Chapter 36: Beneath the Drunken Immortal Pavilion

Watching Guo Jing sprawl at the window to observe for a moment before leaping down, Qiu Zhiqin turned back to Yin Zhiping, who was still tucking into his meal with gusto. Curiously, Qiu asked, "Brother Yin, aren't you going down to check on our uncles?"

To his surprise, Yin Zhiping proved to be a man of clear judgment. After taking a sip of tea, he calmly replied, "Our esteemed elders possess profound martial arts. My presence would only add to the chaos. I shall finish my meal first, then head down to assess the situation."

With all seven members of the Quanzhen Sect present, there was no need for him to serve as a substitute in the Big Dipper Formation, so he could naturally afford to eat and drink with Qiu Zhiqin.

Qiu Zhiqin said nothing, but secretly gave a thumbs-up. "Come, Brother, I shall toast you with tea in place of wine!" The two continued to exchange toasts until they had finished the entire table of food, only then sauntering down to investigate.

Below, in an open area, the Seven Masters of Quanzhen were locked in a fierce battle with Huang Yaoshi, while Guo Jing supported Ke Zhen'e, watching anxiously from the sidelines.

Descending the stairs and standing beside Guo Jing and Ke Zhen'e, Qiu Zhiqin asked with interest, "How long have they been fighting?"

Neither Guo Jing nor Ke Zhen'e recognized Qiu Zhiqin, so Yin Zhiping introduced him: "This is my junior brother, Qiu Zhiqin, courtesy name Chonghe, a disciple of my Uncle Ma Yu."

Upon hearing this, Guo Jing remembered that he had been taught by Ma Yu for two years and shared a similar brotherhood with Qiu Zhiqin. He bowed hastily and said, "Greetings, Brother Qiu. They have exchanged over three hundred blows and have been fighting for more than half an incense stick's time."

Qiu Zhiqin clicked his tongue in secret. With a combined age of over five hundred years among the eight, they were still this vigorous—truly, cultivating the Dao and practicing martial arts was the right path! However, the Seven Masters of Quanzhen were at a disadvantage regarding internal energy.

Although the *Quanzhen Internal Method*, when cultivated to a profound level, could circulate indefinitely, it still paled in comparison to a master of the Innate Realm like Huang Yaoshi, whose internal energy flowed endlessly through his own perfected macro- and micro-cosmic orbits.

Moreover, whether it was his imagination or not, Qiu Zhiqin sensed that Huang Yaoshi was taking this opportunity to observe the full extent of the Big Dipper Formation, hoping to dismantle the formation through his profound knowledge rather than brute force.

Qiu Zhiqin shook his head, thinking to himself that he was doing it again—lately, all sorts of strange perceptions kept popping into his mind.

In truth, his intuition was spot on. A man as arrogant as Huang Yaoshi naturally looked down on the Seven Masters, but while he disdained them, he could not help but respect Wang Chongyang.

At the Hua Mountain Sword Gathering years ago, Wang Chongyang had defeated four opponents single-handedly to take the top spot, only to pass away shortly after, leaving them no chance to reclaim their pride.

If he could not best Wang Chongyang in martial arts, he certainly would not allow himself to be bested by him in the realm of formations, which was his own specialty! This was why he was determined to break the formation.

However, it now seemed that breaking it through technical skill was virtually impossible, and he could not help but admire Wang Chongyang’s wisdom. Yet, while the formation had no flaws, its vital components—the people themselves—were not without them. As the battle dragged on, the Seven Masters clearly showed signs of faltering strength. If he only waited a moment longer...

Indeed, after two more quarters of an hour, Hao Datong, positioned at the Yuheng star and the weakest of the seven, began to struggle. Qiu Zhiqin naturally spotted the weakness and braced himself, ready to prevent Huang Yaoshi from dealing a lethal blow.

Huang Yaoshi decisively seized the opportunity. With a palm strike, he repelled Qiu Chuji at the Tianquan position, then aimed his jade flute directly at Hao Datong at the Yuheng position, forcing Ma Yu at the Tianshu position to intervene.

Ma Yu took the bait, thrusting his sword at Huang Yaoshi’s back. Suddenly, Huang Yaoshi spun around, deflected the incoming blade with his jade flute, and struck Ma Yu on the shoulder with his palm.

Everything happened too quickly—so fast that Wang Chuyi at the Yaoguang position and Sun Bu'er at the Tianxuan position could not react in time. Even Qiu Zhiqin was caught off guard.

It was only when Ma Yu was sent flying backward by the palm strike that Qiu Zhiqin came to his senses. He flew forward, caught Ma Yu, and set him down. He was surprised to find that there was only a gentle force behind the strike; Huang Yaoshi had held back.

Ma Yu regained his composure and touched the spot where he had been struck, finding no injury.

