiqing had just breathed a sigh of relief when the man added, "I am Qin Fei, Superintendent of the Imperial City Guard. Little Daoist, you trespassed into the Imperial Palace and encroached upon a high-security military zone of the Imperial City Guard. Your crime is equally unforgivable. Stay right here!"

Qiu Zhiqing, who had been on guard, wanted to run the moment he heard the second part, but he hadn't expected the Superintendent of the Imperial City Guard to be so lacking in martial virtue; the man began a sneak attack before he had even finished speaking.

Watching the whip lash out, Qiu Zhiqing could only think one thing: "Why is it so long?" He drew his long sword, the blade flickering like a shimmering stream of silk, parrying the whip’s tip that struck from multiple angles like a probing serpent.

The fellow was quite insidious; the tip of the whip was actually a short blade, striking his sword with a crisp clatter. The swordplay was dazzling, seemingly imposing, but it was useless—all defense and no offense!

Every time Qiu Zhiqing tried to attack, the man would either dodge or force him back with a whip flourish. He didn't know what material the whip was made of, but it couldn't be cut! Fortunately, the guy's internal energy was nothing special.

During the fight, Qiu Zhiqing inadvertently glanced up and cursed himself for an idiot. No wonder his sword light felt so sharp tonight; it was the full moon of the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, adding power to his blade.

To explore the Imperial City on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival—he really had lost his mind! At the same time, he didn't forget to disparage the person who had also lost their mind by sneaking into the palace to steal...

Having familiarized himself with the moves, he realized the man was nothing special—boring! Spotting an opening, he gathered his internal energy and fired three consecutive sword beams, forcing Qin Fei back before turning to leave.

He didn't want to drag this out, but Qin Fei didn't see it that way. As the dignified Superintendent of the Imperial City Guard—one of the few figures with real authority—how could he not be furious at being used as a training dummy? Run? Not a chance!

Qiu Zhiqing found that this guy was incorrigible, sticking to him like a plaster. He had no choice but to stop, swatting the oncoming Qin Fei back with a palm strike. He couldn't help but wonder why this so-called Superintendent was so weak.

It wasn't that Qin Fei was weak; it was that Qiu Zhiqing was no longer the man he used to be, though he didn't realize it himself!

"Hey! Don't mistake my mercy for weakness! My patience has its limits!" Qiu Zhiqing was frustrated. The guy’s martial arts were average, but his movement techniques were surprisingly... well, not 'good,' but surprisingly fast!

Was this a specialty developed for protecting the Emperor or tracking suspects?

Regardless of whether Qiu Zhiqing had guessed correctly, Qin Fei was livid. Not only had he caught a trespasser red-handed, but the guy wasn't even wearing black clothes and dared to run wild in the Imperial City Guard’s territory! Was this not a deliberate insult?

If his colleagues found out someone had reached his doorstep while he was on duty, how could he ever advance in his career?

"If you want me to let you go, fine! You’re looking for someone in the palace, right? I can take you in!" Qin Fei said, stealthily moving closer.

Qiu Zhiqing was curious. Did this guy have a grudge against the old Emperor? Otherwise, why be so proactive? He was almost tempted. But seeing the man’s furtive approach, he understood instantly—it was the classic "openly repair the plank road while secretly crossing the Chencang." No rush! Let's play along.

"Is that so? You can really take me into the palace to find someone?" Qiu Zhiqing asked, feigning curiosity.

Qin Fei was delighted, thinking his trap had worked, and replied with a calm face, "Naturally. You aren't the only one who comes and goes from the palace. As the saying goes, 'Is it not a joy to have friends come from afar...'"

Before he could finish, the long whip danced, striking toward Qiu Zhiqing like a dragon or a serpent’s tongue. He continued the quote: "‘...and first suffer their hearts and wills, toil their sinews and bones, starve their bodies and skin, and leave them empty-handed, then lash them hundreds of times and drive them to the dungeon—is that not delightful?’"

Although Qin Fei came from an official family, he disliked literature and preferred martial affairs. These were just lines he often heard from the guards in the dungeon.