Seeing his fellow disciples still surrounding Huang Yaoshi, Ma Yu stepped forward and shouted, "Stop!" The others, seeing Ma Yu return unscathed after being struck, obeyed despite their confusion, halting their assault.

Ma Yu could not help but recall Qiu Zhiqin's words on the boat: "Does having high martial arts mean they cannot lie?"

Furthermore, if Huang Yaoshi had been capable of killing Zhou Botong, why would he hold back now when he had such a perfect opportunity?

Though doubts remained, it was best to stop for now. After all, Huang Yaoshi had shown him mercy, and to turn hostile immediately would be contrary to his principles.

Ma Yu walked up to Huang Yaoshi and said, "My thanks to Island Master Huang for your restraint. The Big Dipper Formation is broken, so there is no need to fight further. However, there is one thing I must ask you to clarify."

Huang Yaoshi snorted, turning away with disdain. "Speak!"

"Island Master Huang, can you tell me if our uncle, Zhou Botong, truly died at your hands?"

Seeing Ma Yu’s sincerity, Huang Yaoshi was unusually willing to explain. But just then, Guo Jing and Ke Zhen'e, seeing the fight end, jumped out. "What is there to say to this murderous demon?"

Guo Jing assumed a stance for the Dragon-Subduing Palm and roared, "You scoundrel! My hatred for you is irreconcilable; pay with your life!" With that, he struck directly at Huang Yaoshi’s face.

Qiu Zhiqin was speechless. *Good heavens! Can you not wait for people to finish talking before you attack? Interrupting others is incredibly rude! Do you heroes of the jianghu have no sense of decorum?*

"Alas, one only regrets not having read enough when the time comes to use it..." Unable to remember the exact plot of *The Legend of the Condor Heroes*, Qiu Zhiqin could only sigh in self-pity.

He blamed himself for not reading, watching, and remembering carefully enough. Otherwise, he could have just jumped out and spoiled the plot, and all this would have been avoided. And who actually killed the Six Freaks of the South? Weren't they supposed to survive long enough to bully Yang Guo in the *Return of the Condor Heroes* era? Could this be his own butterfly effect?

The Seven Masters of Quanzhen heard his sigh, and their gazes toward him were filled with the sentiment of "a hopeless case of wasted potential."

While Qiu Zhiqin was being judged by the seven for reciting a poem they found utterly out of place, Guo Jing’s Dragon-Subduing Palm was repelled by Huang Yaoshi’s Ripple Palm. It was clear that while the old man was unhappy, he still cared for his daughter’s feelings and did not use heavy force, merely sending Guo Jing flying.

"What deep grudge do you and your master have against me to hate me so much?" It was clear that Huang Yaoshi was genuinely bewildered. He had agreed to marry his daughter to the boy—what more did he want?

Guo Jing was about to explain when Ke Zhen'e interrupted: "Spare the nonsense! Today, either you die, or I do!" He brandished his staff and charged. After three moves, Guo Jing and Ke Zhen'e were repelled once more.

Huang Yaoshi asked in confusion, "Why are you two acting so mad?"

"You scoundrel! You killed my five masters, and you still want to deny it?"

At this, Huang Yaoshi swallowed the words he had intended to say to the Seven Masters. *Damn it all, they keep dumping every bucket of filth on my head!*

Especially you, boy. I was willing to marry my daughter to you, yet you keep blathering on. It’s bad enough you’re dim-witted, but you’re also stubborn as a mule.

*Explain? Explain my foot! What’s another black pot? Who among righteous men hasn't carried a few?*

"I have always walked my own path. Since you all insist I killed them, then what does it matter if I admit it? A bunch of muddled old fools—truly, one cannot discuss ice with a summer insect!" As Huang Yaoshi unleashed his disdain, it seemed a new battle was about to erupt.

Just then, a young maiden in white with a golden hairpin and floral adornments fluttered in, like a swallow returning to its nest, and dove into Huang Yaoshi’s arms. She sobbed, "Father, if you didn't kill them, why admit to it? Why suffer such groundless accusations?"

Then, pointing at Guo Jing, she added, "He not only slanders you by saying you killed his masters, he even bullied Rong'er~"

Qiu Zhiqin watched the girl; she was exceptionally spirited, and her tears seemed to dim the very heavens. Even her crying was beautiful.

If nothing else, even Huang Yaoshi, that wicked and arrogant man, became significantly more approachable the moment he saw his daughter.

Of course, he still didn't give the others a pleasant look, especially Guo Jing, who had made his daughter cry; he received a resounding slap across the face, followed by a glare so murderous it couldn't be hidden.

Huang Yaoshi let out a breath and said, "In my life, have I ever been short on misunderstandings? What does one or two more bloody cases matter?"

At these words, even the Seven Masters of Quanzhen began to reflect: were they being too rash? Had they caused Huang Yaoshi trouble, even seeking his life, simply because they had listened to the one-sided words of Qiu Qianren?