Fine. I offered my heart to the bright moon, but the moon shines upon the ditch! Since you are ungrateful, don't blame this Daoist for being ruthless!

Although he misquoted the idiom, it didn't hinder Qiu Zhiqing’s performance. As the whip struck, he didn't parry with his sword; instead, he used his horsetail whisk to entangle the whip and pulled hard, trying to drag the man in.

Just as expected, Qiu Zhiqing knew the man wouldn't give up. Seeing him pull, Qin Fei reflexively pulled back!

That was the moment! Leveraging Qin Fei’s resistance, Qiu Zhiqing used his Golden Goose technique to close the distance. Qin Fei abandoned the whip and launched a set of Tiger Claws, trading a few blows with Qiu Zhiqing’s single hand!

Creating distance between them, Qiu Zhiqing saw it was still early. He tossed his sword, which automatically returned to its scabbard, tucked his whisk into his back waistband, and flung the stolen whip far away!

Confident and composed, Qiu Zhiqing suddenly recalled a movie from his past life and spoke in the tone of the protagonist: "Cat claws? Let's play!"

The protagonist's tone was infuriating, and Qin Fei was no exception. As a dignified Superintendent of the Imperial City Guard, the second-in-command, he was being humiliated by a youth. "A scholar can be killed..." No, that wasn't right! It should be: "If this can be endured, what cannot?"

"Little Daoist, you break into the palace at night and hurt people with your words. Your crimes are unforgivable! Take this!"

Never mind who started the verbal abuse; he was just waiting for the fight! However, Qiu Zhiqing had slightly underestimated the number two man of the Imperial City Guard. Qin Fei had abandoned his previous "kite-flying" style for close-quarters combat, using short-range explosive power. He struck with his palm, then shifted into a claw to hook Qiu Zhiqing’s left hand!

If not for Qiu Zhiqing’s quick reflexes—instantly channeling his "Three Flowers Gathering at the Summit" palm technique—he would have been embarrassed by having his sleeve, or even his arm, shredded.

This shook Qiu Zhiqing, who had been feeling a bit inflated from recent successes. Damn, he almost got turned over by this old fox. Who would have thought a long-range fighter would be so vicious in close combat? His master was right: these tactical types all had black hearts!

What was most hateful was the guy calling him "Little Daoist" repeatedly—wasn't that like insulting a monk in front of a bald man? Did he really think this young priest was a pushover?

"There is a path to heaven you refuse to take, so I'll beat you like a dog!" With that, Qiu Zhiqing went on the offensive. Three Flowers Gathering at the Summit!

Three consecutive moves—discarding thought, discarding sleep, and smoothing the qi—erupted with force. He broke the man’s tiger-form stance upon contact, swiped a palm against his ribs to disrupt his power, and prepared the final strike to take his life...

Of course, Qiu Zhiqing only struck his "Xuanji," "Shanzhong," and "Juque" acupoints. He didn't take his life; after all, they had no past grudges and no recent grievances, and the man was just doing his duty.

Still, the guy was truly detestable—not only did he deceive his feelings, but he also insulted him. Even a Daoist has a temper!

...

Watching the hateful priest head toward the suburbs, Qin Fei was filled with anger that seemed ready to burst. It was too much! Even though his ancestor was the adopted son of the traitor Qin Hui, his own father was a prefect who deeply admired Yue Fei and had even named him "Qin Fei."

Though he didn't know if it was all an act, he had never suffered such grievances since childhood. Since joining the Imperial City Guard at twelve, his path had been smooth; he had never been so humiliated...

Qin Fei found himself hung upside down from a tree branch by his own whip. Fortunately, at this height, even wild beasts couldn't reach him. Qiu Zhiqing felt he had been remarkably tolerant and restrained toward this pervert who had threatened to "lash him hundreds of times and drive him to the dungeon."

However, there was one thing Qin Fei guessed wrong: Qiu Zhiqing wasn't heading for the suburbs of Lin'an. He had circled back into the city. Having learned his lesson, he didn't go in the previous direction but instead changed course toward the Hening Gate and the Imperial Street...